Triewe-tēorian

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Elendil

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Chapter One
Acwellen

"Father..." The girl whispered, her fingers tracing the words carved into the tree trunk. "Father I don't know if I can keep going!" She paused for a moment. "The Rangers have the heart...They always will. But Father I don't know how long I can lead them. How long can we stand against the wizard? When there are only a dozen of us left!" She sank to her knees and stayed there for several minutes.
"Acwellen..." Said a voice behind her.
The girl turned slowly. "Oh Ace..." She whispered, "Ace I'm so frightened!"
Ace wrapped his strong arms around his little sister. "All will be well, he said quietly. "We must not give up hope! After all, we will always have each other."
"You're right..." Acwellen gave a small smile. "You always are."
"But of course! What else are older brothers for? However, you must come, for we have visitors. They are waiting for us at the camp."
"Who?"
"A pirate..." Ace glanced at his sister as if waiting for her shocked reply. "And a knight."
"I thought they were all dead!" Acwellen exclaimed.
"They say they thought the same of us."
"I'd better see them then..." Acwellen brushed her dark hair out of her eyes.
* * *
Acwellen stared at the two people in astonishment. She had been expecting two men, but here there was a boy and a girl. The boy looked to be about a year or so younger than her, and the girl two or three years older.
"Greetings," The girl said, laying her hand on the hilt of her sword, "I am Hariam, leader of the last remnants of the knights."
Acwellen bowed to her. Rangers did not curtsy.
The boy stepped forward. "I am Jimarn, Captain of the ship Ūnuscornu. The leader of the few remaining pirates."
"I am Acwellen, and these..." The girl motioned to the people standing around her. "Are my men. What brings you to my forest?"
"Here," Hariam handed her a roll of parchment.
Acwellen unrolled the parchment, noticing the royal and read it's contents aloud.

"I, King of Triewe-tēorian hereby offer the some of One hundred marks per head of a Knight, Ranger or Pirate."

"How does he know?" Ace asked. "How could he know we still live? Have we not all remained hidden, unknown to all?"
Jimarn looked at the ground. "The fault is of one of my men... I had never trusted him... but he was a relative of my mother's...he betrayed us... As a result three of my men, and two of Hariam's have been killed."
"How many men do you have left?" Acwellen, "We have but twelve, including myself."
"It seems you have faired better than I." Hariam said sadly, her green eyes filling suddenly with tears. "For we have but five...The last man to be killed...he...he was my brother."
"Salūtāre," Said Ace and Acwellen at the same time, using the word that expressed grief but the hope that the victim had at last found peace.
"Salūtāre indeed," Said Hariam quietly. "May he rest in peace."
"I have fourteen men left..." Jimarn laughed, but it was a bitter laugh, not a joyful one. "It's strange I call them men for these is not one full grown man among them! We need to speak to you privately though Acwellen," He said firmly, "On matters than can not be delayed."
"Alright."
The three walked a short way from the Ranger's camp to a ring of trees. Once there Hariam burst out. "The wizard," she spat at the very name. "Is going to attack Seaden."
Acwellen's jaw dropped. "That can't be!" She exclaimed, "Seaden will be destroyed! The country is tiny! They'll never be able to stop him!"
"I know," Jimarn grimly, "Which is why we've come. Seaden wants us to help him."
"Us?" Acwellen raised an eyebrow, "Between us we are only what thirty or so, and some of us no more than children."
"Seaden is not going to stand by. If the soldiers cross the sea into his country, they will kill every man woman and child. And so he and his soldier are coming ashore, to cut them off from the boats."
Acwellen nodded, "and he asks for our help?"
"Yes, for everyone knows that to get to Seaden, you must pass through the forest." Said Hariam firmly. "And who knows everything about the forest?"
"You are thinking of an Ambush?" Acwellen asked.
"Yes!" Jimarn exclaimed, "I will take the boats, you must kill as many of them in the forest as you can, and then drive them to the shore where the knights," he nodded at Hariam, "And Seaden's men will do the rest."
"What say you?" Hariam asked, "We must know your answer soon. Today if possible."
"What is there to consider?" Acwellen asked after a moments of silence. "I don't really have a choice! They wizard will just try to kill my men and me otherwise! I guess this is the chance we need to show him we are still a force to be reckoned with!"
"Good," said Jimarn getting to his feet. "I must go and tell Seaden."
"And I," Hariam said, "Must go and prepare my men. I suggest you do the same, as the soldiers will march through the forest in less than a fortnight! I take my leave of you, Acwellen of the Rangers."
"So little time..." Acwellen murmured. "But it is all we have. Farewell!"
 
