Chapter Two

"So," the girl said cheerfully, "how'd I do?"

Alun lowered his knives. "Fine, as you well know."

She grinned. "So, I'm ready for the big time?"

"Of course! You will be able to receive your bronze leaf, no question about it!"

"Good." She turned and yelled into the trees. "You hear that Richard? I'll be earning my bronze leaf! You'll be able to get rid of me sooner after all!"

The Ranger of Caraway fief came out, grinning wildly. "Wonderful! I'm sure you did very well, even if you did get caught..."

"Oh, be quiet..."

"Well, come one, Roxie, you can do better than that."

"Well, I'm flattered that you think so highly of me, but no, I really can't."

Alun coughed, and the two turned to look at him.

"You got a cold?" Richard asked with a slight grin and a raised eyebrow.

"Ha ha. Very funny, Richard Forestel. You took that one from Halt, Didn't you?"

Richard nodded with a sheepish grin. "He always has the best lines."

"Anyway," Alun began. "I'm happy that you thought of me for this and all, but would you mind using someone else next year? I'm rather tired of trying to track her down."

"There isn't going to be a next year," Roxie informed him. "I'm going to the Gathering next year. I am now fifteen, the age when most Rangers become apprentices, and there will be no excuse not to bring me."

"Besides," Richard couldn't help but add. "You need some excitement to supplement the boring life you usually have as a retired Ranger."

"Very funny. Like I need a reminder that I'm an old fogy. Wait...the Gathering? Are you sure? She's been your apprentice for so long now and this will be the first time..." Alun trailed off. He'd forgotten. It was a rather touchy subject for the young apprentice. After all, she'd been in training for so long, it had gotten to her. A lot.

"I. Know."

He shrugged with an apologetic look. He hated making her upset. After all, as Richard's closest friend and mentor, he was like an uncle, or maybe even grandfather, to the young apprentice. "Sorry, I forgot."

Roxie sighed. "Whatever."

As they walked along, Richard couldn't help but reflect on the story of why Roxie hadn't come to any Gatherings...

Thirteen years ago, give or take a few months, he and his wife, Katherine, had taken in a tenant. The woman had brought a little girl with her. On the day she left, they didn't see her or the girl. That night, Richard and Katherine had heard a noise from downstairs. Richard had gone down to see what it was. What he had found, was a girl, the three-year-old sitting in a corner under a table, crying. Richard, surprised, quickly identified the girl as the one who had been with the tenant.

He had comforted her as best he could until she finally trusted him enough to come out.

"What are you doing here, all alone?" he had asked.

He could still remember vividly the infectious smile that she had given him, and the way she had informed him that her mother had told her to wait until she came back, even though it might be a while. then she had given him a note.

That night, she had slept with Richard and Katherine, curled up in the exact middle of the bed, slurping on her fingers.

A few months later, she had convinced him to train her.

It was only silent movement, he reasoned with himself. It wasn't like she was his apprentice.

Just silent movement had turned into unarmed fighting. After all, she needed to defend herself. Then, he had taught her how to track.

Eventually, he admitted that he was beginning to think of her as an apprentice. And that was when he got her the knives.

Then - on her eighth birthday - a recurve bow.

On her tenth birthday, she finally received her Ranger horse Starlight, or Star for short, on account of the white star in the middle of the forehead of the dark brown pony.

It took a while, but finally, a little more than two years ago, just three months before his beloved Katherine died of the plague, when Roxie was thirteen, he had convinced Crowley to admit her as a real apprentice. That was when he was allowed, technically, to bring her to the Gathering. The excuse that she was too young was simply that: an excuse. He knew she was incredibly skillful, an amazing prodigy, taking to the Ranger craft as easy and as young as she did like bark to a tree. He just couldn't do it. What if she was rejected because of her age and gender? What if she wasn't accepted by the others and allowed to become a real Ranger? Yes. It was better for her to just stay at home and remaining annoyed at him than for to have to suffer such pain. He would just have to come up with some other excuse.

Her pain would be his pain. After all, she was like a daughter to him. No. She was his daughter. He knew who her parents were, of course. It had been in the note, along with an explanation of how with three other children, they just could not afford to keep someone who wouldn't earn her keep. But her parents weren't there for her. They hadn't seen her grow up into the charming (sort of) young lady that she was now. Hadn't seen her take her steps into the big wide world. (Sort of into the big wide world.)

Although her family rejected her, she had been accepted warmly into the Forestel household. Richard and Katherine, when they had found Roxie, had one other child - a seven-year-old named Nick, a boy who took after his mother's love of medicine, rather than the dangerous life and love that his father had. That had been something else that had made Roxie ever more precious to him. While he had grown closer and closer to Roxie, Nick had clung to Katherine, making her death evermore painful for him.

