Training continued up until the day they planned to leave. Isabella and her sisters would head up the army behind their mother, who always led them into battle. The four women were discussing battle formations over the midday meal and trying to calm the anticipation that stole over them before a major conflict. Rosalie had found an incantation to try when they reached the edge of the forest which separated their lands from those of The Forsaken. Even so, none of them were eager to run afoul of the Wandering Nightmares which guarded the Winter Forest. They were smoke-like entities which could steal a person’s senses until they stumbled around completely blind and deaf.
The royal family met in the war room after the evening meal. They’d received word from a trusted scout that The Forsaken were going to make a move on the Ember Sword. They had to cut them off before they made it to the citadel, or it would be harder to protect the townspeople.
The Prophecy of The First Blood declares the Ember Sword shall be in the care of The True-Sworn for eternity—which is how long the clan will live if they can keep the enchanted sword out of the hands of The Forsaken. With the enemy bearing down on them, the chieftess and her daughters must prepare for the coming battle.
