[Aylwen Dreamsong]

Jess thought it was over. She couldn’t find any other Wild Men in the woods, but she didn’t find any live villagers either. They were either safe with the elderly and the young or they were dead upon the forest floor. None of the fighting villagers Jess had fought with originally were alive with her now; they were all hewn and hacked to pieces by the Wild Men. Jesslyn Stone had always thought she would be ready to see death before her eyes when she went to battle. She found out early that she had been wrong. Jess had been useless to save any of the fighting men and women. There had been nothing for her to try. Jess did not know anything about healing, and she didn’t know anything about fighting with someone against one opponent. All she could do was fend off those attacking her.

Jesslyn wandered wearily from the forest and back onto the streets of Alphirion. Most of the town was in ruins. If a house had not been burned, it had been pillaged and robbed of all goods or precious possessions. It took all her strength to keep from collapsing with exhaust and pain and fear. Jess slowly shuffled her way down the streets, and saw no sign of life anywhere as she walked. Perhaps everyone had gotten to safety or had been rescued by Lanaey or Leena, but Jesslyn dismissed the idea for one of more devastating consequence.

Her black hair was matted with blood near the back, where a Wild Man had smacked Jesslyn with the hilt of his sword. Jesslyn’s hands were coated with dried blood from her feeble and failed attempts to save some of the brave fighters of Alphirion. Jesslyn could not bear to look at her right shoulder, where an opponent had, as a last resort, slashed with his sword as he fell. Jess was beginning to go numb, and she was vaguely aware of a long gash along her neck and left shoulder blade. Jesslyn’s boots were muddied with leaves, muck, and blood; her clothes were no longer clean but were bloody and dusty.

Jesslyn knew it was foolish to think that she could have saved all of the fighters, but nothing could erase the image of each valiant villager as they fell. The sight of a falling man just trying to protect his home would haunt Jess forever, and the image of a girl not unlike herself dying in the arms of her brother would not stop refreshing itself in Jesslyn’s mind. It was all too much for her. If the Wild Men moved on, it could be Jesslyn’s town next; her home was so close to Alphirion!

Wandering farther into Alphirion, Jesslyn began to notice a few living people carrying goods to a house nearby. Was that where everyone was? Jesslyn couldn’t be sure, but she was too tired to go any farther. She went right up to the doorstep of the house, and moved just left of the door to keep out of the way of people carrying supplies.

“Where’s Cartil?” Jess wondered aloud, suddenly fearful for her brother. Then she smiled weakly, remembering he was at the Swan Lady’s home. Of course he would be safe in the House of the Swan Lady! “The children and elderly are safe. Thirty villagers…dead…”

[ July 13, 2003: Message edited by: Aylwen Dreamsong ]