Hi all! I'm so sorry for the late update, and I want to thank all those who have been supporting me thus far. You've all really made my day :) Please enjoy! :D
Elizabeth woke with a jerk. A hand was clamped over her mouth and somebody was holding her tight! She tried to scream, but it was muffled by the hand. She started thrashing, but a voice whispered in her ear, "Relax, I'm ranger Blake. We're bringing you for an interview."
Elizabeth calmed down and the hand was removed. He put his finger over his lips and she nodded mutely.
It was near pitch black as she padded silently down the dormitory following Blake, and once or twice she stumbled over pieces of clothing or other items the boys had left on the floor.
She was barefoot and only wearing her pyjamas as she walked across the clearing, and into one of the senior ranger's living quarters.
Blake stopped in front of a simple oak door. "Your interview will take place in there. Feel free to enter."
Elizabeth was nervous and filled with anticipation. What would await her?
Gritting her teeth, she gave two firm raps on the door.
No answer.
She waited a few more seconds, feeling increasingly puzzled. She turned toward Blake, who was gazing imperiously away.
Elizabeth opened her mouth, but clamped it back shut. She didn't think he'd help her; this was part of the test, she was sure.
She rapped three times on the door now, but even harder. A muffled voice rang out from inside the room, "I'll be ready in a few minutes, just wait a while!"
She waited. Five minutes passed. She glanced sideways at Blake, who was leaning against the wall, motionless.
Ten minutes passed. She started fidgeting. Staying still was not her strongest suit.
Fifteen minutes passed. And finally, "Come in, lad."
Elizabeth opened the door and entered a well-lit room. She was facing an old man behind a desk.
Her jaw dropped. It was Halt.
He had to be at least seventy. He had dark, tanned skin and silvery white hair and beard. His hard dark eyes glittered mysteriously as he eyed her.
He rose, and she started in surprise. He was very small! Everyone had said that Halt was a giant with the strength of two men!
He raised an eyebrow and Elizabeth marvelled at how high he could arch it. It truly was a skill, she thought to herself.
"Done staring?" he said cryptically.
Elizabeth started. "Yes, Sir!"
He snorted. "What do you think this is, battleschool? No need for all these Sirs and formalities. Just call me Halt."
Elizabeth's eyes widened. To call such a respected figure by his first name? She hesitated. "Yes… Halt."
He grunted. "Okay, take a seat. What's your name?"
Elizabeth sat. "Zachery of Seacliff Fief, Sir – Halt."
Halt raised an eyebrow. "I see getting 'Sir' out of your head would be a problem, Zachery."
Elizabeth rushed to reassure him otherwise, "No, Sir – Halt!" She blushed beet red, and again, she was rewarded with that eyebrow arch.
He leaned forward, his dark eyes boring into hers. Elizabeth felt her heart race.
"Why do you want to become a ranger?"
She gazed at him, eye for eye, careful not to look away. "My mother was killed in front of my brother and I when we were six. He – he,"
She felt a lump in her throat but was determined to finish. "He was holding a knife to her throat. My brother was frozen with fear but I tried to stop him. He just kicked me down like I was nothing. And-and he killed our mother."
She paused momentarily. "I don't want to just be a helpless little boy. I want to be able to stand up for things. I want to learn how to fight." Every line in her body was full of determination. "I want to become a ranger."
Halt listened to all this, and his heart went out for this young lad. "I'm sorry about your mother," he said earnestly. "But why not be a warrior? Why a ranger?"
She smiled slightly. "I think I'm too small to be a warrior. And I also like the ranger way of fighting – with knives and arrows."
Halt looked as grim as ever. Elizabeth wondered – what was he thinking?
"I see," he said. He gave no hint on whether her answer was satisfactory.
"Now – I want you to imagine this situation: There is a road that splits off into two junctions. On the left, is an unconscious man of about forty. On the right, there is an unconscious family of five, including three children."
He paused, letting her digest this. "A horse-drawn carriage comes down the road and it heads toward the right path, where the family lies. It is unstoppable. The only thing you can do is change the path it takes."
Elizabeth's heart hammered. "So," he said, "Would you let it continue on its path and kill the family, or would you change its path so it takes the left path and kills the man instead?"
Elizabeth's throat was dry as she thought over the situation. "Is there any other option I can take? Like perhaps disable the horses?"
Halt shook his head. "No. You cannot do anything but change its path."
"What about making it head off the road?"
He shook his head again. "This is a fantastical situation, I'm afraid. You can't do anything like that."
"Well…" she paused. "Maybe it's the family's fate to die. It would be wrong to pick who lives and who dies – only God can do that. Thinking of the poor man – he wasn't supposed to die – but if I pick him to die, he will. And yet on the other hand, five lives are greater than one life. And the children – they would have some sort of future. I think that in the end, I'd change the path of the horses." She felt terrible as she said it, "I'd let the man die."
Halt eyed her and she felt like hanging her head.
"Very well, then," he said crisply, as grim as ever. Once again, Elizabeth wished that he'd show what he thought of her answer.
Halt suddenly raised his voice, making Elizabeth jump. "Blake, bring it in."
Blake entered, and in his arms, he carried a caged chicken.
He set the cage on the table before her.
With a hiss of steel, Halt unsheathed a large knife. "I want you to kill the chicken."
Elizabeth stared at him, open-mouthed. "What?" she gasped.
He ignored her, instead handing her the knife, handle first.
She looked at the knife in his hand. But she refused to take it.
"I won't kill it."
"Why?" was his calm response.
"Because," she exploded, "I'll be taking its life for no reason! It'll just be to prove a stupid point! If that's the case, I'd rather fail this question than meaninglessly take away the life of another being."
Halt's eyes glittered menacingly and his voice went dangerously low. "Take the chicken out of the cage and slit its throat."
Elizabeth felt a tug of fear, but she quenched it. "No," she said stubbornly, glaring at him through flat green eyes. "It's cruel."
"Do you eat chicken, Zachery?" Halt asked.
"Yes," she replied.
"Well, the chicken that you eat were killed."
"But this is different. This chicken will die a pointless death."
"If you don't kill it, I will." Said Halt.
Now she truly exploded. "What's the point of this test? Why - "
Before she knew it, he'd grabbed her shirt collar and heaved her across the table so her legs dangled. His face was inches apart from hers.
"Do it," he hissed, "Or you'll be sorry."
Elizabeth gazed into those glittering black eyes, and she was scared. "I won't. I will never." she said with finality.
He released her collar and she crashed back down.
All the anger was gone from his face. "Your interview is over. You may return to your quarters."
Elizabeth was shaking slightly, but she mustered the courage to ask, "Halt, did I pass?"
Halt eyed her. "If you hadn't," he said dryly, "I'd be asking you to pack your bags right now."
With a barely suppressed grin, she said, "Thank you," and left the room.
