amazed at the man’s speed and adaptability to any situation. It was hard for Arik to comprehend anyone who could be better than Garth. Arik waited until the lesson was over to approach Garth.
“Garth,” Arik opened, “what do you now about Alexander Tork?”
Garth looked at him for a moment and then swung his gaze towards Tanya. Eventually, he sat down next to Arik and the other boys joined them. “I know a great deal about Alexander Tork,” Garth began. “He created, trained and led the Rangers up to the time of his marriage to Jenneva. I used to be a Targa Ranger. The techniques that I use in fighting are his techniques. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, it is just that some people have such a great deal of admiration for him and I’ve never heard of him,” Arik answered.
Garth smiled and nodded his head. “Tanya mercilessly bombarded me with questions about him,” Garth said. “I imagine that she heard stories about him from her uncle and was disturbed with the way I downplayed Tork’s accomplishments. She has seemed to be pretty angry with me ever since.”
“Why would you belittle Tork’s accomplishments?” Arik asked. “Are the stories about him untrue?”
Garth picked up a pebble and began rolling it over in his hand. “Most of them are true,” Garth explained. “Alexander Tork never meant to be a hero. He always did what he thought had to be done because there wasn’t anybody else who would or could do it. He was not the type of man who did something and then turned to others with a smile on his face and boasted about what he had done. That would be totally out of character for the man and I would not be kind to him to do what he himself would not do. He was a good fighter and he used his skills to right what wrongs he could.”
“Was he more skilled than you?” Arik asked.
“I would never draw a comparison between myself and Alexander Tork,” declared Garth. “I do not claim to be better than he was and I do not wish others to do it for me. What we do is not a competition, Arik. Each of us should use whatever skills we have to defeat the Dark One. If Alexander Tork were here today, he would be telling you the exact same thing. Forget about Tork. Forget about me. You have to spend whatever time you have to sharpen your skills and think about the consequences of what we have started. We have no idle time for wondering about a man who hasn’t been seen in seventeen years.”
“What is so wrong about having a hero to emulate?” asked Tanya who had come up behind the boys without anyone noticing.
“Alexander Tork may have been a hero to you, Tanya,” Garth sighed, “but he was not a hero to himself.”
Garth rose as Tanya pushed onward. “Well, he should have been,” she declared. “He did more for the world than any ten other men and you seem to think he was nothing.”
“Yes,” sighed Garth bitterly. “He did wonders for the world. He saved the world from the sun. Don’t you love his parting gift? A world without sunshine, without safe roads to travel, without farms that are free of bandits. He left a world where people can only cower in the cities and hope the tyrant rulers don’t order them hung.”
Tanya slapped Garth so hard that his head spun and his face sported bright red marks from her fingers. “How dare you talk that way about a great man,” Tanya spat. “Alexander Tork gave everything he had to try and save the world from all of this.”
“Yes, he did,” agreed Garth with hatred in his voice. “He was so wonderful that he must have saved the world a dozen times over. He was so wrapped up in saving the world that he gave his only child to the Black Devils for slaughter. You want to worship a hero, Tanya? Worship the man who didn’t have time to save his own child.”
Garth stormed off before Tanya had time to deliver another blow. Tedi jumped up and grabbed Tanya before she took off after Garth. He held her tight until her body stopped quivering.
“What was that all about?” asked Fredrik. “I never heard those stories about Tork.”
“They are all lies,” screamed Tanya. “Filthy lies spewed by a coward who can’t stand being compared to a real man.”
Kalina approached the practice area and stood firmly in front of Tanya.
“Dinner is ready,” she announced. “Why don’t you boys go eat while Tanya and I have a little talk?”
The boys quickly scampered away, more to avoid the coming confrontation than their need for food. Tanya tried to go with them, but Kalina grabbed her arm. Tanya easily broke Kalina's grasp, but she stayed to talk.
“Why didn’t you use any of your fancy magic to make me stay?” Tanya demanded.
“I don’t use magic to hurt friends,” Kalina replied. “You misunderstand Garth and you hurt him deeply.”
“I hurt him?” Tanya said incredulously. “You expect me stand there and listen to him trash Alexander Tork and you blame me for hurting him?”
“You never knew Alexander Tork,” Kalina persisted. “We did. I personally agree with your description of Alex, not Garth’s, but that is part of the problem. Garth has heard so many tales about the greatness of Alexander Tork and the Targa Rangers that one would think that everything in the world is wonderful. Garth is torn up inside about his own inability to make the world a better place and disgusted with what the world has become. He was a Ranger, too. He shared Alex’s vision of a better world and he has spent the past seventeen years listening to these wondrous tales while watching the world fall apart. Add to that the fact that I have always adored Alexander Tork and his wonderful accomplishments and it is easy to see why Garth doesn’t want to hear any more about it.”
“Well, why did he have to say those nasty things about Alex abandoning his own child?” cried Tanya.
“He is just echoing Alex’s own feelings,” Kalina answered. “Alex Tork’s child was abducted by Black Devils while Alex was running around the world trying to save the Prophecy babies. Alex never forgave himself for that and became a very bitter man. Do not take Garth’s statements literally. Every Ranger idolized Alexander Tork and would have laid their lives on the line for him. Garth would have done the same as Alex in the situation that existed at that time. That should help you understand his bitterness. That anger will fade when Alcea rises. Until then, please don’t push your views of Alex on Garth. I have learned not to and I think you are a stronger woman than
I.”
Tanya nodded and wiped her tears as Kalina escorted her to the campfire. The boys looked up sheepishly as they approached and their conversation stopped. Kalina dished some rabbit stew onto a plate for Tanya and then helped herself. Nobody said anything about Garth’s absence over dinner, but the usual quiet time after dinner when Garth would light his pipe and talk to the Rangers was missed. Instead the Rangers went back to practice and Tanya worked off her fury and hurt.
After practice when everybody was tired and drawn they turned in and went to sleep. Only Kalina stayed up and stared into the forest. When Arik woke in the morning, Kalina was still sitting there and still staring into the forest.
Chapter 22 Sagina
The smell of breakfast cooking aroused the rest of the Alcea Rangers and one by one they rose and began their morning exercises. Kalina finally stopped staring into the forest and relieved Arik of the cooking duties so he could join the exercises. Nobody spoke about Garth or the confrontation the previous evening. Kalina served breakfast and left the cleanup to the others. She wrapped up her gear and secured it on her white mare and Garth’s black stallion. When she was finished, Garth’s horse turned and walked into the forest.
“Ten minutes,” Kalina called. “Everybody secure your belongings and make ready for the trail.”
Tanya started to say something and everyone stopped and stared at her. Flushing, she bent back to the task at hand and left her thoughts hidden. Quietly the Rangers mounted their horses and Arik led the group along the trail. The midday meal was eaten while riding and Tedi took the lead and Tanya the tail of the procession. Tedi still detected the elves tracking them, but he said nothing. In fact, nobody spoke. The Rangers rode on in silence until the darkness came upon them.
