"Are you sure nobody from the Council followed us from Thalendor, Sariel?" Eldrin asked quietly, stopping at the edge of the ravine and looking at the cracks where purple smoke leaked out continuously under the moonlight. "If any of those guards notice what we're doing here before dawn, our scouting contract will be canceled before the sun rises over the city."
Sariel let out a scornful sigh, adjusting her bow strap with her gloved fingers. "The outer perimeter is completely clear, Eldrin. Thalendor's elves are far too arrogant to patrol this rift before dawn. They believe our original seal is indestructible because of the lie we told at the city hall. But we need to be quick. The smell of this rotten mana is getting too strong for the locals to ignore, even I can sense it now."
