The food is long gone and the letter was read. Silence has long since fallen over them. Finally Jessa breaks the silence. "Dhiren, you are exhausted, you should get some sleep."

Dhiren looks at Jessa shocked. "Are you kicking me out?"

Jessa looks over to Dhiren and gives him a small smile, it's as much as she can give him. "Yeah, I need some time alone. If you insist on guards for me please place them outside."

It's all Dhiren can do to keep his jaw from falling open. He never thought that Jessa would kick him out. But then again after what that letter said he's not too shocked at it. 

Before Dhiren can get up and follow her request Kallen comes in. "General, she would like to be alone now."

"Thank you, Prince, but I just want to check in with her, then I'll leave her. I've already set protection wards around the tent as well as some of her guards. The others are resting. I believe Alaric has also set wards around the tent and the encampment."

"Thank you, General. Don't take too long she still needs to rest." Dhiren tells him then gives Jessa a kiss before leaving the tent.

Kallen comes over to Jessa and looks her over before taking the seat that Dhiren had recently vacated. "Okay, two things, how are you feeling Short stuff?"

"I've never felt so worn out before. Not even after the first work outs you gave me. Other than that, I feel alright I guess."

"Uhhuh, then the second thing, what's wrong? I don't think we could have pried your husband away from your side with out a pry bar and some serious help."

"I, well we, read the letter that Alaric sent with  the guards. You need to get the people together and get them ready to march. We need to get back to Silva as soon as possible."

"What's going on?"

"Alaric doesn't think all the full blooded dragons were here. He's found traces of them flying around Silva."

"So that's why he's been talking to the dragons out there." Kallen says thoughtfully.

Suddenly there's a great trumpeting and thunder as several dozens of full blooded dragons take off. It takes some time for the dragons to all get airborne. There are awe-inspired whisperings that make their way into the tent. "I would have liked to have seen that." Kallen says out loud without meaning to.

"Where's Mel?" Jessa asks suddenly.

"I'm not sure, if you would like I'll try to find him for you." Kallen says tiredly. He's not looking forward to a forced march back to Silva.

"If you would please?" Jessa says then closes her eyes once more.

"Jessa, I sent the gold dragons back to Silva, the other queens and kings have done the same. They will protect Silva with their lives. The younglings you rescued have requested to travel with you but will help protect Silva as well if that is what you would like?" Alaric says coming into the tent.

"Alaric, why are you asking me? You are the gold king and you have far more battle experience than I do."

"Because, Jessa, it is you that has united the dragons, people and elves, both moon and sun, they are all willing to take and listen to your orders and requests when they wouldn't mine." Alaric keeps the amusement he feels at this from his voice. It has long been the dream of the ancient one to unite the dragons under him. He could never do it, but Jessa is well on her way to accomplishing this impossible task.

"How much longer will I be down from the exhaustion?" Jessa demands of her grandfather.

"That will depend a great deal on your body and just how much you over taxed it yesterday. I don't dare give you any restoratives since they will only mask the exhaustion. You could literally feel good but die of exhaustion. Sleep, rest and eat. You are full dragon now so I think you should be ready to go by tomorrow."

"Fine, could you work with Kallen on organizing the march back to Silva? Could you please send in Josnick? I need to work things out with him as well."

"Of course, Jessa." Alaric is thrilled that Jessa, with all the other concerns hasn't forgotten the one that will make her money. Somehow all the mules, horses and merchandise they had gotten on the way there had survived. Once the fighting is done, Jessa, Dhiren, Josnick and Ivy stand to make a good deal of money if they don't lose everything on the way home.

Josnick is rather surprised that Jessa has requested to talk to him after she sent Dhiren away.

"Jessa, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, did we lose everything with the fire?"

"No, Jessa. Not sure how or why, but all the animals, not just ours but all those that belonged to the elves survived. Many of the sun elves also discovered that much of their personal belongings made it out of the fire as well. The dragons have been helping to transport the items  to Frosnack's counting houses so they can store them until they have new homes. She's even giving them survivor's rates." Josnick is rather amused at this.

"Good, that's something for them at least. Where will they live now?"

"Dhiren didn't tell you?" Josnick asks shocked. He's worried now, if Jessa sent Dhiren away without talking to him.

"He was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. I rather think he didn't sleep much. He needs to rest. Now tell me, where will the sun elves go?"

"Jessa, I think that should come from me, don't you?" Dennis asks stepping into the tent just in time to hear Jessa's demand.

"Dennis, I don't remember hearing you asking for permission to enter." Jessa tells the sun elf king acidly.

"Forgive me, Jessa. I wasn't sure how to do so. Might I come in and give you the answers to the questions this good man doesn't have?" Dennis asks diffidently, he doesn't want to get on Jessa's bad side, not after he's seen what she can do.

