The rumors turned out to be true and the Lord's Men under the command of Swordcaptain Whiteshield rode out en masse to protect the outlying villages from the growing threat, their numbers further bolstered by hired mercenaries and adventurers. It did not take long for Whiteshield to prove successful in this endeavor as he returned alongside his Men-at-Arms with an elven man in chains, somewhat unexpected by some considering the stories of the infamous archer and his particular appearance.
However, in the following days since his capture and while the elf languished in a cell at the Old Hoof Mill under strict watch by the Lord's Men it became unmistakable that these attacks on villages ceased entirely, leading concerned Battledarrans to believe the elf had indeed been the one responsible. Regrettably the roads continued to remain as dangerous as ever as the true archer was out there still.
Regardless, for now the people of Essembra and Battledale as a whole drink in honor of Swordcaptain Whiteshield for his decisive action in their defense and the people who protected them under his leadership, though most of all the adventurers responsible for the murderer's capture.
Gossip begins to spread around regarding the identity of this elf, with Battledarrans wondering whether the elf had acted on his own or if he was in league with the infamous archer himself all along. The tone of conversation shifts as word begins to spread around Essembra that judgement has been rendered concerning the fate of the elf and that he is to hang publicly by the end of the tenday for his multitude of crimes against Battledale and its people. Already workers can be seen in Old Town assembling gallows on the walls of Lord Ilmeth's Manor.