Nick was also close with Richard, of course, as much as Roxie was close with Katherine which was helpful as both Nick and Roxie were handfuls, bringing an enthusiastic, lively atmosphere to their home, full of energy and happiness.

After Roxie had gotten used to the others, of course.

For the first few months, she didn't trust them and wouldn't leave Richard's side. Literally. Then she decide, almost overnight, that she liked them and switched to following Nick around. He actually had to take her to school with him a couple of times because she wouldn't let go.

She had grown up to become a regular tomboy, what with Nick's boyish influence and her love of the Ranger craft. She had the skills of a full-fledged Ranger and she enjoyed every bit of it.

Katherine's death had been a hard blow on them all, making their once happy home slightly less happy and Richard, much more protective.

It was that protectiveness that prevented him from taking her on his more dangerous missions.

And speaking of which...

"Roxie?"

"Yeah?"

"I've got a solo mission in a couple of days. I'll be gone for at least four months. Will you and Nick be fine together?"

"Solo?" she huffed, sighed, and then thinking of what she could do in four months with only Nick home, suddenly brightened. "Of course we'll be fine. We always are."

Richard gave her a sideways glance. "Yes, but you won't leave Redmont?"

"I can't promise that."

"Roxie."

"What? You know I do spur of the moment things. But I'll tell you what - I'll try not to let you know if I do leave. I'll sneak off in the cover of darkness, with no one knowing I've gone."

"That's very comforting. I'm glad to hear it," Richard said dryly.

Roxie grinned at him, obviously completely unconcerned. "It'll be good practice. Trying to cover my tracks and all."

"Like you need it."

"Practice is important. Aren't I right, Alun? Practice makes perfect."

"She's got a point."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "Both of you? Are you serious?"

Alun laughed, and the three rode on with comfortable chatter despite their differences in age and personality.

Two days after Richard left on his trip, Roxie was in her room, studying battle tactics.

Then Nick came running through the door.

"Roxie," he gasped. "It's that guy you were looking for. Zavac? He's not that far. Highcliff fief. Over by the coast. A week's ride away."

In an instant, the girl was on her feet. "Really? You're sure?"

"Positive."

She hesitated. "Richard doesn't want me to go anywhere." There was a momentary pause while she looked worried, then she waved it off. "What he doesn't know won't kill him."

"Do you have any consideration for the fact that he ordered you not to leave?"

"No. Not when it comes to this."

"Fair enough. What will you need before you get going?"

Hal Mikkelson studied the maps on the the table before him. "Northeast," he murmured to himself. Then he raised his voice so the others could hear. "Edvin? Speed?"

"Checking!" There was a slight pause. "A little under seven."

"We'll be there in about an hour and a half," Hal announced. "Then we'll see who this person claiming to be Zavac is and why he's pretending to be Zavac."

"Wonderful," Thorn said. "So, where'd Lydia go?"

"I have no idea," Hal admitted. "Maybe with Ingvar."

"Again?" Stig looked slightly annoyed by this. Lydia, hesitant to choose between Stig and Hal, had found herself growing more attached to Ingvar. Ingvar finally got the courage to confess to Lydia his feelings for her and their relationship had blossomed. Hal had gotten over it relatively quickly, but Stig still had slight traces of resentment. Only slight traces, but they were definitely there.

"You need to over it," Hal told his best friend.

"I know," Stig agreed with a sigh.

"Hal?" Ingvar called from his position next to Lydia on the rowing bench.

"Ah, there they are," Hal murmured to Stig and Thorn, then out loud, "What is it?"

"Where are we going, again?"

Hal checked the maps again. "A town in Araluen, Highcliff fief - a town on the coast. It isn't labeled on the map, but I'm pretty sure this is the direction."

"And what direction is that?" Stig queried.

"Northeast."

"Affirmative, Skirl!" Stig said with a mock salute as he steered the boat in that direction.

"How will we know where to go?" Stefan was coming over, frowning a little at the thought of the unfamiliar terrain.

Hal shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to find a guide. There'll be plenty of people in the town who would be willing to help us, I'm sure."

"Well, good luck to us," one of the twins said.

Roxie nudged Star in the side, upping the pace a little. She had to get there before Zavac left. He was the key to remembering part of her past, after all. It was impossible to know exactly how he tied in, but he was one of her few leads to Sam.

Sam. Roxie was immediately besieged with guilt and the few memories of their time together as ten-year-olds. He had been like a second brother to her, tagging along on her adventures with Nick.

Roxie shook it off angrily.

"Come on, Star. We ought to hurry. We have to get there quickly. Hurry, Starlight."

Roxie hoped desperately that they would get there in time. She wasn't sure what she would do if she lost this lead, too.

However, if he ended up that castle, she'd need others to help her get in.

Well, maybe she'd be lucky, and there'd be someone else there, searching for Zavac. Someone who needed her help as much as she needed theirs. One could only hope.