The Story Of

A Ranger

"No need to be sorry, Bailey. I believe you were about to tell me about the ranger."

"Ah, right. Then, let me tell you the story of a ranger named Fowler. Fowler came from a small village of highly skilled fighters, hunters, and farmers. Many of the children there grow up to become rangers, just as he did.

When Fowler was old enough to leave his home, he became something of a nomad. He went from town to town, defending them and rooting out beasts for a few weeks, and then moved on. At the same time Hail, Cassandra, and Basil were in Veridshire, Fowler had taken to slaying dangerous creatures around a nearby town called Aracassle. Arascassle was, and still is, a relatively small place, with fewer adventurers and resident warriors. So, a lot of quests from there end up on quest boards here, where we get more traffic. One day, Hail, Cassandra, and Basil took up a bounty for the death of a giant wolf creature just outside Aracassle. And they arrived right on time to see Fowler already fighting it off.

They all stopped dead in their tracks when they saw him. They were so shocked that someone was already there, taking care of a quest they had picked up. And Basil, well, he was captivated by the ranger's fighting style. The beast was giant, but the man was so quick and agile, always one step ahead. It captured his attention instantly.

Hail was the first to recover their wits. They shouted out, distracting the ranger. Adventurer, I'm sure you know that distractions in a fight are never good for anybody. The great wolf swiped Fowler to the side. Probably knocked him a good ten feet.

Cassandra, ever the leader, spurred them into action. She and Hail went to fight the wolf and Basil dashed to the ranger. He helped the man up and forced him farther away from the fight while Hail and Cassandra finished the creature off. Rightfully so, the ranger was rather pissed. He was also rather injured. So, the party took him back to Veridshire, got him a room, and Basil took care of wounds while the other two collected their reward.

Even missing a decent portion of his blood, the ranger had the energy to be sassy and fiery. Now, this will sound cliché, but I think the fighter started falling in love with the ranger right then and there. Don't get me wrong, adventurer, I've never believed in love at first sight. But I do believe that one can slowly start to fall from the moment they meet someone. And I think that's what happened to Basil. Such a fire, such resistance contained in a human body. I bet it drew him right in. I suppose only Basil himself would know. Storytellers such as myself can only wonder and dream." Bailey has a wistful look on his face.

After a short pause to turn and put away some of the dried mugs, he continues, "Anyways, Cassandra and Hail came back, and they quickly agreed to split the reward with Fowler. Now, because of his injuries, the ranger had to stay in town and rest for a while longer. So, the party visited him while he recovered. And when he was well enough to leave them and the town, he didn't really want to anymore. It would be a long time before he admitted that, though. You see, Fowler was fond of his lonesomeness away from his village. He wanted to keep his distance from people he knew he would have to leave. But this group of three had grown on him. So, when the party was about to leave town one day, they found the ranger outside of their inn, ready to go.

All four of them traveled together, fighting the fiercest of beasts and building the strongest of bonds. For years, they were a unit- traveling together, laughing together, making memories together. Along the way, they became just short of famous in some parts of the world. But all good things must come to an end, adventurer, and so too did their time as travelers together.

Your stomach does a nervous little flip. What does Bailey mean by that? You suppose you're about to find out.