Eternal Forest: The Shadow of the Throne by Naff Faith

Author:Naff, Faith [Naff, Faith]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Moonwing Media
Published: 2016-02-13T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

When Ilderra finally saw the rolling grasslands of the human territory, things started to go wrong. The first thing she noticed was the dark, swirling clouds approaching from the west. The wind was picking up and she could smell the rain pouring down in the distance. She would beat the storm to the city, but just barely. Looking towards Meadowgold, she noticed the decorations adorning the buildings. The increasing wind carried beautiful music and delicious smells from the city center.

It wasn’t what she did see that worried her, but what she didn’t see. Though it was never explicitly mentioned in any of her letters, Ilderra assumed either Viyana or one of her representatives would be watching for her by the road. Certainly they didn’t expect her to just wander in alone.

“No greeting party?” Jayce asked as his horse came to a stop.

“That’s just what I was wondering,” Ilderra responded.

“Do you wish to wait here or continue onward?” he asked.

Ilderra’s eyes turned once again to the western horizon. “That storm isn’t going to give us the luxury of waiting. We’ve no choice but to enter the city alone.”

“Onward it is then,” Jayce said. His heels kicked into the sides of his steed, sending it down the grassy slope towards the city.

Ilderra did the same, but her horse protested. The wind was indeed getting strong and the animal yearned to return to the trees. Ilderra herself had to hold on a little tighter to the reins. Her elegant robes flapped like banners in the gale. The ornate braids in her hair had loosened during her travels, forcing her to undo them entirely. Now her hair whipped across her face, making her miss having it all pinned against her head.

Still, she and her acolyte companions made their way towards the city. It did her heart well to hear that, despite the oncoming storm, the city was engaged in celebration. The music got louder as she approached the first row of small buildings and she could see a few clusters of people dancing and talking together.

The city looked just as she’d remembered. If there were any changes from her five year absence, time had wiped them from her mind. Of course being in the familiar setting started to bring back familiar feelings. Her last days in Meadowgold had been spent feeling alone, unwanted, and afraid for the future. She was returning now as high priestess, yet she couldn’t help letting those unsettled ghosts reclaim her spirit.

Meadowgold sat in a shallow valley, which allowed some of the wind to pass over the tops of the houses. The streets themselves were much calmer, though the flags upon the poles and lines flapped wildly above her. The first rumbles of thunder echoed softly from the west.

“She’s here!” someone shouted.

In an instant, the various clusters of people descended upon Ilderra and her acolytes. Their arms were outstretched. Joyous smiles lit their faces. Their horses were taken by the reins and led through the streets toward the city center as the people cheered around them.

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