Alysanne III
The mountains were already cold this time of year, but up in the sky it was downright freezing. Even the sun did not have the courtesy to shower her with warmth, instead opting to hide behind a thick veil of stormy grey clouds. Alys clutched her reins tightly and pressed her thighs against Crimson's saddle, trying to conserve what little heat remained in her body. She was shivering all over, and her teeth had not stopped chattering since taking off earlier, but Alys persisted stubbornly. She was making a wide circle around the group to scout for danger. So far there had been nothing of particular concern aside from some wildlife. However, the direbears, sabertooth and purlovia would leave them alone so long as their territory remained unmolested.
Alys made one more pass around a mountain before turning back, having endured enough of the freezing dry air and bone-chilling winds. She soared through the peak's halo of soft grey clouds and dove toward the group below. Their roaring orange torches were not hard to miss in a world where everything was composed of hues of white or grey, or something in between. Besides, Argentum and the mammoths trailing behind him seemed like small mountains themselves. Alys folded herself against Crimson as they banked downward, shielding herself from the worst of the wind. The argentavis was built for this climate. She was not.
Crimson slowed down when he was right above the procession, his wings casting shadows across the group. Some humans looked up at his approach, but they did not panic; with a near fully grown tyrannosaurus dominum, three mammoths, and a dozen experienced archers accompanying them, there was little the wildlife could do to harm the caravan. At the head of the group was Otto and his wolves, picking the best route to the mountain village through their keen senses. Behind them rode twin columns of rangers on megaloceros, followed by Willam mounted on his massive warbeast. Then came three mammoths carrying their goods, and finally a rear guard consisting of their sharpest archers. When she had passed the final ranger, Alys took hold of Crimson's reins and turned the argentavis around. They approached the mammoths from behind, and Alys gently eased her mount downward. Her hands were shaking from the bitter cold and her next move would require extreme precision, but Alys had practiced it enough that it came naturally to her. When Crimson was barely skimming above the last mammoth's back, Alys gave the reigns a sharp nudge and the argentavis folded his wings, dropping onto an elevated wooden platform.
Even with two other argentavis roosting on the rafters, there was plenty of room to spare. The platforms had been specifically designed to transport the birds over long distances whenever they needed a break from flying. This way they could comfortably stay with the rest of the group instead of constantly having to find safe places to land and regain their energy. Alys removed her flight goggles, unbuckled the metal clamps strapping her legs to the saddle, and climbed off Crimson's back. The platform saddle swayed with the mammoth's every step, but Alysanne had no trouble staying on her feet. One of the first things an argentavis rider learned to do was master her balance. Alys stroked her mount's head and the regal bird cooed happily. Crimson shook his wings and found some nice soft straw bedding beside his fellow argentavis to call his own. Alys also took the opportunity to get herself comfortable by reaching into a drawer for a blanket and wrapping the thick furs around herself. She seated herself on the bench next to her lieutenant.
"How was your search, commander Alys?" Lily asked.
"Cold and uneventful," Alys said after her teeth had stopped chattering. "The caravan is safe for now. How are things down here?"
Alys had only been in the air for ten minutes at most, but she wanted to keep constant tabs on the safety of the procession. As Head Ranger of Hostpring Hold, it was her duty to oversee scouting expeditions and protect her people in the wilderness.
Lily leaned closer with her torch to keep Alys warm. "We're slowly making progress. I checked the maps and we should be able to reach the mountain village before nightfall."
Alys smiled gratefully for the gesture and warmed her hands over the flames. "Good. That should be a few hours away, but I'm not taking any chances. I'll send outriders to warn the village of our arrival."
Alys stood and made her way to the front of the platform saddle, where Deliah was seated at the reins. Mammoths were intelligent creatures capable of following many complex commands. It was already in their nature to travel in herds and they had no problem following caravans, even without a rider. However, the mountains were a dangerous place and Alys wanted to take precautions wherever necessary. She kneeled down beside Deliah and whistled to the men below. That caught the attention of the two nearest rangers riding directly ahead. Alys motioned for the pair to come closer, and they slowed their elks to fall in beside the mammoth.
Alys had to shout over the wind to be heard. "We're nearing the mountain village. The tribesmen should be expecting us, but I don't want to catch them off guard. Gather six rangers of your choice and ride on ahead to warn the village of our arrival."
