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-----Jeilin and the old woman follow some of the other women and children into another barn/stable type structure. Two wagons and a few carts have been pulled out from the place and inside the barn smells of horse and hay. Two men are there spreading hay about the floor and some of the women are starting to snuggle down in the dry places with their young ones.
-----"The stars are my guide," Jeilin replies. "But indeed I have some questions about the past." Thanking the woman, she then looks around and asks for a place inside the barn for some reading before rest.
-----A young man is there holding a lantern aloft which he sets down on a work table. It is this one that Jeilin approaches. Politely he answers her, “Why yes, Milady, we wanted to leave a lantern in the barn for the women and children here. If you will be in charge of it, you may read as long as you wish if you will blow it out once you are finished.”
-----Jeilin decides to thank the young man and accepts the offered lantern, even though she does not really need it. With that she settles to read more of her numerology book and to the maps she has collected lately in her travels.
-----Once settled, he sets about his preparations. In the soft ground, Whisper finds some clay-like material and this he uses to waterproof his quiver. As it dries, He prepares his arrows with bits of rope fragments. After checking to make sure the clay has dried, he then pours oil into the quiver and sets the arrows into it.
-----As this sets up, Whisper then rigs a carrying sling for spears. When he finishes, he begins to forage around looking for food and water. By now, the twilight has deepened and it is getting much darker between the tree trunks. Whisper quickly finds a clear pool of water left behind by the rain storms that passed through, but he is frustrated in his attempt to find food other than some mushrooms near a fallen tree. Of the normal small creatures that normally inhibit the woods, Whisper sees none.
-----After a couple of hours pass and darkness takes hold in the woods, Whisper moves to some low hanging branches. He climbs up easily finding a secure spot where the branches seem to overlap each other. There he can get what rest he can and have a good vantage point to keep watch on his small campsite. A light breeze rustles the leaves and the sound is soothing.
-----Finally, Sol and Thunder make it out of the village and begin the long descent toward the river. The water there looks black as no moon will be out tonight and the clouds even conceal the stars. As he nears the long row of hedges, he hears the familiar voice of Dilton croaking as if imitating a frog, “Who be a’goin’ thar? . . . Oh, Master Sol!”
-----"Get some rest Dilton, an' relieve me after ye've had a good long sleep. I don't want t'see ye until a little a'fore daybreak at least." Sol replies in a low tone as he dismounts and starts to lead Thunder towards the hedges.
-----“Bless ye, Sir,” Dilton says with a smile, “Yer as noble a fella as Holy Joren.” The raspy-voiced warrior then lets Sol know of the other ten warriors and how much longer they have on watch. Five of their number will be finished by midnight and all they have to do is to walk into the village and find warriors to replace them from the village square. Dilton tells Sol that many of these freed warriors are almost fanatical in their new found duty of defending the village and are constantly prepared to respond on a moment’s notice.
-----Dilton then addresses the other warriors saying, “I be a’takin’ me rest now, me friends. Ye should be honored; I be a’leavin’ ye wit’ Master Sol.” Many of the warriors salute Dilton and wish him a good night.
-----As Sol dismounts, he is aware that many of the men on watch are watching him. Finally, one of them speaks up and says, “Would you be the one who freed us and those in the village?”
-----"Yes." His reply is simple and short as he looks around at his current watch. First making sure Thunder is comfortable, the Gorian then chooses a spot to keep his watch, though before he does he smiles grimly and says to the men, "I'm glad t'see ye back in control o' yer own lives. Ye've been cruelly dealt wi', so I can only imagine how ye must feel. Merely knowing o' th' plight ye were in was enough t'feel th' Rage."
-----“Aye, what you say is true,” one of the warriors says in response. “You have our thanks and perhaps those of us that remember Ravenhold as a peaceful part of the kingdom will one day repay you.”
-----“We are in your service,” another man speaks up wearing leather armor that had been scraped together. He bows to Sol.
-----Yet another man points toward the stone bridge at the river. “Night is coming quick,” he says with a slight edge of urgency. “Should we set two torches this side of the bridge in case the orcs and goblins come back?”
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