Ranger Rising

Part 19.1: Break of Dawn

ATTENTION DEAR READERS: This chapter contains blood and gore.  If you are sensitive to those sort of things you might want to skip this chapter or scroll through the paragraphs between the ***  THANK YOU

Aust had tracked the beast's trail through our farm silently the afternoon before. In fact the only reason why I even knew he'd been by was the fact that he'd been by was the fact that Andrew bragged about seeing him in the fields while I'd been on the complete opposite side of the farm with Father. Of course when I tried to find out more, Father had told me to mind my own business.

Boy was he in for a bitter surprise when Mayor Terrin finally got around to complaining to him about my stunt in town. I think that was the complete antithesis of minding my own business in Father's mind. Never mind the fact that I lived in Woodhearst and whatever happened in it or around it affected me just as much as anyone else. Funny how nobody else saw it that way.

Now, however, it was a new day. The sun had just barely risen over the tops of the trees. Father and I were waiting for Andrew to arrive. He'd gotten better about being on time in the last few days. At least Father hadn't had to go track him down after that first day.

I was still trying to figure out how to bring up the idea of being a ranger to Father. He hadn't seemed to be in a bad mood yesterday afternoon after I'd come home. After practically yelling at the other farmers in town yesterday, I had hope that he might actually listen to me too.

I hoped that he'd listen. That I'd done enough to prove to him that I worthy of his trust. That he could let me off the farm and not make an utter fool of myself. To show everyone else that I was more than just a farm girl.

"Lena," Father's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. There was something about his voice that made my hands freeze in the middle of tying my boots. Deep lines ran across his brow as he stared out the window, running his hands over the coffee mug absentmindedly.

"What's wrong?" I asked, pushing myself up out of my chair. I came to stand next to him by the window. As far as I could see, there wasn't really anything out there. Not that I could see. I chewed on my lower lip and looked at him from the corner of my eyes.

"Something just doesn't seem right," he mumbled under his breath.

I raised my eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Father wrapped his arm around my shoulder and then shook his head. "Perhaps I'm being foolish. I woke with a bad feeling this morning."

"You know some would say that might be a sign or an omen of some kind?" I told him with a shrug. I took his mug from his hands and set it down on the window sill.

Father just shook his head and heaved a sigh. "It is probably nothing. Let's go get to work. Andrew should be here soon. Better to have the morning work underway before he gets here so that he can join in instead of standing around like a lost pup."

A smirk pulled at my lips. I had to duck my head to hide it from Father as he walked past me. If he stayed in a good mood like this for the rest of the day, then this evening might be a good time to bring up my thoughts about being a Ranger.

Bang, bang, bang!

Father and I jumped and spun around as the hammering on the front door continued. Over the top of it I heard, "Merrik! Merrik!"

"What in Sealdír's Holy Name?" Father muttered under his breath.

"Is that Erickson?" I asked.

"Sounds like it."

"Merrik! Open up!" Erickson yelled. I could also now hear a loud wailing sound as someone else sobbed hysterically just outside our door.

Father was already rushing to the door. "Stay here," he told me.