Voss Oakenhill sprinted through the forest at full tilt, weaving between the trees as she went.
Her dual axes were strapped firmly to her muscled back.
Her bronze skin glistened as the midday sun's rays bathed her in soft, warm light that slipped in between the leaves of the canopy high above.
Her evergreen hair was braided and pulled back into a tight and high knot at the back of her head.
The many pieces that made up her complex leather armor were strapped, clipped, and fastened into place along her calves, thighs, ribs, spine, and down the length of both of her short, powerful dwarven arms.
Her limbs all pumped and swung in balanced unison.
Determination fueled and helped sustain her hurried, rapid pace.
Voss was a Razor Leaf Ranger.
One of the first of her kind.
One of only 10, in fact.
She would definitely earn quite a reputation for herself this day.
Perhaps larger than the one that she already had for being reckless.
Ironically, this act was to be the most reckless of all that she had made to this point in both her life and career.
"At least I wouldn't be alone if it all goes south!"
She thought to herself as she dodged around a particularly high and thorny bush.
At her side was her Pod Partner, an apt and experienced Razor Leaf Scout who was a handful of years younger than herself.
Her name was Della Bowood.
This one had joined the Hammermoss clan recently and was pushing herself to prove that she could hold the position and do her people proud.
Della was almost equal to Voss in nearly every way.
Almost.
The two of them had grown up together out on the dangerous roads and on the even more dangerous sea before they had settled with the goodly forest folk of Kopstad.
They had trained, eaten, worked, and fought side by side.
Their bond was unbreakable,
As was the bond of every other pair of Pod Partners who were trained and sanctioned by the king himself.
Voss and Della were the last of the five pairs to leave Kopstad with King Roary, and it was they who had last seen and spoken to their beloved leader.
As the last pair, their camp would have been the last checkpoint to be established along the route, and therefore, they would be the last to move forward and join their king as the other four pairs joined and subsequently prepared themselves to leave.
The plan was thus:
Team One would link with Team Two after completing the setup of their own checkpoint. They would assist them with their camp and responsibilities before both teams would proceed to the third checkpoint together.
Those three teams would then link with Team Four and make their way towards the final rendezvous point, the checkpoint that Voss and Della were to have ready for them.
Or at least they were to have the perimeter staked off and measured, and piles of wood chopped and counted out.
Voss and Della would do no such thing.
Voss had chosen to take only the time they needed to rest themselves before they would head out immediately to rendezvous with King Roary.
She had suddenly developed a horrible and lingering feeling the night of the first day that Roary was away from them, and she was itching to make sure that it was nothing more than just her dwarven intuition nagging at her senses.
Better safe than sorry.
Della's voice snapped Voss out of her revelry.
"HEY! Are ye SURE dat dis is wat ye'r wantin' ta do?"
The scout said between measured steps and even further measured breaths.
Voss rolled her jade eyes and shot back the last response that she planned on giving on the matter.
"Ye done asked me tree times now already, girly! Wat more answer do ye be needin'? Besides, look at where we be at! It be a tad too late for cold feet!"
It was Della's turn to roll her own eyes as she matched her friend and mentor's pace amongst the foliage.
"Ye boar-butted baboon! Ye know dat me had ta ask ye for a tird time, and now me did! I am only as afraid as YE are!"
Voss laughed aloud, her jubilation echoing through the dense forest for yards around.
"Ye and I both know very well dat Razor Leaf's know no fear, girly!"
She threw her Poddy a practiced wink, and the two pushed on.
She was right, and protocol was protocol.
The Scout had to question the order no less than three times before she could morally stand against it or choose to act alongside her leader.
That was one of the many rules that held the Razor Leaf way intact,
But today was one of those days in which rules were made to be both bent and broken.
Their King was in danger; they both knew it.
The worst part about it?
King Roary didn't know how much danger he was in himself.
They would have to be there to do what they could to tip the scales in his favor.
He wouldn't be the happiest hippopotamus about it, but a dead king rules no lands.
They wouldn't let the stubborn fool die just to secure them all a kingless kingdom.
What fools would THEY be then?
What sort of guards and retainers could they call themselves?
They could never live with his death, and he would never die as long as they were alive.
They pushed on.
Teams One-Four would find their note and join with all haste.
Voss could only hope that they would make it in time.
She and Della to King Roary, and the other teams to them.
It would be one hell of a tussle.
Voss and Della were ready.
This is what the Razor Leaf Rangers had trained for.