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Chapter Four: The Spark
Hearty, slightly tipsy singing rose from the campfire. The graduating apprentices, whose families were allowed to attend, sat on felled logs that doubled as benches with their family members.
Martin Farrier, one of these apprentices, sat with his parents and sister Aya. His family had been blindfolded on the trip, and were still adjusting to the bright lights and loud noises of the campfire. Aya sat holding her brother's hand; he was as nervous as a pig going to a slaughterhouse.
"Don't worry, Martin. Of course they're going to promote you." Aya said, in a comforting tone. Her kind words did little for Martin's nerves.
"What if I'm assigned a fief so far from home I can never see you again? What if they give me a fief I can't handle? I can't do this, Aya." He said miserably.
"The Rangers have been doing this for years. You can bet they'll assign you a fief suitable for your skill level. Don't you mope around like a sad puppy." Aya responded fiercely.
The simile brought Martin out of his misery. "Alright." He responded glumly.
Across the campfire Crowley helped himself to a pheasant wing and made his way over to the stand he had set up. He waved his hands and yelled for silence.
"My Rangers, we gather today to celebrate the year's work, promote apprentices, and share news. After Gilan's mastery of Whitby Fief, one of the most vagabond-filled places in the country, I'd like to personally thank him… for that, and for offering to replace me as Commandant."
This was news to most of the crowd, and they cheered like crazy. Crowley continued.
"Yes, my friends, I am retiring from Commandant. But not the Ranger Corps. I will be assisting Young Bob in Redmont Fief with the Ranger horse farm there."
The crowd bellowed its agreement.
"Now for news…" Crowley stared into space for a minute, before starting. "Leander, Samdash, Egon, and Merron have stopped reporting. I have yet to hear more on the matter. It may mean something terrible is going, I'm afraid. But now for a nicer note. Promotions."
Everyone cheered, except for the stone-faced apprentices, who sat by their masters.
"Henry, please step forward." Crowley said. Henry's master cuffed him on the back and smiled as Henry walked up to the podium. Henry's shaking steps seemed to even out as he got closer to Crowley. He stopped, straight-backed, in front of Crowley.
"I award Henry Darkfoot his silver oakleaf. I give you… Ranger Darkfoot of Aspienne Fief!" Henry bowed his head and allowed Crowley to clasp the necklace in the back. With a few encouraging words and a pat on the back, Crowley sent him off to his cheering family. After surveying the celebrations for a minute, he called the next apprentice.
"Martin Farrier, please step forth." Aya squeezed his hand and let go as Martin walked, pale, to the stand. With every breath he took, his body rattled with fear. As Crowley's platform got closer and closer, Martin became acutely aware of the scent of… smoke? That wasn't possible! The wind was blowing northeast steadily. It couldn't possibly be from the campfire… No matter, he thought.
Martin crossed the final steps to the podium and stopped. He swung his head around, searching the forest for any type of disturbance.
All the Rangers recoiled as the screams of men and horses emanated from the forest. Rough flashes of fiery light shot abound the trees, spreading to the northeast.
"Fire!" Martin screamed.
There was chaos. The Rangers ran as fast as they could towards their horses. But they were in the heart of the fire, so the Rangers were running straight into the flames. Will whistled for Tug, relieved as he saw the shaggy pony coming towards him. There was not time for saddles nor bridles nor supplies of any kind. Will leapt onto Tug's barrel-belly and swung back towards the fire to help the others.
Aya whirled around, looking for the quickest path out. The Rangers were running in all different directions, trying to save horses, weapons, and equipment; and to go running into the woods alone would probably result in her getting lost or crisped to a cinder.
Her brother had sprinted away towards the fire, probably going back for his horse. Her parents had disappeared. They could be in the fire! That thought left Aya no choice but to sprint towards the flames.
Embers blew around her and sweat trickled down her back. A blackened branch crashed to the ground in front of her and she hurdled it, never breaking stride.
She crashed through a final wall of brambles and found herself back in the camp. It was chaos. The Rangers' tents were burning; the oily waterproofing on the canvas only served to feed the flames. Trees all around the camp looked like logs in a fireplace, teetering at awful angles and covered in angry flames.
