Ch 2 – Chasing Chickens
An Apprentice Quest is a simpler, more basic Quest the Guild uses to acquaint Apprentices with how a Quest works. It gives them time in the public eye to build a little Renown, and performs a public duty. These are designed to be easier and less dangerous than real Quests.
At least, that was what the dark-haired young man kept telling himself as he and the others in his small company stepped from under the golden-leaved trees of Greatwood and walked up to the edge of Greatwood Lake. He leaned toward the older, black-haired girl in charge of their group and asked, "So, where are they?"
The young lady, known as Rose, looked back at him and countered, "What? Are you getting impatient? I mean, we could always walk back to the Guild, so there's more bandits for you."
He frowned at her remark. "Look, the only reason you're in charge is because you're the oldest, and that's only by a year and a half. You can stop pretending to have some special wisdom kept from us mere Apprentices."
She turned to face him, an equally ugly scowl on her own face. "So help me, you watch out. When I find a chance, I am going to make your life miserable."
He snarled back at her. "Take your best shot."
"Ahem." The two younger apprentices made their presence known.
The debating pair turned away from each other. For a time, the only sound to be heard was that of the breeze rustling the trees. A moment later, the boy turned back and apologized. Rose turned, looked at him for a second, then accepted his apology and apologized in turn.
"Don't worry about it. We're all just nervous. Back to the bandits – I know they're supposed to be horribly inept, but if that's true, why can't we find them?" He looked around them in confusion.
Rose shrugged. "All I can think to do is keep searching for the-"
The others turned in the direction she was staring. There across the lake, near the old steps to the Gorge, sat at least thirty bandits. "I thought there were only ten?" The boy was trying to figure out how to handle that many foes and how anyone could miscount so badly.
Rose tugged on his arm silently and nodded her head toward the area back in the trees from which they'd come. The group moved back to remain hidden and to plan.
The boy looked to her and asked, "Any ideas?"
Rose looked stymied, then a smirk crossed her fair face. "Well, I once heard about a 'Tree-troll Golem' that might help us. It's easy to summon one; all you need is a few sticks, some water, and a chicken."
He looked back incredulously. "A chicken."
"Oh, yes, it's probably the most important part. See, the chicken provides the living body that the summoned golem inhabits and transforms into its own form. The rest is a basic framework and such that binds to the chicken during the summoning."
"Okay…" He wasn't yet sure if she was having him on or was serious.
"Right, so I've got to prepare for the summoning; it takes a lot of concentration and focus. These two can fetch the water and the sticks." She indicated the two younger apprentices with them. "So, that leaves you to catch the chicken. And just our luck, one appears to have just come up the path from Orchard Farm."
He turned and saw the aforementioned fowl a short way from them and resigned himself to its capture. "Okay, I'll get it."
An hour later, he finally gave up and walked over to the laughing trio and dropped wearily to the ground. "Okay, you win. I get it. There is no Tree-troll thing, is there?"
Rose was too busy laughing hysterically to answer for a few minutes, so she nodded the best she could under the circumstances.
Finally, she regained her composure and stood with him. "I'm sorry, but it was too good to pass up. Even you must admit that." She'd been walking back to where they could see the lake while speaking, so she didn't notice the tree root until she was already attempting to regain her balance. She almost did, but ended up falling rear-first into a bramble bush.
It was the boy's turn to laugh at the events before him. He quickly brought himself back under control and offered her a hand up. She accepted and stood again, rather noticeably hunched over. The younger girl, Mia, came around just then and started at the sight. "Rose, your rear is covered in briars!" She and the young boy with her, Fredrik, began laughing. Rose turned back to her peer. "Truce?"
He smiled. "Truce. Fredrik and I will reconnoiter the situation while you take care of your apparel." They left behind a tree to keep out of sight and to allow her to maintain her privacy and what little remained of her dignity.
