Chapter Twelve
“Before humans roamed the earth, there were Protectors placed within the womb of the forest. These Folk were the Wards of the Land and cared for every living creature within. It was not until humans began to spread from the places of their origins out into the land that the numbers of the Protectors began to dwindle.”
—Tales of the Ancients; Burnk Lau
“Don’t look so worried,” Rhiannon chided.
“We should have brought more warriors,” Shih ‘Ni replied, tightly.
“We’ll find it soon,” Rhiannon said, unconcerned, pushing a branch out of her way as they entered a particularly dense part of the forest. “We’ll be fine.” She ducked under a low branch, and then crawled over a downed tree with Luna by her side, as always. The brush was thick, forcing all to go single file. Shih ‘Ni
