They set up the campsite as efficiently as always, but there was a gloom that hung over the campsite that had nothing to do with Sarac’s darkness. The Rangers practiced as always, but Tanya felt as if the blows directed towards her were slightly more deliberate than during normal practice sessions. The Rangers broke for dinner and ate quietly. After dinner, the time when Garth would light his pipe and talk for half an hour, Tanya tried to apologize to the rest of the Rangers, but they walked to the practice areas and began honing their skills in silence.
Kalina approached Tanya who was throwing Lanoirian Stars with more anger than skill. “Tanya, do not blame yourself for Garth’s actions,” soothed Kalina. “It is not your fault.”
Tanya turned and snapped at Kalina. “It’s not my fault?” she ridiculed. “How can you, of all people, say that? Everyone here knows that it is my fault. I have taunted and needled Garth until he ran off and abandoned us. Everyone knows it is my fault. I will be lucky to live through the next practice session. How can you even look at me with sympathy?”
Kalina wrapped her arms around Tanya and hugged her. “I, of all people, know Garth,” she stated. “The words you spoke were true, too true. Sometimes the truth hurts and people have a hard time accepting that. Garth is slow to anger and even slower to cool off. He is not gone from us, but he is hurting deeply. He needs to work the hurt and anger off in solitude. It is the only way that works for him. He will come back when he is better able to accept your feelings for Alexander Tork. In the meantime, he is quite capable of handling himself alone in the woods.”
“If he is so capable,” Tanya sobbed, “why do you spend all of your time staring off into the woods for him?”
Kalina turned and gazed at the endless trees surrounding them. “He will not suffer at the hands of a predator out there,” Kalina declared. “My fear is for the enemy within himself. He pushes himself to the limit for others and even beyond. When that is not enough to help the others, he blames himself. He does not consider it heroic when he succeeds. When you idolize Alexander Tork as a hero, he thinks to himself that there are no heroes. He has seen thousands of good men die trying to help others and, in his mind, they are the only heroes and even they are failures because they are no longer around to help people. You should not feel sorry for Garth nor should you feel anger for his beliefs. He believes in them deeply, as you do in yours.”
Tanya picked up her Lanoirian Stars as Kalina left to sit near the fire. Tanya renewed her practice, but this time with more skill than anger. Eventually, the Rangers finished practice and drifted off to sleep. Tanya closed her eyes on the figure of Kalina still sitting and gazing into the forest.
Tanya awoke with a stabbing in her ribs and the smell of breakfast in her nostrils. She looked up to see Fredrik poking her with his staff. Biting back a sharp remark, she followed Fredrik’s gaze and saw Garth cooking breakfast. Hurriedly, she got to her feet and headed towards Garth. Fredrik and Tedi were awakening the rest of the Rangers as she approached the campfire. When she got close to Garth, she started to speak and Garth looked up at her and held his hand up to halt her words.
“I must apologize to you,” Garth said loudly. “To all of you. You are young enough yet to know great optimism and enthusiasm. It is wrong for me, in any way, to dampen that bright outlook you hold on life. I can warn you of the pitfalls which you will face on your journey towards death, but the attitudes you carry with you on that journey are yours, and yours alone.”
Tanya started to say something and Garth halted her again. “To you, pretty warrior, I owe an extra apology,” Garth smiled. “You are right to seek a person who you think represents the ideals you would wish for yourself and I was wrong to water the fire of your search for excellence. My views may differ from your own, but I will no longer attempt to lessen your ideals. Please forgive me.”
Tanya did not try to speak, but threw her arms around Garth and hugged him. An embarrassed smile clouded Garth’s face as he returned the young warriors hug. After a few moments, he broke the embrace and laughed.
“Now for the fine breakfast I negotiated out of a Klandon farmer,” he chuckled. “Fresh eggs and bacon with bread and a pitcher of cow’s milk.”
The campsite turned festive as the Rangers devoured the breakfast. Kalina stood behind Garth and placed her hands on his broad shoulders and smiled. Within twenty minutes the breakfast was eaten, the campsite cleaned up, and the Rangers were back on the trail.