To my dear readers,
Sorry for abandoning my other stories, but I was trying to write this in a month. I didn't get it all done, but it's only fair you get to read it! And umm...I think you can tell where the idea came from! :D
 
Yeah! I've fallen in love this story Grace!!! It's just...so...GOOD!!! :p It should be compulsorily reading for all Rangers!!! :D :D
 
"Do you think I agreed to the right thing?" Acwellen asked Ace after Jimarn and Hariam had left.
Ace nodded. "What else could you have done? I'll call the rangers and you tell them what we must do."
Less than half an hour later, every Ranger was seated in the camp, and Acwellen explained. Everyone decided that they had no other choice.
"Carim," Acwellen turned to the oldest of the Rangers, a twenty-four year old man, with light brown hair and a short beard. "Your job is to create things that will slow the soldiers down, and make it easier for us to capture...or kill them." Acwellen said firmly. "I don't know how you do it but I remember that you had a strange white powder that you used to put down my back when we were children..."
Carim grinned, "The itching powder?"
"Yes," Acwellen nodded, "If they get some of that on them they won't be able to stand, let alone fight! It itches so bad!"
Ace smiled, "I feel sorry for them already!"
Everyone laughed, but they quickly became serious again.
"Mema and Shadow," Said Acwellen turning to the youngest of the Rangers. Two girls, one ten, the other eleven, they were best friends. "You must lay traps, and snares. Everything from trip ropes to fallen trees to falling rocks. Can you do that?"
"Yes!" Shadow the younger of the two exclaimed. "Of course we can!"
"We can fight too..." Said Mema almost in a whisper, but the way she stuck out her chin showed she was determined.
"We will see..." Said Acwellen, turning to the next Ranger who went by the name of Wolf, just as her father before hand. "You know what to do, don't you Wolf?"
Wolf nodded, laying her hand on the head of one of her real wolves that lay by her side. "We will be ready Acwellen."
"Ace," Acwellen smiled as she came to her brother. "You, Parker, Aberthyer and Jiller are to make more weapons. We will need more bows, and as many spears and arrows, as you can make."
"Right." Ace brushed his thick, dark hair out of his eyes.
"As you wish..." Aberthyer whispered, looking not at Acwellen, but Jiller. Ace could not hold back a snicker. Everyone knew how they liked each other. Jiller smiled sweetly at Aberthyer, they were, it seemed, very happy to be on the same work team.
"Perina and Senar," Said Acwellen, addressing a pretty girl of eighteen and a thoughtful looking man of twenty, the Rangers only married couple. "You must find plenty of locations along the road where we can shoot from without being seen.
Senar nodded.
"Brie and I," said Acwellen glancing over at the last Ranger, "Will get the armor ready."
"Right then!" Cried Ace, his eyes bright. "Let's get to work!"
* * *
That evening when it got to dark to continue working the group of Rangers sat around the fire in the midst of their well-hidden camp.
"Carim?" Asked Mema, tossing a stick she had been playing with into the fire. "Tell me how the Pirates, and the Rangers and the Knights came to be."
Acwellen grinned, Mena knew this story well, but Carim was a master storyteller and everyone enjoyed hearing it again.
"Alright," Carim smiled, and ran a hand over his short beard. "When people first came to this country they sailed here in great ships from far away land, that we have since forgotten. Onboard one of these ships was a family of three brothers. The first brother had loved the voyage across the ocean, and in his heart, he longed to spend his life on a ship. When they landed, he told his brothers of his wish. He expected them to be angry, but they were not, and this was the beginning of the pirates. He raided only enemy ships, just as his descendants do now.
"The two other brothers left the ship, and began the long journey through our great forest.
"Whilst traveling the younger brother was struck by the beauty of the forest. He began to love the great trees and the strange animals that where new to him. Every night while his brother slept he would play his flute and lure the animals to him. It was not long before he knew he could not leave. So in the Forest he stayed, becoming the father of the Rangers.
"The last brother was sorrowful that his brothers had left him, but he knew they were happy, and so he too wished to be. However, he could make no home in the forest, and neither did he have any great love for ships.
"So he journeyed on until he came to a great plain. There at last he had found a place where his heart was at peace. There he built a great house, made of stone. He named it a castle, and there he built much armor and many weapons and became the father of the knights." Carim finished and glanced at Mema and Shadow who had fallen asleep, leaning on each other shoulders. "I think we'd best follow their example..." He yawned. "I am for bed!"
 
