A Ranger From Adamnar

Lord Vistor took charge of the clean-up. He worked tirelessly for days on end with Rangers from the neighboring strongholds to balance Rangers and supplies. Dozens of Rangers were down from garrison and the regional fortress to help. The one hundred eighty-three Rangers from the stronghold and outposts who died and could not be brought back had been properly honored with funeral pyres. The thousands of T’Rundi dead were another problem. Three Wizards came from the regional fortress and created disintegration pits. The dead T’Rundi were brought to the pits and thrown in.

Ranger forces of no less than twenty stood guard on both gates at all times while they were rebuilt. Once the gates were rebuilt they were closed. There were now forty rangers on the walls as opposed to the six that had walked the wall before the battle.

The garrison and regional stronghold sent Rangers to fill in for the Rangers who had died. Privest would be rebuilt, but it would take a year to do it. Lord Herton took over as Lord of Privest Outpost. Lord Jegeran moved to command the inner ring area and Ranger Matower, newly promoted to Lord, took over as outer middle ring area commander. He was excused from his Journey of the Lords. Lords Ejrin and Arimy agreed the Battle for Adamnar was enough.

On the third day after the battle, as the stench of the T’Rundi began to rise, a strange report came from the Rangers searching for clues from the T’Rundi line of march. A host of two hundred armored T’Rundi had been slaughtered about fifty miles north of Privest. Their hacked up bodies were left rotting in the field.

The largest problem that remained now was trying to determine where the T’Rundi had come from. Lord Lof Vonas used his considerable influence to bring in Terin Novar Arianna, leader of the Novadi order, Alaketh Maritanae, the White Mage of Ranwar, Islene Verderai, High Priestess of Asaeria, and Grandmaster Sorcerer, Tramore Jezrulian to help with the investigation.

The powerful group met at the site where the T’Rundi march to Adamnar began. They spent most of a day scanning the field and the area where the armored T’Rundi had been slaughtered, searching for clues to how twelve thousand T’Rundi had gotten there en masse without leaving a trail of destruction behind them. In their search they discovered the charred bodies of four female Tagonic elves in the midst of the hacked up remains of the T’Rundi warriors. The four then went back to Lord Berol’s office to confer.

“I detected the use of magic, but only in the vicinity of the bodies of the Tagoni,” Alaketh said.

“They were also using priestly power,” Islene added. “Specifically, Igea’s—which is not surprising.”

“That was probably how they created the storm, “Arianna said.

“No doubt,” Tramore replied. “However, that was not how they pushed the storm. I sensed a type of energy I have not encountered before. It was the person or people using that energy that drove the storm south and opened the portal for the T’Rundi.”

“How did you find that out?” Lord Lof Vonas asked.

“I was able to partially recreate the events of the last few days.”

“Why only partially?” Arianna asked

Everyone leaned forward to hear what the Mendari turned Sorcerer had to say. “I was able to recreate the events,” Tramore replied, “but I could not get a trace of the person responsible.”

“I don’t understand,” Alaketh said, “How is that possible?”

Tramore shrugged. “I know not. But someone set the Tagonic elves ablaze with a fire they could not extinguish and then set the T’Rundi against each other. He or she also opened a portal large enough for twelve thousand T’Rundi to walk through.”

“But why?” Alaketh asked in frustration. “Was this just to destroy the stronghold? This was an act of someone with incredible power. Why did they use it to attack one stronghold?”

“For Alana,” Lord Berol said quietly.

“Van what are you saying?” the Ruby Ranger asked.

Lord Berol looked over at Lord Lof Vonas. “Laren told me after the battle that the T’Rundi leader went straight for Alana. She said he had a small rod in one hand that he seemed to be using to find her.”

“Who is Alana?” Alaketh asked.

Lord Berol opened his mouth to reply, but Arianna put up a hand. “Hold!”

Both Lord Berol and Lord Lof Vonas stiffened and stared at the Novadi leader. Islene folded her hands in her lap and waited.

Arianna stood up and looked over at Lord Berol. “I apologize Van, but I am invoking Novadi privilege.”

Lord Lof Vonas stood up as well. “Terin Novar, there’s no need for that.”

“Actually Toran, there is,” she replied gravely. “Please sit.”

