Halt left the room as silently as he always did. Barry and Will looked up at the Baron with questioning eyes. Everyone told them that Rangers were dangerous mystics, best to be left alone. The Baron looked at their reactions.
"What's wrong? Would you prefer a life tending to the farms?" The Baron wasn't sure whether they were happy or sad with the choice, their eyes giving mixed feelings. Maybe they would like it in the farms?
"No sir! Just..." said Will, trailing off.
"We don't know much about the Rangers." An "Oh!" went through the Baron's head. Of course they didn't know about the Rangers like him, they were subject to the superstitions that spread around the castle.
"Oh yes, people say they're black magicians don't they." Will shifted uncomfortably in his seat while Barry sat as stoically as ever.
"I assure you, Halt and the rest of the Rangers are not warlocks of any kind. They just do their job a bit too well for regular folk to notice them." Will and Barry still had some hesitation in their eyes.
"You really think I would keep a warlock with great spying abilities around the castle, and even in my study?"
"I guess not..."
"Halt isn't dangerous unless you're an enemy of the kingdom." He saw Will hanging on to his every word while Barry maintained his usual manner of interest, but not yet hanging on to every word as Will was doing. As if he wasn't fazed, talking to high ranking officials like the Baron himself. The Baron just ignored it, he was probably putting on a brave face.
"You're not an enemy of the kingdom, are you Will?" asked the Baron. Barry gave a small grin, something he deeply appreciated. As a Baron, most people tended to take his words seriously all the time. It was infuriating when he would make a joke and people would act so literal. Baron was thinking of ways to weasel out of giving Barry to Halt, but he knew that he would probably end up on the wrong side of Halt's bow if he did.
Will hurriedly cried, "No, sir!" and the Baron sighed.
"I know you're not. But believe me, you'll love being a Ranger, as any adventurous lad like yourself would. Very few boys are chosen to Rangers you know? It's a miracle that two were chosen from the same year group of Redmont wards."
"But, I wanted to be a warrior." said Will uncertainly. The Baron shook his head.
"I'm afraid your talents lie in another direction. Halt knew that from the moment he saw you two. That's why he asked specifically for you two."
"Oh." said Will in a disheartened voice.
"I can see that you still have some reservations. Why is that?"
"Well, Halt seems so grim all the time." said Will. Barry had stayed silent this entire time, but he chose now to speak up.
"Yeah, he doesn't seem to have your sparkling sense of humor." The Baron smiled while Will stared blankly at Barry in utter confusion.
"You'd get it if you got over your star struck phase." said Barry to Will. Will hmphed before looking back at the Baron.
"What does a Ranger actually do, my lord?" asked Barry. He seemed to have less reservations with talking to the Baron, unlike Will who was practically shivering in his seat. He seemed to ignore anything that he might have to answer with a sir for, instead opting for 'my lord.' It seemed weird but the Baron paid no mind.
"That's for Halt himself to tell you. The Rangers are a secretive bunch. They don't like other people talking about them much. Now, you should try to get some sleep. You will be reporting to Halt's cottage at sunup." Will and Barry rose from their seats. The Baron tended to leave Barry alone from his jokes, instead targeting Will.
"This time Will, use the stairs, would you?"
Will replied, "Yes sir" as a small smile graced Barry's face which the Baron was eternally grateful for. He never knew he would be so appreciative of someone who didn't take ranks with the utmost seriousness. Barry and Will slept for about 5 and a half hours before waking to make sure they would get to Halt's cottage on time. It was bordering the edge of the town and very humble looking. There was a small paddock out on the side and a small path up to the wooden door, a far cry from the Redmont castle the Redmont wards had been in for the better part of their lives. As they walked, they chatted about what the Rangers might actually do. When they had gotten back to the sleeping quarters, their roommates grilled them for info which they told. They said that they had broken into the Baron's tower where the Baron and Halt were waiting and had been told they were going to become Rangers. The others also faced the prospect with some nervousness. After all, Rangers were told to have mystic powers and were dark dangerous folk.
"So what do you think we're actually going to do on our first day? I'm assuming there's no magic at play, so what are we going to do?"
"I have no idea." admitted Barry. He hadn't yet gone into a Ranger world. That meant he was basically clueless on how the timeline was going to go. They walked in mostly silence to the front door where they knocked. Halt let them in. The inside was also humble, nothing that couldn't be used and almost no decorations. Barry and Will got their own rooms, ones that looked very cozy.
