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Authors: John Flanagan
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My colleagues are based at the other forty-nine castles throughout the kingdom.
"In addition to providing intelligence about potential enemies, Rangers are the law keepers," said Halt. "We patrol the fiefdom assigned to us and make sure that the laws are being obeyed."
"I thought Baron Arald did that," Will put in. Halt shook his head.
"The Baron is a judge," he said. "People bring their complaints to him so he can settle them. Rangers enforce the law. We take the law out to the people. If a crime has been committed, we look for evidence. We're particularly suited to that role since people often don't realize we're around. We investigate to see who's responsible."
"What happens then?" Will asked. Halt gave a small shrug. "Sometimes we report back to the baron of the fief and he'll have the person arrested and charged. Sometimes, if it's a matter of urgency, we just… deal with it."
"What do we do?" Will asked before he could stop himself. Halt gave him a long, considering look.
"Not too much if we've only been an apprentice for a few hours," he replied. "Those of us who've been Rangers for twenty years or more tend to know what to do without asking."
"Oh," said Will, suitably chastened. Halt continued.
"Then, in times of war, we act as special troops-guiding the armies, scouting before them, going behind enemy lines to cause the enemy grief and so on." He glanced down at the boy. "It's a bit more exciting than working on a farm." Will nodded. Perhaps life as a Ranger's apprentice was going to have its appeal after all. "What sort of enemies?" he asked, After all, Castle Redmont had been at peace for as long as he could remember.
"Enemies from within and without," Halt told him, "People like the Skandian sea raiders-or Morgarath and his Wargals."
Will shivered, recalling some of the more lurid stories about Morgarath, the Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night. Halt nodded somberly as he saw Will's reaction.
"Yes," he said, "Morgarath and his Wargals are definitely people to be worried about. That's why the Rangers keep an eye on them. We like to know if they're gathering, if they're getting ready for war."
"Still," said Will, as much to reassure himself as for any other reason, "the last time they attacked, the barons' armies made mincemeat out of them."
"That's true," Halt agreed. "But only because they'd been warned of the attack…" He paused and looked meaningfully at Will.
"By a Ranger?" the boy asked.
"Correct. It was a Ranger who brought word that Morgarath's Wargals were on their way… then led the cavalry across a secret ford so they could flank the enemy."
"It was a great victory," Will said.
"It certainly was. And all due to a Ranger's alertness and skill, and knowledge of back trails and secret paths."
"My father died in that battle," Will added in a quieter voice, and Halt cast a curious look at him.
"Is that so?" he said.
"He was a hero. A mighty knight," Will continued. The Ranger paused, almost as if he were deciding whether to say something or not. Then he simply replied:
"I wasn't aware of that."
Will was conscious of a sense of disappointment. For a moment, he'd had a feeling that Halt knew something about his father, that he could tell him the story of his heroic death. He shrugged to himself.
"That was why I was so keen to go to Battleschool," he said finally. "To follow in his footsteps."
"You have other talents," Halt told him, and Will remembered the Baron saying much the same thing to him the previous night. "Halt…" he said. The Ranger nodded for him to continue. "I was sort of wondering… the Baron said you chose me?" Halt nodded again, saying nothing.
"And both of you say I have other qualities-qualities that make me suitable to be a Ranger's apprentice…"
"That's right," Halt said.
"Well… what are they?"
The Ranger leaned back, linking his hands behind his head.
"You're agile. That's good in a Ranger," he began. "And, as we've discussed, you can move quietly.
"In addition to providing intelligence about potential enemies, Rangers are the law keepers," said Halt. "We patrol the fiefdom assigned to us and make sure that the laws are being obeyed."
"I thought Baron Arald did that," Will put in. Halt shook his head.
"The Baron is a judge," he said. "People bring their complaints to him so he can settle them. Rangers enforce the law. We take the law out to the people. If a crime has been committed, we look for evidence. We're particularly suited to that role since people often don't realize we're around. We investigate to see who's responsible."
"What happens then?" Will asked. Halt gave a small shrug. "Sometimes we report back to the baron of the fief and he'll have the person arrested and charged. Sometimes, if it's a matter of urgency, we just… deal with it."
"What do we do?" Will asked before he could stop himself. Halt gave him a long, considering look.
"Not too much if we've only been an apprentice for a few hours," he replied. "Those of us who've been Rangers for twenty years or more tend to know what to do without asking."
"Oh," said Will, suitably chastened. Halt continued.
"Then, in times of war, we act as special troops-guiding the armies, scouting before them, going behind enemy lines to cause the enemy grief and so on." He glanced down at the boy. "It's a bit more exciting than working on a farm." Will nodded. Perhaps life as a Ranger's apprentice was going to have its appeal after all. "What sort of enemies?" he asked, After all, Castle Redmont had been at peace for as long as he could remember.
"Enemies from within and without," Halt told him, "People like the Skandian sea raiders-or Morgarath and his Wargals."
Will shivered, recalling some of the more lurid stories about Morgarath, the Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night. Halt nodded somberly as he saw Will's reaction.
"Yes," he said, "Morgarath and his Wargals are definitely people to be worried about. That's why the Rangers keep an eye on them. We like to know if they're gathering, if they're getting ready for war."
"Still," said Will, as much to reassure himself as for any other reason, "the last time they attacked, the barons' armies made mincemeat out of them."
"That's true," Halt agreed. "But only because they'd been warned of the attack…" He paused and looked meaningfully at Will.
"By a Ranger?" the boy asked.
"Correct. It was a Ranger who brought word that Morgarath's Wargals were on their way… then led the cavalry across a secret ford so they could flank the enemy."
"It was a great victory," Will said.
"It certainly was. And all due to a Ranger's alertness and skill, and knowledge of back trails and secret paths."
"My father died in that battle," Will added in a quieter voice, and Halt cast a curious look at him.
"Is that so?" he said.
"He was a hero. A mighty knight," Will continued. The Ranger paused, almost as if he were deciding whether to say something or not. Then he simply replied:
"I wasn't aware of that."
Will was conscious of a sense of disappointment. For a moment, he'd had a feeling that Halt knew something about his father, that he could tell him the story of his heroic death. He shrugged to himself.
"That was why I was so keen to go to Battleschool," he said finally. "To follow in his footsteps."
"You have other talents," Halt told him, and Will remembered the Baron saying much the same thing to him the previous night. "Halt…" he said. The Ranger nodded for him to continue. "I was sort of wondering… the Baron said you chose me?" Halt nodded again, saying nothing.
"And both of you say I have other qualities-qualities that make me suitable to be a Ranger's apprentice…"
"That's right," Halt said.
"Well… what are they?"
The Ranger leaned back, linking his hands behind his head.
"You're agile. That's good in a Ranger," he began. "And, as we've discussed, you can move quietly.
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