Greetings every reader!
I hope you enjoy today's chapter. It's a bit longer than the other two.
Ranger-of-the-shadows: Thank you so much for your comments! Glad you are enjoying the story and postulating about Raina's backstory. I went back to chapter 2 and I hope I corrected the mistake you found. If not, please let me know.
Yes, many of the lines of dialogue come straight from the Tournament at Gorlan book. Meeting Leander and Berrigan are my favorite chapters besides meeting Baron Arald and Pritchard. I want to do them justice.
More hints to Raina's past. See if they fit with any preconceptions you have built.
Read, Comment, and Enjoy!
Chapter 3: Meeting Leander
Declan and Cropper trotted easily down the well-worn path. Crowley was wearing his spare green cloak. His gray one was currently wrapped around the small bundle in front of Halt. The grizzled Hibernian was wearing his gray cloak, allowing the third member to blend in with him. Raina currently had her head poking out of the soft fabric. Brown eyes were wide with curiosity. Whenever a sound was made, her head would twist to locate it. At first the Rangers thought she was scared. It wasn't long they learned that her curiosity couldn't be stifled. Several times she would draw a deep breath before forcing out her questions. In her exhausted state, she could only ask one or two before practically collapsing. Both eyes would shine with frustration. Raina wanted to ask more questions but her body was at its limit. Crowley had been startled when Halt started speaking randomly. He had been holding Raina at that moment in time. Her brown eyes had immediately switched to the Hibernian. Halt had continued talking softly for several minutes, pointing out random things like bushes and trees or describing different birds based on their sounds or talking about the various birds and other woodland creatures. Crowley could practically feel the absolute joy that filled Raina in that moment. Therefore, when he had handed the girl over to Halt, he had taken up the talking.
And, to Halt's annoyance, shared other things like whistling and various songs.
However, as they started approaching Castle Dacton's area, they fell silent. Raina, who had been switched several times between Halt and Crowley, had made a noise of unhappiness. Both Rangers had instantly silenced her. Confusion briefly replaced her curiosity. Then her brown eyes traveled over Crowley's posture; silently reading Halt's more tensed muscles and heavier breathing. Every change was minute, unnoticeable even, and done instinctively by the men. Yet these changes were noted by Raina. Understanding dawned in her brown eyes. She had settled herself deeper in her cloak and closer to Halt. The only part showing was her head. Silence now reigned over the party, only broken by their horses' moving feet. Rounding a corner, they could see Castle Dacton sitting upon a hill. Raina made an uncomfortable noise. Two interested gazes watched as she tried to shrink and meld with the gray cloak. Brown eyes were locked on the ugly, utilitarian structure. Fear returned as she studied the seemingly gloomy, threatening walls and spires. Halt padded her arms gently. Crowley gave her a warm smile. Instantly the girl relaxed, sitting taller and returning to her curious gazing.
Halt lifted an eyebrow. Her initial actions hinted that this place may be where she was from. The fear in her eyes, however, gave lie to that thought, as had her instant calming response to their assurances. If this had been the location of her previous life then she wouldn't have responded so readily. Raina would probably have struggled and fought with them, desperate to run. Her suffering would have ingrained a fear that would take years to conquer. Halt allowed himself a tiny head tilt forward. Neither Castle Dacton nor its surrounding area contained Raina's torturer. He and Crowley would have to keep looking. His eyes lifted to study the dark walls. Even he thought it had a threatening atmosphere. That was probably what sparked the girl's initial reaction.
"Nice place," he spoke.
Crowley turned to him. Seeing Raina make a face that declared her disagreement, he smiled. Obviously, the girl needed to learn sarcasm. "It's not too stylish, is it? But in over a hundred years, it's never been taken by attackers."
"Who'd attack here?" Halt asked as he adjusted Raina's position.
His companion gestured towards the western horizon, where a barely noticeable gray line marked the sea, "Skandians. And Sonderlanders from time to time. Every raiding ship has gotten a bloody nose here at Dacton."
Raina immediately reached up and covered her nose. Gingerly she pulled her fingers away to check for blood. Crowley made a mental note to teach her figures of speech along with sarcasm. Halt, thinking the same thing, leaned down and explained Crowley's words to the girl. Raina listened attentively. When an understanding was reached, she nodded and smiled.
