Ranger's Bane.

going against custom, again.

(Aryann's pov)

The first rosy tendrils of Dawn have just started encroaching on the predominant realm of darkness when I leave the castle. The still air is broken only by distant fragments of birdsong. It's refreshing to walk in the crisp air, few are awake and the houses are quiet. A rainstorm last night erased most of the tracks on the path, making mine prominent, a thin line of oblongs leading straight back to a side door of the stone fortress. Following me would be child's play.

It's a half hours walk down the main road to get to the diminutive, almost shabby cottage at the farthest edge of town. The cottage is set at the edge of the woods, a dirt path leads off the.main road up to it. To the left side is an open field with three targets at the far end. The field has a thin line of trees on the side toward the road, and forest surrounds the other two. Stables lead off the back right of the cottage, a beautiful bay horse stands sleeping in a stall. On the veranda in front there are two wicker rocking chairs, one looks well used, a few fibers are loose, and stains from hands and elbows mar the arms. The other looks like it wads bought last week. Light blue curtains hide the house's interior from veiws.

As I raise my hand to knock on the solid wood door, I pause to wonder, is Ranger Gilan awake? I left at five-thirty and it's about six now. I brush this aside as my knuckles rap the door, creating a ringing noise that seems far too loud on this silent morn.

The door creaks open, obviously he has neglected to oil them, revealing Gilan, hair tousled but clothed for the.day in a brown vest over a white shirt, with tan breeches and brown walking boots. He looks at me with bleary eyes, he does not look like much of a morning person.

"hullo Aryann, come on in." He greets me simply. The cottage is roughly square, with a rectangular living room/kitchen and two bedrooms in back. The front room is simple, fireplace along one wall, flanked by a stove and water pipe. Across from these is a simple wood table and chairs. A worn olive green rug graces the floor, and a vase of wildflowers lends its color to the monotone room.

The identical bedrooms are small but not impractical. Mine is on the.right, Gilan's the left. The small space was filled with a basic wood bed covered in a multicolor quilt along the right wall, (towards the main room), the head was beneath a window that looked out to the forest, and a patch of wildflowers. In the far left corner, near the window, a dresser stood, atop it, more wildflowers.

I unpacked into the.dresser, and went to the main room where Gilan was digging intently into a bowl of porridge.

"Uh, sir, what are we doing today?" I politely inquired.

"Mmmmm?!" He apparently hadn't noticed me enter.

"I asked what are we doing today?" I repeated patiently. He gulped down what was in his mouth, coughed slightly and replied.

"It's custom for the apprentice to clean the house the first day, but after two weeks of rainy weather, it would be scandalous to waste such a lovely day. I'm going to appraise your skills today."