Rena and Taeryn exchanged glances, the weight of his words sinking in.
They had grown up in Frostvale and had planned to live their entire lives there, raising their children in the same peaceful village where they had been born.
But that peace was shattered now, probably forever.
"He's right," Rena said quietly, her voice stronger than anyone expected. "We can't stay here. Not if it means bringing more death to our neighbours."
She looked at her mother and Jaenor. She didn't want to leave them, but she had to in order to save them.
Taeryn nodded, though his face was tight with pain. His mother was badly wounded, and leaving might mean he would never see her again. But staying might mean watching everyone else die.
"That's a wise choice," Morgana said, and there was approval in her ancient eyes. "The path ahead will be dangerous, but it is the only way to protect those you love."
Darian suddenly tensed, his head turning toward the dark forest that surrounded the village.
His hand moved to his sword hilt, and his eyes narrowed as he scanned the tree line. "They're coming," he said, his voice low and urgent. "I can hear them moving through the woods—not fiends this time, but something else. Something worse."
The survivors began to murmur in fear, and several of the children started to cry. The brief moment of safety they had felt after the battle was gone, replaced by the cold knowledge that their ordeal was far from over.
"If we're leaving, we should move now," Darian continued, his military training taking over.
"We have maybe an hour before they reach the village, and we need to be far away by then."
Lady Valara stepped forward, her voice sharp with authority. "Wait," she commanded.
"How can we trust you with our kids? You are a witch, and we don't have a reason to believe you."
"You do, actually. Look around you, Chieftess," Morgana said.
"Do you want to risk the lives of your people?"
"What I said is the truth. Ask your daughter."
Rena nodded, telling her about the strange occurrence in the cellar. But Valara was feeling reluctant. She couldn't send her daughter away, but seeing what the village and her people had lost that day, she had come to agree with her daughter.
"Where exactly are you taking them? I am the sworn protector of this village and its people. I will not simply hand them over to strangers, no matter how powerful you claim to be."
Morgana met her gaze steadily. "Somewhere safe," she said.
"There are places in this world where the old powers still hold sway, where the ancient protections have not yet failed. Sanctuaries that have stood since the first age of magic."
"That's not an answer," Valara replied.
"These people have a right to know where they're going and why. You speak of purposes and chosen ones, but what does that really mean? What do you want with them?"
The tension in the square was thick enough to cut.
The survivors looked back and forth between the two women, unsure who to trust.
Valara was one of their own, their Chieftess who had always protected them, but she was also just one person against the gathering darkness.
Morgana was a stranger, but she had saved their lives and clearly possessed power beyond anything they had ever seen.
Rena stepped forward, her voice calm despite the chaos around them.
"Mother," she said. "It's all right. This is for the best."
Baren nodded in agreement.
"She speaks truth, Chief. We cannot stay here, not if it means bringing more death to our friends and neighbours. Whatever these creatures want with us, it cannot be worse than watching everyone we love die."
Valara's face softened as she looked at these young people who had grown up under her protection.
They were right, she knew.
The village could not survive another attack like the one they had just endured. But the thought of letting them go, of failing in her duty to protect them, was almost unbearable.
"I don't like this," she said finally.
"But I can see the wisdom in it. Just... promise me you'll be careful. Promise me you'll come back when this is over."
"We will," Rena said, though she wasn't sure if she was lying or not.
"We will come back."
"Prepare quickly, take what you need, and pick strong horses," Darian advised them.