"So," Halt continued as he sat straighter. He signaled towards the castle, "do we ride up, knock on the drawbridge, and ask for Ranger Leander?"
Crowley instantly shook his head. Halt raised an eyebrow while Raina perked up, attentive and curious. "Rangers don't live in the fief castles. We like to keep the barons at arm's length," he explained. Seeing Raina's brow furrow, he quickly added, "At a distance from us." The confusion cleared so he continued, "It doesn't do to get too cozy with them."
"But you serve the barons, surely?" the grizzled Ranger replied.
The Ranger waved his words aside, "We serve the King. We answer to him and him alone. Sometimes that can be a little awkward for a baron. In a way, we outrank them – but we never push the fact."
Raina let out a tiny sneeze as a breeze blew past. Halt was nodding, thinking that the arrangement suited him. Crowley had to smile at his friend. He had a feeling Halt didn't like listening to authority all that often. Then his mind snapped back as Raina spoke up.
"Where do we find Leander?" she croaked, emboldened by the discussion to speak.
Crowley smiled warmly. Halt gave a grunt of approval. Raina looked between them. Then she smiled, understanding that she had asked a good question. She was happy she had contributed in a way both men were happy with her. The Ranger indicated the nearby village. It was at the base of the hill, with the castle looming over it. "We'll ask there. Leander will have a small cabin in the woods somewhere beyond the village. That's the way we do things." After a moment of silence, he finished, "Everyone will know where the Ranger's cabin is so we'll ask the first person we see."
As Crowley had predicted, the first person they met knew where Leander's cabin was. The elderly woman even knew his name. Her tone left no argument that she approved of Leander and the travelers but not of Leander's replacement. Raina had let out a small growl of annoyance when the woman described the new "Ranger". She had met true Rangers. No one else had a right to call themselves that in her eyes. Not unless they were like Halt and Crowley. The woman, noticing Raina for the first time, immediately like the travelers more. It was obvious that Raina wasn't theirs and that she had a hard life. Halt's protective embrace made it clear they were helping the girl out. That was something a true Ranger would do, she had thought. However, she hadn't made any mention of the girl. Better to trust the Rangers – who had hidden Raina by pulling her cloak over her head prior to entering the village – and let them be. She then pointed them in the direction they needed. Raina had giggled upon hearing her shout for her misbehaving grandson again.
Halt held Declan a little as they approached Leander's cabin. This was Crowley's territory. They were real Rangers. It was better to let him take charge. Raina had once again wriggled the cloak off her head. She wanted to see a Ranger's cabin. She had never seen one before. Halt tried to hide her again, but she shook him off. Crowley then stepped in and said not to. Raina's presence had made the elderly woman trust them. She might keep Leander from doing anything radical. After all, no Ranger would purposely harm a child. Hearing Crowley's words, Raina decided pulled out her suntanned arms from the cloak as well. She was debating on removing the cloak from shoulders when Crowley gave her a hard look. Her head and arms were fine but that was all. In her state, her body couldn't fight off the cold with enough body heat. That's why they kept her wrapped in the cloak constantly.
The cabin itself was nothing noteworthy. It was small, made of pine logs, with a slate roof. The trees were set away from the cabin but still close enough that you wouldn't see the cabin until right on top of it. Crowley turned Cropper outward more. That would give Leander more of a notice of their presence. Halt followed suit. Raina twisted in Halt's grasp to see everything. She had never seen pine trees before. Brown eyes turned towards a small lean-to as a whinny echoed through the air. It was soft. There was note of urgency. Halt raised an eyebrow at Crowley, who nodded back. They had already discussed several key tricks a Ranger horse knew. One was a soft neigh meant to alert their master to another presence. Cropper tossed his head and neighed back – alerting both Leander and his horse that he was Ranger trained too. Declan remained silent. However, his head did turn to his friend out of curiosity. A breeze blew past, rattling the leather bucket set on the water pump.
Crowley suddenly spoke up, voice soft so only Halt and Raina could hear him, "Left-hand shutter."
"I see it," Halt replied in the same quiet tone.
