I know I haven't really done Rangers Apprentice justice... Few people can. But this was pretty much all I could come up with.
Prologue
The veiled figure walked along, disguised by the night. His target was fast approaching. The abandoned chapel at the edge of the city was close now. He couldn't see it but he most certainly sensed it. The mist may have covered most of the surrounding area , but he could hear the chanting of the mysterious conspirators. He knew he had found them. He was nervous, he had no idea what the expect from them. He knew this was the final meeting before moving on. He approached the dark, gloomy church to find one of his friends waiting at the door. He quickly said hello then rushed inside, scared to linger for too long. He realised he was late, they had already begun.
" To the first order of business everyone," began the leader. " King Duncan will be dead within the week, we will have our money and you will all be free of this burden that has been placed upon you these past few weeks." The leader paused for a moment. "Nice of you to finally join us Peter, take a seat." Nerves engulfed Peter's body, he sensed danger. The leader began again. "Peter you will have to make a choice, between us and your brother, Michael. You cannot continue in this fashion. You cannot remain undecided. You must commit to our cause." There it was, exactly what he had feared. He had to make a choice, one that would define his life. It would decide the way in which history looked back on him, as a murderous traitor or as a man who tried to do the right thing when his king needed him most. When Peter put it like that it seemed like an easy choice to make. However, if they succeeded he would be richer than he ever could have imagined. Money and power corrupted men very easily, something that Peter would have to learn the hard way...
Chapter 1 – Decisions, alcohol and conspiracy!
Michael sat there, silently in the tavern, undisturbed by his friends. He was in a particurly grim mood this evening. He had completely lost the trail of the mysterious cult. His tracker, Solomon had lost them two villages back. Why were they moving so quicklty ? What were they hiding ? He had to find out because so far he had failed King Duncan, who knew what the consequences would be. He could only imagine...
Solomon and Irwin approached the slumped man at the bar, hoping to brighten his spirits. Although they had known him a long time they had never seen him like this.
"Michael, there must be something we can do, someone we can ask..." Solomon left the question unfinished.
"Barman, more ale." Muttered Michael, who obviously didn't appreciate his friends intrusion. The barman refilled his glass and Michael passed over a bronze coin.
"Focus Michael," insisted Irwin. "This is serious, what can we do?" It took a while for him to reply.
"There is one thing we can do, I was hoping we wouldn't have to, but it seems to me we have no other choice. I must find my brother."
Peter had been thinking about his next move. All he really cared about was money but he didn't think their contractors would pay up. He knew from experience that they weren't to be trusted. But Peter knew once the King was dead there was no turning back. He had to make up his mind quickly and stick with it. The something occurred to him. A plan was beginning to form in his head, one the leader would like.
Peter did not know his name, all he knew was that the leader did not tolerate failure. They would be moving villages again, each time closer to Castle Araluen. Eventually his brother would work out what they were planning. Better to try and get him killed before that happened. He walked swiftly towards the house the leader was staying in, he couldn't waste any time. He knocked on the door and tried to wait patiently. He was buzzing with excitement though, so when he didn't come to the door he kept knocking, finally he came to the door.
"My Lord, I respectfully request a few minutes of your time, I have a plan to kill the men who were following us."
"Peter, it's time you started calling me Stuart and please, come in." Peter accepted the invitation and hurried in, eager to get started with his plan.
" Stuart, if I meet my brother before we move on I can lead them into an ambush set up by our merceneries, of course it's slightly more detailed..."
" I like the sound of it Peter, I have one small problem with it though." Stuart considered his statement briefly. "How do you know he's going to be here?" He asked. Peter waited a moment before answering.
"Oh I know Stuart," he paused again. He couldn't stand passing up an opportunity for theatrics. "He'll be here."
"Redmont," mumbled Michael. "Their in Redmont." He continued rather trumphantly. He had been comteplating the whereabouts of the missing cult for several hours. "It's the only possible explanation They've slowly been moving North in a zig-zagging pattern from village to village." Concluded Michael.
"I will send word to Crowley," said Irwin. "He will want to be kept informed." Informing Crowley was the last of the things he needed to be doing right now but, Irwin, being a ranger himself, albeit an apprentice ranger felt it was his duty.
"How do you intend to get word to Crowley?" Asked Vern who had just joined them.
"Carrier pigeons" Said Irwin as he left the room, most likely to locate a carrier pigeon. Michael got up and slowly began his walk to the door as well.
" And where might you be off to?" Questioned Solomon.
"Redmont Fief, care to join me?" He asked as he left the room to go to the stables. Solomon and Vern quckly filed out of the room to follow.
" An incredibly difficult mission to search for a dangerous cult no one has any knowledge of, a crazy leader with an overdeveloped moral code and long rides in the rain through an intolerable environment. What could possibly go wrong?" He asked of no one in particular as he left the room- scoring an evil glare from Solomon. This was going to be quite some mission he thought. He just had no idea how right he was.
"We have to delay." Pleaded Peter. Stuart had decided it was time to move on.
"No." Replied Stuart. He would have to find another way for his plan to work. He knew that his brother would come to Redmont at some point, he just needed to find another way for his plan to work. He knew that his brother would come to Redmont at some point, he just needed to make sure his arrival recieved an appropriate welcoming. The more he thought about it the more he thought his plan could never fail. However he was ignorant of one fact – Michael would not be coming alone. That was the only advantage Michael had and it would soon become irrelevant when Peter organised an ambush capable of eliminating a small army. He selected an elite infantry force provided by their contractors to carry out the assassination. He knew they would succeed. He knew that soon, Michael would be dead and all his worries would be laid to rest. Yes, he liked the sound of that, soon he would be lying on a beach being massaged by two half-naked women. Yes, he really liked the sound of that. All he had to do was kill King Duncan and eliminate his brother. Suddenly, life seemed easy again. There was not a worry in the world for Peter Jones as he slept in his bed that night
Michael thought over what had happened in the last few days as he saddled his horse in preparation for the coming ride. He knew there would be a trap, if his brother truly was involved with these despicable individuals which he was hoping that Peter wasn't, then ther woudl certainly be a trap waiting for him and his people. All he head to do between here and Redmont was work out how to avoid getting caught up in the trap. Then rather suddenly, Michael came to a most annoying revelation, he had gotten himself involved in some very messy business over the past few years.
Once he had finished with his horse he walked back to the tavern to drink one final ale for the journey ahead. Then he saw it, just a slight noise to his left, and he caught something moving through the bushes with his peripheral vision. Someone was spying one them! He tore after it, galvanised into action he ran for the treeline chasing after the fleeing person. He sprinted past the lush,green row of plantlife, right into the ditch that preceeded it, bad move on his part. He had lost the spy and had torn a whole in his pants, not such a good start to the journey.
Adrenaline still surging through his body, he failed to see or hear the cloked man sneaking up behind him. He waited, his chest heaving from the sprint, until... SNAP! The man stepped on a twig. Michael span around to see the spy with a dagger in his hand, only but a metre away from him. He gasped in surprise, he certainly wasn't expecting that. His hand instictively lowered to his belt, he let out a slight yelp of horror at the situation that was unfolding. An armed assailant was advancing oh him with every intention to kill him and he had left his dagger in the hotel room, this really asn't the best start to his mission. He ducked quickly as the man tried to jab him in the arm. While he was down low he elbowed the main in the stomach temporarily throwing him off balance. He took advantage of this and tried to get his back but the move was expected.
Michael recieved a stab wound to the abdomen. The man ran off, assuming the wound was fatal, leaving Michael alone, fighting for breath and in dire need of medical attention.