I wake up, blinking and groggy. I see trees a bit of sky and… tents. I shoot up into a standing position only to find Mercie already awake. And worse playing with the ashes of the extinguished fire.

I grab her hand and pull her away from the circle of stones the fire had been in last night. I hear no sound from the tents and deem it safe to sneak away. I grab my bag and start to leave. Mercie grabs my hand and digs her heels into the ground.

I turn and glare at her giving her a small yank. She stands her ground.

"Mercie! This is not the time to be stubborn! Let's go!"

She simply looks at me and points to the bag. I look and notice that the things within look out of place. Something is missing. I drop the bag and dig frantically, then stand and march to the tents.

I throw open the flaps, stop, turn back and gesture for Mercie to give me a waterskin. She passes me one and I walk into the tent and promptly empty said waterskin over Jetrun's head.

He sits up blubbering and shaking his head and wielding a knife.

I stand calmly just out of his reach,

"Where are they?"

He looks at me, clearly not amused.

"Where are what?!"

I glare at him and speak tightly,

"The oakleaves. Where are trhey?"

Her glares at me and Malon comes in and sees us both looking ready to kill the other.

"What's going on?"

I glance at him and then back at Jetrun,

"I want my oakleaves back."

"The oakleaves? Theyre yours?"

I gkare at the both equally,

"They were given to me. By a man named Will."

The two men look at each other, they look amazed and joyous.

"Will?! You found Will?! Where is he?!"

I look away. This is a sore topic. He may have been crazy but he was one of the only father figures I ever had. And like the other two he had died.

"He's gone. Four years last month."

THye look suddenly lost and distressed.

"Then there is nothing. Our last hope. Gone."

"What are you talking about?"

"The kingdom is in turmoil. Bandits attack left and right, not even the rangers can keep them in check. Their leader. We were hoping that maybe Will, being the best of us all, could defeat him. But he's gone, along with the true ranger training."

Malon looks ready to cry,

"Gilan is the last of the old training but he was poisoned last year. He cant teach anyone anything anymore. They killed all the other rangers. Its hopeless."

I watch the two men, both look completely and utterly deafeated. They make me angry.

"Will, he was the best of the rangers?"

Jetrun looks at me and nods.

"Old training would be what he would have taught yes?"

Again, a single nod. I feel a tug at my shirt and look down at Mercie who simply nods her head. I swear this girl could read minds.

"What if I were to tell you that he taught me?"

It seems to hit Malon first. One moment his head is in his hands the next its on the floor. His head had fallen off his hand causing him to fall over. He looks at me, gaping in surprise.

Jetrun is a bit more graceful in his discovery. He flops back into his soaked bedding and sighs with relief.

Then it seems to occur to him that I might be lying.

"Were you?"

I nod.

"Can you… show us?"

I nod again and leave the tent. When they come out a few seconds later I am no where to be found. I appear to their leaft. Just enough to get their attention than fade back into the shadows. I appear a short while later behind them.

They whirl around an dgrin like maniacs.

"And that's without a cloak!"

I simply nod and step closer,

"You spoke of defeat before you even tried to win. You spoke of hopelessness when you have not known what it is like to be without it. I watched and listened as my people and my home and everything I held dear was murdered.

You don't know what it is to be hopeless."

They look at me and Mercie omes up to me and hugs me. I kneel beside her and allow myself to be hugged. I know that while she means to comfort me, she too is getting comfort from this hug.

I glare over her shoulder at the men and they nod quietly. I stand after a moment and clear my throat,

"Got any coffee?"

They look mildly confused but procure the coffee. A short while later I am holding a steaming mug and asking for honey.

When they give it to me from their disappointingly small supply I scoop three spoonfuls into my coffee and sip at it appreciatively.

They smile,

"They say Will always liked coffee."

I grin,

"He never put it down."

I notice the two men loking at me strangly and kick myself when they say,

"When you smile you look remarkably like a girl."

I grunt.

Marcie and I drink coffee to our hearts contentand then stand, ready to leave.

"My oakleaves?" I extend my hand to the men.

They look at each other, Malon jerks his head toward me and Jetrun sighs heavily, handing me the three oakleaves.

I look at Mercie and once again she nods as if reading my mind,

"Where are the other rangers?"

The men grin and lead the way.