The Last chapter left off with somewhat of a nail biter, so this chapter is EXTRA long. Please review! Any comments are greatly appreciated!
Almost instantly, Halt had his long bow at half draw, a black shafted arrow already nocked to the string and leveled with the newcomers chest, where the heart would be. The shot, if loosed, would be a killing blow.
The stranger stood nonchalantly, leaning against the thick tree trunk of a massive pine tree. The newcomers arms were crossed across their chest, dark gloves wound themselves around the thin arms. Slight in stature, the figure had a long dark cloak draped over their shoulders. Beneath the cloak the newcomer wore a simple pair of dark brown trousers, a dark surcoat, and a pair of soft boots that reached just below their knees. A simple belt hung crookedly across their waste, the hilt of a long dagger was easily recognized at the strangers left hip. A loose mass of black cloth was present at the figures neck. The cowl of the dark cloak was pulled up over the newcomers head. Gleaming eyes, matching the color of a new born fawn's coat, met the cold grim gaze of Halt as he spoke.
"Look who's back." He said simply, holding his bow level. Beside him, Gilan's own bow was at the ready, though lowered for the moment, an arrow was nocked to the string. In one fluid moment, the young Ranger cold raise, aim and loose an arrow in an instant. His keen gaze scanned the forest for any figures that might decide to reveal themselves from the tangle of trees and underbrush. So far, the Ranger had yet to spot any.
The cold, harsh tone of Halt's voice matched the dangerous gleam in the Ranger's eyes as he stared unflinchingly at the stranger. "Just who might you be?" He questioned.
Just a ghost of a smile crossed the strangers face as they stepped forward, throwing back the cowl of their cloak to reveal a pale complexion of a young girl. Dark brown hair fell around her face in a disorderly fashion. It was roughly cut and short, it gave the girl a rather errant appearance. She was strikingly beautiful, and neither Halt nor Gilan could imagine how deceptive those good looks could be.
Gilan had recognized her instantly. The dark cloak, the brown hair and the way it fell around the girls face was shockingly familiar to him. He'd seen the very same girl the night before. Gilan quickly smothered his apparent shock, he decided it was best to keep the fact to himself for the moment.
"That depends on who you are." The girl replied, her voice holding a rigid tone, it was an intentional tone, and a well practiced one at that.
Halt was startled as he realized that the stranger he had been about to put an arrow threw, was in fact little more than a girl. He could hardly shoot a girl, and for a moment the Ranger's bow dropped slightly. Halt felt a pinprick of doubt echo in his mind, there was still a dagger at the girls waist. She might know how to use it, Halt thought. Reluctantly, he conceded that if the girl posed any sort of threat, he was confident that he could react fast enough to stop her. The Ranger lowered his bow, and replaced the black shafted arrow in his quiver at his right shoulder. There was no need for them. Beside Halt, Gilan did the same.
"King's Ranger's," Halt said simply, his grim tone remaining a monotone of voice. The girl inclined her head slightly, her eyes showed a spark of quizzical thought. She silently debated if the men before her were worth trusting.
"I'm a Shadow." The girl said, resulting in questioning looks from both of the Ranger's.
"What might that be, exactly?" Gilan asked, and this time the girl had no hesitation in her reply.
"Were the soldiers who've kept deadly war from reaching your Kingdom." The girl's keen eyes probed the Ranger's faces for their responses.
Halt frowned grimly, a war was a serious matter, an invasion of any kind would need to be reported to the King promptly he knew. That was of course, if the mysterious stranger standing before them was telling the truth, so far, Halt was skeptic. Though the idea of a war might fit the story gathered by the Ranger's so far. There was definitely something in the Faladore woods that was out of place. The girl, Halt noted, seemed to be a contributor to the disorder. Halt was about to ask a vital question, but something stopped him in his tracks.
The quiet, calm conversation between the Ranger's and the mysterious stranger was cut off abruptly by the sharp sound of hooves. It split threw the afternoon air with startling ease. In response, the Ranger horses tossed their heads wildly, and stamped their hooves as they turned towards the direction of the sound. Halt and Gilan's own gazes swiveled towards the sound, there was nothing to be seen but the stock still trunks and branches of trees.
Instinctively, the Ranger's hands' fell to there bows, arrows nocked themselves to well oiled strings swiftly. Then, the sound of hooves, thundering across the dry earth fell over the small group, the hoof beats were growing closer.
For the moment, the stranger was forgotten, and that alone was a near fatal mistake. Gilan stared at the trees, listening to the sound keenly, then there was the sinister whisper of a dagger sliding from it's scabbard, and the glint of a razor sharp blade at Gilan's neck.
