Chapter 7: Ranger 3

"By the time I reached my fourteenth year, I had already become apprenticed to one of the Rangers stationed at the enclave. It was also about that period that the Lady of the High Forest made her annual appearance at the enclave. The city of Caliban remained officially outside her jurisdiction, but it was a hollow and never enforced regulation. My Master's name was Kurne, another half-breed like myself, only he was of one of the minor border houses that did not have the biases the city houses had regarding children of mixed blood."

Aerick closed his eyes. "Any semblance of morals or integrity was gone from my father when he appeared. He cared nothing for the laws of the enclave, nor that of the sacred bond between those who lived in the woods and the higher powers. All he cared for was his own appetites. He had with him several of his retainers, all killers like himself. He tainted the very soil with his presence. It didn't take him long to find me, and he taunted me mercilessly of my own failures, all the while ignoring his own. I had learned much from Master Kurne in the arts of combat and survival, but I knew nothing of the ways of magick. My father tried to cast a spell on me, one of the forbidden spells, but was interrupted before he could finish by the Lady of the High Forest. One minute he was in the process of casting the spell, the next he was on the ground with an enraged High Elf standing over him. I had never seen the Lady before, only heard of her in muted conversations."

"She is one of the Guardians, sovereign protectors of the natural world. We have regular dealings with them in all their guises." Syrena interjected.

"Yes." Aerick agreed. "She was most definitely a Guardian. I can't really describe her form, simply because it seemed to shift ever so slightly. One moment you are looking at something, the next something else. What I managed to see was a woman covered in a form of armor that looked like treebark, then hide. The type of magick that my father practiced was not allowed in her territory, and generally it was frowned upon in the rest of the kingdom. She had him pinned to the ground with some kind of stake, he screamed so loudly, and his retainers were about to attack until they were restrained by the Mercenaries present. They would allow none to interfere in the High Lady's business. She destroyed him, a stern reminder that death, nor nature, would not be denied. I received my first lessons of magick in that one moment. For all things, there is a price.

"She took me in after that event, and began my instruction in magick. I still studied the ways of the Rangers with my Master, but it was the High Lady that taught me much about the natural world. I alternated training time between the two, and once I reached my thirtieth year, I was recruited into the Ghost Wood Mercenaries on both the recommendations of the High Lady and Master Kurne. I served in the unit ever since, finally ascending to command of the unit on my hundred and third birthday. From there I led the unit in campaigns and skirmishes along the Iceholme border and running battles through the Seven Realms. I am sure that there is much that you do not already know about me."

"Very true." Syrena admitted. "Our intelligence network keeps track of many of the independent militaries in that interact along Imperial borders. Your command of the Ghost Wood Mercenaries has been exemplarily." She leaned back. "How much do you keep track of the affairs of Gilead?"

"Not much since the Mercenary Enclave moved from Caliban to Kallis in Iilead."

"Would you be surprised to learn that most of the great houses of Gilead were under the influence of Iceholme?"

Aerick snorted. "No, I'm not surprised."

"Good. I would be disappointed in you if you were." She stood. "The great houses are not wholly under the influence of the Lich King. They find that turning a blind eye to events more to their liking, believing in the strength of their armies to stave off any threat. Unfortunately they have fallen prey to their own visions of invincibility. The High Lady, nor any of the Fae Tribes, will support a co-existence with Iceholme. Nor will they lend armies to defend the great houses."

"Have the great houses degenerated that much?"

Syrena shrugged. "The waters of that pond are so muddied it is difficult to tell a fish is a fish."

She motioned for him to follow, and led him back to his chambers. "Get some rest. Tomorrow you will learn a few new tricks."

Aerick woke after a dreamless sleep to a room of deepest chill. His eyes focused on a woman in the palest white. Her entire countenance radiated the cold chill of the north. The only feature that stood out from her colorless form was her eyes, eyes of ice blue that shone like beacons in the dim light of the room.

"Speak to me boy." Her voice sharp and brittle as ice shards. "Speak to me of magick."

There was little indication of her true age, or even if she aged at all.

"If I might inquire as to which kind M'Lady means?"

"Foolish boy. Do you presume to lecture me on Magick and all its glories?"

"Is that not what you asked?"

Her eyes narrowed to slits.

"Impertinent." She spoke. "Yours is the magick of the earth, of nature. What do you really know of it boy?"

"Earth magick is derived from all that lives and grows in the earth. A properly trained Earth Wizard can utilize the power and life-force of the earth to work his magick. Consequently, an Earth Wizard is attuned to the balance of nature in ways that transcend mortal flesh. Most of those who practice such magick are either Druids or Rangers. Druids serve as the healers and shepherds of the earth, whereas Rangers serve as its defenders."

