Zeltara finished wrapping her tent up into its pack. She then picked it up and tossed it to Kaztos, who set it into the tinker wagon. Saiya followed close behind, throwing her pack in. With a final thud, they finished packing up their campsite for the morning. They didn’t say a word to each other as they worked. Sighing, Zeltara swept her hair back with a hand. The stress of the situation was getting to her.
The atmosphere this morning was tense, to put it lightly. The three of them knew that time was against them. They didn’t know when the attack would come, just that it would be soon. The abomination didn’t wait long before striking at its prey the last time. The fact that they were already stalking the caravan meant it wouldn’t be long. Preparations had to be made if they wanted to defend themselves.
Unfortunately, they were alone in this endeavor. They had failed to convince Dinaro of the danger last night. Zeltara cursed herself again for her actions. If only she had stayed calm, she could have convinced the chief. Instead, Zeltara let the words of those two prunes distract her and ruin everything. As it was, the three of them could do only so much. She had a feeling that another wrong move would get them kicked out. Lives were in danger, and Zeltara felt like they couldn’t do anything. Just what were they going to do now?
To make matters worse, it appeared that everyone knew about the stunt they had pulled last night. The cold looks the trio received were worse than ever. Not even on their first day was it this bad. It was as if their suspicions were proven. Though if there was one thing Zeltara could take away from this, it was that the Al’Yanda were terrible gossips. The sun had just risen, and already everyone knew.
She turned to see Saiya and Kaztos standing there, waiting. Like her, the two were looking around camp, taking in the rebuking stares. Zeltara hoped they didn’t take it hard. She knew the two were starting to making friends with a few people from the caravan. Though, based on Kaztos’ expression, that was a fool’s hope. She cleared her throat to get their attention.
“Let’s go over what we need to do today.” Seeing both nod, Zeltara continued. “Both of you try to convince Yena and Euronar to help us, if possible.” With their current reputation, it was unlikely. Especially with what she knew of Euronar, but they needed to try. “I’ll try to come up with ways to drive off the abominations. I don’t know how much time we have, but let’s assume they’ll attack tonight and work as fast as possible.”
Kaztos crossed his arms, frowning. “That leaves most of the burden on you. I doubt we will be successful in our efforts. Is there anything more you can have us do to help?”
“He’s right,” Saiya said. “We need to do more than that. You’re right that it’s possible the caravan is going to be attacked tonight. If you try to do all the work, then something is going to slip through the cracks. Kaztos and I will keep an eye out to see if we can help in our own way.” A weight Zeltara hadn’t realized was there, lifted. She wasn’t alone in this.
“Sounds good. Sorry, this isn’t very well thought out. There just isn’t much we can do in our current positions.” Zeltara sighed. “I shouldn’t have pushed the issue with Dinaro last night. Now our options are limited. I’m the only one who isn’t constantly supervised. So, it falls on me to make up for last night.” Any actions they took had to be done behind the caravan’s backs. Their position would be perilous if someone caught them.
Kaztos approached and put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t think like that. We didn’t know what the right choice was last night. Just because we got it wrong doesn’t mean we should quit now.”
“But I should have heeded Pence’s warnings about what would happen. Now we’re all in trouble.” Zeltara knew she had to be better. As the leader, she needed to make the right decisions. She shouldn’t have tried to rush things. What happened last night proved she wasn’t capable enough. Who could say that she was making the right decision now? Maybe Zeltara was only making things worse. What a terrible leader she is.
“Then learn from it.” The sharp tone caused her to snap over to Saiya. She stared Zeltara down with an intense look. “You made a mistake last night. Get over it. You’ll make more in the future, but don’t start doubting yourself. I should have insisted on stopping us last night. Things felt off the entire time, but I did nothing. I failed just as you did. Kaztos didn’t even think it could have gone wrong. He should have thought it through better and warned you. All three of us messed up, but we need to keep going. Don’t get distracted by the what-ifs.”
Zeltara could only stare at Saiya, surprised at the girl’s words. How did she have her figured out like that? Was her inner spiral that obvious?
“I agree,” Kaztos said. “The fault last night falls on all of us. We don’t think any less of you as a leader. We’re not expecting you to be perfect. Now, how about we prepare for our upcoming battle?” The last of that pressure left Zeltara. How did she get so lucky to end up with these two?
