A Ranger From Adamnar

The trail they were running was called Broken Sticks for a reason. It seemed like every broken branch or fallen tree in that region of the forest had been strewn across their path. Alana realized fairly quickly that this must be part of some kind of test. It wasn’t like Trainer Wendell to take paths like this for no reason. She began to wonder if they were being tested for second phase Ranger training.

Alana let out a muttered curse after she tripped over yet another branch. She noticed that Wendell managed to avoid the obstacles in the path with ease. She wondered if it was because of the Ranger trainer’s connection to the forest. She knew all Rangers had a connection to the forest and the creatures that lived there. All during their first phase training, Wendell had been telling them to try to feel the energy and life of the forest around them. Maybe this connection also helped them navigate the pathways. Alana reached out as she had many times before to find the link. In the past five months she thought she felt something from time to time, but she was never sure and it faded as quickly as it came.

It occurred to her as she was trying to keep up Wendell, that maybe she was doing it wrong. She had been pushing out her thoughts looking for something. Maybe she needed instead to open herself up to feeling the life of the forest. She tried to relax her mind and just experience the sights and sounds of the forest around her. She imagined what it would be like to be in communion with everything around her. Would she hear the animals even if they were still? Would she be able to feel the pulse of life in a tree? She had overheard two Ranger Lords talking about the Heart of the forest. Would she finally find out what that meant?

“How are you doing that?”

The sound of her fellow trainee Tulan’s voice so close to her startled out of her reverie. “Doing what?” she asked.

“You’re running like Wendell,” he replied. “You’re avoiding all the branches and fallen trees as if you know where they are.”

Alana’s brows rose in surprise. “I am? I didn’t even notice. I was just trying feel the life of the forest.”

“Well maybe you can show me what to do because I’m really tired of tripping,” Tulan said. Alana fell in step with Tulan and explained to him what she had done to open her mind to the forest.

The mage smiled. An increasing number of the forest denizens were coming under his influence. He touched the huge ancient tree again. The forest always resisted his efforts to bend it to his will, but each time it gave just a little bit more. A surge of joy coursed through the tree and he felt the forest draw away from him with more strength than it ever had before. He reached out his power to pull it back and encountered a force so powerful it almost burned him. His eyes went wide with fear, followed closely by fury. His enemy had found him at last.

“Not so fast, Tulan,” Wendell shouted. “We’ll be running all day and night. You need to learn to conserve your strength.” The group had already gone deep into the forest and it wasn’t even midday yet. After running Broken Sticks, Alana was surprised he could still run so fast.

At their midday break, Cadius sat with Alana and Nata. “You know,” Cadius said, bits of dried beef coming out of his mouth as he spoke, “There’s a Ranger Lord following us.” Alana nodded. Nata looked up and looked around, mostly in the wrong direction.

“She’s not there now.” Cadius continued, “I only get brief glimpses of her. She’s far off but pacing us. I’m not sure but I think it’s Lord Chasimar.”

“Chasimar?” Nata asked. “Isn’t she in charge of all Ranger patrols? What would she want with us?”

“I dunno. Looking for recruits, maybe,” Cadius said. He quickly finished his dried lunch and carefully cleaned around himself to leave as little trace as possible.

Tulan came over and said, “You saw her too, didn’t you?” Both Alana and Cadius nodded. Nata just looked mystified. “Good,” Tulan said with relief. “For a while there I thought I was seeing things.”

As all the trainees were finishing up and cleaning up the traces of their brief stay, Alana said to Cadius, “I don’t think she’s looking for recruits. We’re all recruits and we’ll all be Ranger scouts on Ranger patrols for some if not most of our lives. I think it’s got to be something else.” She looked off to where she thought she had seen the Ranger Lord as Wendell and the ten trainees reassembled. “I’ve got a feeling she’s not here about scouting at all.”

Lord Chasimar walked into their group. She pointed at Alana, Cadius and Tulan and said, “You, you, and you, follow me. Then she began to run further into the forest. The three stunned trainees stared at each other briefly, then grabbed their packs and hurried to follow Lord Chasimar before she disappeared into the forest.

The three novices struggled to keep up with the Ranger Lord as she made her way through the forest. Unlike Wendell, Lord Chasimar did not stay on a path. Poor Cadius had it the worst because his size often proved an impediment when they were going through dense growth. After about half an hour, they started to fall further behind. Lord Chasimar slowed almost to a stop and said, “Keep up or go back,” and then went on running.

