by Troy Osgood
He had to hope so. They’d just agreed to kill the Expedition mercenaries for the Rangers.
But the Expedition Company was aligned with demons and most likely the Desmarik Republic. That did tend to make it pretty easy to choose sides.
Because the quest to retake territory was listed as part one, Hall was sure there would be more towns and areas they had to force the Expedition forces out of.
They were going to be here for a long time.
Chapter 26
The councilors and Dain led Hall and his friends out of the keep. They stopped on the rocky shelf, standing at the edge, looking out over the town. It was awake now, people going about their morning routines. Patrols of green-cloaked Rangers headed for the main gates. Hall could see the forest, the green stretching out to the horizon, to the north, more mountains and a tinge of blue indicating large lakes.
“The Northern Territories is a large area,” Leandra said. “The Rangers are dealing with the threats to the west and east. The Ogres and Trow have decided to use the increased Expedition’s attacks to increase their own. We do not know if they are all related or the monsters are just taking advantage of the chaos. Either way, we are stretched thin.”
In the pre-Glitch game, the Northern Territories was still a large area. Hall couldn’t imagine how much bigger it had gotten in scale. He had forgotten about the creatures living in the Frost Tips to the north, past the range that surrounded Timberhearth Keep. Ogres, Trow and others. There were even tribes of centaurs in the foothills. Not all the quests from the Greencloak Rangers had involved the Expedition Lumber Company.
While that group was the Rangers’ main focus, the group had been created to provide safety for the people who lived in the Territories. There were no kingdoms, no cities, just scatterings of small villages that barely worked together. Local militias that were more farmer than warrior. The Rangers were the army and guards for those villages.
“What about the Highborn Confederacy?” Hall asked.
Leandra shook her head bitterly.
“They are protecting their borders,” Amelia said with a growl. “They will not step beyond.”
Sounds like the Highborn, Hall thought.
Their territory was small, consisting of the city of Ersofir and the surrounding farms and lumber camps. The Highborn had never wanted a large presence on Edin. It was just a port, a place for their ships to rest and restock after the long voyage from Arundel on the voyages down islands. They cut trees as needed, but for the most part stayed in their small corner. There had been a small number of quests out of the city, but mostly it was there for players to catch the ship to Arundel. The only way to get a ship to Arundel.
With the Rangers occupied to the west and east, that left the center open for the Expedition forces to push their way down.
Hall tried to picture the Northern Territories in his head. The Frost Tips ran up the western side, swinging along the northern edge of Edin for almost half the distance. Foothills ringed the mountains, including the range that surrounded Timberhearth. The eastern edge of the island was open to the sky. Between the mountains and island’s edge were two large lakes, Loch Hedn and Graymalkin. Surrounding the lakes, and most of the land, were large tracts of forest. Farmland and plains between them all. Numerous rivers connected the lakes, some large, but most small. A wild and untamed land, what accounted for civilization were the numerous scattered villages and lumber camps. Those used the larger rivers for travel and to ship goods down to the one larger city. Corral was on the eastern edge, almost directly east from Timberhearth. Not large by the standards of Silverpeak Keep, it was closer to Auld. There all the trading and selling for the Northern Territories was done. The lumber floated downriver, where it would be taken by ships to wherever the merchants had sold it. Goods not available to the mostly self-sufficient villagers came into Corral and were barged upriver.
The eastern Rangers would be mostly patrolling the long route from Corral to the deeper Territories. So many lives depending on what came out of Corral.
Loch Hedn was the larger of the two, more centrally located.
If Hall remembered right, the Grove was at the southern edge of the lake.
“We’ll go see the Druids.”
Leandra nodded. “The corruption is the greater threat,” she said. “The demons and Expedition forces, though numerous, can be dealt with over time. But if the corruption spreads, it does not matter what we do to them.”
“Dain and his scout group will go with you,” Amelia said.
Hall glanced at the Ranger, who gave no indication of how he felt. Were all six of the Rangers who had gone with Dain to Skara Brae his scout group?
“If I had not seen the evidence with my own eyes,” Tavis muttered, motioning to the antlers growing from Leigh’s forehead, “I would not have believed that one so young would be a Custodian. I still do not see what you will be able to do that the older Druids could not.”
Hall turned, glaring at the Ranger councilor, ready to yell at him, but Leandra beat him.
“Enough, Tavis,” she said, her voice not loud, but her tone severe. “We asked for her aid, and she is now here to give it.”
The councilor glared but said nothing.
“When can you leave?” Leandra asked after one last glance at Tavis.
“The Hedn Grove is near the village of Millford?” Hall asked.
Tavis’s eyes widened in surprise, wondering how Hall knew the name of the tiny village.
“Yes, but there is no dock for an airship there,” Leandra answered, guessing Hall’s intent. “The South Graymalkin Lumber Camp is the only airship dock north of Timberhearth.”
And the Expedition Lumber Company currently had control of the camp.
They were walking.
“We’ll keep the ship here,” Gorid assured Hall. “And I’ll keep the brothers out of trouble.”