She found herself grinning at the two. “Thank you. I needed to hear that. You’re right, we need to focus on the here and now.” Saiya and Kaztos nodded in agreement. Zeltara felt confident for the first time since last night. Sure, they weren’t in the best position, but the three of them had gotten through bad situations before. They’ll get through this too.
Euronar’s arrival ended their conversation. His expression dashed Zeltara’s hopes of receiving his help. They tensed up in his presence. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought he had come here to attack them. The anger rolling off him was palpable.
Euronar stared the three down. “I know what happened last night. We were too trusting of you. Now Pence is in trouble with the elders. He is restricted from his current duties.” Zeltara felt sympathy for Pence. She knew he must be taking this hard. They’ll have to think of a way to help him soon. “I shouldn’t have ever allowed him to socialize with outsiders. You’ve just proven what I thought would happen.”
Kaztos winced at this. Zeltara glanced over to see him wipe his eyes with a shirtsleeve. The sight filled her with anger. What right did Euronar have to berate them like this? She wanted to tell him off. It’s the least she could do for Kaztos.
But as quickly as the thought came, Zeltara let it go. Now wasn’t the time to pick fights. They were on thin enough ice as it was. If they were kicked out of the caravan, then they would be easy prey for the abominations. No, they had to keep a low profile. Besides, Euronar had every right to be angry at them. It sounded as if Pence was in deep trouble. He obviously cared a lot for his brother. She failed to grasp the severity of their actions last night. In a way, Zeltara still didn’t know.
Euronar, seeing that they would say nothing, continued. “Your jobs are the same as before. Don’t mess up. Now come.” He turned and walked away. Saiya and Kaztos prepared to leave. Before they did, Zeltara grabbed each of their shoulders and leaned in close.
“Remember, look out for anything that could help us. But keep a low profile. We don’t need to get into any more trouble.” The two nodded, and they exchanged quick goodbyes. Kaztos then followed Euronar while Saiya walked to the medical tent, both being watched the entire way. Now alone, Zeltara turned to the tinker wagon and jumped inside. She hoped that there wasn’t too much added to the broken pile today.
The interior of the wagon was almost the same as always. Zeltara had moved around tools and materials to suit her taste. The less she had to move around while working, the better. Before, things lay strewn all over the room with little rhyme or reason. The previous tinker was either messy or liked to move around. Now, the space was more hers. Zeltara centralized everything around the workbench, so she did not have to move once she sat down. It would allow her to work faster than otherwise.
So fast that she was already almost caught up with work. The previous mountain of broken things had become a small hill, thanks to Zeltara’s work. It amazed her how the Al’Yanda, with their storage enchantments, tossed their damaged possessions about haphazardly. Perhaps it was a good thing, since she can’t open those storage spaces. No, her lack of mana meant she could only use what was physically available in the wagon. Any tools locked away couldn’t be used, meaning she had to improvise. For not the first time, Zeltara felt that being an elf sucked.
But this carelessness all worked to her advantage. It meant that not only was she unsupervised, but resources weren’t being kept track of. No one would notice if she used some materials or used some time for her own needs. And who would know if Zeltara happened to keep a reserve of already-fixed objects in case she wanted a free day? What the Al’Yanda didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.
This reserve already allowed her to make some more of her marbles. The Al’Yanda weren’t keeping track of how much work she was doing. It only mattered that work was being done. Zeltara doubted they even realized just how close she was to being caught up with the backlog. She gave a rare thank you to the Amedori for her fortune. It put her in a position to prepare for the imminent attack. Saiya and Kaztos’ jobs meant they couldn’t do much. So, the responsibility fell on her, and she wouldn’t let them down.
She walked to the broken pile and took a closer look. Only a broken mana lamp and stool had been added. That previous tinker had it so easy. They would have gone crazy under the workload Zeltara and her father had to go through. The family workshop back at home could receive dozens of orders a day during the busiest times of the year.
After taking a moment to consider her options, she took an hour or two and fixed some things. While Zeltara didn’t have supervision before, there was no guarantee that was still the case. They might have decided that she couldn’t be trusted alone in here. Best to actually work just in case someone checked in on her. If her cover got blown, then there was nothing they could do.