“Pardon my ignorance,” Alaketh said, “but what is Novadi privilege?”

It was Toran who answered him. “A Novadi warrior can, at any time, take charge of any Ranger stronghold, including the Headquarters, should they feel it necessary.”

Alaketh looked from Toran to Arianna. “I may be mistaken, but I thought the Novadi order only came about some five hundred years ago. There have been Rangers on Ranwar for thousands of years. Why would Rangers be subordinate to the Novadi?”

“The Ranger order was originally created by the Novadi order after the second Great Forest War,” Arianna replied. “The Novadi recruited warriors who had an affinity for connecting to the forest and trained them to be guardians. The Ranger order grew over time, leaving the Novadi order more freedom to spread its work over the whole of Gorthus. When the Dragon Lords came, the Novadi order dispersed to avoid having the Dragon Lords destroy Ranwar. The Rangers remained but diminished greatly until the Dragon Lords were destroyed. I became the Ruby Ranger while I was still reviving the Novadi order. I reestablished the stronghold system on Ranwar and strengthened it. The Rangers of Ranwar willingly pledged their oath to the Novadi order before I ever asked it of them.”

Alaketh raised his brows. “I certainly cannot argue with an oath freely given.”

“Terin Novar,” Toran said, “I still don’t understand why you feel the need to invoke the privilege.”

“Because we are about to discuss Novadi business,” Arianna replied tersely. She drew her sword, the Silver Sun, the first of the five Nyla blades and brethren to the Jade Dragon. She held the sword high and murmured a single word. The room filled with a soft white light. For Van it brought to mind the night Iliard had spoken to him in his library about Alana’s future. She placed the sword on Van’s desk and stood in front of it.

“Some time ago,” Arianna began, “When the father of the current Baron Candril was still living, Master Kate brought me a prophecy scroll and asked me to keep it safe until her son came into his inheritance. The prophecy spoke of the line of Jeragoth and his prediction of an heir who would rise to fight the last Great Forest war.”

“And you think Alana is this heir?” Toran asked.

“The signs all point in that direction,” Arianna replied.

Toran sat back and let out a long slow breath. “Does Alana know any of this?”

“No,” Van said. “Master Iliard forbade any of us from telling her about the prophecy.”

“What has Master Iliard got to do with this?” Tramore asked.

“Alana is his niece,” Arianna replied. “He has been her guardian since the day she was born.”

“Alana is the daughter of Baron Candril?” Alaketh asked. “The one who is missing?”

“Yes, yes,” Arianna said impatiently. “And Baron Galiblent has a ten thousand gold piece reward for information about her. Trust me, if he tried to lay hands on her, he would get a lot more than he bargained for. Now, to the matter at hand. I must ask that you all pledge to keep anything we discuss in this room to yourselves. If you feel you can’t, then you are free to leave now. I must advise you that the pledge is binding—held by the guardian of the Silver Sun.”

Lord Berol was the first respond. He stood and said, “I do so pledge.”

One by one the others made their pledge until it came to the White Mage. He met Arianna’s gaze impassively. “Your reputation is well earned, Terin Novar Arianna.”

Arianna raised a single brow. “It’s how I stay alive.”

Alaketh chuckled as he looked around at the powerful people in the room. “Indeed, isn’t that true of us all. I give my pledge as well.”

“Done.”

Tramore looked over at Arianna and said, “The sword talks?”

“Only once in a great while,” she replied.

He shook his head. “You never can just get a sword can you?”

She smiled. “What fun would that be? Now,” she said her tone more serious, “I will tell all I know up to now. I do this because the attack on this stronghold has shown me that the enemy Alana, and ultimately we all, face is a real and present danger. The forest has grown uneasy and something or someone is trying to corrupt the Heart itself.

Toran stared at her, startled. “How can that be? No one is allowed access to the Heart.”

“Alana has been in contact with the Heart almost from the moment she started Ranger training. She doesn’t need direct access to the Heart to speak to it. Apparently neither does this enemy. What we seem to be facing is two sides of the same coin and I fear the side of evil has had a head start.”

“What can you tell us about Alana herself?” Alaketh asked.

Arianna shrugged. “I think Van is in a better position to answer that question than I am.”

