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Jil sits leaning up against a birch watching Sharyn moving about the trees in the Sielwood as she tries to creep upon a deer without scaring it away. The woods are a bit darker than usual, but then, after the destruction of Blood, a sunrise or sunset may not be seen again for many years to come. She sighs, but smiles as the deer’s tail flickers up and down, its eyes scanning the forest floor for the disturbance it felt. The air has a slight chill to it; the leaves are a bit crisper than usual making it harder for Sharyn to get close to the deer without crushing a crisp leaf. Eight years old she is now, and that means Jil has been married to Daren for 10 years now. She sees that Sharyn is now about 20 strides away. The deer focus’ it’s attention on her now. Jil smiles knowing from watching it’s tail and ear movements and the bunching of its muscles, what it is about to do. And she notices that Sharyn sees this too as she slowly holds her hands out to the side and steps backwards, but the deer bolts anyways. Too many hunters have tried chasing it down probably. There has been a lot of traffic through here of late. Jil looks at her daughter’s face and sees the disappointment in her daughter’s eyes . . . her mother’s eyes . . . so much like her . . . the look of sadness and failure upon her face . . . and for a moment, Sharyn is Jil. Faint screams echo in Jil’s mind as the surrounding trees change, brush forms where is wasn’t before and she is standing atop a hill looking down into the village far below. Smoke lifts to the sky in many places, large forms as tall as houses moving about . . . small figures rushing about waving . . . swords? “Mother! Father!” A noise to her left gets her attention, she turns seeing goblins coming through the brush and they spot her. Her voice seems stuck . . . she turns and runs as they pursue . . . she tries for the thick brush as a hand reaches out to grab her and pull violently . . . . “Mother?”
 Sharyn is shaking her mother’s shoulder. Shaken, Jil covers with a big smile. “Its fine dear . . . you’ll get another chance soon. They are plentiful here in the wood.” She reaches into her pouch and produces two apples. “One for you dear and give the other to Symphony. Keep your palm flat when you give it to her.” She cautions. Sharyn smiles, rolls her eyes like her father does and runs off . . . the deer forgotten. Jil sighs and sits back watching her feeding the horse. Memories, so long ago, so far away.
 Someone took her in from the neighboring town as hers was utterly destroyed. The traumatic experience blocked out everything that had happened. She was then raised in a tavern and in the local wood with the guidance of an old ranger. Taught the ways of the rangers with what time she had to spare when not cleaning or serving at the inn. The old ranger passed on many years later and was soon replaced by another . . . one other survivor of her town . . . and as memories slowly came back, so did feelings and they became man and wife. But troubles wandered the area continuously and he was called in to help. She had learned more from him during their time together and went with him and many hardships did they encounter. Until they revealed that, a demon was behind it all. In the final battle, the demon ripped a child from her womb and took her husbands life in her presence, and in a single moment of anger, rage and frustration, she with what little magic she had at her disposal, took down the already badly beaten demon, sending it back to from wherever it came.
Jil wandered for a long time. She bought a ticket on a ship to sail anywhere away from what she called home. Until one day, at sea . . . they came upon another ship, a merchant ship heading in farther out to sea to a place from their description would be a safe place to start anew. The ships captain was going to run along side to see if they needed anything or maybe trade for fresh supplies. She stood at the rail of watching the other ship move closer under the blue skies with white fluffy clouds, the sea calm, dolphins swimming in the water and a . . . deep shadow? She looked closer as it made its way towards her. Her mouth opened, but froze there, a voice . . . “Follow” . . . and it veered towards the other ship. Her mouth closed. A mate on deck walked up beside her, seeing the look upon her face. “Yer see sompin?” He asked. She shook her head no; he shrugged his shoulders and moved on. “Follow”, she heard once more, though faintly. She took passage on the other ship that day. The captain said it was heading to a place called Lelion. She had been floating on ships for many months now, land sounded good.
At Lelion she disembarked, put her pouch over her shoulder and walked. Her dreams the past couple nights were of a dragon. Something needed her, called out to her. It would be a fresh start . . . and it was. She met peoples of all types and races, working together. They assisted her to help her get a new footing on this land called Layonara, the continent called Mistone. It had all kinds of dangers in it, and help keeping the populace safe with her skills would keep her mind off things. Moreover, it did, quite well. After a couple years, she met two of her best friends. One would become her husband, Daren. The other, Yard. They traveled far and wide and when not together, Jil explored everywhere else.
During her time traveling she learned the many tales surrounding this land and of one in particular. His name was Blood. And it was to fight against him with the peoples of Layonara that she was called here to do. Jil trained. Hard and long she worked at improving her archery skills. She traveled with others hunting down factions of Bloods army, revealing corrupt governments and officials, putting to rest cursed undead, and many other troubles that were inflicted upon her new home.
She had heard rumors of a special archer’s skill and Jil looked everywhere for information on where she could learn this. Through this time, her past came back to haunt her. A letter from a monk she knew from so long ago arrived. He was in a village that had a haunting that leached magic from anything and he thought that she could help rid the villagers of the problem. When she asked why her in particular . . . he responded . . . it is your husband, Elbryan. Her ‘dead’ husband. Her heart about stopped . . . “Mother?”
 Jil blinked a few times clearing the watery vision, the wood suddenly crashing in about her. She looked at her daughter who had concern on her face. “Are you all right mother? You are crying.” Jil smiled and got to her knees hugging Sharyn. “I’m fine dear,” She smiled. “I’m sorry . . . are you ready to go home?” Sharyn bobs her head, her hair flowing smoothly with the sharp movements. “Maybe father is home now and we can eat around a campfire and tell stories and you can . . .” Her voice trailed off with many requests as she headed for the horse to ready it for the ride back to the house. Jil stood and slowly walked forward.