Besides, she needed to get some work done to make sure no one got suspicious. Her current reserve of already repaired items wasn’t enough for what Zeltara usually gave. Nothing could tip the Al’Yanda off that they were up to something. They may not have treated them the best, but she could tell that they were good people. Not everyone would bring in strangers and nurse them back to health. Then to give them jobs so they could stay on top of that. This was the least they could do to repay them. Even though it seemed to be against their own self-interests.
So, Zeltara grabbed the broken mana lantern and got to work. Initial inspection showed nothing wrong with the exterior casing. The glass and bulb were all in good shape. So, something on the inside then. Great, she hated those kinds of repairs. It was a meticulous checking of each component. And just because she found a broken component didn’t mean the repair was done. Zeltara couldn’t check the lantern by lighting it, so she always had to go over every piece. The worst part is that she couldn’t be certain the lantern was fixed after she finished. Zeltara needed someone else to check for her.
Her inspection showed that the rune that absorbed channeled mana had worn out. Its absence prevented mana from feeding into the battery. That meant no power would go to the lighting enchantment in the bulb. An easy fix. The wagon already contained replacement parts. Common mana lanterns weren’t known for their reliability. It took just a few minutes to swap the runes out. It took longer to check every other part. In the end, she found nothing else wrong. Hopefully, the lantern was fixed. It was too bad that she couldn’t check it herself.
Zeltara spent an hour fixing more from the pile. Anything from weapons to wagon parts ended up on her workbench. With her stash, she had enough repairs to make it seem like she did a full day if anyone checked. Before today, Zeltara was confident that the Al’Yanda wouldn’t pay attention. Now she couldn’t risk it. At least it gave her time to figure out what they needed.
The abominations were weak to fire and attracted to mana. How could Zeltara use that to her advantage? Well, she couldn’t do anything about the second point now, so best to focus on the first. She needed to come up with weapons that would produce natural fire. Time was short, so best to keep the weaponry simple. Quantity would probably be better than quality in this case. The entire caravan needed to be protected.
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As she reached down into the junk pile, Zeltara noticed something. At the bottom sat a bulky gauntlet. She picked it up and examined it. Fascinating. The material resembled leather, but its texture and thickness differed from anything she’d seen before. It extended far enough to cover up to just below her elbow. A strap at the end secured it to the arm. Steel covered the fingers and the back of the hand for protection.
What captivated her was the metal ring fixed just above the wrist of the gauntlet. It reminded Zeltara of a handcuff, but this was much thicker. She fiddled with the ring. Her finger brushed a button, causing a small compartment to open. There was nothing inside, but the hidden compartment held her attention.
Who did this belong to? Zeltara had seen no one with the matching gauntlet around the caravan. It had impressive engineering put into it, yet it felt incomplete. This thing did a poor job of keeping things hidden. The button was obvious and easy to access. No, the compartment was meant for something else. Ideas flew through her mind on the potential applications. There was much that could be done to improve it. She wanted to bring these ideas to life.
Unfortunately, now wasn’t the time. Zeltara needed to focus on the task at hand. While the gauntlet could eventually be made useful, it would take days or weeks to accomplish. She had to work under the assumption that there was at most a day until the abominations attacked. There wasn’t enough time to fiddle with something so complicated.
But after they were safe, then she would look into it. If her travels showed anything so far, it was that Zeltara wasn’t prepared enough for combat. Improving her battle capabilities should be a top priority. However, other tasks demanded immediate attention. Plus, that gauntlet was owned by somebody. Maybe she was lucky, and it belonged to the previous tinker. If it were theirs, Zeltara could probably claim it.
That was for the future. For now, she needed to come up with something to defend themselves and the camp. Zeltara started with what she knew. She spent the first hour making more marbles. She had only five of each at the moment, unlikely to be enough. While they didn’t seem to hurt the abominations, they at least provided a distraction.
Next, she moved on to her crossbow. It was what finally drove off the first abomination. While Zeltara didn’t have the time to make another for her friends, at least she could have the appropriate ammo. It took some time, but she created some bolts that could be lit on fire.
All it took was mixing some oil with a basic adhesive. Then soaking the bolt head in the mixture. She wrapped a small scrap of cloth around the tip. Finally, she left them to dry. A quick test showed the bolt readily igniting. It was a rare first-try success for her. Tests usually ended in explosive failure for her. Zeltara still remembered her father’s annoyance from being woken up by late-night explosions.
