Rangers of Linwood (The Five Kingdoms Book 1) (7 page)

Fiona looked up at Arya. A fire that could only be described as hope was alight in her eyes. “Aye, she can come,” Arya said. She turned to Fiona. “Can you ride, girl?”

“No, I never learned how,” Fiona admitted.

“No matter,” Ryder said. “Tesni, was that your horse I saw just outside the entry to the castle?”

“Aye, Ryder, it was. I can ride her with Knives, and Fiona can ride with you or Arya,” Tesni said, dashing back up the stairs.

“Where are you going?” Arya asked.

“To get my things!” Tesni responded, giggling.

The five of them moved quickly down the stairs, their steps silent as they barely let their feet touch the ground. They reached the outside, mounted their horses, and rode off. “Take that, you bloody witch!” Knives called out as they left.

Arya laughed. “Language, Alastar. There are ladies and children present.”

“I see th’ children, Arrows, but where’s th’ lady?”

Arya snorted. The others laughed, even Fiona, who was scared out of her mind at this new adventure she was setting out on.

“That would be Tesni and Fiona,” Arya shot back. “You and Ryder are the children!”

Knives and Ryder just laughed again. “And what about you, Arya?” Ryder asked. “What does that make you?”

“Me?” Arya asked. “I’m bow mistress for the Rangers of Linwood!” She squeezed her knees into her mount’s side, then, and took off before the others could respond, high on adrenaline and the joy that came with rescuing her charge.

Chapter 6

They rode into the camp late in the afternoon. Tesni immediately took the horses into the stable to take care of them. Now Arya turned her attention to a different problem. What was to be done about Fiona? She had learned a lot about the teenager when the small group had stopped for lunch. Now, though, Fiona wanted to know what was to become of her now that she no longer served Agrona.

“Alright, Fiona, let’s talk about your options, which with your age, gender, and background combined aren’t all that many,” Arya said, being as frank and honest as she could.

“I know,” Fiona said.

“What are your current skills?” Arya asked.

“I can clean, cook, and sew,” Fiona offered. “I can even embroider some. I did the embroidery on the dress that Tesni was wearing before she went to change into her uniform.”

“Alright, those are definitely helpful,” Arya admitted. “You could probably get a job as a maid for some of the wealthier families in town, although I’m not sure how helpful telling them about your experience in that kind of work would be. After all, she was never well-liked in town.”

“I know,” Fiona said, “but I’m not afraid. I’m willing to try anything.”

Arya nodded. “Very well. Another option would be as a serving maid in a tavern or inn. It doesn’t pay well, and because you’re young and pretty, you might be asked to…take on extra duties, as it were. I hate to say it, but there is also a brothel in town, and some of the more lecherous men in the area like to see new flesh.”

“I don’t think I’d like that option at all,” Fiona said.

“I didn’t think you would,” Arya replied, “but you have to be aware of everything. The last option might sound the most intriguing to you, but like I told Tesni, you should think it over carefully before you sign up.”

“Why?” Fiona asked. “What does it entail?”

“Early mornings and late nights. You’re likely to find yourself giving up a lot of sleep to do things at night, and it’s a difficult job physically. There are very few material rewards, if any, especially when you’re starting out, but you will always have enough to eat, a warm bed to sleep in, and camaraderie.”

“What position is it?” Fiona asked.

“Ranger of Linwood,” Arya said. “At sixteen, you’re more than old enough to begin training if you want to. We start training as young as twelve, so Tesni still has a few years. Still, she has a better life here than the one she was living before.”

“I heard that!” Knives interjected.

Arya smirked at him. “I thought you’d gone home, Alastar. What’s got you still hanging around?”

“Wantin’ to talk to ye, Arrows, when ye have a few minutes alone.”

“Alright, Alastar, we’ll talk as soon as I’m done with Fiona,” Arya promised. Alastar nodded and walked off.

