To make matters worse, Elora was no longer held in her peaceful slumber. Though she hadn’t regained consciousness, she was babbling in her sleep more and more, sometimes even crying out in pain. Tarron tried to recast the sleep spell, but it was having no effect. He couldn’t get through to her. The dark elf was growing more and more frustrated, and his frustration was turning into panic.
The elf stopped again to collect his thoughts. Again he deposited Elora upon the ground, trying to find a comfortable place to prop her head. Tarron, exhausted and worn, sat down, glancing all around him at his surroundings. The nocturnal swamp creatures were out in force now, and they didn’t appreciate intruders in their realm. Already he’d killed about a dozen snakes and a mile or so back he’d spotted a
