The four Battleschool apprentices squinted, trying to identify the figure making its way up the narrow dirt road towards them. The man was short, but moved in such a way that made him appear a much more formidable figure. He wore a long, mottled green and grey cloak that, as it moved in the wind, seemed to dance in and out of the elements. He also carried a massive (and very scary looking) longbow. The apprentices uneasily backed toward the student rooms, each flicking a quick glance at each other. As the quartet glanced back at the road, the figure had vanished. Frantically they looked around them, cautiously backing against the solid wooden side of the weapons shed. A long, heavy, black shafted arrow caught the shortest apprentice by the jacket and pinned him against the wall. Squawking in fear, the boy caught by the arrow made a valiant pull against the force that was holding him, but the Ranger's arrow held firm. Meanwhile, his fellow comrades had made a desperate attempt to flee the scene, but had almost immediately been caught by arrows as well. Appearing seemingly out of thin air, the Ranger approached them, the powerful longbow being held in his right hand.
"You were the four to attack my apprentice." Halt stated with a smile that did not reach his eyes.
"Y-y-y-yes." One of the apprentices stuttered.
"Four against one isn't normally considered equal. Unless Sir Rodney has been teaching you differently?" Halt inquired, his eyebrow raised.
"N-n-no, sir."
"Correct." Any smile on Halt's face, fake or real, left. Leaning closer, Halt said, in a quiet, deadly voice, "Don't ever touch my apprentice again. Understand?"
The Battleschool apprentices shrunk back, their mouths moving soundlessly.
"Understand?" Halt said again, his voice raising in volume.
"Y-y-yes, sir." The four boys squeaked in unison.
"Excellent. Now, I'll take my arrows back." Halt retrieved his arrows and replaced them carefully in his quiver. Throwing the Battleschool apprentices one last glare, Halt turned and began back down the road.
"Those apprentices shouldn't be bothering you anymore." Halt said as he entered the cabin. The Ranger shut the door and went back to his chair to finish his reports.
"Thanks, Halt." Gilan said as he looked at his teacher.
"You're welcome, Gil." Halt replied mildly, looking over the top of the paper to look at his apprentice. Gilan had cleaned up, for the most part, but there were still traces of dried, crusty blood.
"Um, also…" Gilan began sheepishly. "I got blood on the rug."
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