Jasper Greensmith sits at a table staring at the wall quietly. Another man sits down with him.

"Hello Jasper how are you doing?" the man asks.

Jasper focuses on the man at the table with him, "Oh hello Wystan. I'm doing as well as I can, I suppose."

"I can't believe that happened to Archet."

"The smell of ash is still stuck in my nose."

"This whole thing is insane," Wynstan says. "Where were the constibles of Combe?"

"They showed up when they saw the fire but there wasn't much they could do at that time. All they really got done was clearing the bandits at the gate."

"That's at least some help."

"I can't believe Calder betrayed us," Jasper says.

"No kidding what kind of person would help one of those cargul freaks."

"That thing was terrifying. Even having it walk by made my skin crawl. I could feel the evil rolling off it."

"Something like that was really so close to Bree?" Wynstan asks.

"I don't know what's happening with the world. Monsters like that shouldn't be walking into Archet."

"It sounds like something straight out of the old stories about the dark lord."

"I understand now why even the elves felt the need to fight them," Jasper says.

"What do you mean?"

"If those things are as dangerous as they feel even the elves won't be able to stop any number of them."

"One cargul was that scary?" Wynstan asks.

"It was worse than you could imagine. All I can say is we should be thankful for the power of the rangers."

"What about the blackwold?"

"The guards in Archet and Combe are putting bounties on them," Jasper says. "With any luck they'll get taken out by some adventurer or another."

"The people of Archet and Combe will need more weapons and armour until it's done."

"I've made as much as I could with the leather I had."

"What about the rebuilding?" Wynstan asks.

"It's getting started. Mostly we've just cleaned up so far. It should be going much faster than it is but it feels like it's been years since the attack. I don't know if we'll ever get everything fixed."

"Keep working things have to get better eventually."

Jasper grunts and takes a long drink.