Van shifted uneasily. “Terin Novar, some of these things Master Iliard told me in confidence.”

“Master Iliard answers to the Novadi order,” Arianna replied curtly.

“Of course, Terin Novar,” he replied. He told them everything Iliard had told him when he brought Alana to Adamnar. Then he described Alana’s training and her meteoric rise to Ranger. “Since she was a trainee, Alana has been able to do things that many seasoned Ranger lords cannot do. What is most remarkable is that she is apparently the Priestess of two gods—Asaeria and Diasamon. She healed and resurrected several hundred Rangers after the battle.”

“Three,” Islene said softly. “She bears the sun-star of Aniyatomei. Although she herself does not know it, she is a High Priestess of three gods.”

“High Priestess? How is that even possible? How is she a Priestess of a god who hates fighting?” Toran asked.

“There are forces at work that we clearly do not understand,” Alaketh said.

“Is there anything else Van?” Arianna asked.

“During the battle, after Ben had been killed, she went berserk,” he began. “She began to draw on the power of the forest to fuel her fighting as she mowed down all the T’Rundi on the wall. When she started doing that, the storm started to break up. She pushed the storm back.”

“I remember that,” Toran said. He looked at Van. “You were the one that noticed it first. You said she was countering the storm.” He looked from Van to Arianna and muttered, “Damn.”

“There’s something else,” Van said, his voice hesitant. He looked at Arianna and said, “I noticed that Alana has no aura. And neither does Laren.”

Tramore was instantly alert. “No aura at all?”

Van shook his head. “No.”

Arianna met his gaze. “And you can see the auras of other people?”

Van flushed and answered, “Yes Terin Novar. But only faintly. It only just started near the end of the battle.”

“Arianna, this is significant,” Tramore insisted. “Jared and I have been studying this phenomenon for years. People like this are unscryable by any means.”

“Yes, I know,” she replied.

“How is it possible for someone to have no aura at all and still be alive?” Alaketh asked. He shook his head. “I think our meeting is generating more questions than answers. Would it be possible for us to speak to Alana?”

“Before we do that,” Arianna said, “Let me tell you what I know about her family history.” She paused for moment. “I’m not going to pretend I know all there is to know about this. According to what I’ve been told, in every generation of that family since time immemorial, one person has been born with what they call the Mark of Jeragoth. This birthmark is always in the shape of a harp with a cross in the middle. Alana has this mark as does her father and his father before him. It was said that Sara Nadran had this mark.”

“Alana is a descendant of Sara Nadran?” Alaketh asked.

“Yes,” Arianna replied briefly before she continued. “Every person born with this mark is also born with no aura. Almost every person born with this mark rises to greatness of some kind. I say almost because Ilora Candril, Alana’s great-grandmother, was born with the mark, but killed herself when she was just twenty-six years old.”

“So what does all this mean?” Toran asked. And how is it possible that this line has continued like this for so long? And who is Jeragoth anyway?”

“All very good questions,” Arianna replied. “None of which I can answer. It’s also apparent that it isn’t just the line of Jeragoth that is born with no aura. Laren is not related at all to Alana and yet Van has said she also has no aura.”

“We should meet with both of them,” Tramore said firmly.

“What I would be interested in is the rod that the T’Rundi leader was carrying,” Alaketh said, “If Alana cannot be found by any means that we have at our disposal, how was this T’Rundi able to do it? What kind of magic is in that rod?”

“All of the weapons and items taken from the bodies of the T’Rundi have been stockpiled in a storage shed,” Van said.

“Perhaps this young woman, Laren can help me find it,” Alaketh said.

Arianna looked at Lord Berol and said, “Van, would you please send someone to find Alana and Laren and bring them here?”

Van didn’t move or speak for a moment. He met Arianna’s gaze and said, “Terin Novar, I am still lord of this stronghold and my first care must be for my Rangers and trainees. Alana has been through a lot lately. I’m not sure she would deal well with being…interrogated.”

“I must agree,” Islene said. “I was with her that night after the fighting ended. She was both emotionally and physically drained by the battle and its aftermath. She may be in a very fragile state right now. It has been less than two weeks since the battle.”