Hall smiled. Behind the captain of the Ridgerunner, Hall could see the three Battleforge brothers. One of them, the blond, accidentally bumped the redheaded one. They started shoving each other. The last, black haired, rushed over to either break up the fight or join in. Hall couldn’t tell which. Either way, soon all three were fighting.
Like normal.
Gorid’s eyes rolled up, hearing the noises behind him. “Or I’ll try to.”
Hall laughed.
Clapping the older Dwarf on the shoulder, Hall shifted the straps of his pack, walking away. The rest of the party were further down, waiting. It was a fairly large group. Dain’s scouting group did consist of the other five Rangers. Along with Avril and Ganner, the three others were named Pacan, Leron and Lissie. Each carried a large pack along with their magical inventory pouches. Hall and his friends had each been given a similar pack. Filled with rations and other supplies, the packs were heavy. They could resupply at the villages but most of the time would be in the wild. The Rangers weren’t averse to hunting, but this trip was meant to be quick, no time to stop and find food. Mostly they carried extra bandages and potions of various kinds.
Hall had been surprised at the amount the Rangers had available. Dain had explained that the plants and other required materials were abundant in the Northern Territories. They had so much that the Alchemists in Timberhearth had a surplus. Each of the Breakridge Irregulars had been given almost a dozen of each kind and not just Lesser Potions, but Greater.
They set out in the afternoon, later than they had wanted, but it had taken some time to gather all the supplies and for Sharra to teach the Rangers what she knew of the demons. It had been quick lessons, just the basics. What the creatures were capable of, what their weaknesses were. Enough for the Rangers to have better chances.
THE GREEN CLOAK RANGERS III
Teach the rangers what you know about the demons 1/1
Aid in the defense of the Northern Territories 0/1
Rid the land of the corruption 0/1
One part of one quest done, Hall had thought when the update flashed across his eye
s. So much more still to do.
Dain led the group as they exited the walls of Timberhearth Keep. He followed the hard-packed road toward the forest, the mountains to their left. Two miles outside the small town, he turned north, following a trail.
Not as wide as the road, the path showed evidence of heavy wagons. Two ruts, where the wheels pushed down, exposing dirt, disappeared through the tall grass of the fields. Shorter stalks grew between the ruts in parts, others more of a true road. It meandered through the field, not a straight line, heading for more forest ahead.
Hall looked up, seeing the black dot that was Pike soaring through the sky. Leigh walked next to him, head back, enjoying the feel of the sun on her skin. Behind them, Angus mooed contentedly, chewing on blades of grass.
“It feels so different here,” Leigh said. “There’s an energy through the land. Not as strong as the Grove.” She paused, looking down at the ground beneath her feet. “I think I can feel the ley lines.”
That surprised Hall. Each silver tree on most of the islands was connected to each other by the roots of the World Tree, which the Druids called the ley lines. It had to be because Leigh was a Custodian. Hall hadn’t heard of Druids being able to sense the lines of energy.
She looked back over her shoulder, then forward to the trees.
“It passed right beneath us, continuing south. I think it runs straight to the Grove.”
The smile faded from her face, replaced by a look of deep concentration, a frown appearing.
“I think I can feel the corruption,” she said. “There’s an emptiness to the north. Distant. Faint but there.”
“Do you know anything about the Loch Hedn Grove?”
“No, my mentor came from another Grove just south of the ridge before coming to Cliff Fields. She had been to Loch Hedn though, visiting. The Groves like hers and Hedn, they are small, maybe six Druids.”
“Like yours on Cumberland?”
In the time they had been together, there had not been much talk about Leigh’s time learning on Cumberland. Until becoming the Custodian, Leigh had been a reluctant Druid. She had felt it was something forced on her, not something she had chosen. A wandering Druid had found her in Cliff Fields, had discovered her latent connection to the land. She had been taken from her home and brought to Cumberland to receive training. When the Grove in Cumberland had not heard from Meadow Grove on Edin, they had sent Leigh to investigate.
Hall had always thought it odd that only Leigh had been sent.
But it was game mechanics.
“The Grove on Cumberland is one of the largest,” Leigh answered him. “Like my Meadow Grove, the Crescent Green Grove is home to a Branch. It is also where many Druids went to train.”
“If these small Groves have six Druids, shouldn’t Meadow Grove have more?”
Leigh turned, playfully punching Hall in the shoulder.
“Don’t think I can handle it?” she asked, eyes bright and smiling. “It should,” she said, with a shrug. “They’ll come eventually.”
There was a tone of hope in her voice.
Hall wasn’t sure how the Druids of the Grove worked. Seo and Bealee had just shown up, sent by the Grove on Curran. Would others come? Hopefully sooner, take some of the burden off Leigh.
She needed it.
He noticed a change in her just in the short time they’d been away. She wasn’t enjoying it. While he had gotten a chance to go off and had adventures, she was tied to the Grove. Stuck there. It wasn’t something they had talked about. He knew she was a little jealous but had willingly accepted the responsibility. Didn’t mean she didn’t chafe under the yoke.
Being out was a bit of freedom for her.
She was going to make the most of it.
Leigh took his hand, her smile bright.