"Aye Head Ranger," one man said. He saluted and kicked his megaloceros into a canter, riding along the column and waving for more riders to join him. The group of eight were soon on their way, speeding ahead of the slow caravan. They quickly caught up to Otto but after a brief exchange of words, the Wolf Lord parted to let them past.
Even though Otto was their Lord, when it came to decisions made in the field Alysanne held jurisdiction. She had learned from her previous mistakes and exercised caution when using her power. A single rash decision could cost countless lives, so she tried to do everything to avoid that. Although Otto always reserved the right to revoke her title of Head Ranger or override her decisions, he had never done so. Alys was glad that he was putting trust in her again. Despite what she might hold against Otto, she had to admit that he usually made sound judgements. Alys hoped to live up to and perhaps even exceed his reputation as a strong commander. All in good time. I'll have plenty of chances to make a name for myself later. Right now I need to focus on one thing at a time. For now, that's getting everyone to the village safely. Alys gave Deliah a friendly pat on the shoulder and retired to her bench.
Scanning around, the platform felt strangely empty to Alys; it was designed to carry four argentavis and as many as eight riders, but only Lily, Deliah, and herself were currently seated. Their three argentavis were huddled together, taking up most of the space. The small numbers were partly because Alys had not thought it necessary to bring her whole platoon of flyers, and partly because they were not ready. Of the seven argentavis she had captured recently, only four of them were willing to work with humans. And of those four, only two were trained well enough to participate in longer missions. Lily and Deliah were the most talented of Alysanne's students, and it showed. They had the strongest bonds with their birds and were consequently able to perform more advanced maneuvers. Through the process of taming Crimson, Alys had learned that trust was one of the most important factors to working with argentavis. The rider and the mount had to work synchronously if they were to perform any coordinated feats.
Alys reclaimed her spot on the bench beside Lily. Her thoughts wandered to the village they were slowly but surely approaching. Alys had been skeptical of the letter Otto received a week ago and had voiced her distrust of this mysterious Mountain Hermit. Yet Otto insisted on meeting the woman, so Alys had begrudgingly agreed. The letter had requested that Otto bring 'the titan's father' and 'the angel of the skies', which everyone agreed referred to Willam and herself. Personally Alys felt a bit unnerved that some old crone in the mountains knew about her, so she approached anything to do with the Mountain Hermit cautiously. The woman could control animals like Otto, making her a potential threat in Alysanne's eyes. Consequently, Alys had diverted a good chunk of the Hotspring Hold's manpower to this expedition. She wanted to ensure the safety of Otto, Willam, and herself when they met with the Hermit.
They were following a map to a village in the mountains. There had been no further instructions, just a sketch of the path they had to take on the back of the letter Otto received from the Hermit. Alys assumed that meant the Mountain Hermit either lived inside or near the village they were being directed toward. She was skeptical of that too. So far, Alys only had a very rough idea of the other tribes that called the mountains home. She had done some reconnaissance with Crimson prior to the Hotspring Hold's construction and had a general idea of where all the various mountain villages lay. However, she had completely avoided interacting with the mountain folk as instructed by Otto and his advisors. I'm evidently not the best at negotiating, Alys remarked to herself with a grin. She recalled the time she had tried to confront a group of dangerous criminals with nothing but a makeshift spear, or the time she had taken Willam hostage by knifepoint. No, I definitely would have found a way to screw this up too. I'll leave negotiations to Jeyne and her ambassadors. I was never good at it anyway.
Yet even so, the ambassadors had only made contact with tribes immediately surrounding the Hotspring Hold. All interactions had been fairly friendly so far, but Alys would certainly not consider them allies just yet. They still had a lot of work to do before they could completely consider the Hotspring Hold secure. Until they had met with all the tribes in the area, they were under constant threat of attack. Alys was not in charge of the garrison; that job belonged to the Captain of the Guards, Leo. Yet she still made sure to keep her rangers vigilant and well-trained in case they should ever be attacked by the mountain tribes.
