The Ranger: (Real Ch. 01)

An Old World story of a Dnd - classed Ranger that finds a new land to start over. Things just seem to get out of hand, often. Feel free to comment as ideas are welcome for future chapters.

*Having an Idea is easy, writing though, is difficult, be gentle.

It's been a while now since the storm destroyed most of our fleet, and none of the other survivors were in sight. Two hundred ships leaving the Mercian coast with twenty that I could count after, and now it's just me. The only reason I survived was my left leg going through the wall of the cabin, shattering my ankle, but saving my life when the waves washed over us over and over again. I've healed my leg but have nothing left in the cabin to eat or drink, rationing the water down to a few sips per day and hoping this new sign was a good one. My lips were cracked from spending as much time as I could out here as the cabin was oven hot, how is it so hot outside?

I had no idea how to set the sails and one person rowing a boat this size is useless. Climbing with giant sailcloth is an all-day task just to get two connections and rest, spent so many days trying to figure out what goes where, sails apparently don't just magically catch the air and take you where you want to go.

Fish didn't care about my animal friendship or answering any questions on directions, but the birds, when a few came within reach after weeks of nothing, you'd be surprised how smart birds really are, just different as they talk about building their nest, other birds, to listen to their songs and mating, wondering if I had any fish, I asked where their homes were and if they didn't understand, where is your mate as a question would get them to head off in that direction to show me, it was just off to the left of where I was heading. If I'd have had food to give them, they'd have probably come back.

This boat had twenty archers and a regular crew, the crew was also fighters. Tons of bows and arrows and a score of other weapons, plenty of tents and bedding and backpacks from those no longer with me. Finding land would mean being able to live again, could build a little tent city.

I see a smudge out of the corner of my eye and turn to see what I hope is land in the distance. Please have fresh water, it hasn't rained, even fruit or coconuts would work. The next hour was spent staring at the smudge getting slightly bigger and dreaming of food, the next day the smudge just kept stretching out and rising up.

The shoreline grew to cover the entire horizon, the smudge turning into a mountain that ranged half the horizon way off in the distance. A large inlet off to the right, but 'port tacking' to go sideways into the wind wasn't something I could do, so my limited goal was to keep going straight and hopefully slam the boat onto shore without sinking along the way.

Trees for as far as I could see made my heart soar, the best-case scenario to getting out of the sun as it has been much warmer here than where we started out from, the water needed to sustain them, and the ability to hunt, I have enough arrows to last me a few years. I might be able to trade with the people that live here. There is entirely too much land to not have people somewhere. There's no smoke visible.

The shore came up quickly, I wrapped around the mast with arms and legs and was ripped off without slamming into the rail. Jumping up to run onto shore, turned more into feeling dizzy and plopping back down onto the deck for a minute before crawling off the ship and onto land.

"Ugh God." I'm still swaying like I'm on the waves while I crawl along the beach towards the back of the boat. It's dug in pretty well. Still need to get as much off as I can after I get my land legs and some water. The wind coming off the ocean masked all other sounds and smells.

Grabbing my bow and a quiver of hunting arrows and three water canteens in a large sack it was time to head out. Looking back at the boat as I was entering the woods I stopped and changed my mind, made a few trips back and forth building a little pile of essentials at the edge of the woods, just in case I come back and it was gone.

The beach led directly into the woods and a dozen paces in the normal noises began. I could live here for as long as necessary. A few small trails kept leading me northeast until I came to a rocky outcrop with an empty den-like opening. My sense animal was short-range but took little mana to use. I had joined my now missing team as a support ranger. Most archers are lined up and used in bulk, being a ranger, I was used for my tracking, animal sense in hunting, and limited healing, I also had Allo my now lost wolf and best friend. My group had three others, we'd been through so much just to have a storm end it all.

Just enjoying the feel of the ground beneath me, I was tempted to remove my boots and get dirty, but water would have to come first. Constantly sending out sense animal and not getting back much until I felt two humanoids further up the path, keeping low and slow, watching as two youngsters in odd clothing, baggy flowing pants, dress, and shirt on the other side, they were drinking directly from the water, which is good, though I've fallen for that before, throwing caution to the wind due to others having at it, made for a few ugly miserable days after.

