Lorn had been gone for five days now from his home in Enclaryln and he was anxious get back and sleep in his own bed. The trip to the city of men, Melandor had been quick as he had taken the form of a large hawk but the trip back hom had gone much slower. The rains had started an hour into his journey home and had not let up throughout his long walk. The rain came in such a torrent that it grounded him forcing him to make the return journey on foot. He had even thought of turning back to let the rains pass but his longing to be home had outweighed his longing to remain dry so he trudged on through the downpour.<br/>The message for the King of Men had been an important one for both races who had been at war for so long a time that several generations of men had passed and their memories of its beginning were vague at best. This was not the case with the Elves whose life span was that of many generations of man but the Elves cared not that man had started the war, they wanted only peace which is what they have always sought.<br/>The war had taxed the resources of both races and to continue on would simply be the act of fools. The newly crowned King of Melandor was a wise and even tempered man that the Elves hoped would hear their words of peace that so many Kings before him had ingnored. Lorn had went as an ambassador for the Queen and had sat and spoke with their King and felt that there may finally be peace between the races of Elf and Man.<br/>Lorn neared the village in good spirits despite the heavy rains with news of possible peace for his Queen. His spirits lowered when even from a distance something seemed wrong, there was no activity. He knew even with the rains there was always something happening in the city of Enclaryln but nothing moved. He quickened his pace as feelings of dread weighed heavy on his heart and entered the city to see his eyes had not deceived him, nothing moved.<br/>He ran quickly to the Queen's Palace to find the main gates unguarded and raced inside to find its halls empty as well. He searched frantically throughout the palace and then began to search the city to no avail, everyone had simply vanished. Coals still burned burned in the fireplaces and meals were left half eaten in homes but he found no bodies, they were just gone.<br/>He continued to search the city with his hopes of finding any life quickly fading when he caught the scent of new wood on a fire instead of the familiar scent of dying coals. He quickly searched out the source of this new scent when another familiar scent reached his nostrils as he made his way to the walkway outside the pub. The scent confused him but he found he was not mistaken as he entered the pub.<br/>"Darval! Though unexpected, a welcome sight indeed! Have you any notion of what has happened to the people of Enclaryln? The city is empty, even the Queen herself is just gone! Surely they would not have just left the city! Where would they have gone?"