The Ranger: Ch. 07

"Do you really think we are ready?" Emma asks.

"Give me a show of hands, how many here could have protected their neighbor from getting taken a month ago, Jacob and Anders raised their hands with Jacob frowning when the other guards raised their hands after seeing his.

"How many of you are willing to protect your neighbor now?" All of their hands went up, looking over at Emma acknowledging her hand is raised. "You're ready, and free to go this evening, this was the best practice so far." Saiden and Agitha walk down the road with Nikolas in tow, watching the group break up and head their separate ways.

"You wanted to see me at the end of each day." Evaine walks over and I lead her up the steps and move a few chairs together.

"Take my hands." I reach out and she pauses. "It's painless, don't worry."

Pushing mana into her I expect the same as what happened to me when I was a child, which is nothing for the first several times.

"Oh!" Evaine's eyes open and then she sighs and her face changes, "Hmmm." I keep it going for a moment and then most comes right back around and back to me.

"What happened?" Mertil is looking between us.

"Nothing, but that is what is expected for the first few times." I answer as Evaine is still sitting with her eyes closed. Mertil gives me a suspicious look nodding over at Evaine.

"Whew, that was different." Evaine's face is flushed and she looks embarrassed. "We are going to do this every day?" I smile and chuckle.

"Yes, we'll see over time if it works."

"We are going to send these writs to every port Saiden can reach, we probably need someone to take some to Twin Rivers. Bjorn was the guy in charge of the Skaldians, he seemed to be cooperative.."

"Not until you scared everyone." Mertil cuts in, "Before that, he was as cutting as you were in the talks."

"Okay, after we came to an agreement." I smile at Mertil, "He seemed to be onboard with leaving us alone."

"I'll show you everything as we keep going along with this," I squeeze Evaines hands that we are still holding and let them go. "Are people afraid of me now?"

"What!? No, they were going to do horrible things, fuck them, then you came and got us out of Twin, who would be scared? Did you get a haircut?"

"Good, yeah, Mertil did it, okay ladies, I'm going home."

"What was it like?" Mertil asks.

"Warm and tingly, naughty is the best word for it." Evaine whispers. "So Kae and Katelyn are a thing?"

"That's a question for Katelyn." Mertil raises an eyebrow and stares at Evaine.

"Ugh, I don't want to mess with Katelyn, but every day of this and he smells like, ugh, so good, I'm not sure how long I can hold out. Most everyone is saying Katelyn and Sabina and many think Beau from the way they act together, I don't know what to do."

"I would say that he is too risky for you, but, if you end up being like him, you'll be just as risky, so talk to him and see what he says."

"I don't want to ruin all of this either, it's just so hard around him." Sabina looks towards his walk home.

"Tell him that also."

"I know he likes you." Evaine whispers, "which is also scary."

"None of that." Mertil answers, jerking her thumb towards the house.

"Fine, but I knew with you three the rest of us had no chance, but."

"But if he's bringing you into the circle, now you do?"

"Kind of."

"You're his age, beautiful and you share his talents, might as well open up to him a bit." Mertil wants to shake her head, tell her to leave him be, not jealous, no, just protective. Ugh, if Evaine is whispering what she thinks, many others know. Need to be more discreet, ugh, careful. I might have to talk to him also to be less, him. Mertil balls up her fists.

----

Viscount Giridhan Aberdeen finishes reading the reports, they were here, he thought it rumor, hoped it was a rumor as he already spent the money due to the Skaldians on three new ships and added a few guards to his personal security. Commander Niles stands waiting after delivering the report.

"Go get them, bring them here, before they get back, and add penalties that I can't afford."

"Our people will not like seeing this in their own city." Niles didn't like any of this, and now it just went from bad, to the worst possible command.

"Ah, yes, keep them down there and out of the way." Aberdeen nods, that would create some issues. Slavery isn't legal here, but the Skaldians lived on slave trade.

"Taking sixty men is also going to.."

"Sixty, it's women and children! Take your most trusted and keep this quiet!"

"What is the timeframe?"

"Now. Before they fucking get back! Go, now, have them ready before morning." Aberdeen thought this would be done already, those women were starving, the Skaldians would take them and feed them and whatever else they do, and money already spent isn't going to come back before those barbarians.

