His expression was joyful as he sat at ease on the beast's back. When they reached the edge of the forest and the rest dismounted, he allowed his horse to pick its way through the thick undergrowth. Even with his short stature, he had to duck here and there to avoid low-hanging branches, but he didn't care. He wasn't walking any further. Raine patted the flank of her steed. Where the others led their beasts by the reins through the trees, she allowed hers to trot along at her side. The beast was a fiery stallion and she had gravitated towards him on sight, but he was content to amble along next to her without restraint. “Elyara,” Feyden asked, “is it your people that inhabit this forest?” “No,” Elyara replied, “my clan is westward, deeper into the forest. I do not know the wood elves that live here.” “That is unfortunate,” Feyden said with a sigh. “Yes,” Raine replied, “that would have made things a lot easier.” Elyara glanced from one to the other. Feyden was of the Alfar, a people that lived on the ledges of Mount Alfheim.