Instantly, the Ranger froze, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and with a sideways glance he saw the dark leather wrapped hand of the girl. While the Ranger's attention had been diverted she had moved stealthily to stand behind the young Ranger, throwing the cowl of her dark cloak up around her, and tugging the thin cloth from her neck around her face. Now she held Gilan hostage.
Halt's bow was half drawn, he knew he'd made a mistake by lowering his weapon to the girl in the first place. Now Gilan might have to pay for his mistake, with his life.
"Let him go," Halt said coldly, aiming for the girl's throat. She stood behind Gilan, a little to the left of him, the masked face and obscured appearance she had taken on was clearly visible.
"Loose an arrow and he dies with me," The girl said, her voice muffled by the face mask. Halt was confident that he could pick off the girl with considerable ease, but there was still a chance that the blade gleaming brightly next to Gilan's neck would deal a fatal wound to the young Ranger. It wasn't a risk Halt was willing to take. Reluctantly, Halt lowered his bow. The hoof beats were growing closer.
"Into the trees, now." The girl commanded, nodding for Halt to lead the way. The Ranger did, glancing back to make sure that Gilan and the girl were following. They had only made it a few paces into the thick brush when the girl ordered them down.
"Get in the brush, quickly, you mustn't be seen." Halt obeyed, and crouched in the thick shelter of a bramble bush. The wild mass of leaves and thorns served the purpose of sheltering the Ranger. Beside him Gilan followed suit, the point of the dagger never wavering more than a few inches away from his neck. The heavy drumming of hooves was alarmingly close now.
"If you value your lives you'll stay still." The girl hissed, then the riders were visible. From a twisting path of parched dirt came the sight of at least a dozen mounted horsemen. Each wore a black surcoat, a symbol of a crimson sun was imprinted clearly on them. Each of the mounted men carried a weapon, from a cross bow to a long sword. The horses they rode were tall and heavily muscled, there gleaming coats varying in color from black to white.
The leader of the group slowed the cantering to a sluggish trot, he was a burly man with a thick beard and a look of bitter hate in his dark brown eyes. Halt and Gilan remained still, as there years of training had prepared them to do. The girl too, remained still, her eyes catching every movement of the men as they slowed their pace.
"The trail leads this way…" One of the mounted men reported to his commander as he leaned over to peer more closely at a scuffle of boot prints in the dirt. They were distorted, and luckily the tracker hadn't noticed that the faint trail leading to the brush where the Ranger's now hid.
The commander, with a broadsword slung at his saddle bow nodded his head in a snobbish way. His jet black hair swished away from the left side of his face to reveal an ugly scar just above his left eye. It was an old wound, one of which had been paid for dearly by the unlucky inflictor.
"Forget the Shadow, we have a garrison to seize control of." With that, the commander clapped his spurs into his horses side and proceeded to lead the group threw the forest, heading in a distinct direction that led to the unsuspecting garrison.
Gilan felt his heart skip a beat as he thought of the garrison, the Knights of Meric would be on guard, with weapons within their close reach. It would be a one sided battle. The Knight's of Meric would be outnumbered. It wouldn't end well, and Gilan felt a deep sinking feeling as he thought this threw.
The girl began to rise, and she guided Gilan to his feet. There was a soft unmistakable clink of a saddle harness, and Gilan felt a hard rough hand shove him back down to the ground, this time he sprawled flat. The girl lay belly down next to him, with Halt was low in the brush beside Gilan. The girl's arm was thrown over Gilan's shoulders, the dagger rested near his throat still. The three were ominously still.
There was a clear low whistle that drifted to the concealed Rangers and the errant girl. Almost instantly, Gilan felt the hand across his shoulders relax. The girl stood, this time taking the dagger away from Gilan's neck. The young Ranger heard the whisper of the weapon sliding snugly back into it's scabbard.
Beside him, Halt rose to his own feet, the girl let out a sharp, piercing whistle. Then shrugging back the cowl of her cloak and tugging the mask down from her face, she held out a hand to Gilan, who was beginning to recover.
"Sorry for that," She said shortly as she pulled Gilan to his feet. Halt glared at the girl suspiciously. "I didn't plan on killing anyone, but those horsemen had their own view of things…"
"They were after you." Halt stated mildly. The slim shouldered girl shrugged.
"That's not a surprise."
"How's that?" Halt questioned.
"I'm a Shadow. Around here that alone is reason enough to want someone dead." Gilan frowned at the girl's statement.
"We've got to get back to the garrison, now." Gilan said, "We've got to help the Knight's." Halt nodded agreement, but the girl was shaking her head.
