A king's agent or messenger, though perhaps not officially so as was the *nuncius regis of later times; rather a legatus regis, or ambassador perhaps, charged with specific tasks. The rank is now unclear but was akin to that of *staller and *pedesecus. [< OldEngl. arende = message + raca = someone who moves forward]
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.