The Ranger's Apprentice a New Era

Harvest Day

It had been nearly a year since Will had selected Max and Jack as his two apprentices. They both had improved greatly on the skills a Ranger needed. Max picked up the knife skills, and Jack took well to Archery. Harvest day was a formal occasion so the boys had both been presented with formal outfits. These consisted a mottled brown, grey, and green vest over a silk shirt. As the Rangers are known for wearing their cloaks, each suit had a waist length cape that hung on the right shoulder, symbolizing both the cloak and the quiver. And a small brooch like symbol of an oak leaf was sewn into the left breast of the shirt. The boys only being apprentices had bronze leaves. When they graduated they would receive new ones, when needed, that would have silver oak leaves, which was the symbol or a fully fledged Ranger. The two apprentices arrived at the castle, and dismounted under a small grove. Then they walked over to a small picnic table where they found their old ward mates sitting and waiting, most likely for their arrival. "Max! Jack! It's so good to see you!" Grace stood up, and the others looked in their direction. "Wow you've changed so much since the last time I saw you!" This was Ben. He had become an apprentice to sir Rodney, in battle school. Ben had been a very large boy in build, even from a young age. He was very good with a sword. With enough training he could take on an entire force of men by himself. "Yeah you have too. It's great to see you all." Jack had a large smile on his face. It had been so long since he saw all of his friends. The two boys sat down, and at that moment, Master Chubb came out with an enormous plate of pies and other sweets. Everyone helped themselves. "Hey where's Victor?" Max asked the other kids as they filled their plates with strawberry pies, and fudge bites. Victor was the other boy who got into battle school. "Oh you didn't hear? Victor, is dead." The words came out solemnly. Victor was a friend to everyone in the ward. "What?! How did he die?!" Grace spoke up after a moment of silence after he question. "Victor was excelling in battle school, but he worked too hard to impress sir Rodney, and he developed a problem in his head. The healers don't know what it was. But it killed him." A sadness filled he air now. They all knew Victor very well. They would all remember him in their later years until death. "Enough of that you sad lot!" Kristina came over from the castle wall and began gathering a helping of fudge bites, strawberry pie, and a lot of vanilla mini cakes. Kristina had gotten into horse school, and had trained 5 horses from wild mustangs, to some of the best battle horses the kingdom had. "Kristina! How are you? It's good to see you?" "I have been fine Maxwell. The real question is, how have you been. I haven't seen you around the castle. But I suppose you could have been in it." Kristina threw her head back with laughter. She entertained herself with her own jokes. The two boys laughed as well at the remark. But she like many others did not know that the Rangers used their mottled cloaks to simply fade away. "Well, something like that. But it's been fun. Can't deny that it has been hard though, but still fun." The two boys finished their food fast and walked over to see their horses. They had learned to eat smaller portions so they wouldn't have to go a step down to small rations. Everyone was enjoying themselves when Baron Arald walked over. "Hello everyone! How are you doing on this fine day?" "I'm sure they would all like to say they're fine but they have their faces down in their plates." Everyone nodded at Grace's remark. "Well it's good to see they are enjoying Chubb's food. Tell me where are Max and Jack I thought they were to join us today?" "Right over there sir." Grace pointed to the tree where below the boys were loosening the saddle girths, as they forgot to earlier. "Oh! Boys there you are! Even without those cloaks of yours, you still blend in with the trees!" The two boys laughed to themselves as they finished with the saddles. Kristina noticed the two horses and laughed. "You call those horses?!" "Oh boy here we go again." Baron Arald now had a chance to reminisce on what had happened so many years ago. "They're better than any battle horse that you could train even if you could train one. Let alone get on." Jack muttered the last remark under his breath. "That's it!." She began shouting at the horses under the tree. She grabbed Charger's reins and hopped on. Jack and Max saw the familiar sight of Charger bunching his hindquarters."See? Even a baby could ride this- AHHHH!!" She couldn't finish because Charger began bucking her off. Even as skilled as she was, Charger was even more so. Kristina only held on for 10 seconds before she let go of the reins and was thrown into the air. Everyone laughed at her and she got up an dusted herself off. She walked over to her plate and continued eating in silence. The two boys would never let her forget it.

When the meal had finished, the Baron had given each young adult a small sack of gold, and let them go attend the games and festivities of the Harvest Day. At the festival Max won a small satchel, that could probably be used as a small coin purse or medicine pack. He won it playing a game where you try to throw unbalanced knives into a painted star on a wall. Every once in a while Max would switch out his knife, which was similar to the unbalanced one, to win the game. Jack had not had such luck. He had spent most of his gold on the game where you have to throw a ball into three bottles stacked atop one another. The bottles are mounted onto the table though.

When the boys returned to their cabin, Will was in the kitchen making a stew. "I see you had fun at the Harvest Day festival. You didn't win anything Jack?" "No. I couldn't find a game that fit my skills." "I see Max won a pack. What game did you win that at?" "The knife throwing game." "With the unbalanced knives that they use?" "Well, I wouldn't necessarily say those knives...." "You put your knife into the mix didn't you?" "Yes. But I made sure that I got mine back. I played an extra round to be sure." "Did anyone offer you a free game?" "Yes! I played almost 5 free ones!" "Jack! You never do that. Never owe anyone favors!" "I didn't know! How was I to know if you never told us?" "I suppose your right. Well, remember for next time. Now let's eat." Will, Max, and Jack all ate then prepared for sleep. Little did they know, something dark was awakening deep within the woods.
---------------------------------------------
A/N thanks for reading my story. Please let me know how you like it so far. I will write the next chapter soon enough. Later!