"I'm afraid we just can't let you do that." Halt and Gilan turned to see a tall young man standing behind them. He was dressed in a similar fashion to the girl, with sandy brown hair and striking green eyes. He wore a long dark cloak, and had a scruff of cloth at his neck as well.
"This is Fell, another Shadow, and he's right, if you go back to that garrison they'll kill you and never think twice about it."
"And if we don't go back we'll leave the Knights to face their deaths." Halt pointed out grimly.
"Right now, there's nothing you can do for them. They may be spared, but you, as Ranger's won't. We'll explain later, but right now we need to as far away from this garrison as we can."
Halt instinctively felt for his bow, he smoothly nocked an arrow to the string. "You plan to stop us?"
Fell stepped forward and put an arm around Gilan's shoulders swiftly. A dagger was in his hand, he stood casually next to the Ranger as he spoke. His eyes were emerald stone.
"Believe me, I want to go the garrison just as much as you do." The rough tone of Fell's voice delayed any questions Halt or Gilan might have asked.
"We don't have a lot of time," The girl said shortly. "Let's move."
The Ranger's were relieved of their weapons, the Shadows pulled their masks' around there faces and raised their cowls.
"You can call me Strider." The girl had said before moving alongside Halt, dagger in hand. They moved quickly, staying in the thick brush and shadows whenever possible. The Ranger's horses clopped along behind the small group.
They had been walking for a long while when another whistle cut threw the air. It was a low sound, and once more, Strider replied sharply. From a large tree close by a figure slipped down from the trees, dropping from a low branch quietly.
Halt quickly recognized the slight figure as another Shadow, bearing the distinct attire, a cloak and a mask. As the newcomer pulled down his own mask and threw back the cowl of his cloak, Fell and Strider did the same.
The newcomer was shorter than Fell and Strider, with brown hair and innocent eyes. He's just a boy, Gilan realized as he stared at the childlike face.
"Strider, your back." He said, his voice soft and kind.
"I told you I'd find her," Fell said with a wide grin.
Strider rolled her eyes, "What a hero… Ranger's this is Glade, he's an apprentice. Glade these are Ranger's, now were all acquainted."
"Can I help?" Glade said energetically, though it was hard to say he knew what his comrades were up to.
Fell simply nodded and passed the reins of the horses to the young boy. With that the boy followed them along, they reached a point were the ground sloped sharply, the trees thinned considerably. Ahead Halt could spot a large flat rock, it jutted out from the sloping ground creating an overhang in a wide clearing. Thick brush surrounded the deep dip in the ground, and the Shadows led the Ranger's around the large rock and down threw a mass of brush.
Strider nudged Halt forward, "Go threw, were right behind you." She said calmly. Reluctantly the Ranger did, he found that the thick leaves and branches were easy to push threw, and he realized that it was meant to be that way. As he moved passed threw the rest of the brush he found himself in a large clearing, in the center stood one tall, leave less tree. It's trunk was stripped of bark and it was barren of leaves. Around the outer lying edges of the clearing stood several tents, along with a cabin, tucked under the rock overhang.
The tents, Halt noted, were darkly covered, in front of them were camp fires. Around some of the fires sat more Shadows. In all, Halt guessed there was at least twenty of them that he could count. They all had curiosity burning in their eyes as Strider ushered Halt and Gilan towards the cabin.
"Welcome to the camp of Shadows." Strider said as she sheathed her dagger. Fell mimicked Strider's gesture and returned his own weapon to it's scabbard. He followed behind Gilan and Halt as Strider led them to the cabin.
As they walked many of the Shadows gave them glances, some glares, while others called greetings to the returning Shadows.
"Looks like Strider caught herself some Ranger's!" Called a handsome soldier sitting against a rough stone set around a small fire, he was darkly tanned and a scar was visible on his left cheek.
Strider and Fell returned the greetings warmly, and Halt guessed the Shadows must be a close knit group considering the wide grins and open jokes shared between them.
"Were are you taking us?" Gilan asked as they approached the cabin. Strider smiled dimly as she knocked on the hard wood door, the sound was a dull hollow thud.
"To Kerjack of course."
From inside the confines of the cabin came a booming reply, "Come…" Strider pushed the door open and ushered the others in before her, the grin had yet to fade from her pale face.
"Go on, he's not that scary."
Halt led the way into the dimly lit cabin, a sharp bark and a loud snarl greeted him he froze mid stride. A large dog, standing several feet tall with a coat of grey fur that stuck out like a lion's mane stood in his way.
"Down Ghost." Fell said and immediately the dogs fur fell flat, the lethal look left it's pale grey eyes, it's tail wagged bag and forth as it greeted Fell and Strider. It whined with gratitude as the two fondled the dogs ears.
