The memory of being once a knight and the experience of being a Ranger was skills that Gawain is thankful for. His father was an owner of two inns, in a town near Shrew Shire. His mother cared for him, and his younger brother, whom later became a professional builder that works in the main city of Shrew Shire and his home town.

Gawain’s career had taken a different path. As a young child he had taken interest in hunting, knowing the landscape of the country, and numerous techniques of survival. His interest in these activities grew and eventually he was hunting in the woods and sold what he had caught to the butchers; giving the money to his father and mother. Improving his skills daily, continued his training till he was complimented by his town as an expert hunter, and a marksman with the bow and firearms.

As he grew older about the age of fourteen years, he had the chance to join The Rangers. Of course he had to leave his family because rangers were constantly travelling place to place but his father and mother were pleased, his brother was sad that Gawain had to leave but nevertheless he was proud of his older brother. For the next years of his life he had grown up to be an expert ranger of Anglox, travelling to the ‘Town of Wall’ where the forest and the vast lands divides Anglox and Scotiterran, Through the thick forests of Welsh and the earie parts near Scilly.

He continued to be a best ranger and through his proven skill and bravery in task he give a  chance to the title of “knight” which was an honor to give him people through bravery or skill. That was when he about in his twenty five years of his life which was quite an accomplishment yet it did not last for so long. He felt so joyous of having attained such a title in his life that he felt himself that he should continue and make himself a well-known knight throughout the country for his skill, bravery, and character. Getting the title was because of the task given to The Rangers by a lord’s wife, the mission was called commonly in the guild “The Age Old Kidnap”. The mission was in the Isle of Plight which the taken, where Gawain had shown his excellent skills second only to his teacher.

So he left The Rangers guild for it but some members including the master wasn’t particularly approving of Gawain’s choice to leave because he might regret it sooner or later and he wasn’t ready to fit into the world of knights and lords but Gawain full of himself didn’t listen and left. This left The Rangers mocked and jeer at him.

Back during that time Gawain was a very skilled ranger even considering himself the best out of the guild, which was a reason for him be granting knighthood, nd leaving the guild for knighthood was a step up for his career but if he knew what would happen in his future as knight  he wouldn’t have left the guild.

The evening cold breeze was a nice atmosphere outside the walls of Forest Haven. Gawain had brought two large mugs of beer to Agnes who had decided to stay outside while the others were mostly inside the walls of Forest Haven. Agnes was sitting by the driver seat of a wagon staring into the night sky and land a far.

“Why are you still stressed? Mikhael is in prison you stopped a chaotic event” Gawain asked Agnes as he gave him the mugs of beer.

Agnes took the cup and drank a large amount of it and then replied “Yes it does, I can’t help but still be disturbed by the visions.”

“The only thing left is that if we didn’t stop the attack” Gawain replied grimly, he wished it weren’t true and that it only stress that a good beer couldn’t fix.

“Well let’s skip that for now, that boy Rowlan say the ritual did you manage to swear that he wouldn’t tell anyone”

“He did though he wouldn’t ask non-stop with the questions of it and how the ‘the old arts’ (another name for sorcery or magick) even existed”

“Curious boy, though I doubt even if he were to tell nobody would believe him” Agnes shrugged.

“Same” He’s damn busy body that’s what.

“If I may ask what are you going to do after all of this?” Agnes asked as he took a large gulp.

“What do you mean? You and I escort these folks to their destination afterwards another travel”

 “Then what if I’m gone?” Agnes bluntly announced which took Gawain by surprised, he had known Agnes since he left knight duties as he migrated to Scotiterian whom took him in and since then he was always the sort of helper for the old man. He was mostly his companion throughout years he had known. He viewed him a grand-father he never knew.

