Chapter Four
The Valley of Suffering

A deathly silent sensation crept over Serelana as she stepped along the stone path that lay only a few elf-lengths from the ridge of the Valley of Suffering. Although the customary sounds of birds and crickets had been present on the ledge, the closer they got to the valley the eerier and quieter it became.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
Alamyre sighed with fake exasperation. “Of course! We don’t go anywhere near the Valley of Suffering, we just have a quick look around, and then we leave if we don’t find the guy. Ok?”
“Ok.” Serelana glanced around. “How will we ever find him?”
Alamyre was about to answer when a frantic sound came from the trees. “No! The night of the rising! The rising! Danger!”
“As you were saying?” Alamyre inquired sarcastically, then bounded after the sound with Serelana following. The entered a very small glade of trees that was only half-lit by the moon. The branches were dark silhouettes against the inky sky. The two elves peered at a hunched figure a few elf-lengths away, murmuring inaudible things. Serelana cleared her throat. “Er—excuse me? We’re wondering…wondering about the battles beyond that meadows. You wouldn’t happen to know who we’re at war with, would you?”
“Or if the dragons are helping?” Alamyre added, her eyes sparkling.
The murmurs continued for a moment, then they stopped and the figure snapped upright abruptly. A pair of huge, swirling eyes sliced through the shadows, as they morphed back and forth from dark green to light amber. “No! The Valley of Suffering! The rising! The danger! Go; hurry, before it’s too late!” Serelana stifled a scream as they eyes seemed to move closer, entrancing her with their glare. Then Alamyre jerked her arm and they fled, hearing the prophetic wails of fear after them.
“W-what do you think he meant by the ‘rising’?” Alamyre said nervously as their long legs matched strides.
“I don’t know, and I’m certain that I don’t want to find out!” Serelana replied. “Let’s just go!”
Serelana was just beginning to hope that they’d make it to the hill when a rasping noise clawed its way from the ominous valley. Alamyre froze and stared at the darkness. Willing herself to remain calm, Serelana followed her friend’s gaze and quickly lost control of those feelings.
Long, dark claws of shadow curled up from the valley. An eerie, mournful wailing circulated up and formed a tornado of pain around the girls, immobilizing them. Serelana shrieked as a glinting pair of eyes appeared from the darkness. The twin points of devilish evil flitted from her to Alamyre, and then they enlarged and seemed to suck the elves up in a whirlwind of noise, fear, and anger. Serelana felt the breath knocked from her body just before blackness doused her senses.