Although he didn’t sleep as soundly as when he was in an inn or at the cabin, he did sleep better than the night before. Halas woke up feeling better and Suriel looked to be the tired one. He gave his master the look of “I stayed awake so that you could sleep.” Halas seemed to know and rubbed him down real good and then fed him. When he was done he pulled out the last of the green apples and the horse enthusiastically chomped on it. Halas smiled, “You are the best horse anyone could ask for."
Halas walked a short distance to melt some snow for Suriel and at the same time set about to stirring the fire up for a breakfast. It was still early morning and if all went well he wouldn’t take long to get to the pillar of Solitude. He wasn’t sure if that was the real name but its what he has been calling it the last few days. A light mist covered the estuary and he could make out the island he was supposed to go to but not any details. He wondered if Faendal and Markus were already there.
***
“This looks like a good place to set up, “ Markus eyed the ground to the north of the pillar. The land was flat and unobstructed so that it would be difficult for anyone to sneak up on them. Faendal looked up the pillar to the dizzying height where the blue palace rested at the top of the giant rock column. He frowned and looked back down at the ground. “Well I would agree unless someone throws a rock or some garbage out a window from way up there, “ Faendal pointed grimly at the top of the rock.
Markus looked around and saw a few broken vases and such and shook his head. “That would be a terrible thing to be killed by a falling vase.”
“Lets move the camp a bit closer to the beach out of range of falling objects from Solitude.” Markus laughed and agreed. Markus set about making camp and realized that Faendal was staring through the mist at the various islands and peninsulas that made up the archipelago of the mouth of the Karth river.
“Don’t worry Faendal he is doing just fine, “ Markus smiled. Faendal was silent and rubbed his chin. Markus set about putting up the leather tent for himself and started a small fire. Faendal walked back and set some water down to prepare to heat up some coffee. “you read my mind, “ Markus commented as Faendal poured the water in. Faendal smiled, “I brought the bronze oakleaf.” Markus looked up in surprise. “Is he ready for that?” Markus asked with a serious look on his face. Faendal slowly nodded his head and steadied the pot between two rocks closest to the flames. “If he gets here today and has accomplished something great then I think he deserves it.”
Markus looked into the flames as he idly held his empty tankard, waiting for coffee. “I thought that was a matter for the ranger council to determine.” Markus looked at Faendal. “Well the ranger council simply approves the continuation of an apprenticeship. The ranger picks the apprentice.”
Markus walked around to his horse and pulled out some coffee beans and a small iron grinder. He carefully poured the expensive Khajiit import into the grinder and methodically ground the beans into course grains. When he was done he put the grounds into a silver ball with tiny holes. Small enough for water but not enough for the grains to slip through. He placed it in the steaming water and now they just had to wait a few minutes for the liquid to get dark.
“Still if they don’t approve him and then you have to take it away its going to be rough on him, “ Markus said as he dipped the silver ball in and out of the steaming liquid. “I had thought of that but I want him to remember the day of his first survival trial.”
“I don’t recall you doing that with me or with Janessa for that matter, “ Markus said as he pulled the silver ball out and began to pour a cup of coffee for himself. Faendal was quiet. The crackling of the fire and and the sound of a distant loon was the only real noise. He took a breath and finally spoke. “I know but there is something different about Halas.”
Markus put some honey in his coffee and then took a sip before speaking again, “Is he different or are you treating him differently?”
Faendal realized where he was going and did not want the conversation to go further but felt a need to continue, “By the divines it’s the least I can do after what happened to his parents!” Faendal recalled that dark day and closed his eyes and tried to block it out.
Markus retorted quietly and logically, “I know it seems like a good idea but if you give someone confidence before they have the skills to carry that confidence you are only setting them up for failure.” Markus and Faendal both knew that failure as a ranger usually meant death or something close to it. Especially if you are in hostile territory.
