I'd like to say thanks to Book Soldier, Alex The Rogue and AmazingWriter123 for reviewing. This is my first fan fiction that I have written so I hope it's good.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranger's Apprentice sadly. It would be cool if I did though as they are great.

Mark looked out over Tugs head. In front of him in the distance was a castle but it was like no castle he had seen before. This castle when you looked closely was slightly red. Mark could see from where he was that it was big, there were four towers three on the outside with walls joining them together into a triangle and then there was one in the middle of the three. Mark smiled he had found somewhere safe for his sister. He looked over at her and then he looked at Halt. He quickly looked back at Redmont when he noticed that Halt was looking at him.

They rode up into the castle courtyard towards the tower in the middle. Will climbed of Tug and then helped Mark down. Halt was doing the same with Molly. Mark walked over to his sister and smiled reassuringly at her. He went to ask Halt something then quickly turned and asked Will instead. Mark had only just met them and he felt more comfortable talking to the younger of the two adults. "What are we doing?" Mark asked Will.

"Im going to ask the Baron if you can stay here in the Ward" said Will. "That is if you want to?" Will added looking at Mark. "You and your sister would be safe here and you would both be looked after." Mark nodded. He had found somewhere safe for his sister which is what his aim had been since his village was attacked. He followed Will and Halt up the stone steps into the tower making sure his sister was near him at all times. Mark looked around. He had seen drawings of castles in books and pictures at home but he had never been inside one before. He followed Will and Halt up stairs and along corridors. They past a door with guards standing outside it and the two guards smiled at him. Mark smiled back and hurried after Will and Halt.

They went up more stairs and came to a door. Halt knocked on the door and then went in. Will, Mark and Molly followed. Inside the room there wasn't much. Opposite the door they had just come through was another door, there was a desk to the right and there were a few chairs along the wall. Behind the desk was a bookcase with lots of different books. A man behind the desk quickly stood up when he saw who had come in. "Ranger Halt Ranger Will" he said. Molly flinched slightly at the loudness of his voice.

"Martin" Will replied looking at Martin. The last time Will had properly seen Martin was when he was choosing his craft master 10 years ago. Martin still looked the same he was tall and skinny and hadn't really changed a bit.

"We would like to talk to the Baron" said Halt

"Ok, what would you like me to tell him?" asked Marin in his usual loud voice.

"Just tell him that we need to talk to him as soon as he is free" Halt said. Martin nodded and walked over to the door. He knocked on it and then went inside. A few moments later he came back out and told them that they could go in. Will and Halt walked up the stairs and went into the room. Mark and Molly started to follow when Martin stopped them. This was the first time he had noticed that the two children were even there.

"You can't go in they..." Martin got no further.

"This is about them so I'd say they should come in" said Halt glaring at Martin. Mark and Molly walked past Martin and went into the room that Will had also gone into. Martin slowly moved back from Halt who then shut the door to Baron Arald's office.

"Hello Halt. Will. How can I help you?" said the baron from behind his desk. The Baron looked up from his desk and looked at Halt and Will. He then noticed Mark and Molly standing near Halt. He had black hair and a black beard, he had dark eyes that showed that he was a kind and caring man. Halt noticed who the baron was looking at.

"Will was wondering if there were any spaces left in the ward" said Halt nudging Will with his elbow.

"Yes we do and how old are they?" asked the Baron. Will looked at Mark. "Well Mark is" Will didn't know what exact age they were.

"Fourteen. Im fifteen in August" Mark looked at the Baron who nodded.

"And how old is your sister Mark?"

"Molly is eight she will be nine in January." Mark looked at his sister.

"Well there should be places for them. Martin!" the Baron yelled to the secretary out the door. Martin walked into the room. "Could you go and find out if there are any places left in the ward for a eight and fourteen year old." He said smiling at Martin who bowed his head and then went off to do as he had been told. Baron Arald looked at Mark. If there was a place for him then he only had two months until the choosing day. He didn't have much time to decide who he wanted to be an apprentice to. Molly had lots of time she had 6 years to decide.

