But the forest elves didn't get to celebrate their victory; several days after casting Navi out of the forest, he returned, this time with his remaining allies at his back, all glowing with power as they formed a formidable ring around the forest. Navi himself couldn't enter because of his banishment, but that didn't stop him from being very arrogant when Moira confronted him. "Haven't you done enough?" the elder demanded, flexing her hands. "Do I have to use a spell of protection to get the lesson to stick?"
Navi smiled coolly. "You don't have the power, despite your devoted allies," he sneered, glaring at the centaurs, all of whom looked ready to tear the invading host to pieces. "So here are my terms. The triplets are to be handed over. Immediately. Else the woman Dawn will become a mindless shell, kept only for breeding until she can produce no more children. Then she will be executed, her body dismembered and thrown into the river so she can't reincarnate and cause me further strife. If she surrenders my citizens, she'll be free to have as many children as she wishes, and she can do with them as she damn well pleases. But those babies she has borne belong to the council, and unless she wants to be arraigned for kidnapping and unlawful detention, she will hand them over before I have a real reason to get angry."
Moira snorted in disgust. "You are so bloody full of yourself," she said angrily. "You forget; they were born under our auspices. Therefore, they are members of our tribe, and they will not be subjected to the abuse you have heaped on the rest of your child soldiers. Breed them together and leave my kin alone!"
"So it's to be war, then?" Navi asked. He sighed. "A pity. But if that is what you want, then that is what you will get. And don't even try and escape; I can reach you and your pitiful followers wherever you go, and if you are thinking of seeking refuge with Queen Tanila and her rag-tag band of misfits, be warned. We have amassed enough power that we can take her down with both hands tied behind our backs and blindfolded! She will kneel, or she will die, as will those who wrongfully fled our dominion so many years ago!"
"Get lost," Moira warned. "I'm not in the mood for your threats, and you haven't the power to threaten Queen Tanila. She could defeat all of your miserable band tied hand and foot, and twice on Sundays! So get the hell out of my sight before I turn you into knots, little man!"
Navi chuckled. "War it is, then," he said, before turning and walking back to his gathered forces. But Moira was in no mood to celebrate this snatched victory; several elves with night, forest, sea, sky, sun and moon elf colouring were among the ranks, and Moira shivered, suddenly feeling ill. Navi, it seemed, had gained a new following, and the more children he bred and raised, the more likely it was he would be the first to get the promised "super elf" with all six elemental powers. Once that happened, Navi and his followers would truly be unstopabble.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANCwDEXbpI
Moira turned and ran back into the forest, already making and discarding plans. Nothing had prepared her for this, and as she ran back to the encampment, she knew any plans she made would easily be outmatched by Navi. We've got to get out of here, she thought, but how? Navi can send his delegates to any place on Pandora we flee to, and even if we do manage to reach sanctuary in Felalnor, Navi will follow us there and decimate the place!
But she refused to give up. One way or another, Navi would be thwarted in getting his hands on Dawn's triplets. No matter what he threatened, the young boys would remain free to found a new dynasty of elves who would turn on Navi and his cohorts and wipe the ground with them. And though Moira hated interfering with nature's course, she knew their own "super elf" had to be bred sooner rather than later. She could only pray Dawn would be in agreement with the plan, or else all would be lost, the battle over before it had even begun.
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