The days that followed were free of tension within the group. Tanya still showered the other Rangers with tales of Alex and Jenneva, but Garth did not object, he merely walked away from the talk and performed other duties that required attention.
As they approached the Boulder Mountains, Garth began to hear the Rangers speak of Lavinda, the settlement Alexander Tork led his villagers to when he was a boy. The villagers had named it Lavinda in honor of Alexander’s mother who died during the trip in a misfortunate accident. Tork had taught the villagers to think in terms of defense and the village was designed to repel attacks. The design saved the village from the Yaki, goblins, and bandits. The village had become famous and the term “Lavindan” was used to describe someone who was wary and defensive and usually sat with his back to the wall and an eye on the door.
Tedi was chosen to ask Garth if the group could stop in Lavinda for an overnight stay. Garth smiled grimly and explained that Lavinda had a reputation for not accepting strangers and that their path lay in another direction. While Tedi spread the word of Garth’s answer, Garth made the decision to ride later than usual and camp on the other side of the pass, effectively eliminating the need for any further questions about Lavinda.
That evening during the talk session when Garth lit his pipe, there were a lot of questions about Lavinda, the unnamed village where Tork grew up, and the cave of Alex’s first battle with the Yaki, which was somewhere nearby.
Garth looked at the eager faces around the campfire and pointed with his pipe at the Boulder Mountains. “That is what should occupy your thoughts,” Garth proclaimed. “Mount Kalas, the highest mountain of the Boulders, is where the Dark One is imprisoned. We are at the center of Sarac’s domain and on a trip that will lead to his death, or ours. If this were a pleasure trip, we could all get excited about seeing sights where legends were born, but the longer we stay in the vicinity of Sarac’s castle, the longer we dare death to visit us. Let’s get our practice going early. I plan to move out of here before first light.”
The Rangers split into groups and began their practice sessions with Garth supplying instruction as needed. Tanya chose to battle Fredrik with the staff and Tedi challenged Arik with knives. Niki and Kalina worked on health magic. The practice was especially long and tiring and the Rangers worked up a sweat. Fredrik and Tedi were soon stripped to the waist, but Arik kept fighting with his shirt on. Garth wondered if Arik’s rash was still bothering him. Since the first night out of Tagaret when the rash was noticed, Arik had not removed his shirt except to change it, which he managed to do when no one was around.
“Break,” Garth called to Arik and Tedi. “Arik, why don’t you shed your shirt? You are going to create a muddy pool on the practice area.”
“I’m all right, Garth,” Arik replied sheepishly.
“Has that rash gone away yet?” Garth probed.
“It’s still there, but I hardly notice it anymore,” Arik answered. “We’re going to switch to throwing knives soon anyway and I’ll just catch a chill.”
The boys went back to fighting and Garth noticed that Kalina and Niki had split up. He strode over to Kalina and spoke to her in a low voice. “Have you checked Arik’s rash lately?”
“He won’t let me near it,” Kalina replied. “I think all of the fuss involved with trying to clear it up embarrasses him. It’s not serious, Garth. It is just a reaction to something. Perhaps the Palace Shadow has vermin after all.”
“More likely the Royal Palace,” chuckled Garth. “I know there are vermin residing there. The Children are progressing better than I could have hoped for. Their skills rival many soldiers whom I have served with. At this rate, they will soon be able to rightfully call themselves Rangers. How are Niki and Fredrik doing with their magic skills? Are you getting enough time with Fredrik or should I curtail his staff practice?”
“Fredrik is doing fine with the time we spend together,” Kalina commented. “He is a fast learner and he picked up more than he knows from spying on the Black Devils. Many spells he has already seen performed, but didn’t understand how they worked. Once I explain it to him, he is fine.”
Kalina lowered herself to a sitting position and Garth slid down beside her. “Niki is another story,” Kalina continued. “She is very stubborn and refuses to accept my direction. Her ability is not as strong as Fredrik’s and