Commander Severan Niles, a hero in a lost war, kept most of his men alive, AND, came back to his wife and children who would have been just like those in Riverside if he hadn't gotten lucky with his last battle, they were going to lose until the main mast of their attacker didn't crack under the strain of that ships last hard turn. After that, they were sitting ducks.

His house was just a few away from the Viscount due to his position, the staff jumped when they heard his walk. "I"m taking them to family, pack for a few days, we're leaving tonight." He continues walking towards the center courtyard, "Penelope! Get the kids, follow me.

"Arun, Murial come." Penelope knows that look, her husband has been pacing the house for the last week, it must have happened, those poor people.

"Pack just enough to carry, a few days at most," Niles whispers. He waits for the kids to split off to their rooms, staff are already in there.

"He wants me to lead a team to go get them," he whispers as they get to their room.

Penelope opens the closet and brings out the bags, Sharath comes in and takes the bags from her with Neko. Niles stares at her for a moment understanding why he loved her so much, "my beautiful mind reader."

"When you said they were seen here, I figured we should be ready. You still think I'm beautiful?"

"I led with that didn't I?"

"How are you?"

"He didn't want this to get out so I'm the only one that knows, we should have until tomorrow before they notice. We should be a good way to the east by then."

Penelope gripped his hand with both of hers for the entire carriage ride to the docks. They all fall under Niles, they warned the harbor master the moment his carriage came into view.

"Commander. Oh, and your lovely family, what can we do for you this evening?"

"Dropping them off with family, I need something even I could handle." Niles smiles at Jurvus.

Jurvus laughs, Commander Niles has sailed every ship in the fleet working his way up the ranks. "I'm sure I can find something. Gates! slip two."

"Slip two commander, good luck, the weather should be nice for the next few days, and no incidents reported, the skaldian should be east of Sreport by this point."

"Thanks Jurvis, I'll be back once I drop them off, leave me at least one of the new ships to take out." Severan was a hardened soldier, that was having a war inside, unable to believe he was abandoning all of this, while knowing he couldn't stay another moment.

Jurvis has his people using long poles push the boat out far enough and turn it around. Severan had the sails set with a mast arm in the back of the boat, holding a knotted rope to pull the sails from side to side to catch the wind in the direction next to the rudder to help navigate around the river bends.

Back at the Inn, they were sitting around chatting, Katelyn and her family with Mertil and Kae.

"We have people coming, two adults and two children," I say as soon as I feel them.

Mertil starts and then settles back down, "you can tell if they are children?"

"I can tell what kind of animal, with people I can only tell based on size, so you, I'd think was.." She gives me a level look. "A very important person coming to visit." I smile at the end. "Timing is odd though with everything going on, so I'm going to check it out. I think moving my room downstairs would be great." I say as I run up the stairs to my room. "I seem to do this quite often."

"Fine," Katelyn finds that a good opportunity to broach the subject. "You two want his room with the copper bathtub?"

"Yes." Agitha says without pause, she knows the real reason, as they talk about everything, down to every dirty detail. Saiden shrugs as he doesn't care while they stay here, but he is wanting to move into one of the houses so he can be freer. Not possessing the flaunt or flair that Kaethorn gets away with, the moment it's more than just family, he's going to make the move. Might get a home in Sreport also to stay the night before the several day trip around and back down to Riverside. City Inn's are too dangerous to sleep in as often as they will need.

Standing at the last pinch point before getting to town, the moon is out with plenty to see the family in the boat, a male and female child with the mother and father, stowing the bow I call out.

"Excuse me, are you coming from Twin Rivers?" Watching the man in the back with both hands busy, they will float through slowly with the wind tonight. They all start.

"We are, who might you be?"

"Name is Kaethorn, was looking for some information, if you are moving on we have some writs we would like to get to the coastal towns."

"We are not staying, but we can take them with us."

"Dear, we have to tell them?" The woman whispers but it carries to me. The man doesn't say anything.

"Katelyn, Beau and Mertil are waiting for us at the Inn, if you could spare a moment we will make it worth your while." I mention the women to ease their fears.

"We will." The man says without another word for a moment.

"I'll meet you down there with them," not waiting for a reply, stepping back up the slope and jogging back to town, I have a few moments before they get here. Stopping at the Inn, "Could you ladies come with, I think the kids might feel better with you there."

