Hello again! This update's really soon after the last one, but I couldn't wait to get it up... Thanks to those who reviewed!

As much as I wish it was mine... Ranger's Apprentice is owned by John Flanagan

Learning to trust is one of life's most difficult tasks.

Isaac Watts

Sabrina arrived at Will's cabin early the next morning and knocked on the door. Will answered with a grin. "Good morning, Sabrina."

"Good morning, sir—" Will raised an eyebrow and she hastily revised her greeting. "I mean Will."

Inwardly laughing, Will stepped aside to let her in. "Your room is the small one on the left." Sabrina quickly placed her small bag of belongings on the bed and returned to the kitchen, her eyes flicking around to take in all the details of the cabin.

Will was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee, grinning. Sabrina looked at his expression for a few seconds, then looked around the cabin; her eyes landed on the empty water barrel under the window. "I'll go fill the water barrel." Will blinked in shock as she walked outside and began the long work of filling the barrel bucket by bucket.

When she had finished, Sabrina entered the cabin holding a long branch. "Can I borrow your knife?" Will wordlessly handed over his saxe and followed her as she went back outside. He sat on the porch and watched as she began to whittle the stick into a familiar shape; it was crude, but it was reminiscent of a recurve bow.

"What are you doing?" Will's curiosity could no longer be contained.

Sabrina looked up. "The arch in the middle will go over my shoulders, and the ones on the end will each hold a bucket. When I'm done, I'll be able to fill the water barrel twice as fast."

Will leaned back, impressed with her initiative. His first day had seen him cleaning every inch of the cabin—not that Alyss would ever let it get into that state again. Sabrina had started the chores herself, then went about finding a way to make the work more efficient. "Jenny was right, you are a hard worker."

Sabrina glanced up, then went back to the knife and wood in her hands. "I was orphaned when I was five… then was tossed from farm to farm for nearly nine years; I've been working at other places for about a year now. I've had to be."

"Do you have a family name?" Will asked hesitantly.

Sabrina shrugged. "I suppose I must; I just don't remember it. My family was brand new in town—and I was too little to care about last names..."

Will was startled at how similar her life was to his story; with one major difference—Sabrina had been put on farm labor, Will had been placed in the Ward at Redmont. Finally, he spoke. "Well, you're a Ranger now. It'll be hard, but it will be much more satisfying than the farms." Sabrina nodded, that look of longing back in her eyes, and handed him back his saxe.

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Will's wife, Alyss, showed up around mid-day; and Will and Sabrina were cooking lunch. "You must be Sabrina." The tall Courier commented as she entered the cabin.

Sabrina dried her hands on a towel as she turned to face Alyss. "Yes, and you must be Lady Alyss. Your husband barely stops talking about you."

"Hey!" Both women laughed at Will's exclamation.

Alyss pulled a bag from her satchel and handed it to Sabrina. "Jenny mentioned you might be needing some new clothes so she and I did our best. I hope they fit."

Sabrina blushed as she looked down at her grey dress. "Thank you, Alyss." Then disappeared into her room; where she laid out her new clothes. There were three simple dresses, one in brown and the other two in different shades of green. She frowned, she had already noticed that her dress wasn't the most practical for Ranger work, and these were nearly the same style.

Biting her lip, she turned one of the green dresses inside out and grabbed a charcoal stick from her bag; then proceeded to mark a hemline well above the original. She sliced through the fabric with a small knife and laid aside the skirt, then pulled out a pair of pants from her bag that were only slightly worn, putting them on. She pulled the dress on— pleased to see that it fit—and it fell a couple inches above her knees. She left the room suitably satisfied that it was both practical and nice.

Will and Alyss looked up when Sabrina re-entered the kitchen. "That's definitely not one of the outfits I bought you." Alyss remarked jokingly and Sabrina grinned apologetically.

"Sorry, it's just that I noticed the long skirts aren't very practical in some cases and I got this idea and—"

Alyss held up a hand. "I'm not mad, Sabrina. In fact, I should have thought of that. We can take you to the tailors tomorrow to get you more like that, and anything else you need."

She glanced at Will to see if he had an objection but he just shook his head helplessly. "Come sit down, Sabrina; let's see how much history you know."

Sabrina took a seat across form Will. "I don't really know anything. It wasn't one of the subjects they thought I needed to learn." Will nodded in understanding and began to tell her about King Herbert and the founding of the Ranger's Corps.

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The next afternoon—after Alyss had taken Sabrina for new clothes and returned—Will took his apprentice out to the clearing he practiced in to introduce her to a Ranger's weapons. "A Ranger's primary weapon is stealth; after that, it's the bow." He handed her a recurve bow. "You might be able to move to a longbow in a few years; but for now, this will give you more power for a lower draw weight." Will grinned as he very nearly echoed Halt's words to him nearly eighteen years before.

Sabrina tossed the bow from her left hand to her right, and back again. "Can I try?"

"If you think that's a good idea." Wow, he sounded like Halt.

Something in his voice caught Sabrina's attention. "Is there a catch?"

Will laughed and shook his head, pulling out a hardened leather cuff out. "Here, put this on; it will protect your arm from the bowstring." Sabrina slid the cuff on and chose an arrow from the quiver at her feet; Will walked her through her first shot, pleased at how quickly she learned. "Next are your knives." He handed her a double scabbard with the knives. "Draw the small knife." Sabrina did as she was told and Will began explaining the throwing knife and saxe. "Just remember, an ordinary person practices until they get it right; a Ranger practices until they never get it wrong."

Sabrina smirked. "Sounds like a good policy."

Will smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. "You'll be a great Ranger, Sabrina. I'm sure of it."

Sabrina didn't say anything for a moment, then whispered. "Bri. You can call me Bri."

Will glanced down at the girl and grinned. "Bri it is then."

Just a fun fact that will be mentioned in a later chapter: Sabrina is left-handed- that's why she tried the bow in both hands.

++ ImagineShine