A few minutes later Martin came back. "There is room Sir" he said leaving the room again.

"Good" said the Arald pleased for the two children in front of him. He smiled and looked at Will and Halt. Will smiled back but Halt just looked grim like usual.

"We should leave so these two can go to the ward" Halt said. He left the room with Will behind him. Will and Halt left Mark and Molly with the Baron. He called for a guard who then took them to the ward.

"Good luck" said the Baron to Mark and Molly before they left.

Molly went and stayed with her age group and Mark went and stayed with the fourteen year olds. When Molly had left Mark hugged her and then followed the guard towards the other end of the corridor. He had stopped at a door and waited for someone to answer. A man answered and let Mark inside. There were five other children inside.

"Hello im Sarah. Who are you?" said Sarah going to greet him when she realised that Mark didn't know what to do. She was a tall girl with red hair that was pulled up in to a pony tail.

"I'm Mark" said Mark. He smiled at her and looked at the others.

"This is Lucy, Tom, Joe and Becky" she said pointing to each one as she said their names. Lucy was a small girl with brown hair that came to her shoulders. Tom was a tall boy that had blonde hair and green eyes. Joe was tall and had brown hair he had blue eyes as. Becky was short and slim. She had brown hair that flowed past her shoulders. He smiled at her. Mark thought she was beautiful. He quickly looked away when he realised he was staring at her. When everyone had introduced themselves they started to go back to what they had been doing. Lucy, Becky and Sarah went one way and Tom and Joe went the other way. Mark went over to Joe and Tom and joined in with them.

-LINE BREAK-

Everyone had gone to sleep an hour ago but no matter how hard Mark tried he couldn't get to sleep. He sat on his bed thinking about what had happened to him over the past week. He could feel tears forming in his eyes burning and aching to fall but he didn't let them. He couldn't cry on his first day in the ward. What would people think if they saw him? He sat up in his bed and felt about on the floor for his boots. He slipped them on and went over to the door. He opened it slightly and looked through the gap. Sitting at the table was James -the person that looked after him and his other five ward mates-.

He slowly and quietly closed the door and went back to his bed. He sat on it for a minute or so then walked over to the window. He climbed out of it and made his way down the wall of the castle. He made his way slowly and made sure he had firm hand and foot holds before he descended another step. It took him a couple of minutes to get down the wall. He had always been a good climber back in his village and he had climbed nearly all the trees in the village. He had also climbed onto the roof of his house to get his ball that he had accidently thrown onto the roof. His parents had been very angry with him for this. He walked away from the wall being very careful that no guards saw him. He walked with the shadows the trees made so no one would notice him unless they were looking. He came to a tree and started to climb it. He sat in the top branches and looked at his new home. This was when he let a single tear role down his face. He liked his new home and the people here were nice but they still weren't his parents. He sat in the tree for hours just thinking about different things. When the guards changed shifts he went back to the wall and climbed back up. No one knew he had gone so he slipped back into bed and went to sleep. He didn't realise someone had watched him climb down the wall and go across the field into the tree.

Will had been with Halt and Pauline since he had come out of Baron Arald's office and he was just about to go home. He went over to Tug and saddled him up. He then climbed onto him and started to ride off he stopped when he saw something move out of the wards quarters. He looked and saw someone climb down the wall. He climbed off Tug and walked over to a tree. He could see who it was now. It was Mark. He watched him walk across the grass keeping to the shade. Will smiled he was moving how a ranger would. He watched as Mark climbed up the tree. Again he smiled as he realised Mark had gone up the same tree he used to go up. Will climbed back on Tug and rode back to his cottage. There was an idea forming in his head.

I hope you like this. I think it was better than the last chapter as before it was just introducing the story and characters. Please review so I know what you like and don't like.