Arianna’s brows rose. Her lips twitched into a smile. “I had no idea my reputation was that bad. Be at ease Van, I know well the effects of battle on the very young. And she is young if I’m not mistaken, isn’t she?”

“Just eighteen, Terin Novar,” Van replied.

Arianna shook her head. “She was a child when I met her at Iliard’s installation.” She sighed. “Van please send for them. I promise you we will take care with her.”

When Lord Berol opened the door to his office, Laren and Alana stepped in and stopped cold on the threshold. Laren looked around at the assembled group and her eyes narrowed. Her hand dropped to the hilt of her sword, she stepped in front of Alana and said, “What the hell is this?”

Lord Berol put his hand on Laren’s shoulder. “Stand down Ranger, no one here is going to hurt Alana.”

Alana stepped out from behind Laren. “It’s all right,” she said, her voice soft with resignation, “I know everyone here.”

“Fascinating,” Tramore said. “Neither of them have an aura.”

Alana and Laren both threw him a startled look. Arianna stepped forward. “Alana, it’s good to see you again. You’ve changed quite a bit since your uncle’s installation ceremony.” She turned to Laren and said, “Laren, we’ve never met, although Master Kate told me about you. I’m pleased to finally meet you. Come in.” She indicated a pair of chairs that had been placed in front of Lord Berol’s desk. “Please, take a seat.”

Alana took one of the chairs but Laren went behind her and said, “I’ll just stand if it’s all the same to you.”

“Laren,” Lord Berol admonished.

Arianna raised a hand. “It’s all right Van, I’m not offended.” She turned back to Laren and Alana. “Before we begin, for Laren’s sake let me introduce everyone here.” By the time Arianna finished with the introductions, Laren’s eyes were wide and, if possible, even more wary. The Novadi master studied the pair of young women. Laren had clearly taken a protective role and was quite serious about it. Alana looked pale and drawn. The dark circles under her eyes bespoke sleepless nights and the lack of expression on her face caused Arianna some concern about Alana’s overall well-being. She knew she needed to tread very carefully.

Arianna decided to take the unoccupied chair next to Alana’s and move it so she was facing the two young Rangers. “Alana we have some questions we’d like to ask you because we’ve encountered a few things here that are beyond our understanding.”

“I’ll answer as best I can Terin Novar,” Alana replied, “But I don’t know very much myself.”

“Fair enough,” Arianna replied. She sat back in her chair and said, “Tell me about the storm. Lord Berol said that you were the one who rang the bell. How did you know it was more than just an ordinary storm?”

It seemed to those assembled that Alana shrank into herself even more. “I didn’t at first. But I couldn’t turn away from it. I kept going back to the window. Then I felt it.”

“What did you feel?” Arianna asked. “Can you describe it?”

“Evil,” Alana replied bleakly. “It felt like concentrated evil. And I knew it. I’ve felt it before.”

“When?”

“The day I tested out of first phase. The Heart had just spoken to me…”

Arianna interrupted. “The Heart spoke to you first?”

“Yes,” Alana replied. “Well,” she added hesitantly, “The Heart spoke to me once before that, but I didn’t know what it was.”

“When was that?” Arianna asked.

“When I went to the Novadi stronghold for Uncle Iliard’s Wielder ceremony.”

Arianna’s brows drew together. “What did the Heart say to you at the stronghold?”

“ ‘Hail Terin Berinath’.”

Alaketh broke in, “Terin Berinath? What does that mean? Is that some kind of title like Terin Novar?”

Alana’s eye widened slightly. “I don’t know. I never made the connection before today. Master Zarjinda told me it means Joy of the Heart. But he said that wasn’t an exact translation.”

Arianna turned to the White Mage. “Terin is a title of sorts but it’s something more. There’s no exact translation in any language we know.”

“Arianna,” Tramore said quietly, “We are getting off the subject.”

The Novadi leader nodded. “Alana, what about the evil you felt?”

“After the Heart spoke to me, this other…presence broke into my mind.” She twisted her fingers together in her lap. “It said something like, ‘your reign will end in fire and blood’.” Her voice lowered to just above a whisper. “I don’t know what that means.”

Arianna sighed softly. “You are not alone in that, trust me. Have you heard the voice since then?”

