The Guardians' Blade
Chapter Four - Fortress of Ramoth

The Guardians reached the Mountain Fortress of Ramoth on the evening of the third day. They had travelled east along the northern mountain range from the Harsalith Mountains until they reached the Drakebare Mountains. Ramoth was positioned where the mountains of Drakebare intersected with the Mountains of Thilbare. The mountains extended ever eastward, seeming almost never-ending. Another set of mountains marched directly south, with white icy caps and black rocks looming through the snow.

At various points along the northern mountain range, a Fortress, Keep or Guardian Watchtower could be found. This was constantly on the alert, keeping an eye on the north; any movement was noted and studied. The Guardians had no desire for another battle like Quilta to occur again, where the Warlords had almost breached their defenses.

The Fortress of Ramoth was no different to any other Guardian built Fortress, constructed within the heart of one of the tallest mountains. The black rock was artfully carved into long halls with high ceilings and grand chambers for dining. One might assume a mountain fortress to be chilly but the cold didn’t seep into the shadowed corners of the grand living quarters. Each Fortress held up to four hundred battle-ready Guardians, and could take within its walls more than a thousand villagers and townsfolk who might need refuge should war from the north ravage the countryside.

Krammer’s shoulder was stiff and sore. He knew it was because of the injury he had sustained up in the mountains. Alixa had done her best to tend to the bite wound but it was clear that it was infected, so his first stop upon riding into Ramoth was to head to the infirmary. Sitting down on one of the many beds in the infirmary wing, he removed his tunic, chain mail and padded leather jerkin, to enable the Healer to inspect his shoulder. She was clad in white flowing robes with a simple wimple covering her head. She smiled at Krammer as she placed a bowl down on the bed next to him and proceeded to clean the wound with gentle fingers.

“Sir Knight,” she said softly, “You are lucky someone tended to this so quickly. The Qarma are well known to be able to kill a man with poison from the infection.”

Soryn nodded slightly at her words, wincing from time to time as she dabbed a moist cloth at the wound. “Alixa did her best, but she is no healer.” He said and turned his head to watch what the woman in white was doing. “Is it bad?”

“No, Sir Knight, Lady Alixa did very well. She contained the infection; this impresses me a lot.” She moved then to apply some salve to the wound before carefully bandaging it up. “It will heal quickly; just apply this to the wound each night.” She handed him a small container and smiled as she wiped her hands on a towel.

Soryn nodded as he took the container and then put on his tunic, wincing slightly from the movement of shoulder. Then he stood up, his chain mail shirt and jerkin draped over an arm. “Thank you, lady.” He bowed before he took his leave.

“Get hurt?” asked Alixa, who had been waiting in the hallway, leaning against a wall with her arm’s crossed.

“Yes.” Soryn wasn’t one to lie. He smiled at the woman as he started to walk down the hall. Alixa fell into step beside him. “Just another scar on this tired body,” he added after a moment, before looking at her again with steel grey eyes. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine.” She smiled lightly and reached to take his jerkin from him. She inspected it, poking at the rip the Qarma’s teeth had made in the fabric. “Just glad we got here all in one piece. And thankful it was just those Qarma we had to deal with.” She glanced over to the tall Guardian and pointed at the holes. “You’re going to need to get this stitched up, you know.”

Soryn chuckled softly as he glanced at his jerkin and shrugged his good shoulder. “What’s another hole to me? I’ll get a new jerkin made soon enough.”

Alixa rolled her eyes and shook her head. Unlike some men she could mend her clothes very easily when she ripped material in fights. As she looked at that hole it caused her feminine instincts to kick in, it made her want to snatch the jerkin from him and mend that hole herself. “One day you’ll need to learn how to use a needle and thread.”

“I haven’t the time to fuss with learning how to sew. There are bigger problems a foot that require my attention.”

Alixa let out a laugh and shook her head slightly. She smiled as Boar joined them in their merry making through the halls of the Keep. “I hope that you at least know how to sew.”

“Yes I do, I do quite a bit of mending when I have not been able to get out and about.” He returned Alixa’s look and chuckled as she seemed a little surprised. “It’s something every Shadow Warrior learned, to mend one’s attire and armor and even use that skill in sewing up one’s injuries.”

Alixa cleared her throat trying to cover her surprise smoothly. “Oh right, lucky you, well at least I don’t have to worry about you so much if your clothes get torn up or you get hurt.”

Boar snickered quietly and shook his head slightly at the black haired feisty young woman. Then blanched a little as he realized he was getting a piercing look from Soryn to behave himself. He cleared his throat and offered a slight smile of apology as they drew to a halt before the tall doors of the room’s that lead into their shared quarters. He pushed the doors open, deciding to be a gentleman for Alixa, then took in the comfort and the furniture to be found. He immediately went and claimed one of the couch’s and flashed a grin at his fellow Guardians who in return threw a cushion at him each with a laugh.