 It was not her husband, she realized after she found what it wanted. It was the demon that had killed him, come back from its lower planes to enact revenge. Yard and Garnet were there, they had come along to assist. Together with some of the villagers who happened to be Arcane Archers, the very ones she had been looking for, defeated the demon once again. For her help in the matter, they allowed her to train with them for a couple years. She learned quickly.
 She climbed atop Symphony and pulled Sharyn up before her and they rode slowly out of the Sielwood, through Fort Llast to their home in Blackford. Daren was home and with a little arm twisting and sweet facial expressions, Sharyn was able to get him to do what she wanted. They rode for an hour until they reached Haven and after a small climb, reached a small pond and clearing up on the side of the mountain. Jil smiled as she recalled the day that Daren had proposed to her on the bench on the far side of the pond. Sharyn loved it up here. Jil sat among the flowers as she watched her daughter, slowly and carefully build a fire just the way her mother taught her. Watching Daren and Sharyn together made her smile. There was a time they could not do that for almost a year . . .
Demons were attacking in Fort Llast and Hlint, Daren and Jil were part of the party that set out to investigate. They found a chained demon whose bonds were weakening from negative energy that was leaking from somewhere below and causing the stir. Daren carried an orb procured from a Lich that would stop all the madness. And they did, destroying the orb in the process, or so they thought. Then Daren was captured by the Lich and taken to the underdark of which then another party was formed for the rescue. They asked a friend of theirs, Quantum to help as his specialty was hunting undead. They finally got him back, but the Lich is still out there. Now Jil and Daren are returning the favor helping Quantum with a matter also concerning undead. Jil always returns the favor offered her.
 She smiles and giggles a little watching Daren burn the fish over the fire. He looks over at her and grins that silly grin when he knows he messed something up. Sharyn pushes at his stick to remove the fish from the fire telling him how to cook it properly and he returns his attention to her following her ‘sage’ advice.
 Helping others. She has been doing that ever since she learned the ways of the arcane archer and she tries to instill that in her daughter too. Before that, her arrows were bee stings, her fighting prowess, nil. Now her arrows packed a nasty punch. And she lends them wherever she is asked. But most times, she sits in the outer ring of the group. She listens and watches. Not often are her words heeded, so she sits quietly and waits. Unless a question is missed that should be asked, or if she feels they are taking a wrong turn, she plays their conscious or devils advocate. In the quiet musings after their final decision, she responds, making them give thought to their actions from another perspective. Sometimes to cause more debate or a slight change in approach or ignored all together, but still she will follow them, firing her arrows from the rear or speaking up in the presence of the person, they are trying to assist, for they are her friends. Always help your friends, so that they may offer the same to you Then there was the final battle with Blood. Madness everywhere. Booming spells, clashing swords and shields, bowstrings humming, the injured screaming . . . “Mother!”
 “Mother, bring Kreeg out to play fetch! Father will throw!” Jil shakes her head, to clear out the memories as Sharyn beams at her father who sighs and nods his head. She is clearly tiring him out, but he finds new strength and patience and winks at his wife. She summons Kreeg, the great Dire Wolf companion of many years and find shimself suddenly attacked by the small eight year old he has come to love and they race around to the side of the pond to play away from the fire.
 Jil had promised Rhizome that she would help anytime he asked after a long talk about the Great Oak and he called upon her to help protect it against one of three armies that Blood sent out in his final stroke against the peoples of this land. Jil fought long and hard making their way towards the place where the great oak stood, and mighty Ozlo, the dragon that called many to fight for Layonara, fought alongside them. But Ozlo took quite a beating from some very nasty demons and in the end as he felled the final Blood minion, Ozlo himself fell beside me. I could do nothing to save him. He took too great a blow to be brought back. As I stood there, tears running down my face, I laid a rose at his side as we bid his soul farewell.
 “Dear? Ye all right?” She looked up at Daren standing over her as he reached down and wiped a tear away from her face. She smiled. “Thinking of Ozlo, love. Today seems to be a day for sad memories.” He kneels down beside her and gives her a tight hug and kisses her on the forehead. He directs his gaze to the bench where he proposed to her. “An that’n?” She kisses him quickly and responds, “Tears of joy for that one love, tears of joy.” He smiles, kisses her on the forehead and rolls his eyes as Sharyn calls to him to come play before standing back up and going to her. “I’m comin’, I’m comin’. Dun’t get yer pants all tied up inna knot.” Sharyn giggles as she tells him that can’t happen unless he is doing the laundry and he does a fake laugh as he roars at her to chase her, and Kreeg takes up barking at them. Jil cleans up the mess Daren left behind, Sharyn always taking care of her stuff, she is so responsible for someone of her age. She learns well.
 Looking at Daren, she knows that she will far outlive him but lately she has been feeling the soul mother taking a bit more from her. She should think about retiring. She wants to see her daughter grow up, fall in love and live a happy life without fear, prejudice and tyranny. Jil sighs as she thinks of Pranzis, or should it be Prantz now? A lord Boregar took over the city, one of Bloods generals, the only battle Bloods armies won. Blood was destroyed but his legacy lives on as he keeps control of Prantz. Ugh . . what a name. They have a second house there in Prantz and they spend more time there of late, even with the new Lord in power. She walks through the streets where beasts of burden are not allowed, nor is any type of magic to be cast and sees the downtrodden faces of the populace. She hears them talk.