From Ashes: A Ranger's Apprentice Fan Fiction
Prologue
Harrison had been lying in the thick of the brambles surrounding the small town of Cemity for a few hours. It had been his daily routine for the past few days, pushing his body to the very limit as the winter chill set in. Had it not been for his extreme training, no normal man would have been able to perform such and arduous task. Of course, thought Harrison, I'm no normal man. For Harrison was an Araluen Ranger, one of the 50 who were specifically chosen by older rangers for apprenticeship. Harrison took another look at the town. The lights were off, and save for the few gentle noises of the wind rustling the tall forest pines on scattered around the town, not a sound was to be heard. Relaxing his stature, he thought back to his Apprenticeship.
He had been 14 at the time, living in Caraway Fief. His life had been turned upside down by bandits, who had pillaged their small farm and murdered his parents and brother. He remembered the encounter with Alun, how he asked the Ranger to go away as he wept. The Ranger was surprised at his uncanny ability to perceive him; and realising his talents asked him to be his Apprentice. Well, look at me now, thought Harrison to himself as a his eyes began to water at the memory. He glanced back at his Pony, Oxide, and grinned. "I think that's enough for one night," Harrison said quietly to his Horse. The Horse snickered, rising to its feet. It trotted over to him, and nudging his side made a clicking sound with it's tongue. "You won't get the apple now Oxy." Harrison laughed, taking the saddle. As they rode away, pairs of eyes not belonging to any animal watched them.
Chapter 1
Jake rose well before the Crow. Lightly getting to his feet, he snuck out of his family's small Farmhouse. He managed to creep past both the open bedroom door to his Parent's bed, as well as not alerting the family dog. He never liked that dog, he realised. Grabbing his small hunting bow, he set off to the edge of woods on the other end of the field. Plenty of game there, he thought, nocking a small arrow onto the bowstring. Jake fired at the small gouged out hole he put into the large oak leaf nearby the back door. Firing, he hit the spot a few centimetres to the left of the hole. My aim's improving, he thought, and began his run into the woods.
Jake had run a few kilometres before he saw them. A few small Rabbits, including a Buck, large enough for a meal, but not so large they would impede his movement as he returned home. Nocking an arrow, he aimed. But before he could even fire, another arrow penetrated the skull of the Buck. Jake gasped. It was still early, but even in this dim light he could make out the huddled figure of an archer. Jake pressed himself to the ground, knocking an arrow as he fell. Rolling he looked up, head moving in circles as he searched for the enemy. He had moved, Jake realised. Without knowing how he knew, Jake snapped around to see a dark green cloaked figure standing behind him. He fell back in surprise, bow falling into the leaves around him. Jake thought underneath that hood he saw a small smile appear. "Looking for this?" The Archer said quietly, holding the Buck up by the arrow through its head.
"Oh, um… Yes" Jake said in barely more than a whisper, not meeting the gaze of the Archer.
"Well, I suppose you were going to shoot this… What'd you say Ox, give him the rabbit?" The Archer said, looking back at the thick of the forest, where suddenly, concealed among the branches, was a small shaggy pony. It whinnied, shaking its head as it trotted up to the Archer. "Good boy. Now, young man, I see you have a knack for shooting. With skills like that you could be a very danegrous enemy. Even more so to things that aren't Rabbits. I'd like to see your skills further. Say, 11 O'clock on the Morrow at Cemity Square?" Jake gulped. He had hardly known the Archer for 5 minutes, and now he was being invited to spend the next morning with him? "Oh! Um… Sure. I'll be there." Jake looked at the sky. The sun had risen almost too its highest, so he guessed it was almost noon. "Well, I hate to be rude but, I must take off. My family will be worried." In truth, Jake knew his parents couldn't care less if he was gone. The Archer raised an eyebrow. "At this hour? If your that worried, I'll take you. Mind if you carry another piece of game?" The Archer said with a small chuckle, taking the pommel and gesturing for Jake to get on. "Don't worry boy, he doesn't bite." Jake had the feeling he wasn't talking to him.
They hadn't been riding long before Jake could see the farm come into view. At least, he thought it was the farm. Something was wrong. The smell of smoke was in the air, as well as another faint trace of something very familiar… He almost was thrown off the small horse as it came to a halt. The Archer simply looked at him, and gestured for him to get down. Jake responded immediately, jumping down and getting behind the nearest tree. "Move forward, 10 metres at a time. Stay quiet, stay low. We're not alone, and I don't like the air. Got that bow?' Jake shook his head. He had forgotten to pick it up, too stunned by the events whirring past his head to remember about it. "All right then, here. Don't lose it." The Archer said, handing him a small knife. It was well balanced, and had a nice blue hue to it. As the Archer pulled his longbow out, Jake noticed the chain hanging from his neck. A silver Oak leaf. This man was a Ranger! "Alright, you look like a smart kid, so don't be stupid. Only use that knife if your life is in danger. Let's move. Oxy, stay here watch the back." The pony shook it's mane, and trotted a few steps backwards. Jake had taken little notice though, still struck in awe about this realisation. Jake realised that the Ranger was already advancing on the farm. Jake scrambled to his senses and moved forward, catching up to the Ranger .