"And how do you describe your Mercenary life in its relation of the duties of a True Ranger."

"By taking contracts that would bring me into direct conflict with those who would despoil the earth. Rangers are usually bound to a set place; those who are not wander taking care of the small tasks. I see myself engaging in a proactive defense."

"By waging war?" Her robes rustled silently.

"As I said, only against those who defile the earth."

"How... judgmental of you." She spoke. "And how can you tell what is defilement and what is nature?"

"I don't understand."

"No, you don't." She seemed to float to the door. "Come."

He rose from his bed and dressed quickly, following the cold lady through the labyrinthine corridors of the fortress to a small, barred door at what seemed to be near the top of the fortress. The woman touched the bars and they withdrew, the door opening silently to a world of white. She took Aerick's hand and led him into the world beyond, where they emerged into the wild untamed lands to the north. He wrapped his arms around him as the cold artic wind enveloped him. His guide turned to look at him.

"Are your skills so poor that you cannot warm yourself?"

"I... I am bound not to work my magick while I am in bondage to the Lady of the Dragon Riders."

"You are freed from the constraints for this period of training. Warm yourself, and follow." She turned her back on him and moved away.

Aerick swallowed and focused his strength into his hands. The earth magick he had been taught was one of mainly gestures, and he quickly wove his hands in the proper sequence to invoke a simple warmth spell. He breathed easier as the magick flowed about him and wrapped him in its warm embrace. He followed behind her as best he could. Her natural coloring made it nearly impossible for him to keep up, but he did. He caught up with the woman as she overlooked what appeared to be a permanent encampment. Below in the swirling snow, humans and Orcs interacted in the daily life of those who live in the lands of summer sun and winter night.

"Observe." She commanded. "In other lands, they would be mortal enemies, but here, the land does not forgive mistakes. Survival takes precedence." She turned to survey the landscape. "Look around you, is there not life, is there not beauty to be found in the bleakness of the cold north. You claim to fight against the dark powers, but there are none here. There is no defilement, only the balance of life and death. You have seen all your life that the evil that affects your people comes from the north. It does not. It comes from those who would use their powers for their own end. Magick is a tool; it can be used for good or ill, all depending on the heart of its wielder."

"You sound frighteningly like my teacher."

"Of course. Who do you think taught her?"

Aerick studied the woman quietly. He knew little, save for the information that Syrena provided to him on the Guardians. His teacher spoke not once of her own teacher, or how she became a Guardian herself.

"Come," She held out her hand. Aerick took the hand and the world seemed to blur white before it cleared upon a most unexpected scene. A human woman knelt on the fur covered floor of a rough hut on her hands and knees while a huge Orc male serviced her from behind. The woman did not seem in any danger, nor did she look abused in anyway. The Orc ran a heavy hand down the woman's back in an almost loving gesture before gripping her hips and continuing to thrust deeply. A soft grunt behind Aerick caused him to turn to see an Orc female pleasuring herself on a low bed. Females of the Orc race were of similar build to the males, but with less muscle mass. Tusk jutted up from her lower jaw, and her flattened nose seemed to flair as her fingers probed between her legs. A cry from the human woman brought his attention back to her.

"An interesting tableau is it not?" His keeper asked.

"She doesn't appear to be a slave." Aerick responded.

"She isn't. Her name is Karia. She was cast out of her village when her mate died at sea. She had always been 'strange', and after her exile she was found by a tribe of Orcs and taken in. Her oddity wasn't considered a problem by the Orcs. On the contrary, it is taken as a sign from the gods. She was handed over to the tribe's Shaman and has been a part of the family ever since."

Aerick watched in quiet fascination as the orc grunted, one of his hands reaching around to roughly fondle her breast as he brought her to a screaming climax. The human turned and gave her lover a caress on the face before kissing him.

"Perhaps we should... introduce ourselves." She spoke and waved a hand. Whatever shielded them from the small group wavered and vanished. The effect was immediate as the two Orcs and the human stopped what they were doing and knelt before the Guardian.

"You honor us with your presence Great One," The female Orc spoke.

"Your tribe has prospered since I passed through here last Shaagora," The woman spoke as she approached the Orc female. She kissed the Orc's head in blessing before surveying the hut.

"I can feel growth and life among your tribe."

Shaagora beamed. "We have grown strong in the past few seasons. Our herds are prosperous and our ships are swift in their fishing."

She turned to Aerick. "Did I mention that the Orc tribes of the north are matriarchal in nature."

Aerick nodded slowly, wondering what the Guardian's purpose.

She placed a hand on Aerick's shoulder. "I would share with you," She said, pushing Aerick forward. "It has been some time since I was able to make such an offering with you..."