Ranger's Apprentice Fanfiction - Ranger Echo

Call me Echo the Majestic Eagle!

I brushed through my horse, Sky's hair. Everything was so confusing, so jumbled up. I had to deal with so many minor crimes right now, multiple things I have already done in the past which really annoys me, and now all these memories are popping up? One by one, things from the past flew over my eyes, vivid, as if I were reliving them.

I stood in front of the Baron, gulping. "Name?" He asked, after I didn't speak up like the others who were ahead of me. I let out a high pitched sound, squeaking, hurting my throat, but I couldn't seem to say anything else. My vocal cords wouldn't cooperate with me. The Baron flinched, his eyes looking at me wide eyed. "Oi, sweetie, you sound like a majestic eagle!" Giggles and laughs erupted from the other wards, making my face blush a bright red as I clenched my fist and glared at the ground.

The Baron's face seemed to relax as he smiled warmly at the younger me. "Don't worry, I wouldn't hurt you, young one." He said, making me look up hesitantly. "Now, can I have your name?"

"Echo."

My voice was unsteady and broke in the middle of it, making me bite my lip and facepalm in my head. He nodded. "No last name, I see." I nodded, he only looked away. "Would it be to much to ask if you knew your parents occupations?" I stared at the man, my eyes wide, taking one deep breath. "My dad was a ranger!" My voice came out high pitched, breaking as always. Laughs erupted from the other wards, making me glance uncertainly at my only two friends, but they only smiled hesitantly and nodded for me to continue.

"He... He saved my life." Why won't my voice go back to normal? Why was it so high pitched?

He pulled on his short beard, eying me. "Dip-Diplomatic Service." I squeaked, making him look over at Lady Gwendolyn. She rose an eyebrow before shaking her head. "She could at least be confident, and look at that slouch! To much work, my lord." I let my bottom lip tremble as I looked at the baron, he stared down at me in pity.

"Second choices?"

"I-I didn't think that far, my lord." His left eye twitched from the pitch of my voice, though there was no hint of annoyance on his face. He sighed before looking at the papers in his hands.

"You were the one who scared a dozen of my couriers a few days ago." My eyes widened as I turned back to Lady Gwendolyn. It was true, I couldn't defend myself. "You were the one who tried to steal all the wooden swords last month, eh?" The battle master bellowed at me in rage. It was also true. I slowly nodded at the two, backing away. "Lad, didn't ya steal a few cakes awhile back?" The head chef said, glaring at me.

"Don't." Everyone froze and turned to the baron. I noticed the Ranger of the fief, Simon. "Echo will be taken in as a Ranger."

I sighed, running a hand through my greasy auburn hair. Echo the Majestic eagle. That was my knickname. Whenever anyone I knew saw me, they didn't call me Echo, they called me a majestic eagle...

Everything was so complicated. So many secrets were kept. My father and mother still haven't showed themselves, which irritates me. Considering that my father even said he would tell me soon...

A girl jumped on top of me, making me wake with a start. She held a knife in her hands, her eyes filled with pure hate as she glared down at me. Right when it was about to sink its blade into my chest, I awoke from my daze. I shot my hands forwards and grabbed her collar, then swung her behind me, doing a small roll in the process. She face planted into the wall painfully.

I got up and threw on my black cloak before sprinting away, running to where I knew I would have some sort of advantage, the forest. The guards moved to stop us, but I threw their weapons to the floor and continued on my path. But, with my horrible luck that night, I tripped over a large tree root. The girl was upon me in a split second.

She pinned my elbows down with her knees and held the knife high. I didn't know what to do, so I did the only thing I could think of, scream. It wouldn't help, though. The guards thought we were out playing, and me being such a dramatic girl they would think I was only acting and laugh it off. But, with a flash of green the girl was thrown off of me.

I stumbled up, and the first thing my hands touched was a tree. My eyes widened before I scrambled a few branches up in the tree before peering down. The girl was knocked out on the ground, and in front of her stood a man in green. A ranger. He peered up at me, either with curiosity or with pride, which I will never know.

"Come here." His voice was a little scratchy, like he hadn't used it in quite a while.

I slowly made my way down the tree, then looked up at the older man in front of me. He picked me up, making me raise an eyebrow. He chuckled, then held my chin so I could look into his eyes. His dark brown eyes, nearly black. Like mine. "I am your father. You will know who me and your mother are soon. When the time is right."

With that he put the small girl down, then sprinted away into the forest.

Yeah, 'soon'. It's been seventeen years, he told me that when I was eleven. When is he going to tell me? I bet he's dead. The wars with Morgorath (sorry if I spelled that wrong) and all, he sure as heck can be. And I haven't had any clues as to who my mother is. Maybe she has auburn hair, like me? Or maybe I got this from my father? No. I can't rely on stupid, pointless guesses.

I looked down at what I was wearing. I wore my silver oak leaf around my neck, my usual lime green V neck, with some tights and some knee high leather boots. The usual. I've been sticking with this ever since I was little. Well, the V neck used to be a turtle neck, but eventually I made the change. Maybe a few years before my choosing.

Ah, I still can't help but wonder, why was everybody tested for their choosing but me...?