The Guardians' Blade
Chapter Seven- Company of Rangers

Morning light streamed through the curtains that hung over the window, showing where the material was thin or moth-eaten. Boar stirred with a groan. He had a headache from last night’s drinking but he thought it had been worth it for the good company. He sat up, running fingers through braided hair, before blinking, trying to clear his blurred vision. Shoving the bed covers back he clambered out of bed, stretching a thin body before moving over to a water basin and splashing cold water onto his face to wake himself up.

A cold shiver ran through his frame before promptly getting dressed. After a check of his appearance in a half-cracked mirror hanging on the wall, he stepped out of his rooms and headed downstairs to the common room. To his surprise, it was bare of any patrons. It seemed the mornings at the Inn were quiet. He made his way to the bar and ordered some breakfast, before taking a seat at a booth, gazing out the window which presented him with a view of the street outside. There was a clear blue sky above the little bustling village, with people coming and going.

“I see that you are awake.” A gruff voice caused Boar to stir. He watched Sir Soryn Krammer slip into the booth seat opposite him. “What with all the drinking you did with Lady Alixa I was expecting you to sleep in like her.” He could immediately tell there was a taint of disappointment in the Guardian’s tone of voice. It made Boar squirm a bit, as if he was being reproved by a father figure.

“I … yes.” He decided not to argue the matter and shrugged his shoulders. “It takes a bit more alcohol than we had last night to keep me abed,” he explained after a moment.

“After your experience at Lord Greystone’s Keep I had thought you’d given up drinking.”

Boar felt himself turn crimson at being reminded of how drunk he had gotten, and that Mysterious had been the one to get him out of the dungeon. “Yes – well, I seem to slip from time to time,” he mumbled. “Though I have not drunk as heavily since,” he added more quietly.

Krammer nodded before leaning back in his seat. “Did you discover some useful information, however?”

“Indeed.” Boar nodded. “I met the Peacekeeper. It seems she is here because of the Wolf King. I am starting to think that this entire land is obsessed with this strange being.”

Soryn chuckled quietly. “And why should they not be? The Wolf King threatens to take away their freedom, should he gather a large enough army to conquer these lands. Anything else?”

“The Lady is going to arrange a meeting with her friends for us.” Boar smiled at his fellow Guardian. “I thought that it might be a good idea to get to know them, so as to find out what they are about.”

“Excellent work, we’ll make a proper Guardian out of you yet.”

An hour later Alixa joined the two men. She wanted only some toast and water for breakfast, as she was suffering from a hangover. Plopping down next to Boar, she mumbled out a barely audible good morning to Soryn, who stared at her pointedly. He shook his head as he sipped at a cup of green tea, then spoke quietly to both of them: “I will remind the both of you, that while you wear the tunic of the Guardian you will uphold our reputation. That does not involve getting blind drunk at every tavern or inn we go to. I do not mind you having a mug of ale or a glass of wine from time to time, but please, attempt to drink in moderation - hmm? The world watches everything that we do, and loves to criticize when we are seen to be doing something wrong. We are far more tested than the Order of the Peacekeepers, as so much more is expected of us. This world happily gloats over anything that might be considered our downfall.” He sighed heavily as he set his cup down carefully upon its saucer with a click. “This is a cruel world that we live in, and often the bane of our kind.”

For a long moment both Alixa and Boar were silent. There was little either could say to Soryn’s quiet lecture. And both felt as if they had let the other Guardian down.

Entering the common room was the group of companions whom Krammer and Boar had spotted the evening before. They looked refreshed from a night’s rest and ready to head out after they had eaten their morning meal. The three Guardians noted their arrival and waited for an opportunity to approach them. At first Boar thought the Lady Peacekeeper would renege on her promise; however, close to the end of their meal she spoke to a man who was looking in their direction. Then the two rose and approached the booth where the Guardians were seated. “I believe you wanted to meet me?” The man speaking seemed to be the leader of the group.

“Indeed.” Soryn motioned for the two to join them at the booth. Boar and Alixa moved over to allow more room. “I am Guardian Soryn Krammer, this is Guardian Boar Lionheart and Guardian Alixa Lightweaver. And you are?”

At the introductions, the two settled into empty seats before the man responded. “I am Kain, and this is Lady Dovelin. I have been leading a group of Rangers into the Mountains of Drakebare for the last few years.” He frowned and looked straight at Krammer. “Why aren’t the Guardians doing something? I had thought that it was the Guardians’ duty to protect all the lands of the south from the Warlords of the north.”

