"If we enter in through the city limits here." Soren's fingers pointed to a spot on the large map. "We can go in with minimal resistance. The guard is notoriously weak here."
"It was weak before. After the escape, the entire city and the walls are probably swarming with guards like never before," Zora said with a shake of her head. Another plan shot down.
"What about portalling. Amberleigh could portal us in."
"She could portal some of us in. Her powers are not strong enough yet for that magnitude. It will kill her."
I sat down with a sigh at Zora's words. We had been standing around this table for hours debating strategy for our next move for the resistance. Most of the plans were either dead ends or ended up with me dying.
A dull ache was growing behind my left eye, and I rubbed at is anxiously. We had to come up with something soon to capitalize on the momentum from my scene at my coronation.
We also needed to find a way to reinsert informants back within the city limits. All rebels had been called back to the camp with the knowledge that I would be coming. It was the safest option for everyone, but it also meant that we were operating off a severe lack of information.
"Zora, you know we have to do something. We can't stay in this ravine forever. It's only a matter of time before the Ithican army is knocking on our front door. They could even be on their way now for all we know, and then this safe haven practically turns into the Ild Vann," Arne said.
Arne was one of Zora's closest advisors if you could call it that. The structure of the resistance was much different than anything I had ever seen in Erivale. Zora was clearly the leader, and those of us within the tent with her were also viewed in high regard and were trusted with missions, but they had no formal rank. Their power came from mutual respect.
I came to know that Arne had been a part of the resistance almost as long as Soren. He had even known Zora's grandfather, a sorcerer that had been helping the resistance before his death due to magic overload on a mission.
Arne was a fatherly figure to the entire camp even though he was already father to Octavius. Instead of going on missions, he stayed with the resistance majority helping to protect them, teach them to fight, and show the children how to hunt and forage.
"We will evacuate the camp before that happens," Zora said firmly. Her violet eyes showed a determination to keep everyone safe no matter what.
The group continued their conversation, hardly noticing I had retired myself to a low bench near the wall of the tent. The room was small and filled with a faint haze of smoke from a pipe that Soren was gently puffing on in concentration. The blue feathered air moved and curled around lazily, and the candlelight threw wavering shadows against the faces of everyone here.
We had all spent more time in this tent than we would have liked. Every night it was the same: we would stare at the map, suggestions would be made for tactics, and we would realize that none of them would work. This tent was the embodiment of our exhaustion, frustration, and anxiety. I hated it in here.
My eyes began to slowly close involuntarily. The days since I had left the palace had been long, and my time here at the rebel camp was almost as busy to my life at the palace. The difference between the two was that instead of literature lessons, I was helping plot rebel movements across the land and training even more vigorously than before. Half of my day or more was spent sword fighting and in hand to hand combat with anyone and everyone. Any able-bodied individual capable of fighting was trained like soldiers. The prospect of battle, either as self-defense or an attack, was always at the forefront of the group's minds.
When my eyes closed completely, the thoughts of the map and the rebel plans finally slipping from my mind. I began to feel a pressure encompassing my body, but the feeling was soon forgotten as I dozed off to sleep.
For once, my mind felt blank. It was void of worry, and for a small moment, I could almost picture myself back in the human world; back in the house, I had grown up in, back to a life where I wasn't responsible for an uprising.
I could only have been asleep for mere seconds before a horn was sounded that traveled the length of the ravine. With a start, I jerked awake to the surprised faces of everyone in the tent and their subsequent flurry of activity.
Ogen, Nils, Eadric, and Pasha immediately darted out of the tent. They moved with a defined purpose like they knew exactly what to do and where to go.
As Zora, Soren, and Sven grabbed their supplies, Zora barked orders, "Emergency intruder plan is being activated, move to your stations. Amberleigh, Ulric, and Gerard follow me."
We hurried after the resistance leader into what could only be described as organized chaos. Outside of the tent, it seemed that everyone in the camp was scurrying around like ants. Elves and creatures alike were running every which way, carrying objects, pulling ropes, directing others.
Nana Maiken, moving with a determined strength, despite her age, had corralled a collection of younger Elves, Fauns, Satyrs, and even an infant Ursa. With the help of a few more elderly rebel members, they moved them all within a tent and closed the flap. Just as the seams were sealed closed, she gave me a small wink. I didn't know if she was crazy or trying to tell me something.
"What's going on?" I asked as I narrowly avoided a Garuda female running past me with a bow clasped in her hands.