“You’ll still live a few more years Agnes”

“I’m not a damn immortal lad, if I do I think I’ll be needin a whole caravan to get me from place to place”

Gawain gave a small laugh “I still got a few more years old bloke”

“You’ll probably take care of yourself aye, get some rest we’re leaving in the morning”

“Why me, you’re the one getting stressed c’mon get in the town and take a nap” to which Agnes agreed. Agnes decided to sleep early in an inn which Gawain had paid for the room while he was still outside trying to ponder on what Agnes saw in his visions. The town of Forest Haven was a bright town during night time, travelers could see it from a far distance giving a sign for refuge and even while inside the town it was apparently bright. High stone walls built over centuries ago surrounded the town still to prevent any sort of attack that may happen, it was impossible to get in the town once the gates were shut and for a short band of attackers like outlaws were to attack they would be met with bullet fire or arrows.

Patrols on the walls are constant to make sure once alerted they would close the gate, arm the town’s folk, and assemble the town militia. Only cannon fire could breach the defense or overwhelming numbers but even if the case is a large amount of people the gates could still be closed. ‘A knife looming over it’. Someone whom no one suspects but who? Mikhael is in damn jail as well as other suspicious companions of his. Gawain could suspect no one to be a potential threat yet he trying his hardest to at least manage to prevent a catastrophe. Then there was the void, he presume it meant death.

Instead of just standing around he decided to visit Mikhael in his cell to get answers, he knew it was near impossible to get an answer with such a hatred against the town but it was better than nothing. The prison was located around the center of town, there was a building which from the outside looks like a small brick building though the prison was actually held underground.

Gawain was greeted by the sheriff of the town, Sam, who looked at Gawain and said:

“Your one of them rangers I suppose?”

“Yes I used to be”

“Figures, well it gives me a bit of safety knowing one is around, I mean when the rangers came here about months ago they solved the problem though having one at least is good enough”

Gawain remained silent.

“Say you know someone in that guild of yours, someone who looked like he’s the leader of the of it”

Jack Keen Eye, my teacher though by now when I left he was the likely candidate to be leading it now.

“Yes, though I cannot say the name”

“I’ll respect that, what do you want?”

“I want to speak with the prisoner, Mikhael and tell me his story if it’s not much trouble”

“Mikhael, I knew the lad when he still young around here though he was a trouble maker. He liked getting into fights and hung around a person named Jordan which led to more trouble. I could only say it was bad influence on the boy but gotten worse, he was much arrogant and vile to a point he was mistreating the folks here; stealing, threating, and taking advantage of them. To say the least when Mikhael actually killed a man, the man challenged him for taking advantage of his sister and his younger brother then a fight broke then he ran off with Jordan whom was actually a leader of the outlaws.”

Sam gave him Gawain the key to the door leading to the underground prison which was a door beside Sam in a hallway.

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Gawain took a lantern nearby hanging and went down. It was complete darkness as he descended the stairs, a cold atmosphere as well which makes this place an opposite to the Haven town above and makes this place the cold hell. It was only one hall with only about four torches lit, the sides were the prison cells that were about eight though one cell could hold three persons.

“C’mon Sam regale with the tales of my failures.” Mikhael said as his voice came from Gawain’s right on the second cell, the first two cells were men from the caravan whom had become Mikhael’s companions which were shortly imprisoned after Mikhael.

“I wasn’t expecting you, what’dya want with me”

“First: If you’re an outlaw why didn’t you attack the caravan before reaching Forest Haven? And second: how many were you in your band?”

Mikhael just shrugged as he kept his head down.

“The two men who tried to steal a wagon, they were yours. I’ll ask again: why didn’t you attack the caravan? And how many were in your band?”

“Ask all you will but I’m not answering” he replied.

Irritated by this, Gawain was tempted to do something rash.

Agnes was called Sightseer, the man who can see vague visions from the future but were vague, and even using a ritual to enhance to see the vision though still vague still he rarely uses it in his lifetime. He had normally used the old arts to do an ability to see into the far distance though at his age it had taken his toll on him and couldn’t maintain using the old arts. It was a surprise when Agnes had told Gawain he was worrying about something happening, he used the ability to see far distances yet he couldn’t maintain for so long because of the large area to be covered, and he finally decided to perform the ritual to enhance the vision yet it was still a blur.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The man was caring and wise, someone whom took Gawain when he was wandering in his life, he couldn’t let him die. He was tempted to reveal and point Rowlan’s flintlock which Agnes had taken away from him, and threatened him with his life. His hand was already gripping the handle yet he was restraining to reveal it, he was no stranger to violence but there was a point in his life where was very violent.