Gilan cast a glance around the cabin, in short words, he would say that it was highly unimpressive. The roof was a simple deal of high placed rafters and a ceiling of half rock and wooden timbers. Three walls were made of similar wood, while the final one was also slate grey rock. A wide fireplace had been carved into the rock, along with a short ledge well suited for seating. A light oak wood table was centered in the middle of the small space. There was a small kitchen area set to the left of the fire place. Five matching chairs stood around the table, one door led off from the main room of the cabin. Seated at one of the chairs was a tall, rather muscular looking man. His eyes were kind and deep set, his thick brown hair was shortly cut and slightly graying with age, the man's beard was very similar. His face showed signs of scaring, and Halt assumed that the man before him had definitely seen some battle in his time. Like Fell and Strider, he too was dressed like a Shadow. He frowned as he say the Ranger's he stood and shot Strider a questioning look.
"I thought you were just going to talk to them," He said in a deep voice. Strider shrugged.
"That didn't exactly go as planned… But then again, when does it ever?" At this the man had to nod, it was true. Then, taking the initiative, the man stepped forward and held out a calloused hand to Halt.
"I'm Kerjack," He said, Halt shook the man's hand, admiring the tough hand shake. "I'm Halt."
At this Fell glanced at Strider, "You've really done it this time… You've got Halt the Ranger snooping threw the forest…" He whispered quietly. Strider grinned and elbowed Fell tenderly.
"You're the leader, you take responsibility for all your soldiers actions."
Fell sighed. "Well I can't do that now if Halt here puts an arrow threw me."
"Take a seat gentlemen, there's no need to be shy, we mean you no harm." Kerjack said a little loudly as to drown out the soft tones of Strider and Fell. Reluctantly the Ranger's settled themselves around the small table, uncertain of the reason. Kerjack settled himself at a chair and smiled warmly at the Ranger's.
"What do you want to know?" He asked. Halt considered the question for a moment before answering. As the Ranger thought, Strider moved to the room that led off from the main. The slim shouldered girl disappeared quietly into the room. Fell made his way into the kitchen, and soon the wafting aroma of fresh ground coffee drifted threw cabin.
Halt locked his gaze with Kerjack's, and with a thick veil of grim tone hanging over his voice he spoke.
"Everything."
The forest was alive with life Cedric noted as he watched two squirrels race up a tree after each other. So far the garrison was proving to be a rather odd place. First, they had seen a mysterious figure swing over the wall and drop to the ground. It had been a rather startling sight for the Knights. The Ranger's, on the other hand had been a little more prepared, and they had each sent arrows smacking into the masonry were the cloaked figure had been only a second before. Thinking back to the first moment of stepping into the garrison Cedric had to admit, the figure did resemble that of a ghost, and it only took a short time before the Battlemaster had visualized a cloaked faceless figure. He swallowed hard. His hand instinctively fell to his waist to touch the cold steel of his sword. It was a comfort thing.
The burly Knight preferred to be fighting enemies he was sure he could cut with a blade. He wasn't all that sure he could harm a ghost with his sword, no matter how well his swordsmanship might be.
From where he stood on the ramparts, Cedric could see all of the garrison, and a large portion of the surrounding forest. Most of it he realized was nothing more than massive tree trunks and branches heavily overburdened with vivid green leaves. It was truly a mind numbing duty to man a garrison. It was a sentence to pace across the wooden ramparts and stare dumbfounded into the unchanging scenery of the forest.
Cedric sighed for at least the fifteenth time in ten minutes. He surveyed the rest of the garrison, they too seemed fairly agonized with boredom. The Knights shoulders' were slumped reluctantly, they too were better suited for the more exhilarant task of Knightly combat. Not one of them guessed that they would get exactly that.
It started out as a dull rumbling sound, them gradually but steadily became a roaring thundering of hooves. Cedric leaned over the masonry wall of the ramparts and saw a cloud of dust being led along by mounted horsemen. He realized with a sinking feeling that they definitely were not friendly. They closed in on the garrison with a hurried speed, they broke threw the garrisons heavy wooden doors, sending them shrieking back on their hinges caked with rust.
"Were under attack!" One Knight called as he drew his sword.
Cedric rushed down the ramparts to meet the attackers, he called his men together and began to search threw the throngs of clashing swordsmen in a desperate effort to reach his brother. He could see the insignificant figure, a short sword in hand, a mounted soldier leaning from the saddle, his sword raised in a killed blow. Cedric was too late. The blade arced for Rowan, a loud clang rang out as steel met steel. Roland's sword tip flicked out to catch the blade before it reached Rowan. Cedric breathed a prayer of thanks as he raced to his brother and trusted friend.