Alys glanced up to take in the view of a snow capped mountain as they rounded a bend. The sun was beginning to peek through the thick veil of clouds above, and it cast some golden rays on the tops of the tallest mountains. Alys turned sideways to check on the progress of the procession ahead. They had all slowed down considerably while turning the corner. Yet even at their slow pace, Alys knew they would have plenty of time to reach their destination before nightfall struck. She frowned and tried to imagine how their arrival would play out. The village they were currently riding toward was entirely uncontacted. Alys just had to assume the Hermit had informed the mountain folk of their arrival, and that her outriders would warn them sufficiently. If it came down to battle, she was confident they would come out on top. It might be an extremely bloody struggle and cost plenty of lives, but their expedition party had the strength to triumph over larger forces; Argentum was a killing machine that could shred through hordes of smaller enemies, and he would be backed up by about thirty of the Hotspring Hold's strongest soldiers. Besides, they also had three mammoths and as many argentavis to provide support wherever necessary.
In spite of their strength, Alys knew better than to brazenly stride into uncharted territory without a second thought. It's been a while since I flew around. We should check our surroundings. Alys nudged Lily to get the woman's attention. "You're up. Go scout around and report back if you see any danger."
"Keep my spot warm for me commander," the ranger smiled. She handed Alys her torch and went to prepare her gear.
After a few minutes of hassling about, Lily seated herself on her personal argentavis. The aerial predator strode over to the edge of the platform saddle, then took off using an updraft of wind. Alys watched her star pupil soar off into the distance, quickly turning into nothing more than a dot against the horizon. Lily had unusually fine instincts and a great mind for strategy, but often lacked the initiative to make decisions on her own. She was a dependable second-in-command and a great role model for all the other flyers though. Alys was proud to have such a brilliant young woman serve underneath her.
As she stared off into the mountains, Alysanne's thoughts drifted to what was happening back at home. Otto had left the Hotspring Hold in Jeyne's capable hands, as was often the case when the Wolf Lord led expeditions into uncharted territory. Alys had to admit they made a good team, complimenting each other's strengths and covering for their weaknesses. Alys had been a bit worried to depart from the castle for such an extended period of time, but she was fairly confident everything would be fine at home. Leo had recently been named Captain of the Guards and would undoubtedly be reinforcing the strength of the Hotspring Hold day and night. Alys had sparred with him many times and knew that his skill at swordplay was unmatched, yet he completely deserved all the praise lauded upon himself for his talents. Leo trained vigorously to improve himself every day and was easily the best swordsman in the north. Alys herself was fairly talented when it came to combat, but she was nowhere near Leo's level. One day I hope to change that. If I work hard to improve myself, I'll become a force of nature on my own.
Ever since taming Crimson, Alys had felt more confident in herself and her abilities. Most of that stemmed from having a deadly aerial predator with a razor-sharp beak and claws backing her up. But Alys had also grown to have faith in her own abilities. After all, she had proven her strength and ingenuity as a warrior by taming one of the most dangerous creatures in the north. Now was the time to solidify her power and expand her presence. I will master both the earth and the skies. Once I improve my combat skills I'll be unstoppable. Alys smiled at the thought. It would take a lot of hard work and dedication but she knew it was possible. Alys would be working closely with Leo over the next few months, and she could learn all she needed to from the master swordsman, both in terms of raw skill and military talent.
Until then, Alys had plenty of things to keep her occupied. Things were very busy with the Hotspring Hold still in its infancy, and she needed to constantly send out patrols to guard the nearby areas. What little free time she had left was spent training her argentavis riders. Alys was making good progress with her students and she estimated that a few more would be ready to join the ranks of Lily and Deliah within a month. The riders were gradually gaining confidence in their partners, and the argentavis were likewise trusting the women more. Alys was glad that she would soon have more flyers around to help around the base. For the past few months Crimson had been burdened with dozens of tasks, such as delivering messages and cargo, patrolling the area, or scouting far territories. Now that more birds were taking to the skies, the red argentavis would have more time to rest.
Alys thought about the training exercises she had planned for her small squad. Over the past few weeks she had been training them in basic flight maneuvers, primarily using the mountains by the Hotspring Hold as a training ground. Lily and Deliah had mastered the basics and were experimenting on their own techniques already, yet the other women were not far behind either. All of Alysanne's students were talented young women, the best the tribe had to offer. She had hand-picked them from amongst a sea of volunteers; after all, there was much appeal around learning how to fly. Alys had personally come up with a rigorous training program that tested both mind and body. The dozen or so women who had successfully passed her trials were welcomed into the flight platoon. Most of her students were at different stages of training; some still hadn't been paired with argentavis since there was a shortage of captured birds, while others were still gaining the trust of their mounts, and others still had only recently graduated into the flight class. Yet despite being in different stages of their journeys, Alys had high hopes for all of their futures.