From her remaining ammo, she crafted a dozen fire bolts. Hopefully, these would fly straighter than her first iteration. It was a miracle Zeltara managed to hit that shot. The thought of what would have happened to Saiya if she had missed flitted through her mind. No, she needed to focus on the present to prevent that from happening to anyone here.
Reaching into her satchel, Zeltara pulled out her lantern. It was still beat up from the unfortunate fall it had taken. Bent metal and cracked glass tarnished her once great invention. Although she couldn’t repair the glass, Zeltara could restore its functionality. She still remembered the struggle of trying to keep it lit before.
Zeltara had limited options while traveling, but now she possessed the tools for repairs. She hammered out the dents and straightened the bends. The last thing to do was refill the tank. Now, she had a way to hopefully scare any abominations off. Natural light didn’t seem to deter them as effectively as fire, but it was better than nothing.
Sunlight streamed in from the outside, interrupting her workflow. Zeltara looked outside to see the afternoon had arrived. She was running out of time. While her safety had been mostly assured, she hadn’t done anything to ensure the camp’s protection. Saiya and Kaztos also had nothing to protect themselves either. Two problems with only a few hours to address both. Zeltara needed to focus. An attack could come tonight.
Her mind scrambled to think of something. The campfires would be helpful, but there were too many dark spots in-between campsites. It would be too easy for an abomination to sneak in and kill panicking people running in the dark. The mana lanterns lining the perimeter would be no help. If anything, those would attract the monsters. They gave Zeltara an idea, though.
She scrambled to find the materials needed. Parts from the broken pile had to be cannibalized to get the wood and cloth she needed. A scramble ensued as Zeltara rushed to assemble everything. She was going through most of the caravan’s available oil reserves at this point. The amount of trouble they would be in if she were caught made her shudder. Thankfully, the Al’Yanda seemed happy to still leave her unsupervised.
When she finished, Zeltara built about three dozen standing torches. They stood at around 4 feet tall. Each had an oiled cloth, ready to be lit at a moment’s notice. She sharpened the bottoms so they could be planted into the ground. This ensured that if there was an attack, then the camp would be safe. They’d just have to line the outside of the camp when the time came.
Zeltara wiped sweat off her brow. There hadn’t been this much work to do since the summer festival two years ago. Someone had spiked the drinks with something strong, causing a lot of drunken shenanigans. By morning, half the town was wrecked. The number of orders at her father’s workshop had tripled over the following week.
After stretching to ease her muscle’s soreness, she got back to work. Zeltara was almost out of time, and she needed to think of something Saiya and Kaztos could use. She looked over to see two glass bottles of oil sitting on the workbench. It was used mostly for locked up wheels, gears, and other things. Who knew it would be so useful for lighting things on fire? Zeltara had to be careful. She didn’t have much left. Picking one up, another idea came to her.
Grabbing empty bottles, Zeltara poured oil into each. She ended up with five half-filled bottles. Next, she poured some adhesive into each bottle. Maybe that would make the flames stick to the target. The bottles still had space, so Zeltara added water to the mixture. She then shook each bottle to mix everything, but the water and oil didn’t combine. She slapped her forehead and sighed. How could she forget that?
Hopefully, that didn’t ruin what she was doing. There weren’t any more bottles of oil lying around. Oh well, on-field testing hadn’t gone wrong yet. Zeltara refused to believe it would now. Stuffing cloth pieces into the top of the bottles, she finished making five firebombs. Now, Saiya and Kaztos had something to defend themselves with. Assuming that they worked.
Not a moment too soon, as a bang came from outside the wagon. “Dinner! Get out of there, outsider.” Zeltara just realized that the wagon had stopped. She had worked straight through the afternoon without realizing it. Another bang sounded, and Zeltara realized she was surrounded by things that shouldn’t be there. She scrambled to hide everything and rushed to exit the wagon.
Leaving the wagon, Zeltara saw an Al’Yanda man staring at her in suspicion. She rushed to explain herself. “Sorry, I was too focused on my work. Everything I fixed is where it usually is.” Hopefully, he wouldn’t look around any further. She hadn’t selected the best hiding places in her rush.
The Al’Yanda man only grumbled in response before entering the wagon. Zeltara decided not to wait and see if she was caught. It would look suspicious if she loitered around. So, she took the short walk to their campsite.