The Battlemaster's already drawn sword began in a vicious arc for the mounted man's chest, the startled man threw up his round buckler just in time to catch the devastatingly powerful blow on his shield. The ring of steel filled the air.
The battle raged on.
"It's best if Strider tells the start of the story," Kerjack said solemnly. The girl had returned from the room, scrolls in hand, she now tucked them under one arm and took a coffee cup in each hand as Fell took the other three. Once the steaming mugs of coffee had been distributed Strider and Fell found their own seats at the table.
"They came without warning." Strider started, "One day it was calm, the next it was a new kind of hell. Dozens and dozens of them, they swarmed the towns and villages of the south and took everything they wanted by force. Most of the Cult are renegades or bandits who were given swords and told to kill. But as they took more villages and towns, a party of Knights from Gallica seized control of the group and forged them into the Cult we now know and fight today. For the villagers and townspeople it left them without lead. Many of them were enslaved or forced to join the ranks of the Cult. The more rebellious types, who refused to be beaten down and abused chose to rise up against the smothering hand of the Cult were killed. It was a very simple concept, slavery, or death. So we made an alternative."
"Those rebellious and sometimes arrogant and stubborn people gathered together and rose against the Cult, and this time, we were not silenced." Fell added.
"It started out with just one rebellious act. One burned camp of the Cult's and the Shadows were born. Those who participated in the legendary battle have fallen, but forgotten they'll never be. They spent one night as heroes, and changed the Cult forever. They had a bitter enemy now."
Kerjack nodded solemnly, "The Shadows and the Cult have been fighting for years, it's been a fairly even battle. The Shadows have always had the upper hand of surprise, with the night on our side we've had our share of heroic battles, both wins and loses…" As Kerjack trailed off Fell took up the line.
"It's war, and were losing. They've driven us north until we've ended up in Araluen. It was only recently it became clear of their intentions. They want the throne. And there going to take it by force." Fell's words died off into an uncomfortable silence.
Wary gazes shifted throughout the table. Seeing the opportunity had arisen Strider unfurled the scrolls, a large map of the west woods of Redmount was sketched across the parchment.
"There wasn't exactly much we could do about this when we first found this out," Strider told them. "What could we do exactly? Waltzing into the King's castle and letting him know that a group of Gallican Knight's wanted his head on a platter was a little unsubtle. Especially considering the fact that we would have preferred to walk out of the King's castle with our head on our shoulders. So we continued with our harassment of the Cult. They were at a huge disadvantage, the Shadows turned out to be a pretty dastardly opponent. Ambush after ambush we took more and more of them by storm. We fought alongside the men at the garrison the day it was taken…"
"We honored them after they had passed on. It was the least we could do. They fought a noble battle, but it was one sided. We lost good men that day." Fell continued. A thick mask of sadness swept it's way around the man as he spoke.
"Two nights after the Cult had the garrison, Fell led a group of Shadows on the attack. By midnight that night, there wasn't a single Cult member left. They never knew what hit them. That same night, Strider led another ambush group against a supply wagon on it's way to the garrison for the Cult. It was a profitable night for us." Kerjack explained.
"Along with the supply wagon there were detailed maps of the Cult's planned attack against the village. We've done all we could to forestall them, but we haven't much time left. The force they sent to the garrison today was an unusually large one. From the garrison they have a straight pathway to the village. It would be an easy village for them to take. Already the forces of the Shadows are stretched thin, we've only got a mere hundred soldiers in all, and only about thirty stationed here. If the Cult chose to attack the village, there would be little we could do about it."
Fell's eyes glimmered as he spoke, "But, now that there are Ranger's and Knight's of Araluen here, we just might stand a fighting chance."
"That's if the Cult's attacking the garrison don't decide to kill the Knights," Halt pointed out grimly.
Fell nodded, "Well yes, but there's a chance they might not do that. This time the Cult has sent a high ranking commander along with the party of Cult's to take the garrison. The commander lives for torture, so the Knights won't be killed right away." Fell was grinning at this. Nor Halt or Gilan shared in the mans happiness.
"This is supposed to be a good thing?" Gilan asked.
"Well of course it is," Strider chimed in, a devious look in her hazel eyes. "It gives us a possible chance for attack. They're not going to die by nightfall. If we can free those Knights and muster a small attack force of Shadows, we can drive the Cult away from the garrison."
Halt cocked an eyebrow at the energetic young girl, "I'm guessing that this attack will be tonight?"
A broad grin split the girls face, "You Ranger's catch on quick."
They spent the next half hour planning an attack route, and Halt and Gilan were surprised to discover who exactly led the Shadows.