Quietly moving the first canteen into the water until it was full, pulling it back and slotting it on top of the second canteen. The first was a mixture of sand, gravel, charcoal and cloth that would filter water into the second, I'll take this minimal initial risk and boil the rest this evening. Felt like forever before taking a few drinks and then filling up both canteens and putting them back into the sack.

The youngsters across the water were done making out and now going at heavy. If they were looking for privacy, this should be a good distance from their homes. Both were olive skinned, dark haired and slim. Their whispers and moans were no help in trying to figure out the language. It wasn't long before they cleaned up and headed northwest.

Swimming across and seeing their trail cut and easy to follow, no need to chase them down, going to move east to see if I could snag some food, cheating with the call to any of the small animals that would answer. Several came and I was led to a patch of thorny berry bushes where I ate just short of being sick and picked enough to last the night. It would have taken every one of those little guys to make a meal and that wasn't going to happen.

Sleeping in what should have been a den in the rocks with a small fire to dry off, sending out the sense to ensure nothing followed the smell of smoke. The lack of animal life let me sleep.

'You finally made it huh, figured your scrawny ass would waste away.' Grayson walks over and sits at the table. 'You always were the luckiest I've ever met.'

'Lucky? I was with you literally all of the time, staying back out of the way when things get hairy isn't luck, it's being smart.'

'Please, I know the truth of it now, all those near misses, the never being sick a day in your life, makes so much sense now.'

'Too much too soon Gray,' looking over I see Cinthia was seated in what was an empty chair, 'I'm happy with your results, What now Kay, this place looks perfect for you, make a home of it and quit all the fighting we'd done over the last several years, and for what? We'll be replaced and it'll just continue on.

Shoo, they'll have to hire three teams to do what we took care of with four of us.' I answer, and that's no boast, we were perfect together.

'Sow those oats my man, get everything you can with this new lease on life.'

'Get some sleep Kae, I gotta rest and get my spells refocused and we've been here too long. She faded off and I sat with Grayson for a bit longer.

Berries and water for breakfast were enough to make dozens of trips back and forth to the boat to empty everything of note before the ocean pulls it back out. Tons of limpets along the shore, but I will never eat another limpet after spending months on those little mollusks during my early training days.

My bow Ello, two quivers, one for hunting and one for fighting, the specialty butterfly blades, and a rucksack of essentials to replace the sack. Time to follow that trail and see what we have for civilization.

The most used trail leads from the stream to the first small farming house. A field cut out of the woods with no livestock, the roof was oddly patched but the land was clear and clean of debris. There should be a crop at this time of year, but it doesn't even look readied, the standard one-daughter family. Spent a good time watching so as not to have any surprises, they had no weapons on them or anywhere outside.

"I hope this goes well."

Walking with both hands up and empty when the father was walking in my direction, don't want him inside where he could grab a weapon to protect the women. He starts when I step out of the shadows and fully into the field, looks like he is going to run, and then he stops and watches me approach.

I have no idea what language he is using, I try basic, elven, and finally, trade talk making his eyes change.

"I was shipwrecked, looking for a village, town or city?"

"Town is that way." He nods his head in the direction I've been heading and we stand there for a moment, he is checking out my gear and I'm looking at his property.

"Thank you." I start to walk past him.

"Have you eaten?"

"Berries and water. I can catch game, but there isn't enough out there as it is."

"Ahh, there are two newly mated cats causing havoc,' he says so I send my sense out, but nothing nearby.

"My name is Kaethorn."

"Saedin, pleased you survived, would you like to eat before you go?"

The girl from the stream was standing outside the door with her mother in the door. Saedin introduced me to both.

"This is Kaethorn, he washed up on shore to the south." I could see the distrust in their eyes. "This is Agitha and my daughter Heran." I nod to both.

"I apologize for dropping in like this but am grateful you were here."

