A pause. “The southerners have never been a problem for you before.”
“These southerners are different.This,” she motioned around the forest, “was of their making.”
“The storm?”
“It was not just a storm,” Ellina replied. “It was conjuring.”
Silence, as her words settled. Venick watched the elves stifle their reactions—expressions taut, hands steady—yet he saw the truth anyway. Whatever Ellina’s troop knew of southern conjurors, this was new to them, too.
Raffan alone seemed unaffected. His posture was easy, arms by his sides, shoulders back and down. A moment passed where Venick couldn’t be sure what he was thinking. Then Raffan straightened and said, “The southern elves are not powerful enough to command the weather.”
“But they did,” Ellina insisted. “And that is not all.” She told them about the coup in Kenath, how the southern elves had infiltrated that city and now commanded its guard. “The southerners are gaining strength.”
“A hasty conclusion.”
“Hasty?” Ellina’s hand went to her sword. A habit, Venick realized, that could also be interpreted as a threat. “You said it yourself. The southerners should not have this kind of power.”
“The southern conjurors are a ragtag band of rebels, and Kenath is a border city—hardly worthy of our concern. They pose no real threat to us.”
“And Tarrith-Mour?” Ellina pressed. “What of the threatthere?”
Another elf, a tall male with a hooked nose whose name Venick didn’t know, answered. “We found nothing there. The city was empty.”
Ellina blinked. “Empty?”
“Abandoned,” the elf said. “The elves have moved.”
“The entire city?” Ellina looked between them in disbelief. “Butwhere?”
“We do not know,” Raffan cut in, “nor is it our concern. We will return to Evov now and give the queen our report.”
“I should think a vanished city raises questions.”
“The south is unstable. Elves are always moving.”
“Except that we passed Muralwood. It, too, was abandoned.” Ellina shook her head. “Alone, each of these events could be explained away. But together? Something is not right.”
Raffan seemed unconvinced. He took a sidestep, settling into commander’s stance. “Our orders were clear. Our mission was to investigate the honor suicide in Tarrith-Mour. We have. It is time now to return to Evov.”
“We cannot return yet.”
“Would you neglect your duty?”
“My duty is to my family. To my country.”
“And to me,” he added.
Ellina ignored that. “Dourin and I will return to Tarrith-Mour to investigate. We will scout the other cities in the region to see if they, too, have vanished. We will meet you in Evov.”
Raffan hardened. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “You are overstepping, Ellina.” His gaze slid to Venick. “Again.”
“This is important.”
“I am the commander of this troop.Idecide what is important. And I order you to stay.”
Ellina’s eyes flashed, and Venick knew that look. Defiance. Pride. Then, softly, “No.”
It was a small thing for Raffan to step forward. To reach across the space, his hand moving so fast that Venick didn’t see a hand at all, only the flash of white. Raffan’s expression didn’t change. He barely even appeared to move.
