Chương 169: A Ranger's Help

The Greencloaks' horses trotted anxiously, pawing at the gravel of the plaza. One of them fluttered its lips.

"Askan sent us," said the Greencloak in the lead, who rode on a brown horse.

"I am Saeglaf, and this is my apprentice." He motioned to a shorter rider on a black horse. Though they all had their hoods up, the second rider was noticeably lankier and younger.

"Firstly, congratulations on your thegnage, Sir Levi."

"Thank you," I replied, trying not to seem ungrateful. But why were they here? The third rider, on a light gray horse, trotted forward.

"Askan thought you might need help, having heard the news from the joust at Urcia." He lowered his voice.

"These lands are full of cultists, and Askan assumed you would take action to finally deal with them sooner than later." I opened my mouth, shut it, then, after a few seconds of thought, I said, "Let's bring your horses to the stable, then come to the main hall. We have some explaining to do. How long will you be here?"

"Assuming you let us?" Saeglaf pulled his hood back.

"Askan has authorized us to stay as long as we need to stabilize and protect these lands." ~ ~ ~ After bringing their horses to the barracks' stables and treating them to a meal, I brought the three Greencloaks to the main hall. By now, the sun was rising, and orange-pink light poured in through the hall windows. The embers of the brazier still crackled, and we set up a few chairs around it. My squad stayed standing behind me, but I sat down on one chair.

Romance and Elf had come as well, and the three Greencloaks took a seat opposite of me.

"A thegn is supposed to use the throne," Saeglaf's apprentice told me as soon as I sat down.

"I prefer to talk closer, like this," I told them.

"An intimate council is a mark of a wise thegn," Saeglaf told his apprentice.

"Or a very, very weak one."

"I prefer to speak face to face," I replied.

"Besides, if I sat all the way over there, I'd have to yell to make my point."

"Is this a council best kept secret, then?" asked the third greencloak, whose name was Geldmaer. I'd learned on the way from the stables over here.

"Are the cultists posing a problem for you, sir?"

"We would be more than eager to dispose of them for you," Saeglaf insisted.

"A true Greencloak doesn't tolerate evil, no matter where he sees it."

"They were causing problems, yes," I said, ignoring most of Saeglaf's comments. It was good to know he was eager, but I needed to explain our situation first.

"We have slain Jaruwain, and Tunmod is gone."

"Gone?" Geldmaer asked.

"We sent him over the waterfall, ending his festival." I leaned forward, placing my elbows on my knees.

"We killed the local branch of cultists, or a good number of them, but I'm sure there are plenty of them out there." I paused.

"Is this your jurisdiction now?"

"Jurisdiction?" Saeglaf scoffed.

"You speak as if we're petty mortal guards in a city. No, sir, our jurisdiction doesn't matter, in this case."

"Then why didn't you help with the cultists before?" Romance asked.

"Surely, you're strong enough?" All three of the Greencloaks pulled back their cloaks, revealing a necklace with a pendant at its tip. Saeglaf and Geldmaer were silvers, and Saeglaf's apprentice was a Steel. They had a sigil at the center, marking the 'type' of Path-walker they were. A fist for Saeglaf (marking him as a wicca), a staff for Geldmaer (marking him as a sorcerer), and a leaf for the apprentice (marking him as a druid).

"We are strong enough to make some difference, yes," Saeglaf told us.

"But what difference can we make? We tried. We would capture and bring the cultists to the Domain Moot, and Tunmod would set them free. He did everything he could to stop us from enacting justice, and without the support of Hinlaw? They made it harder and harder to hunt for threats." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Geldmaer added, "Nylinn, head of our Order, decreed that our efforts were better spent on the front, preventing the tougher spiritual threats from crossing over into our lands. Threats that Dupes could not handle."

"But now that this land is part of Lord Ceonwin's domain, and now that Tunmod is gone, we can be of far more help." Saeglaf pulled his cloak back over his rank pendant.

"I do not think we could take down the entire Blood Tear Order by ourselves, but we could do some good if you let us."

"I'm expecting retribution from Lord Hinlaw any day," I said.

"He'll probably send more cultists. How much do you know about his dealings with them?"

"Lord Hinlaw holds some sway over the cultists," the apprentice said.

