The ogre went tumbling backwards grasping for anything that it might feel but failed horribly as its torso was impaled upon the trees it smashed on its way here done in by its own design. It let a guttural roar as it choked on its own blood one last time before dying.

"Phew! That was one big nasty ogre!" Caliaphy buzzed in and out to thank her insect friends, and the swarm departed back to their nest leaving the party looking at the corpse of a now very dead ogre.

"You can say that again," Irzen took a deep breath, "When was the last time that thing took a bath?"

"Is everyone well?" Willow asked to no one in particular, "Is anyone injured?"

"I'm good!" The Swordsman replied as he returned his sword to his sheathe, "I hate to say it. But now I think we know why there are no wardens or rangers in this part of your woods, Willow. They were either recalled to your capital or creatures like this guy got them."

Alyson made her way down to the body of the dead ogre and searched for anything that might help. In a crudely made pouch, she found a piece of tanned leather with strange writing on it. "Hey Irzen, I found something in a language I'm not familiar with. Looks like orchish or under common. My guess is that they're orders of some kind but I'll let you take a look at it."

"Okay, let me take a shot at it," The Swordsman walked over to the Elementalist and accepted the tanned leather. Irzen read the Under Common word for word and openly sighed, "It's this Ogre's marching orders. Gruumasht ordered him and his ilk to scout the land, kill as many Elves as they could and bring back their heads as trophies. Simply put, the more Elves they kill, the more Elven heads they bring back, the more they get paid and the higher their rank will be."

"I'm not impressed," Irzen handed the tanned leather back to Alyson, "I've seen an incentive system like this back on Earth. America to be precise. The Old West. During the Lincoln County Wars, hired gunfighters were paid for every saddle they brought back to their paymaster. The saddles were considered proof that a gunfighter had killed an opponent since it was easier and cheaper to bring back a saddle than a dead body. That's all this message is, nothing more than that."

"A gunfighter?" Willow turned to Alyson and Irzen to seek an explanation for the term.

*****

Meanwhile, Serna began to make her way towards the Elves with Lazheros by her side, "Um, sir, if Willow's people cannot speak Common, can you please be the one to speak to them? I never learned any Elvish when I was coming up. Okay?"

"Of course, child." He said walking behind her through the thick brush between the trees.

"Thanks, you know, sir, I think we're going to make a pretty good team," Serna led the way towards the Elves as she used her shield to push through the thick brush, "That is, if all of this works out."

"Serna, you may call me, Laz if you like." The Bronze Man moved a low lying branch out of her way as they made their way to Willow's kin hiding up ahead of them.

The Shield Maiden giggled, "Thank you, sir, I mean Laz. That's very kind of you." The pair reached the spot where the Elves were hiding.

Upon coming out into the opening, a small elven girl popped out from behind a tree, "Are you here to help us?"

Serna jumped a little at the Elven girl's sudden appearance but quickly said, "Yes! Yes, we're hear to help you. My name is Serna the Shield Maiden and my friend here is," She looked a little uncertainly at the Bronze Man before she turned back to the child, "Laz the, uh, Priest. You must be really good at hiding. You gave me quite a jump there. What's your name? Who are you?"

"Laz is just fine, Serna. And to answer your question young one, I am a cleric of Bahamut, the platinum dragon. We have come to help upon hearing the plight from the invaders upon your homeland. How many are you, and who among you requires some healing?" Lazheros asked the elven girl.

"Twelve left. The ogre killed the others. My..my..my parents are hurt bad, Amandil." The girl started to cry a little.

"Don't cry," Serna walked over to the child and gave a comforting hug, "We're here to help."

"Show me, child," Lazheros followed the girl around behind one of the larger trees and accessed the wounded. He knelt down and quietly healed all of their wounds in as a whole. They were now fit to travel once more. He also cast the spell Create Food and Water for all of the survivors to which they graciously accepted it.

"See," Serna smiled, "I told you we're here to help. Say, you never told me your name. Who are you? And where are you from? And where we're you going?"

"My name is Elbereth," The elven girl wiped the tears away after watching the Bronze Man heal her parents wounds and anyone else that was hurt. "We lived down in the valley but the horde came to conquer and enslave my people. We're heading to the capital north of here and almost made it until we were cut off by the ogre."

"Elbereth, that's a pretty name," Serna smiled, "Well, you don't have to worry about that Ogre. I have friends like the Cleric here who will be taking care of that mean, nasty monster soon enough. You will never see that Ogre again, I promise."

Serna turned to Lazheros, "She called you 'Amandil'. What does that mean?"

"It means cleric in elven, Serna. Her name means queen of the stars. A rare and beautiful name not usually given unless her purpose is yet to be fulfilled." The Bronze Man sat down on a tree stump watching the two of them talk.

"Wow! Queen of the stars," Serna spoke in a wistful tone, "That IS a beautiful name."

Elbereth giggled and darted over to her parents for a moment before coming back over to Serna and Lazheros.

"So, who are your parents?" Serna asked Elbereth attempting to engage the child in idle chatter, "And what kind of work do they do?"

"My parents grow and maintain the winery here in the Southern Valley. Our king has favored my family's wine for many years." The elven girl pointed out her parents to the shield maiden, who had eaten their fill of the generous food and drink provided by the Bronze Man.

"Any extra food and drink is yours to keep, Mellonamin." The bronze man bowed slightly to the other elves.

"Diola lle," Elbereth's father told him.

"A winery? Nice!" Serna smiled, "Before I became Serna the Shield Maiden I used to be Serna the Servant to Baroness Meleranti of Deeping Dale. She had a winery too below her palace and I used to retrieve bottles of wine for her all the time. And they also had barrels of wine as big as a house."

The Shield Maiden then asked somewhat sheepishly, "We heard that there are rangers and wardens who protect this valley. What happened to them? Do you know? Where did they go? And why weren't they here to help you and your family?"