Morta found Relam a little distance from the campfire lying on his back and looking at the stars.

She went to sit down next to him, "I was beginning to worry when you didn't come back."

Relam looked at the Morta and gave her a smile, "Please forgive me my lady, but I could tell that my presence was bothering some of your Hands."

Morta shook her head, "Don't be like that. You weren't bothering anyone at all."

Relam smirked and looked back towards the sky, "It didn't seem like that. I could tell that some of them were uncomfortable. I presume they were newcomers?"

Morta bowed her head, "You will have to forgive them, they like putting up an act when others are around, but I'm sure they will become accustomed to things soon."

Relam's eyes shot open with momentary panic and he sat up, "Please my lady, don't think that I am offended in any way by their actions. I actually find their attitude sort of sweet. However, I do need to thank you for the honor of letting me be involved in the conversation."

Morta waved his words away, and gave a slight chuckle. "There is no need for thanks. It was made more amusing with you there. I really had no idea that so many of my Hands, even the experienced ones, didn't know who you were, even when you gave them your title."

Relam waved his hand around trying to come up with a defense. "Well one had heard of me just by a different title."

Morta gave another chuckle, "Well that's what you get for changing it all the time. Though the one you have now isn't that bad."

Relam sighed. "That's exactly what Faldrid said. But now that I think about it, wasn't that Hand a little young?"

"Yes, I believe Kagi is the youngest to ever enter the group. She is quite devoted to her role."

A feeling of relief washed over Relam as he fell onto his back once more. "It really is inspiring how those girls devote themselves to you. They will all do anything for you without a moment of hesitation. I mean we all would but...I think you know what I mean, my lady."

Morta starred at the stars. At that moment she looked like one of the figures out of a painting of old. With her Purple cloak and eyes. "I really don't do anything special. I actually question if I deserve them sometimes."

Relam nodded and then pulled out a flask from his cloak. "I wonder if Mortis will ever trust me as much as you trust them."

Morta snatched the flask from him before he could take a sip.

At first Relam attitude became one of a child, when they observe something as unfair, but he quickly regained his composure. "Forgive me my Lady, I should have been more respectable when around you."

Morta looked at the flask, "Did your comment have anything to do with what happened earlier today."

Relam smiled a bit. "My lady I am afraid I do not know what you are referring to."

Morta scowled. "Don't you dare lie to me Relam Kymos."

Relam realized his mistake when she uttered his last name. He sat up and looked at her. "It may have been sort of connected to it."

Morta maintained her hard expression, urging Relam to go on.

"Lord Mortis never had confidence in me from the beginning. I've started to think that he never really intended for me to lead anyone. I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong."

Morta relaxed her gaze and sighed. "For starters you could get him to trust you some more."

"How would I do that?"

"I don't know but it would be good for you to get rid of this."

Morta threw the flask into the night. In response to this Relam let out a squeal.

"My lady, was that really necessary? I could have finished it first."

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Just then the attoka went up in an uproar.

"What the hell is up with them?" Relam asked

Morta stared skeptically towards the source of the sound. "We need to cover up the fires."

Though almost immediately after she said this the light of the fire died away as the fire was cloaked in a veil of darkness. The source of it being Umbren who now stood with his hands outstretched towards it.

***

Umbren had left a few moments before and Alsarie had arrived to fulfill her role to watch over Mortis to make sure that he was safe, not that he needed her protection though. When the attoka started acting up, Mortis acted promptly.

"Alsarie, cover up the fire."

"As you wish my lord."

At his request Alsarie made a cloud of darkness that engulfed the fire in front of them. The heat from it could still be felt. But its light was now gone.

Seconds after this the Hands' fire light went out.

"He really wasted no time, didn't he?" Mortis said to himself

He gave a sigh and looked towards the sky. "And after I just condemned Yorburn for not considering all the possibilities."

***

"Hey Umbren what are you doing?" Called Relam.

