-24-
Ranger. The word alone was sweet to the ear, and to be one was the dream of kids and youths, some of them at least. It was testament to a person's intimacy with nature. Exotic and mysterious.
To Rumdroll, it meant uncertain death.
To be more specific, it meant he could die any day. So can everyone? Not like Rumdroll. And not like the rangers of the woods beyond the barricade.
The woods beyond the barricade had many names; barricade woods, monster forest, folklore woods, devil forest, even bastard's woods, to say the least. But rangers like Rumdroll called it the woods because for them, there were no other woods.
Rumdroll sat astride his horse. He twisted his head at every sound and every rustle he heard.
He was surrounded by trees the tops of which he could not see, trees that made him wonder how many men with their arms spread could encircle one. Trees that had no branches to their sides, yet blotted the sky by sheer trunk alone, if not their leaves growing at their ends. Trees that permitted the barest of light that allowed Rumdroll his sight.
He was quite envious of his old friend's nonchalance. Of course, if his old friend weren't so indifferent then he wouldn't be his old friend. No normal horse would ever near these woods
As for the abnormal ones, well, a month parading the woods and you'd notice their growth, a year and they'd be twice as large as the normal horse. Or even three times, like his trusted steed Boulder.
"Though, that means it's going to hurt a lot if I fall off." He gently smoothed his friend's mane.
Boulder, seemingly unaware of his friend's worries, kept feasting on grass-covered ground.
The woods may well be a paradise for Boulder, or any animal with a likeness for prancing. The trees were sparse enough between to make you wonder if there even was a treeline. The grass - though Rumdroll never tried it - was scrumptious. And the woods extended as far as who-knows-where.
If Rumdroll didn't know better, he'd be having a blast as well.
He raised his head and stared above. No branches didn't mean no danger.
Some days he'd be running around, checking if anything's changed in the woods. Other days he'd be scouting or patroling, and - though few - he might have to find missing people too. Whom he never found, obviously.
Today, he was a guide and lookout. Though, more lookout than guide.
'Kay, this should be long enough now.' He whistled once, then twice. Then swung the reins and Boulder sprinted.
If he rode deep enough in the woods, maybe he would be unable to tell where the entrance was. Even at this distance, it was only a bit brighter.
He patted Boulder a bit, then Boulder slowed and stopped.
Before him was a crowd of volunteers collecting grass in sacks. Just a few of the multitudes more who were attracted by the princess's edict.
'The pitiful fools.' Rundroll pitied them, both the fools and the ones in bad situations. He would pity himself more, were it not for his old friend.
"Time's up. Pack it all and leave." Rumdroll wondered why some of them always looked regretful. Like they wanted to pick more grass.
Were they not aware that they could be dead any moment? They were, right? Right?
And as they packed and trudged out the woods, it was Rumdroll, again, who had to stay behind and watch their backs.
He heard some rustling and Rumdroll jolted. He spontaneously swung the reins and Boulder bolted out the woods, the same time the last volunteer exited.
He patted Boulder after they left the woods and Boulder stopped. It was unsafe to linger so close to the woods, but all the volunteers had yet to pass Rumdroll.
Rumdroll turned back and could faintly make out some falling leaves between the trees. He shivered as he saw them. Leaves don't fall in those woods, at least not normally. They had barely made it out alive.
He turned to his front and the volunteers were well along the stretch as they neared the boxed-stone palisades. They were out of his hands now.
He swung the reins and Boulder galloped to the towering blocks.
-
Rumdroll crouched on the ground as he smoothed his brown friend's head, who was now too big that Rumdroll couldn't reach higher than his back and definitely not his neck. So Boulder would lean his head down.
He took off Boulder's bridle and stood up. Then unclinched the saddle and took it off as well.
They didn't have enough space for stables that could house a horse like Boulder, add to that he wasn't the only big horse. And it seemed the grass made them want to be free-er, though they still kept some troughs for them in the terraces above.
Boulder ran wherever he wanted, but avoided the forest without Rumdroll on his back. He was like his own horse; he'd canter up to the city even, or stay around the terraces, and eat and sleep. All the while keeping impeccable timing with Rumdroll, who needed him on both regular and irregular occasions.
Rumdroll would whistle and Boulder would already be running to him. The grass really did make him smart. Would making him realise he is dumb also count?
Boulder whipped him with his tail.
Maybe it also gave them mind-reading powers or something. Rumdroll didn't know. Not that he cared much.
He patted his old friend and off he went. To uncharted plains, or up the terraces to scare people.
Rumdroll sighed. If only Boulder knew people were scared of him. Or maybe he did? He wouldn't put it past him.
Rumdroll turned and in front of the gap between the blocks, was a black-haired volunteer with a grass-filled sack on his back. Young among the volunteers. He stared as Boulder ran off to who-knows-where.
"Sorry kid, Boulder's a free spirit." Rumdroll said as he went closer, holding the items in either hand.
"How do they get that big?" The kid asked.
"That sack on your back, the grass. That's what." Rumdroll replied.
Rumdroll stood before the kid, who was as tall as his shoulder. The kid's hair had some grey mixed with the black. He was staring at Rumdroll with his brown eyes.
"Though I dunno why they keep sending people for it." Rumdroll continued, "I've tried it for years kid, it only works if they eat it in there." Rumdroll pointed at the forest.
"They can still use it for food, can't they?" The kid asked.
Rumdroll nodded, "Yeah, guess fodders good enough. Say, how young are ya', kid?"
"It's my 18th autumn this year." The kid replied.
"I gotta ask kid, ain't you got else to do? Heck, I wouldn't go anywhere near that place if it weren't for Boulder." Rumdroll said.
He was too attached to the steed now to be anything but a ranger. Keeping himself alive as one meant keeping Boulder alive as well. And the darned horse actually liked the place!
"Hm?" The kid looked at Rumdroll with his head tilted.
"No one that young should go to pick grass. Is it money you need, kid? "
"No." The kid shook his head.
"Someone egging you then, kid?"
"No." He replied.
"Then why?" Rumdroll sighed.
The kid was silent for a moment, then he replied.
"...I don't know." His voice was feeble and faint.
"Kid, look here." Rumdroll pointed his finger to the ground as the kid looked at him.
"Everywhere beyond here is a dead zone, even this whole stretch before the forest. Do not pass this if you don't know why. Understand?"
The kid nodded.
Rumdroll turned and walked up the slope.
"Think hard on it, kid." He raised his hand and didn't turn back.
Hopefully he looked cool.
Looking cool was part of being a ranger. After all, they had to keep the dream alive somehow.
And a ranger's day ended with a good night's sleep.
Though between the woods and sleep, was paperwork. Paperwork that Rumdroll would've hated more if he didn't face possible death each time he went to the woods.
He sighed as he trudged up the slope.