Rena stood at the edge of camp, staring in the direction of the small town, her jaw set with determination despite the exhaustion still evident in her face.
"We move in five minutes," Darian announced.
"Stay close, stay alert. The Blaedred Sect won't give up their prisoners easily."
They broke camp quickly, erasing what traces they could of their presence, and set off through the forest. Rena led the way, her memory of the previous night's flight guiding them back along her desperate path.
It took nearly an hour to reach the area where she'd escaped and another twenty minutes of careful searching to find the clearing where Baren had made his stand.
The destruction was evident immediately.
Trees were scorched black, their bark cracked and peeling from intense heat.
