Rangers of Linwood (The Five Kingdoms Book 1)

by LeAnn Anderson

  Confused, she looked up at her father. “I thought I couldn’t train until I was twelve?”

  “As I told you, Arya convinced me that you need this now,” Ryder said.

  “It just isn’t right to leave you without any protection,” Arya said. “If Agrona wants to attack you again, then she is going to start finding it to be a challenge.”

  “You’ll start training as soon as you’re healed up,” Ryder said, grinning.

  “Really?” Tesni asked, growing excited despite the pain. It had become a dull ache thanks to Enid’s ministrations.

  “Really,” Ryder said.

  “And I am going to be your mentor,” Arya added.

  Suddenly, Tesni seemed to forget all about the pain in her back. She launched herself at her father and Arya, trying to hug both of them at once, only to find that she more fell than jumped as some of the lacerations on her back reopened, increasing the pain a hundred-fold.

  The pained cry that Tesni gave ripped at all of their hearts. Ryder and Arya eased her back into position on her stomach and Enid again applied the salve. “Just lie there,” she ordered her patient. “You’ll be like this for a few days, at least.”

  “We’ll help you sit up to eat,” Ryder said.

  “And Enid and I will both help you with more personal things, like bathing,” Arya said.

  “And as soon as you’re healed, I’ll slide that jacket on you, myself,” Ryder added.

  “Thanks, atar,” Tesni whispered.

  “You’re welcome, anelya,” Ryder said. He brushed her hair out of her face with a smile, simply glad to have her home and safe, where she belonged.

  Tesni, soothed by the salve, the tea, some good food, and the presence of her father and soon-to-be stepmother, as well as still weak from the loss of blood, drifted off to sleep once more.

  

  Tesni did everything that Enid told her to do. Within a week, she was up and walking again. Ryder kept his promise and slid her jacket onto her as soon as she was able to run around camp again, and Arya presented her with a real bow for her to start training on. When some of the other rangers raised an eyebrow at seeing Tesni finally on the archery range, Arya gave them a look that made it clear that they could talk to her about it when Tesni wasn’t around, so long as they were respectful.

  There were a few who didn’t quite understand why Tesni was being allowed to start training two years early. Respectfully, though, they spoke to Arya alone. She explained the situation, and the subject was dropped amongst them.

  Tesni, however, soon became interested not only in archery but by a new arrival in camp, the first since they had brought Fiona with them from Agrona’s keep the first time Tesni had been captured. His name was Rowan, he was twelve, and Tesni found him worth noting for two reasons. First, it was simply because he was new. Second, Ryder took Rowan as his protégé, which took some of his attention away from Tesni.

  The first day he arrived, Rowan approached Tesni and introduced himself. “Are you from one of the other kingdoms?” he asked.

  Tesni just tilted her head at him. “No, I was born and raised here in Linwood. What makes you think I’m from one of the other kingdoms?”

  “Oh, it’s just, you don’t look like you could possibly be too much older than me, if at all,” Rowan admitted, “and I don’t recognize you from town.”

  “My mother was a servant in the palace, and I lived there with her until I was four,” Tesni admitted. “That was when Agrona attacked. We got separated when that happened, and I got taken in by the head of the Thieves Guild. I stayed with them until I was eight, when Arya caught me trying to lift her purse. Instead of turning me over to the guards, she brought me here.”

  “I was six when that happened,” Rowan said. “That means you’re only ten. So why are you wearing a training jacket?”

  “Agrona keeps attacking me,” Tesni said, “because she thinks I can help her steal some orb, so Arya and Father decided to start my training early.”

  “Father?” Rowan asked.

  Tesni nodded. “Aye. Ryder is my father. I wouldn’t have found out, though, if Arya hadn’t brought me here to the camp.”

  

  On the other side of camp, Ryder twitched slightly. Arya noticed it, though, and cocked her head to the side, curious. “Are you alright?”

  “She’s talking to a boy.”

  “She talks to the men around camp all the time. She grew up with the lads of the Thieves Guild,” Arya said. It surprised her that for once, she was being the level-headed one.

