Here we go. First story and there's going to be more. The start of this story, as you will read, is set twenty years after the Will's marriage with Alyss. ^^ Characters, Chris, Azure, and Keaton are my own property. Will belongs to John Flanagan. As does the background storyline for Ranger's Apprentice. Enjoy.

Update (Changed a few things in paragraph nine... just a little something to spice up the story)

-FarmersDaughter: Thanks! About him being a bit young, point taken. Though I have read and been taught that kids have been able to pick things up faster than older people would be able to. Thanks for the heads up though; I had actually forgotten to elaborate on why he was good. Update Complete..

Prologue

A figure in a dark hooded cloak stood watching a boy amidst the shadows of the trees around him as he stalked his prey. The boy was good. The dark clothes he wore helped him to blend with the darkness and he could track the deer he was stalking fairly easily. It was no easy feat. Tracking prey to this extent spoke volumes of the experience the boy had. The boy was downwind from the deer and he moved silently making sure he didn't betray any evidence to the deer that he was there. The level of these hunting skills showed that he must have been doing this from an early age. The figure watching the boy, however, acknowledged the fact that it was still far from perfection. He was an expert in unseen movement and far greater at tracking than the boy was. It was to be expected, because the figure that stood there watching the boy was a Ranger.

Keaton had been watching the boy since dawn following the boy around as he stalked the same deer for four hours. He was noting the potential the boy had to become as he is. He already knew that the boy had developed these skills from the teachings of his father, and further developed as he went out every day to hunt for his family since his father passed. Little Chris was only eight years old, but could track and hunt game as easily as a seasoned hunter. Chris experience however, came with him learning every bit of the trade from his father since he turned six years-old. His mother pratted on and on to his father. About how Chris was too young to be out hunting, and how dangerous it was. But it had served their family well. His father had passed on the year before, and there wasn't anybody else that could do the hunting for them. The butcher in town, Mr. Faust, would sometimes relieve some of his stock every now and then, but it wasn't enough to keep them going.

Keaton was twenty-five. He finished his Ranger apprenticeship four years ago under Ranger Will Treaty, one of the most prominent names in Ranger history. Will had an outstanding history of achievements that he had completed those twenty years ago. Everyone revered Will as hero, though much of the stories of his adventures were greatly exaggerated. Keaton himself had made a name for himself in and out of his apprenticeship. He single-handedly stopped an outbreak of a cult two years back that started to show itself more as a bandit group than a religious people. He also caught and defeated numerous outlaws and their gangs that threatened the safety of Araluen. Keaton, however, didn't really like to gloat about it. Every time people praised him for what a hero he had been, he always replied, "Just doing my job."

Now as he watched young Chris move from cover to cover like a snake slithering through the darkness, he wondered if this boy could be far better than he was on his second year as an apprentice. Chris's abilities though, needed a lot of polishing up. He had passed by Keaton several times. Many times even, staring directly at Keaton's face, he did not notice a thing. Keaton, however, had the advantage of his green and grey mottled cloak. His hood was pulled over his head, causing his face to be obscured from view and the pattern and colours of the cloak blended in with the scenery around him causing an illusionary invisibility. It was no wonder that the common folk often made Rangers out to be practitioners of black magic. It's not his fault he can't see me, Keaton thought, He isn't my apprentice yet.

Keaton had been observing the Chris ever since he noted the young boy's ability to go unseen to the untrained eye. He had been following a certain suspect around town when he first noticed Chris. Chris jumped suddenly out of nowhere and quickly scaled up a stony wall to a small window where a few bread rolls were left out to cool. He pulled two down and scurried off quickly once more slipping out of sight. Keaton marveled at the Chris's skills young as he was. Not many boys his age could have done what he accomplished that day. The wall was at least four metres high to where the window was, and it was the middle of the day. For Chris to escape the view of a highly trained Ranger was unheard of. Of course Keaton had his mind set on other things that time, but still, Keaton should have been aware to the young boy's presence at least.

Truth be told, Keaton felt that Chris could become a far greater Ranger than anyone he had ever known. With proper training, he could become even greater than he was; possibly even greater than Will. Maybe. Time would tell.

Keaton's eyes fixed on Chris as he suddenly darted out of his hiding spot. Chris moved with blinding speed, his feet lightly treading the ground making no sound at all. The deer he was tracking jerked his head upright. It looked around as if noticing the presence of something around him. Satisfied that it had heard nothing, the buck resumed his grazing in the small clearing as Chris rounded to a clearer spot. He poised the small hunting bow he carried upright as he fixed his eyes on his target. Reaching to his back, he pulled a small wooden arrow from his quiver and nocked it on the bow. He stepped clear of the tree he was hiding behind and pulled the arrow back. He took at least ten seconds aiming before he let the arrow free. The arrow sailed through the air and pierced the startled deer through its throat, rupturing a vital artery. Due to the low powered hunting bow he was using, the arrow did not have the necessary force behind it to go all the way through. The weakened deer pranced away, eager to escape.

Chris muttered a silent cry of victory. He knew that the deer wouldn't last long and would be easier to track thanks to the large trail of blood it would leave behind. He started off after the buck, imagining what a feast his family would finally have. He hadn't been this successful for days. Other than the occasional rabbit or squirrel, he had spotted a good share of deer.

Today was Chris's lucky day, literally. Keaton noticed grimly that the throat wasn't what Chris was aiming for. He had been aiming for its ribs. The shot had been thrown off due to his way of wielding the little bow. Despite the low draw weight, Chris had strained to pull the arrow back using his arm muscles instead of combing them with his back muscles. Drawing in that fashion would cause the bow to veer off to the left after a shot. Keaton also noticed that Chris gripped the arrow between his thumb and fore-finger. All that caused the arrow to edge far to the left of Chris' intended target. Keaton shook his head lightly and pursed his lips.

Well, Keaton thought, He's not my apprentice yet.

He rose from his crouched position and headed off to where he left Azure, his shaggy little Ranger horse, behind. Azure peered up at Keaton with a look that seemed to say, How did it go?

"Not too bad I guess," Keaton muttered, patting Azure softly on his back before mounting him. Azure tossed his head. Not too bad, huh, he seemed to say.

"Get over it. You know we have to wait seven more years before I can get him as an apprentice. He's got a long time of waiting to go."

Azure grunted. Thought you wanted the best.

"Shut up. Not all wishes come true."