A Ranger From Adamnar

Chapter 8

When the next testing cycle came five months later, two of Pellou’s other trainees were called forward. No one else in the group tested. Alana had honed her skill at feeling the forest and its creatures as they ran. They mostly stayed away from creatures, except when they hunted, and it was through this that they all learned to use the bow. Cadius was, again, the best of Pellou’s trainees at this and all weapons. Tulan became Pellou’s best runner and was starting to make running look as effortless as Pellou made it look.

Alana thought long and hard the night Elsa and a young man named Edinardan were called forward. She, Cadius and Tulan stared up at the stars in the night sky opposite the one moon visible that night. Her Uncle Iliard’s words ran through her mind over and over. She knew she still needed to be more of a team player. She vowed to try to gauge and understand her fellow trainees abilities better and create ways for them to get to use those abilities.

Only one new trainee joined Pellou’s group this time, a young man named Galen. Until he spent a week with Pellou, Galen thought he was a better Ranger than any he’d met. He certainly was better at all the physical Ranger skills, except weapons. Cadius, therefore, enjoyed pounding him into the dirt. Consequently, Pellou repeatedly pounded Cadius into the dirt. Alana wasn’t sure Cadius was getting the point.

One night, about month into the next rotation, Alana, Cadius, Tulan and a trainee named Shiri, who had taken a liking to Tulan, sat talking about Galen. “He’s great at the running and hunting and climbing and swimming, but,” Alana told Cadius, “he has his shortcomings too. You really shouldn’t keep flattening him like you do”

Cadius thought a moment, then Alana could see comprehension on his face, “He asks for it,” he said.

“Shortcomings? You wouldn’t know it to talk to him,” Tulan said. He was sewing the side of his second pair of running boots while they talked.

“He hasn’t seen me ride, and,” Alana said, “he tries to hide it but he doesn’t have much skill yet with plants. We all need to stop picking on him and be more accepting. Weren’t Pellou’s other trainees accepting of us when we joined the group and could barely keep up?”

“Weren’t we also not arrogant asses?” Tulan asked.

“All I’m saying,” Alana said, “is we should treat him fairly. His problems will catch up to him and either he or his arrogance won’t make it out of Ranger training.” She poked Cadius in the ribs. “And no more knocking him to the ground after you disarm him. It’s a wonder Pellou hasn’t kicked you out of his group yet.”

“Why are you all of a sudden this guy’s champion?” Cadius asked as he checked the seams on his scabbards. “Oh wait, let me guess,” he said as he looked over at Tulan. They said together, “Because everyone’s worth it.” They both laughed.

“That’s not a bad sentiment,” Pellou said as he walked by. “You’d do well to emulate it.” Alana blushed at the compliment. She was glad no one could see it.

When they were only a month out from the next test, Alana began to concentrate on trying to combine what she sensed from the forest with her fellow trainees gifts and shortcomings. Whenever she was leading the run, climb, or hunt, she always tried to foresee such opportunities and problems. She steered the group into their best possible situation while still trying to allow the group to accomplish Pellou’s task.

About two weeks out from the test Pellou stopped talking to her about the tasks they were working on and instead spoke to her about what the third phase of training would be like. She tried not to let herself get overeager. The exact day of the test was not set and not known. As the last week of the five month cycle approached and stretched on, Alana started to get more and more anxious. So too did many of Pellou’s other trainees.

Pellou’s group was at the far south end of Shragash Canyon. The south end opened into a wide flat section of the forest. Alana would never forget what capped the North end of the canyon—Parsin Cliff.

It was Lord Retak who came to Pellou’s group of trainees, not Lord Chasimar. Alana could sense him even before she could see him. She looked around the morning camp cleanup to see if any of the other trainees had sensed him. It didn’t look like they had. She looked at Pellou who was sitting on a log poking at the ground with a stick in his hand, saying nothing.

After another few minutes she saw Tulan stand straight up from the bundle he and Shiri were tying and started looking around. Shiri looked at him for a moment then she too got the same faraway look.

By the time Lord Retak showed up in the clearing, all work had stopped.

