Once they'd ridden some distance, Toby turned to Sylas. "Where to now, my lord?"
"Well…"
With some time left on his year as a knight, he had a few months remaining to complete his duties. But before that, there was something he wanted to do.
"Let's head west and pick up Max."
Sylas and his companions retraced their steps to the Hernning estate, where he had initially begun his journey to the North. The western landscape looked much the same as before, save for one noticeable difference.
"There are hardly any monsters around," Sylas remarked.
"Think it's because the elves have quieted down?" Toby suggested.
"That's part of it, but…"
Sylas recalled the events from a few months prior: Count Valdemar had captured an elven princess, causing the elves to launch a brutal search across the forests, disrupting monster populations and scattering beasts far and wide. It had made traveling through the lands difficult.