“Once when I was mindspeaking to Laren.”

“You can mindspeak?” Tramore’s voice was crisp and demanding.

Alana started slightly in her chair and answered quietly, “Only to Laren, Grandmaster.”

“And can Laren mindspeak to you?” he asked.

“Only if it’s necessary,” she replied.

Tramore raised a brow. “A curious reply.” After a pause he asked, “Alana, may I attempt to link with your mind.”

Alana looked over at the Grandmaster Sorcerer. She knew from her studies that he had once been a Mendari before he founded the Sorcerer order. He was an intimidating looking man with long jet black hair and jet black eyes. For a brief moment she thought she saw jade green flames flickering in their ebony depths. She shuddered slightly, but nodded in agreement.

Tramore pushed out his thoughts. Alana felt the force of his mental probe move through her but she didn’t hear anything. The power coming from him intensified but nothing else happened. She felt a subtle change in the energy focused at her and a tremor of fear ran through her. Once again Alana thought she saw flames in his eyes.

Laren stirred restlessly behind her. She leaned down and whispered, “Are you all right?”

Alana nodded and then focused her attention on Tramore. He met her gaze and his brows drew together in a deep frown. “I have never encountered this before. It is as if she does not exist.”

Arianna leaned over and poked Alana’s arm. “She’s definitely here.”

“I don’t understand,” Alaketh said.

“I have no explanation,” Tramore replied. “I see her. We all know she is physically in the room. But psychically, she does not exist.”

Alana’s stomach clenched and she suddenly felt like she was going to be sick. Here was yet another mystery, another piece to an infinite puzzle. She clenched her jaw. What did these people want from her? What they expect her to know? She saw Tramore’s gaze move above her head. She felt Laren stiffen and she could feel her friend’s panic rising. Anger built inside her. Enough was enough. Alana stood and raised her hand. “No. Leave her alone.”

The Grandmaster Sorcerer’s eyes widened as he felt a pulse of energy wash over him. His gaze locked with Alana’s. He saw defiance mixed with fear.

Tramore wasn’t the only one who felt the power flow through the room. “What in all the hells was that?” Arianna asked. The other people in the room were all staring at Alana in bewilderment.

“That,” Tramore said, “was the same energy I felt in the field.”

“What do you want from me?” Alana asked angrily. “If you’re looking for me to answer questions about the battle and who caused the storm or who pushed it at the stronghold, then good luck, because I don’t know anything. No one told me anything about this supposed prophecy or about how I can be ordained by two gods or how I can do things that Ranger lords can’t even do. I asked questions and I got no answers. So don’t look to me to enlighten you. The Heart calls me Terin Berinath. Asaeria calls me the Heir and Laren the Protector. Can any of you tell me what that means?” She looked around at their shocked faces. “I didn’t think so.” Her hands began to shake. “If you, some of the most powerful people on Gorthus, don’t know,” her voice broke, “how can you expect me to?” She choked back a sob and put her face in her hands.

Laren came around from behind the chair and put her arm around Alana’s shoulders. “She needs to go.”

“Laren,” Lord Berol said.

“Let them go,” Arianna said.”

“Arianna,” Tramore protested.

Arianna stood and faced Tramore. “I said, let them go.”

Laren guided Alana to the door while Arianna followed behind. When they were out in the hallway, Arianna closed the door behind her. “Laren, hold a moment.”

Laren turned to look at her and said, “I know less than she does, Terin Novar.”

Arianna shook her head. “I know. I don’t want you ask you about that. But after Alana is settled, please come back here. I need you to help Grandmaster Maritanae find the rod that the T’Rundi leader was carrying.”

Laren nodded. “Yes, Terin Novar.”

Arianna looked at Alana’s tear streaked face and sighed. “Alana, I’m sorry we put you through that. We are all trying to find answers.”

“I know, Terin Novar,” Alana replied. “I’m sorry I got angry.”

Arianna put her hand on Alana’s shoulder. “It’s all right. Go get some rest. Try to sleep.”

The young woman nodded. Arianna watched the pair as they walked slowly down the hallway, her eyes filled with concern. She went back into Lord Berol’s office and said to the stronghold lord. “You’d better keep an eye on her Van. She’s near to her breaking point.”