“You may be right but it’s a risk I am willing to take. He will be ready for his trial at the ranger council and getting the bronze leaf will give him the confidence he needs to get through the trial, “ Faendal said in a defending tone as if to justify his decision.
“Ultimately he is your apprentice and you know him better than anyone. I just wanted to make sure that who he was wasn’t distorting your view that’s all.”
The two sat in silence for a while. Drinking coffee and staring at fires was a routine for rangers on patrol. After a few minutes Faendal spoke again. “I know that you want the best for Halas but I just feel that the time is right for this to happen. If I regret it later so be it. Besides he needs an upgrade on those damn iron arrows he has been hauling around for the last few months.”
The two men laughed and set about to getting comfortable while they awaited the arrival of Faendal’s apprentice.
***
Suriel plodded forward and more grass started to cover the sand and a different sort of tree started to take over the area. The light mist was persistent but not too bad.
A little way into the journey Suriel stopped. He simply refused to move forward. As a ranger’s horse he was trained to do this when he sensed danger. So far Suriel had never been wrong. Halas hopped down off his horse and moved forward to investigate.
Hidden by the grass mostly he peered ahead and saw a bizarre sight. A man in robes was running around with with two other men that were wearing some sort of light armor. However the man in the robe seemed to be making them move where ever he wanted. It was as if he had some sort of control over them. Halas risked moving a little bit closer to get a closer look. Suriel had been behind the small hill out of sight and now Halas moved down the embankment to get a better look at what was going on. He debated going around but it looked like the land was too steep. He was gonna have to figure out how to get past the mage and his strange companions.
In his ignorance the wind was blowing off the sea toward the mage and his minions. Halas realized he had made a terrible error when he decided to investigate. Scent is carried downwind and the minions, most likely zombies of a necromancer stopped and sniffed the air. With intelligence gone many zombies will revert to basic senses and this was the case here. Halas already had an arrow drawn while he was crouched in the grass.
He had to pick a target. The minion on the left carried a huge sword while the one on running toward him on the right carried a one handed mace without a shield. He would not have time for three shots and maybe not even two. The mage was in the middle and Halas made the decision to take out the mage.
This is where an invisible switch occurs like a spark turning to flame a ranger’s brain becomes cold and calculating in the midst of battle. Halas had fought enough wolves and even a troll to know that he had the advantage here. The mage sensing his doom raised his hand and a frost jet plumed outward toward Halas. The first few specs of cold began to bounce off his armor when he released his shot. He shot it just inside the middle of the jet of cold and in a moment a grunt was heard and the frost dissipated from the air.
Simultaenously the two bandits keeled over like puppets with their strings cut. Halas breathed and felt absolutely nothing. It was strange. He had just killed a man. A man that could have a family somewhere. The dead mage in the grass had a whole life story and Halas had ended it in a brilliant flash of an arrow sailing through the crisp morning air. His training had separated him from his quarry and now he simply removed the robe and the armors of the bandits.
He searched the people for anything of use and took it back to Suriel. Halas brushed the muzzle of the horse and whispered “lets go boy.”
Suriel tossed his head in response and Halas got on the horse and continued his journey toward his master.
The separation he had at the fight had disappeared as he journeyed alone. Halas began to see the mage’s face constantly now as his horse plodded through the dismal swamp. He distracted himself from it by gathering some ingredients and studying the leather map. He crossed over a bridge to get to the other side where the pillar of Solitude awaited him. After a few hours of riding after his first kill of a human he felt relieved to see the smoke from the fire of the camp.
He smiled for the first time as he saw Markus and Faendal going about the camp. Halas waved as he got closer and jumped down from the horse. Instantly Faendal and Markus knew something was going on. “Well I would have expected a little more enthusiasm from my apprentice to see us again. Do we really look that haggered?” Faendal chuckled and Markus smiled. Halas shook his head and forced a smile.