"That would be Fell." Kerjack said, her eyes filling with pride. In response, Fell shrugged. Halt found the fact interesting. Fell was definitely a young leader, but he couldn't exactly judge the man's level of experience with fighting. He had never seen Fell, or, any of the other Shadows in combat.
"Strider's my deputy or second in command, but Kerjack plays a big role in the leadership too. We'd be lost without him." Fell added, and Strider nodded.
Halt had thought it odd for a leader to be so young, but to have the second in command just as young, and a girl left him clueless. The Shadows were definitely peculiar folk.
"What are you planning for an attack?" Gilan asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the four as they had sat leaning over the map.
"A typical night attack," Fell replied. "We sneak up on them and deal with them quickly." He replied, a hint of vehemence in his voice.
Halt cocked an eyebrow, "If this is typical, won't they anticipate it?" This time, it was Strider who answered.
"Not exactly, they're not going to know what attack were doing until we've got the upper hand." Strider said plainly before taking a long draft of coffee. She felt the warm drink slid down her throat all the way down. It was a great feeling, one you only got after a long day of snooping threw the forest.
"There isn't much more to it." Fell explained. "We swoop in like a bunch of phantoms from hell, attack them, and then watch them run off like scared dogs with their tails between their legs," He said, restating his earlier plan of the attack.
The dog, who had settled himself comfortably by the fire once more and was dozing with one ear pricked up, twitched at the word 'dogs'. Then, once more the dog slipped back into it's peaceful slumber.
"So that's it?" Halt asked, his eyes meeting that of the three Shadows in turn. They all seemed confident, there was little to add.
"That's it. There's still a few hours of daylight left, and we'll have to wait until the moon's out before we can leave. We should scout out the garrison and see how thing's went." Strider offered after an uncomfortable moment of silence.
Gilan nodded. "It would be great to find a good vantage point for us to shoot from. We prefer our bows over close combat."
"Alright, Strider, you go with them Kerjack and I will gather a group of Shadows for tonight." Fell said.
Strider's eyes were calm as she nodded, she stood and moved to the fireplace, stepping over the massive sleeping form of the dog. She took hold of what looked to be to be some sort of double scabbard, and began to make her way to do, the Ranger's following, then, she turned back and called softly to the dog.
"Ghost," The dog sat up, instantly alert. "Come on boy, let's go for a walk." The dog leapt to it's paws and fell in line with Strider. The lanky girl pushed the door open, and bided a quick farewell to Kerjack and Fell.
"You'll want your weapons back I'm assuming." The girl said as they stepped out into the bright sunlight that streamed down threw the clear blue sky.
"That would be nice." Halt said, not unkindly, already his gaze was scanning the clearing, they had left their weapons tied to their horses, and now the grizzled Ranger felt a sudden burst of comfort as he spotted the shaggy mounts at the far end of the clearing. A cloaked figure stood next to the horses, holding up a water bucket for Blaze to drink from. Halt quickly recognized the slightly built figure as Glade, Strider's apprentice.
Strider led the way towards the horses, Glade turned as he heard her approach and he had an inquiring look on his face.
"Going somewhere?" He asked casually, trying to hid his growing interest.
"Just out into the forest to do a bit of scouting."
Glade's eyes lit up, "Can I go with you?" Strider was already shaking her head solemnly.
"Not today, I'm going to lead the Ranger's back to the garrison, we'll be back soon though. I'll tell you what though, tomorrow morning we'll go scouting. Just you and me. I promise kid." At this Glade smiled, his earlier disappointment forgotten.
"Ok." He said, and now his gaze shifted to the Ranger's, his smile faded. Glade shuffled sideways nervously.
Gilan smiled encouragement at the boy, "I'm Gilan," he said, "And this is Halt." Glade nodded, his eyes showed his bewilderment.
"Your really Ranger's huh?" He asked, and Gilan nodded.
Glade's gaze shifted back to Strider, who had buckled one of the scabbards to her belt at her right hip, and was busy fastening the other one to her right thigh.
"You've really done it this time." Glade said, a humorous spark in his innocent blue eyes. Strider looked up at him slowly.
"That's exactly what Kerjack said." Strider exclaimed. "Am I really that bad?" Glade thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Yep." He smiled brightly, and Strider rolled her eyes.
"Apprentices." She said dismissively, but her hazel eyes deceived her, they danced with happiness.
Halt gathered his weapons from Abelard's saddle, he patted the horses neck with gratitude. Glade had already loosened the girth straps, and now the horse lapped appreciatively from the water bucket as Glade held it towards the horse. Halt noticed the care in Glade's eyes.
"Thanks for looking after Abelard," Halt said softly.