“We are doing something. We had not expected the Warlords to move so far east so quickly. Nor did we expect their strength to be so great.”

“Such as the fall of the Fortress of Dilbare? Perhaps the Guardians have become somewhat arrogant and thought they could take this fight to the north all on their own.”

“For the longest time it has been left up to just the Guardians to do just that.” Boar shot back sharply at the Ranger before Krammer could respond. “No one else has dared to stand up to the north. They simply roll over and do not ask questions, protest or fight what is going on.”

Kain was about to retort but Krammer interrupted. “The Guardians are not infallible, and we are not perfect. We do what we can with what resources that we have at hand. We also have had to be careful not to make it seem that we are taking over as some would think that we are. In the early days the fight against the north was relatively easy. But now, politics have entered into things; nations want our assistance but limit us in what we can do. Things are not as black and white anymore.” He looked from Boar to Kain and then continued quietly. “We lost Dilbare. These things do happen in wars. It is something that greatly concerns us and is on our minds constantly. It might not seem like we are doing anything in response, however, does not our presence here account for something?”

Kain nodded, “Yes, I suppose it does. But I was expecting you to mobilize your forces to take back Dilbare as soon as possible, before the Wolf King had time to make that place his.”

“I would have liked to have done so myself. But things do not always happen the way we want them to. However, I plan to go up to the mountains and check the two Passes. While the Wolf King may have the Fortress, he still does not have a proper means to get his waiting army through the mountains in large numbers. And the underground tunnels would have been closed off to him as soon as the fortress was lost to us.” Krammer fixed Kain with a piercing gaze. “Would you be interested in accompanying me? I am sure you will know the layout of the land far better than I.”

Kain nodded. “I would be happy to assist, if this means the Guardians may act sooner than later.”

“Let us hope so.”

With the conversation ended, Kain and the Peacekeeper took their leave of the Guardians to return to their own table. Boar watched before looking directly at Soryn. “You’re going to use them as guides?”

“They know the land better than we do. And it will make them feel useful. They have observed a lot and it is better to garner knowledge from the people of these lands rather than circumvent around it.” Krammer returned Boar’s gaze.

“Well then we best get ready to go.” Boar rose to his feet as he noted the other party was getting ready to leave. Soryn and Alixa followed suit, and the three strode out of the Inn after collecting their gear from their rooms. With Destrider’s saddled, they rode out and met up with the Ranger’s party before heading out of the quint and very busy fishing village.

Rakkath had ways and means of getting over the passes without being detected. He wondered sometimes why the Wolf King didn’t use these routes himself, but then Sidhra weren’t well known for moving quietly, and probably would give them away to the Guardians. They were also very dangerous. Rakkath, however was well use to the danger; even lived for it at times. His foot slipped on a rock as he edged along a rocky ledge before pausing. He was halfway across the mountains, and was still trying to work out how he was meant to make contact with this strange Dragon child that the Wolf King seemed so fixated on. He eased to a halt, and settled on a boulder as he pulled from a pack on his back some bread to eat while looking out over the landscape. It was going to be different travelling around within the Golden Realms, as he was use to battling wind, snow and other harsh conditions in the north. It would almost be like a holiday for him.

“Don’t forget what you’re here for.” A voice hissed in his mind, making him start and look around. He spied a hooded figure standing on a boulder a few feet away and narrowed his gaze.

“I will not forget.” He snapped back. “And these people will make sure I do not forget.” He finished the bread he had been eating before getting back onto his feet and shouldering his burden.

“Am I to report to you, about everything Malificent?” He hated the idea of having to report to this woman, as he had the feeling she would happily twist his words to have Dargoth cast doubt on him.

“Yes.” And in a blink of an eye she was gone.

Rakkath rolled his eyes, and muttered quietly under his breath, “Black Robe Sorceror.” He set off once more on the path he was to follow down out of the mountains and into the foothills. She did not trust him that was clear enough. But then he did not trust her any more or any less. He would have to watch his step in this mission so that whenever she was spying on him, she could not twist her observations into half lies. He was figuring that he would have to run into this dragon child soon, as he had no desire to travel down amongst the various races that lived in this land. Having left the icy chill of the north behind when he crossed the mountains. He was already feeling a difference in the weather, and even noting differences in the tree’s and foliage around him. It almost felt as if a great burden had lifted off his shoulders. He had to wonder if this was the magic of the Golden Realms.

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