This was the first time they had seen Halt without his dark cloak. He had a roughly cut beard that looked cut with his own hunting knife and dark hair. There were some flecks of gray however, scattered through. He was wearing simple brown and gray wool clothes and soft leather boots, much the same as Barry and Will. He was also much shorter and thinner than Will had realized, of course Barry's abilities let him see through some types of illusions, including the ones people made for themselves. There was also a sense of power and strength about him that made him not eager to mess with him, much like the one surrounding Barry.
"Finished staring?" he asked Will.
"Uh..."
"Good."
"Um..."
"Spit it out, boy."
"What does a Ranger actually do?" asked Will. Barry looked over at him appreciatively for finally mustering up the courage to ask a straight forward question.
"What Rangers do, or more accurately what Ranger apprentices do, is housework."
"Housework?" asked Will.
"That's right. Take a look around. This isn't Castle Redmont. There aren't any servants here to clean up. This is a lowly cabin. It needs water fetched, logs chopped, floors swept, and rugs beaten. Now who do you think might do all these things boy?"
"Us?" He nodded and started listing off instructions. Barry and Will set off doing the tasks. Barry took care of the water barrel, the chopping of the firewood, and beating the rugs. Will took care of stacking the logs, sweeping the floors and scouring the pots.
As they left, they heard Halt say, "I forgot how fun it is to have an Apprentice. By the time the noon time sun came around, the cabin was spotless. Halt was pouring over stacks of papers bearing either crests or coats of arms. Most of them had a leaf crest though.
Halt was reading a leaf crested one when he said, "That's odd." Will immediately looked back. Most of the chores had started with a, "That's odd."
"I beg your pardon?"
"What's that?" asked Halt.
"I thought you were talking to me."
"Oh no, just something very unusual in this paper." Barry appeared.
"What is it?" asked Barry.
"Curious, are you? I suppose that's a good trait in a Ranger apprentice. Come here." Barry and Will sat down before Halt.
"It says here that Lord Northolt is dead. Apparently killed by a savage bear while out hunting."
"Who?" asked Will as Barry's face gained a look of understanding.
"You think Lord Northolt wasn't killed by a bear." said Barry.
"Yes, I suspect Lord Northolt was killed by something else. He was the former supreme commander of the Kings army. If there's another war coming up, he'll be sorely missed."
"You think a war's coming?" asked Will nervously.
"No, but one can never be too prepared." said Halt.
"Wait, what's so weird about his death?"
"I would have thought the Cordom Fief a bit too far west for bears. And I would have thought him to be wise enough not to go on his own." He shook his head.
"But I guess people make mistakes often enough. Now, why don't you two go clean out that fireplace." He went back to reading while Barry and Will cleaned out the fireplace. Once they were done, Halt looked around the cottage, examining everything for dust or dirt they could have left.
"Not bad. Might be mediocre in a few years." He looked back towards the boys.
"Do you know how to cook?" asked Halt.
"Cook?" asked Will.
"Yes, the preparation of food so one might eat it. Make meals. I assume you know what meals are? Why do young people answer questions with more questions?"
"Yes, I know what a meal is."
"Well, as I told you this morning. This is no grand castle. There aren't any servants. We cook our own meals here." With Halt, we usually meant you. Barry of course, knew how to cook, as a fully functioning adult who lived by himself, but he couldn't blow his cover so he went along with what Will forced out a few seconds later.
"I can't cook." said Will.
"Of course you can't. Most boys can't. So I'll have to show you how. Come on then." They started the process of teaching Will how to cook. To keep up with the facade of not knowing how to cook, he allowed Halt to show him how to make the savory stew they were cooking up for dinner. While it stewed on the stove, they talked quietly on the verandah.
"The Rangers were found over one hundred and fifty years ago, in King Hebert's reign. You know anything about him?" Barry tried to say something before Halt put up a hand to stop him. He made a 'continue' sign to Will.
"Uh... I know about him. He was...the king. He founded the Rangers?" Halt raised an eyebrow.
"I mean the Rangers were founded during his reign. A hundred fifty years ago."
"Well that's astounding, considering that's what I told you not 5 minutes ago. Boy, if you don't know something don't try to bluff your way through. Barry?"
"He was the one who drove the northern clans back over the border into the Highlands. He was sometimes called the Father of Modern Araluen. He created the union between the fifty fiefs that still remain today." Halt nodded in his usual serious manner.
"How do you even remember all that stuff?" asked Will. "You were talking to me the entire time during those lectures!" Of course, he hadn't even been there, just supplanting all the memory of those things happening in Will's mind. He could remember everything about Araluen, names, places, even the small details. He had the ability to know all about a world he visited just by stepping into it.
