Garth picked up a pebble and beganrolling it over in his hand. “Most of them are true,” Garthexplained. “Alexander Tork never meant to be a hero. He always didwhat he thought had to be done because there wasn’t anybody elsewho would or could do it. He was not the type of man who didsomething and then turned to others with a smile on his face andboasted about what he had done. That would be totally out ofcharacter for the man and I would not be kind to him to do what hehimself would not do. He was a good fighter and he used his skillsto right what wrongs he could.”
“Was he more skilled thanyou?” Arik asked.
“I would never draw acomparison between myself and Alexander Tork,” declared Garth. “Ido not claim to be better than he was and I do not wish others todo it for me. What we do is not a competition, Arik. Each of usshould use whatever skills we have to defeat the Dark One. IfAlexander Tork were here today, he would be telling you the exactsame thing. Forget about Tork. Forget about me. You have to spendwhatever time you have to sharpen your skills and think about theconsequences of what we have started. We have no idle time forwondering about a man who hasn’t been seen in seventeenyears.”
“What is so wrong about havinga hero to emulate?” asked Tanya who had come up behind the boyswithout anyone noticing.
“Alexander Tork may have beena hero to you, Tanya,” Garth sighed, “but he was not a hero tohimself.”
Garth rose as Tanya pushed onward.“Well, he should have been,” she declared. “He did more for theworld than any ten other men and you seem to think he wasnothing.”
“Yes,” sighed Garth bitterly.“He did wonders for the world. He saved the world from the sun.Don’t you love his parting gift? A world without sunshine, withoutsafe roads to travel, without farms that are free of bandits. Heleft a world where people can only cower in the cities and hope thetyrant rulers don’t order them hung.”
Tanya slapped Garth so hard that hishead spun and his face sported bright red marks from her fingers.“How dare you talk that way about a great man,” Tanya spat.“Alexander Tork gave everything he had to try and save the worldfrom all of this.”
“Yes, he did,” agreed Garthwith hatred in his voice. “He was so wonderful that he must havesaved the world a dozen times over. He was so wrapped up in savingthe world that he gave his only child to the Black Devils forslaughter. You want to worship a hero, Tanya? Worship the man whodidn’t have time to save his own child.”
Garth stormed off before Tanya had timeto deliver another blow. Tedi jumped up and grabbed Tanya beforeshe took off after Garth. He held her tight until her body stoppedquivering.
“What was that all about?”asked Fredrik. “I never heard those stories about Tork.”
“They are all lies,” screamedTanya. “Filthy lies spewed by a coward who can’t stand beingcompared to a real man.”
Kalina approached the practice area andstood firmly in front of Tanya.
“Dinner is ready,” sheannounced. “Why don’t you boys go eat while Tanya and I have alittle talk?”
The boys quickly scampered away, moreto avoid the coming confrontation than their need for food. Tanyatried to go with them, but Kalina grabbed her arm. Tanya easilybroke Kalina's grasp, but she stayed to talk.
“Why didn’t you use any ofyour fancy magic to make me stay?” Tanya demanded.
“I don’t use magic to hurtfriends,” Kalina replied. “You misunderstand Garth and you hurt himdeeply.”
“I hurt him?” Tanya saidincredulously. “You expect me stand there and listen to him trashAlexander Tork and you blame me for hurting him?”
“You never knew AlexanderTork,” Kalina persisted. “We did. I personally agree with yourdescription of Alex, not Garth’s, but that is part of the problem.Garth has heard so many tales about the greatness of Alexander Torkand the Targa Rangers that one would think that everything in theworld is wonderful. Garth is torn up inside about his own inabilityto make the world a better place and disgusted with what the worldhas become. He was a Ranger, too. He shared Alex’s vision of abetter world and he has spent the past seventeen years listening tothese wondrous tales while watching the world fall apart. Add tothat the fact that I have always adored Alexander Tork and hiswonderful accomplishments and it is easy to see why Garth doesn’twant to hear any more about it.”
“Well, why did he have to saythose nasty things about Alex abandoning his own child?” criedTanya.
“He is just echoing Alex’s ownfeelings,” Kalina answered. “Alex Tork’s child was abducted byBlack Devils while Alex was running around the world trying to savethe Prophecy babies. Alex never forgave himself for that and becamea very bitter man. Do not take Garth’s statements literally. EveryRanger idolized Alexander Tork and would have laid their lives onthe line for him. Garth would have done the same as Alex in thesituation that existed at that time. That should help youunderstand his bitterness. That anger will fade when Alcea rises.Until then, please don’t push your views of Alex on Garth. I havelearned not to and I think you are a stronger woman thanI.”
Tanya nodded and wiped her tears asKalina escorted her to the campfire. The boys looked up sheepishlyas they approached and their conversation stopped. Kalina dishedsome rabbit stew onto a plate for Tanya and then helped herself.Nobody said anything about Garth’s absence over dinner, but theusual quiet time after dinner when Garth would light his pipe andtalk to the Rangers was missed. Instead the Rangers went back topractice and Tanya worked off her fury and hurt.
After practice when everybody was tiredand drawn they turned in and went to sleep. Only Kalina stayed upand stared into the forest. When Arik woke in the morning, Kalinawas still sitting there and still staring into theforest.
Chapter 22
Sagina
The smell of breakfast cooking arousedthe rest of the Alcea Rangers and one by one they rose and begantheir morning exercises. Kalina finally stopped staring into theforest and relieved Arik of the cooking duties so he could join theexercises. Nobody spoke about Garth or the confrontation theprevious evening. Kalina served breakfast and left the cleanup tothe others. She wrapped up her gear and secured it on her whitemare and Garth’s black stallion. When she was finished, Garth’shorse turned and walked into the forest.
“Ten minutes,” Kalina called.“Everybody secure your belongings and make ready for thetrail.”
Tanya started to say something andeveryone stopped and stared at her. Flushing, she bent back to thetask at hand and left her thoughts hidden. Quietly the Rangersmounted their horses and Arik led the group along the trail. Themidday meal was eaten while riding and Tedi took the lead and Tanyathe tail of the procession. Tedi still detected the elves trackingthem, but he said nothing. In fact, nobody spoke. The Rangers rodeon in silence until the darkness came upon them.
They set up the campsite as efficientlyas always, but there was a gloom that hung over the campsite thathad nothing to do with Sarac’s darkness. The Rangers practiced asalways, but Tanya felt as if the blows directed towards her wereslightly more deliberate than during normal practice sessions. TheRangers broke for dinner and ate quietly. After dinner, the timewhen Garth would light his pipe and talk for half an hour, Tanyatried to apologize to the rest of the Rangers, but they walked tothe practice areas and began honing their skills insilence.
Kalina approached Tanya who wasthrowing Lanoirian Stars with more anger than skill. “Tanya, do notblame yourself for Garth’s actions,” soothed Kalina. “It is notyour fault.”
Tanya turned and snapped at Kalina.“It’s not my fault?” she ridiculed. “How can you, of all people,say that? Everyone here knows that it is my fault. I have tauntedand needled Garth until he ran off and abandoned us. Everyone knowsit is my fault. I will be lucky to live through the next practicesession. How can you even look at me with sympathy?”