Rangers Apprentice #13

Chapter 1 Chapter 1

"Rebecca!" I groan as I here my mothers voice over the hum that is spring. Reluctantly I get up from my resting place, behind the inn is an old oak tree with great wide spread branches which makes a great place to sit still and observe all of the insects as the go about there business. Just behind the oak tree there is a pond which attracts the most spectacular dragon flys that are just bursting with colour.
I know that I have a long night of work ahead of me. I don't come from a wealthy family which means I have to help my mother around the inn for only a silver royal a week.Mother is just a simple inn keeper as was her mother before her. My Farther is just a simple ferry man just like his farther before him, although he does still help ma out with the inn. What I am trying to say is that in our little fief of Seacliff not much happens, every one has a place in society and the know what it is and are content with it. I however have no desire to be an inn keeper at all,what I really really want deep down is to become a ranger! My mother was friends with a ranger once, the infamous Will Treaty, she's told me about him she said that he was a courageous man for one so young. To be a ranger is to be free! Its not unheard of to be a female ranger, although its still quite rare as Princes Madelyn paved the way for others only 3 years ago. She was mentored by Will Treaty and my mother said that if anyone has open mind about training women it would be him. Some rangers have refused to train females declaring that they aren't strong enough or fast enough but there are fewer of those now.

When I enter the Inn I can see it is in full swing, most of the towns folk come in on a Friday night to get together and have a drink or two. I can see my Mother through the open door into the kitchen, she is just heating up a pie she back earlier today. Without being asked I put on my apron pull back my waist long hair into a tight bun and make my way out into the main room ready to take people's orders. I wave to some of the regulars as I pass them, weaving my way through the crowd to a table seated with three people as I get nearer I inwardly sigh as I see that it is Douglas the blacksmiths son along with Eric who's farther is a farmer and Christopher who's farther is also a farmer. Douglas has taken a fancy to me or at least that's how my grandmother Edwina puts it, what makes it worse is that because he is a black smith's son he is quite wealthy so just assumes I will marry him, and on top of that I am being continuously told by my parents and my grandparents that it would be the perfect marriage! Douglas smiles at me as I approach them "Hello Rebecca, it's lovely to see you, you look beautiful as always" Douglas says with a loud voice. Eric and Christopher mumble hello as well, they fancy me too but because Douglas has the social high ground the have no choice but to back off.
" What can I get you" I say in a tied and reluctant way"

After a long and tedious night of working I bid goodnight to my parents and walk up the stairs to my small bed room that is at the top of the building, it was actually designed to be an attic but when I was born my parents turned it into a bed room for me. I start to prepare my self by getting my dark deer skin breaches and my dark shirt and vest, next I pull on my soft deer skin boots and lie down to wait for my parents to finish up in the Tavern and go to bed. About half an hour later I hear them going up to bed! I wait another Half an hour for good measure and then slowly creep down the stairs past there bed room and stepping over the creaky floor boards I finally make my way to the back window, I silently slip of the hatch and slip out the window leaving it slightly agar. I take a deep long breath and take in all of the night time smells. Silently I walk of towards the forest behinds the town.
I quickly scale the old oak tree that has been here for nearly a hundred years, according to my mother out great ancestors planted this forest when the first colonised here. From high up in the tree a here a barn owls hoot, I quickly cup my " hands" and hoot back, moving swiftly I scale up the tree when I reach a group of very bushy leaves I spread them apart and slip past then, there I see the face of my best friend Steven, (Steven is actually named after my farther because he was the one who ran and got the midwife when Mrs Long went into labor) Steven has been my best friend for seven years but I have known him for my hole life. We first became friends when he caught me one night trying to sneak out to go and explore the forest, he came with declaring that he didn't want me to get hurt so he had to protect me, as it turned out he was the one that got startled when he herd a barn owl, after that hilarious incident we decided that that would be our signal. once a week on a Friday night we would sneak out and meet up in the largest oak tree, after that we would explore for a bit before going home but recently he has been teaching me archery. It is not common for women to be trained how to fight but it is becoming more popular.
"That's right, nice and slow" he coo's softly as I pull back the now string. "now" he says "aim, remember look down the shaft...and fire" he says after a small pause. I release my fingers and let the arrow fly. "Great shot!" Steven exclaims, my arrow had hit the wooden target shaped like a man in the shoulder. A proud smile lights up my face as I go to retrieve my arrows.
"Not bad for tonight" Steven remarks, you did a lot better than last week. "Oh come on" I say "it wasn't that bad last time" he raises an eyebrow at me "you missed the whole target three out of eight times and didn't manage to hit any vital places" he says dryly "alright fine" I exclaim I sucked, but at least I'm getting better" I say hopefully " true he says slowly. "Alright come on let's call it a night" he says I agree with a yawn and start to pack up my weapons.

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A/N
Hey guys😋
I hope you enjoyed my first chapter (if u actually are reading this book and I'm not just talking to my self wich is quite likely)
If you do like it than please comment cause it would mean a lot to me
If u don't like it, then stop reading it, there is no need to leave rude comments.
I'm really sorry about and spelling mistakes cause I literally cannot spell, like at all. I actually have a ligitiment disorder it's called Icantspellfordonkeyshit, it's really rare
Also u would like to dedicate this book to John Flangan (the author of R/A) cause he is my idol and I love him!!!!
If u haven't read the original Rangers apprentice series (shame on you!!!) that's ok cause it's not %100 nessesary but it will make more sense if u did.

Thanx

xoxo Laurel❤