“Why does he call you Arrows?” Fiona asked. “Is it because you’re the bow mistress?”

“Something like that,” Arya replied.

“Well, I think I’d like to try out with the Rangers,” Fiona said. “You’re right, it does sound intriguing. Besides, if I join the Rangers, I won’t have to answer any awkward questions about my past job experience, and I won’t have to worry about men not keeping their hands to themselves. It really does sound like the wisest decision.”

Arya nodded. “Alright. Go talk to Ryder. He’ll find you a tent and a mentor. Your mentor will be entirely responsible for your training, and a mentor only ever takes on one protégé at a time because of how strong the relationship has to be. He’ll also help you figure out what to specialize in, which will figure into your mentor selection a great deal.”

“Thanks, Arya!” Fiona scurried off, then, and Arya went to go talk to Knives.

“Alright, Alastar, what is it?” she asked.

“Not here, with everyone around,” Knives insisted. “Is there a private glade or somewhere we can go to speak without being overheard?”

Arya frowned. She knew that Knives trusted the Rangers implicitly. If he wanted to talk without being overheard by the Rangers, it was something serious, and she wondered if he knew something about one of the other Rangers that she didn’t. As Ryder’s second-in-command, it was her job to find out about disciplinary issues and correct them, fast. “Yes, there is a small grove of apple trees nearby. We can go there to talk.”

She led Knives out of the camp and into a small glade where she normally came when she needed to spend time in thought. It had the added advantage, of course, of being in the middle of apple trees and surrounded by blackberry bushes. The blackberries were ripe, and Arya made a mental note to come back later to gather some to make jams with that would give the Rangers something sweet throughout the winter. Why Rangers had such a sweet tooth was beyond her. The apples would be ripe, soon, as well.

“Alright, Alastar, what is it?” Arya asked, starting to get impatient.

Alastar ran his fingers through his hair. “I wanted ye to know that I never stopped carin’ for ye, Arrows.” He pulled her into his arms. “I never stopped lovin’ ye. Do ye remember the nights we spent in each other’s arms?”

“I do, Alastar, and I was so content back then…” For the second time in as many days, Arya found her mouth running dry. When they were young, she had thought he was courting her childhood playmate when he had suddenly turned to her. She had lost her friend, but had gained a lover. Now here he was, reminding her of that time. Where was he going with this?

“Ye don’t know how depressed I was, when I thought ye were dead, and then when I heard ye ‘ad joined up with the Rangers and ye weren’t comin’ back. Now I’ve got another chance, though, and I’m goin’ to take it.” He dropped down to one knee and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a gold band with a rough-cut amethyst, bordered on either side by a small pearl. “Now ‘ere’s th’ question I’ve been waitin’ more than a hundred years to ask ye. Will ye wed me, Arrows?”

“Alastar…” Arya swallowed hard. “Alastar, that is an absolutely beautiful ring, and if this had been a hundred and twenty years ago, when I last saw you, I would have said yes in a heartbeat. Now, though…”

“I understand, Arrows,” Knives said, looking down. “Ye don’t ‘ave to say another word. I know things ‘ave changed for ye, generally for th’ better. I can’t blame ye for sayin’ no.”

“I’m not saying no, either, Alastar,” Arya said. “I’m just asking for time to think about it.”



Tesni watched the scene unfolding from the apple tree she was in. One of the things that she had learned was how to be deadly silent. It was a natural skill to develop when one was a pickpocket for a living. In addition, Arya had taught her how to move through the trees. Now, very carefully, she used both of those skills, climbing up higher, running along branches as light as one of the squirrels scurrying around to gather acorns for the winter.

She stayed in the trees until she was nearly back to camp. The apple tree glade was something she had discovered early in her time amongst the Rangers, and one of the trees just happened to have the perfect nook for her to sit and think. Now, though, she needed to talk to Ryder.

“Ryder! Ryder!” she called. She jumped out of the tree overhanging his tent and rolled with the impact. This was something else that Arya had taught her, building on her climbing skills.

