The Five [EDITING]

Chapter Eight: Averton

GEACOB
   Normally, for a Ranger to find a good spot to get some rest for the night and have a good meal, they'd have to go to someplace like The T where we had a backdoor pass and were on good terms with the owner.
   But in the three weeks since Loryn and I had exited the mountain pass and started walking along Mountain Road again, we'd run into more Rangers than dargolians. Now that the sparse birch, oak and pine trees were being replaced by the white-silver of silverwood trees, indicating that we'd crossed the boarder into Averton, the Rangers were less and less frequent, but the ones we did run across informed me that Rangers no longer needed to hide. Apparently, Averton had crumbled together a small council, but still had no control over the kingdom --- no one followed a council without a king before and they never would. The Rangers, despite the best efforts of those that remained of the royal councils, were quickly taking over the land.
   So at the first town we came across with decent horses in their stables and more than one inn to choose from, we stopped.
   "What is this place?" Loryn wondered.
   "Leafinton, I think." I answered. "Remind me to get a map before we leave."
   "We're leaving?" She almost cried.
   "Not for a few days." I assured her--- truth was, I was exhausted as well.
   Winter had decided to show itself before the snow this year, becoming bitterly cold about two weeks back. With Loryn huddled in my cloak, I was left freezing. During the day it was fine because the constant movement kept my blood warm, but at night, I found myself checking fingers and toes for coldsickness even with the fire going. I had to stay up half the night, adding wood to the fire so that I would not freeze to death in my sleep so that exhausted me as well. With anyone else, we'd have shared the bedroll and used the cloak as a blanket to cover us both, but it was coming to the point that I would apparently rather freeze to death than listen to another one of her tantrums. I was less than two years older than her, yet felt as if I were babysitting an unwelcome child. No doubt her attitude was due to her upbringing, with always being doted on and told her spoiled self was perfect in every way.
   Loryn made me happy that I was not rich because if I were, someone might try and marry me off to a lady like Loryn or --- may the gods forbid it --- a princess, who would no doubt be even worse.
   No. Being a Ranger was just fine with me... even when my black cloak caused all sorts of problems, just like the one up ahead.
   "You there! Outsider! Halt!"
   I frowned at the big man. Curious as to how this was going to go. I glanced at the inn only two doors down --- so close. "I have coin and I plan on using it." I said to the man, raising both of my hands to show that I held no weapons in them.
   Face flushed, the man cleared his throat. "Ah that's... that's very good, sir." He said. Clearly he feared the Rangers. If I made a move, he'd probably start running. "Only I... see, I need to see your chest, ser."
   "I'm no knight." I reminded him.
   "I-I know that, ser, err... I know that."
   But I was only just hearing what he'd said to me. "My chest? Do you say you needed to see my chest?"
   "Yes, s.--- yes."
   I waited, and when he didn't explain I raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to tell me why?"
   "We need to see if you have the birthmark there." Said one of the two men that were now also approaching us. Great, there were more of them. These two didn't look afraid of me either, unlike the big man. In them, I saw hate and disgust. I decided these were the ones I would rather not turn my back on and turned to face them fully.
   "Why a birthmark?"
   "Show us, boy child." Said the surlier of the two. He was a big, burly fellow and he put a hand on the hilt of a sword as he demanded this of me. "If there's no mark, you have nothing to fear and we'll let you be."
   Seeing as I had no birthmark, I impatiently pulled down the collar of my wool shirt as far as I could. "Satisfied?" I asked, my irritation obvious in that single word.
   But instead of telling me to go, both their eyes narrowed and he mad a motion with his hand. Before I could think on what to do, five more men were circling me. Even the fat one looked serious now.
   "You'll have to come with us now, boy child." Said my own personal annoyance as Loryn yipped in surprise.
   "Thought you said you'd let me be on my way?" I said. "I have no mark on my chest."
   "We just need to ask you a few questions."
   Never. I knew where asking questions lead when it involved a Ranger.
   Thinking fast, I reached under my arm and pulled the dagger out of the strap there. In the same move, I grabbed Loryns arm and yanked her in front of me. She let out a sound half way between a gasp and a scream as I put the knife against her throat.
   "Whoever you're looking for," I said clearly, seeing the townspeople stopping to watch as well now, "I am not him. Give passage and leave and I will not harm the girl."
   "She was with you. She's wearing your cloak."
   "She's a whore I picked up and she was cold." I said with a shrug. "I can be charming when I wish." I said, and grinned. "But only when I wish."
   "I'm not a whore!" Loryn shouted in insult and elbowed me. By all the gods that listen, I was going to end up killing this girl one day. Did she not realize what I was trying to do?
   The burly man's eyes narrowed. "Get him!" Came the order.
   Shite.
   I pushed Loryn away and spun around just in time to dodge the sword that came down at my head.
   "Don't kill him! We need him alive you dolts!" Someone shouted and I sighed in relief, even as I actually blocked a sword from cutting into my gut. Blocked it with a throwing dagger I'd like to emphasize --- my uncle would be proud. As good a fighter as I was, it was eight on one and my sword was strapped to my back hiding beneath my bag where I had put it to make myself look less threatening. Foolish me, I should have known. No Ranger look less threatening.
   I was seriously regretting that forethought.
   They kept going for my legs now as well as my hands. I was exhausted already from lack of food and sleep so I quickly began to worry as I knew I would not be able to keep this up for long. I started to look for ways to escape and decided I'd rather not run until I caught my breath.
   I dodged a blow and elbowed the mans shoulder hard enough to make him stumble. Quick as a flint, I had the knife to the mans neck and everyone froze.
   I grinned, breathing hard. "Now you, you I will have no problem killing as you well know. Grant us safe passage or you'll be breathing out of a much wider mouth... for a moment or two at least."
   "Stop!" Someone shouted and I turned us both enough to see a large boy running toward us, hands up. "Stop, stop, stop!" His eyes widened when he looked at me with my knife and they flicked to the fat man almost nervously. "Does he have the mark? He doesn't look right. Too tall."
   "He doesn't have no mark, but he's got one of them jewelry pieces that was stoled." Said the fat man, his Averton accent thicker now that he was so out of breath.
   My necklace? "My necklace was my fathers." I said firmly. "It was never stolen."
   The boy held up his hands again and if I wasn't mistaken, there was a touch of excitement in his eyes. "You mind if I see it?"
   "So I'll let this one go and can be attacked again?" I smirked. "I'd rather not."
   "I vow it." He said and I sensed sincerity. "I vow it on Anul, the Father Sun and Luna both that I mean you no harm. I know what I'm looking for."
   "And I vow as a Ranger that if you break your vow, I'll break your neck." I said and lowered the knife, pushing the man away who stumbled in surprise at his sudden release.
   The boy looked nervous now but approached slowly, arms still raised. I pulled out the necklace, letting the talon swing from the leather cord.
   The boy let out a breath. "It's not what I'm looking for." He said.
   I nodded, already aware of this and tucked it back in. "I know. Now, if you'll just---"
   "What I'm looking for is part of a set, you see?" He continued. "I don't suppose you've seen one like it? Or like this one?" He dug in his shirt.
   I was about to push the boy away in irritation, take Loryn, and get away from this town of insanity. I had no interest in something that was stolen seeing as it had been more than likely stolen by another Ranger and I would never speak of it anyway. Then my eyes fell on the necklace around his neck which he was holding up and I nearly gasped.
   It was a necklace made up of long carved beads of silverwood bark. The exact same one as in my vision.
   I very nearly grinned at the red-haired boy but knew it would not be advisable with so many watching. Instead, I met the boys eyes. "In fact," I told him, "I believe I have."