The Fae huntress cut down the first wave of Krah two at a time, but narrowly missed being skewered by an arrow fired by a Wuff archer positioned some distance from the wall, behind a pile of rubble. The threat of being sniped by hidden archers put a damper on her efforts, slowing her down and making her more cautious. In the interim, the mass of Plurns swarmed the wall, cleaving at the newly-set stones with their axes and thrusting blades through the yet-unpatched openings, where they injured the terrified workers.
Another arrow flew straight at her from behind the mess of rubble, and in dodging it Minx nearly tumbled from the top of the wall. She backed off for a moment, seeking out Mau who was standing at the ready down below. They planted a sniper out there, in the hopes of picking off our archers. We're busy enough defending the wall. Can you slip out and handle their archer for us?
The Faelyr strode across the square, seeking one of the narrow openings in the opposite wall. I'd be happy to. Just make sure to cover me! Slipping through the minor breach, Mau rounded the corner and took off across the field at a furious pace. The marauders attacking the wall were startled at her appearance, and their shock gave Minx and the other archers a much-needed opportunity. While the Fae archers loosed a rain of arrows and warded off the wall-breakers, Mau slipped past the fray completely and singled out the Wuff sniper. Minx never saw hide nor hair of him after that, but heard his terrible cries as Mau swiftly dispatched him.
The dozens of raiders were cut down in nearly as many minutes, and an eerie silence fell over the Trading Center as the archers were finally called back down. The workmen resumed their bricklaying, though not without taking many nervous glances through the gates in anticipation of more trouble. Minx and Mau were reunited near the medical tent, and the Fae huntress sat on a pile of unused bricks, catching her breath. Upon seeking out Kaleb and returning to Pandling Grounds with him, she'd envisioned a very different outcome to their collaboration. She'd assumed that the days of unexpected raids and close-calls would end—that Torrent would gather his forces for one last offensive and that she and Kaleb together would crush him, despite the odds.
Instead, she'd merely picked up where she'd left off. The constant skirmishes seemed poised to stay. The Fae, though natural-born fighters, had not been made to bear this sort of strain. The immense interruption to their usual way of life had whittled away the nerves of many of the inexperienced warriors, and even the seasoned fighters like Minx were at wit's end. She missed Kaleb, and though she knew he was more useful surveying the field and picking his own battles, she selfishly wished that he'd return to fight by her side. There'd always been something self-centered in her desire to bring Kaleb and the other dragons on-board. It was true that the dragon shifter was a great asset to her people, and could single-handedly turn the tide of the war in favor of the Fae, but it was equally true that her own romantic interests had been the strongest motivating factor in her seeking him out again.
Returning to the wall, she looked up into the skies, trying to find Kaleb soaring amidst the clouds. She trained her ears on the wind, hoping to hear his roar, or the eruption of a far-off fire blast. Only the sounds of the workmen registered, however. I hope he's all right. He's strong enough to take care of himself, but he can be stubborn. He'd better not get in over his head... else I won't be able to rescue him.
Lost in thought, she almost didn't notice the ache spreading across her chest. Minx set down her bow and stretched, doing her best to dull the pain. She'd been burning the candle at both ends and could scarcely remember what it was like to go without the aches and pains of battle. This, though, was different. It wasn't a muscle pain, exactly—nor was it a bruise. She winced through it, kneaded the spot through her armor and held her breath till it began to fade. You've been pushing yourself way too hard. If these battles don't let up, you're going to fall to literal pieces!
Minx and Mau busied themselves with odd jobs throughout the Trading Center, stopping only for a half hour in the late afternoon for a meal. When they returned to the square, they found Kaleb, who'd just returned from his first scouting mission. He looked well enough—uninjured—but the toll of the trip was plain in the way he panted. He was dripping with sweat, and his arms and legs were shaky with fatigue.
“Kaleb,” started Minx, marching toward him, “how did it go? Are you OK?”
The dragon shifter nodded as convincingly as he could, pawing the matted hair from his brow. “Yeah, I'm doing all right.” He hiked a thumb at the gate. “It's a mess out there, though. I encountered a few groups of Wuffs. One such group won't be joining up with Torrent,” he said with a short-lived smirk. Sighing, he went on. “But I ran into another group, a larger one. The hunter's.”
“The hunter? You met him?” asked Minx.
Kaleb nodded. “I did. And he's currently traveling with a much larger force than what we encountered at his camp. I swooped down and tried to take them on, but that hunter...” He chuckled. “He's a better shot than I gave him credit for, and he's got spell casters in his ranks that nearly stripped me of my power. I flew off just in time—another minute there and I might have been left in the field unable to shift.”
Minx nudged him angrily
