[Aylwen Dreamsong]

Jesslyn had been getting breakfast and preparing to leave that morning with her group of archers. She had a head count, and about fifty archers had been spared from their original group to take on the task. Some were well trained with a bow, others were sent merely because they were of little use with a sword. As she was getting breakfast, Jesslyn was approached by the elven brothers.

"We would like to enter the fight with your group, but will go to fighting need be. What say you?" Galain spoke, and Jesslyn blinked. Then she smiled and nodded.

"Of course! I mean, well, yes. I'd be honored to have you in my group!" Jess began, but her smile faltered as she became slightly worried. "We're leaving soon. We'll be out before half an hour passes. Is this all right?"

"Of course," Galain answered for the two again. "We will be ready to leave when you are. Where are the archers that have volunteered? How many are there?"

"Ahh, fifty or so. They are waiting just outside the entrance to the house, wrapping things up, saying goodbye and everything," Jesslyn replied, looking at her half-eaten breakfast. "I was just finishing breakfast because I was all packed. But now that we're all ready, I suppose we better be getting on."

Jesslyn led the brothers to the group, who were pulling small packs onto their backs and holding bows in their hands. It was quite a state of disarray, and the brothers joined the mass and somehow managed to blend in with the human archers. Jesslyn stood up on a stool, ready to address the people under her command. She held her hands up and in minutes the whole troop of archers were listening to her.

Jesslyn didn't think she had ever had so many eyes on her, ever.

"You've been sent as the first part of the last stand for Alphirion," Jesslyn began, not entirely sure what to say. She wondered if her voice was weak, wondered if the people would begin to shift and wait for her to end. But they didn't. They waited for her to continue. "We leave to help save this town. Some of you are from here, some of you feel strongly enough for this that you've lent your skills and life to help. For that, you must be proud of yourself and the person next to you. But, some of you will not return. I may not return, for all we know. Just be proud of why you are here, and don't lose faith. Let's go."

The archers finished packing their things and Jesslyn got her bow and quiver. Then she went inside the house and was welcomed by the sight of Cartil standing by his cot with his hand on the wall to keep him stable. Jesslyn watched him walk from his cot to another, and then when he sat back on his cot Jess walked over to him and gave him a hug.

"I'm leaving now, Cartil. Please don't fight if it is going to hurt you," Jess whispered in Cartil's ear, and he nodded, but said that he would do what he had to do to protect Laurel. Jess smiled and left the room, hoping that she'd return to see Cartil before the end. Then she walked back outside, and Jesslyn began to lead the fifty or so archers into the woods towards the camp of the Wild Men. Their hope was to pick off any Wild Men on the outskirts of the camp one by one, just to make it as easy for the others as they could.