The pine trees were close together, but not as large since they were getting higher into the mountains.
It was hard to see into the woods. But they all spotted the tracks of Goblins. They were not fresh, but it slowed them down considerably.
Since they were on the lookout and trying to avoid them.
The sun had hidden its face behind grey clouds and the smell of snow was in the air. As they breathed, wisps of warm breath filled the air.
The rangers duck into their facemasks and pull up their hoods. They needed to be as quiet as possible.
When it became midday, the snow started to fall, even though it melted when it touched the ground. They ate something in silence and Halbarad checked with Strider and Ram if they were alright. And soon they were on their way again.
When they stopped for the night, their masks and cloaks were covered with a thin layer of white ice crystals. The temperatures had dropped.
They had not seen any goblin tracks anymore, but they all had too much experience to know they were not out of danger. Halbarad and Ram were out checking their surroundings. Ram had returned already. There was no trouble ahead. Halbarad had not returned yet, and the three other rangers were uneasy.
When he returned he shook his head. "There are a few old tracks, but nothing fresh. I am more worried about the temperature than about goblins."
"Can't we make a fire?" Kallen asked as he rubbed his hands together for some warmth. But the older ranger shook his head. "If there are goblins around they will smell the smoke for miles and we will be fighting our way through the night. We just need to get close and stay warm."
Ram nodded. "I will go and find some branches." The two rangers looked at her confused. "You never made a winter-bed?" She asked, surprised. "You dig a hole beneath you and fill it with branches that still have their needles. It protects you from the rising cold and the wind."
Strider had already grabbed his small shovel. "Show them, Ram. I will take watch."
Ram showed them fast and soon they had two beds dugout. The other two would be on guard so it was useless to dig the hole any bigger. She smiled as Halbarad looked at her curiously. "This was never taught with the rangers. How did you learn this?"
Ram shrugged her shoulders. "I used to live in a place that had 9 months of winter and 2 weeks of summer. It is common knowledge there." She thought about Mace and her brother and how the three of them used to camp in the snow. They knew how to build snow forts and stay warm without fire.
She showed the other two what to do. It did not surprise her that Strider already knew about the winter-bed. Yet he looked over his shoulder from time to time to see what they were doing.
They quickly divided their guard shifts and silence returned to the world.
...
It was dark and cold. Ram duck down in her fur coat. She had been on guard for a while now, and her fingers were starting to tingle inside her warm gloves. She moved them to try and keep them warm. There was a noise beside her.
"This is crazy." Kallen sat down next to her. She could feel his arm brush her coat. "It is way too cold to be out here."
Ram snickered. "This is nothing. The ice on the water isn't even strong enough to stand on."
Kallen snorted. She could see a cloud of his warm breath escaping his lips. She felt pity for the young men next to her. It was a cold night, and she could only imagine how it would feel to be outside in this cold for perhaps the first time. "You smoke?" She asked. "It helps you to warm up."
Kallen shook his head. "I do, but my pipe is broken." He spoke sour, his lips pulled in a thin line.
Ram snickered as she looked over at the frustrated man. "How did you do that?" She asked amused.
Kallen took something out of a pocket on his vest. "I fell on it." He opened his hand and in it lay a small pipe, split in half.
Ram smiled as she looked at the broken pipe in his hands. "You fell on it?" she asked wondering how this small misfortune happened to the young ranger.
Kallen looked at her. His face was slightly lit up by the moon that stood high in the sky. The sour look had disappeared and a small smile played around his lips. He seemed pleased. "Yeah, I had tucked it into my back pocket, I slipped and fell. Now it's broken."
Ram shook her head. "Why did you put it there in the first place." She asked, trying not to laugh.
"It is not funny Ram," Kallen said, sounding slightly hurt.
"It is." Ram got up and walked over to her pack. She searched for a moment before she moved back to Kallen's side. "Here." She gave him a small pipe. Kallen's surprised look made her smile.
"Thank you, you do not need to do that." He looked at the pipe in her hands. Ram finally spotted a genuine smile on the young rangers face.
"Trust me, I have traveled with enough rangers to know to bring a spare pipe. Or they will get cranky."
Now it was Kallen's turn to snicker. "Cranky ey? Well, when I escorted a group of ladies, I'll tell ya. They get cranky too." Ram laughed out loud this time, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. "Agreed. You got me there Kallen." She gave him a soft push. After they calmed down again, Ram got up and walked over to the other two rangers. Both of them were still covered and sleeping calmly. When she returned to Kallen he had lit her pipe. He looked happy.
"How did you and Halbarad end up out here in the cold anyway? Most rangers are tucked away at home or at least in a small town." Ram asked curiously as she walked to the edge of the camp. She looked around into the forest. But nothing strange happened to her trained eyes.
Kallen sat up a bit more straight. "There was a word out. Girls were being kidnapped. So Halbarad wanted to get a look. We looked everywhere, but there was nothing. We are on our way back home. Like you, we got surprised by the cold weather this early."
Ram thought about that. She had heard nothing about missing girls, but then again she had been away from others for quite some time.