Alana clenched her jaw and said to the other two, “Come on. We can do this. Let’s go.” She had Tulan take the lead, because he was the best runner, and put Cadius in the middle. She brought up the rear so she could keep calling out encouragement to them.

Another half hour went by before Lord Chasimar finally stopped in a small clearing. The three trainees came stumbling in behind her, sweating and breathing heavily. She waited for them to catch their breath before she said, “Get yourselves some water and rest for a moment.” They all sat down and took out their water skins. When Cadius ran out of water, Alana gave him the rest of hers.

After they had put away their water skins, Lord Chasimar asked them, “Do you know why you’re here?”

“Because we saw you,” Cadius answered. When Lord Chasimar looked at him with a slightly raised brow he hastily added, “Lord Chasimar.”

“Go on,” Lord Chasimar said.

“Not just because we could see you, my lord” Tulan continued, “But because we could sense you even when we couldn’t see you.”

She looked at him and nodded. “Very good. But why else are you here?”

Alana spoke this time. “Because we’re being tested, Lord Chasimar. Being able to track and to sense any enemies around you is part of being a Ranger.”

“That is certainly part of it, “Lord Chasimar said, “But not all.” She sat down on the ground and invited them to join her. “You can sense many other things as well. Like for instance…” she paused.

“Your wolf?” Alana said quietly.

Tulan and Cadius looked in the direction of Alana’s gaze and saw the largest wolf they had ever seen walk into the clearing. The wolf walked slowly past the trainees, stopping at each one in turn, starting with Tulan and ending with Alana. Alana looked into the eyes of the great wolf and saw intelligence. She bowed her head slightly. The wolf bowed her head as well and then did something no one expected. The she wolf lay down and put her head in Alana’s lap.

Alana slowly moved her hand up towards the wolf’s head and gently placed her fingers on the thick, soft fur. The wolf got back up and walked over to Lord Chasimar who looked dumbfounded.

“Whoa,” Tulan said.

Lord Chasimar looked at the wolf for a long while and then over at Alana. “What did she say to you?” Lord Chasimar asked Alana.

“She said, ‘Hail Terin Berinath,’” Alana said.

“I don’t know that term,” Lord Chasimar said. She looked thoughtful a moment.

“Wolves can talk?” Cadius asked, but immediately wished he hadn’t.

“Yes, Cadius, wolves can talk, but rare is it indeed that we humans can hear them. Because Derina showed Alana wolfsign it means she has accepted Alana’s dominance of her and her pack,” Lord Chasimar said “We shall see, Alana Nadran, if you are worthy of this profound respect.”

Alana nodded. She didn’t know what to say. She hardly even knew what had just happened. She had never seen a wolf up close before and to have one honor her in this way was remarkable to say the least. Lord Chasimar’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “I want you all to close your eyes and focus your thoughts on the forest surrounding you. Discover what you can sense.”

At first the only thing Alana could sense was her own breathing and the pounding of her heart. Gradually, her heartbeat slowed and she felt herself relax. The sounds of the forest grew distant as she tried to focus her senses further outward. The presence of the wolf dominated the clearing. Somewhere nearby there was a rabbit den with five frightened rabbits hiding from the wolf in their midst. Her senses touched on dozens of small animals as they scurried through the forest, making a huge detour around the clearing. Not far from them was a swift running stream. She could sense the coolness and could even sense the small fish that darted in and out of shallows. She smiled to herself. As she opened her mind to take in more, she felt a vast presence fill all her thoughts and senses and voice from somewhere deep in the forest said, “Hail Terin Berinath.” The presence filled her with such joy and tranquility she wanted to laugh out loud.

But then another, darker presence intruded and filled her mind. “Your reign will end in fire and blood. You cannot prevail over me.”

Alana gasped and felt a stab of fear that was quickly followed by a surge of anger. She forcefully pushed the dark presence out of her mind. She was never really certain, but she thought the presence was surprised by her action. When she opened her eyes, she saw that everyone in the clearing was staring at her—including the wolf. She blushed and said, “Sorry. I…don’t know what happened.”

