Gideon & Ranger team six

Sleeping was good, tucked up warm and toasty Gideon felt the chill of the Barracks on the tip of his nose, Just a few more minutes before he would be called to wake.  He opened his eyes slightly and gauged the time of morning from the dim light seeping through the stained glass windows.  At least an hour before the great Elven horn Heliffnirr went off and he had to get up for roll call.  He rolled over in bed and snuggled down to get a few more much needed minutes of sleep.

His thoughts drifted to his old friends, where were they now?  He had tried using his Acorn to contact them, but they were either out of range or on an alternative branch twig to his Acorn.  He had considered setting off to find them several times, but the sheer depth of the Underdark had put him off immediately.  It was far too far for one Ranger to make it alone and he had neither the money nor knowledge of how to catch up to his old friends.  

So instead, he had enlisted in the Elven Rangers.  It was rare for them to take Humans into their ranks.  However, there had been several precedents set in the past by exceptional Humans, Dwarves, and even Drow, who seemed to carry Elven souls within them. Somehow the soul had been reborn inside a race other than that from which it originated.  The Elves even had a word for them "Fea'art quel Edanee." or "Spirit good Traveler" translated into the common tongue.  If they showed promise, they could take the Ranger trials, If they passed to the standards of the Elven Rangers, they would be accepted to the Ranger ranks.

Gideon had graduated in the top third of the intake of new applicants and had quickly made friends with his Peers.  His previous combat experience with the F.U.C.K's stood him in good stead and he quickly found himself part of an active unit.  His fellow Rangers were all Elven and despite his Human heritage, they accepted him as one of their own.  They knew how hard the Elven Ranger trials were.  If he had that Green cloak he had earned it the same as they had.  

Gideon had a family again, one he deeply respected and felt was Honorable and capable of maintaining high standards of excellence.  Far better than those sneaky Interelf agents who skulked in shadows and stabbed friends in the back.

He was just drifting off to sleep again when he heard the alarm horn go off.  Before his mind had time to register its meaning his body was moving.  Swinging his legs off the side of the bed and quickly donning his leather armor and boots as he had been trained to do.  He was dimly aware of his Ranger squad doing the same, there were a few moments of frantic activity as the well trained Rangers swung into action and enjoyed a tool up montage of attaching boots, belts, bows, quivers, and clothing.

The curtain over the doorway rippled and Brinn strode into the room, normally a quiet and reserved man, his pace was quick and his eyes alert.  Something was afoot thought Gideon and he exchanged glances with the Elves either side of him.

"Attention Ranger team six," Said Brinn in his deep voice of command "We have a priority one dispatch from Gold Hat, Agent extraction required, Ultra violet clearance."  

Gideon's eyes went wide with realization, he and his Rangers recognized that order.  'Ultra violet' That meant this agent  had Intelligence that was worth more than their lives and should it be asked of them, they must give it so that the agent may live.  It was incredibly rare to be sent on a mission of such a high profile and this small Ranger team with only a few missions under its belt was being tasked with one.

"Angel will be ready to depart in thirty raindrops, Get your gear and get down the zip line!"  Shouted Brinn at the Rangers as they scrambled into action "Gideon your on Hex!" he added as he ran out the door.

Gideon groaned and ran to the back of the room, where Alhof passed him the heavy Hex backpack with a grin.  Gideon accepted this order like any other and swung the uncomfortable thing onto his back.  Pausing only to adjust some of his daggers and arrows so that he did not accidentally stab himself he ran out of the room with the other Rangers.

Within seconds from waking each Ranger had descended the rope slide to the launch platform and boarded the carefully crafted leather harnesses that held them in a cradle below the underbelly of the large silver Dragon known as Angel.  Launching swiftly she ascended into the sky, huge wings flapping to gain altitude.  Clouds swirled around them and damp raindrops landed on Gideons face.  Occasionally the clouds would part and he could see tiny fields and rivers a very long way down.  The Ranger infront of him turned slightly and shouted words that were lost over the roar of air rushing past them.  He gestured towards his ear and Gideon understood, he slipped his acorn into his right ear.  

Brinn's voice was delivered into his ear by whatever magic it contained.  He was repeating the briefing again, like all military operations, Orders were delivered twice to ensure the full magnitude of the order was not lost on those receiving it and there could be no doubt, Nor need for clarification afterwards. "Ultra Violet",  he said again.  Gideon had no idea what this agent had managed to find, but it must be important if this much was being deployed.

"From this moment onward, Until further notice, we are on active Ultra violet. No names, Numbers only!  Sound off Ranger team six.  One ready!"  shouted Brinn.

Gideon waited as his fellow Rangers called out their numbers and acknowledged readiness.   He quickly checked his own kit and pulled his hood up.

"Five ready!"  he shouted into the Acorn when his turn arrived.

Angels wings locked into place and she started her glide, thousands of feet into the air, slipping through the early morning clouds. Her vast silver form providing natural camouflage as she silently approached the drop area.  The clouds parted for an instant and Gideon could see white snow capped mountains to the north, the Sword coast laid out to the West and the twinkling lights of a city below them.  He knew not which.  