"Just because you weren't paying attention, doesn't mean I wasn't. Knowledge is power Will."
"He's right, for once. The Rangers were made to be an intelligence force, to gather info from other places in case they were attacking or something else that the king would want to know about."
"How do you do that?"
"By hiding in plain sight. Reporting info back to the King is a very serious job that only the Rangers are trusted with. We also handle law enforcement in the fiefs we're assigned. We patrol and stop crimes from happening."
"I thought the Baron did that."
"People bring their complaints to him so he can settle them. Rangers enforce the law. We take the law out to the people. If a crime has been committed, we look for evidence. We're particularly suited to that role since people often don't realize we're around. We investigate to see who's responsible."
"What happens then?" asked Will. Barry was interested now too. This seemed like a really cool job, much unlike the ones he'd had in the past when he traveled to other dimensions.
"Either we report back to the baron of the fief and he'll have them arrested and charged. Sometimes when it's an urgent need, we just... deal with it."
"What do we do?" asked Will, it slipping out before he could stop it.
"Well if we're hour long apprentices, we don't do anything. Rangers with 20+ experience tend to know what to do when asked."
"Oh."
"In times of war, we act as special troops, guiding the armies, scouting before them, goes behind enemy lines to cause enemy lines grief and so on. It's a bit more exciting than working on a farm." said Halt.
"What sort of enemies?"
"Enemies from within and without. People like the Skandian sea raiders-and Morgorath and his Wargals." Will shivered while Barry viewed them with discontent. He had obviously seen much worse than a few mythical creature armies but apparently, they were very feared here. Halt noticed the reaction of Barry and filed it away before speaking again.
"Yes, Morgorath and his Wargals are definetly people to be worried about. That's why we keep an eye on them. We like to know if they're getting ready for war."
"Still, when they last attacked the Barons armies made mincemeat out of them."
"Only because someone warned them of the attack..."
Will said, "A Ranger?"
"That's right. A Ranger brought word of the attack before leading the cavalry across a secret ford to flank the enemy."
"It was a great victory."
"Yes it was. And due to the Ranger's alertness and skill, and knowledge of back trails and secret paths."
"My father died in that battle." said Will in a quiet voice.
"Is that so?"
"Yes. He was a mighty knight." The Rangers face looked conflicted between saying something and not saying something.
"I wasn't aware of that." said Halt finally.
"That's why I was so keen to go to Battleschool. I wanted to follow in his footsteps."
"You have other talents." Barry had long since left the room, even before Will's father had been mentioned.
"You have other talents," Halt told him, and Will remembered the Baron saying much the same thing to him the previous night.
"Halt . . . ," he said. The Ranger nodded for him to continue. "I was sort of wondering . . . the Baron said you chose me?"
Halt nodded again, saying nothing. "And both of you say I have other qualities—qualities that make me suitable to be a Ranger's apprentice . . ."
"That's right," Halt said.
"Well . . . what are they?" The Ranger leaned back, linking his hands behind his head.
"You're agile. That's good in a Ranger," he began. "And, as we've discussed, you can move quietly. That's very important. You're fast on your feet. And you're inquisitive . . ."
"Inquisitive? How do you mean?" asked Will. Halt looked at him sternly.
"Always asking questions. Always wanting to know answers," he explained. "That was why I had the Baron test you with that piece of paper."
"But when did you first notice me? I mean, when did you first think of selecting me?" Will wanted to know.
"Oh," said Halt,"I suppose it was when I watched you steal those cakes from Master Chubb's kitchen." Will's jaw dropped open with amazement.
"You watched me? But that was ages ago!" He had a sudden thought."Where were you?"
"In the kitchen," said Halt."You were too busy to notice me when you came in." Will shook his head in wonder. He had been sure there was nobody in the kitchen. Then he remembered once again how Halt, wrapped in his cloak, could become virtually invisible. There was more to being a Ranger, he realized, than how to cook and clean.
"I was impressed with your skill," said Halt. "But there was one thing that impressed me far more."
"What was that?" asked Will.
"Later, when Master Chubb questioned you, I saw you hesitate. You were going to deny having stolen the cakes. Then I saw you admit it. Remember? He hit you on the head with his wooden spoon." Will grinned and rubbed his head thoughtfully. He could still hear the CRACK! made by the spoon hitting his head.
"I wondered if I shouldn't have lied," he admitted. Halt shook his head very slowly.
"Oh, no, Will. If you'd lied, you never would have become my apprentice." He stood up and stretched, turning to go indoors to the stew simmering on the stove.
"Now let's eat," he said. Barry was already serving out portions and they sat down to a peaceful dinner.