Lord Chasimar stared at her for a long moment then stood up. “Come. We will try a more focused use of life energy.” They followed her to the edge of the clearing. “Rangers have the ability to communicate with the plants of the forest. She pointed at a small vine that had just started to make its way up a tree. The vine started to grow, not up the tree, but away from the tree towards Cadius, who was standing closest to it. Before he realized what was happening, the vine had wrapped itself around his leg.

“Hey!” Cadius exclaimed as he tried to get away from the ever-growing vine. It was no use. The vine clung tenaciously to his leg and only got stronger.

“As you see,” Lord Chasimar said, “Even the strongest man can be stopped by a single well controlled vine.” She pointed at the vine again. It released Cadius and shrank back down to its original size. “Now I would like you to try. See what you can do with the plants around you.”

Tulan was fascinated by the vine and went over to it. Cadius found his way over to a small rose bush. Alana walked away from the group a short distance towards a large tree that stood on the edge of the clearing. She really didn’t know what she was supposed to do with something so big, but she felt an attraction to it. She put her hand on the tree and closed her eyes. At first she felt nothing, but after a while she realized that the tree felt warm underneath her hand. She could almost swear she heard what sounded like a heartbeat inside the tree. Without thinking she asked, “Are you alive?”

“We are all alive, great one,” the voice answered. “We are one consciousness. We await your coming.”

“What do you mean?”

“In time, great one. When you are ready.”

“Alana.”

Lord Chasimar’s startled her out of her connection to the forest. She whirled around and stared at her wide-eyed. “Lord Chasimar,” she said a little breathlessly, “I’m sorry, I was…” she stopped. How was she going explain that she had been talking to a tree?

Lord Chasimar put a hand up. “It’s all right Alana. The test is over.”

“But, I haven’t done anything,” Alana said.

“I felt the link you created with that tree. That is something that is usually only accomplished after many years of Ranger training. You and your two companions have advanced to the second level of Ranger training.”

“We have?” she said excitedly. “Thank you Lord Chasimar.”

Lord Chasimar shook her head. “Do not thank me. It was your own skill that helped you succeed. I expect…” she stopped speaking when she caught a glimpse of the dagger on Alana’s belt. Her brows drew together and she asked, “Where did you get that dagger?”

“My uncle gave it to me, my lord.” Alana answered.

“Your uncle is a Novadi warrior?”

“Yes, my lord,” she replied, a bit perplexed. “How did you know?”

“Only Novadi warriors wear that dagger,” Lord Chasimar answered. Your uncle has honored you far more than you realize. You would do well to remember that as you go through your training. He must foresee great things from you. I hope you expect the same from yourself.”

“I do, Lord Chasimar.”

The Ranger Lord nodded with satisfaction. “Good. Now, come and join your fellow trainees.”

When Alana got back to where Tulan and Cadius were standing, she saw that Tulan had managed to grow the vine half way up the tree. The rose bush that Cadius was standing next to had grown to twice its original size. Alana couldn’t tell if he was pleased or embarrassed by his feat.

Lord Chasimar faced the three of them and said, “Congratulations. Your achievement today puts you in the ranks of the elite. Most Ranger trainees take a full year to complete their first level of training. To complete it on your first test or even your second, is an admirable feat. Great things will be expected of all of you. Live up to those expectations.” She shook each of their hands, then said, “Now you may return to the stronghold. I would advise you to go quickly so as to arrive at the stronghold before the full dark. I must ask you not to tell any of the trainees who have not yet tested for second phase what has occurred here today. They must discover their talents on their own.” Although Lord Chasimar’s words sounded like a polite request, the steel behind those words made them a command.

“Yes, my lord,” they replied in unison.

Lord Chasimar turned and faded into the forest. Alana, Cadius and Tulan looked at each other and almost as one voice said, “I know where there’s a stream.” They all burst out laughing and then took off running.

When they returned to the Ranger stronghold, waiting at the front gate was another Ranger Alana didn’t know. They were all still breathing heavily as they approached him. He was smiling and his eyes were wide. His long brown hair was tied tightly to the back of his head, like Lord Chasimar’s. For a brief moment Alana thought she saw the stars reflected in his dark eyes. She blinked to clear her vision and saw that she must have been mistaken.