"Brace for release!" shouted Brinn over the Acorn.

Gideon had a brief moment to grasp onto the leather harness as the Dragons claws relaxed to release her package into her slipstream.  Gravity took hold and they began to fall, hurtling down towards the flanks of a large mountain to the North and a river to the south.  He hung on for dear life saying a short prayer to Mielikki patron goddess of Rangers, inside his own head.

There was a loud crack and a violent jolt and he knew he was safe, he quickly glanced upwards to see the large white sail above them that was slowing their descent and allowing this bit of the ride to be far more pleasing.  The harness hung suspended by many vines carefully knotted and weaved which creaked as the Rangers adjusted positions and peered downwards at their landing site. 

A rocky boulder strewn landscape greeted them, just above the tree line, but just below the snow line.   To the North, the vast white mountain loomed above them, with many crevasses and glaciers covering its surface.  At the edge of the snowline was a small series of buildings and a dark void leading into the mountain.  From this hole emerged a tiny dot of a person running at full speed, he was agile and dodged a few thrown spears from inside the cave.  Then swarmed a wave of dots running after him, spreading out from the cave.  Silver flashed as crossbows and spears were thrown after the lone runner. Gideon was about to grab his bow like the other Rangers and start looking for targets when he heard Brinn's voice in his ear.

"Five prep the Hex."  

Gideon swung the heavy backpack off and began unfastening the Hex from its confines.  He still did not understand how it worked.  However, it was a vital lifeline to escape with since the Dragon had long since vanished into the clouds way above them.

He pulled the wooden contraption out and began to lock the support spurs in place, forming a small ring with legs. he was just clipping on the Hex tablets when the harness bumped and hit the ground.  

He hit the quick release and jumped free before the sail slowly drifted down covering the landing site.  The incline was steep, but not impassable and they were easily able to gain purchase on the rock and not fall further down the hill.

"Five get that Hex up and stay with it until the Gold Hat arrives, everyone else on me!"  commanded Brinn as he began to run up the slow incline towards a small mine working above them.

"Copy one." replied Gideon and he looked back to the task at hand. methodically as he had been trained to do, he aligned the Hex runes, set the blue crystal at its center and activated the contraption he had constructed.  From out of nowhere a shimmering blue portal sprung into existence and hung suspended over the construct.

A few moments later somebody stepped through from the other side and materialized in-front of Gideon.  He wore the green cloak of a Ranger and had the light form and dark skin of a wood Elve.  His face was not familiar to Gideon, but there was something about the Brown eyes that he recognized. 

"I am Wolfspy, Where is he?"  the new arrival asked in Elvish. 

Gideon was quite used to this since he had joined the Rangers many Elves spoke to him automatically in Elvish rather than the common tongue as they did with all other races.  He tried to refrain from raising his lip in contempt at the mention of this arrivals rank 'Wolf-spy' was an Interelf rank, outside his chain of command but somehow exerting authority over him again.  Managing to curtail his disdain for this Spy in a Ranger cloak, he pointed up the mountain towards the ramshackle mine buildings.

He waited for the Spy to depart on his quick Elvish legs, before whispering into his acorn.

"Five to One, Wolf-spy coming to you from Hex."

He got no reply from One which concerned him, as he always acknowledged messages.  He quickly knocked an arrow to his bow-string and waited off to one side of the Hex construct and portal for his team to return.

The air up here was very fresh and clear, but the wind was biting cold and chilled him to the bone.  The behemoth of a mountain before him reared up into the blue sky with a few clouds wrapped around its peak, masking it from view.  There was a nearby explosion and he quickly adjusted his gaze in its direction.  Two or three Rangers were running in his direction pursued by a wave of Drow and Orc.  He lifted his bow, drew the arrow back, aimed and fired all in one motion.  His arrow flew true and zipped over the heads of the fleeing Rangers to catch a Drow squarely in his chest, throwing him backwards.

Three went down to a crossbow bolt, Gideon's hands flew and arrows left his bow faster than he could count.  Yet still, they came and now they were only Three Rangers and One spy left. It was impossible to stop them all and Six took a crossbow bolt to the thigh and he stumbled as its venom coursed through his Elven blood.  Brinn caught up with him and lifted Six over his shoulder, running towards the Portal, The Spy was the first to go through, That left only Gideon Firing his Bow.

Brinn threw Six's barely conscious body through the Portal and waved to Gideon

"Five Withdraw"  Brinn said as he started to fire his Bow, choosing his targets carefully. he ignored the savage Orcs running towards them with Swords and spears and instead shot the Crossbowmen and Spear throwers that were of so much concern.

Gideon turned and ran as several bolts zipped through the space he had been standing in.  He dove headfirst for the Portal as Brinn nonchalantly pulled a small globe from his belt and threw it underhand towards the swiftly approaching group of Drow that were about to swarm over him. Before turning his back to them and ignoring the hot blast-wave behind him as only cool guys can, whilst walking in slow motion through the Portal to safety.