Chapter 32
A Promise Broken
‘. . . I would swim over the deepest ocean,
the deepest ocean, to my love, and die.
But the sea is wide, and I can’t swim over,
nor have I wings with which to fly . . .’
Carrickfergus (traditional)
During her last foray into the Elf Kingdom, as she had flown high over the mountain forests near Mirrindale, Satu had seen, far in the distance to the North, the advance of the unnatural winter, and later, during her return journey when she left the Elf Kingdom, had witnessed the size and might of the advancing Goblin army, and with her heart in her mouth, had seen the thinly stretched line of defenders, the black army advancing on them like a sea . . .
She had seen, too, the reservists and archers who were women, children, and elders, waiting further on down the valley. They, too, were pitifully few.
Though her return to the Circle of Elders was urgent, she made what was, for her, a very brave decision. She changed direction and made her way as fast as the beating of her little wings would carry her, towards the reservist’s camp.
She flitted around from place to place, unable to make sense of the chaos. No one clearly seemed to be in charge. At last, she came to an area where several large wagons were bivouacked, adjacent to a field full of small white tents. An elderly Human, obviously a personage of some authority, was giving orders to those loading the wounded and unloading supplies. Dire necessity overcoming her temerity, she descended without slowing, transformed before him, and fell to her knees, out of breath. To her complete surprise, the old man approached her, helped her to her feet, and said in her own tongue, ‘Ho there! Are you all right?’