Yes, This is very short, but its a beginning. This is the story of a girl named Arra that has been Halt's apprentice for about a year and a half. She was apprenticed after Gilan graduated and about a year before Will came along. She already has a bronze oakleaf and unlike Will, she's quiet and a bit mysterious. There may be fluffiness later on, but there is a plot to this story and I'm hoping that through this story, I'll finish an actual story and improve my writing. R&R is very much appreciated
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! I was used to the sound of an arrow piercing a target some twenty feet away. I was used to the feel of the cold chain bearing a bronze oak leaf around my neck. I was also used to the separation from my colleagues I received for being female. Unlike other rangers, I can be handy with a sword. I have a slender silver one that's usually by my belt in case I ever need it. My throwing knives where unlatched from their sheathes and joined the cloud of arrows huddled at the center of the target. With an easy trot over to the pine tree, I dislodged all my arrows and knives tucking them safely into their quivers and sheathes.
"Your aiming has certainly gotten better," I jumped hearing my Master's voice. Halt always popped up in random places to scare the heck out of me. I knew not to smile at the compliment because he would usually foil it with his next few words. "Maybe you can hit a rabbit that's sitting still and waiting to die." I just nodded quietly walking back to Halt's cabin seeing Will at the opposite end of the clearing gathering his arrows.
I pulled away the ribbon that kept my long black hair together when I was practicing letting my hair fall to my waist. I removed my Saxe knife from it's sheathe and with a quick slash, I was holding a string of black hair in my right fist. My hair now fell to my shoulders. I tossed my hair into the wind. Birds used it for their nests. Will was trotting towards the cabin now. I turned into my room and finished my daily routine. The sky darkened by now the moon peeking up right by the horizon. I could hear Will bombarding Halt with questions about being a ranger.
I had been apprenticed roughly a year before he had hence my oak leaf. I sat back in the small bed I had staring blankly at the wall. Halt entered my room making me blink my bright gold green eyes at him, "Can I help you?" I asked quietly. He nodded smirking. "Will's getting his horse tomorrow morning, you coming?" He asked though he already knew the answer. I gave a sharp nod interested in how this would go. All ranger apprentices epically failed the first time they met their ranger horse. I remember I did.
/Flashback/
A young girl was glancing at her Master patiently when they reached an old farm in the middle of nowhere. She could hear horses whinnying. "A horse yard?" she asked wondering what business they had in a horse yard. Halt only nodded and led her up to an old man she came to know as Old Bob. He had introduced her to a mottled gray and brown mare with droopy brown eyes. She was told the mare's name was Saer. There were moments of silence when suddenly the girl reached out to pet the horse on the snout. The horse backed away at first, but then nosed the girl's hand. Halt expected her to get tack for the horse, but she picked an apple from the tree and fed it to Saer. When Saer was busy chomping on the apple, the girl suddenly swung onto the horse without a saddle or tack.
Like any ranger horse would, Saer started bucking wildly. The girl's hand was set flat out on the horse's neck, her knees slightly applying pressure to the mare's ribcage. As Saer mercilessly bucked, Halt noticed his apprentice stayed mounted quite long. After about a minute, his apprentice dismounted landing with one knee bent the other stretched out for balance. "I suppose there's some twist to riding a ranger's horse," she muttered flicking her bangs out of her face. Halt turned to Old Bob, "Old Bob, do you remember what Saer's words are?" Old Bob glanced down at his feet. "Right, I believe it was Aura Lights. Yep, that's 'ight, Aura Lights," the girl nodded whispering words to the horse before Saer relaxed letting her mount again. "No tack?" Halt asked raising a brow. "No tack," the girl repeated riding the mare more smoothly now. Old Bob pushed open the fence and with the girl's slight movement of her foot, the mare shot out soon becoming a confident speck in the distance within seconds. The girl guided Saer back to the corralled area soon muttering some comment on the speed and stamina of the ranger horses. "Hmm, let 'er lose and see if you can catch 'er again,"
Halt watched his apprentice dismount and climb onto the corral fence to leisurely picked an apple from the tree leaning back to eat it. Saer jealously glanced over but tossed her mane proudly and turned away. She sneaked a look back, but snapped her head away again. Suddenly, with surprising speed, the girl and the horse where playing a dangerous looking game of tag, jumping forward and backwards like a dance. The girl darted left and right and suddenly hooked her arm around the horse's neck swinging back into a mounting position. "Impressive, Arra," Halt commented flatly. Arra trotted the male after Abelard.
/Flashback/
Told ya it was short. So I referred to Arra as 'the girl' and 'his apprentice' often because I wanted to truly introduce her at the end in a somewhat sentimental scene. So again, please review and please no Flames. This is ShadowC signing out.