“What is it, Tesni?” Ryder asked, emerging from his tent. He had
just
gotten back from helping Fiona figure out that she was really best balanced to work with a blade. He had set her up with Branwen as a mentor, and the two had begun to bond instantly. Now here was Tesni, demanding his attention.

“Are you in love with Arya?” Tesni asked.

Well, Ryder certainly had to give the kid credit. She was straightforward and to the point. “What makes you think that?” he asked.

“Do you jest?” Tesni asked. “Ryder, I’ve seen the way you look at her when you think nobody is looking. Most of the other Rangers have seen it. Pretty much everyone except Arya has seen it.”

“And if I am?” Ryder asked. “What of it?”

“Well, if you don’t say something to her, and soon, you may lose her forever,” Tesni said. “Knives just proposed, and she said she’d think about it.”

Ryder shrugged. “That doesn’t mean that she’ll say yes, Tesni.”

“I know that, Ryder, but she looks at you the same way you look at her. Everyone in camp has seen it but you. If she thinks you’re not interested, she will say yes to Knives.”

“What does it matter to you who Arya marries? Do you have a crush on Knives, yourself, child? You should be happy if she says yes to him. You’ve known him for four years, and you love both him and Arya.” Again he shrugged. “Maybe they could adopt you and you would finally have a real family.”

Tesni didn’t understand Ryder’s reaction. In her young mind, she thought he ought to be going after Arya, begging her hand in marriage. “I don’t have a crush on Knives. I just think she ought to be marrying you, Ryder. The only reason she’s even thinking about it is because she thinks you don’t want her.”

Ryder sighed. He had wanted Arya for over a hundred years and had never had the courage to do anything about it. She had always seemed so inaccessible, especially where her heart was concerned. But if what Tesni said was true, his feelings were reciprocated. “And just what do you think I ought to do about it?” he asked.

“I think you should just kiss her,” Tesni said.

“Just kiss her?” Ryder laughed. “Tesni, I think Knives told you too many fairy tales. You don’t just go and kiss a woman.”

“You do if it’s true love,” Tesni muttered, walking off, leaving Ryder to think, very carefully, about what she had said. What if it was true love, and he was just letting it slip through his fingers because of his own stubborn pride? Then again, what if he was wrong? What if Tesni and the others were wrong about what they saw? What would he do, then? Maybe, he decided, it was for the best to just let things be.



Arya didn’t know what to say. By the time she got back to camp, she didn’t even know what to think. She and Knives had gone their separate ways. He had promised to be back in a week’s time for her answer. He had left the ring behind, just in case. But now what?

Tesni came running up and nearly tackled her. “Arya!”

“Oof! What is it, Tesni?”

“You can’t marry Knives, Arya, you just can’t. You’re not right for each other.”

Arya blinked. “Tesni, what makes you think I’m going to marry Alastar?”

Tesni just looked at her. “I saw you both amongst the apple trees. I was there in my favorite spot, and I saw him propose, but you’ve got to say no to him, Arya. If you say yes, you’ll break Ryder’s heart.”

Arya snorted. “Tesni, Ryder and I have known each other for over a hundred years. If he had any interest in me, he would have shown it by now.”

“He hasn’t because he thinks you don’t have any interest in him,” Tesni said.

“Ryder is an open book,” Arya said. “I think I would have noticed if he felt anything more than friendship towards me.”

“He tries to keep it hidden because you’re such an ice queen,” Tesni said.

Arya bristled at the description. “Did he say that?”

“No, but that’s what the others call you. Arya the ice queen. You never let anyone get close to you or see what you’re feeling.”

“I let you get close. Maybe that was a mistake.”

Tesni blinked. She felt her eyes beginning to water. She had been home less than a day, and this was what was happening?

Arya noticed. “Tesni…no… I…I wasn’t thinking…” Too little, too late, Arya quickly realized.