Raina let her eyes shoot in that direction. A tiny frown of confusion touched her lips. There didn't seem to be anything odd about it. It was closed like all the rest. Sure, there was a larger gap between the two halves. Then the shutter moved ever so slightly. The shutter wasn't fastened like the others. There had been no breeze in that moment. Someone was in the cabin. Raina sat up a little higher. Curiosity made her want to wriggle. Briefly Halt tightened his grip. It was a warning. Right now she needed to obey them. If Leander agreed to meet them then her curiosity would be satisfied. If not, they would need to move on before things got dangerous – for either side.
Reigning in Cropper, Crowley called out, "Hullo the cabin!"
The response was instantaneous. A blur of movement could be seen near the left-hand shutter. Raina picked up a hissing sound. Then an arrow buried itself in a tree five meters behind them. Crowley noticed that the arrow was angled more towards him – away from Raina. Halt went to unsling his bow. Declan, startled by the sudden arrow, had shied away. Cropper nickered softly, telling his friend all was well.
Crowley, seeing Halt's movement, threw out his arm and hissed quietly, "Don't! He's a Ranger. If he wanted to, he could have hit either one of us – and followed up with a second shot at the other. He could have done it without hitting Raina too."
Halt grunted softly. His bow dropped back down. Raina made an uncomfortable noise. This went from a quiet, peaceful meeting to a deadly one. In her experiences, those who shoot first from a hidden location often mean ill. Crowley said Leander was a man to trust and respect. So far, she only felt fear. Whimpering, she buried herself against Halt's stomach. Her trembling hands yanked the gray cloak over her head. Both men exchanged a glance. Halt could feel her shaking. They had to make Leander see them as friends. If that didn't happen soon, Raina might exhaust herself. Right now, that could be a death sentence for her.
Crowley turned back to the cabin. He kept his voice calm and unflustered, despite the panic rising in his chest, "We're friends."
They were rewarded this time by a voice. It was deeper than either Halt or Crowley. Yet no real menace was heard. Leander was curious and cautious. "That's what Reemer said, before I shot that fancy feathered bonnet off his fancy featherbrained head."
"So we heard," Halt snorted, amusement evident in his voice.
The redhead spoke up again, "I take it he's all in favor of your replacement."
A disgusted voice snapped back, "Replacement? Usurper more like it. That man is no Ranger. He is one of Morgarath's stooges." Raina perked up at the mention of Morgarath. She knew he was the Lord of Gorlan Fief and a great friend of the king. She had listened to Halt and Crowley several times. Obviously, Leander shared their dislike of the man. She wondered why. "Can't shoot. Can't stalk. Can barely sit his horse at a walk, let alone a gallop. All he's good for is drinking wine and swishing his satin cloak around his shoulders."
"Both valuable skills," Halt snarked. Crowley glanced at him, amused. Raina couldn't help but giggle – just loud enough that Leander heard her.
Leander spoke up, after allowing a tight grin to touch his features. He made sure no hint of curiosity or amusement was evident in his demanding tone, "So who are you two?"
Crowley tilted his head, "We're Rangers. Of what's described as the 'old school'. Raina is a child we found a few days back, wounded and abandoned."
That made Leander perked up. Aiding a wounded child, left out in the middle of nowhere, was definitely a Ranger action. Maybe they were telling the truth. He called out, "Step down and let's take a look at you. The girl can stay in the saddle." Both Crowley and Halt obeyed. Raina let out a small sound of fear. Halt squeezed her hand to let her know all was well. "If you're Rangers, one of you should be able to hit that leather bucket on the – ."
Halt let him get no further. His bow seemingly appeared in his hand. An arrow was racing for the bucket, slamming into it, and sent it bouncing and rolling. Leander was impressed. Only a select few Rangers could have done that. All of them had been among the first to go. That meant one returned to Araluen and joined up with the redhead. He saw the redhead nod slightly to his grim companion. The display certainly had its intended purpose.
"I was going to say on the pump. You seem to have beaten me to it," Leander said.
"No sense in shooting slowly," Halt replied, tone matter of fact.
Leander paused, mulling over his options. He felt he liked these two. Something about them struck a chord in him – the old bond of companionship he used to have when the Corps had been strong, not filled with Morgarath's men. He looked up at them, "All right, so you can shoot like a Ranger. What are your names?"
Crowley spoke up, "My name's Crowley. I'm from Hogarth fief. This is Halt."
