21^st Strawgust 1133, near Wakesharp, Ranghai

“Forty-five,” Barus grunted as he did another push up, raising Taivas up again.

Taivas, who was sitting cross-legged on Barus’ back, was enjoying a leather-bound book as he rose and fell with Barus’ effort. He was rubbing his moustache in intrigue of what he was reading in an introductory paragraph of the chapter ‘Dark Magic of the South’.

The afternoon sun was beating down on them, and around them men, women and children of the town were going about their daily routines, many taking pause to watch the duo of rangers.

“Fifty,” Barus exhaled.

“Hey Barus,” Taivas began, tapping a finger on the text of his page, “there’s a spell that can raise the dead and have them fight for the caster. That would be interesting to see one day.”

Barus let out a grunt as he replied, “Lazy spellcasters… Who’d want to miss out—ngh—on the fun?” He then paused halfway down a push up to contemplate something. With a nod he resumed, and said to his partner, “Learn the spell. If I die, use it on me.”

Taivas laughed. Then he found himself looking up from his book for the thousandth time, at the small hill at the village border, where a young woman sat against a tree atop it.

Barus could sense every glance and gaze. “Will you just do it already?” he begged, stopping his count at sixty and lifting himself up; Taivas got off his back.

 “I’m going to. I’m just thinking of the right words.”

“You’ve been at it for more than an hour now,” Barus groaned, stretching his arms across his chest. “If I’m going to stand out here, cooking under the sun in this damned armor for even another minute, then either you’re going over there, or I’m dragging your ass there.”

“I said I’ll get to it!” Taivas insisted. Underneath his. Ranghan armor his heart began throbbing. “If only I knew what book she’s reading… I could start talking about that…”

Barus crossed his arms and sighed. “Why can’t you just ask her what book she’s reading?”

“That’s prying.”

“I’m giving you another thirty seconds to start walking.”

A cold sweat gripped Taivas as he replied, “Maybe I should get her a gift or something—”

“No! You don’t need that. Just tell her you’re a charming Ranghan ranger, who keeps the law and beats up the bad guys, that you’ve saved women and children and puppies, and you’re educated, you’ve got a mysterious past. Tell her you’ve got a squad who’s in the tavern drinking themselves silly—tell her you’re in Merik Svard’s squad! And—”

“Ok how about something that doesn’t make me look like a pompous prick?”

“Alright, fine. How about this then?” Barus then grabbed him tight by the arms and lifted him off the ground.

“NO!” Taivas squirmed and wriggled as Barus began marching towards the hill; some children stopped and pointed the scene out with giggles to their parents. “Quit it! Stop it Barus!” Taivas hissed as the hill grew closer. “Let me go!”

“What? What’s that?” Barus called out. “I can’t hear you over the sound of wedding bells!”

“BARUS!”

They grew closer to the tree, and as they made their way up, the woman, a blonde-haired dame wearing a modest blue dress and a red scarf, looked up from her book and turned bewildered at the sight. Barus set Taivas down before her like some kind of ornament.

“This guy likes you,” Barus said with impatience, shoving Taivas forward who shot a glance at the book.

“I’m sorry?” The woman gave him a guarded look.

“Uh, hey no forget what he said,” Taivas said as calmly as he could, straightening himself out. He gestured to the book. “I just wanted to know what you were reading, that’s all.”

“It’s my diary,” she replied, looking at them interestedly.

Taivas paused. “Oh… what’s that about?”

“Well, me.” She smiled with amusement. “New at this, are we?”

“You’d think so,” Barus sighed in reply, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.

She stood to her feet and dusted her dress with a laugh. “Sorry, I’m engaged.” She showed them a ring on her finger. Taivas looked at it embarrassedly. “Better luck next time I suppose?” she said happily, and then walked past them and towards the village.

Taivas exhaled his lungs out, and sprawled on the grass.

Barus crouched beside him and patted him on the shoulder. “Well, it could’ve been worse. At least Gia didn’t see this one.”