Azure's Blaze

The worn trail wound through the deep copse of evergreens, spreading out like a mossy blanket across the hills to either side.  Swaying gently in the late autumn breeze, the setting sun turned their reddish-brown trunks the color of burnished copper.  Thin, wispy clouds drifted lazily above in the fading blue sky.  One could already feel a chill in the air, heralding the coming snow and ice of winter.   Quiet voices and the clop of hooves broke the placid silence of the forest as a group of riders came into view, moving steadily toward a nearby hilltop.  In the lead, a small pony carried a halfling clad in a faded sage green cloak, his keen eyes scanning the terrain ahead.  He subtly nudged his mount periodically, directing her to the smoother, easier portions of the trail.  Behind him, a grim-faced elven woman, slim but toned, sat astride a white horse, one hand resting lightly on the hilt of a fine longsword with the relaxed confidence of a skilled swordsman.  Her gray-blue eyes fli