“Well out with it Halas what is troubling you, “ asked Faendal now concerned. Halas went to his bag on Suriel and pulled out the necromancer’s robe emblazoned with a giant skull on the front and tossed it on the ground.
Markus leaned down to inspect the garment. “By the divines where did you find a necromancer’s robe?”
Faendal already knew and looked at his apprentice. “He found it on the dead body of the necromancer he had killed.”
Markus stood up and nodded slowly. “Aye, I just realized that too.”
Halas suddenly felt very strange and all the pent up emotions came out. He crossed his arms and turned away and started sobbing uncontrollably. He felt ridiculous but it was a feeling that hijacked his whole body and he could not ward it off. Faendal grabbed his apprentice and Halas buried his face into his masters wolf cloak. He sobbed for a full minute before stopping enough to gain composure.
Faendal finally spoke as he released his apprentice. “This is a normal feeling to feel so strongly. It is not a sign of weakness, but rather makes you human. You have empathy Halas and it one of the most important traits of a ranger.”
Halas still had a knot in his throat from his crying fit and simply nodded and wiped away tears from his soft young face. Faendal looked at him and realized he was still a boy. He had killed a man long before many had. It was a tough burden to carry but all rangers were forced to do it.
“I had to do it he was going to kill me. He was coming at me with magic and had two bandits under his control.” Faendal and Markus exchanged glances. They both knew it was unusual for a necromancer to control two souls simultaneously. “you don’t have to justify what you did Halas,” Faendal said reassuringly. However deep down Faendal knew that every death you are responsible for you have to wrestle with it to some extent.
Markus decided to change the subject to get everyone a bit distracted. “You must be hungry and tired. Come over to the fire and show me on the map where you encountered this necromancer. Many times they work in small groups and I want to know so that I can report it to the Jarl.”
It was a good thing for Halas and it stopped him from thinking about everything that happened. “I think I need a drink,” Halas said as he looked at the fire. The other two rangers nodded and Markus tossed Halas an ale that had been in a nearby snowbank chilling. “Don’t worry you wont need to take watch tonight. “ Markus then excused himself and crawled into his tent to get some sleep for his watch tonight.
“Come here apprentice there are some things I want to show you.” Faendal walked over to Rugot and began to open a few of the bags. Halas took a swig from his ale and nearly dropped it when he saw what Faendal pulled out.
He presented him with a small necklace with a bronze oakleaf as the pendent. He clipped it onto Halas’s neck and looked at him and held out his right hand and Halas shook it firmly. He looked at Faendal unable to contain his smile and Faendal welcomed him into the ranger corp with a short dedication:
“By the power bestowed to me by the emperor and the ranger council I hereby pronounce that Halas Sundvor is an apprentice ranger with all the rights and duties expected of a person with such stature”
Halas let his thumb and forefinger run over the leaf and was in awe. He might have cried had he not nearly exhausted himself not too long ago. Faendal also presented him with a quiver that had the bronze oakleaf intricately carved into the metal at the top. With it came steel arrows that packed a greater punch than the iron arrows he was carrying around.
“You still have some work to do before you get steel axes but hopefully Markus can get you trained on those before the ranger council, “ Faendal added grudgingly but then managed a shrug and smile.
Halas could not explain the highs and lows he had experienced in the last hour. It was a lot and with his new equipment he went over to the
cooking pot and began to go on and on about his adventures as his master listened attentively and nodded his head. Faendal nodded and looked at his apprentice with almost jealously. Halas was resilient and listening to Halas talk about how he beat three wolves and was excited about the curved sword he found under a boat, and the strange grass pods that he had found, Faendal knew that his apprentice was going to be fine.
As for Halas he felt much better but would still see flashes of the mage’s face. Halas stayed by the fire until he became very tired and looked up at the brilliant sky that featured a countless number of twinkling lights. He wondered how far away the were and pretended to catch one between his thumb and index finger. He smiled and crawled into his tent completely exhausted.