April 19th, 2024

The Stag Lord’s fort smoldered in the morning light, its once-imposing walls now reduced to charred timber and ash. Ally stood amidst the wreckage, her heart heavy with both triumph and sorrow. The battle had been won, but the cost weighed heavily upon her.
 
Her companions gathered around—Mairi, Pai, Ant, and Sean. They’ve been through a lot together; however, this was by far the toughest battle they’ve encountered. Tristian was a huge help, as well. She can’t help but wonder where they would be without his magically healing powers. Their faces bore the marks of combat, but their eyes held a glimmer of hope. The Stag Lord’s tyranny had ended, and the stolen lands could begin to heal.
 
She couldn’t help, though, to think about how well they all worked together. Seamus did great pretending to be a survivor from the Thorn River bandit camp. He went to deliver a bottle of poisoned liquor to the Stag Lord and lead some of the bandits into an ambush. If only she and Antson had been a tad bit quieter, and hidden, when trying to sneak and enter around back. “Oh well,”, Ally sighed. “What’s done is done, and we are better because of it.”
 
Ant stood next to her right. Mairi to her left, hugging her nephew, Sean. “We did it, Ally,” Ant said. “The Stag Lord won’t trouble these lands anymore.” Ally nodded; her gaze drawn to the horizon. The sun peeked over the hills, casting long shadows. She wondered about the people who had suffered under the Stag Lord’s rule—the farmers whose crops had been plundered, the families torn apart by violence. Could they find solace now? That was her hope. These people deserved a new beginning. She, her cat Misty, and her group of loyal companions, also, deserved a new beginning.