"How did you end up with Strider? He usually travels alone, or so I heard." Kallen asked, looking at her over his shoulder.
"I met up with him in Bree on my way to Rivendell. We are now traveling back home. I don't know what happens after that." Ram told him, wondering what she was going to do after they reached Fornost.
"You two seem awfully close," Kallen said softly. There was something more behind it. Was it jealousy? Ram did not know, but she was glad it was dark, so her blush was hidden in the darkness. "That is bold of you to presume Kallen. Since we only met you yesterday." She replied, wanting to leave it at that.
"It is obvious, Halbarad has seen it too. I know him, and he knows Strider." Kallen talked softer now.
Ram sighed in annoyance. It was none of his business. Since she tried to let him know gently did not work, she just told him. Kallen moved away, raising his hands as a sign of surrender.
"I don't mean anything with it. I am jealous. I would not mind traveling with a beautiful woman, like you." He said softly. Ram crossed her arms at his statement. It was not she heard it the first time, and it got to her. And not in a good way. Most men who called her beautiful wanted something from her. She was sure he was just trying to flatter her. But she was in no mood for it. She was never in a mood for that.
"I am glad I get to travel with you. Are you interested in training a new ranger? You seem to know a lot of the wild." He continued. Ram was about to snap at him for his rash behavior. Or slap him on the back of his head like she had seen Halbarad do.
"Kallen, would you like a shovel to dig yourself an even bigger hole?" She heard a deep voice behind her. Halbarad walked over to them, moving around probably to get himself warm again.
Ram smiled at the older man as he gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Get some rest, lass." He told her. "The bed is still warm." Ram was unable to hide a yawn. She was tired, and not at all reluctant to leave Kallen's side.
"Goodnight gentlemen." She said, as she quickly moved to the bed. She put her fur cloak over the blanket and covered Strider with it as well. He sighed in his sleep and moved closer to her. He was warm, and Ram fell asleep quickly.
She knew she had not been asleep long when she was shaken urgently. It was still dark and Ram could smell smoke in the air.
"Wake up."
She could hear a slight hint of panic in Halbarads voice.
Strider was on his feet already. "What's wrong?" he whispered.
"Goblins!" Halbarad spoke softly, sending them into action.
Within moments they got their weapons. Ram wanted to reach for her shield, but she met Strider when she moved to it. She blushed slightly as she stepped back. "Here let me help you." She whispered, quickly getting her shield over his injured arm. Because of his splint, he was able to carry it, and it would protect his arm and himself now he could only use one hand. "Keep your arm close to you." Ram said to him, as she looked into his stormy grey eyes. "and stay behind me."
"I am with you." He said softly, giving her a nod. They heard the goblins just before Kallen lit the fire, sending it in the air like a flare. If they were going to fight, they better had a fire to see what they were doing.
A group of goblins entered the camp. Looking at them with a slightly tilted head. Their smell filled Ram's nose. They reeked of death.
Ram felt her heart race, as the world around her turned quiet. She had been in many battles and knew what was about to come. She just had to wait for the right time. They stood around their fire. Backs to it and ready to fight.
The first Goblin died by her hand, as she chopped off his head. Strider was next to her, fighting off the Goblins that got up behind her. She could see Kallen fighting on her other side and Halbarad was next to Strider.
The goblins kept on coming, their greedy hands grabbing everything they could, their short knives trying to poke her legs and torso. Because of their number, Ram had trouble fighting them off, when one disappeared another two appeared. She saw Kallen move forward into the swarm of goblins.
"Kallen! Get back here." She yelled as she pulled her sword from another goblin. The ranger looked back at her and nodded, moving back to the fire and killing a goblin that got to her.
Ram looked to her other side and to her horror, she saw she was being separated from Strider and Halbarad. The two were struggling and for a moment Ram was distracted. When she saw movement in the corner of her eye, she moved her arm up. She blocked the blow with Strider's half-sword before she killed it with the other. "Kallen, this way." She yelled at the fighting ranger. She turned and yelled out a battle cry.
About half of the goblins turned their heads and moved towards her. Strider looked over at her, trying to get to her. But there were just too many. Ram moved quickly, slicing the heads of two goblins at the same time.
She saw Strider struggle, something inside her shift. The tiredness was gone, she moved through the goblins like a hot knife through butter. Twisting and turning, parrying, and attacking. Kallen was fighting in her footsteps, moving in sync with her movements and protecting her back from the fighting goblins. Step by step they got closer to Strider and Halbarad until they were next to each other. The goblins got more hesitant, and the last few did not even attack them but ran off into the woods.
"Ha!" Kallen yelled, raising his sword. The excitement of the battle on his face. "That was some good teamwork." He stated as he smiled at Ram.
But Ram was standing on the spot they had been fighting. Goblins lay dead by her feet. She was breathing heavy, her eyes not seeing anything but dead goblins, only her own heartbeat in her ears. Her sword heavy in her hand dripped with the black blood of the foul creatures. The smell coming from the corpses would send any man to a run. The smell of sweat, blood, and insides. But Ram just stood there. Her mind was blank and the only thought that filled her mind was killing everything that got close.
