How to Save a Fae (Heir of Dragons Book 2)

I wish you great success... But please... be careful.”
She squeezed her father in a brief hug and nodded. “Of course. We'll keep our wits about us and return as quickly as possible—with reinforcements!” Starting from the square with Mau at her side, the Fae huntress marched immediately for her home. Let's go, Mau. There isn't a moment to waste!

Chapter 4
The journey to the Talon Range was one of nearly three days—a journey fraught with perils, and which took the powerful duo far from the familiar borders of Fae territory. They traversed the interstitial wilds, evading pockets of wandering warriors all the way, with only an outdated hand-drawn map from the tomes of the Fae Elders for guidance. On their previous trip to the Talon Range, they had been carried by Kaleb. Now, they were forced to travel on horseback, and to navigate largely by instinct.
The ravages of the dark army upon the surrounding lands were far greater than either of them had dared dream. Lush grasslands had been reduced to fields of dust—stripped, burnt and trodden by thousands of dark warriors in the days since Torrent's forces had first converged upon the Trading Center. This same flavor of destruction would soon visit Pan if Minx failed to carry out this errand; the mobs, slowly accumulating power after their unexpected rout, would march upon the tree city of the Fae, upon old Winterlimb and Heilo Lake if given the chance, and would surely delight in the ravaging.
Had Minx and Mau been forced to travel by foot, the trek to the foothills of the Talon Range would have taken upwards of a week. In the interest of haste, Minx's father had provided her with a powerful black stallion to ride. The horse, Strider, was a treasured workhorse, one of the choicest bred by The First, and was equipped with sufficient food and water to last a total of three days. The stallion rode at a furious clip, bearing the lightweight Fae huntress without difficulty and nearly outpacing the Faelyr who ran alongside.
Due to the constant presence of dark marauders for miles around the Trading Center, Minx and Mau decided to travel by night. Their passage into dragon territory would be more difficult to trace under the cover of darkness, and they rode from the evenings until the first stirrings of dawn till the third day, encountering only a few small groups of warriors in the process. Their decision to travel after dark lent them an element of surprise, in that those they did encounter in the field were at that time busy setting up their own camps and subsequently unprepared to give chase.
On the second day, just prior to sunrise, Minx and Mau ran into a raiding party of ten Wuffs who'd just broken their camp and were in the process of heading toward the Trading Center to regroup with the larger forces scattered thereabouts. The Faelyr seized upon them without warning, throwing the groggy warriors into a disarray, while Minx picked off the remainder on horseback. The struggle lasted only a few minutes, and one of the Wuffs—having barely survived an arrow to the gut—was questioned.
“How many of you are there?” demanded Minx, dismounting and training another arrow on him.
The Wuff, his brown fur dripping with sweat, looked up at her from the ground with a certain smugness. “More than you can imagine,” he replied, wincing through his pain. “You have no idea what's coming...”
Minx availed herself of the raiders' rations, gave both Mau and Strider a rest, and then drove them on a short while longer, making a simple camp in a copse of dense trees in the early morning hours. There, they enjoyed an uneasy sleep in the shade, listening always on the wind for new disturbances. They were off once again before the sun had fully dropped out of the sky.
You sure there's no room for me on that thing? panted Mau as she fought to keep up with the stallion. I won't stick my claws in him. Promise.
Sorry, replied the Fae huntress, but you're kind of heavy, Mau. We don't want to break Strider's back, do we? Anyway, you're doing wonderfully. By my calculations, we're nearly there. The morning of the third day brought the peaks of the Talon Range into view, and rather than stopping to make another camp, they proceeded toward the home of the dragons. Since the previous evening, they had not come across any other warriors. It seemed that this stretch, so close to dragon territory, had not been attacked yet.
I guess the Wuffs know better than to bother the dragons on their own turf, huh? said Mau. Things seem peaceful out here. For the meantime, anyway.
Minx agreed, though it was only a matter of time before Torrent's forces reassembled and encroached upon the Talon Range. When the Fae had been dealt with, the dark army would certainly turn their attention to the dragons. She recalled with a chill the way the small force of dragons had been overwhelmed during the early stages of the great battle, and how Valry of the Wuff had utilized a powerful magical shield which had interfered with Kaleb's powers. When the time finally came for the dark army to march on the Talon Range, they would not come unprepared. That's why it's so important that we team up and face this threat together, she told the Faelyr. Valry and Torrent aren't stupid. When they're done with Pan, they'll come for the dragons. We stand a much better chance of defeating them together than we do apart.
Absolutely, replied the Faelyr. Now... hopefully we can convince the dragons of that. On the whole, they weren't too amenable to our request the last time. Remember?
Minx rode hard, slipping into the vast, manicured clearing at the foot of the Talon Range where the dragons practiced their military maneuvers. The light of the sun emerged from behind the jagged peaks, leaving her tired eyes starry and