That made suspicion rise in Leander. He knew no one in the old Corps had been named Halt. The name Crowley, however, did ring a distant bell. "Your name's familiar. Remember you from one of the Gatherings a few years back. But I have no idea who he might be." Leander allowed a note of challenge to enter his voice. Neither man seemed to mind. Raina, however, instantly hunched lower in Declan's saddle.
Crowley simply smiled, "Halt's from Hibernia. He was trained there by my old mentor, Pritchard. Surely you remember him?"
Pritchard! One of the Corps best Rangers in a long time. Of course Leander knew of Pritchard. No one could be considered of the 'old school' and not know of Pritchard! If Halt had truly been trained by him, then Halt was indeed a Ranger. His shooting skills certainly proved Crowley's words.
Leander replied, "Aye, I do. He was one of the best." He paused before deciding he did approve of the two Rangers. It was time to learn of their purpose at his cabin, "So what do you want with me?"
Hope soared through Crowley. He replied, "We're looking for a few good men to help us."
A smile touched Leander's lips. He knew the ploy well – every Ranger did. Deciding to bite, he called back, "Help you with what?"
"We're planning to bring down Morgarath," Halt replied, stepping up to Crowley's side.
Again, both didn't see Raina perk up with shock. Morgarath was a well-known, well-respected figure. If the Rangers were after him, then he must have done something really wrong. She bit her lip. What if she was wrong? What if the Rangers were the bad people? What if helping them, supporting them, was an act of treason? Her brown eyes looked up as Leander stepped out onto his cabin's verandah. He was stocky, clean shaven, with glittering brown eyes and dark brown hair. She noticed his powerful longbow was held loosely in his left hand. Both Crowley and Halt relaxed. That meant Leander was no longer a threat to them.
He smiled grimly, "Now that sounds like something I might enjoy." He jerked his thumb into the cabin, "Why don't you come in and let's discuss. (Looking past them to Raina) I'll find my medical supplies for Raina."
As Halt gingerly pulled out of the saddle, the new Ranger vanished into his home. Leander met Halt at the door with medicine. He smiled kindly as she reached out to touch his chin. His hands were gentle and calm. When he and Halt finished redressing her injuries, Leander laid her on his cushioned couch. Patting her hand, he told her get some rest. Crowley came in from caring for the horses. He smiled warmly at her. Both he and Halt sat at the table. Leander offered them ale, stating he had no coffee. The Baron was trying to drive him out, banning all food deliveries to his cabin. The villagers were sparing what they could.
In that moment, Raina knew the truth. These were good, caring, honest men. Halt and Crowley willingly fought against death to save her life. Leander, without hesitation, added his healing knowledge to theirs. As he gave the others ale, he briefly stopped by the couch to give her fresh, cool water. Raina set her jaw firmly. She quietly rolled onto her right side. Brown eyes watched every movement the men made. Her ears listened to every word. This was first time she was hearing everything laid out. At one point they mentioned Arald. Raina smiled. She had met Baron Arald once before, two years ago. He was friendly and kind, if a little overweight. She knew he had no love for Morgarath, a traitor to Araluen and it's king.
Leander looked up at the others, "So how many men do you have so far?"
Crowley and Halt exchanged a glance. Raina could tell they were nervous. So far it was only the two of them. That didn't bode well if Leander refused to join. He was the first Ranger they met with.
"Two of us," Halt said eventually. Both men tensed with worry.
Leander looked up, brown eyes shining with a new light. He held up three fingers, allowing a grim smile to touch his lips. "Make that three," he growled.
"No…make that four," Raina thought. She smiled, allowing her exhausted body to drift into a deep sleep. "I'll help any way I can. I owe you that much."
There's chapter 3!
Leander has decided to join the band. Raina has decided to help their cause with what abilities she possesses. And she has a pretty nifty ability.
A few more hints to her past is in this chapter. I don't plan to come out and say her past for a while yet. Little hints here and there. But I did give a big clue when talking about Baron Arald.
Question: Based on reading the Early Years books and what you've seen so far, which Ranger do you think Rania will get along with most (any of ones we meet in the books - not just Crowley, Halt, and Leander)?
Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter contains a surprise for our Ranger companions.