The New Apprentice

Chapter Seven: Home Alone

Will and Halt are out on a wild goose chase.

Okay, okay, I'll be honest.

Will and Halt are out on a wild boar chase.

They're out hunting a wild boar, the size of which has never been seen before. Since boar hunting is complex and the main work is done by knights, I couldn't go. Sir Rodney and the Baron could recognize me.

Why are Halt and Will required for the hunt? If the boar breaks out of the semi-circle of knights that it'll be trapped in, the Rangers' pinpoint accuracy will be needed to shoot the creature's heart. It'll be easy for Halt but a nice challenge for Will and maybe even me, too. The whole ordeal will certainly be a challenge for the knights chosen to participate, including Horace.

Yes, Horace.

He must be pretty good if he's been chosen to be in the hunt with only about four months' worth of practice.

The three males aside, I'm home alone and I hate it. I absolutely hate it.

It's leaving me alone to my thoughts, which is a dangerous place to be. I decide to go practice. It'll get my mind off my thoughts and, as Halt says, A normal person practices until he gets it right, but a Ranger practices until he never gets it wrong.

I get my bow and quiver and head out to the training area. I position myself 75 meters away from a target shaped like a man.

I draw an arrow and place it on the string.

I draw and aim.

I shoot.

And I practically get a heart attack. My bow falls from my fingers and the arrow pierces the soft ground barely a yard from my foot. I start breathing so hard and so desperately it's like I was just drowning, and I've fallen to the ground and my face is probably pale, I'm so stricken.

Nonononononononononono, not now...

There's a huge lump in my throat and I can feel the tears welled up behind my eyes, but nothing falls. My hands are tugging dangerously on my hair and I'm curled up into a ball with my legs tucked underneath me as my life flashes before my eyes. Literally. Everything I've been trying to walk away from.

I don't know how much time passes like this.

It feels like way too long.

Finally, the tearless sobs and moans subside until I'm rocking back and forth, back and forth like a madman. My eyes are wide and panicked and it feels as though I'll crumble to ashes if I stop rocking. There's not a single coherent thought in my mind.

Time passes.

Excruciating, painful time.

I hobble my way back inside the house and plop down on my bed.

How many more times?

This is the third time that... thing happened, but this is the first time it didn't happen at night, when I was trying to sleep. I had been so surprised the first time that I'd catapulted myself off my bed and onto the floor, ending in a lot of bruises and a loud bang that had woken both Halt and Will.

The front door opens without a single creak; it's constantly oiled- I hear footsteps and Halt's gruff voice.

"Arin?" He calls, "Are you in here?"

"Yes," I reply, trying to cover the shakiness in my voice. His footsteps move toward my bedroom and I quickly sit up, but my head just starts spinning until I'm sure my whole body is swaying.

"May I come in?"

"Um, yes." A few moments won't stop the dizziness, anyway. The Ranger opens the door.

"Are you alright?"

His eyes follow me. Wait a second, if they're following me, then I must be moving... I squint my eyes at him, trying to focus.

"I don't... think so..."

He frowns, saying, "I don't know why I bothered asking. You're swaying like Arald when he's drunk."

I don't laugh as he walks over to me and swiftly scoops me up, carrying me to the living room. Passing Will, I register his confused face at the sight of me being carried by the bearded Ranger.

"Is... Amaris alright?" He asks.

Halt raises an eyebrow at him, saying, "Yes; I just enjoy carrying my apprentices around the house."

Will doesn't reply, used to our master's sarcasm.

"Go fetch her blanket from her room," he instructs the apprentice. Will leaves as Halt waits, me still in his arms. He returns and spreads the blanket on the pine floor as Halt sets me down on it. Looking up from the floor, a sudden burst of pain explodes in my head, making me grit my teeth as I wait for the pain to subside.

When it finally does and I look up, Halt is just a blur composed of different shapes and colors and so is Will, who's peering at me from my right.

"Will she be okay?" Will asks Halt, who's placed a wet towel on my forehead, a bucket of cold, fresh water placed on a nearby shelf.

"To know the results, we need to first know what has caused this. So in response to your question, I don't know."

"I don't feel well," I murmur almost inaudibly, but both males hear me.

"You don't look well," Will admits.

I try to sigh, but I can't. I can't take a breath a smidgen bigger than my very calm, almost sleepy breathing.

I start to panic- or should I say hyperventilate?

"Halt, I- I can barely breathe-!" My terrified voice exclaims. My eyes are wide and my short breaths speed up, not helping the situation.

I'mgoingtodieI'mgoingtodieI'mgoingtodie-

"Amaris," Halt says gently yet firmly, "you're only going to stop breathing if you don't calm down."

But all I hear are those last three words:

DON'TCALMDOWNDON'TCALMDONWDON'TCALMDOWN-

"AMARIS!!" Will yells, jumping to his feet, "CALM DOWN!!"

My jumbled thoughts quiet.

Calm...

down?

Yes, my conscience tells me, calm the hell down.

Ah.

Okay.

My breath and heartbeat both settle down, but I can still barely breathe. Noticing that I'd been digging my fingers into Halt's wrist, I let go and stare at the ceiling with pursed lips, ashamed of myself for being so quick to give in to panic. I've gotten too soft, although I suppose I've always been especially scared of drowning.

Patting my head and surprising me as he gets up, Halt says, "It's quite alright, Amaris. It's quite alright..."