Chapter 26 Elves And Dwarves

• Gnomes practicing magic and the other fairies could keep the way to the hidden cities and villages inside the mountains so they would have a chance to escape or stand their ground. The humans quickly learned about the magic stones that needed to be turned into powder, not to mention harvesting the herbs and mushrooms used in potions. Arika had learned that other elves were trying to escape the darkness; soon, she learned of the dark elves trying to get the elven children out before they, too, were turned into demon elves. She knew the dark elves could elude the possession, for they had a natural immunity that the other elves they were helping didn't have. So for the last six weeks, she and Baudric helped many elven children and younger elves escape captivity. Their strikes they learned from Elvinia, keeping a small group and hitting targets to hold enemies' eyes on them while they helped the refugees to get out and into the caravans used to get them out of the location.
• Though the trips were many, they had managed to escort the innocent to another location and nowhere near the dwarven cities. A queen gave the elves a spot in her kingdom where they could be safe and not draw attention to them. Underground were remains of the ancient temple and remnants of what used to be Stone City. The dwarves had built it before moving to the Eastern borders, where the mountains began to thrive. The underground city would be safer for the refugees, and being there, they would not be discovered. Stone City people hated the elves and those born of the Stars. So their being oblivious to what was going on was the lesser evil. Because those who were now living underground had nowhere else to go, her husband and his soldiers were part of the resistance, leaving her behind to delegate the business of the kingdom and everything within the walls. Queen Astrid was half-elven on her father's side, he being the high ranking in the Woodland domain, and because of her bloodline, she felt obligated to help them get resettled. Her husband knew her lineage, and their marriage was forbidden, but he wanted her just as much as she wanted him.
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