"Ram? Are you alright?" Kallen asked worriedly. Ram looked at Kallen. To the young ranger, her eyes looked empty. As if her soul had left her. "Ram?" Kallen put his hand on her shoulder. Ram moved, throwing him on the ground. The half blade on his neck.
"RAM!" Strider looked at her in shock as she attacked their fellow ranger. It seemed to snap her out of her trance. The female ranger inhaled deeply, suddenly the smell of dead goblins hit her nose and her injured side burned in agony. She looked at Kallen in shock and quickly got off him.
"I… I am sorry Kallen. I thought you were a goblin." She spoke, shocked by her own actions. She stuck out her hand and the younger ranger grabbed it, being pulled up.
"Gees woman. Am I that horrible looking?" He asked in shock.
Ram raised her eyebrow before she smiled. "No, but you smell foul."
This ended in a laugh from both of the rangers, and Kallen softly struck her shoulder. All was forgiven.
"Are you alright?" Ram ran over to Strider, looking at his arm behind her shield. Strider nodded, looking a bit worried at her. "I am well Ram. What happened there?"
Kallen put his arm around Ram. "That was something called attraction, Strider. She just could not resist throwing herself at me." Ram pushed his arm off her shoulder. Looking at him in shock. "Don't deny it, sweetheart. You know I am irresistible." His smile reached his ears as he opened his arms as if he expected her to run into them. "An Irresistible punching bag you mean." Ram snickered as she hit him in his side. Not hard enough to cause any injury, but serious enough for him to lose the air from his lungs.
Strider snickered at their antics, but it did not reach his eyes. Ram walked over to her friend to help him with her shield. But Strider hissed in pain as she fumbled with the straps. Now the adrenalin of the battle was leaving her system, her side started to burn again. "Let me," Halbarad spoke. Ram stepped aside and bent over to her injured side to try and lose the tension she was feeling. Leaning on Kallen's shoulder not to fall over.
"Are you hurt?" The younger ranger asked worriedly.
"No Kallen. It is my old wound. You fought well my friend. Are you well?" She looked up at the younger ranger. He was a lot taller than she was and he had to look down to look into her eyes.
Kallen nodded. "I am, but we can't stay here." He looked at Halbarad and Strider.
"I agree. I don't think Strider can withstand another fight. And I am not sure about myself either." Ram replied as she straightened her back again, letting go of Kallen.
"Agreed. We need to get out of the shadow of the mountain." Halbarad looked over his shoulder before he carefully lifted the shield off Strider's arm. The ranger chief hissed in pain, but the relief was on his face when the heavy shield was taken off his arm.
"It will be cold, so keep moving. If you get sleepy or dizzy let the other know. It is dangerous, but it is also dangerous to stay here. Keep an eye out for each other." Halbarad looked at the other three rangers. They all agreed and gathered their things before leaving into the night.
...
They traveled for a few days. There had not been any more goblin tracks but the snow was building slowly and the rangers tried to walk on as long as possible during the day, way into the darkness. But traveling in the dark was hard and it was taking its toll. Not only on the injured rangers. Kallen was looking tired and even Halbarad was showing signs of fatigue.
They gathered around their fire early in the morning. It was still dark and quite cold. Halbarad and Strider were talking about their route and if they should take a day of rest.
Kallen stood a bit to the side. His arms crossed, listening in on the two leaders. Ram was sitting on a large boulder, taking care of her shield. She was on guard but she was close enough to listen in. Kallen had tried to catch her eye, but she ignored the young ranger. Not in the mood for his antics.
She was glad they were close to the ranger basecamp. The cold was getting to them and it seemed to Ram a snowstorm was on its way. They needed to get to Fornost sooner rather than later.
"Why don't let me run ahead to get some help, perhaps a few horses. I can move faster by myself and be back within two days. You three can dig yourself in to stay warm."
Ram looked up as she heard Kallen add some comment to the discussion between Halbarad and Strider. The two older rangers stopped talking and looked at him. "No. That will put us all at risk." Strider stated.
Halbarad moved to make room by the map they had drawn in the snow. "If you want to comment, come here and discuss with us, Kallen. Don't stand so far away." Kallen nodded in thanks and joined the other two rangers. "There are tracks over there and over there. If we get attacked, we will be sitting ducks. We need you with us, Kallen. You are very skilled with the sword." Strider spoke.
Ram looked out in the woods again. Her stomach pulled together a bit. That was some compliment he had given the younger ranger. For a moment she longed for his approval. To get a compliment like that. But then she shook the feeling. She did not need a compliment. She knew what she was worth. Yet that longing lingered. What did Strider think about her?
Her eyes pulled back towards the three rangers once more. There was a calmness over him as he talked to the other two. He knew what he was talking about, but listened to the others nonetheless. He had something… royal about him. Ram smiled. She loved seeing him like this. He was so comfortable with his role and sure in his actions.
She suddenly noticed Halbarad looking at her. She blushed and looked back into the forest around her. She missed the smile of the older ranger to her stare.