“’Tis just over the next rise!” Rilm cried, hurrying ahead. Our horses stumbled over hidden roots in their effort to keep up with the flighty creature.
“Rilm!” But the faery sped on, ignoring my voice. I turned to Lith. “Let’s slow down a bit. We shouldn’t tire the mounts, and it will return to us.”
Lith frowned. “How can you be so sure?”
I shrugged. “How many other humans do you see around here? It’ll be back.”
We dismounted in silence for a few moments, with nothing but the sigh of the wind through the leaves above and the labored breath of our horses as they calmed. Lith paced restlessly, but I found a dry spot on a fallen log to sit for a moment—no use wasting energy. Sure enough, we soon heard a tinkling laughter, and Rilm zoomed in front of us like a pesky mosquito. “There ye be!