It took longer than I thought, but I could feel they were still on course, going slower to get their stories straight? I'm getting paranoid as I get older.

Catching the rope as they get close I tie it off and do the same with the second one. The man led the way off the boat, no fear came off of him, he seemed more sad.

"I'm commander, err was commander Severan Niles, this is my wife Penelope and our children, what is it that you have for us?" Mertil hands him a stack of the writs, taking a moment to read it he looks up at me. "It was you that convinced Bjorn?"

'See, it isn't paranoia if it's true.' Cinthia says causing me to jump out of my skin, on the inside. I'm sure Severan saw me flinch.

"All four of us," Katelyn answers, "please, follow us to the Inn so the children can eat or drink while we talk." Severan nods with Katelyn turning and leading the way.

Penelope and Katelyn got the kids situated, they weren't hungry but enjoyed the juice they were given. Their questions started coming rapid fire, and Sabina was happy to answer them.

"The Viscount asked me to bring some troops down here and keep you in place until Bjorn and his team return, I decided to retire, I would expect the next person in command will follow his orders."

"How many and how long would you expect?" Hoping we have at least a few hours.

"No longer than a day or two, I expect with me gone they will bring twenty or more." Severan stares at this man with the long hair and beard, was he part Skaldian, and that's why they left them alone?

"Anything less than a hundred and we should be fine," I say more to the others, to Katelyn, "Can you get Heran, Sabina, and Jacob? Tell the teams we will meet in the morning all together."

"A hundred, you have the backing of the Skaldians?" Severan asks.

"What? No, If you were staying, we'd fill you in, otherwise, I'm sure you understand. I have no doubt against thirty or so, no different than the skaldian numbers we will have little trouble, if more than that we wouldn't mind a commander that apparently understands how wrong this is to help out." Severan looks down at the writ still in his hand. His wife on the other hand.

"Well, where can we stay?" Penelope asks and Severan looks over at her, she gives a hint of a smile. "Once he asked, we know what you're going to do."

Severan nods and looks over at me, "how many do you have?"

"Come with me, I'll show you to your room." Agitha takes over while Katelyn is out, leading up the stairs. Penelope collects the children and follows.

"All of them, they've been learning how to take care of themselves, bows like the one I have here. Four guards can also fight with a sword and shield."

"May I?" He's eyeing my bow, handing it over he draws and releases it a few times watching the slats move. "The pull is light, I've never seen it's like, and I know bows."

"It's not from around here."

"I can tell you Commander Niles, they are easy to use and quite deadly." Mertil points to a table where their bows are set. "And always at hand, just in case."

"I doubt Bjorn and his team are going to listen to the Viscount on coming down here when he's told, that ship has sailed." Taking a sip of my ale to think, "though, I doubt the forces being sent will know that beforehand. We are going to meet in the morning for training if you'd like to watch and give advice."

"I will, if I know the Viscount he will pick Enzo, he is not very creative and knowing that there are only women and children here, I wouldn't expect anything fancy." Severan pauses, looking at the writ and setting it on the table. "Do you have weapons other than the bows?"

"We do, but not enough knowledge to use them, we can work on that after we finish the training with the bows."

"And you are sure the women of this town are up to it? Well, I guess if you aren't allied with the Skaldians, you did something to get them to leave you alone."

"That was all Kae, they sailed away tail tucked and happy to be gone," Beau says, startling Severan. The faces of the women turned to Kae, none of them seemed to be afraid, and most seemed pleased. Severan knew of Bjorn, closest to being a hero of the Skaldian, none of this was making any sense as these people stood no chance against them.

"You'll see in the morning, that the women of this town are quite motivated to stay as they are." I reply, "We can leave from here in the morning together." All of the team leaders arrive back at the Inn.

"How long?" Jacob asks knowing who Severan is as he walks through the door and see us.

"Think tomorrow and be happy if it's the day after," I answer and he looks back to Severan and nods, looking around.

*Thank you for making it this far, I hope to get others involved shortly, just need to wrap up a few things in town and then start to expand slowly out into the world. Two readers are being added in for their support, and there many more chapters and maps available *Maps are a difficult work in progress just added this week.*