Wayward Justice

Part 1

This story is the result of a sudden muse on a snowy day with canceled school. The chapter is pretty rough as I haven't written anything besides poetry in a while. Will I ever see it through to the end? I hope so, even though chapters may be released rather far apart. But without further adieu...

It was a rare, clear winter day. A bright sun shone brilliantly in a cloudless sky, reflecting with an almost blinding light against the snow-covered landscape. The air was relatively quiet, with the exception of distant bird calls and the crunch of hooves on the frozen ground. While it was a bit warmer than usual, the staggered gusts of wind were bitterly cold and easily numbed the face. 

Nonetheless, the atmosphere felt so serene it was hard to imagine that potential danger was looming nearby. One's first guess of the single rider's intentions would certainly not be one of violence, that is if you managed to overlook the person's status as a ranger.

Indeed, Will's purpose for being this far north was anything but peaceful. It was a well-known fact that the fief of Norgate was often subjected to attacks from foreigners who had decided to try their hand at launching an invasion of the kingdom. While such attempts had become much less frequent since one of Will's past endeavors in the area, there were still small skirmishes on occasion.

But outside threats were not the ranger's current concern. He had been sent here for a mission of a different matter. A debriefing letter from the Corps Commandant had arrived at his cabin a few weeks ago assigning him to the investigation of a missing ranger. According to the report, Ranger Harrison had up and disappeared out of the blue. The past months had been filled with routine tasks such as intercepting road bandits hoping to prey on lone farmers. There had been nothing major taking place, nor had there been reports of anything even mildly suspicious. Harrison had last been seen leaving a local tavern after a hot meal devoid of any intoxicating beverages. He missed a morning meeting with the Baron, and upon finding the ranger had vanished without a trace, he had sent an urgent message along to Crowley.

Despite the fact that Harrison had not taken on anything terribly significant as of late, it was still Will's best guess that this situation was brought on by someone seeking revenge. After all, it would require someone highly skilled in order to overpower a capable ranger like Harrison. 

A sudden burst of wind managed to dislodge a clump of snow from a nearby tree, the flakes from its branches cascading down and covering Will's head. The ranger let out a yelp as frigid water dripped from his neck and ran down the back of his shirt. Tug seemed to snort in amusement over his predicament as one shake of his mane freed him from the assault of snow. 

"I'll have you know that having ice water across your spine is miserable, you oaf," Will grumbled. 

"I have to lug a sack of potatoes around on my back every day. I'll take my humor where I can find it," the little gray retorted.

 "Especially the times when I have to suffer?" 

 "Naturally."

The pair had managed to encounter several minor inconveniences along the road this day, leaving them much farther from the nearest town than Will hoped they would have been by now. They would not be able to make it there before sundown, meaning a long, cold night was ahead of them. He raised a hand to the horizon and found it time to start searching for a sheltered spot to spend the night. A fallen tree consumed by tendrils of overgrowth not far off would provide enough natural protection from the worst of the elements. Though, it was far from ideal considering how bitter northern nights were. 

Couching over the ground, Will dug away at the snow until he had formed a patch large enough to curl up in, and hopefully preserve some of his precious body heat. He then unsaddled Tug and fed the horse as much grain as could be spared. There was no way he'd be able to graze under these conditions. The little horse nickered in contentment after the long day spent traveling over challenging terrain. It wasn't long after Will had settled down, wrapped up tightly in his cloak, that he felt a furry body fold up next to him. With a smile, the ranger pressed his head into the warmth of Tug's shoulder, impressed as ever by the devout loyalty of his horse. Knowing Tug would alert his master at the first sense of danger, Will soon drifted off to sleep. 

 ............................................

 "I'm sorry Ranger, but I'm tellin' you that there ain't been no funny business around here in quite some time."

It was mid-afternoon when Will finally arrived in town after trudging through knee-deep snow. With patches of ice hidden beneath the uneven surface, he decided it would be safer to travel by foot in many areas rather than burdening his mount. Will, upon making his way around the streets, found the people surprisingly willing to answer his inquiries. Willing, or simply acting unconcerned to get him to leave sooner. It never ceased to amaze him how suspicious people could be where Rangers were concerned.

 "Then tell me, barkeeper, have there been rumors of any kind? Someone who may have come around asking questions?" Will questioned.

The middle-aged man scratched at his beard thoughtfully. "No one 'sides you. The rumors only started after the Ranger vanished, an' all of that is nonsense made up for folk's gossip." 

 Will took a small sip from his mug of lukewarm coffee. "What do they say happened?" 

 "The usual superstitions, vengeful spirits, demons, an' the like. Nothing of value, lest you believe in it." Contrary to most of the people in these lands, the barkeeper relied more on fact rather than fiction. 

 "Thank you for your time." The Ranger drained the mug before setting some coins on the counter, throwing in a few extra for the man's cooperation. 

Outside of the establishment, Tug perked up his ears as his master reappeared. There was no need to tie the horse up and his reins draped loosely onto the ground. "Anything interesting?" 

"Not here, I'm afraid," Will answered quietly as he swung up into the saddle. "Looks like we'll have to find a town closer to the castle." 

They moved along at a gentle trot as the lands here were far less treacherous. It wasn't long, however, until the snow picked back up again and Will knew it would soon become difficult to see. With the hindrance of one of his senses, the Ranger became aware of every whistle from the wind and blow of his mount's breath. It was always better to prepare for the unexpected than to be caught off guard by a hidden foe. 

The landscape was completely bleak all around and within minutes Will, as he had predicted, could not see more than a few feet in front of his face. Unable to pick up on any nearby movement, he soon found himself becoming jumpy. On more than one occasion, he thought he had picked out the sound of a rustle in the bushes or a distant horse's nicker muffled by the falling flakes. Every time, Will shook his head and wrote them off as figments of his imagination, resulting from this state of heightened awareness. Then, suddenly, he felt a rumble of warning reverberate through Tug's body, and Will knew he was not alone. Another twig snapped not far off from where he stood. The Ranger tightened his grip on the bow lying across his lap but maintained his outward appearance of indifference. 

Many long and uneasy minutes passed by without incident, though Will remained on high alert. Eventually, the tension left his horse and Will found the grip on his weapon loosening. Common sense would say it was merely another traveler passing by on his merry way, but Will's razor-sharp instincts spoke only of a threat. 

Like it? Hate it? Please leave some criticism if you can! I don't care if it is harsh, I need to know what to improve upon. Until next time!