  “Aye, but none of them are young enough to even think about the things boys think about, at least where Tesni is concerned,” Ryder said.

  Arya snorted. “Ryder, she is ten. Rowan is twelve. I very much doubt that he is thinking about anything related to courtship at this point, and I know that she isn’t. Relax. They are just talking. Besides, even if they were old enough for courtship, think about this. One, he would be too scared to do anything as soon as he found out that she is your daughter. Two, if it’s a broken heart you’re worried about, worry about her breaking his.”

  “You’re right, of course,” Ryder admitted. “They are still just children. What could possibly happen?”

  

  The next three months flew by. Before anyone knew it, the summer solstice had arrived. Arya, Ryder, Tesni, and now Rowan spent the morning moving their things into the large tent that had been built to accommodate a family. Because Rowan was Ryder’s protégé, it was only natural that he would move in, as well.

  Normally, Ryder would have been fine with it. It was normal for mentor and protégé to share a tent. He had shared his tent with Rowan for the past three months. Now, though, he began to realize that it meant that Rowan would be sleeping in the same tent as Tesni.

  It wasn’t that Ryder didn’t trust his daughter. He did trust her, and he certainly trusted his protégé. He just knew that, for all of Arya’s assurances, it meant that there would be ample opportunity, if the two of them ever wished it, to see each other. Sans clothing. That thought alone disturbed him. His sanity’s only saving grace was the possibility that, perhaps, it was still early enough that they would grow to see each other more like siblings and thus never get the idea into their heads.

  The tent had built-in privacy flaps surrounding each cot. Knowing that Ryder and Arya would need extra privacy on their first night as husband and wife, arrangements had been made for Tesni to spend the night with Fiona and Branwen in their tent, and Rowan would stay under the watchful eye of Enid.

  The afternoon was spent hanging lanterns in the trees and cooking up a small feast. If the fruit or vegetable was in season, it had been foraged or purchased. The camp’s cook, a generally happy woman named Elowyn, had made a thick vegetable stew and baked several loaves of good bread.

  She had made tarts with cherries and strawberries. She had gotten some dates imported from Seos, the kingdom to the east, and drizzled them with honey. Finally, she had made a large spice cake, drizzled it with honey, and decorated it with candied rose petals.

  As evening began to fall, the lanterns were lit. Tesni and Rowan were tasked with walking their mentors to the center of camp, where everyone waited in their green and gold dress uniforms. Those Rangers who had earned their ceremonial weapons wore them at their backs.

  Tesni had plaited flowers and ribbons into Arya’s braid and wore a flower crown in her own hair. Because it was a special occasion, Arya was even wearing jewelry.

  Once Arya and Ryder were in the center of camp, Enid stood over them. “Ryder,” she said, “what is your intention before this gathered assembly?”

  “My intention is to take this woman as my beloved wife,” Ryder said.

  “And Arya, what is your intention before this gathered assembly?” Enid asked.

  Arya smiled. “My intention is to take this man as my beloved husband.”

  “Do you both promise to always guard each other’s backs, to share y
our fires with each other, to hail each other joyfully, and to choose death before the dishonor that comes with infidelity or the abandonment of your vows?” Enid asked them.

  “We do,” they answered, smiling.

  “The rings, then,” Enid said.

  Rowan handed a gold band with an emerald on it to Ryder, who removed the silver band from Arya’s hand and replaced it with the gold. Tesni, in turn, handed a similar but wider band, carved and inlaid with green enamel instead of with emeralds, to Arya, who replaced Ryder’s silver ring with it.

  “And now, let the two of you light your fire as one,” Enid said.

  Arya drew her ceremonial bow. Ryder handed her an arrow, and she notched it, taking careful aim. Ryder lit the arrow on fire, placed his hands over Arya, and together they loosed the arrow down the narrow aisle that ran between the Rangers and other guests who had arrived, hitting the kindling and logs in the fire pit and sending it bursting into brilliant orange flames.