“Good morning Pellou,” Lord Retak said as he jogged to a halt.

“Good morning Lord Retak,” Pellou responded.

“Shiri, Tanner, Stukenari, Tulan and Alana come with me,” Lord Retak said. Alana didn’t realize she was holding her breath until she let out a great sigh at the sound of her name. She wasn’t the only breathless trainee, but not all exhales were of relief.

“Good luck,” Cadius whispered to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Thanks,” she whispered back with a brief smile. Every trainee had begun packing when they sensed the Master Trainer’s approach. As soon as the five who were testing stood ready, Lord Retak jogged off to the north, into Shragash Canyon. Alana heard Pellou say behind her, “All right trainees, let’s head back to the stronghold.” Alana was glad to miss another ten day uphill run.

Lord Retak and the five trainees ran north for the remainder of the day and made camp at nightfall. “Tanner and Stukenari,” Lord Retak said, “Please get us some dinner. Be quick about it. I’m hungry.” He smiled at them as he crouched near the ground and folded his hands over his knees. He remained perfectly motionless there on the balls of his feet.

“Yes, Lord Retak,” the two trainees replied in unison. They set down their packs. Tanner drew his short hunting bow and held it at the ready. Stukenari checked his daggers, nodded at Tanner, and the two of them ran out into the forest.

“Let’s get this camp set up,” Shiri said.

“I’ll get wood,” Alana said. “Did you say you felt the stream about a hundred yards east?”

“Yes,” Shiri replied.

“I’ll also fill the water skins then.” Alana went from pack to pack extracting everyone’s water skins. Lord Retak crouched, unmoving, with his eyes closed. She glanced at him once and then ran out of camp into the woods towards the fast moving stream. She stood at its bank a moment to relax and gather her strength. She allowed the life energy of the forest to fill her—all of the flora and fauna, and always, behind it, that deep ancient presence that was the Heart of the forest. As always, it acknowledged her presence as well.

Even with all the sounds of the animals and lightly rushing water filling her ears and the smells of the trees on the wind, she sensed that all was not well with the ancient Heart. It was damaged somehow in a small but very deep way she didn’t understand. However, as she tried to concentrate on it, she was startled by the footfalls of another human.

“A Ranger should not be so easy to sneak up on,” Lord Retak said with a smile.

“I…I’m sorry, Lord Retak,” Alana stammered. She didn’t know whether to fill the water skins or just stand there and await his instructions. She just stood there.

“I see you still have a slight problem paying attention,” he said. He motioned for her to give him some of the water skins to fill and she did so. She could tell he was just teasing her, but it still made her very self conscious.

“That’s all right,” he said as he crouched next to the water and began filling a water skin. Alana noticed his head never went lower than his heart. She filled her skins in the same fashion.

He continued, “It’s not every trainee who can commune with the Heart of the forest. In fact, most beginning Rangers can’t do it either. I can understand how it can overwhelm you.”

“Yes, Lord Retak,” she said. They finished filling the skins and moved away from the stream a little. Alana thought they might start running back to camp, but Lord Retak stopped again.

“Alana,” he said, suddenly serious, “Be very careful with your powers. Do not let them control you. Always keep your wits about you and always keep at least some of your consciousness on the here and now. If you go too deep, you will lose your sense of what’s going on around you. Someday, someone far less friendly than I will creep up on you.”

“Yes, Lord Retak,” Alana said, taken aback by his sudden seriousness.

Just as quickly, his jovial nature returned and he was happy Lord Retak again as he said with a smile, “Or get a really good bodyguard.” He laughed. Alana laughed nervously as they began running back towards camp.

About half of the way back to camp, Lord Retak changed course and ran north. As he left he said, “I’ll meet you back in camp.”

“What, did the forest run out of wood?” Tulan asked Alana when she returned to camp with only the full water skins and no wood. Alana smacked herself on the forehead, set down the water skins and bolted back out of camp again.

Alana returned a few minutes later with as much deadwood as she could carry, plenty for the night’s fire. Shortly thereafter Tanner, Stukenari and Lord Retak returned, the former two carrying the carcasses of several small animals.