"We suspect he may be one himself." I nodded along slowly as the gears in my mind clicked into place. Hinlaw must've found out about the scorch mark inside my armour, caused by Alis' illusion pendant. He would've known what one looked like because he himself used them to hide his true appearance, or had spent time around people who did.

"That would explain things," I said.

"So he's the leader of them?"

"It is certainly possible," Saeglaf replied.

"But I doubt it. They do, however, follow most of his commands." I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Right. Well, I will gladly accept your protection. Out of curiosity…is Askan busy?" I didn't want to sound ungrateful, but we could really use the help of an Emerald-tier Path-walker right now.

"Would he be able to help out and, you know, maybe take out Hinlaw? Or whoever is in charge of the cultists?"

"He is busy," Geldmaer said.

"He has an apprentice of his own now, alongside an entire front line to patrol. With the Labyrinth gates opening between underground cities, we have far greater threats than inland cultists."

"Ah," I said.

"I'm thankful for your help, then." Two Silvers, still, would hopefully dissuade most attacks.

"Askan has just as much to lose politically as you or any other Ealdorman, like Lord Ceonwin," Saeglaf added.

"Were he to depose Hinlaw, he would have to answer to the Warlord, and that would not end well for him."

"Of course," I said.

"How would you prefer to manage this, then?"

"We will take up residence in the nearby woods," Saeglaf explained.

"We will make our presence minimal, except when absolutely necessary. Even when you leave these lands, we will do what we can to protect them and their citizens."

"As well, I am looking for an apprentice of my own to adopt into our Order," Geldmaer said.

"I will be on the lookout for promising young Path-walkers to train, with your permission."

"Permission granted," I said.

"You're dismissed. However, if I need to contact you, how should I do it?"

"Build a brazier on the western wall," Saeglaf instructed.

"If you need to reach us, light it, and we will see its smoke." I gave them both a thumbs up. They stared at me blankly, and I winced.

"Sorry. Askan didn't tell you I was an Atoning, I guess. You guys are good to go. Do what you need to." ~ ~ ~ Before we got on with our daily tasks, Anchor pulled me aside and said, "That was lucky, Sarge. If they hadn't turned up, you would've been in trouble." I shrugged.

"Lucky? Perhaps. But we did also help Askan out, we made a name for ourselves, and he's returning the favour."

"Or he wants something," Anchor said.

"If he does, he hasn't made me swear any sort of oath. I can always reject his offer." Anchor narrowed his eye—the one not covered by an eyepatch.

"Be careful with that line of thought. He is an Emerald, remember? He may not make it so easy for you to reject." I rolled my lips inward.

"Yeah."

"You're not invincible, Levi. You've had plenty of victories, but if you let them go to your head? You know just as well as I that the world won't bend over backward for you."

"Yes, but I also know that when you help people, they tend to help you back." The Greencloaks were gone, but I still motioned out the door in the direction they'd left in.

"Maybe they want something in return. But we'll figure it out in time, and when they mention it, we'll deal with it, like we always do."

"Have you ever heard the tale of Uchfor? A cautionary tale, and perhaps a myth, which most young boys are taught. He was a thegn who left to fight in a war, and when he returned to his lands, he found them suffering under corrupt local officials. He tried his best to reign them in, but in the end, they had him executed." I snorted.

"Where I came from, we have a story like that too. Robin Hood. But he doesn't get executed. A lord whose lands were stolen from him while on campaign, and who returned to find his home suffering under the rule of corrupt officials. He gave people back what was stolen from them, let them keep the fruits of their own labour, and he saved his home."

"A world that makes stories such as those?" Anchor gave a small smile.

"Now, that explains a few things about you, and why you do what you do." I huffed.

"Well, depressing stories like your Uchfor certainly say a lot about people's mindsets here, too."

"I'll keep your Sir Robin in mind, so long as you keep Uchfor in your mind." Anchor stepped closer.

"Be careful, Levi. Soon, you may find yourself in a situation you can't worm your way out of, and you may not always have luck to bail you out."

"I'll keep it in mind," I told him.

"But let's worry about one problem at a time—we need to start making money. I need to dig some wells and get a guild running, and you have a wall to help build and recruits to train. We only have a few days left, and we can't waste a moment of it."