Hello! Thanks for Clicking! This is my first Fanfic, so bare with me, it's about 100+ years in Araluen, so yes, I'll be referencing the characters in the actual books, they did in fact died of old age years ago. It will also be in a fief I whose name I randomly thought up. (Actually it might mean snow in some language or other, can't remember) There's 49 fiefs or so, and they only ever talk about what, 4 or 5? So I created on my own, anyway, enough blabbering! On with the Prologue!
PROLOGUE
The King, as only a king could afford the clothes he wore, paced around the tent nervously, he wasn't looking foreword to the news he was giving.
"Are you done panicking Neil? Or do you need a few more minutes?" A hooded figure said sarcastically. King Neil starred at him for a few moments, then, regaining his composure, he replied,
"Allen, if you had to say what I must, you wouldn't be as calm as you are."
"Yes, but I wouldn't be acting like there's an army at out doorstep." Allen calmly stated.
"Anyway, it's not like it wouldn't happen eventually, so we mine as well get it out of the way." The king sighed and sat down; preparing himself for the conversation he was dreading. Allen smiled, a sight not easily seen with his hood over his head.
"You have time to prepare anyway; he shouldn't be here for a few more-"
He was cut off by the King's Advisor crashing into the tent, obviously filled with Rage. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" The Advisor said, nearly yelling with rage and red faced.
"Ah, Cody, how nice of you to join us, please, take a seat." Neil, prepared for this, said calmly. Cody, remembering his place but still furious, sat down across from the others.
"Neil, the guards have told me that you sent my daughter…is this true?" the man demanded, calming himself but angry all the same.
"Yes Cody, it is." The king held up his hand to quell any outburst, and continued "I know you didn't want her to join the rangers, or for the corps to include girls at all, but you let her. So this is what's going to happen"
"I let her join because I thought this idea would fall flat on its face, and even if it didn't, I thought that you," he pointed to Allen, "wouldn't put her out into the field so soon, she's barely just joined the corps!"
"The thing is Cody, your daughter has more skill then you credit her, in fact, she's better then about half the current apprentices we have. Besides, it's not like she'll be going alone, she has Simon with her."
"That's no reason to send her to Picta!" Cody snapped back
The thing is, she's not going to Picta, she's going to Elurra Fief. It's just a snowy yes, but I hear the locals are much friendlier." Allen responded.
"If they stumble upon something, they'll be attacked from all sides by brigands and savages! Not to mention the bandits already there. My point is, can't you send someone else?"
"Cody! Don't you remember the reason for this mission in the first place? We're spread to thin with the raids as it is, the ober-jarl says that he's not ordering them, which means we have a fleet of Wolf-ships getting their supplies from somewhere else, if it's Picta, he need to know. The fact is there's no one left to send." Allen said, ending the argument before it could start. "Yes there are Bandits," He continued, "But they're after bigger spoils then a traveling pair. We've doubled the guards there, not to mention the Militia, which has grown to huge numbers in the recent years.
There was a few minutes of silence, and as Cody was about to make another retort, Neil sealed the coffin on the argument.
"We understand you don't want to lose your daughter Cody, but the fact is, she and Simon are our only hope. We're losing fishing ships to those raiders, and they're coming further and further inland with every attack, burning farms and the inhabitants. We're out of options. You forget, the ranger name hold a lot of weight in Elurra, help wouldn't be hard to find, and if this wasn't a stealth mission, I'd be announcing there arrival to all of Araluen."
Cody stood there with his mouth open, the King wasn't one to make speeches, even ones as short as this. He sighed "Fine. She can go, but let's at least look into the details so I know what she's getting into? He said, finally resigning.
The King looked at Allen, and he nodded, "Yes," Said the king, "we can look over the mission.
They spent many hours in the tent that night, planning, debating, sometimes shouting, all to sooth an old man's heart.
So what do you think? Feel free to review as you like, constructive criticism welcomed!