Kaztos and Saiya were already sitting around the firepit. They had already set up the tents, and dinner had arrived. She felt guilty about the fact that Kaztos had assembled camp on his own. It was usually a job they did together. As Zeltara got closer, her friends saw her approach. Saiya held out a bowl of soup, which she gratefully accepted. All the work today had built an appetite.
“Evening Zeltara! Did everything work out today?” Kaztos asked. Zeltara sat down and ate a few bites of food before answering.
“It went as well as it could. I managed to build some weapons for us to use, as well as a way to protect the camp.”
“Fantastic! Then we’ll be ready for anything those monsters could bring.” Kaztos’ expression became downtrodden. “I wish I could have had similar success. Euronar wouldn’t say a word all day. He also watched me like a hawk. I couldn’t find an opening to do anything. Not that I exactly knew what to do.”
Zeltara offered him a smile. “It’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up. I knew it was a long shot anyway.” Kaztos nodded but didn’t respond. She turned to Saiya. “How about you? Did you convince Yena or get anything?”
The blond girl shrugged. “Yena was no help. She was rather cold to me today, as expected. However,” Saiya pulled back her cloak and brought out some bandages and salve. “I swiped these when she wasn’t looking.”
“Good job. You can never go wrong with medical supplies,” Zeltara said. She turned back to Kaztos, whose face wore a conflicted look. “Did you see anything while out on patrol? Any sign of the abominations?”
Kaztos shook his head. “Nothing, but that’s to be expected. Those monsters can be stealthy when they want to be.” Silence overtook the group as they finished their meals. An Al’Yanda man came by and got their dishes. The three ignored the dirty look he gave them.
After making sure they were alone, Saiya asked, “So, what’s the plan? We don’t have much time.” The sun was setting on the horizon. While they didn’t know when an attack would come, they had to assume it would arrive at the first opportunity. They couldn’t afford to be caught off guard.
“I made some standing torches and firebombs to defend ourselves. The plan is to line the perimeter with lights to keep the abominations out. Then we’ll drive them off.” Zeltara rubbed the back of her head nervously. “Sorry, I know it isn’t that well thought out.”
Kaztos said, “That’s fine. How about we work on it together? Is everything in the tinker wagon?” Zeltara nodded. “Then let’s start there. When an attack happens, we’ll go there first. We’ll distribute everything we need between us.”
“I think we should secure the perimeter first,” Saiya said. “It’ll take some time, so all three of us should do it. Once the caravan is safe, then we’ll go from there.”
Zeltara considered their suggestions. “That sounds good, but we should prepare for the worst. There will probably be a battle, so be ready. Remember, we just need to scare them off. This will make Dinaro take us seriously. Then, the caravan can build a better defense in the future.”
“Great! I’m glad we could think of a plan,” Kaztos said. Saiya looked troubled.
“It’s still basic, but I can’t think of anything else for now. Just remember, these things are dangerous. We can’t let our guard down.” She turned to Zeltara. “Do you have anything else to give us besides firebombs?”
Zeltara shook her head. “Sorry, I only had so much time today.” Saiya waved off the apology. “I’ll make sure to think of something else tomorrow.” With the limited time she had. Her stash of completed work was low.
“If we have tomorrow,” Saiya said. The statement sobered the mood. The three eyed the outside of the camp. Darkness had settled in by now, leaving a sea of blackness surrounding the caravan. Zeltara wished for the moon and stars back. Even their limited light would have allowed them to see something outside the perimeter. The abominations could be right outside for all they knew.
Wishing for some kind of conversation to fill the silence, Zeltara said, “That abomination. I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that before. It’s never appeared in any of my studies in history.”
“I haven’t heard of it either, but I have done little research on the subject,” Kaztos said. He seemed uncomfortable with the topic.
“It’s actually quite interesting.” Zeltara and Kaztos gave Saiya a strange look. “I mean, it makes no sense anatomically. I’ve studied some anatomy in my spare time. Two completely different mouths, over a dozen arms distributed unevenly on the body, two dozen legs similar to a spider’s. It looks like several bodies were malformed and combined together. I wonder how that thing came to be.”
Zeltara said, “That’s a good question. Where did these things come from?” She paused as an idea came to her. “Do you think the cataclysm created them?”
