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“Gods,” Maude breathed. “It’s beautiful here.”

Herrick appeared beside her and nodded at her words, not taking his eyes off the sprawling, once dazzling city belonging to the Elven.

“Imagine how this city must have looked when the elven were still here,” Herrick said, the awe in his voice causing Maude to glance at him.

“It’s incredibly sad that it lies abandoned now,” Eydis said, eyes glistening at the sight of the empty city.

“We need to be careful,” Hakon reminded them. “This city might not be as empty as we believe it is. Raiders have been known to camp here from time to time to avoid Flame patrols.”

Herrick and Maude both nodded in agreement. She moved forward a bit to see if she could find a secure spot for them to camp now that the sun was close to setting completely. As she moved, Maude felt Herrick move withher. His fingers brushed hers for a second, sending that feeling of cool water washing over her skin. Herrick paused and glanced at her as if he had felt the same energy pass between them. Maude saw him flex his hand slightly as he continued moving forward.

Shaking her head, Maude focused again on scanning the city for a secure location. Finding the golden rooftop of the Ljosa temple, Maude opened her mouth to suggest they stay there when Herrick spoke first.

“The temple would be best. It’s on high ground and close to the shore.”

Maude snapped her mouth shut and nodded, ignoring her spike of humor at their shared thought.

“Agreed,” Gunnar huffed.

Maude turned to inspect the previously healthy man she knew and saw a fine sheen of sweat over his pale brow. The longer they traveled, the worse he looked. Worry, heavy and unshakeable, sank into her gut at the sight of him. They had run from Flame Soldiers through a desert, fought raiders, scaled palace walls, and trained together during their time together, but not once had Gunnar looked this frail. Even the colored threads in his braid looked dull.

Mouth fixed into a frown, Maude caught his attention and said, “You look like shit, my friend. What is going on with you?”

Gunnar forced a smile to his face.

“I’m just a little tired, Maude. Worn down from all the travel,” he replied, breathless. “Once we rest for the night, I’ll be right as rain.”

Maude only nodded and slowed her pace to match her friend's slow trek as they followed the rest of their group into the final descent into Ljosa, weaving between the tall buildings and courtyards.

Despite the daunting size of the city from where they had stood on the hillside, they made it to the center of the city rather quickly. Six tall columns of stone stood on either side of the temple and held the goldenroof up above their heads, the open space of the structure making Maude feel exposed in the night.

Inside the temple, large ash tree sculptures of the gods were resting against each of the columns. As their group moved further into the temple, Maude fell behind. She ran her hand over each of the statues, energy buzzing beneath her fingertips. Frigg, Tyr, Balder, Freyr…Each one responded to her touch.

Maude withdrew her hand as she reached Herrick, who had stopped in front of Freyja, the goddess of love and war.

“Do you feel that?” Maude asked, keeping her eyes off Herrick with tremendous effort.

Energy pulsed around the temple, swirling between her and her friends and tickling her fingers. Herrick was quiet for a moment before he responded. He ran his fingers over the sculpture of Freyja and withdrew them quickly.

“Yes.”

“We need to be careful. There is more here than just raiders,” she said. “I’ll take the first watch.”

She turned before he could respond but found an obstacle in her path.

Sitting side by side in front of her were two cats, their fur a bright orange that reminded Maude of her sister. Their green eyes were on Herrick and Maude, an awareness in them that froze Maude in place.

As one, the two cats, larger than the typical felines that explored this land, wove between her legs and Herrick’s. Large rumbles that came from the cats rattled her bones as they moved from Maude to Herrick and back again, rubbing their long bodies against them in a sign of affection.

Bewildered, Maude could only stare at them. Herrick made no sound as they continued their movements. The large cats moved back to their original spot and blinked slowly at Maude and Herrick. Turning as one,they disappeared into the silent city, that strange energy and presence following them in their wake, leaving Maude and her friends alone once more.

20

Maude sat in the open entrance of the temple while her friends slept through the night, keeping watch over them from the foreign presence that continued to circle the structure like a predator stalking its prey. Only when Liv woke from her fitful sleep to relieve Maude of her watch duty did she finally begin to relax a bit from the dragging weight in her feet since stepping into Ljosa. Finding a spot up against the solid stone once used as an altar, Maude put her back on the cold surface and tried to sleep.

A small fire crackled in the center of the sleeping party, the snaps of the wood burning resembling the sound of a cracking whip. After a few hours of dozing in and out of her vivid dreams involvingdraugrand watery graves crushing her bones beneath its weight, Maude finally gave up on the hope of having any decent sleep. Instead, she observed her friends beyond the crackling fire.

With every crack, Eydis would flinch slightly. With every flinch, Hakon’s hold on her would tighten. Herrick lay on his back with his hands lightly resting on his stomach. Sleep held him in its clutches, his deep, even breaths signifying that. Maude knew, however, that at the slightest provocation, he would become alert as if he had never been slumbering.