I think we should side with the queen-lady, Argos commented as Kennie stormed through the castle, upsetting as many things as she could along the way. Destruction lay in her wake, shattered pottery, upended tables, tapestries ripped from their mountings and stomped on until they were covered in muddy prints, and she had barely moved past the door leading to the royal suites.
"I think Nikhi needs to get over himself," Kennie returned sharply, running her arm the length of a table to throw everything on the floor. "Thinking this is a good idea, letting those people control him," she seethed, hitting a portrait and knocking it askew as she passed.
What if they aren't going to control us? Argos offered meekly. It seems like they just want to teach us how to defend ourselves.
"I can already defend myself," Kennie snapped. "I learned that a long time ago," she pulled a sword out of a displayed suit of armor, kicking the rest of it over before continuing down the hallway, pulling a tapestry off the wall as did so. "He doesn't know anything about these Rangers."
Neither do you, Argos offered trying to calm Kennie.
"He hasn't got a clue what he's signing up for," she continued as if Argos had not spoken.
"And you don't know what you're missing out on," Kennie spun around quickly, bringing the point of her sword up defensively. Johnny held his hands up in a submissive gesture, stopping several meters down the hall from her. He was armed, but unlike Angie he did not draw the sword at his side. "There's no need for that," he spoke calmly, confidently.
"I've already talked to the queen, I rejected her offer."
"Fine," Johnny shrugged, still holding his hands up. "No one said you had to accept it."
"I don't," Kennie started backing down the corridor, keeping the point of her sword up. "I'm not going to let people control me. I'm not going to let anyone tell me what I can or can't do."
"The Rangers wouldn't do that," Johnny started.
"Stop lying to me!" Kennie shouted at him. "I heard them on the way here. Will gave the orders, he told you and Maddie and Angie what to do. I refuse to do that! I will not give someone that power over me." Kennie's head remained raised, her hate filled eyes boring into Johnny.
"Will doesn't have power over them, he earned their respect," Johnny explained calmly, walking slowly after the child.
Kennie snorted, stopping her progress down the corridor. "I doubt it."
"It's true," Johnny took a deep breath, attempting to maintain his composure. He had seen Will do this, he knew maintaining a calming expression would ease the mistrust from Kennie. "Will taught both of them, he earned their respect. That's why they listen to him, and defer to them, but he listens to their opinions as well."
Kennie's eyes lost a little of their fire, but still maintained an intensity. She could not relax with this knight; she had to maintain her distance and vigilance. He was working with the Rangers, trying to fool her into joining them. "So you say, but what about the other one? The small one with the white beard? Even the Queen listened to him," she challenged.
Johnny let out a disbelieving laugh that he bit off almost instantly. Kennie's sword rose, her eyes narrowing in fury.
"You're telling me you've never heard of the Ranger Halt?"
I haven't, Argos turned his head inquisitively, his eyes alighting on Johnny. Is he supposed to be impressive?
Kennie shook her head to answer both Argos and Johnny, her eyes narrowing further in suspicion. "Other than his boastful introduction in royal suite; no, I haven't heard of some guy named Halt."
"Both Will and Halt have saved Araluen a handful of times. Have you ever wondered why a Skandian ship patrols our seas?"
Kennie shook her head. No one really knew why Skandains did anything, why would he think she knew that? How could he even think he knew why the Skandians patrolled the seas around Araluen?
"Have you ever wondered why the Scotti haven't just taken over Araluen? They're fiercer than we are; their armies are larger, and their warriors more intense. Yet they stay out, only raiding farms in the dead of night." Kennie lowered the point of her sword, considering what Johnny was saying. "Have you ever wondered how many Scotti invasions have been prevented?" Johnny inquired.
Kennie just shook her head again. What should she care about the Scotti and their plans? So long as they left her alone, she believed they could just do what they wanted. And what did the Rangers have to do with that; they were foresters or something similar.
"That was Will and Halt, with some help along the way. They fight alongside the Skandians, they chase out the Scotti when they march on our borders, and work to keep the peace all around the world. They protect each other, their friends, family, and all of Araluen."
That is impressive, Argos commented turning his head up at Kennie. Kennie frowned in response at the dragon.
Kennie took a deep breath, readying to make some response but Johnny pressed on, "You're running from someone or something. I know you are, you have that guarded look in your eyes. And whatever you're running from, they once held something over you. And everything you do is making sure you don't hand that something to someone else."
Kennie felt a rush of emotion, words bubbled to her lips, hostility starting to strengthen in her eyes. "You don't know anything about me," She began heatedly, but Johnny cut her off.
"I know more than you give me credit for, I know you're running. I know because I was the hunter once. I can see the same look in your eyes that I use to take pleasure from by seeing it in hers." Johnny paused, breathing deeply before continuing, "Will, Halt, Maddie, Angie, all the Rangers protect themselves and everything they care about through their skills, by training, and using a reputation built over generations of like-minded people. You could be free to do what you want, to protect this country."
"What if I don't want to protect this country?" Kennie challenged. "What if all I really care about is making sure children have a place to sleep when they're tired; where they don't have to worry about be stolen in the night, beaten by abusive parents, or feel like they don't belong?"
"You can," Johnny stopped moving, standing at the end of Kennie's sword, looking past the blade at the hardened eyes under her roughly cut sandy hair. "You can protect your family, and all the kids who need protecting."
"What if I wanted to overthrow the Queen and create a new world order? What if I wanted to abolish the monarchy and begin a new world where people can't do things like that to children?"
"I don't think you would, but some of the Rangers would help you make sure all of those things are stopped. For good," Johnny answered, his eye holding Kennie's captive. "Angie's been fighting to stop those things for four years, and has most of the other Rangers helping."
