he felt he had gone about a mile, he turned towards the trail again and crept forward.
Slowly and silently, Garth made his way towards the trail until he finally saw what he was searching for. Directly ahead of him was an elf in a brown tunic and twenty horse lengths to his left was another. Garth waited for a few moments to observe them and to search for others that might be nearby. Satisfied that there were only two observers close by, Garth moved silently up behind one of them and nocked an arrow in his bow.
Garth squatted five paces behind the elf and spoke softly so his voice would not travel to the other elf. “There is no need to spy, my friend. You are welcome to join our campfire and share whatever meager rations we have.”
The elf did not spin around abruptly as most humans would have. He turned slowly and focused on Garth and the arrow pointing at him. “Would a friend point an arrow at another friend's back?” the elf quizzed.
“Only the threat of a signal to your brethren required the arrow,” Garth said as he lowered the bow and returned the arrow to his quiver. “It has been many years since I walked within the Elderal and I do not know much of what has transpired since then.”
Garth stood erect and the other elf immediately swung his attention to the stranger in black. The elf nearest Garth squinted his oval eyes as if measuring the character of a man who could move like an elf. Garth could feel the second elf moving into position as the first elf spoke.
“How is it you move like an elf?” he inquired.
Garth casually moved to one side of the first elf to delay the other’s approach. “I was taught many years ago by one who is like my brother,” Garth stated.
The first elf signaled his partner. “I am Garong,” he announced. “My partner is Rhula.”
Garth watched as the second elf came to join the conversation and was mildly surprised to notice that she was female. “I am known as Garth Shado,” Garth stated. “My party means no harm to the elves and we shall be out of Elderal on the second day from today. We travel this trail for it is the shortest path to our destination.”
“It is also the trail that draws little notice,” Rhula chimed in. “Only those seeking to hide use this trail. Is that supposed to endear us to your good character?”
“You have watched my party all day,” Garth stated. “Does it appear to offer harm to the great nation of Elderal? I travel with children who are hunted and I have offered them my protection. I know the ways of the Elderal and we have respected them.”
“You did not respect them when you came at us from behind,” reminded Rhula.
Garong gave her a glare to cease her talk. “You have acted with skill and knowledge,” Garong said. “Your party may travel the trail in safety as long as you remember the ways of the Elderal. We shall decline your gracious offer to share your camp and offer you these rabbits so your time in the woods will not have been wasted. Remember, brother of the elf, you are responsible for the behavior of your party. We shall watch you progress through Elderal.”
Garong handed Garth four rabbits, two from his belt and two from Rhula’s. Garth tied the rabbits to his own broad belt and nodded to the two elves.
“My thanks for your generosity,” Garth said. “I also offer my compliments to King Galever for utilizing scouts with honor and compassion. May he know peace and a good neighbor to his south when Alcea rises.”
The elves sported puzzled looks as Garth walked across the trail to his campsite. They would not understand his parting comment, but Garth knew it would be relayed to King Galever. The elves could be powerful allies when the time came and elfish ways dictated that they would not help others who had not sworn friendship before a crisis began. Hopefully, the King of the Elves would remember hearing of the potential for a good neighbor in Alcea and be predisposed to discuss an alliance.
Garth entered the campsite and laid the rabbits down for Niki to clean and prepare. Fredrik and Tedi were battling with their staffs at a furious rate. Garth watched them for a moment as they twirled, jabbed, and smacked with their long, wooden poles. Tedi was definitely the better of the two, but that did little to lessen Garth’s respect of Fredrik’s ability. Both boys handled the staff with confidence and skill.
Garth gazed over to the area where Arik and Tanya had been practicing swordplay. Kalina and Tanya were hovering over Arik who was sitting on the ground. Garth hurried over when he saw the large red smear on Arik’s chest, fearing that Tanya had seriously injured the boy. Garth bent down and was relieved to see that there was no serious cut to Arik’s chest.
“What is it?” Garth inquired.
“I’m not sure,” Kalina answered. “It appears to be some kind of rash, but nothing that I have ever seen before.”
“When he removed his shirt,” Tanya interjected, “I was afraid that I had wounded him.”
“Ha,” chuckled Arik, “there is small chance of that. It started bothering me the first night we were in Tagaret. It has grown steadily bigger and more irritating since then.”
“We have tried all the creams and ointments that I can think of,” Kalina supplied. “Niki even gave a try with her healing ability. She has been pouring over the books I got her in Melbin and showed me some interesting spells.”
Garth cocked an eyebrow at the thought of Kalina learning anything from Niki, but soon realized that Kalina spoke the truth. The girl had some type of ability with health magic that was hard for Kalina to grasp. As with most things, magic was easier to learn from somebody who knew how to do something than it was to learn from a book.
“Well,” Garth summarized, “if we can’t do anything about this rash, we should stop wasting time examining it. You two should get back to practice before I get my wooden sword out.”
“Whenever you are ready, Garth,” Tanya quipped.
Garth ignored the taunt and walked with Kalina back to the campfire. Arik stood and picked up his practice sword. “You shouldn’t tease Garth that way,” Arik cautioned. “He is probably the greatest warrior that has ever lived. What if he took you up on your taunt? You would be sore for a week.”
“Garth is not the greatest warrior who ever lived,” corrected Tanya. “Oh, he was definitely a Targa Ranger, I’m sure, and that makes him a great warrior, but you forget about Alexander Tork. He created and trained the Rangers. He is undoubtedly the greatest warrior of all time.”
“Maybe where you come from,” Arik stubbornly stated, “but I never heard of this Tork before this trip. So, he created the Targa Rangers. Garth has started the Alcea Rangers.”
“It does not matter where one comes from,” Tanya insisted. “Alex Tork is a legend. I have heard stories from all over this continent about Alex. Targa created two new armies for him to command as he saw fit, the Frontier Division and the Rangers. They reported to no one except Alex, not even the King of Targa. One time he was falsely accused of killing the King of Targa and his men stood with him to the man and helped him prove the accusation false. The Sultan of Sordoa was placed in power by Tork after the man witnessed Alex behead the old Sultan who had declared war on Targa. And that was in the Sultan’s Palace surrounded by thousands of Sordoan soldiers.”
“Well,” Arik argued, “Garth is not old yet. He may accomplish much more before he quits.”
“Old?” Tanya laughed. “These are tales about Tork when he wasn’t much older than you. He had his first battle when he was fifteen and put in charge of his village when the Yaki attacked. He led the village to the other side of the Boulder Mountains to relocate.”
“Why are you so wrapped up in this Alexander Tork?” Arik demanded. “If he is so good, then why is it left to Garth to save the world by protecting and training us? Maybe your Alex Tork wasn’t up to the job.”
“I am not wrapped up in him,” snarled Tanya. “I just believe in putting things in their proper prospective. Alex hasn’t been seen since the Collapse. He and Jenneva surely died then or the Dark One found them and eliminated them. Uncle Boris said that every Black Devil had been ordered to hunt for them because they had imprisoned the Dark One. Oh, what is the use in trying to educate a fisherboy? Let’s practice before Garth does take me up on my challenge.”
Arik shook his head and raised his wooden sword to meet Tanya’s attack. He still didn’t understand women. He got along with Tanya because she acted less like a women than any girl he had met, but every so often she went and did something that made absolutely no sense at all.
By the time Arik and Tanya completed their practice, Arik was tired. Tanya went to help with the dinner and Arik walked over to join Fredrik and Tedi who were getting lessons from Garth on knife fighting. Garth invited him into the lesson, but Arik just sat down and shook his head. He watched Garth instruct the other two boys and was
