It wasn't long before the East Gate rose ahead of them. Massive stone archways curved from either side, holding a pair of massive gates that were already broken. Edward urged his horse forward; the closer he got, the louder the faint hum from the ritual array became.
At the gate, the elves had formed a line. Their longbows worked overtime, sending endless waves of arrows toward the ritual location. Edward's breath caught at the sight. He hadn't expected to see them here, in the human capital, and yet, their presence carried a strange comfort, a reminder that they had allies in this fight.
"What is going on here?" Edward finally asked as he approached close enough. There was a moment of hesitation in the elven faces at first, as if debating whether he was an ally or an enemy, until one of them called out, one that he knew quite well.
"Edward?" Elarien's voice echoed from behind the rows of elves. She pushed forward, stepping toward him with a surprised expression on her pale face.