Sir Mycol, Lady Lightweaver, Sir Krammer and Sir Lionheart were shown into the Council Chambers soon after their arrival. It was a circular room with a large crescent moon- shaped stone table; at this sat five veteran Guardians, each having earned a place on the Council through years of service. A Guardian Fortress was very different to that of a Guardian City, as it was carved directly within a mountain, using the mountain’s structure as its defense. That was always useful in battle. The cities were mostly found deep underground and were built on a grander scale, to accommodate more than half a million Guardian families. “Guardians, welcome. I trust your journey to get here was not too difficult?” One of the Councilors asked.

“The underground highway made the journey swift and easy,” came Krammer’s polite response.

“Very good.” One of the Councilors rose to his feet; like all Guardians he had a military bearing. He had pale skin and weather-beaten features, his silvery hair was cropped short and his beard neatly clipped. He proceeded to introduce himself. “I am Guardian Yorn. I will be your main contact while you are here. Our position in the Golden Realms is new and tenuous. We are dealing with at least five races living in close proximity of one another.” Yorn slowly moved around the table with hands clasped behind his back. “You will begin patrolling throughout the lands. Your place of rest will be the Brazen Pony Inn, a central location on the shores of the Lake of Shimmering. You will be able to ride out from there in all various directions with ease according to requirements. These races have accepted us as their Justicators and we must live up to this title.” He regarded the new arrivals with sharp grey eyes. “Any questions?”

“Yes.” It was Mycol who spoke up and stepped forward. He offered a little smile as he introduced himself. “I am Guardian Mycol, member of the Shaylo Council.” He drew forth a scroll as he continued. “These Guardians are not only to learn more about the races of the Golden Realms and act as Justicators, but they will also be keeping an eye on the mountain passes of Eagle’s Point and Dragon Keep. There has been a lot of activity on the other side of these mountains which is causing us a great deal of concern.”

Yorn took the offered scroll, and read the contents for a long moment before he looked up and smiled as he reached out to grip Mycol’s gloved hand in a firm grip of greeting. “Welcome, brother,” he said matter-of-factly. “We are pleased that you will be among our number for a while.” He then looked at Krammer, Boar and Alixa as he added, “Head to the Brazen Pony Inn and introduce yourself to the Innkeeper. The Ramoth Council will pay for your rooms. Dis-missed.”

The three bowed slightly, clasping fists to their chests while they looked at Mycol who simply nodded, before they turned and left the Council chambers. Boar was frowning as he walked, then he glanced over towards Soryn and Alixa. He wasn’t sure if he was all that pleased with the reception from this Ramoth Council, though he could sense there was no hostility or evil here at least. “Does that fellow know who we are?” he asked after a moment. He was used to being treated like a hero wherever he went, due to the fact that he and Alixa had assisted in the great battle on the Quilta Plains.

“Perhaps not,” Krammer said. “But does that really matter? We have a mission, and our own work to do as well. When we aren’t looking at these Keeps, we can get to know the races of this region.” He glanced over towards his pupil and smiled. “It’s a new realm to us, one you and I have not set foot in before. I think it will be most interesting and adventurous.”

“I don’t think we’re paid for adventuring,” muttered Alixa, shooting a look at Soryn. “And I don’t fancy running into new races. I think we have enough to deal with from the north.”

Soryn smiled again, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked. “You wanted adventure, not to be locked up in a fort because of who you are.” He now looked at her pointedly. “I hope you’re not getting cold feet, Alixa LightWeaver.”

“Certainly not!” She lifted her head, her nose in the air. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

“Probably your comments.” Boar grinned and then ducked as Alixa took a swipe at him. “Hey! Easy does it!” he chuckled, managing to catch her wrist as she took another swing at him. He tapped a finger on her nose as he said softly, “What happened to that adventurous spirit of yours? It’ll be fun, just wait and see.”

Alixa huffed a little at him, and drew her hand free of his grip. “Alright, but if there’s any trouble I’m going to be blaming you.”

Boar winked as he let go and moved to walk on down the corridor. “As if there’s trouble wherever we go.” he jested.

Soryn would have laughed at the actions of his two companions, but his mind had drifted back to the council meeting. He was ready to take up the mantle of Justicator but he was not sure the other two were or understood what it meant. To be a Justicator meant one acted as Judge and Jury in regards to any criminals caught and apprehended. It seemed that the Guardians were to become a mobile police force within the Golden Realms. He glanced over at the other two a moment, a frown deepening upon his features. It would become a learning experience for them all.

An hour later, the three Guardians were riding out of the stone gates of Ramoth and down a curving road that led into the foothills of the Drakebare Mountains and onto the plains of Dilbare. It was a distinctly peaceful contrast, as the Golden Realms were far more beautiful than Hymbroli. Tall green grass grew on either side of the road they travelled down. The journey to the Inn was quiet and without incident, comprising of three days travel by horseback; passing by the mysterious forest of Tarkil, crossing the stone bridge of Myr’dri that spanned the river Ilendril, and entering the land of Omar. The landscape changed from wild wilderness into crops of wheat, barley, corn and grazing sheep or cattle penned in large rock-fenced fields. The road then came to a fork. If one continued straight ahead they would travel deeper into Omar, but if one veered right, this road would bring the traveler to the lake of Shimmering and the large fishing town of Brissallmon situated on its shores. This was the Guardians’ destination and they were looking forward to a nice comfortable bed and a hot meal at the Inn.