“Can you just leave if all you going to do is stare?”

Gawain’s grip on the firearm tightened and spoke: “I’ll tell you right now that I can be very violent Mikhael, and right now the only thing from restraining me from shooting your head is to shoot either your arms or legs to let you bleed on the prison floor”

 Mikhael brought his face down and stared the cold stone floor. Cruelty is what Mikhael brought to people who crossed his path when he was an outlaw and Misery to those who were lucky enough to escape him, yet even all of his cruel acts that made him inhumane he could still feel fear.

But then Mikhael looked up again with a grin in his face, he wasn’t afraid of getting shot and killed, all the fear of death was gone but a fearless grin that confused Gawain and irritated him to reveal the firearm that he had been hiding.

“Shoot me what happens?”

Gawain didn’t reply and Mikhael spoke again: “Nothing, shoot me then. Go kill me or make me bleed it’ll do nothing but make me suffer but between you and I, we know from experience of all the people I’ve taken advantage that your trying to protect someone. I won’t talk so you’d better leave”

He raised the firearm pointing at Mikhael head but he didn’t show any fear instead stood up and stepped forward to get closer to the firearm.

“Do you want to hear the story on how I made a son end his own father's life to end his torture”

Preyed and brought misery upon innocents, you deserve a faith far worst.

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The Ranger left the bandit outlaw to cold prison cell seeing that he lived the rest of his days rotting in the cold prison cell or that one of the town’s people whom he wronged would murder him, maybe even public execution. Intuition told him that Mikhael’s men must have been hiding somewhere nearby to raid the town and the caravan, he just have to find them.

Going up the tall walls of the town he stares far into the distance having the feeling that an enemy will strike from the darkness of night. He went to the inn where Agnes had been sleeping to get his knife and sword. The old sightseer had been sleeping peacefully as Gawain passed through the room, I won’t let you die old friend. Looking over the sword, a longsword, he had with him since when he had joined knighthood he felt a pang of pain, most of time he saw it as a good weapon in any case for danger yet at the same time it reminded him of the time he had become a renegade of it and hid for so many years. He shoved the these feelings at the back of his mind and left the inn with a knife hidden under his clothes, longsword and a flintlock at his waist.

“If I may ask why are you arming yourself?” Rowlan asked suddenly appeared as he passed by when Gawain was gathering his weapons.

“None of your concern” Gawain said sharply.

“Then how about the concern of everybody in the town as well as the caravan? You look awfully nerved and ready to kill someone”

“It’s nothing you should worried about”   

 “I just witnessed that the old arts ‘Magick’ being performed just a few hours ago on seeing the future to ensure safety, an infamous outlaw bandit is captured along with his hidden companion are thrown into a cell, and yet Agnes is still stressed while you’re ready to kill someone. I am worried not just me about others in this town” Rowlan said in a low voice.

“Just stay here and don’t go around meddling. It’ll do you a favor” Gawain said bitterly to Rowlan, he didn’t need an annoyance this time around, he wanted to find any of Mikhael’s men to ensure his old friend’s safety. Rowlan didn’t reply instead he walked away to leave the inn.

“A bit harsh on the boy eh” Agnes said waking up from his sleep.

“I find him annoying just going around meddling with people’s concerns”

Agnes nodded in agreement “Still why are you arming yourself? Don’t lie I know you too well Gawain”

“I’m not allowing lives to be killed and you too old friend, you’re stressed about the visions about the future. That one time we prevented an entire family being killed and you felt good afterwards but in this case it’s not. I’m going out there to hunt down Mikhael’s men.”

