NOTE: I originally planned for four of these, but came up with several other ideas so the series will continue! There are at least two more chapters coming.

CHAPTER 4 - Norris

Sam was a serious, studious sort of young boy. It was why his master selected him. Ranger Norris was of all rangers the most fond of his solitude. He could not stand jolly people, could barely stand people in general, really. If it had been up to him he would never have taken on an apprentice at all. In the first big hiring spree of the rebuilding ranger corps, between the tournament at Gorlan and the battle of Hackham Heath, he had just barely been able to avoid it. Which had, for the record, been purely because while rangers were scarce, suitable recruits were even scarcer. They took much time to scout and time was a luxury no ranger had while pulling double duty managing often multiple fiefs per person with war preparations on top. The six that Crowley had managed to find were allocated to more willing mentors.

However, after the defeat of Morgarath the ranger corps was still operating under half strength and there had been more time to look for new recruits. Even old Egon, who had been on the brink of retirement before the war ever started, had committed himself to training one last apprentice and thus five more years of service.

When their thrice-damned commandant Crowley reminded Norris of that he had been sufficiently ashamed of himself to relent and accept his duty. It was unfair really, a person who is that good at guilt tripping should not be in charge of others. Who had it been again who suggested Crowley should be their leader?

"That goddamn Halt of course, he ruins everything.", Norris muttered quietly.

Sam's head shot up.

"Beg your pardon?"

"Oh never mind, I was just thinking."

Sam shrugged and returned his attention to the map he had been studying. He took his geography lessons very seriously.

Norris, too, had a map in front of himself. He frowned at it. Before sinking into reverie over being saddled with an apprentice, he had been trying to plan a patrol route. During the reform of the ranger corps he had been reinstated as ranger of Holsworth fief. It had been his post for years before the war and he knew it like the back of his hand. The problem was that due to the shortage of rangers he had also been made responsible over the adjoining fief, Coledale. He did not know that territory nearly as well, and while a small and normally uneventful place even this fief required close watch in the aftermath of the war. It had been two weeks since he did a full patrol of both fiefs, and he knew it was high time for another.

However, that would take at least five days, and on the evening of the fourth he was expected to show up at the castle for some ridiculous celebration in honour of the first birthday of the crown princess. Norris may not be a man of tact, but even he understood that his already tenuous working relationship with the baron would be destroyed if he snubbed this party.

He looked over to his young apprentice on the opposite side of the table. The boy was meticulously taking notes on which paths in their two fiefs were wide enough to be used by heavy cavalry, for in the event that they had to guide troops to support the king's army.

If he had to have an apprentice, Norris admitted that Sam was the best he could have imagined. The boy did not chatter and worked hard. He had been training for nearly a year and was by now becoming quite useful. Norris mused that Sam would probably not enjoy the baron's stupid party anymore than he would, the boy remarkably resembled his younger self.

The problem of the patrol remained. When trying to talk him into taking on an apprentice, Crowley had told Norris that without the burden of training he would have had to manage a third fief to split the workload fairly with the other rangers. Norris could not imagine how he would have handled all that work. While Sam's training took up time, as the boy's skills increased he gained time back by delegating some tasks to him.

In fact, that might solve his problem.

"Sam, would you already feel comfortable running part of a patrol by yourself?"

The boy pondered the question for a moment, weighing his answer carefully.

"If it is an area I know well I would. For example, I would not worry about the eastern part of Holsworth, because I grew up there. But I am still learning my way around the rest of the fief and Coledale."

Norris nodded. It was reasonable and he was glad his apprentice was honest about the extent of his knowledge.

Sam hesitated, then asked : "Is this about the celebration for the crown princess? I did think it would be rather tight to fit in another full patrol when we only finished dealing with those bandits this afternoon."

"Yes.", Norris confirmed. "I believe the only way we can manage the whole circuit and still look presentable enough to show up at the castle in four days time is if we each cover part of it on our own." He frowned at the map. "If you start in the eastern half while I get Coledale out of the way, we can rendezvous at the inn in the village after two days and finish the west of Holsworth together. I do not want you riding through there alone after we just cleared up that bandit camp."

Sam nodded.

"No, look me in the eye and promise. This patrol is about gathering intelligence. If you find a situation that needs to be dealt with you report to me or the baron, whoever is closer. You are a first year apprentice and are not going to fight on your own."