When she returned to the Hotspring Hold, she planned on making the flight group perform more advanced missions. So far they had been doing easy tasks like circling mountains or flying beneath archways. Alys wanted to test the stamina and endurance of her flyers by making them complete delivery shipments. She was thinking of starting off small; perhaps a short flight to the Lookout Keep or the Wolf's Den. Then as her students got more comfortable, she would send them farther afield, such as Open Hearth or Ice Harbour. Alys knew from experience that long flights were daunting at first, but she had grown to enjoy the soothing sensation of soaring across vast stretches of the Island. It was always fun to fly all the way to Ice Harbour where glaciers dotted the northern sea and she could frequently glimpse plumes of water from passing whales, or to travel down to the crisp warm autumn jungles by Open Hearth. Alys was excited that her students would soon get to enjoy those sensations as well.
Alys found herself thinking about her old friends, like Joseph and Daven. Ever since they had been sent off to far corners of the Island, she hardly ever got to see them anymore. However, now that her training exercises would involve flying from one castle to another, Alys would have great excuses to stop by and visit. She smiled to herself. It was a pleasant thought to look forward to and she was glad that their paths were connecting again.
Alys caught sight of a dark blur rapidly encroaching on the caravan. She strained her eyes to see. It was likely Lily returning from her patrol, but Alys wanted to remain vigilant in case it turned out to be an attack. The argentavis soared closer and Alys released a sigh of relief when she spotted Lily clinging to its back. The bird passed overhead the caravan, then circled around to approach from behind. Lily was able to put her skills on full display as she performed a rapid landing on the mammoth's moving platform. Alys would say that the smooth maneuver paralleled her own in terms of precision and timing.
Lily took a moment to climb off her mount's back and take off her flight gear. Alys noticed she was shivering and moved closer with her torch, returning the gesture of kindness that Lily had shown her earlier. Alys was feeling much warmer now, so she shrugged her blanket off and offered it to her lieutenant. Lily smiled and accepted the furs, eagerly wrapping them around herself.
"How did the flight go?" Alys asked when Lily had had a moment to recover.
"A little cold, but otherwise well." Lily rubbed her hands together for warmth. "The area is safe. I should mention that I saw plumes of smoke in the distance. I'd wager it's the mountain village, but I could always be wrong."
"That must mean we're getting close. I'll send out Deliah to scout the area once we're in sight of the smoke. Good work for now, Lily. Take a rest."
The ranger took a seat on the bench, wrapping her furs tightly around herself. Alys handed her the torch and stood up, stretching her limbs. The clouds had parted a bit more, to reveal the sun against a stretch of pale blue sky. Alys saw hints of orange creeping to the corners of the horizon and knew evening would soon be upon them.
She went to check on the argentavis, grooming their feathers and feeding them bits of dried meat. After making sure the birds were all content in their respective roosts, she went to check on Deliah. The ranger had been steering the mammoth for most of the day so Alys reckoned she deserved a break.
"Go get some rest, I'll take over here," she told the brunette. Deliah tried to refuse at first, but Alys gradually got her to relinquish her seat and take some well-earned rest.
Although Deliah didn't possess the same fierce passion and outspoken attitude that most of her other students shared, Alys noticed she was nonetheless one of the most dedicated rangers. Deliah was calm and cool under pressure, and always put her full effort into completing assigned tasks. Alys admired those traits and recognized that she would do well to develop skills like that of her own. Even though she was supposed to be the teacher, she was quickly discovering that she learned plenty of things from her students as well. Deliah's patience and cool-headed approach to difficult situations were all valuable traits that Alys hoped to incorporate into her own life oneday.
