The First Ranger

2: The Road to Gorlan

Prince Anthony nudged his horse closer to the other rider at the head of their small procession. "Sir Gael," asked the prince, "can you tell me what we are doing and where we are going?"

The knight looked sidelong at the younger man. The redheaded prince seemed to be having fun. Gael did have to admit that their current mission was probably the most interesting thing in the prince's life in recent times. He grinned, then answered him. "Recruiting men," he said as a start. "As you likely know, we have been in active war with the Scotti for two years now. We have lost large numbers of men up north. Due to this fact, your father – or should I say the King – has tasked me with rounding up more. We should be coming to Gorlan early tomorrow," he added, changing the subject.

Anthony noticed this subject change and wisely elected not to continue the previous line of conversation. He reasoned that there would be plenty of time to get familiar with the aging knight over the course of this journey. He hesitated over what to say next, then decided on silence.

Hours later, the column came to a halt as Gael raised his arm. "Start looking for a campsite," he ordered the soldiers.

They continued on for some twenty minutes before Prince Anthony pointed. "There," he called. They had been passing through farm country in the south of Araluen Fief. For the past hours, waist-high rock walls around ten meters from the high road had become ubiquitous. What Anthony was now pointing to was forest fifty or so meters away from the tree line beyond the corner of the last neat stone wall. "Those trees are thin, signifying a clearing. Because of the trees, we will be hidden from passersby. Also, from the length of the thin growth, it is quite a sizable clearing," he continued.

Gael nodded approval, somewhat impressed that a man as high in the rank of the kingdom as Anthony knew that. In his experience and over the recent years of the Araluen royal family, the nobles were too stuck-up to take part in fieldcraft. They left that to the rank-and-file knights and commoners. From his statements, it was clear that this young prince was different from his ancestors. Still, it wouldn't do to let on to the prince that he was in too much esteem of the younger man. He nodded curtly. "Go scout it out," he said.

Anthony nodded and slid down from the saddle. He waved one of his men-at-arms forward and gestured for the man to hold the reins. He then walked toward the clearing. Gael noted approvingly that he loosened his sword in its scabbard as he did so. The redheaded youth disappeared among the trees for some minutes, then came out and jogged back to the group.

"Good news," he said. "The clearing is large and level. Room for ten, maybe twelve tents, so the men will have to double up, but we can each have our own." He drew breath to continue but Gael interrupted.

"No," the bearded knight said. Anthony looked at him in some surprise. "No, we'll share a tent. I do not want the men to think of themselves as inferior."

Anthony nodded, filing that comment away, and continued. "On the other side, there is a narrow twisting path that seems to have been used before, but not recently. We can get the horses in that way."

Gael nodded again. "Nicely done," he said and noticed Anthony square his shoulders proudly. "Lead on, Prince Anthony."

A few hours later, the only noises were muted lowing of the cows in the paddock of the nearby farm and gentle snoring from the tents.