Shadows ran through the smoke in front of her. It was hard to see, but it didn't look like they were wearing Ranger cloaks. Aya bent down, coughing, to get below the smoke.
Her foot knocked into a branch and she slid it out of the way. When it moved, she saw that it was a longbow, abandoned by its owner. A quiver lay a few feet away.
The shadows in the smoke moved about, and Aya was concerned. They definitely didn't look like Rangers; what's more, they weren't acting like them. They stood in the middle of the fire, not running, not coughing, just waiting.
A Ranger ran past them, not looking at the shadows by his side. That meant he was unprepared when one of the shadowy figures grabbed him from behind. The Ranger fought, but swiftly the second shadow moved up behind him and swung a fist at the back of the Ranger's head. The Ranger collapsed, unconscious, and the shadows dragged him out of view.
Aya picked up the bow and nocked an arrow to the string. She'd fired bows before, when hunting around her family's farm. But when she tried to pull this one back, it didn't give an inch. With all her strength, she managed to bend it about one-quarter draw, but couldn't hold it.
Will lifted, with the strength of a Skandian, a tearful retiree onto Tug behind him. He was nursing a scorched arm and kept muttering, "my horse… my horse."
Will couldn't listen, as he had seen the man's horse get hopelessly crushed by a falling tree. He wheeled around to look for Halt.
"Halt!" Abelard and Halt appeared, an unconscious apprentice laying across Abelard's back.
"Will!" Halt yelled. "Go! Take this one!" He gestured to the apprentice on Abelard's back. Will hoisted the limp body on his knees and grabbed the lead ropes of two nearby horses. Then he kicked Tug and they shot away. He looked over his shoulder, trusting Tug to warn him of any other dangers, to view the scene behind him. Rangers lay facedown, cloaks burning, horses broken and mangled on the floor.
Will fought the urge to vomit. "Run, Tug!" He bellowed over the churning wildfire winds. Tug followed the stampede of ragtag horses and riders past the campfire. Two limp figures lay burning next to the podium. Tug ran like never before, fire literally rolling in his eyes. Finally, they were free. The forest opened up into a lakeside meadow. Crowley tried to assemble the grief stricken men to little avail. They called the names of horses, masters, family members, and apprentices. Will slung the apprentice over his shoulder and helped the retiree down. He brought the two men to a part of the delis designated by Crowley as a medical area. Then he saw to the horses.
One was skewbald and the other a blood bay. Tug stood, obedient as ever, by his master's side. The skewbald had sustained minor burns, which Will addressed with his ointment which he kept on his person all the time. The bay was limping because of a large rock lodged in its hoof. Will, having no tools, worked it free with his fingers. He then led the horses to Crowley and yelled, "Whose horses are these?"
A Ranger, ignoring his burns, ran up to the skewbald and hugged its neck lovingly. He thanked Will profusely for saving his horse, then led him away.
Crowley recognized the bay and led him and Will over to the medical section. The Ranger, unconscious, opened his eyes to the bay's breath in his face. Will helped the Ranger up to a sitting position. The horse lay down under his back and allowed the Ranger to collapse on top of him, relaxed. Will smiled.
Will's expression changed to fear as he thought of Halt. Was he alive? What about Abelard? And Gilan. Will's mind created horrible fantasies and lay on Tug just as the other rider had done.
Just as the fire enveloped the outside of the forest, Abelard's powerful chest appeared, galloping briskly. Halt sat on his rolling back, leading a horse with two riders on top. Will recognized it as Blaze, Gilan's horse. Will's heart soared.
A they got closer, Will recognized the figures on Blaze. The one in front was Gilan, and behind him was the sister of a graduating Ranger. They both looked unharmed, however, the girl was crying, anguished. As they neared, Will rose from Tug and hugged the horses' necks. He did a double take as he saw Halt's face. His stubble had been singed off, leaving him for the first time Will had seen him, clean shaven. In other circumstances Will would have found it quite funny but with the forest in flames all humor had left him.
AN: Thanks for reading and please review.