Quietly, Ling Yu stood, adjusting her cloak and stepping out of the tent without a sound. The night air greeted her immediately, cool, crisp, and tinged with the scent of damp earth and sweet blossoms. The elven village lay under a dome of natural luminescence; thousands of fireflies floated through the branches, and luminous vines coiled along the trees, bathing everything in a serene green glow.
She drew in a slow breath. "Peaceful…" she murmured. "Almost too peaceful."
The camp they'd been given rested near the edge of the elves' inner sanctum, where the dense forest met a clear stream. The water's surface mirrored the moon like a sheet of liquid glass, occasionally rippling as small silver fish darted below.
Ling Yu crouched by the stream, cupping a handful of water to her lips. The cold bit at her fingertips, but it cleared the haze in her mind.
