Chapter 130: Shadows of War

For days as Reika continued to train relentlessly. Each day was different , a much better version of her was revealed; her powers were a bit sharper and stronger. She trained with the witches of every rank and earned respect among the rest-not only as a student but also as a warrior. Kael had found his place among them, though at times the bond he shared with Althea did get him to lose his focus. But this harmony was not meant to last,soon the peace between the coven and outside world will be deterred. It was on one evening that, at night fall, the witches congregated in the great hall for their meeting with serious faces. Standing at the head of the table, bracing herself against the wood, Elira said, "There's news. The elves are mobilizing. Adam Weasley's forces have been spotted heading west-toward us." The room went silently tense. Reika narrowed her eyes. "How did they find us? This place is supposed to be protected by wards." "They are not invincible," Elira replied. "The elves have powerful magic of their own, and Adam Weasley will stop at nothing. He wants you, Reika. And he won't stop until he gets what he wants." Kael's fists clenched by his sides. "Then we fight. We defended ourselves before. We shall once again do so." Althea, beside him, laid a hand upon his arm. "We must not be rash. We cannot afford to underrate the elves, or we are defeated. Reika leaned forward. "What are our options, Elira? The head witch faltered, her eyes darting to the map laid out on the table. "We could lay more wards, but that would buy us only time. Our best hope is to leave-to relocate from the coven to another safe place before the elves arrive." A murmur rose in the room. "We cannot just abandon our home," one of the elder witches protested. "This has been our refuge for centuries." "And it will be our grave if we stay" Elira returned coolly. "We have to be practical." Outside the tent, Reika and Kael went to the practice fields . Between them was an awkward silence. "All my fault," Reika muttered to herself, pacing back and forth. "El'gor would never even have known if I hadn't been here." "Don't do that, Kael said, stepping in front of her. This isn't your fault. Adam Weasley has an agenda all of his own, and he'd find a reason to come after us no matter what." Reika stopped, her shoulders sagging. "But now the coven is in danger because of me. I can't let them suffer for my mistakes." "You didn't make any mistake" he reminded her. "We'll figure it out Together." Reika watched him with shining eyes. "Then we need a plan. If the coven is to move, they need to be safe on the way. And if the elves attack prior to our getting away, we have to be prepared for battle." Kael nodded. "Agreed. I will speak with Althea and organize the defenses." He had found Althea in the library later that night, looking over a collection of ancient strolls. She looked up as he came in a smile playing upon her lips. "Couldn't sleep?" she asked. "Not with everything that's happening," Kael said, dragging a chair up beside her. "I wanted to speak with you about the defenses. If the elves get through the wards, we'll need something concrete to hold them off with." Althea nodded, her face grim. "I've also been thinking along those lines. The coven does have some protection spells that can delay them, but that would not be enough if they all came in force." "What of the witches themselves?" Kael asked. "Are there enough fighters?" "Some," Althea said. "But most of the members of the coven aren't warriors. They've spent their lives studying magic, not fighting battles." Kael's face clouded, and his mind raced. "Then we shall have to depend upon speed. If we can move swiftly enough, we might be able to fall back before the elves arrive." "And what if we can't?" Althea whispered. Kael hesitated a moment, his eyes locking with hers. "Then we fight. And we make sure that Reika lives." While the most likely prison breakout, the preparation kept the coven busy, Reika went to her room where her thoughts consumed her. Of course, she could not sleep with all those scenes running in her head of Adam Weasley and his army. Deep in the night, a soft knock came from the door. The next second, Reika sat up startled while her heart was racing on. "Who is it?" she called. "It is me," Elira said in a small voice. She reached to the door, to find the head witch. "We have word from one of the scouts," Elira said, "that the elves aren't actually that far, and they can come within two days." At the words of Elira, her heart sank. "Within two days-that is impossible." "No, it is not," Elira replied. "Which also means we need to prepare for the worst. Already I have begun dividing the members of the coven into two groups, those that would fight and those who would flee." Reika nodded as her mind went at a hundred miles an hour. "What can I do to help? "Train well now," Elira told her practically. "You are the most powerful fighter for us, Reika. If anything bad happens, we will require all of your strength there." The next morning, Reika plunged into training with energy doubled, energy that was equaled by the witches who stood beside her. He had spent hours strategizing with Althea, and with every plan and idea they had shared, it was as if their bonding became more tangible. There had been a bond between them-there was even in the case of Kael having chosen to stay silent. Finally, at the end when the sun seemed to approach dusk and to paint everything with shades of gold, Reika stood at the edge of the training grounds, looking afar. 'We'll be ready," she whispered to herself. 'No matter what comes, we'll be ready." Little did she know, however, that all this time, Adam Weasley and his men had equally been doing their last-minute preparations, and they most definitely had set their sight on the witches' sanctuary. A battle was closing in.