Rangers of Linwood (The Five Kingdoms Book 1) by LeAnn Anderson Page A
Authors: LeAnn Anderson
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been trying to do and given her false information? Could Arya have been mistaken and not actually speaking to Tesni in her dreamscape?
And then the girl’s eyes fluttered open, and Ryder knew that none of it had been a mistake. For ten years he had thought that turning to Cliona had been nothing more than a drunken mistake. Now, here was this beautiful nine-year-old girl, his own daughter, and he knew that he would gladly do it all over again.
He was grateful to Alastar for taking Tesni in, even if it had meant she was, for a few years, on the wrong side of the law. He was even more grateful to Arya for not turning Tesni over to the authorities that day nearly a year ago. He laughed, then, and hugged Tesni tightly, filled with the joy that only a parent could know.
Tesni had settled into her favored seat up in her apple tree when she first heard it. “It’s alright, Tesni. Daddy’s here. I’m here, and I love you, and you are not allowed to die yet.”
She continued to listen. Did she dare believe what she was hearing? Arya had promised to fetch her father as soon as she was awake. Could her father have been so close at hand? Again, the voice told her that he loved her, and for a moment, Tesni thought that the voice sounded familiar. She was unsure, at first, but then she knew it. That was Ryder’s voice!
Everything seemed to shift, and she was suddenly falling again, but it was a soft, slow, gentle fall. Everything went black for a moment, and then she woke up. Her eyes fluttered around. She saw a curious Enid, an anxious Arya, and then her eyes focused on the face closest to her own. She had not been mistaken in identifying Ryder’s voice as the one who called to her.
Before Tesni knew it, Ryder was laughing and hugging her. She supposed that if it had been some stranger whom Arya had identified as her father, she might have felt a bit more shy and awkward about it all. As it was, she already knew and loved Ryder, had already looked at him as a father-figure, and she wrapped her arms around him, as well. “I love you, too,” she whispered, her voice only a little hoarse from lack of use.
“Be careful with her ankle,” Enid said, suddenly. “She reinjured it in her fall, and I’m still keeping an eye on it.”
“What fall?” Ryder asked. When Arya had told him about the curse Tesni was under, she had neglected to tell him anything about a fall.
Tesni shrank down a little, embarrassed. “In the ropes course,” she admitted. “I got bored and decided to try it. I was almost done when the balance rope snapped.”
Oh, yes, that fall, Ryder reminded himself. Now he remembered Arya saying something about it. He had been so concerned about the curse on his daughter that he hadn’t truly been paying attention to anything else about the situation.“Has the rope been fixed?” Ryder asked.
“I fixed it as soon as I made sure Tesni was safe here in Enid’s tent,” Arya said.
Ryder sighed. “Come talk to us the next time you get bored, alright?” he told Tesni, who nodded. “Well, Tesni is safe, and as much as she shouldn’t have been in there without informing someone who could supervise, her fall did alert us to the fact that the course needed some maintenance.”
“I went through all three courses because of it,” Arya said, “while you were in town. It helped me to keep busy so that I wasn’t hovering over Tesni and bothering Enid.”
“So, you would have let me on the course if I had asked permission?” Tesni asked.
“Well, I would have gone over the safety rules with you first,” Arya said, “and made sure I was there to supervise.”
“I agree with Arya,” Ryder said. “If you must go on one of the courses, I’d very much like it if you just stick to the ropes course for now. You haven’t even started your training. You are nowhere near being ready for the other two courses. Just, please, let one of us know. So long as one of us knows and you have a Ranger
And then the girl’s eyes fluttered open, and Ryder knew that none of it had been a mistake. For ten years he had thought that turning to Cliona had been nothing more than a drunken mistake. Now, here was this beautiful nine-year-old girl, his own daughter, and he knew that he would gladly do it all over again.
He was grateful to Alastar for taking Tesni in, even if it had meant she was, for a few years, on the wrong side of the law. He was even more grateful to Arya for not turning Tesni over to the authorities that day nearly a year ago. He laughed, then, and hugged Tesni tightly, filled with the joy that only a parent could know.
Tesni had settled into her favored seat up in her apple tree when she first heard it. “It’s alright, Tesni. Daddy’s here. I’m here, and I love you, and you are not allowed to die yet.”
She continued to listen. Did she dare believe what she was hearing? Arya had promised to fetch her father as soon as she was awake. Could her father have been so close at hand? Again, the voice told her that he loved her, and for a moment, Tesni thought that the voice sounded familiar. She was unsure, at first, but then she knew it. That was Ryder’s voice!
Everything seemed to shift, and she was suddenly falling again, but it was a soft, slow, gentle fall. Everything went black for a moment, and then she woke up. Her eyes fluttered around. She saw a curious Enid, an anxious Arya, and then her eyes focused on the face closest to her own. She had not been mistaken in identifying Ryder’s voice as the one who called to her.
Before Tesni knew it, Ryder was laughing and hugging her. She supposed that if it had been some stranger whom Arya had identified as her father, she might have felt a bit more shy and awkward about it all. As it was, she already knew and loved Ryder, had already looked at him as a father-figure, and she wrapped her arms around him, as well. “I love you, too,” she whispered, her voice only a little hoarse from lack of use.
“Be careful with her ankle,” Enid said, suddenly. “She reinjured it in her fall, and I’m still keeping an eye on it.”
“What fall?” Ryder asked. When Arya had told him about the curse Tesni was under, she had neglected to tell him anything about a fall.
Tesni shrank down a little, embarrassed. “In the ropes course,” she admitted. “I got bored and decided to try it. I was almost done when the balance rope snapped.”
Oh, yes, that fall, Ryder reminded himself. Now he remembered Arya saying something about it. He had been so concerned about the curse on his daughter that he hadn’t truly been paying attention to anything else about the situation.“Has the rope been fixed?” Ryder asked.
“I fixed it as soon as I made sure Tesni was safe here in Enid’s tent,” Arya said.
Ryder sighed. “Come talk to us the next time you get bored, alright?” he told Tesni, who nodded. “Well, Tesni is safe, and as much as she shouldn’t have been in there without informing someone who could supervise, her fall did alert us to the fact that the course needed some maintenance.”
“I went through all three courses because of it,” Arya said, “while you were in town. It helped me to keep busy so that I wasn’t hovering over Tesni and bothering Enid.”
“So, you would have let me on the course if I had asked permission?” Tesni asked.
“Well, I would have gone over the safety rules with you first,” Arya said, “and made sure I was there to supervise.”
“I agree with Arya,” Ryder said. “If you must go on one of the courses, I’d very much like it if you just stick to the ropes course for now. You haven’t even started your training. You are nowhere near being ready for the other two courses. Just, please, let one of us know. So long as one of us knows and you have a Ranger
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