The group walked for another couple of hours, the sun starting to set, sliding below the Frost Tips. Dain called a halt, moving off the road to a jumble of boulders. Grouped together, they provided a decent break from the wind. Small stones in a circle, ash-covered ground within, indicated the area was used frequently for a camp.
“We didn’t get as far as I wanted,” Dain said, motioning them to the site. “But we got a late start. We can make the time up tomorrow.”
Hall nodded, seeing two of the Rangers heading out into the plain. He thought about offering to help, knowing they were foraging for food and game, but this was their territory. They knew it best. Instead he took off his pack, laying it on the ground, undoing the harness that held his spear and javelins.
One large boulder made the back wall, smaller ones on the sides forming walls. It reminded Hall of one of the first areas he had camped in back on Cumberland when he first became trapped in Sky Realms Online. The sides of the rocks had been smoothed over time, exposed as they were in the middle of the plain. Rain and wind had taken a toll. It was going to be crowded between the rocks.
The pit was a couple of feet in diameter. Dain was crouched before it, laying some kindling he had scrounged from the surrounding plain. With his flint, he started striking sparks onto the dry wood.
“The fire will be small tonight,” he said. “There will not be much wood in the plain.”
Low fire, tight quarters between the rocks. Hall sighed.
“Tents?”
Dain nodded.
Hall motioned to Roxhard and Jacoby. The two Wardens were seated, leaning against the large boulder. Both stood up, moving to the packs. They had brought three small tents with them, part of the gear given by the Rangers. Each was big enough to sleep three under the canvas.
“We should not need to post a watch tonight,” Dain said.
They were still close enough to Timberhearth Keep that no Expedition Lumber Company forces would be this far south. The six Rangers plus the six Breakridge Irregulars were a large enough group to ward off any predators.
The tents went up quickly, spread out in a half circle, forming the fourth wall of the campsite. While they had been putting up the tents, the others moved around the plains nearby, looking for any wood they could find.
Ganner and Lessie returned soon after the sun had set. They had managed to find some berries, and each had snared a Plains Rabbit. Only ten pounds each, the rabbits didn’t have much meat, but it was enough when added to some of their rations.
Hall lay against one of the smaller rocks, Leigh next to him. He could see many stars above him, just a few shadowed areas of black that were higher islands. It was a peaceful night. Much better than the first few he had spent in Hankarth.
He opened his connection to Pike, feeling the dragonhawk far out over the grassy plains. Pike was hunting, looking for a late dinner. Hall broke the connection, smiling.
One of the Rangers, he thought it was Pacan, took out a set of pipes. The young man started to play a light melody, the sound floating out into the plains. Angus, lying next to Leigh, her hand scratching the thick fur around his neck, lifted his head. He let out a moo, the deep sound mixing with the light music of the song.
Hall smiled.
It was a nice night.
He had a feeling it wouldn’t last.
Chapter 27
They made better time the next day, reaching the forest’s edge just before nightfall. That night Dain found another site that had seen repeated use. The land sloped down, a ridge along the edge of the forest. They followed it for a time, finding a cave that was large enough for them all, the entrance protected from the wind across the plains.
That night a watch was posted, the Rangers splitting the night. Hall tried to get into the rotation, but Dain refused.
That morning they entered the Hedn Woods.
The road continued through the forest. The ruts that marked the path were lost. Dain pointed out markers etched into the trees themselves, which provided guides. Thick growth grew above them, blocking out most of the sun. Hall saw mostly oaks, few pines. Very little growth on the ground, scattered leaves and pine needles. He heard the sound of small animals f
leeing into the sparse undergrowth and branches as they approached.
The first night was uneventful, as was the first day.
Midmorning on the second day in the woods, Dain held up his hand. He was in the lead. The Rangers were spread out around them, paces off into the trees, Ganner in the rear. Hall was behind Dain, raising his hand to pass the signal down the line. He didn’t bother asking what was happening, trusting the Ranger’s instincts.
Then he heard the birdsong. There had been birds all morning, but familiar sounds. This was different. More high pitched, a pattern of notes that wasn’t natural. A signal, and one that Dain knew.
The Ranger turned back to Hall, drawing his sword. Hall got the message. He reached over his shoulder, pulling the Breakridge Ironwood Spear out of its harness. He shifted, setting his stance, following Dain’s eyes into the woods to their left. Two of the Rangers appeared at the edge of the trees, bows held ready. Avril and Leron, the woman turning her head to speak quietly to Dain.
“Scouts,” she whispered. “Tracking us through the woods. About a hundred feet out.”
“Will they avoid us?” Dain asked.
“No,” she replied. “They are heading straight for us.”
Hall found that odd. Such a large group would deter most predators, and any monsters in the woods would think twice. What was driving this unseen foe at them?
Dain started to talk, unable to finish as a rough arrow slammed into the tree near Avril’s head. Splinters erupted on the impact, the Ranger turning her head away and ducking in one smooth motion.
They all crouched as more arrows shot through the trees. Most struck the trees, lodging, some snapping. The shafts were small, the arrowheads stone. One skidded into the ground near Hall’s feet. He leaned forward, examining it. Dain as well.