Chapter Two
Wolf bite​
Acwellen didn't hear the screams at first, not until Ace kicked her, whilst pulling on his shirt. "Wake up girl!" He yelled, "Cannot you hear that!?!"
Acwellen rolled over, heard the screams and sat up. "By the gods!" She exclaimed, "It sounds like someone is being murdered!"
Acwellen jumped out of bed, grabbed her bow and quiver and dashed out of the tent without even bothering to put her shoes on. She saw the tiny girl, and the enormous wolf tearing at her throat. Acwellen had notched the arrow in a moment and let it fly. It hit the wolf right where its heart should have been, but it didn't fall, it did not even look as if it were hurt. Acwellen grabbed another arrow, but the wolf was to fast, it leapt at her and grabbed her by the bare ankle. It yanked her off her feet and she smashed into the ground.
For one tenth of a second, they stared each other in the eyes. Acwellen saw the wolf's eyes glow red for one horrible moment, before it and the girl vanished.
"Acwellen!" Ace cried, dropping to his knees beside her. "Ellen..." He groaned, using her nickname, "are you alright?"
Acwellen sat up. "Good gods!" She exclaimed, "How my foot hurts!"
* * *​
Carim left the tent, chewing on his bottom lip. He was worried. Dead worried. The wound on Acwellen's foot was like nothing he'd ever seen, and having been the camp healer for ten odd years, he'd seen a lot. He walked briskly over to Ace's tent. "Ace!" He called at the door, "Ace I need you!"
Ace must have heard the worry in his voice because his muscular form slipped out of the tent immediately. "What's wrong?" He asked, setting down the arrow he had been making.
"It's about Acwellen..." Carim paused uncomfortably.
"You mean the wolf bite?"
Carim just nodded.
"I saw the bite. It's nothing serious..." Ace stopped, "Is it Carim?"
"That wolf was not natural." Said Carim, "You know it, Ace. The wolf's bite was poisoned."
"Tell me everything." Ace was already striding over to Carim's tent. He pushed aside the curtain that hung over the doorway, and stepped in. "By the gods!" He exclaimed, "Carim it smells like something died in here!"
"That smell would be the infection on your sisters foot." Carim said grimly.
"That's not possible!" Ace exclaimed, "No one gets infected that fast!"
"But it is..." Whispered Acwellen, "I think my foot is rotting away."
"It can't be!" Ace knelt beside his sister. "Take the bandages off!" He snapped. "Let me see."
"Trust me brother..." Said Acwellen, "You don't want to see it!"
"Carim just do it!" Ace ordered.
"Alright..." Carim began undoing the bandages. Almost immediately thick, yellow, stinking pus began to seep through.
Ace gulped as Carim pulled the last of the bandages away. The puncture wounds were flaming bright red with pus and blood dripping out of them non-stop. All the skin on Acwellen's foot was covered in tiny red lumps that were slowly creeping up her ankle. Ace stared at it for a moment, "oh..." he groaned. "Carim I think you were right."
"Of course I was!" Carim snapped, grabbing a bucket of water and fresh bandages. "Go and get the horse."
"Why? You're not..." Ace's voice trailed off.
"Yes." Said Carim firmly. "We are going to see the bird."
"Can't you do anything else?"
"Not unless you want me to cut her foot off." Carim growled.
"You can't!" Ace and Acwellen shouted at the same moment.
"Then get the horse Ace!"
"Certainly..." Ace dashed out of the tent and to the enclosure where they kept the Ranger's one and only horse.
Ace had no great love for the stallion they'd found wondering in the forest two years ago, but Acwellen seemed to like it and it was useful for carrying heavy things, dragging fallen trees or if you needed to get somewhere fast.
The horse threw back its head and let out a loud neigh. Ace groaned that was another reason he didn't like it. Horses, in his opinion were far too noisy to live secretly in the forest. The horse didn't like him either; he had made that plain when Wolf and Ace had found him. The bite, Ace was sure had almost taken his fingers off.
Ace grabbed the rope halter and slipped it over the stallion's head, and led him back to the tent. "Carim?"
"Coming." Carim struggled out of the tent a moment later carrying Acwellen in his arms. He stumbled once but reached the horse without falling.
"I'm to heavy for you..." Acwellen groaned, as he lifted her onto the horse's back.
"Can't be helped." Carim murmmered, vaulting up behind her.
"Have you got anything to pay the bird with?" Ace asked.
"There's two dead rabbits hung up behind my tent, would you get those for me?"
Ace quickly grabbed the skun, gutted rabbits that Carim had been planing on eating for dinner. He handed them to Carim. "Will you need gold or something? You know how the bird like shiny things."
Carim frowned. "I have none..."
"I have something..." Ace broke the string around his neck and handed the shiny green stone that he'd hung on it to Carim. "That should do."
Carim nodded, "Let us hope the bird is in a good mood!" He kicked the horse and they were off.
 