A short while later, the group had regathered in earnest. This time, the boy had posed a plan, and all agreed that it ought to work. Mia and Fredrik climbed a small tree, while Rose and the boy slipped further down the trail toward the bandits. Soon, they parted ways – Rose went right up a steep hill to the high wooden bridge. From here, she would try to get behind them if the opportunity arose. The boy kept going straight for the bandits. Soon, their lookout spotted him and shouted an alarm. He stood his ground long enough to see almost all of them rise to the chase before turning and running back to the trees. Angry war-cries loomed closer behind him until one bandit managed at last to tackle him, bringing him to the ground. He launched his elbow back into the thief's ribs, allowing him some freedom of movement. He rolled over and mule-kicked the bandit, sending his assailant flying. Some of the others were knocked over in the process, and others paused for a moment, unintentionally giving him time to draw his own sword. Suddenly, a hail of rocks dropped from the boughs over their heads as Mia and Fredrik played their part in the engagement. Most took heavy blows to the head and dropped. The few who didn't crossed swords with the boy…and quickly lost. He tallied the bandit corpses at their feet and realized that five were missing. Looking back toward the steps, he saw one, then two more bodies on the ground. Rose must have dealt with them.
The sound of clashing iron weapons helped him find her. She and the last two were fighting at the base of the bridge hill on the far side of the lake. The sparks from their clashing blades stood out in sharp relief to the gathering dusk. He drew his bow and readied an arrow just as she felled another enemy. The other chased her up and onto the wooden bridge. They began fighting once more.
The boy aimed carefully in the dimming light. He knew he'd probably only get one shot. Unfortunately, the rope supporting the bridge obscured the head of the last bandit. Finally, he saw and took his shot, just as the breeze gusted a moment. The arrow sailed under the rope, appearing to no more than graze it, and continued up through the bandit's head, killing him and nearly ripping his head off in the bargain. Rose turned to him and smiled; then the bridge collapsed. Apparently, he'd gotten more of the old, weak rope than he'd first thought.
As he neared where she'd landed, he could hear her straining and groaning. He soon saw her stuck under a piece of the bridge. By this time, Mia and Fredrik were down from the trees and running to them.
"No! Go back and get some help. She might be hurt bad." They left quickly at his orders. He returned his attention to Rose and her predicament. He now noticed that she was pinned partially in the water and was getting soaked.
"Okay. Just lie still a moment. I'm going to move this debris." At her silent nod, he grabbed part of the structure and heaved upward. It moved a bit – just enough for her to move and get to safety.
"Sorry about the rope." He gave a sheepish, half-hearted smile.
"Actually, I'd rather deal with the bruises I have now than wounds from that bandit, so thank you. We're even." She extended her hand to shake on the agreement.
He took it. "Deal." They began the trek back to the Guild.
As they reached the narrow path leading out of Greatwood, they could see a group of acolytes and apprentices following Weaver toward them. Weaver stopped before them, concern on his face. "Are you two all right?"
Rose shivered a moment, then answered for them, "Yes, sir. A bit battered, bruised, sore, and tired; but otherwise fine."
One of the acolytes looked at the boy and asked, "You're the chicken chaser, right?"
He gave a wry chuckle at that, but left the query unanswered. Rose grinned.
The grin disappeared quickly, however, and was replaced with a tinge of pink in her cheeks as another apprentice responded, "Yeah, and she's the one who got the briars in the bum."
The boy persuaded them to back off, then started back with the group to the Guild. Rose began walking with him. After a moment, she glanced around them, then quietly spoke. "So, I guess you're the Chicken Chaser now, huh?"
"I guess I am…Briar Rose."
THE PRESENT
"And both names stuck. For a while, anyway. Rose quickly grew to like the sound of hers, especially after those most instrumental in telling the story behind the names heeded a couple midnight visitors' counsel to keep silent. Mine kind of died out due to lack of interest in using it. Now I go by Ranger, for my bow-work."
