I walked back to the castle, exhausted. Castle Redmont was a breathtaking sight, but it's old news to me and I was too involved in making sure I didn't collapse in the fields outside it. "Hail the gates!" I called, and held up my bronze oak leaf.

The guard did a double take. He was obviously new, hadn't heard the latest gossip.

I ignored him and walked in the open gates. Marissa caught up to me. "So, how's being a Ranger?"

"It's wonderful!" I flashed my best friend a beaming smile.

She wasn't fooled, nor should she be. She knew me far too well.

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah, Missy. That bad. I'm going to take a really hot bath, and then I'm going to sleep for a year or two."

"They moved you to the guest room on floor six, the small one in the southernmost corner." I sighed, and she put her arm around me. "It'll be alright, you'll get the hang of it. And then you'll be as famous as Halt and Will!"

"It'd be great if Halt was actually here! Why did he pick Merron to substitute? He's an idiot and he can't grasp the fact that I'm not just supposed to cook and clean and run errands! All I did today was clean up after his horse and lug around the pack that his horse is supposed to carry!"

"So you'll be sticking with it and absolutely refusing to quit?"

I nodded with a grin and opened the door for her. She waved good-bye and went to her chambers.

I took the stairs three at a time, and even though it threatened to kill me from fatigue, I helped the servants fill the tub—never a good idea to piss off the working class. Trust me on this.

I had to bathe quickly, because I could feel myself falling asleep, but the heat did help stop my muscles from aching like I'd just fought hand to hand with a ship full of Skandians. I even hung my cloak up, not bothering to keep it by my bedside like I had for the first six weeks of my Ranger training.

The bed was nowhere near as comfortable as my last room's bed had been, but then, I'd given up a life of comfort becoming a Ranger, even though I was technically still nobility.

I was supposed to receive at least a semblance of respect in return for that sacrifice for my country, but no. Instead, people asked if I was an imposter.

I was no shorter than Will Treaty had been as a fifteen year old, and skinnier. I was even more muscled than he had been! Plus, I was almost seventeen, since I'd been banned outright at first and then was on probation for a while.

I had one of the top two most famous Rangers as a mentor. I was a natural with the bow—thanks to Uncle Gilan and Halt's help—and even better at riding my horse, Belladonna.

Halt found faults with me, but that was his job. There was nothing more anyone could ask of me!

I got back up and began pacing angrily, too piqued to sleep.

I heard a familiar knock on my door. "Come in, Merron."

The Ranger edged in, looking worried. What, were my chambers going to be so different than his? I glared at him until he started acting normally.

"Um, I'm sorry to intrude, but I have a message for you, it arrived at the cabin a moment or so after you left.

"Go on then, Merron."

"Lady Pauline sent you this." I took the envelope, and then kept waiting expectantly. "And Halt says he'll be back here tomorrow morning and to expect to rise early."

"Anything else?"

"Why does your friend know what we did in training today? Training is confidential. As your temporary mentor, I will have to write you up for that."

Great. Marissa had stormed up to my jerk of a temporary mentor and yelled at him.

I took a deep breath to stop myself from throttling him. It was a close call, and my voice was positively acerbic when I spoke, "We didn't train today. I cleaned and carried stuff. And you sat on your plush armchair like an old woman and watched me work."

"I was testing your character by making sure you could be subservient to your superiors."

"A Ranger's only superiors are the King and God." I said, turning oh-so-slowly to face him. "Now, get out of my chambers before I prove to you that I can shoot arrows better than you think."

I rested my fingers on my longbow, and he took a hint and left.

"Thank God Halt is my mentor."

Remembering the envelope, I opened it. Inside were a petition and a subsequent form that said I was officially off of probation.

I found a letter in the envelope as well.

It was written in Lady Pauline's neat script and read:

To the newest member of the Ranger Corps:

Congratulations on getting off of probation! I'm so glad you've decided not to quit and to keep on persevering in the face of adversity.

Halt assures me that you are already 'Approaching mediocrity' which means he's proud of your progress.

I hope Merron isn't causing you any problems. I am sure he is a capable Ranger, but Will told me that he lacks creativity and flexibility in his thinking.

Halt doesn't want me to tell you this, but you won't be in Redmont much longer! The Corps has decided that it would be good experience for senior apprentices to take on fiefs part-time with their mentor's help. With the extra Rangers, we started a training facility in Seacliff fief.

You and a few other apprentices will be training as a team and as individuals there. It sprung from an idea of Will's, actually. He pointed out that the teamwork will be an aide to learning diplomacy, a huge part of Rangers' jobs, and build a strong bond and loyalty to the Corps.

I hope this letter finds you well.

Sincerely,

Lady Pauline

I smiled a little bit. That did sound pretty amazing, and it would certainly help me catch up on my training… But Marissa and I would be several fiefs apart. I wouldn't see her often at all.

And what with Merron having filed no less than six complaints against me, I was about to be back on a probation not even the Ranger Corps' leader's best friend could get me out of.

So if I stayed and got kicked out, I was a disgrace and not good enough. If I quit, I'd be a weakling and a coward. I was stuck.

My father had been right to tell me to not join the Ranger Corps. I had been too swept up in Uncle Gil's romanticized tales of adventure to consider the logical side of my choice.

And Marissa would be so disappointed. I remembered seeing the delighted glow in her eyes when Halt announced he would take me as his apprentice, and imagined how sad for me she'd be if I wasn't able to become a full Ranger.

I kicked my trunk and yelled, "I hate being the only female Ranger Apprentice!"