  As soon as the bonfire was lit, Ryder swept Arya into his arms and kissed her. Someone pulled out a fiddle and started playing. Someone else joined in with a flute. Dancing and feasting started and lasted well into the night.

  In her excitement, Tesni gave Rowan a kiss on the cheek. “Careful,” Rowan said. “I might get used to that.”

  “Used to what?” Tesni asked.

  “To you kissing me,” Rowan said.

  Tesni snorted. “Please, it was just a friendly gesture. Besides, I’m too young for courtship, and so are you.”

  “Then maybe I shall court you when we are old enough,” Rowan said.

  “I can’t tell if you’re promising or if you’re teasing,” Tesni said.

  “Half promise, half tease,” Rowan replied.

  “Only half a promise?” Tesni asked. “Nothing less than a full promise would do, and how could you make such a promise? Who knows how you would feel in six years?”

  Rowan laughed. “How could any other girl keep up with you, Tesni?”

  Chapter 12

  Agrona went suspiciously silent. The Rangers began to wonder if perhaps she had given up. Not Arya and Ryder, though. Even when it began to become apparent that perhaps they had been a little too hasty in starting Tesni’s training early, they remained alert for any sign that the sorceress was about to attack again. Besides, by then, it was too late to put an end to Tesni’s training and make her start waiting again. After six months, it would have been unfair to make the girl give up that which she had come to love.

  After six years and still no attack, Ryder found himself with an entirely different worry. Tesni was now old enough for courtship, and he had, more than once, caught Rowan getting distracted whenever the boy’s eyes landed on Tesni’s now well-developed form.

  Somehow, Tesni had grown into quite the beauty. She had been training for six years, now, and both she and Rowan had recently earned their jackets. In fact, the horse master and bow mistress had presented their protégés with their jackets in the same ceremony as Branwen had presented Fiona with her sash.

  Tesni, for her part, seemed entirely oblivious to her blossoming good looks. Much to Ryder’s relief, her eyes never seemed to stray in Rowan’s direction, or if they did, it was for a more mundane reason, such as asking him to hand her something or, occasionally, to laugh at him when he got caught not paying attention, never conceiving in her mind that she was the distraction.

  Then, shortly after Tesni’s sixteenth birthday, another young trainee, built for handling the bow, entered the camp. As he had with Fiona, Ryder found the youth, named Aeron, a suitable mentor. Shortly after Aeron’s arrival, he noticed two things change. The first was that Tesni’s eyes began straying in Aeron’s direction more often than was necessary. The second was that Rowan now looked at Tesni more intensely, almost jealously, and seemed to look at Aeron with nothing less than disdain. Unfortunately for Ryder’s nerves, Aeron was looking at Tesni, too.

  At the autumnal equinox, the Rangers went into town for the annual harvest festival, as was their custom. It was that evening that Tesni let out a loud squeal. As soon as they heard it, Ryder and Arya, thinking that Tesni was in danger, ran over, only to find her, wide-eyed with joy, over by the bonfire.

  “What happened?” Arya asked.

  “Aeron kissed me,” Tesni said.

  Arya smiled. Ryder was far less amused. “And you let him?” he asked.

  Tesni nodded, seemingly pleased with herself, oblivious to the fact that her father was not nearly as pleased about this development as she thought he ought to be. “Well, of course I let him,” she said. “Should I have not allowed it?”

  “That would be preferable, yes,” Ryder said.

  Arya elbowed him. “Ignore your father,” she said. “He just thinks that there isn’t a boy out there good enough for you.”

  “Well, there isn’t,” Ryder said. “Or if there is, it isn’t Aeron.”

  “Would you rather see her kissing Rowan?” Arya asked.

  Tesni turned a bright red. “Rowan doesn’t feel that way, or if he does, he won’t show it,” she said, her voice nearly a whisper. “He’s really more like my big brother. Aeron has actually expressed a desire to court me. Rowan hasn’t said anything since I was ten, and he was just teasing at the time.”

  “I’d rather see her kissing nobody,” Ryder said.

  “Oh, come on, Ryder, don’t you remember being sixteen?”