With Deliah relinquishing her seat at the helm of the mammoth, Alys got herself comfortable in the vacant leather saddle. She took the mammoth's reigns in her hands and wrapped them around twice. Alys was careful not to tug on them and give the mammoth conflicting directions, as it was currently navigating its way down the path just fine. The wooly beasts were clever creatures and had no trouble following caravans. It was in their very nature. Alys was just there to take over in dire situations, such as natural disasters or enemy attacks. It was best to have an experienced ranger controlling the mammoths if they were to find themselves in a rockslide or under assault from enemy tribesmen. In the meantime when there were no pressing threats nearby, Alys was free to relax.
She took in the beautiful sights of snow capped mountain peaks and dark coniferous forests. Alys marvelled at the natural beauty of the rocky terrain; all the coarse hardy vegetation and glistening water features, the magnificent fauna, and the strange yet elegant natural rock formations. Although her heart belonged to the skies, it was always a treat to visit the mountains up close. When you were hundreds of feet in the air, it was easy to overlook tiny details like a single determined dandelion struggling to sprout up from the ground. But down here on the ground, it was a much more immersive experience travelling through the mountains.
Alys shut her mind off temporarily, letting her worries and fears slough away. She absentmindedly enjoyed the trek, letting herself be carried away by the twists and turns of the mountain passes. She trusted her rangers to protect the caravan and for her mount to traverse the delicate gravel road well enough that she could find herself at peace. Alys sat there for what felt like hours. It was only when she caught sight of smoke off in the distance that she straightened up.
Alys beckoned Deliah to her side. "Do you see the smoke up ahead?"
"Aye commander."
"Go fly around the village and report back to me. I'd like to know what the situation looks like."
The ranger nodded and went to gear up. Alys watched her launch from the side of the platform saddle and soar off into the distance. With the village so closeby, Alys tensed up. Scanning around, she could see that the caravan was still completely safe. But now that they were approaching their destination, Alys knew it was time to be more vigilant than ever. The advance scouting party should have arrived there hours ago. Alys hoped that the fact they hadn't returned meant they were resting at the village and being treated with hospitality.
After twenty minutes, Deliah returned from her scouting trip. When pressed for details, she reported that nothing seemed off putting about the village. All the people she had seen were hard at work on their individual tasks. Deliah had even spotted a little plateau near the edge of the village where Alysanne's rangers had set up a camp to wait for their arrival. Alys thanked the ranger for her news, glad to learn that the village seemed relatively friendly. She spent the next half hour concentrating on the surroundings, making sure they would be safe in this final stretch of their journey.
The caravan turned a cliff corner and came into view of the village; nestled up against the side of the mountain were around two dozen circular stone houses with thatched roofs. The buildings were at various elevations, but most of them were clustered at a plateau level with the current mountain road. Alys spotted stables where presumably animals were kept, as well as larger buildings that probably served as community centers or dining halls. When the villagers caught sight of the approaching caravan, a few waved while others hesitantly stood there. They probably aren't used to getting so many visitors at once.
Alys spotted the plateau that Deliah had talked about, where her rangers had set up a few tents and tied their megaloceros to posts. Now that the main caravan was arriving, a group of them were riding forward to welcome them to the village. It seemed a few mountain folk were also among the ranks of the welcoming party. Even though they appeared friendly, Alys steeled herself for what was to come. She wasn't going to take any chances when it came to the safety of her tribe.
Author's Note:
Loremaster Endercreeper, unfortunately the mythical creatures don't exist in this world. As for horses being on the Island, I don't think modern horses are here, but equus are definitely on the Island! The tribe has a few but of course megaloceros are better suited to the north. Maybe Joseph's branch of the tribe will get some equus though so we'll get to see them in action then. As for brontos it might be a while before they appear but you got some mammoth action this chapter so there's that!
Death korps boi, I took a look at the Norman castles you were talking about and they definitely seem pretty interesting! The blocky style would definitely fit so I'll consider basing a few towers off them.
DinoNerd89, Willam will get some answers soon! Regardless of whether he waits for Argentum to grow or not, he will soon discover the truth.
Nateman364, Sounds interesting! Even if I'm not entirely familiar with all the official ARK lore, I did enjoy reading a few of the notes from those survivors. It'll be interesting to see how you incorporate these books into your own story, especially if you do end up putting some twist on it.
Thanks for taking the time to check out my work, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to comment, ask questions, or criticize my story, review is always welcome! If you liked what you saw, make sure to check out the other ARK stories on this site! Have a great day!
- DaRumpyBurr