Ok. Well, with direct quotations, you don't always need to end each sentance with a period within the quotes. For instance, even if by itself the sentance would have a period, you can use a comma. For instance: "I have to go now," said Alex.
 
Ok. Well, with direct quotations, you don't always need to end each sentance with a period within the quotes. For instance, even if by itself the sentance would have a period, you can use a comma. For instance: "I have to go now," said Alex.


Oh yes....... I do know that but I was writing this in a hurry so I didn't didn't remember...if you know what I mean!
 
Chapter Three
The Bird​
The stallion was foaming, and his pace slowing when Carim and Acwellen finally reached the bird's tree. The tree was not hard to find it was by far the tallest in the forest. Carim had never seen 'the bird', but there were stories about it that made him shiver. But then again, he told himself, there are good stories about it too... Stories of how it saved the lives of Rangers time and time again.
Carim slid off the horse's back and then helped Acwellen down. She was almost unconscious, and getting weaker by the moment.
"I'll be back soon." He promised, he swung the rabbits over his shoulders, and since he needed both hands for climbing, he popped the green stone into his mouth. Then climbed up into the lower branches of the tree.
The tree had many branches, and the climbing was easy...for the first five minutes, until Carim found that the higher he went, the more thorns there were. Carim didn't know where the bird would be, but he certainly hoped it wasn't at the very top.
Carim had never really thought much about his hands...until now. After twenty minutes of climbing he realised how much they could hurt. He paused on a thorn-less branch to remove some splinters, and rest.
"Hello Carim, healer of the Rangers."
Carim jumped and spun around on his branch. He saw a bird, about the size of his head, sitting on the branch beside him. He stared, he couldn't help it, it was the ugliest thing he'd ever seen.
The bird had no feathers, and it's skin was so wrinkled Carim was sure that it could double, or even triple in size and still have plenty of room. It's tiny, beady eyes were blood red, but strangely beautiful and it's beak was short, curved and razor sharp.
Carim spat the stone into his hand. "How did you know my name?" He asked amazed.
The bird laughed, a beautiful, musical laugh, Carim was surprised that so beautiful a sound could come out of so ugly a creature. "I know everything about you, Carim son of Hari-toba."
Carim frowned. "Not even I know that much."
"I know you are not truly a Ranger, and that you have long wished to meddle in magic."
Carim's face reddened. "The Rangers do not look upon magic with kindness..."
"But you are not a Ranger, so why, pray tell does this matter?"
"Of course I'm a Ranger!" Carim snapped. "Haven't I lived here all my life?"
"That does not make you a Ranger Carim, and you know it. To be a true Ranger, you must be a direct descendant from the second brother. Also your hair is far to light."
Carim self-consciously pulled a strand of hair in front of his eyes. "It's not much lighter." He muttered.
The bird laughed again. "You came here for help, did you not?"
"Yes!" Carim couldn't believe he'd forgotten Acwellen, but staring into the birds eyes you could forget everything.
The bird cocked its head. "How would you like to have the power to heal her?"
"Beg you pardon?"
"That wound is made by magic," the bird said slowly. "Would you like to have the power to heal such wounds?"
Carim's eyes gleamed. "I'd love it!" He exclaimed, then he paused and his face darkened. "But it can not be so."
"Why? Pray tell young Carim."
"I'm not that young."
"No indeed, but you are to me...for I have live a good five hundred years or more and so you are very young."
"If you put it that way..."
"You do not wish for this magic because you are frightened of what the others will say... or do to you."
Carim nodded.
"But you still wish for it."
"Yes," Carim admitted.
"It can not be helped, young one, because you have magic in your blood, and your desire and craving for it will never be satisfied... no matter how much of it you learn, you will always wish for more."
 