“What?! Out there in the damn dark of night”

“I’ll be careful trust me Agnes” Gawain said dismissingly as he left to search for Mikhael’s men heading out into nearby woods of Forest Haven.

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Someone has recently been here. He examined the ground to find a faint traces of a broken bottle of liquor, he continued to scout on ahead in the woods nearby Forest Haven. During as a child and Ranger before it was natural for Gawain to move so quietly and still move fairly quick and his ears sharp to hear anything approaching or incoming at him. This brought him back when his teacher Jack keen eye and him were hunting in forest near the Town of Wall and traveling from town to town. The full moon of this night gave light so Gawain couldn’t be blind, it was then he heard rustling coming from left, he moved quietly where the source was.

“Taking too long if you ask me” a voice said which Gawain recognized as the man who almost stole a wagon.

“After tonight Forest Haven will be a wreck, have some patience” said another man.

“Eh let’s take a quick visit to the merchant we’d robbed” the huge man said with a grin.

When two outlaws finally reached their destination there on ground with a bruised faced and beaten was Cillian. Around the poor beaten soon to be merchant was sacks and crates presumably the items he intend to sell once he reaches Union’s Rising. Cillian laid on the ground groaning of pain, beginning to crawl away from the area still he was stopped the huge man’s companion. He looked up in fear began to plead “Please no more” “Does that mean you’re going tell us where’s the rest of your precious goods?” the huge man asked. “Please I need those to make a living, just take these few crates and sacks!” Cillian shouted to only be responded with a jab from the butt of the musket by the companion of the huge man. Cillian pleaded for them to stop as he was being beaten by his companion, he pleaded stop and whimpered. “C’mon stop, we’ll give this boy a proper death” the huge man grinned as he lifted Cillian up and told him to stand there.

“Please I’ll give you all of it!” Cillian shouted.

“We’ll probably just find it out sooner or later” said the companion as both them raised their muskets and aimed at Cillian whom again began to whimper and beg for mercy.

Gawain decided to intervene as he moved towards them, there were only two of them each with a musket in hand, and it was obvious that these two men as well as others with them had the intent of striking the town. Gawain could strike from the where they couldn’t expect him, he was well trained too so he could handle two measly outlaws. He crept silently towards the two men, moving ever so close, drawing his knife moving fast and quiet then quick as an arrow he struck not the huge man but his companion. He stabbed the man at the back his throat then turned his attention the huge man whom he faced off once before, but this time he was quick and tried to impale Gawain with the bayonet on the musket’s tip but moved the stabbed man’s body to the steel tip.

He pushed the stabbed man towards his attacker allowing the body to sink in deeper into the bayonet and tripping the huge man to his back, he unsheathed his longsword quickly and immediately puts the point of the blade to the huge man’s throat. The huge man humiliated and once again the Gawain’s mercy just stares at him angrily, applying a little bit of force to the point the huge man tensed up and was shaking yet he still stared though with fear.

“Now tell me, are there anymore of you? And if you try to pull anything I won’t give you mercy like the last time” Gawain threatened.

Cillian sighed in relief that he’d lived through this experience, he immediately took the dead man’s musket as well as rolling off the body off, getting the other firearm too and said: “There are more of them, I saw move towards the town its better off if we left now”

“Even if they attack, the town’s guards are easily assembled, the walls and gates would provide the guards defenses” Gawain replied to Cillian then turned to the huge man who pleaded “Please, I’ll go to the prison cell”

“You’d think I’d fall for another trick after the last time”

“Please I promise I swear! Keep the sword pointed at me to make sure I won’t try anything”

The night was dead silence from when Gawain had taken down both of these men yet it was disturbed by the sound of joyous laughter and marching, it was faint noise but Gawain heard it, looking at the direction where the laughter came from he saw the light of torches moving. He wondered who these people be marching out into the forest in the middle of the night, it was uncommon. Then came footsteps nearing towards his location from the opposite direction where a man approaching carrying an axe with blood all over his clothes laughing “Aye you should have seen when the sheriff begging Mikhael to torturing the guards” joyously said before shocked to see a dead corpse and Gawain’s sword at his companion’s throat then quickly attacked.

