The Forgotten Ranger - A Ranger's Apprentice Fanfiction

Chapter 2

Quite a few people were walking the streets as Aiden made his way towards the forest. The stands that populated the main road had already begun selling, the traders eagerly watching every passerby that might look upon their wares. Even though they had lived in Redmont for the past 8 years, they had made little in the way of friends. As his apprentice, Kay was on good terms with the blacksmith and his family, but very few of the villagers would even hold a conversation with them. It was a situation they were used to; their father's occupation had always caused the same effect everywhere they lived. After his death it didn't change. Aiden had found friends in the children who lived as wards of Baron Arald, who he had joined in lessons since his father passed. They had no knowledge of his father, so they had no reason to mistrust him.

He noticed the stares he got from those bold enough to look, whilst it had once bothered him, he now only saw it as a way to keep the memory of his father close. Further up the road, the stalls had stopped and the stream of people on the road had lessened considerably. No longer having to weave his way through the throngs, he quickened his pace.

A thin canopy of leaves filled the air above him, swapping the bright blue of the sky for a vibrant green. The road ahead was empty, the only sounds filling his ears were those of the birds which populated the trees. He made sure to get deeper into the forest before heading off the side of the road, scouting for small animal tracks. After only venturing a few metres he spotted something promising and crouched to get a better look. Carefully moving a few leaves away he was able to identify a set of pheasant tracks, imprinted in the recently made mud. Taking his time he looked at all of the meandering tracks it had made, establishing the direction it had headed in.

Faint sounds of hooves coming from both directions of the road started to get louder as he was observing the tracks. This wasn't unusual, the road was fairly well used, so he didn't take much note of it. That was until they got closer, and he heard the sound of steel being drawn. A chill travelled down his spine, his mind on high alert. The sound had been short, it was likely a small knife or dagger of some kind, but he wasn't going to take any chances. From his position in the shrubs he was well hidden from the road, but he made sure to still all his movement to avoid making any unwanted sound.

A low grumble came from both of the mounts as they were stopped, followed by voices. Aiden was unable to make out what they were talking about as they spoke quietly. Growing curiosity convinced him to try and move closer, so he did. Taking care with each footfall to keep it light, avoiding loud noises, he reached the shrubs that were only a couple of metres from the road before he decided he could go no further. Straining his ears, he was able to pick up on some small bits of conversation.

"... Highway bandits causing all kinds of ... dangerous for travellers..." The other man seemed to say something in response but he couldn't tell what. The jangling of tack had started to grow more frequent, it seemed their horses were getting restless. It wasn't long before the sound of hooves started again, but only one set. He could hear it getting closer, until the bush in front of him was disturbed. A spark of fear hit him, if he was found how could he explain what he had been doing without getting into trouble, or what if they suspect him of something worse? They definitely had a weapon of some sort, he'd heard it. Still he did his best to steel his nerves, keeping absolutely still despite every part of his mind wanting to run away, knowing it was his best chance of remaining unseen. Thankfully the hooves carried the stranger past his spot, and he let out a silent breath he didn't know he had been holding.

The second person set off again, but it seemed he was continuing into the forest. This confused Aiden, considering the warning he just got, surely he should head back into the village? Most would petition the Baron to deal with the problem. Once the horse sounded far away enough, he peeked his head around the bush, trying to get a look at the man foolish enough to continue on. He seemed quite ordinary, his clothing was simple and he rode a chestnut horse with a shaggy coat. It was rather alarming, if the man couldn't defend himself he could get into serious trouble if there is anyone out there. Concerned for the man's safety, he quickly decided he would follow the stranger for a while, that way he could make sure nothing bad would happen. Although the twinge of excitement that ran through him thinking of the possibilities may have had a hand in his decision making.

Choosing to stay out of sight to avoid any unwanted discussions of why he would be following a stranger, he began to make his way along the side of the road, staying behind the shrubs and trees that gave him cover. Without many bends in this section of the road, it was fairly easy to follow the stranger whilst keeping him in distant sight. It wasn't long before he heard the sound of hooves grow muffled and the addition of shrubs rustling. Taking another look he spotted the man disappearing off the road and into the forest. The behaviour was odd, setting off more alarm bells for Aiden, but he still couldn't figure out the stranger's motives. With perhaps a little more trepidation in his steps, he ventured further into the forest after him.

Light dimmed as he made his way through, the trees much more dense now. He had lost sight of the man, and despite straining his ears couldn't hear his movement over the ambient sounds. Luckily his tracks were easy to follow, his path much clearer without the hundreds of overlapping hoofprints he would have seen on the road. He had to pay much more attention to his footfalls now, a false step on a rotten branch would very quickly give away his location. Despite being fairly confident the stranger wouldn't be able to hear him with his lead, he decided to stay cautious. The going was much slower, but kept his stealth intact.

It seemed the man was heading in a specific direction, from his knowledge of the area Aiden was sure the tracks ran parallel to the road, which must be nearly fifty metres away. Preoccupied by his thinking, he stopped, realising the tracks had disappeared from his path. Cursing his carelessness he carefully backtracked, moving slowly and trying to ignore the growing sense of urgency he felt. He only had to travel a few paces before he picked it up again, realising why he had lost it in the first place. It seemed the tracks veered suddenly, heading almost directly back to the road. After a moment he figured out what he presumed to be the strangers motives, he was trying to avoid the potential highway bandits. He must have been told they were on the road nearby.

An uncomfortable feeling settled over Aiden, he was unsure whether to proceed. It struck him as odd for highway bandits to set up in such a place, the road here twisted and turned, it would provide poor visibility for them to watch for travellers and they could be avoided by the wiser road users. His brow furrowed as he tried to visualise the road, hoping to find a place where an ambush would be easy. The road they had passed just wouldn't make sense.

Dread hit his stomach, churning his guts. The bridge. Whilst it was quite an open spot, it was the fastest way to cross the river, so was frequented by the merchants who travelled in and out of Redmont. It might be difficult to hide there unnoticed, but anyone looking to threaten lives to make a few coins would find a way around it quickly. Still, he didn't know if the bandits existed at all, let alone if they would follow any sort of sensible logic. That didn't make him feel any less uneasy. He had to make a decision. If he was right and headed there first to check, he might be able to stop the man before he got anywhere near and warn him. If he was wrong, the man could be left to fend for himself elsewhere on the road.

Before realising he had made a decision, his legs had begun to carry him forward. He trusted himself. He headed directly towards the bridge, leaving the tracks behind.