  “Oh yes, I remember being sixteen very well,” Ryder said. “That’s why I worry.” That was more than two-hundred years ago, but he definitely remembered it. He was flirting with and kissing on every girl in Linwood. Though he could have settled down in his early twenties as most did, he had chosen not to. He had enjoyed being a bachelor a little too well.

  True, that had come to an end when he had met Arya. He had waited for over a hundred years for her to come around. His single indiscretion with Cliona had brought about his greatest joy in the form of his daughter. Now he only hoped that Tesni would be more like Arya and wait for marriage, rather than go to the bed of a man drunk and in mourning simply to comfort someone she only cared for but might or might not love very deeply.

  The one thing he knew for sure about his daughter at the moment was that she tended to be oblivious about certain things, and that boys was one of them. She hadn’t seen Rowan look at her the way Ryder had seen Rowan look at her. It was very likely that, as much as she had looked at Aeron, she would never have noticed that he was looking at her that way, as well, until he had kissed her.

  “Atar, what are you worried about?” Tesni asked. She was so very innocent at that moment that Ryder began to question himself. Why was he so worried?

  Then he remembered. That was why he was worried. He placed his hands on Tesni’s shoulders. “I just have no desire to see you hurt,” he admitted. “Boys at your age can be terrible teases and swaggerers. They like to play with girls’ hearts, anelya. I should know. I was a boy your age, once.”

  “And what he just described is exactly how he acted,” Arya said. “Your grandfather was the former horse master for our camp, before your father took over. Your grandfather was also his mentor, and every time he brought your father into town, it seemed as if he was making some promise or another to a different girl.”

  “Were you one of them?” Tesni asked. It was the most plausible explanation she could think of for her step-mother’s seemingly first-hand knowledge.

  “No, I was the first one to tell him no,” Arya said with a smirk.

  This brought a stunned expression to Ryder’s face. “That was you?”

  “Oh, aye, that was me,” Arya said. “That was before I joined the Thieves Guild and became Arrows. I figured that instead of letting you pretend to want me, I would make you actually want me.”

  “Your plan clearly worked,” Ryder admitted, pulling her closer. “My question is, why did you keep up the game for so long?”

  “You mean aside from the fact that someone was too shy to tell me he was in love
with me?” Arya asked. Then she laughed as Ryder blushed. “I was through playing games and ready to focus on my life first as a thief, and then as a Ranger,” she said.

  “And the two of you wasted over a hundred years playing games,” Tesni said. “Put your worries to rest, atar. I am prepared. If Aeron ends up breaking my heart, I will break him.” With that, she turned and headed over to one of the food stalls selling fresh apple tarts.

  Arya and Ryder simply laughed.

  

  “You’re leaving yourself open in the most vital areas,” Ryder told Rowan the next day, after a sparring match between the two of them. Rowan had become a fairly capable swordsman, but the day after the harvest festival, the boy seemed off.

  “I apologize,” Rowan said. “I have been…distracted, and I shouldn’t be.”

  “What has you distracted?” Ryder asked. He didn’t need to ask. He already knew the answer. However, he felt that the boy needed to admit it.

  “I… I am in love,” Rowan admitted, “and she doesn’t even notice me.”

  “I know,” Ryder admitted. “I lost count long ago of the number of times I have seen your eyes stray in Tesni’s direction.”

  Rowan shrank back a little. Was it that obvious? If so, how much trouble was he in with Ryder? “You know?”

  “Aye, I know. I have for some time now,” Ryder said.

  The two of them sat together, polishing their blades. “He isn’t right for her,” Rowan finally said.

  “No, he’s not” Ryder agreed. Just that morning he had caught them behind the kitchen building. Tesni’s hands were on Aeron’s chest. He had her backed up against the wall and was kissing her with a passion that no teenager should possess. The worst part was that she wasn’t just letting him, she was actively participating.

  “I’m not either, clearly,” Rowan said. “She has no interest in me.”

  Ryder looked thoughtful. “Rowan, might I give you a little advice?”