Umbren glared at him, "Be quiet, they might hear you."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you know that Loinir and Dorcha attoka can sense each other?" Umbren asked in a harsh tone.

"Well, I did, but my mind doesn't immediately go to that, when I hear the attoka acting up."

Morta placed a hand on Relam's shoulder, "He is right, even if the attoka are acting like that for some other reason, it will still do us best to be quiet."

Relam looked at her and nodded in agreement. Morta then looked towards her Hands. "Everyone who has a bond, try and calm your mounts."

spheres of purple energy appeared in the palms of many of the Hands of Morta, as they concentrated on the task they were given. The Hands that didn't have such a bond kept their hands on their weapons.

A suspenseful silence befell the camp as they waited for the enemy to hopefully pass by. After a moment a cluster of bat-like creatures flew over them. As they did the group heard their cries. Likely from the presence of the Dorcha Attoka on the ground. As the camp heard the beasts cry, they all hoped that the luxcian riders would dismiss it as nothing. But after the riders passed overhead, that hope was betrayed as they circled around.

"Damn, everyone quickly get to your mounts. Try to stay together, but if not we'll all reconvene after we get away from the riders." Morta called out to all of them in a hushed but rushed tone.

Everyone heard her order, and rushed to their mount. Umbren found his attoka silently glaring at the sky and pounding his hooves into the dirt. Umbren quickly mounted him, but as he was about to set off, the first arrow hit the ground.

It wasn't exactly an arrow, but a long slender blade of light that had been hurled towards the earth. Soon many arrows followed, and in response Lady Morta summoned a cloud of darkness and placed it over the group as a shield against the light.

Umbren didn't know how long the group rode together, in hopes of fleeing from their pursuers. All he remembers was that it didn't seem like the barrage of arrows would cease. He also remembered that a blade of purple energy sliced through the cloud concealing them in hopes to incapacitate some of their pursuers. A sign that Lord Mortis was with them.

Things remained this way with the raining arrows and Lord Mortis's attacks until they got to the edge of the forest. When they reached it Umbren was surprised, since they were supposed to have arrived the following day, and it made him question just how far they had run from their pursuer. This change in scenery inspired a sense of hope in Umbren. However, this did not last for long.

The moment the group rode into the forest, utter chaos befell them. The giant trees and their equally proportionate roots, made it almost impossible for the whole group to stay together, and Umbren found himself falling behind, as Morta’s darkness gave way to reveal the brightly shining stars of the night.

Luckily the riders seemed fixated on Morta's cloud, but some spotted Umbren, and a constant barrage of arrows followed. He tried to maneuver around the roots and arrows falling around him, but his attoka seemed to have his own plans. The attoka tried to take control from Umbren, probably thinking that he knew how to get them through their current situation better than his rider. This wrestling of power did the pair no good as they tried to avoid the projectiles of light.

Umbren felt an intense burning pain in his side. He let out a painful grunt. This was followed by a similar pain flaring up on his other side, then his shoulder, then his leg. Umbren's vision went red as he tried to push through the pain. His loss of concentration proved fatal, however, as he continued his struggle with the attoka while the blades of light tore through him, leading to him hitting a branch overhead that he failed to perceive.

Umbren's world went black. He didn't know if he was moving or still. He didn't know if the riders still chased his party. He didn't know if he was dying. As Umbren's consciousness faded he cursed his foolishness and luck.

***

Umbren awoke to the smell of a home cooked meal. His stomach rumbled in response. When he opened his eyes, he was greeted by a roof over his head, which he hadn't seen in what felt like ages. He looked around. He lay in a small bed in a small room, which seemed to be a storage room, or maybe a basement of some ssort

As he sat up a sharp pain went through his head. At this he couldn't help but grunt. He could then hear the steps of feet. Not knowing where he was and being very disoriented, he chose to wait and see what the source was. As the door of the room's handle turned, he didn't know what to expect.

As the door opened, he caught a glimpse of star shaped eyes.

At this he thought that the others must be in a better situation than him.