Up close, the elves realized that they were both easily head and shoulders taller than each human. Humans, at this point, were something of a novelty to the elven people, much less to these two siblings. They were considered an inferior elven-like creature that lived in the far gone. They aged quicker, were smaller and weaker. They had no great talent like the elves, but it was well known that an ancient elven prince once bested an enemy warthog charge with human spearmen who had been hired as mercenaries. It was also known that recently some humans on the grassland had started trying to ride horses and be like the centaur.

To the south of elven lands, far away from the east where they were going, it was said that humans had learned in the last three hundred years to connect something called a chariot to two small horses and have it pull them around a battlefield, where they could shoot arrows or throw spells and spears without being touched or hit by others. It was also said that humans had become incredible at metalwork, but only with the metal called bronze that they seemed to obsess over.

It was said that the best smith of a generation among the humans could match a dwarf, a hard feat even for elves. One that the elves said earned them respect from a number of peoples and mockery from the dwarves.

The humans were dirty by the siblings' standards, but not like animals that completely disregarded the notion of cleanliness. Seeing the group travel away, and knowing that there would be no allowing the siblings to escape again if the orcs caught up, he decided to press himself and his sister to get as much sleep as they could.

He would keep an ear out and stay awake first, which he did. Using the sun in the sky, he judged that he gave his sister about three hours of rest, a good amount for an elf in need. So he woke her gently and went to sleep himself, but unfortunately for them, and in an action that would change their destiny, she slipped back into sleep without realizing it.

Before he went to sleep, the ancient human, alongside the two girls, fixed bandages to his hand. Thinking about them, the elf took a coin from a pocket on the inside of his rags. Coins were also something humans invented, so he assumed they would like it. But after giving it to the young girl, it was clear to him that she had no idea what it was. Her eyes seemed to wrap around the coin as she played with it in her hand.

When the ancient human saw that the elf was asleep, he made his way over after signaling for the girls to be silent and spoke first to the woman who was carrying the infant to make sure she was okay, and then inspected the animals pulling the cart. Smiling brilliantly at the contraption his tribe had taken in a war, he lost himself in a moment of nostalgia.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

Then, turning his head back in the direction he came from, his face shifted like a curse, and he scowled at the horizon. Then, turning his attention to his hopes, he waved over his eldest son and the new leader of the tribe since he had lost that battle. With a gesture to his mouth to be silent for the elves, he pointed at the mountain, and they nodded.

Understanding the signal, the humans changed course and started to circle around towards the mountain. After half a day's travel, they had made record time after the ground had dried and the mud was long gone. Before the elves had gone to sleep, the humans had started to travel away from the forest, neither towards nor away from the grassland.

Now, however, they made for a straight line away from both the forest and the grassland and up the mountain. Finding a pass and a shallow river, they crossed it. They considered making camp here just past the river but decided to carry on. However, first, they chose to leave the cart behind.

They didn't abandon it. Instead, they left the weak, the children, and about three warriors behind, taking the rest alongside the ancient human, who was actually 56 winters old—the oldest human his tribe believed they had ever met—plus the rest of the warriors and his eldest son to lead them. They followed the river, making sure to do their best to keep dry up the mountain.

Eventually, they came to a much heavier river than before, and once again they consulted with the signs. Just beyond that river was a massive and dark cave, up a hill so it would be nice and dry too. Looking at the cave, the ancient human decided that would be the perfect place to set up camp, and it was easily large enough to fit the entire tribe in just the entrance.

Deciding on what to do, they pulled up the cart to where they were. Two of the strong men stripped their clothes off and swam to the other side, pulling ropes they got from the cart. A mixture of reed bundles made from stuff in the river, and bladder sacks from animals that were blown up with hot air from human lungs, were attached to the cart. Knowing from experience that if the load was light enough the cart would float, they attached the ropes on their side.

It was at this moment when a horn was blown from behind them. Immediately, the elves sat up in panic. Taking the sword off his sister to use with his one good hand, the elven brother leapt to his feet, taking in his situation.

When he realized he had been brought up to the mountains, he paled. But the thump of orc feet pounding dirt threw that fear off in place of another one. Looking over at the cart and the now lined-up human warriors, who themselves were panicked or praying, he saw the eldest son, or who he thought to be the human leader, throw supplies off the cart and, alongside the non-combatants, push it towards the river.

His sister soon helped him too, pushing alongside, clearly seeing the river as the barrier between danger and safety. Everyone knew what needed to be done.