Boar yawned and rubbed at his lower back. He was weary of all this travelling but knew that it was part of a Guardian’s job description. He glanced over towards Krammer and Alixa, but neither seemed at all bothered about the constant riding. They were far more used to it then he was. Alixa smiled as she caught Boar’s eye.

“So this is the Golden Realms, or what we have seen so far of them.” She gestured with her gloved hand before looking back at him. “And now we have a lot more travelling to do.” She looked this time towards Krammer. “What does that fellow think we can do? Fly?” Just thinking of the great Golden Eagles from the northern mountains made her wish that was actually possible.

Soryn let out a low chuckle, and shook his head slightly at her. “He thought he had new Guardians arriving at Ramoth. He didn’t realize we already had an assignment until after Guardian Mycol spoke to him.” He shifted slightly in the saddle, looking ahead at the town in the distance.

“I am curious about this Inn Guardian Yorn spoke about,” Alixa mused thoughtfully; then added, “Why didn’t Guardian Mycol come with us?”

“I figure he had business to deal with back at Ramoth, and he’ll most likely join us when we go and inspect the Keeps,” Soryn’s responded. He frowned as he rubbed his aching shoulder. He knew it would take a time for it to heal fully.

“Is your shoulder still hurting?”

“Yes, it’s just one of those things. The main thing is, I am still alive.”

“I hope my First Aid wasn’t too rough on you.”

Soryn laughed and shook his head. “Actually, the Healer was impressed with what you did.” He nodded and looked over to her. “You’re multi-talented.”

Alixa smiled at the compliment. “Thank you.” Perhaps she would eventually get around to adding to her healing skills sometime in the near future. It was handy to have someone on the team who knew how to patch one up after a battle. It was far better if that someone knew what they were doing too.

“Perhaps I will do something about it than.” She mused out loud after a moment. “If I can impress a Healer with my meager skills than maybe I should look into it.”

“I think you should.” Soryn nodded his head in agreement. “Sometimes we do not realize that we have a need for a healer to be among us until the situation arises. I will back you up if you decide to follow that path and pioneer the way for Guardian’s to also learn the healing arts.”

Alixa smiled to herself, feeling a growing excitement at the very idea of perhaps journeying to the Island of Shari for the necessary training. She knew her mother would be proud if she took up this idea and followed it through. She only had childhood memories of what her mother had been like. But those memories had stuck to the core of her being. And so some of the skills she knew were very important to her, because it was like keeping her mother close to her heart.

“Are my ears deceiving me or are you talking about going back to school?” Boar had urged his Destrider forward so that he could join in the conversation.

“I think your ears are burning from listening to hard.” Alixa grinned at her answer and glanced over at the Shadow Warrior.

“Bah...” he shook his head slightly and waved a finger at her. “Listen to me young lady. Having the ability to heal is a very valuable asset. Any warrior who can heal, is highly sort after. When I was a Shadow Warrior, I was often fought over by our various squads, because I was one of the few who could both fight and heal injuries. And should we get into strife, currently there are two of us in our group of three. This means to any opposition, we would be seen as a difficult enemy to take down.”

Alixa blinked and looked Boar a long moment as she digested his words thoughtfully than smiled lightly. “I guess that’s why folk get worried when we are traveling with a Shan-gri-lia then.”

“A Shan-gri-lia is a very valuable asset for any war group.” Soryn interjected and looked over at his fellow Guardians. “They are the best healers known to exist in this world. They live by a code of non-violence thus they will not defend themselves if attacked. Hence we have a unique bond of understanding with them. If they are traveling somewhere dangerous, they usually request an escort of Guardians to take them to their destination. And there are times when we are in need of a Healer, so we will send out a request to them, for a healer to join our team on a specific mission.”

Alixa nodded her head slightly as she listened. “I like that, how we work together with them. We are their protectors and they take good care of us in return.” She smiled softly as her mother again came to mind. “I wonder if that is how my mother met my father.”

“It is highly possible.” Soryn nodded his head slightly. “When you have to work closely with other people, you make strong bonds of friendship and for some, it takes that extra mile and becomes an inseperatable sense of love.”

“That sounds so sweet.” Boar grinned lightly as he stared off into the distance, the town was getting closer as they chattered amongst themselves. “And to know that tonight we are very close to their island when we stay at that Inn.”

Soryn chuckled lightly at the shadow warrior. “Aye, perhaps once we are unpacked and settled, we could take a walk to the lake shore. We can see the Island of Shari from there, home of the Shan-gri-lia. All who enter the order must go there for their training before they can leave wearing their white robes.”

“Sounds like a deal to me.” Alixa nodded her head. “I’d like to be able to look at the Island where my mother lived for a time.”

Boar smiled lightly at the plans they were making. “The Inn for dinner and a moonlight walk along the lake shore sightseeing. Sounds like a wonderful ending to our trip to me!”

Soryn and Alixa laughed lightly at Boar’s words, before falling quiet for the remainder of the journey to this infamous Inn, the Brazen Pony.