After a long day of traveling, the Caravan finally came to a stop in a valley between two wooded hills. The purple taint of the corruption was beginning to appear in the leaf tips turning the once healthy green landscape into a sickly verson of itself. Arilee guessed they were somewhere toward the back of the Caravan, but it was such a long train of wagons she couldn't see all the way to the front or the back.

Sitting on the back of the wagon, she watched as the sunset behind the hills, but a strange glint of light caught her eye among the woods.

"Did you see that?" she asked, to Leela.

"See what?"

"I think I just saw the sunlight reflecting off of something in the woods there. Just for a brief moment."

"Maybe it was just reflecting off of a shiny rock?"

"It could be. Where is Chip and Slicks?"

"They are off towards the front on guard duty," replied Leela.

"I think I'll go find a guard to tell them I thought I saw something," said Arilee. "I dont want to take any chances."

Arilee strolled up alongside the stopped wagons, looking for a sign of a guard. She began to realize just how weakly defended they were and understood the Elder's hesitation.

She looked west to see the sun doing its final descent below the tree-line when she saw the glint again. Then she heard the warhorns.

A dark tide of small figures came rushing out of the woods toward the Caravan.

Arilee raised her voice to shout "We're under attack!"

More voices echoed hers throughout the camp as whistles and bells began to rang. Arilee unslung her bow from behind her and knocked an arrow. She knocked three arrows, remembering her Multi-shot skill, and fired them into the mass of bodies surging toward her. More arrows volleyed out from all around her as the Elves prepared to defend themselves. A rush of torches ignited down the line of the Wagons providing light to their immediate area.

Arilee looked down the line as her thoughts when towards the grimoire. Before she moved back to defend her wagon, Arilee looked at the wagon behind her to see a female wood elf and her children sheltering in the frail wooden haven. The woman's eyes were pleading with Arilee to stay. Arilee took a deep breath and knocked three more arrows.

It didn't take long for the black tide to crash among the wagons. As the dark forms rushed towards her, she pulled out her daggers and prepared to defend herself. That's when she saw the yellow glint in their eyes and the smooth purpley green skin. Dark elves.

"Dark Elves!" she shouted.

Arilee slashed twice at the oncoming figure and spun to the next before the body hit the ground. She felt like the wind dancing among leaves as she weaved her way through the creatures. They were only a bit shorter than Arilee, weaker. But there were many. Her arms were beginning to sag.

Squaring herself up for the next wave, three arrows came from over her shoulder taking out the Dark Elves immediatly in front of her.

"Need help?" asked a familiar voice.

"Tre!" said Arilee.

"Where's your friends?" he asked.

"Leela is back out my wagon, I'm not sure where the rest are."

"Go help her then, I will handle this hear."

Arilee took off running, but it wasn't long before she could already see flames spoking into the night sky. She ran harder.

Smoke filled the air in the vicinity of her wagon.

"Leela!" Arilee shouted. No response.

"Leela!" she shouted again.

"Arilee!" she heard call back.

Arilee rushed towards the sound of the voice. She followed it past the onfire set of wagons to find one of the wagons surrounded by a large Protect bubble.

"We're in here," Leela said. Arilee looked inside to see Leela, covered in soot, surrounded by six elven children.

"I'm sorry. I tried to protect our wagon, but I heard them screaming and I came to help."

Arilee hugged Leela, happy she was okay. "Don't worry about it."

Another Dark Elf warhorn sounded in the air and the tide began to retreat.

"Oh no," said Arilee. She rushed over to their wagon, but the flames were still raging. She pulled out an arrow from her quiver and whispered, "Enchant: Ice" over it, and fired it into the wagon. The ice arrow melting into water and putting out the flames.

Arilee searched for the chest she hid the grimoire in, but it was already open and empty.

"It's gone.