It was a shockingly graving news that the outlaws managed to get into the well defended town, fear of what happened, and then anger on what theses outlaws did to the people there. He thrust his sword at the attacking man only to be interrupted by the huge man as the blade left his throat, but still managing to block the man’s axe hack with his sword, getting it stuck between the wooden handle and the blade, with all in a swift motion he raised the sword along with the axe then drove his blade into the man’s chest as he gasped his final breath.

Gawain turned his attention again back to the huge man but he was about to stab again with the musket’s bayonet, the stab was to his shoulder but Gawain quickly stepped back leaving his sword still stuck into the corpse of the man. The huge man grinned and spoke: “I won’t make the same mistake last time”. He took Gawain’s sword holding both the sword and musket.

The huge man advanced forward keeping his guard up, he had a good weapon’s reach with the musket’s bayonet and sword in hand while Gawain was readying himself to strike quickly. He began teasing the Ranger with pokes of the bayonet while keeping the sword for defense. He then advanced forward quickly trying to stab the Ranger then a gunshot was heard then the huge man stopped on his tracks, It was Cillian who with the musket at the huge man’s back but the man still on his feet who was angered and shocked which gave Gawain the time to took his sword back from the huge man’s hand and slashed at his throat.

The huge man feel down with his eyes still wide open and the big cut from his throat gave way to a gush of blood leaving his body. Gawain nodded at Cillian and said: “Let’s get back to town and see what happened”

“But didn’t hear what they said, these monsters might already slaughtered everyone!”

“Fine then, stay here or leave but don’t count on me to save you if you get caught by these outlaws” Gawain dismissed sharply as he hurried back Forest Haven hoping that Agnes was still alive with Cillian following him.

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It’s horrible. Was all Gawain could think about as he saw the gate of Forest Haven wide open, the bodies of the guards lying in the grounds, the cries of the town’s folk echoing throughout the night. Sam the sheriff was on the ground with a man about 14 years of age clutching on to him and a woman as well, must be his wife and son, The guard’s appeared to all dead along with the sheriff.

Gawain quickly went to find Agnes in the inn but he wasn’t there, he continued to search for his old friend passing by the mourning people and dead guard’s and as well a few men and women. It was he could see as he tried to search for his friend, it was horrible sight for these folks but he had seen horrible things too before in his lifetime. Then someone called his attention, it was Adaline whom had seen the horrible things that witnessed here, her hands shaking and face shocked.

“Where’s Agnes?” Gawain asked hastily.

“It’s horrible! They started slaughtering everyone who tried to fight them”

The Ranger’s heart stopped for a moment, considering that his old friend might put up a fight and get killed, It was too likely…

“Where’s Agnes?!” Gawain asked but in a more broken tone.

Adaline didn’t reply instead she just pointed Gawain to a corner, he quickly rushed to the corner to find blood trailing. Fearing for the worst he began to walk slowly hoping that his friend might still be alive yet it was very unlikely. Gawain was almost to the point of being broken as he just wished that his old friend was still alive, then he heard a familiar voice.

“It’s no use staring at them Agnes, you’ll just be torturing yourself!” It was Rowlan’s voice heard where the blood trail led. Gawain was relieved that his old friend didn’t die and rushed to the end of the blood trail though still fearing what may have happened to his friend. As turned around the corner he saw the lookout men from the caravan all dead, with Agnes kneeling at them as Rowlan was shaking Agnes to leave. The Ranger rushed to towards his old friend but he saw he wasn’t moving just staring at the corpses of men.

“What happened?”

“It was so sudden, the outlaws just showed up started killing anyone who tried to oppose. The caravan men fought back yet they didn’t stood a chance, Agnes joined in too yet he was quickly brought down. They executed the caravan men right before his eyes but spared him, he hasn’t moved since” Rowlan gravely said.

Agnes just stared at the corpses and not moving with Gawain trying to get Agnes to respond but to no avail as the night still went on.