"Well, we have plenty of meat after those two hellions killed off our livestock," Agitha says and walks back inside.

"Hmm, where do they come from?" I ask Saedin, Heran answers.

"I've seen them pass the house a few times from the west," she points off to the left side of the house.

"I think your generosity deserves an equal reward, if I can take a nap after we eat, I'll head out tonight and see what can be done with them."

Inside the house was a beautiful contrast to the outside, with polished floors and furniture; detailed workmanship is shown throughout the main room.

"They are very large," Saedin replies as we take a seat.

The bowl of stew smells amazing, "thank you, hunting is what I do."

"Figured, I've never seen a bow like yours," Heran says excitedly.

"You have no weapons?"

Saedin shakes his head, "Never had a need."

The bowl of delicious food was bigger than my stomach, staying in the chair and pushing through the pain, groaning like a baby. "Whew! That was too much too soon, I am going to get some supplies and come back. I'll leave the backpack here if you don't mind."

"No Nap?" Heran asks and smiles at me setting off alarms with the look. "Not with my stomach stretched. I'll be back before dusk with a few things that might help you if anything like this happens again."

Starting off at a walk and moving on to a jog once comfortable, back across the water and to the den to grab a standard size for Saedin and two short bows for Agitha and Heran, a backpack with supplies for tuning, restring, and arrow components, along with two quivers of premade hunting arrows and two quivers of practice.

'New life, new path to take, no more mercenary work, nobody knows me here, I can relax and just blend in with regular everyday people walking about a town without a care in the world. Work the debt owed off in a new world.'

The two cats aren't marking their territory or leaving behind any traces that they've been in this part of the wood. Getting back to the farm early Heran squeals when I hand her a short bow. I explain why they have three strings and that everything they need is in the backpack and hand Saedin and Agitha their bows.

"I've never seen anything like these and I've seen a lot of bows." Saedin holds it up. "Very light, which string do you use on this thing?"

"Nock the middle back string, the other two are just to create more pull without you having to put muscle into it, this pulls them back at the same time, I move the leather draw notch around for him to see how it works.

"You are going to have to practice both accuracy, maintenance and make new arrows over time." Turning to Saedin, everything you need is in this backpack. "Your bow can reach the edge of the woods where I came out, from the door. Theirs, little more than half of that, new arrows have to be fired and coated with resins or they can snap in half from the force of the release."

"Could you hit anything that far away?" Heran asks opening the door to take a look at the distance.

"Yes, but I couldn't make this table or sail."

"With all of the stock killed at the same time, these are more important now than ever." Agitha mumbles.

"Once the cats are gone, you should find hunting easier," I reply and take the cup being offered from Agitha.

"Will you show me before you go after them?"

"Heran, he is doing enough as it is," Saedin answers his daughter.

"It is fine, I've been stuck at sea for quite a while and need to practice myself. Grab a bracer from the pack and a quiver of the simple arrows," dusk is probably not the best time to practice, but I do have to loosen up before I get myself into trouble out there.

Once outside we stand at a beginner distance from a few stacks of feed hay.

"Watch my feet, hips, and shoulders," drawing a line in the dirt, "all three should be in line with your target."

Letting the first arrow fly it hits the middle stack going through and coming out the other side.

Moving aside, Heran takes my spot.

"Where are you aiming?"

"Same spot you were?" she answers. Moving over I redraw the line along her toe line showing her feet and hips were lined up off to the right of the target. Waving my arm between us, pointing to the area she is pointing.

"How do you fix it?" She moves her feet halfway.

"More feet and more hips." I reply and nod when she gets to the right angle. "Feel the difference?"

"Maybe." She laughs and I shake my head.

"Pull it back, feel the wind, at this distance, it would need to be stronger, but at a farther distance it matters. Breath in when you pull it back, release and breath out."

The arrow flies off into the distance and she looks at me with a frown.

"What? Did you think bullseye on the first attempt? Did you notice it was dead center? That is pretty darn good for beginners."

"Really!? Can I go again?"