"I guess, since you are here now." Jessa turns from the annoying sun elf back to Josnick. "Get the caravan ready to go. I'll have the humans come back with you to guard you. The dragons will likely want to push forward far faster than the rest of the army will be able to go and the army will be force marching back to Silva. Take your time and if you wish make more stops along the way. Might as well make this trip as profitable as possible since we've made it this far.

"Once I can get to Mel I'll be sending him to the kings and letting them know what happened and what will be going on. I'm not sure what or how they will respond, but I'm sure they will be happy to hear that they won't be having to deal with an enemy marching through and torching their lands.

"They will want to send out their people to take down the dragon kin that slipped away last night."

Dennis chokes on this. Unable to keep silent he blurts out, "How the hell did you know that? You were unconscious when Dhiren brought you away  from the fight."

Jessa huffs, "They weren't all killed. I was sure that some of them would have used the guards distraction to slip away. If you have any idea just how many that might be, I would love to know."

"I'll get started on getting things together for the trip back to Castlerock." Josnick says standing up and leaving.

"Will it be safe for the caravan to be so lightly guarded?" Dennis asks Jessa.

Jessa snorts once again. "They won't be more than a few hours behind the army at any given time, even if they stop in a city for whatever reason. You have no idea just how slow an army moves even when forced marching. The main part will easily out distance the support, Kallen won't march them too far ahead or the soldiers won't have any food to eat. That's a good way to have the soldiers mutiny."

"Oh, I had no idea it would be going that slow. How will you get back to Silva in time then?"

"That, Dennis, is an excellent question. I hope that I'll be able to get some help of the magical kind, but there is no guarantee that I will. Please, tell me what you know about your people now."

"My cousin has most graciously invited us to come to Silva." Dennis tells her and Jessa, who had just closed her eyes pops them open once more and looks at Dennis in shock.

"He did what?" Jessa asks him  in disbelief.

"Yeah, that was about my reaction when he invited us last night. He said that the females and children were already there and my mother would likely want me there as well. He also said something about Sorsha and her children but I was too shocked by the invitation that I didn't really understand what he said."

Jessa blinks a few times before saying anything. "Probably something about me wanting to train them myself so that I'll know they are going to be decent guards for my children." Jessa says absently as she thinks about the sun elves coming to Silva.

"You know, the moon elves won't tolerate you acting superior to them there. I've lived there too long for them to accept that from others."

"Yeah, Dhiren said something similar. You showed us all yesterday that we have nothing to be superior about. We are reeling right now with everything that's happened. We have to start over completely and we're not sure what is going to happen."

"Hmm, yeah, sorry about starting your land on fire. That was entirely unintentional on my part. Can't say the same for the bitch, but I am sorry."

Dennis gives her a small smile. "It wasn't a complete loss. I believe Lord Kaiston and some of his siblings saved a bit for us. It's just as well, there has been so much evil done here, by my father, my brother and myself, that the fire was needed to purify the place once more. Hopefully, when the forest comes back it will come back healthier and better than before."

Jessa lets the silence fall for a bit as she thinks over what Dennis has said. "You know, what you, your brother and father did, it was heavily influenced by that bitch, right?"

"I heard you say that yesterday, but it still doesn't excuse the harm we caused our people. There is nothing I can do to fix what we broke, the people that we irreparably harmed. My brother and father paid for their sins with their lives." Dennis shrugs his shoulders and lifts his hands up defeated. "How can I pay  the price?"

Jessa snorts, "First off, the fact that you are accepting the responsibility for your actions is a good start. For the rest you're going to have to serve your people for the rest of your life. Show them that you aren't the person you were. It will never be enough, that is true, but you will be able to strengthen them from now on, if they will let you."

"Thanks, Jessa. When will you wish to start heading back?"

"We'll leave before dawn tomorrow. If I'm unable to ride by myself still I'll be held by Dhiren or going on a stretcher, but we will leave. Coordinate with Kallen and Alaric if he's still here."

Dennis nods and stands. He hesitates before leaving, "They say that Alaric is your grandfather, is that true?" Dennis asks watching her.

Jessa smiles, "When I'm not angry with him, yes." 

Dennis no longer has words just nods and finds his mute way out of the tent.

His eyes widen as he sees Dhiren come in.  

Dhiren smiles at the shocked expression on his cousin's face. "She got you again didn't she?"

Dennis nods and goes on out.

"I thought I sent you to get some rest?" Jessa says with out opening her eyes and yawning.

"I couldn't sleep without you, so I came back to sleep next to you." Dhiren tells her and Jessa falls asleep with a smile on her face. Dhiren picks her up and lies down with her on top of him. Sighing contentedly he goes to sleep as well.