The wind carried the scent of rain and earth as Luciel guided the white-haired girl out from behind the stone wall that had sheltered them through the night. The land before them opened wide, a stretch of barren plain that ended at the foot of a great, earth-brown mountain. It rose like a sleeping beast beneath the afternoon sun.
Luciel narrowed his eyes at the distance. "That's it," he murmured. "Moon Lake Tribe lies just beyond that ridge."
Elara lifted her hand, her pale fingers trembling slightly as she pointed toward a narrow valley that curved around the mountain's edge. "The tribe is settled near the lake at the base," she said softly. "If we go around from the east, we can reach it before nightfall."
Luciel nodded, his expression calm but thoughtful. "Then we'll head back to prepare. If everything goes well, we may spend the night among them."