Kennie narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the knight. Was he lying to her, saying that the Rangers cared enough about all that was wrong with the world just to convince her to join their ranks? Had Angie been fighting the same battle as she, trying to save children like Michael, Fletcher and Marion? And if she joined them, they would help her stop men like her father and uncle?
Kennie shook her head, dislodging the fool hearty thoughts of having the haughty Rangers join her cause. They would never strive for something so mundane, they worked for the Queen; the action caused her stance to sway. Johnny pushed the sword to the side with one hand as he continued down the hall.
"I just thought you should know," he offered quietly as he passed her.
Kennie lowered the point of the sword to the floor and turned to watch Johnny walk away. He did not turn to look at her while he walked away, which angered her a little. He was so sure she would not attack him he had completely turned his back to her. She was tempted to show him how foolish that was.
I do not think that would actually help your cause, Argos offered watching Johnny walk away as he curled around Kennie's neck. But it might, how do you say it, make you feel better?
She shook her head as she moved to the wall, attacking Johnny would not make her feel better. Johnny had said something that registered with her. He said these people would help her, not that she would help them. It was that simple turn of phrase that made her interested.
All of the others just talked about what she would do as a Ranger, and none of that had been something she had cared about one way or the other. But if the Rangers would help her, she could see herself among them. She had big plans, as big as Nikhi ever talked about, and with help from the Rangers they could become an actuality.
"You really think we should join them?" she asked Argos quietly while picking at the floor with the sword.
They could help you, he responded purring as he laid his head on her shoulder.
"What if this is all a trap? What if he just said all of that to confuse me?"
Is it not possible for you to leave later, should it be that you do not like training as a Ranger?
"I suppose I could leave," she sighed looking down the hall where Johnny had disappeared. "I've left before."
She stood there silently for a few minutes, mulling over her options. There were only two, to stay or to leave. But that was what was so difficult; to leave everything behind again, or embrace a whole new way of life again?
"What do you think?"
It does not matter what I think.
"Of course it matters, whatever I do, you're coming with me. We're in this together," Kennie smiled as she ran her fingers down his spine.
I will do whatever you decide, he answered looking up at her with one large crystalline eye.
Kennie pushed herself away from the wall, and started back toward the royal suite. She allowed the sword to drag along on the floor behind her, dropping it haphazardly beside the fallen armor. She straitened a portrait as she passed it, trying to undo some of the damage she had caused during her tantrum.
I think it's the right decision, Argos offered once Kennie stood in the antechamber of the suite.
She smiled at the dragon, stroking his head with her hand. "I think it might be," she agreed, turning the knob. With a heavy sigh, Kennie opened the door and rejoined the others in the suite.

"So, we're staying in Castle Araluen? For good?" Fletcher shook his head in disapproval.
"For right now," Nikhi answered, keeping a cautious eye on Kennie. Even though she had agreed to training with the Rangers, he still had the feeling she had not totally committed herself to this. And the minute she decided she was over this training, she and half of the others would walk out the door and never look back.
"And what does that mean?" Marion asked from where she sat on one of the beds in the ward room Maddie had shown them to. "We're just here indefinitely?"
"No," Kennie answered before Nikhi had the chance. "Maddie arranged for the older ones to have apprenticeships. We all start in the morning."
"Who has these apprenticeships?"
"Why weren't we asked?"
"I don't want to actually work!"
"We might have to work?"
"What if it's something stupid?"
"Who decided who learns what?"
"I could have stayed home if I wanted an apprenticeship!"
"What if we don't want them?"
"I thought you said we were all staying together!"
"How could you let this happen?"
"Enough," Kennie snapped, stopping all of the questions and comments of shocked outrage. "We couldn't all just stay here and not do anything. It cost money to feed us, we have to earn our keep."
"What are these apprenticeships?" Fletcher elbowed his way to the front of the group, staring Kennie and Nikhi down. "Are we all staying in the Castle, or are they splitting us up and sending us all over the country?"
"We're all staying here," Nikhi answered, his eyes narrowing at Fletcher. "We said when we agreed to come here that we would all stay together."
"And we are," Kennie locked eyes with Fletcher, letting the boy know she was keeping her promise to them.
"So who has these apprenticeships?" Marion asked, gathering one of the younger children in her lap.
"Fletcher is going to the Battle School; Michael, Aaron, Jenna, Samantha, Dakota, Leigha, and Quinton are going to the kitchens; Jeremy is going to the Horse Master; Marion is joining the Couriers; Brighton is going to the smithies and Sarah, Opal, and Bridget are with the scholars," Kennie answered quietly. "Everyone else is going to stay in the Ward until they are old enough for an apprenticeship or one opens up."
"And you agreed to that?" Fletcher turned his full attention on Kennie.
She had spent the entire trip talking about how she was not going to let them be separated. Kennie had said they would all stay together, nothing would change. Fletcher found it hard to believe that she would let something like these apprenticeships happen.
"We thought you would like it," Kennie retorted, her eyes narrowing at Fletcher. "Nothing we said would have allowed people old enough, and capable of work to sit around all day. Maddie convinced a lot of people to accept apprentices so we could all stay in the Castle together."
"Kennie," Nikhi warned, laying a hand on her shoulder. Kennie took a sharp breath and turned away from Fletcher.
"Yes. I agreed to it. To all of it," she fumed crossing her arms. "And we start in the morning."
"We should all get some rest," Nikhi moved away from Kennie and Fletcher, gathering one of the younger children in his arms to tuck them into a bed. "We have an early morning."