“Let’s make our dinner,” Lord Retak said, “and then we’ll continue the test.”

“Alana and Stukenari, set up watch in a tight sweep. I don’t want any company for dinner. Tulan, help me dress and cook these,” Shiri said. Stukenari looked at Alana and with both hands pointed north and south. Alana nodded and the pair of them ran out of camp in opposite directions.

As Alana ran she headed first south a good distance and then turned eastward. As she ran she tried to focus on being quieter than her surroundings. She was far enough away from camp that she couldn’t hear it. She practiced cataloging all the different sources of life energy as she ran. There was so much to remember and so many skills to master she feared she wasn’t doing a very good job at any of it. As if to answer her thought, she heard yet another twig snap under her foot as she ran. After two full revolutions, she heard the bird call from Shiri signaling it was time for her to come in. As she was running in, she passed Tulan who was taking up the watch.

After everyone had eaten and the campfire doused and covered, they set out north again. “Four days to Parsin Cliff,” Lord Retak said.

Cadius, Falar and Marker were sitting around the campfire while Galen paced the campsite. The other trainees had long since gone to their tents. “What I’d like to know,” Galen said as he paced, “Is how that little kid got called forward and I didn’t.”

Cadius looked at Galen and said in a low voice, “What little kid? Do you mean Alana?”

“Uh oh,” Marker murmured under his breath. He knew Cadius well enough to know that tone of voice meant trouble for Galen. Galen, as usual, didn’t notice.

“Of course I mean Alana,” Galen answered. He stopped pacing and stared at Cadius incredulously. “You know, precious, sweet little Alana. She could barely keep up with us when we were running and couldn’t hit the side of a mountain with a bow.”

Marker shook his head, leaned over, and whispered to Falar, “He’s going to get a beating if he doesn’t shut up.” Falar nodded and cast a worried glance at Cadius. She shifted her weight forward onto her feet.

To his credit, Cadius hadn’t moved from his place by the fire, although his fists were tightly clenched as he spoke to Galen. “Is that so? That’s funny, I don’t remember it that way.”

“Oh come on,” Galen exclaimed in disgust, “Don’t tell me you fell for that act too? All she had to do was look at you with those big brown eyes and she’d get her way every time.”

Marker’s eyes went wide and he murmured, “Don’t say it.”

“I wonder,” Galen went on speculatively.

“Don’t say it,” Marker said a little louder.

“I wonder who she slept with to get called to third phase.”

Marker put his head in his hands. “He said it.”

Cadius leapt to his feet and across the campfire in the blink of an eye. He grabbed a fistful of Galen’s shirt and pulled him right off his feet so they were nose to nose. “You arrogant son of a bitch. I’m gonna break your skinny little neck. That ‘little kid’ has more talent in one hand than you have in your whole body.”

Falar sprang to her feet and headed towards the pair, unsure yet how she was going to separate them. “Cadius, stand down!” Pellou’s voice rang across the clearing. Suddenly, he was right there next to Cadius. “Put him down now or you’re out!” he shouted.

Cadius’ nostrils flared and he clenched his left hand into a fist, but he put Galen down, then turned and walked out of the clearing into the dark forest. Falar glanced quickly at Pellou, saw his approving nod, then hurried after Cadius.

Pellou looked first after Cadius and Falar as they disappeared into the forest, then slowly turned to face Galen and said, “Explain yourself.”

“Explain myself?!” Galen shouted. “He’s the one who needs to do the explaining. He attacked me. I didn’t do anything to him.”

Pellou got right in Galen’s face. “I heard every word you said. It sounds to me like you’re questioning the integrity of this stronghold. It sounds like you’re questioning my integrity as well. Is that true?”

Galen’s face turned bright red. “I…wasn’t…I was just…”

“Just what?” Pellou asked angrily. “Just thinking you know better than Lord Retak and I who is qualified to move forward? Just thinking that physical skill is all you need to become a Ranger?”

“I…” Galen bowed his head. “I don’t know.”

“No you don’t,” Pellou said curtly. “And until you do know, you’ll be right here with me. So enjoy. You have a long hard year ahead of you.” Then he turned and headed to his own tent.