As the patrol approached us, Luke groaned, folding his arms. "Damn, thought we gave them the slip," he muttered.
"Please stay back, my Lady," Luxxa said softly, stepping in front of Luke and me.
Following her lead, Gith and Jenna fanned out to the edges of the street, all three holding their mana. The stamp of the guards' boots was suddenly audible, and I looked around, finding the street had abruptly cleared of elves. A few looked on from the sides, whispering to each other, giving us hostile looks.
"Halt!" the guard captain called, his voice ringing through the market.
There were a dozen of them in the patrol, a mixture of third and fourth-level soldiers with a fifth-level captain. They were old and grizzled, with graying hairs and creases uncommon on even middle-aged elves. Some of their gear was enchanted, each piece bearing the stamp of House Ellenwinter.
