The moon hung low in the sky by the time Elara returned to her cottage. The night air was crisp, and the stars seemed brighter than usual, but she found no comfort in their light.
The emissary's words gnawed at her thoughts, wrapping around her like the shadow of the forest.
Two days.
It wasn't much time, but it was enough to prepare. Elara wasn't foolish enough to think she could outrun the prince or his men indefinitely, but she had to try.
She wouldn't go to them willingly, not when the weight of that curse hovered over her like a storm waiting to break.As she packed her satchel for the second time that day, her mind wandered back to the village.
Her people—those she had sworn to protect—were in danger because of her. The sickness was spreading, and if what the emissary said was true, it would only worsen. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on her, more crushing than anything she had felt before.
She thought of the boy who had come to her, his mother suffering from the fever. She had treated her, but deep down, she knew it wasn't enough. The curse was not something that could be healed by simple herbs and poultices.
It was something darker, more insidious—a force of nature, or worse, a force of magic.Elara paused, her hand resting on the small knife she had slipped into her satchel. It was more of a comfort than a weapon, but even that comfort felt hollow now.
What good was a blade against shadows?As she secured the last of her supplies, a sudden knock at the door startled her. Her heart leapt into her throat, and for a moment, she was paralyzed by fear. The emissary had returned.
But the knock came again, softer this time, followed by a familiar voice.
"Elara? It's me—Leif."Relief flooded through her as she hurried to the door. She opened it to find Leif, one of the village hunters, standing on her doorstep.
His face was tense, his brow furrowed in concern.
"Leif," she breathed, stepping aside to let him in. "What are you doing here?"
"I should be asking you the same thing," he replied, his voice low. "The village is talking. They say a stranger came for you today."Elara's stomach twisted.
Of course the village would know by now. Word traveled fast in small places like this, and with the sickness already spreading, people were more on edge than ever.
"I don't have time to explain," she said, grabbing her cloak from the peg by the door. "I have to leave, Leif."
"Leave?" His brow furrowed deeper.
"You can't just—"
"I don't have a choice!" she snapped, then softened her tone. "The prince's men are coming for me. If I stay, I'll only put the village in more danger."
Leif stared at her, his eyes wide with disbelief. "The prince? The cursed prince?"Elara nodded, her throat tight. "He thinks I can break the curse. He'll come for me, and if I'm still here when he does…" She trailed off, shaking her head.
Leif's hand tightened on the bow slung over his shoulder. "Then I'll go with you."
"What?" Elara blinked, taken aback. "No, you can't. It's too dangerous."
"I don't care," he said, his voice firm. "I'm not letting you face this alone. Besides, the village needs you. If the curse is real—if the sickness is coming from the prince—then we need to stop it before it spreads any further."
Elara opened her mouth to argue, but the look in his eyes silenced her. Leif had always been stubborn, but this was something else. He wasn't going to back down.
She sighed, nodding reluctantly. "Alright, but we have to move quickly. We don't have much time."
Leif nodded, stepping aside to let her finish gathering her things. The two of them moved in silence, the weight of the situation pressing down on them both. Elara's mind raced with thoughts of what lay ahead.
She didn't know where they would go, or how they would evade the prince's men, but she knew one thing for certain: she couldn't stay here.
The village wasn't safe anymore.As they slipped out of the cottage and into the forest, Elara felt a strange sense of calm settle over her. The moonlight filtered through the trees, casting long shadows on the ground, but the forest no longer felt like a threat. It felt like an old friend, watching over them as they made their escape.
Leif moved ahead of her, his footsteps silent as he led the way through the underbrush. He had spent his whole life hunting in these woods, and Elara trusted him to find the safest path. But even with Leif's skill, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were being followed.
She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the darkness, but saw nothing.Still, the feeling persisted. The shadows seemed to stretch longer, darker, as if the forest itself was alive with the prince's curse, reaching for her.
"Elara," Leif whispered, breaking her from her thoughts. He had stopped ahead of her, crouching low to the ground, his eyes focused on something in the distance.She moved to his side, her heart racing.
"What is it?"Leif didn't answer at first, his gaze fixed on a faint light flickering through the trees. As Elara peered closer, she saw it too—torches, bobbing up and down in the distance.The prince's men.
"They're already here," Leif muttered, his voice tight. "We have to go—now."
Author Note:
We've reached the end of Chapter 5! Things are heating up as Elara and Leif make their escape. What do you think of Leif's decision to join her? Is he a potential ally or a risk? As we head into next Chapter.