Rangers Apprentice

•[17] Kalkara

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3rd POV

"Something's happened," Halt said quietly, signalling for his three companions to rein in their horses.

The four riders had cantered the last half a kilometre to the Gathering Ground. Now, as they crested a slight rise, the open space among the trees lay just below them, a hundred metres away. Small, one-man tents stretched in ordered ranks, and the smoke of cooking fires scented the air.
An archery range had been set up to one side of the open space and several dozen horses, all small and shaggy Ranger horses, were grazing close to the trees.
Even from where they sat on their horses, they could make out an air of urgency and activity throughout the camp.
In the centre of the tent lines was a larger pavilion, easily four metres by four metres and with enough headroom for a tall man to stand. The sides were currently rolled up and Will could see a group of green and grey clad men standing round a table, apparently deep in conversation.

As they watched, one of the group detached himself, running to a horse waiting just outside the entrance. He mounted and spun the horse on its back legs, setting out through the camp at a gallop, heading for the narrow track through the trees at the far side.

He had barely disappeared into the deep shadows under the trees when another rider appeared from the opposite direction, galloping through the lines and reining in outside the large tent. His horse had barely stopped before he swung down and headed in to join the group inside.

"What is it?" Y/n asked, a sinking feeling in her gut.
Frowning, she realised that several of the small tents were being struck and rolled up by their owners.
"Not sure," Halt replied.
He gestured to the tent lines. "See if you can find us a decent camp site. I'll see what's going on."
He urged Abelard forward, then turned and called back: "Don't pitch the tents yet. From the looks of things, we may not be needing them." Then Abelard's hooves were drumming on the turf as he galloped towards the centre of the camp.
Will, Y/n and Gilan found a camp site under a large tree, reasonably close to the central gathering area. Then, uncertain as to what they should do next, they sat on a log, waiting for Halt's return.

As a senior Ranger in the Corps, Halt had access to the larger pavilion, which Gilan explained was the command tent.
The Corps Commandant, a Ranger named Crowley, would meet with his staff there each day to organise activities and to collate and evaluate the reports and information that individual Rangers brought to the Gathering.

Most of the tents near the two younger Rangers were unoccupied, but there was a thin gangly Ranger outside one, pacing impatiently back and forth, looking every bit as confused as Gilan, Y/n and Will.

Seeing them on the log, he moved over to join them. "Any news?" he said immediately, and his face fell when Gilan answered.
"We were just about to ask you the same question." He held out his hand in greeting. "It's Merron, isn't it?" he said and they shook hands. "That's right. And you're Gilan if I remember correctly." Gilan introduced Will and Y/n, and the newcomer, who appeared to be in his early thirties, looked at the two speculatively.
"So you're Halt's new apprentices," he said. "We wondered what you'd be like. I was going to be one of your assessors, you know."
Y/n was grateful he didn't bring up the fact that she was a girl.

"Going to be?" Gilan asked quickly, and Merron looked at him. Yes. I doubt we'll continue with the Gathering now." He hesitated, then added, "You mean you haven't heard?"
The three newcomers shook their heads.
"Morgarath is up to something again," he said quietly and Will felt a shiver of fear up his spine at the mention of that evil name. The sinking feeling deepened in Y/n'a stomach.
"What's happened?" Gilan asked, his eyes narrowing.
Merron shook his head, stirring the dirt in front of him with the toe of his boot in a frustrated gesture. "There's no clear news so far. Only garbled reports. But it looks as if a force of Wargals broke out of Three Step Pass some days ago. They overran the sentries there and headed north."
"Was Morgarath with them?" Gilan asked. Will remained wide-eyed and silent, as well as Y/n.