Luca stepped out onto the wide wooden platform that ringed the upper level of the great tree.
The evening breeze carried the scent of fresh leaves and distant flowers as he watched the village below come together in a way he hadn't seen before.
The elves were moving in a beautiful rhythm—carrying their loved ones on their backs, holding them gently in blankets stretched between pairs of arms, whispering words of comfort as they made their way up toward the storage hall that now gleamed like a place of healing.
"Bring them in carefully!" Leona's commanding voice rang from beside him. "Lay them on the beds one by one—make sure their heads are elevated slightly! Don't rush, take your time!"
Her orders were followed immediately and all the elves who were already at the platform started placing the patients in their beds and wrapped them in blankets.
Luca leaned slightly over the railing, his sharp eyes catching sight of those still below.