"My father knew magic." Carim said slowly. It had always been a great secret.
The bird laughed. "He was a dabbler Carim, nothing more. You are greater than he. You have a better mind for magic. You could become great."
Carim smiled wistfully; there was nothing he wanted more. "If only I could..."
"You can!" The bird exclaimed, "Show me that stone."
Carim had forgotten about the green stone he held in his hand. He held it out to the bird.
"This is a mirror emerald!" The bird exclaimed, "Where did you find it?"
"I... Ace did, under a tree that had fallen." Carim didn't know why anyone would make a fuss of stones. Certainly this one was pretty, but it had no use.
"This stone is full of magic!" The bird exclaimed, jumping onto Carim's arm.
"Really?"
"Indeed! Mirror stones are very rare, in all my years I have only know of two other people who have possession of one. If the person who finds one knows how to use it, they are indeed a great treasure."
"What does it do?" Carim asked.
"Cup it in you hands." The bird ordered. "And say, magikē awacan."
Carim said the words carefully, and the stone began to glow green and warm in his hands. He looked at the bird, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Watch your hands." The bird said slowly.
Carim glanced at his hands and what he saw amazed him. The cuts, and scrapes on his hands were closing, in a moment you could not tell they had been there at all.
"Now say scēawian mī Acwellen."
"What does it mean?" Carim asked first.
"Just say it boy."
Carim said the words and the hollow center of the stone filled up with something silver and Carim could make out a picture of Acwellen slumped against the tree trunk.
"Say 'Hælan hire'."
Carim did, and the moment the words left his lips he felt a horrific pain, starting at his foot and running all the way up to above his knee. He let go a shout of pain, but the pain was over in a moment. "What was that?" He asked in a shaking voice.
"That was you healing Acwellen, look again at the stone."
Carim did, and he saw Acwellen getting to her feet. "Surely I didn't do that!" He exclaimed.
"Oh you did, young one, you certainly did."
Carim stared first at the bird, and then at the stone. It had turned to the same as it was before.
"Put it in your mouth."
"Why?" Carim asked, "I might swallow it."
"That is what I want you to do."
"What!?!" Carim exclaimed, "Then it will be lost!"
"No," the bird shook its bald head. "Then the power will be in you, forever."
Carim swallow the stone.
A moment later he chocked, but the stone stayed down. He glanced around him, wondering why everything looked different, then he understood. Everything had started to look green, the same shade of green as the emerald. A moment later his eyes were burning. His head began to spin, and within a moment he'd collapsed on the branch.
 
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