The Female Ranger

Chapter Five

It had taken too long for Will to return. In the end, Elizabeth had decided to go to bed. After all, she had to be at Halt's cabin at six o'clock.

She got up early, wanting to speak to Will before she left. She was surprised to find him eating breakfast, with a small bundle next to him. Quickly grabbing something to eat, she slipped onto the bench opposite Will. "How did it go?"

"He was waiting for me. I thought it was clear, but when I went to grab the paper, he suddenly came out of nowhere and grabbed my hand. He took me to the Baron to hear my punishment."

"No Will," she sighed, "what is the punishment?"

"He's taking me as his apprentice." Will gave her a small smile. "But I'm not quite sure whether that is a good or bad thing."

"Will that's amazing! We'll be together!"

Will's smile became a bit bigger. "That's one of the good parts I suppose. But we probably should get going, don't want to be late on our first day!"

Elizabeth quickly stuffed the last of her breakfast in her mouth and stood up. "Let's go!"

—

Halt's cabin lay some distance away from both the castle and the village, nestling under the shelter of the trees at the edge of the forest. A thin spiral of smoke rose from the chimney, so Elizabeth reasoned Halt was already up and about. They stepped up onto the verandah, hesitated for a moment, after which Elizabeth stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"Come in," said a voice from inside. She opened the door and stepped inside, closely followed by Will.

It was small but surprisingly neat and comfortable-looking. The main room was a combined living and dining area, with a small kitchen at one end, separated from the main area by a pine bench. Some comfortable chairs were arranged around the wooden table, which had a vase with wildflowers.

"At least you're on time," he said gruffly. "Have you had your breakfast yet?"

"Yes, sir," they both answered simultaneously. They stared at the Ranger in fascination, this being the first time they saw him without his cloak and hood. He was older than Elizabeth had realised, as his short and dark hair and beard had grey traces in them. They were roughly trimmed, and Elizabeth realised he probably cut them himself.

The Ranger stood up. He was smaller than she had expected, but clearly had a lot of power. He remained a daunting figure. "Finished staring?" he suddenly asked.

Will jumped nervously. "Yes, sir! Sorry, sir!" he said. Elizabeth ignored it.

Halt grunted. He pointed to one of the two doors. "That'll be your room. You're sharing it. Put your things away there."

Elizabeth entered the room, closely followed by Will. There were two beds on either side of the room, with a small wardrobe in the middle. It formed a barrier in the middle, giving them a bit of privacy. They put their belongings on the bed and went back to the main room.

Halt stood in front of the stove, with his back to them. Will coughed to attract his attention, but Halt ignored him. Will coughed again.

"Why are you coughing? Got a cold, boy?" Halt turned around.

Will hesitated. "Well, sir," he began, "I just wanted to ask you... what does a Ranger actually do?"

"He doesn't ask pointless questions, boy!" said Halt. "He keeps his eyes and ears open and he looks and listens and eventually, he learns."

"Oh," said Will.

Elizabeth noticed a strange gleam in Halt's eye. "Rangers' apprentices however, do the housework."

"The housework?" Will asked.

"Yes. Take a look around, see any servants?"

"No, sir," Will said.

"So get on with it." The Ranger rattled off a list of instructions. Will still seemed confused, but Elizabeth pulled his sleeve and took him outside. As they walked out, they heard the Ranger say: "I'd forgotten how much fun having an apprentice can be."

—

The Ranger managed to keep them busy the whole day, coming up with new tasks continually. Given the small size of the cabin, the workload was surprising. Meanwhile, he sat on the verandah, going through a tall pile of paperwork. As his apprentices passed him, they heard him mumble something. Thinking he was addressing them, they paused.

"Sorry? You said something?" Will asked. The Ranger looked up, surprised they were talking to him.

"No, I wasn't talking to you. Just reading this... strange report." He frowned.

"What is it?" Elizabeth dared to ask.

"Curious, are you? Well, I suppose that's a good trait for a Ranger's apprentice. Lord Northolt is dead, killed by a bear last week while hunting."

"Lord Northolt?" Will asked.

"The supreme commander of the King's army."

"So why is it odd?" Elizabeth asked.

"The Cordom Fief is too far west for bears. And I would have thought Northolt was too experienced to go after one alone." He shrugged. "But life is full of surprises and people make mistakes." He waved them away, indicating the conversation was over.

They moved away, but noticed the Ranger sat in the same position for a long time, deep in thoughts.

—

Finally, the Ranger ran out of chores. "Now, can either of you cook?"

Both of them shook their heads. Halt looked mildly surprised at the fact that Elizabeth could not cook, but quickly hid his surprise. She had mentioned this in the Baron's study after all.

"I'll have to show you then. Come on."

They followed Halt to the kitchen, introducing them to the simple art of making a stew. Somehow, Elizabeth managed to burn both herself and the vegetables. Halt examined the vegetables, and decided they were still good enough to be eaten. But he made a mental note to pay close attention when the girl was cooking, as to make sure she would not burn down the cabin.

As they ate their dinner, Halt quizzed them on their knowledge of the Corps. They spent quite some time discussing the tasks of a Ranger, before Halt sent them to bed. Exhausted from their day full of chores, they fell asleep immediately.