The Ranger of Silverwood

Chapter One

Trees passed by at a steady pace from where she sat atop her horse. Birds chirped in the canopy above, chanting their beautiful song. She could have fallen asleep in such a peaceful setting, but her training would not allow such laziness. The air in Araluen always maintained a constant cool, but there was currently an ever-present chill that indicated the oncoming winter.

Maddie had entered Silverwood fief a few hours before, avoiding villages to arrive at the fief's castle with as little delay as possible. As she rode through the forest, her eyes never remained set in one spot. The training she received as an apprentice demanded that she always remain alert, even when danger was unsuspected. Her bow lay strung across her lap. As the forest cleared, Eridon - the village that sat under the shadow of Silverwood castle - came into view from just a kilometer away.

The clearing that surrounded Castle Silverwood was massive and almost perfectly circular, nearly two kilometers in diameter. The clearing was mostly meadow except for the river that snaked it's way from the northeast, through the village, and towards the southwest. The clearing assured that any enemies approaching the castle would be visible from the castle, a kilometer in each direction. Everything that surrounded the clearing was forested. Silverwood fief was named for the vast forest of birch that took up the greater part of its area. Maddie knew that her cabin would be in the forest to the west of the castle, which is where she was headed now. All newly assigned Rangers were entitled to get settled into their homes before they reported to the fief's baron.

The cabin was set about a kilometer into the forest west of the castle. Maddie noted this, as it concerned her that she would have to ride two kilometers if she were required to rush to the castle for any reason. Knowing there may have been a logical reason for the cabin to be set at such a great distance from the castle, she decided she would consult the baron about it when she reported to the castle.  As she approached the cabin, Bumper nickered in greeting to a horse behind the stable, indicating it was a Ranger horse. Maddie made her way to the stable set behind the cabin and unsaddled her horses - Bumper and Frederic, her pack horse.

She pet the other ranger horse's mane and smiled. She knew exactly who was visiting her. Hoisting the saddlebags that contained her belongings, she approached the back door to the cabin, knowing her visitor would expect her at the front. She opened the door silently, planning to sneak up on the person.

"What are you doing?"

Maddie started at the deep voice coming from the corner adjacent to the door.

"Rowan!" she yelled, facing the man. "How did you do that? I was planning to sneak up on you, not the other way around."

"Because I know you. And I didn't really sneak up on you. I was right here." Rowan grinned.  Maddie smiled and embraced her friend. "Oh, it's good to see you, Rowan."

"It's good to see you too,  Maddie. "

Rowan was a Ranger and Maddie's best friend. They had met at a ranger gathering 4 years back and had remained friends since. Rangers making friends with civilians was unheard of, as it could jeopordize the mysterious aura they maintained over commoners. Since both Rowan and Maddie were Rangers, they faced no such obstacles, aside from their own duties. Rowan was assigned to Oredon fief, which was next door to Silverwood. He wasn't due there for another two weeks, however, so they elected that he would stay in Silverwood for the week.

Rowan was handsome and slightly taller than average Ranger height. His hair was straight and black, while his eyes were emerald green. He would have made any girl fall head over heels, but he remained very inconspicuous as was his duty as a Ranger. He was also very intelligent and could have been a scribe just as easily as he could be a Ranger.

Maddie looked around the cabin and noticed how tidy the place was. "Did you clean the cabin?"

"I did. I arrived a couple of days ago. It's been fairly uneventful sitting around, so today I tidied up the cabin and explored the forest. I set a few traps while I was out, so hopefully we'll be having rabbit stew for supper."

"That sounds great," said Maddie. Having been on the road for weeks, she had eaten little except rations for the greater part of her trip. A savory stew was most welcome in her eyes. She knew the baron would likely offer her a meal, but tired as she was, she didn't want to spend too much time at the castle.

Maddie set to the task of organizing her belongings throughout the cabin. She had brought very little, so her task mostly consisted of putting away clothes and setting a nick-nack here or there.

Eventually, when she was satisfied with her work, she prepared to leave for Castle Silverwood. Rowan was preparing to leave as well, to check the traps he had set. As they both got ready for departure, Rowan teased, "Be sure to be patient with the baron. We don't want an assault case on our hands right after your arrival."

"I'll have you know," Maddie retorted, "that I am very charming when it comes to official matters." She nudged Bumper's flank and trotted off towards the castle.

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I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. If you like this story, be sure to share it with your other Ranger friends!

As per the usual, I'll have a message in Courier's Code for you guys to decipher at the end of each chapter.

(2-2, 1-1, 4-3, 2-1, 2-2, 4-2, 4-6, 1-2, 1-1, 3-6, 3-3, 3-2)