A green cloaked figure walked into a tavern, looking around, it walked to a back table near the fire pit and sat down quietly. The hood was raised but from the sign of long dark brown hair, this newcomer was a woman.
The tavern keeper walked towards the hooded woman and said in a gruff voice, "What would you like today, ma'am?"
She looked up at him and shook her head, "Official Ranger business I am afraid, Luke" She flicked back her hood and grinned darkly, which was pretty dark with the help of her deep brown eyes and scar across her mouth.
Luke's deep set eyes widened as he slightly took a step back and muttered quietly, obviously startled, "By the crown, a king's Ranger," He took a seat across from the ranger and coughed slightly as he continued, "I assume you are here of the business of your fellow ranger… found dead in the moat?"
She nodded gravely, still disturbed by the news. This was the third Ranger death in a week. Something strange was going on, and she was going to find out what. She cleared her throat before replying, "Yes, I was hoping you would have any thoughts on how Travis Picarrd," she hesitated on what she said next, "Died."
Luke nodded slowly as he drummed his fingers against the wooden table "Not many thoughts about Rangers in general … miss?" He hesitated on what to call her.
The woman chuckled lightly, "Ranger Amber or just Amber would do just fine." She noted as she waved a hand to passing by lad and pressed two gold coins into his open palm and whispered quietly to him. Then with a nod the boy ran off, out of the tavern, towards an Inn.
Luke raised a curious eyebrow as he leaned back in his seat, "What was that about?" He knew the boy and didn't know why he would associate with a Ranger.
Amber just smiled, "The lad can help me with something." She said it with an even and dark tone, but, simply, the boy was just going to check her into the local Inn, and for a good pay of two gold coins.
She looked around and noted what the people looked like along with the way they talked and acted. Anyone of them could have killed Travis, and she was going to find out who had done it.
She was suddenly surprised when, in the left corner of the tavern, what looked and sounded like a fight broke out.
Two men, one, a tall, chainmail clad man with a short brown beard and a sword at his belt and the other, a short man wearing a black cloak with a bow strung over his back. The taller of the two men was being lifted up by the smaller man, quite a surprise for the men around them; a strong, sturdy, tall man, being lifted by a short cloaked man.
Amber chuckled lightly as she recognized the smaller of the two men and walked over casually with a remark, "Damon, you know, you don't have to terrorize everyone just because you're a Ranger."
The smaller of the men slowly put the taller man down with a shove out the door and a smirk at Amber, "Ah, Amber, why don't you be a dear and help me with these ruffians?"
She just looked at the men, who, she now noticed to be Skandians, or also known as Sea Wolves.
The taller man growled but stomped out of the tavern, followed by three other Skandians.
Amber glared at Damon, obviously drunk as he staggered towards a chair and fell to the ground, tripping on his cloak. She let out a growl as she stooped to heave him up as she with the help of Luke, carried the unconscious Ranger to a covered caravan behind two brown horses.
Amber tossed Luke two gold pieces as she rode off, towards the thickest part of the forest surrounding the small town.
It was about a twenty minutes ride until she came upon a small log cabin, about three windows, a lean-to, and a bit of smoke coming out of the red stone chimney. A red-velvet colored horse stood under the lean-to.
Amber let out a small groan as she jumped off of one of the horses and quickly flipped around and dragged the unconscious Ranger out of the back of the oak wood caravan and tossed him over a shoulder as she struggled to get him inside the old cabin.
As Amber neared the small cabin, a tall man walked out of the front door, he had curly, light brown hair, one green and one blue eye and a scar across his green eye, most likely from a throwing or Saxe knife, by the angle of the scar. He looked to Amber and nodded as he stepped forward and helped hold up Damon, "Sorry 'bout him, he's lost his touch and has become a drunkard." He said mostly to himself, a sense of humor masked by graveness.
Amber raised an amused eyebrow at him as they both carried Damon inside and laid him in a simple, handmade chair by a round table, which had a fresh, steaming hot pot of coffee sitting on it. As they set the older man down, Amber took a few moments to inspect this Ranger's cabin.
In a back corner was a kitchen with a fridge, stove and a pot with multicolored flowers sitting on the windowsill above the sink. Across from the kitchen was the small table at which they were standing. There was a short hall with two rooms, the main bedroom for the Ranger, then a second for the Ranger's apprentice.
The man who had helped her now looked to her and smiled brightly, "I'm Phileas Picarrd, pleasure to meet you… Ms. Amber View, I presume." His voice was happy and very cheerful but, it had an edge of suspicion, but then again, all Rangers were taught to be skeptical.
Amber nodded, "Aye, and you must be Travis's son." She had heard about the Ranger's son, who was trained since the age of seven. Now at the age of twenty-five, he was a rouge Ranger without a fief but always accepted missions given to him. The death of his father hit him hard, but he didn't let his emotions affect him as he kept to his rules.
Amber looked at him and tilted her head lightly, this was the man that she had to share a mission on, which could take up to several months to complete. This would be very interesting. She now turned back to him with a small smirk, "So, you must know why I am here if you already know my name."
He replied with a nod towards a pile of papers in the kitchen counter, "Yes, I was told you were going to come to investigate my father's murder as well as those of the other Rangers. Quite normal if you ask me," he said casually, but was obviously hiding something as he continued, "Who would want to kill a Ranger?"
Hmm, I don't know, let me think. Maybe the Scotti or Hibernians! Amber thought to herself, biting her tongue from letting out the sharp remark, "Several people would have a reason to kill one of us. Maybe we ruined their plans, killed their family, anything would give them a reason to kill us." Her temper was rising as her patience was slowly fading.
Phileas chuckled as a grin came upon his face as he heard the slightly edge in Amber's voice, "No reason to be so hot-tempered." His voice was full of sarcasm, maybe not the best idea for him, as the next moment he was pinned against the wall with a knife to his throat.
In a split second, Amber had drawn her Saxe knife, lunged across the room and put her knife against his throat with an emotionless expression on her face, "Next time to act like that, I swear I will put you in your place. You may be a Ranger by blood, but I have no respect for you. Not until you show your worth," She growled as she stepped back, leaving Phileas looking quite startled and afraid to move. Amber smirked as she headed out of the door with a last comment, "I'll be at the Inn once you are ready to leave." With that she closed the door behind her and headed towards the village.
