The falcon circled once, twice, three times before landing on the thickly gloved hand of Aiden’s cousin. A silver white scar peaked from underneath the mans glove in the form of a compass rose. The birds attention darted around, sharp and preceptive before relenting to a treat of raw leffit allowing Bast Sanglune to pull the message from the falcon’s leg.
“Father, Baron Virtus has instructed our expedition to continue to the northernmost mapped location of the county and redraw the border lines upon the request of the Queen”
The exploration party sat quietly upon their mounts a trained calm amongst the unit before Sir Drake nodded thoughtfully,and his light voice broke out amongst the group “ Mann, we are about to enter the the mouth of Karicion, land of daemons and fiends. Keep your wits about you, and keep your blades ready. More than anything keep your lances in your briches! “ he yelled to a ror or applause.
The rangers laughed sharing a nudge against old friend then quitedy, .They were veterans of stories long told past and herors of the future if they lived. They would build the nationa that was to come map by bamp or end up six feet under.
“Why do we venture so far west” asked young Aiden as he pulled the lean, sure footed Erath next to his uncle. “We've been out here for months, we lack rations,and have no maps of the north, must we continue on with such short notice?”
The elder Sanglune looked down upon his nephew and almost smiled, but years of fortitude and the cold range held the emotion at bay, how young we all once were he thought .
“ The Queen has commanded we venture forward into the mist of the unknown. Tomorrow will be yesterday in a single beat of the heart and if we do not continue on then our enemies might gain ground over us, in land that is rightly ours. Do as you may young lord but the rangers org Sanglune continue on.
Aiden nodded pulling the reins of Erath in tightly to keep up with the pace of his uncle and cousin, his gaze drifting to the smooth portion of his wrist where a silver scar should have been. “Always on” he said aloud. He’d been told he was too young for the mark of the rose but he’d drawn maps since before he could run in the study of his grandfather and had been ranging from the moment he could ride a horse.
A royal command was not to be taken lightly, luckily Drake felt confident in his mission and his party. He looked sideways to his nephew Aiden and nodded silently in approval. The boy was young but he was humble and able just like his father. Drake had always admired his older brother for his composure and to a degree been jealous of his political aptitude, but Drake was through and through a man of the land, his life was the range. Drake knew that with enough time he could give the little lord sufficient guidance to raise him into a proper baron. Amongst the Sanglune, children were always trained by their uncles or aunts since it was believed the father would either be too harsh or soft on their children. Drake however felt that he provided just the right amount of love and discipline for his young nephew. Young Aiden would grow into the next steward of the lands, his hand craftings intimately carved maps and futures for everyone in the kingdom and if his vision held true he would even be the royal cartographer for the young queen as the Sanglunes of past had been, Drake simply had to whip Aiden into shape, luckily he had his own son Bast on his side to help guide Aiden in being the next Baron.