"Our scouts spotted an intruder somewhere along our inner perimeter, which means they are only a short distance away. We don't have much time to conceal the camp."
"Conceal the camp? How do you conceal an entire camp?" I thought my words had fallen on silent ears as Zora marched forward, scanning tents and groups of rebels, seeming to catalog everyone's position.
When she got to the center of camp, she stood stock-still and closed her eyes. Within seconds I felt the tingle of magic in the air, and a soft purple glow began to envelop Zora's hands. A shadow swept across the entire ravine, and I looked up to the sky to see a faint violet shimmer to the air. The magic was thin enough that I could still see out all the way to the stars, barely peeking through the treetops.
"It's magical camouflage," Zora eventually said, addressing my previous question. She spoke easily, even though I knew that this level of magic required a large amount of energy and concentration. "It's how we stay safe here in the forest. Archers are set up in the trees and on the edges of the ravine, ready to kill any threat. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that."
True to her word, I noticed six—no seven—archers stationed in the trees. Mud and pigments helped their clothes and skin blend into the nighttime foliage. More lined the rim of the ravine, but it would appear that they were the only rebels left out. Everyone else, the children, and the elderly and even a vast majority of unarmed soldiers, were hidden away in the various tents silent as a summer breeze.
My own breathing seemed far too loud in the tense silence that shrouded us. It was like the entire world was put on pause as we waited for whatever this intruder was. It didn't seem like anyone here even knew what this threat was, it sounded like there was barely enough time for them to sound the warning call. This could very well be the Ithican army marching towards us, ready to pummel us to the ground. There was no way we would survive an attack by them right now, we were horribly unprepared. Most of our fighters were tucked away in tents without proper armor or weapons.
Anxiety bubbled through me. I felt like a sitting duck just waiting to be cut down by the army. My hand strayed to the hilt of my sword. A gentle tingle flashed over the skin of my fingers, and I felt a small surge of comfort. This was my blade, I knew how to wield it, and I would use it to protect myself and the others.
Another few moments of bated silence were interrupted by a faint rustle and the crashing of uncoordinated steps. A small frown formed on my face in confusion. There was clearly only one individual moving through the forest and whomever they were, they were not skilled. A soldier, hunter, or assassin would be much stealthier.
I stared intently at the edge of the ravine, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever it was. As the clumsy sounds came closer, the top of someone's head started to come into view. Bright blonde hair was greasy from going sometime without washing, and streaks were stained with mud. A few spots were even tinged red with blood.
The figure stopped moving and appeared to glance around them. All I could see was the top of their forehead and hair. A small string of frustration wiggled up inside of me. I just wanted to see their face to know if they were a threat.
After a few more moments of confused looking, the figure began moving again. As their face came into view, the archers pulled their bows taught, ready to fire.
"Wait!" I yelled. Zora flashed me a surprised look as the camouflage barrier flashed in and out from her broken concentration.
The archers faltered in their actions, and I ran forward to clumsily scurry up the side of the ravine. As I broke the surface, her voice called out to me: "Amberleigh?"
"Guinevere," I breathed out. I took in the sight of her. She was wearing the same dress she had on from my coronation. The formerly pristine and glittering fabric was ripped and soiled with mud. The light blue of the Ithican army uniform was draped over her shoulders as she shivered. A small gash on her right temple was crusted with dried blood. Guinevere no longer looked like the regal princess she once was.
"Thank the gods I found you," Guinevere sighed and stumbled once more. She pitched forward, and I hurried to grab her arms to catch her tumbling body.
"Found me? Why were you looking for me?"
"Don't think so highly of yourself." She rolled your eyes. "I didn't come for you; I came for the rebels. To help or something."
I was secretly relieved as the usual Guinevere attitude revealed itself. She was fine.
"You're coming to help the resistance? What happened?"
"I should have listened to you. After you left, they took me. They were going to prep me for the Ceremony of the Gods and then sacrifice me. I knew that it was going to happen, all this time, but my fear wiped away Renatus's manipulation. I couldn't do it, so I escaped."
"I-I'm so sorry, Guinevere. Let's get you to the camp. Get you cleaned up, and then you can rest."
"No!" Guinevere's abrupt outburst startled me. "There's no time. They're coming!"
"Who's coming?"
"The army! I wasn't far ahead of them. Maybe a day or half a day? I don't know, but they are coming to kill you all. All except you, Amberleigh, they will take you back to the palace—make a spectacle out of you and then take your power."
My mouth dried in fear as I stared at Guinevere.