Adirondack Defenders

Arty's POV

"So, Arty, boss told me about the new girl on the walkie-talkie." I picked up my walkie and spoke, "I know, I have one too." Hannah seemed disappointed.

"Maybe she'll take over so I can relax in the cabin he's giving us." Why does she have this job if she doesn't even want to do it... now that I think about it, I asked the same thing about the lunch ladies at my old high school.

We walked in silence, I wanted to listen to Paul Simon on a sunny day like this but we had to stay alert (don't judge me I like Metallica too....)

We drove to the base of Mount Marcy and hiked for about a mile, it wasn't much longer until we met up with Boss and the new ranger.

"Dude, my legs are killing me. Did we bring snacks?" I swear she's like a toddler. "Yes! For emergencies." She huffed, "Fine, fine."

Before we got to the cabin there was a fright, it looked a little under d-class. I took out my dagger used for lower classes and stood in position. I nodded to Hannah and so did she.

The fright jumped over to me and my arm swung. It didn't hit it. I stood back up and noticed it was a dog, well, sort of.

Just as I was about to relax someone came slowly running after it. "Scruff! Invisible....good boy!" There was someone with silver hair and two tiny moles under her eye. She was wearing our ranger jacket.

"So, you're the new ranger?" Hannah asked. "Yep! So sorry about the fright, both ways haha." She was kind of clumsy. "Someone's energetic." Hannah said, and walked away looking for boss.

"Hannah. Don't leave me he- ok." The ranger shook my hand, "Hi, I'm Silvie." She paused and starred, we both looked at each other for 5 seconds then looked away.
"I'm Arty, you won't get in the way will you?" Her eyes narrowed, "No, I'm actually pretty agile." I smirked, "Prove it."

She looked down at her knee and tightened the cloth wrapped around it. "Bring it on."
I took out my dagger and she did too, we waited to see who would go first.

I sprinted towards her and slid under. Silvie jumped out of the way of my swing and I swung again. Miss.

I kicked her legs and she fell to the ground, I noticed her knee bleeding out of the cloth and I stopped. Sylvie kicked the dagger out of my other hand as I put my hand wrap around her knee. She stood up, "Wait, aren't you going to fight?"

"Huh? Oh, um, your knee was bleeding." I looked away quickly and my face turned red. Sylvie bursted out laughing, "You stopped fighting to help my wound?" I rolled my eyes, "Don't look into it too much ok? And I need my cloth back."

Boss and Hannah came into view. "I found him while you two were screwing around, don't thank me." We all turned to boss and asked him where to go. "Just walk for half a mile, turn left, and your cabin should be there. Just follow the trail marks and you'll be there in no time."
"Don't forget to get weapons for tomorrow, and teach Sylvie my simple fighting technique. Then you guys are ready to fight c-class frights."

Me and Sylvie were frustrated, "Only c-class?" Boss nodded and Hannah just gave a thumbs up.

"Don't be up too late tonight, or you'll be exhausted tomorrow." I looked at the time on my walkie, it was late afternoon and we were ready to relax, especially Hannah.

Boss walked back down the mountain and we sighed. He never stays put, unless he has his coffee with him.

"Man, our cabin is going to be great. It feels like summer camp, except for more violence... not much more though." What summer camp did Silvie go to? yikes.

Hannah went up ahead. Sylvie was limping more, I felt bad. "Hey, what happened to your knee?" Sylvie lifted her eyebrows, "You kicked my feet and I fell, making it bleed."
"No, I mean before that." The ghost dog came into view again and licked her knee. "A b-class fright chased me and I fell, hitting it against a rock." I looked surprised, a b-class fright? She doesn't even have a good weapon yet.

"That sounds crazy. You're just falling all over the place." She laughed. Hannah was up ahead, "I think I see something, come on already!" I lept over from boulder to boulder and climbed. There it was, the most unappealing, destroyed, moldy cabin we've ever seen.

Hannah palmed her face, Sylvie looked disgusted, and I kind of expected this to happen. "Damn."