Sam got an oddly warm feeling in his chest. His master was gruff and did not have much of a sense of humor. The first months of his apprenticeship he had felt that the ranger considered him a constant nuisance. While that had gradually lessened, Sam had not ever suspected that Norris cared much about him beyond fulfilling his duty. It now seemed he was wrong in that assessment.

"I promise.", he said quietly, whispered almost, but with enough conviction to satisfy Norris.

"Good. Let's start packing. We'll leave at first light."

Two days later, an exhausted Sam sunk into a chair in the taproom of the village inn after completing his tour of east Holsworth. He noticed Norris was not there yet, so he figured he might as well enjoy a hot meal. The ranger had after all provided him with some coins for that purpose.

His mouth started to water as he wondered what was on the menu. The innkeeper approached his table, presumably to take his order.

"Ah, apprentice ranger Sam. A message was just sent here for you from Coledale fief. I believe it is from your master."

Sam frowned, vaguely suspecting he might not get his hot meal after all. He accepted the small note, broke the seal which he indeed recognized as Norris' and unfolded the paper.

Sam,

The group of bandits was larger than we realized. Some escaped and regrouped in Coledale. I am going to have to deal with this now when the trail is still warm, but because of that will likely not make it back in time for the celebration for the princess. Therefore I must ask you to put in an appearance on our behalf. If the baron gets angry at my absence, tell him to sort it out with me.

Stay safe.

Regards,
Norris

Sam folded the note again and leaned back in his chair. There was nothing he could do for the moment, and he was still hungry.

"I would like to order a bowl of beef stew, please. And some coffee."

Weary and covered in road dust, Norris rode up to the castle. The noise of music and revelry in the distance indicated that the party for the birthday of the princess was still in full swing. He halted his horse and dismounted, deciding to discreetly scout out the mood before talking to the baron.

He spotted his apprentice at the edge of the crowd. Sam was lurking in the shadows, fully covered by his cloak, the hood down. The light of the various bonfires made him just visible enough to be noticed, but he was out of the way enough that nobody approached him.

Norris was startled when they made eye contact across the castle grounds. Having seen his master, Sam disappeared in the shadows and snuck around the partying crowd.

"He is getting good.", Norris mused to himself. Even knowing the approximate location of the boy, he lost sight of him several times as he made his way over.

"How did you manage with the bandits?", Sam asked, appearing by his side only a few minutes later.

"Quite easily. They are now awaiting trial in the dungeons in Coledale. Did the baron give you any trouble about my delay?"

"No, I never even spoke to him. He nodded to me when I saw him, then just kept talking to his knights. I think he assumed that I am you, but I decided not to correct that belief and stayed out of his way for the rest of the night."

This piqued Norris' interest. It seemed he just found a way to get out of unwanted social obligations. Perhaps having an apprentice was not all that bad.

Sam would in the future be thoroughly disgruntled for having to lurk in the shadows at numerous social events, pretending to be his mentor.

Some years later Sam searched the gathering grounds for ranger Norris. A few other young rangers were with him, looking for their own former mentors. Rangers tended to keep a strong bond with their teacher for the rest of their lives, almost like family. A warm bond, usually. Sam knew his friends pitied him because they thought he did not have the same. They had all met Norris, knew him as a gruff, humorless man.

Sam knew better. The most dour men were usually the biggest softies at heart.

His friends never knew how Norris would always make a point of sending Sam a birthday card, even when he himself detested celebrating birthdays. How he would bring some extra good quality coffee whenever they met up, even if he considered it a frivolous expense. How, in the dark by the campfire after a particularly hard day, he would put an arm around the young man's shoulders as they sat side by side in silence, though his expression always made it clear that he would get an arrow to the kneecap if he dared verbally acknowledge the gesture.

Nor did they know that Sam spent hours fishing together with Norris because it was his favorite pastime, even when he found it mind-numbingly boring himself. Or that he sometimes asked the man for advice on something he was already pretty sure what to do about, just because he knows how much it pleases him to feel useful and valued. They did know that Sam got very, very angry if anyone joked behind Norris' back about his lack of a sense of humor.

Sam had even tried to throw the legendary ranger Halt in a moat once after a particularly nasty sarcastic remark. He did not succeed of course, but it is the thought that counts. Norris had stoically handed the young man a dry change of clothes after he climbed out of the moat Halt had been supposed to end up in, saying nothing. But Sam had recognized Norris' own favorite sweater in the pile and suddenly felt quite warm despite being drenched in freezing water.

They may not joke around or be openly affectionate like the other mentors and apprentices, but their bond was just as strong.