“I don’t see how that could be. The cataclysm only destroyed. How could it have created something?” Kaztos asked. He then grimaced. “Especially something like that.”
“Maybe they were sealed away a long time ago, and the destruction broke them out. I’ve read historical accounts of creatures, people, and even objects being sealed away for safety by the Amedori,” Zeltara said. Saiya sighed.
“Great, as if the world burning and the sky falling weren’t bad enough. Now we might have ancient horrors hunting us down.” Zeltara chuckled at her misery, hoping to ease the tension. She wasn’t successful as the camp settled into another uneasy silence.
The three settle into their own thoughts. At least for Zeltara, it had been a long day. Weariness weighed on her as the minutes passed. It looked as though she would turn in early tonight. It was for the best. They needed to conserve their strength.
Her eyes wandered to the other camps. Everyone appeared to be minding their own business. Unlike at their camp, everyone seemed to be lively as usual. Zeltara felt jealous of them. They didn’t know the danger the caravan was in. She felt a brief temptation to run over and yell at everyone to warn them. The feeling passed quickly. That wouldn’t help anything. All it would do was get them in more trouble.
As if they weren’t in enough trouble. Between the disturbance they started last night and the now serial theft, they’d be lucky to only be kicked out at this point. Zeltara knew they were risking a lot for the Al’Yanda. Yet, she didn’t hesitate to do so. Was it out of a sense of morality or as a way to protect herself? She didn’t know.
Zeltara eventually turned her gaze to the chief’s tent. There, by the campfire, sat Pence. He looked downtrodden as he sat next to his brother. A feeling of guilt and sympathy washed over her. They should have listened to Pence last night, or better yet, kept him out of it. Their actions caused his current predicament.
Pence looked up, and their gazes locked. Both stared at each other for several seconds. Zeltara wondered if he was angry with them. All he wanted was to make his father proud, but now all he had was his disappointment. She couldn’t be sure because of the distance, and Pence probably couldn’t see the regret in her expression. The moment passed, and he turned back to stare at his campfire.
No, this was on her. Saiya had warned her last night, but she hadn’t heeded her advice. Now they were in this position because of the call she had made. Zeltara then remembered the conversation from this morning. A smile crept onto her face. Now wasn’t the time to second-guess herself. Saiya said to take this as a learning experience. She’ll do better next time. The doubt and guilt didn’t disappear, but they had lessened.
A yawn came forth unbidden, and Zeltara rubbed her eyes. Across from her, Kaztos and Saiya also yawned. She got their attention and said, “Let’s go to bed early. We need to keep our energy up, just in case. I’ll keep my ears open for anything.” Both nodded at her suggestion.
“Do try to get some sleep, Zeltara. I’m sure we’ll know when they show up. They aren’t subtle when they attack,” Kaztos said. The three cringed as they recalled that inhuman wail. Zeltara could still almost feel her bones vibrate from that noise.
“I doubt any of us will be able to sleep. The last thing I want is to be killed in my sleep,” Saiya said. Zeltara huffed in agreement. She couldn’t imagine sleeping with that thought in her head.
“Still, we have to try. I’ll do no one any good if we’re too tired to fight. The early bedtime may help us get rest. Goodnight, you two.” Kaztos and Saiya returned the goodnight, leaving the three to go to bed. They left their campfire lit, not wanting to lose the security of its light. They were near the edge of camp. It was best to avoid being targeted, if possible.
Zeltara entered her tent and lay down. She decided to sleep with all her clothing and satchels this time. There wouldn’t be time to get dressed if there were an attack. She tried to find a comfortable position, but was unable to. No matter, Zeltara had slept in worse positions. Their journey to reach the caravan was at the top of her list.
As her head laid on her pillow, Zeltara listened for anything out of place. At first, she heard nothing. Relief came as she closed her eyes. Maybe they wouldn’t attack tonight. A good night's sleep would do wonders for her right now. Unfortunately, just as she was about to drift off, Zeltara heard it. That telltale scuttling of countless legs.
She tensed as they at first approached the camp, ready to spring out of bed at any moment. They got closer, and she could make out several of them. Zeltara was prepared, but they stopped just as they were about to reach the perimeter. The abominations then stalked around just outside the camp. She waited, but they didn’t get closer. Well, there went any chance of sleep. Zeltara stayed there, eyes closed. She listened and waited for what came next.