"Don't mention it." Glade replied calmly. "I enjoy being around horses."
Strider had finished tightening the scabbard to her thigh and now she experimentally drew both knives, one in each hand, satisfied, she replaced them to their rightful sheaths. Halt and Gilan had already fastened their own weapons to their belts.
"We should get going, night falls fast these days." Strider told them before they began to make their way back across the clearing to the hidden entrance, marked only by a weathered rock. The mottled grey and black shape of Ghost raced ahead of them, leading the way out into the forest.
Cedric winced as pain throbbed in his head. His eyes opened briefly, and he could see the face of someone, leaning over him. He recognized the young tan face to belong to Roland. Then everything came back to Knight in a rush.
The battle, they'd lost, he realized with a start. The attackers outnumbered them, seeing that the tide of the battle was raging against them, they went down fighting. The attackers imprisoned four of the Knights, the others hadn't been so lucky.
"Cedric, you alright?" Roland asked, blurring in and out of focus and Cedric stared up at him.
"I think so…" Cedric replied weakly. Pain seared threw his head, and he remembered his last few moments of consciousness. The hilt of sword, slamming into the back of his head seemed so long ago, feeling the ground slam into him, hearing Rowan's cry of terror.
"Where's Rowan?" Cedric asked suddenly, struggling to sit up. His hands were bound behind his back tightly, and he found it very difficult to move at all.
"He's alright," Roland replied. Cedric sighed, he leaned back against the rough masonry of the garrison wall and took a good look around. Roland and the rest of the Knight's were clustered around him, along with Rowan, who had a stricken look on his face.
Burly men walked the ramparts. Cedric recognized them as the attackers, and he quickly took note of the insignia on each of the surcoats they wore. They belonged to a lord. Close to the Knights, but tantalizingly far from reach, lay their weapons. Swords and daggers.
One lonely guard stood watch over the prisoners, standing stiffly next to the disorganized stack of weapons.
Something was missing, Cedric realized. Someone was missing. Then it hit him, Halt and Gilan. They hadn't been at the garrison during the attack. Cedric looked around quickly, taking in everything about the garrison two times over before giving up. They weren't there.
Leaning close to Roland, Cedric spoke quietly to him.
"The Ranger's, they haven't come back yet, have they?"
Roland shook his head. "No, they haven't, the best we can do is hope that they get help." Cedric nodded his agreement before falling silent.
"What do we do now?" Rowan asked in a fear stressed voice.
Cedric met his brothers gaze evenly. "There's nothing we can do but wait."
"You Ranger's are really uninteresting." Strider said dully. Gilan frowned.
"Uninteresting?" He echoed and Strider nodded.
"We've been walking for a good ten minutes and neither of you have said a word. I've always heard about how Ranger's are these amazingly foreboding kind of people, but your just plain boring." The girl stopped briefly, then continued, "No offence of course."
Gilan's frown deepened. "This isn't exactly the best time to be chatting away."
Strider stopped to meet his gaze. "Why not?" Her hazel eyes probed the young Ranger's face as he replied.
"Were on out way to a garrison, full of unfriendly foes. We don't want them to hear us coming."
Strider let out a short laugh of contempt. "We've got another good fifteen minutes of walking to do before were out of the range of the Shadows sentries, then another ten to reach the garrison. I think were just outside the range of earshot." She pointed out, and Halt found the sardonic tone of her voice all too evident. Gilan shared his opinion, but the girl was right.
"Alright then, what exactly do you want to talk about?"
Strider thought for a moment, "That's for you to decide. We told you about us Shadows, now what about you? What are Ranger's like?"
Halt answered this time. "Were quiet."
"You couldn't give a girl a break and just humor me?" A toothy grin spread across the girl's pale features. Gilan noticed the humorous glint in the girl's hazel eyes.
"Not likely." Halt retorted. Strider met Halt's gaze for a moment before speaking.
"Alright then, is there anything else you want to know about the Shadows?"
"Do all Shadows talk this much?" Halt replied without any hesitation, his voice was grim. The conversation might have stopped there, but defiantly, Strider continued to talk.
"When they're ignored they do." Strider met Halt's gaze once more, her eyes sparked a challenge. This time Halt neglected to reply in a tone suited to wake the dead.
"Why did you come after us today?" He asked, finally giving into the unrelenting prodding of Strider.
"We need the help." She said simply, then continued after a moment of silence. "When I was at the garrison earlier today, I wanted to get a closer look at just who was at the garrison. I left Glade waiting in the forest, and went back, just for a glance. That's when I saw you. It was a shot in the dark, but then again, us Shadows are pretty good with that. So I told Kerjack what I thought before I went after you."
