“It was over here, it was… Fayr, I thought it was here!” I hiss and swear in annoyance. I can’t believe it. I could have sworn we had some bandages in the barn or something for the horses at one point.

“I’ll be fine,” Hastings says with another cough. He wipes at his mouth and blood smears across his cheek. “I’ve survived worse.”

“Well that’s just great,” I laugh nervously. “You do that.” I cry out in triumph and grab the remnants of a roll of cloth I can use and rush back over to the ranger.

“Unroll it,” Hastings directs, “yeah, tear it right there.” He takes the small lump of cloth and presses it to the wound in his abdomen.

I stand up and run my fingers through my hair, remembering too late that I have some blood on my hands. I do my best to calm down, taking deep breaths.

“I can go to my house,” I say, pointing in its direction. “Let me go get mom, and dad, they can help, and I bet we have more supplies there.”

“No, dim the light,” He waves me off and pulls himself back to his feet. I open my mouth to argue but he stops me. “blow the lantern out, NOW.” I scurry to do what he says and suddenly it’s pitch black in the barn. “In here.” I hear his voice and hold my arms out, taking careful steps towards him.

“What are we doing?” I ask, my body shaking, my mind racing.

“There’s a battle going on not far from here,” Hastings says, and I hear him feeling around and opening up one of the empty horse stalls. He grabs me roughly by the arm and drags me inside. “Rebels are building a resistance against the northern empire. I came down with a few others to follow up on some rumors, but we ran into a full battalion of resistance fighters. They’ll be coming after me, soon.”

“Hold on, but… why I- what about my family?” I stammer and try to stand back up, but his gloved hand jerks me back down, then covers my mouth. I start to struggle again, simply out of fear, but then I hear the voices. Faint, just barely audible amidst the pouring rain.

Then they’re in the barn, and I close my eyes. I can’t see anything anyway, but even so the tension is too much.

“Did you see where he went?” One Bandit growls. He’s breathing heavily, his boots scuffing along the dirt and straw. He actually kicks the gate to the stall I’m sitting in. “Round up another squad, comb these woods, if he gets away, we’ll have the entire northern army on us. Do you hear me? FIND HIM!”

I squeeze my eyes tighter as I hear more and more men enter the barn. They’re talking and muttering amongst themselves.

“See those lights?” One man asks, and my blood turns cold.

“Check it out, if they’re harboring the traitor, kill them.” Says the bandit I heard before. “We’re the beginning of the new world order and people need to understand we’re not a joke.”

No, no, no. Not my family. Not my home. I strain against the ranger’s grip, but he squeezes tight. I can’t do anything but sit there as the bandits begin to file out of the barn. Some seem to go off into the woods while the others head towards my house.

Hastings finally let’s go and I suck in a deep breath feeling panicked. All I can hear is the rain, and the thunder of my beating heart.

“Listen to me, listen to me.” Hastings says in the darkness, and for a moment he’s lit up by the crack of lightning. “Are you a loyal citizen of the North?” I nod, not understanding why he’s asking. “Good, I’ve got a mission for you, do you understand?”

“I… my…”

“Your family will be fine,” He hisses, “I’ll draw the bandits away, but I need you to do this for me.” He reaches up to his cloak and snaps the blood smeared pin recognizing him as a Northern Ranger.

“Take this to the North,” The pin is pressed into my palm. “Find commander Olvia and give it to her and tell her it’s from me. Then tell her that war is coming, by the time you get there it may have already started but you have to try.”

“Why…” Is all I can ask, “why me, I mean surely...”

“Don’t have a choice,” He says gruffly, and I hear him stand in the darkness, groaning as he does. “Besides, I saw you practicing as I arrived. I know what kind of person you are because I was the same kind of person.”

I open my mouth to speak but there’s nothing to say. He’s right. What the Ranger of the North is offering me is a chance to be everything I ever wanted.

“I’ll save your family, if you’ll save the kingdom,” He reaches out and puts a tentative hand on my shoulder. “All I’m asking you to do is try.” I’m silent for a moment, my hand squeezing the pin so tight it digs into my palm.

This is my chance for the change I've been wanting. All I have to do is go for it. All I have to do is try. It's probably going to get me killed, but you know what? Fayr it. Fayr it all.

“I'll do it.”