"Take your time, if you miss to the right or left fix your alignment and send all of them." Ten arrows later and she was hitting the hay. Get that back elbow up a bit.." "You were careless earlier today, out by the stream with those cats about." Heran goes from confused to embarrassed rather quickly.

"From now on, when you go out, take Willow with you." I nod at the bow.

"Willow!? It has a name?" Heran turns it around in her hands looking at it again.

"Your mother and fathers have tuning kits in the backpack. Your bow will tune to how you use it and get better over time. This is why you need to take your time and make every shot count."

"What does that mean?"

"Nock point and different arrow types can leave the bow at different angles." There is a booklet in the backpack to walk your parents through it. Your bow is enchanted to adjust on its own."

"Will they be able to read it?" she asks and I about slap myself in the forehead, shaking my head.

"Uh, good point, but there are enough pictures to figure it out and I'm not going to wander off too far anytime soon."

"Are you sure I should have this?"

"I made Willow for my friend's daughter, now Willow needs someone to take care of her. If you promise to do that, you can have her."

"If I practice every day will she be okay?"

"Yes, she will get stronger the more you use her, and if you talk to her she will enjoy the company."

"Thank you! Thank you! Mom! This is a magic bow named Willow!" Heran runs back to the house.

Saedin pulls out paper and a charcoal stick. "This is the house, with a ravine here, pretty flat west of there."

The hunt is unremarkable with two Jaguars lounging in the same tree. Both are quite large at six feet and 100plus pounds. Staying downwind and two quick pulls puts them both down without them falling off their perch. This must be the middle of their range to not see any scrapings or smell any markings or they have no competition.

There was no moving these beasts and that family might get a reward for their pelts.

Back at the house, I circle their final resting location, "The meat will be spoiled by morning, but the hides should get you enough to restart the livestock, more if there is payment for their removal. The Jaguar range is large, making them uncommon so the teeth and claws might also get you a good price from a merchant or collector.

"Thank you Kaethorn, we prayed for help, and you just walked out of the woods, and now..." Agitha gets teary and stops talking.

"I could use half a bowl of that stew if you want to make us even?" Raising an eyebrow at Agitha she smiles, turns towards the potbelly oven. "Give it a few more minutes to warm."

"Now that we got all of that out of the way, what is the name of this region, what is the native language?

"We are just outside of Riverside, south of Twin River and the greater territory is Meridikan. My father was a fisherman and sea trader." Saedin replies, "we moved from Twin River to here when Heran was born and the war started shortly after."

"The first two names are common all over, but I've never heard of Meridikan, is the war over?"

"The war ended, we lost to the raiders from the north east but they prefer to ransom and skirmish, never staying to take land or settle."

"Their type is also known all over. They don't come this far south?" They consider north the opposite of my orientation as I came from the north to get here. This is going to take some getting used to when I'm navigating around.

"Nah, nothing worthwhile." Saedin shrugs.

"Good." I reply, and he nods.

After another full bowl of stew, I realize the boat could be of use. "I could use a favor?"

"Name it." Saedin replies instantly.

"Do you know of a rocky outcrop with a den halfway between the stream and..." Saedin is nodding his head before I finish.

"I have quite a bit of equipment stored in there, if you could gather it and bring it back here?"

"We can do that." Saedin agrees.

"There is also a boat I grounded; you could take whatever you want if it is still there."

"Should stay there until the next major storm, I could use that to start the barn. How big?"

"Forty or so feet with almost half of that cabin," I reply and Saedin's eyes widen and he smiles.

"That would go a long way to making quite a few things." Saedin looks over at Anitha and she nods.

"I take it the craftsmanship in here is your work?" Anitha lips press together, and she nods.

When they head off to bed I rest on the padding Anitha places in the far corner behind a few containers.

"You already setting things right Kay." Cinthia whispers with her arm around me and mouth against my ear.

"Now is the only time I have Cin, might as well make it count."

"Hmmm, roll over and make it count twice." The arm pulling me over is insistent, so I figure I'm not done for the evening."