Halt thought what Strider had said threw, then he asked another question. "What about Fell? Why did he show up?"
Strider shrugged, and let out a short chuckle. "Why does he ever show up?" She joked, then she became a little more serious. "He wasn't even supposed to be here. Since were stretched thin with troops, we all shift around. Fell had gone south to lend some help to another group of Shadows. He came back a little early, but I can't tell you why or how he found us."
There were several moments of silence as Halt contemplated what to ask next.
"Why are you helping us?"
Strider shrugged. "Isn't it you who's helping us?" She asked, and turned to meet the gaze of Halt. She grinned, and for a moment Halt thought she was right.
"I guess we are." He said.
"There's still something missing," Gilan began. "If the Shadows have been around for as long as you say, then why haven't we even heard of you? I mean, you've been practically fighting a war in this forest and we've been oblivious to it all."
Strider stopped and looked back at Gilan. "They call this forest the grieving woods." She said solemnly. "The wind howls with the cry of the fallen, the ground is forever stained with the shed of blood and tears alike. They say this place is not suited for the living. In turn, we are little more than spirits, ghosts if you will, you may live your whole life in this forest and you may never see a Shadow." She paused, her gaze leveling with each of the Ranger's before she continued.
"I went looking for the both of you, and luckily I found you before the Cult did."
"I've seen you before, last night in fact. You were at the edge of the forest, near the village." Gilan asked. A guilty look clouded over Strider's eyes.
"We like to keep a close eye on the village," She replied, not giving much away.
"Why?" Gilan prodded.
Strider's eyes flickered dully, and for a moment Gilan thought he saw a hint of sorrow their. Then it was gone, replaced by a defiant shield against any emotion.
"The villagers live in fear, from us. From me, and every other Shadow that walks this forest. We provoke it, on purpose, we want them to stay away from this forest. So we've made them believe the worst."
Halt frowned, but their was something else he was curious of. "From what you've told us, you're here to help them, to keep them safe. Why keep them away?"
Strider shrugged. "It's not us they need to be wary of, it's the Cult, but it's easier to fear someone like me than trust her." The girls eyes brightened, she grinned slightly, and Gilan found the action resplendent. Though it might seem drastic, Gilan realized she was right. It would be easier to keep the villagers away by simply scaring them off, rather then trying to explain the tricky situation they were in.
"That's pretty rough." Gilan said sympathetically.
"It's not all that bad, it's rather entertaining to be a ghost." Strider retorted, brightening a little.
Halt shot Strider an inquiring look. "I'm guessing this is a regular thing then, for you to make your self seen at the forest edge."
"We do it as much as possible, sometimes we creep threw the village with daggers drawn, or just stand at the forest edge. So far, it's worked out pretty well."
The dog, who had up until now trotted ahead of them calmly now stopped and looked back at Strider, one ear pricked keenly.
"Looks like we've reached the river." She said, and Halt was suddenly away of a throaty rumbling from somewhere in the forest.
"The Faladore river you mean?" Gilan asked, and Strider nodded.
"That's the one, but we just call it the roaring river."
The trees thinned suddenly, and ahead Halt could see the wide sandy bank of the river. On some parts of the bank heavy slabs of grey weathered river rocks jutted out into the water. The water, white with foam, raged alarmingly fast along the banks. The river swept along in a rather straight path. On the far side of the river their were no trees, only a wide sweeping plain of coarse grass.
"This is the edge of the woods," Strider explained, turning around to face the Ranger's.
"Then why are we here?" Halt asked, his suspicion growing.
"I just thought it would be convenient for you to know what fate awaited you if you turned everything you now know of the Shadows against us." Strider's eyes darkened.
"We've agreed to help you, but that doesn't mean that you aren't are enemies as well. Your as much of a threat to us as the Cult is at this point. For the moment, it looks as though were allies, but up until now, Araluen has known nothing of us. If our secrecy is compromised once this is over, you'll be the first I throw into the raging water."
From the look of it, the roaring of the river, and the way the water slammed into the banks, Gilan didn't think that it would be easy to swim against the roaring torrent.
"What if you chose to give up your secrecy?" Halt challenged and Strider smiled.
"I'll throw myself into the river. Now do we have a understanding?" She asked with a note of finality. The tawny colored eyes lost their vehemence as the Ranger's nodded their reluctant agreement. From Halt's point of view he found the girl to be speaking in a tone that implied a promise rather than a threat. Besides, from the looks of it, the lithe figure before them just might be able to live up to the promise.
"Alright then, we have a garrison to scout out." The girl said before turning back to the forest trail, this time Strider pulled the cowl of her cloak around her and gestured for silence.