The Thing About Honor
S.I.N.F/ Ranger's Apprentice One-Shot.
A/N: The story takes place before either series begins. I had this crazy idea that maybe Araluen is a Shadowrealm somehow connected to ours. So, from Daniel's POV as Scatty explores the Araluen Shadowrealm, I show a little scene I devised a few weeks ago.
As I walked through the market place this morning, my thoughts continuously found their way back to the strange dream I'd had the night before…
I had this crazy dream about Rangers. I don't know why. But like all children, who had dreams like this, the dream contained the use of magic. Because everyone knows Rangers used magic.
Shaking the thoughts out of my mind, I focused on my task; buy bread for supper. I clutched my moneybag tighter to my chest and forced myself to walk faster, my head focused straight ahead.
When I reached the baker's shop, I saw a young woman leaning against the wall by the door. She had bright red hair and forest green eyes. Surprisingly, the woman wore trousers and boots. It was clear she was not from around here. There was something about her, though- maybe it was the way she held herself- that made me wish to speak with her. So, I walked right up to her.
Without looking at me the woman asked, "What do you want, kid?"
"You're not from around here are you?" I asked.
"No, I'm not. How could you tell?" now she was looking down at me, a hint of amusement clear in her voice.
"Women around here don't dress like that," I said. "Some men won't like seeing a woman in trousers. But I don't mind." Suddenly, a cured to me, "You wanna here about the dream I had last night?"
The woman looked at me, surprised. "What?"
"I said do you wanna here about my dream last night?"
"Uh, ok…." So I told her. I described it all in as perfect detail as I could. As I did, I noticed how the woman's expression morphed into one of disgust.
"Horrible people, Rangers, very dishonorable." She muttered as I finished.
"You've met them?" I asked.
"Yes, unfortunately, I have."
"Why don't you like them?" I asked, confused. They had seemed interesting in my dream.
She sighed, "Because, how cruel it is to take down an enemy without even letting them have a chance to defend themselves. I taut them how to conceal themselves for protection, not so they could sneak on up and kill their enemies." Upon hearing this, I thought about the Ranger Corps and how, according to rumor, they did just that.
Speaking carefully, I asked about it, " What if their King told them to do that? And they had sworn to do as he asked?" I had some idea of what the Rangers did, that they served the King, but only very little.
The young woman glanced at me, "What kind of honorable King would order his men to just heartlessly slaughter their enemies?" She asked. I was about to answer to, but when I looked up from where I'd been staring at my feet, the red- haired woman was gone.
So I bought my bread from the baker and went home, all the while pondering on what she'd said.
/
But, as I lie here so many years later and stare into the eyes of this complete stranger and listen to him promise to care for my family, I wonder if what the strange woman was right. Or if Rangers were actually good, honorable people.