“My name is Trainer Pellou,” he said as soon as they stopped in front of him, “and the three of you will be joining my group tomorrow.” He seemed to be middle-aged but looked much more weathered than most. Alana could see a fire in his eyes, though, and his grin was definitely mischievous. “You get the rest of the day to yourselves,” he continued. “It’s a good thing, Alana, you ran with Neve every morning. You won’t have it quite as hard as your two friends here.” Cadius and Tulan looked at each other with a worried expression. “Meet me here tomorrow morning at dawn. He ran out the front gate and into the night, making no sound as he ran.

That didn’t give them much time to themselves. They had taken their run back to the stronghold so quickly at Chasimar’s order that they didn’t have much energy left for anything.

“I think we’re too late for dinner,” Tulan said.

Alana smiled, “I know how we can get some food. There’s always a pot of stew on a stove in the kitchens for the servants who have to work through dinner. I don’t think Nessa will mind if we have a little.”

“Who’s Nessa?” Cadius asked as he began walking towards the kitchens. Alana took off at a slow run, forcing Tulan and Cadius to trot to keep up.

“I thought you hated running?” Tulan called after her as he forced himself back into a jog.

“I do,” Alana replied, “But I hate not eating even more.”

“Here, here,” Cadius replied.

They ran around to the back kitchen door, which was never locked, and stepped quietly inside. The kitchen was mostly dark, save one small lamp lit next to Nessa and another by the few kitchen workers preparing for breakfast. Alana had learned that feeding the eight hundred Rangers of Adamnar Stronghold meant people were working all through the night and day.

“Alana, it’s been a while.” Nessa said through her haze of purple smoke. “You three passed yer first test? An’ let me guess. Yer lookin’ fer food.”

“Yes Ma’am,” Tulan answered.

Nessa guffawed. “Ha ha. Don’t ’Yes Ma’am me, greenhorn.” She gesticulated with her pipe over to one stove with a pot of stew on it, still simmering.

“Thank you very much, Nessa,” Alana said as she walked into one of the dish closets and came back with three bowls and spoons. She ladled the stew for the three of them. It was too hot but Cadius didn’t wait. He was eating it as they walked to one table, inhaling deeply to try to cool it in his mouth. By the time Alana took her first bite, Cadius was finished and getting up to get his second bowl.

“Wow, this is good stew,” he said as he walked back to the table.

“Thank you much,” Nessa replied from across the kitchen.

“So now what?” Tulan asked.

“New Ranger skills, I guess,” Alana answered.

“Good,” Cadius said. “I was beginning to think there were no Ranger skills, besides running.” He slurped down another bowl. “I’ll tell you one thing Warriors have all over Rangers. Warriors are at least smart enough to find handy transportation. You don’t have to do all this running when you can commandeer a sturdy wagon.” He got up to get his third bowl.

“Yeah, steal it, he means,” Tulan murmured into his stew. After the five large bowls of stew between them, Tulan and Cadius dropped their bowls into a sink.

“Hey, wash your damn bowls you lazy bums,” Alana said, smiling.

“That’s servant’s work,” Tulan said with a slight furrow of his brow. He was walking towards the back kitchen door.

“Wash it or give back the stew,” Cadius said. He looked like he was willing to reach down and get said stew. Tulan grumbled his way back over to the large, very clean sink. Nessa chuckled as they walked past her.

“Thanks a lot, Nessa,” Alana said with a smile. “It was great as usual.” Nessa inclined her head.

When Alana got back to her barracks, she noticed none of the other Ranger trainees who were still in their first level of training were there. She also noticed almost everyone there was still up and staring at her as she walked in. She stopped. “What?” she asked.

“Well, how was it?” Ciaran asked. “Was Chasimar too fast for you? How long did you meditate?”

“What did you see,” another girl asked.

“How many people were called forward?” Eva asked.

“Called out on your first day and passed it on your first try,” Ciaran said. “Not too shabby. You’ll be going to Pellou. Only the good ones get to go to Pellou.”

Alana walked down to her bunk and laid her backpack on it. She sat down and began unlacing her boots. She looked down the bay at Laren who was sewing up a tear in her backpack. She looked angry. Alana turned back around to face Ciaran. “What is wrong with Laren?” she asked her.

Ciaran shrugged and said, “I don’t know.” She propped herself up on her arms. “Forget about her,” she continued, “Tell us about you. How was it?”

Alana looked one more time down the bay at Laren and made a decision that she would act upon at her first chance. She turned back to the growing gaggle of young women and told them about her test.