He wished he hadn't peered over the tree. His family farm, his home, had been massacred. The ground was burnt, the cows killed with their carcasses still rotting on the field, and his home little more than ash. His emotions took control. He attempted to run toward his house, only to feel the strong arms of the Ranger holding him back. "Stop boy! This wasn't done by some run of the mill bandits; Look closely. Those cows weren't killed by knives. They've been poorly skinned, those cuts are too clean. That home wasn't burned by a normal fire; someone used oil on the far side of the field, knowing it would spread. This is far too advanced. But why would someone this intelligent want to burn the farm…" The Ranger trailed off. Jake remained silent, too upset for words. The Ranger checked the field for more information, until finally arriving to the house. Even the Ranger, grizzled by years of a hard life, was shocked. The bodies of the farmers who lived here had been cut up into pieces, torn apart. The Ranger looked away, disgusted by the display of inhuman treatment. If he hadn't looked, he would never had seen it. A small crossbow bolt, lodged in the charred wood. He plucked it out of the wood, carefully putting it into his cloak. He whirred around as he heard the gasp. The boy had found the corpses. "Oh god…" Jake said, his throat seizing up as he collapsed onto on the ashy ground. "Oh god no…" Jake muttered. The Ranger looked down at him, thinking heavily. Taking him in would be a burden. But he couldn't just leave him here.
Jake suddenly felt the Ranger putting his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry boy. It's terrible what they did here. They'll pay. And we'll find them. Look here, this bolt. Only a few people in the world use this bolt. We just have to narrow it down. Look, you're a great kid. I'll let you stay with me until you get someone to look after you. Well kid, what do you say?" The Ranger finished, looking into the young child's eyes. He saw himself in those eyes, blue as the sky, filled with grief, fear and determination. The boy's face was set in stone, his eyes set. He stood up, looked straight at the Ranger and nodded his head. The Ranger smiled slightly. He held out a hand, receiving the boy's hand in a shake. "The name's Jake." Said the boy, his expression still frozen. "Harrison. Pleased to meet you. Now, where's my knife?" Harrison said with a grin.
The small Cabin the Ranger lived in was a basic dwelling. 3 rooms, a few chairs and a small kitchen summed up its interior. Jake didn't think that Ranger's lived in lavish castles, but he expected more than this. "You'll sleep in there" Harrison said gruffly, gesturing towards one of the smaller rooms that branched off of the main building. Jake nodded, and walked towards it. It was a simple room, but had a quaint feel to it. "How do you like it?" Harrison said, appearing at the doorway. Jake was hardly surprised, knowing that Rangers were trained in the arts of concealed movement. He wasn't one to believe in magic. "It's great. I like it a lot. Thank you" Jake said, turning to look at the Ranger. As he turned, Harrison opened his mouth to talk. "Well, off you go. Get to the housework." Jake immediately had a quizzical expression on his face. Harrison, noting the expression, continued. "Oh, you didn't think this was a free holiday in my home was it? Oh no, you will be tending to the Firewood, Cleaning the house, and fetch fresh water from the hill every morning your here. Oh, and I almost forgot, you'll be cooking tonight." Jake was stunned. How could this be possible after all he had been through? Not wanting to offend the Ranger, Jake quietly spoke. "I don't know how to cook, sir." The Ranger uttered a large humph, and after wiping his brow in frustration, finally spoke. "Of course you won't. Most boys can't cook anyway. I'll have to teach you. But I wonder, why were you fetching game if you don't know how to cook it?" And with that Jake had no argument. Jake spent the night learning the wonders of cooking, from slicing an onion to perfection to mixing the perfect sauce. After they had finished, the result was a savoury rabbit stew. After Jake had eaten the delicious meal, he retired to his temporary room. "Good night." He heard Harrison call as he put his head on the pillow. He immediately fell into a dreamless sleep, his mind and body shutting down from exhaustion. From the doorway, the Ranger smiled. He enjoyed the young man's company, enjoying the brief respite of being lonesome that so many Rangers suffered from. Turning out the lantern, Harrison sprawled himself over the small lounge in the main room, and entered a light sleep.
Well that's the end of Chapter 1. Chapter 2 will be up soon. Don't forget to review! I'm serious guys, please review. I need some support :D!