The Ranger Queen

Midnight Meetings

Will couldn't sleep that night, he tossed and turned on the relatively comfortable mattress that he was given, but he couldn't get comfortable. 

They'd been permitted to stay the night before they set off in the morning, and to their great surprise they were given rooms in the only place with rooms available, The Queen's lodgings. Next door, at this very moment were the two crowned royals of the tribe, who apparently had no fear of the outsiders sleeping next door. Though he knew better, The Queen was crafty, she was staying there to make sure they didn't try to run off in to the night or attempt an assassination.

The Queen, she was stuck in his mind. How had she known on the attempt on their lives? There was no possible way that she could have found out! And why were her people terrified of them? 

With no way he would ever get to sleep he stood, stretched, and decided to get some water to quench his parched throat. Careful not to wake Halt or Horace, he crept out of the room and down to the central room of the moderate sized wooden hut. As he remembered seeing upon entering, there was a pitcher of water on the table. 

He was in the midst of gulping down a second glass upon realizing his raging thirst, when the voice behind him spoke.

" You shouldn't be up this late," A calm, melodious voice stated casually.

He almost choked on his water in sudden surprise but easily masked his emotions like he was trained to do. Turning, he spotted Queen Deorwynn calmly standing at the other end of the room, the moonlight shining on her face and making her scar shine out eerily. She was dressed in a black tunic and dark grey breaches, a style he had not expected any woman to wear, let alone a Queen. She was standing with crossed arms and a threatening posture.

" Neither should you, your highness. I was merely thirsty and knew where the water pitcher was," Will explained casually.

Deorwynn sniffed disdainfully and stalked over, pouring a glass for herself and gulping it down quickly.

" I see we both had the same idea," She commented drily, leaning on the wall behind her casually.

A sudden realization came to Will, and he decided this was the perfect opportunity to ask his questions that had ben plaguing him all night.

" If I may ask, Queen Deorwynn, how did you know about the assassination attempts made on our lives?" Will asked curiously.

Deorwynn stiffened and stared at him with narrowed eyes, but a thoughtful expression.

" You must have found my cloak fabric binding your healing wounds, you tell me how I knew," Deorwynn chuckled, devoid of humor, eyes sparkling in the low light.

Will stared at her with wide eyes, his mouth gaping like a fish out of water as he realized the gravity of her statement.

" You saved me, you saved Halt. You were the one who healed us," Will whispered with awe in his tone.

Deorwynn nodded, confirming his realization with a calm air.

" And by doing so I defied the most sacred law of my people. We have always believed your people, the outsiders, who have persecuted us all through history, are to be feared, avoided. By helping you I defied our natural ways! None of my tribesmen can know that I helped you," Deorwynn muttered, anger in her tone.

That made sense suddenly, now Will knew why her people had been afraid of him and his friends when they were first lead in. He realized now why hey were so shy, they'd been told for centuries that people outside their tribe were to be feared.

" If it goes against you laws, then why did you do it? Why did you help us? Because as far as I can see, you're still helping us by letting us off easy!" Will demanded to know.

Deorwynn's gaze fell and she studied the floorboards as if they were suddenly interesting.

" Because my mother was murdered the day I found you, I saw her body and the way the Toscans brutally murdered her for no reason. Seeing you and the other Ranger in the same predicament........if I could save you, then it made me feel better for not saving my mother. Ans what I've seen of you, all she's ever taught me about the bloodthirsty outsiders is not all correct, you're good people, Will, and we have been alone for much too long," Deorwynn explained, with exasperation clear in her tone.

There was silence then, until Will finally broke it.

" You are a good person too, Queen Deorwynn, Halt and I could never repay you for what you did for us........but the Toscans are an enemy of both our peoples, they've both murdered people we care about..... we are united wth a common enemy here. We both are hunting down the same group, would it not be better to combine our forces?" Will reasoned, hoping his suggestion wouldn't draw anger from the younger girl.

Deorwynn stared at the floorboards again, indecision in her gaze. She appeared to be thinking over his idea, and mulling it over.

" I agree with you, Ranger Will, I agree that you and your friends are allies to my people, but I could never convince my people to come with you and help, they are too afraid!" Deorwynn sighed, regret in her tone.

Will stared at her for a moment, before he remembered the way he'd seen her and her sister earlier in the day, not had carried weapons, both were used to roughing it in the woods, and clearly he was a valuable asset with healing and tracking.

" Your people may not come, but what about you and your sister? Surely with your ability to be unheard of for years you could leave your tribe in hiding until you return.......that is, if you wanted to help get vengeance for your mother's death," Will suggested, offering her another option.

Deorwynn's eyes sparkled when she looked up t him, and a grim smile flashed across her face.

" I believe that could be arranged. That is.....if you can handle my sister's attitude. But there is one condition, our tracking dogs have to come with us, they can trace a scent and fight," Deorwynn decided, a playful smirk on her lips.

Will chuckled lightly. " The more the merrier," Will chuckled.

Deorwynn smirked again before turning tale and stalking back to her room, leaving Will to wonder just what Halt would think of their new travel companions, Will could imagine his gruff mentor's reaction now.