The Quest for Skandia (Ranger's Apprentice Fanfiction)

1

The dining hall was flooded with chattering and laughter. "Ugh! They won't be quiet!" A young girl grumbled. "Oh lighten up Emily! After all, it is your 13th birthday." A boy next to her said reassuringly.
"Thanks Diamante, but that doesn't help much, we are Skandians after all, and we are known to be loud." Emily said. Diamante shrugged.
Suddenly, there was a bellowing from the head of the table. "Attention everyone!" The man shouted. The room quieted and Emily groaned.
"Not again Erak..." Erak smiled at Emily and looked back to the others. "Today is Emily's 13th birthday!" He bellowed. Erak then motioned with his hand to Emily and the skandians stood out of their chairs.
Emily sighed and put her head in her hands. She shook her head and braced for impact. She felt herself being pulled out of her chair and being picked up.
"Happy birthday!" The crowd shouted and threw her in the air, catching her, and then throwing her in the air again. Emily started laughing and gasped as she was thrown into the air once again.
"Let me down!" She shouted playfully. Finally, the skandians lowered her down to the floor. "Every single year!" She groaned happily. The skandians around her burst into laughter and some patted her in the back, and some punched her playfully.
"Alright Emily, as usual, when every skandian becomes thirteen they are offered a chance to go on their very first raid. If you accept, we will be launching a ship tomorrow to the coast of Redmont. I guess we won't really be raiding... But I'm sure I can come up with some excuse to get some ale eh?" He said.
Emily shrugged as he continued on. "Even if you don't accept, we'll still be launching a ship to Redmont so... It's up to you to decide." Emily sighed quietly to herself.
She had been planning for this day her whole life. She knew that the cost would be a week's time ride on the open sea. It would be fun, but a weeks worth time is a lot. Plus, if a storm hit it would be pretty scary.
"We've been watching the weather, doesn't look as if there's going to be a storm." Erak said, as if reading her mind. She sighed quietly.
"I thank you for the offer Erak, but the weather could mess up, and a week is a long time for some ale." She said kindly, trying not to hurt his feelings.
She noticed that there were a few sad faces around the crowd, even Diamante. "Well, suit yourself. Not many kids do it anyway, definitely not the girls. But I'd expect an orphan like you to come up to the challenge. You've been challenged your whole life." Erak said sadly.
Emily clenched her fists. "Don't even go there." She said through gritted teeth. Yes, she was an orphan, and yes, she did have a troublesome life, and she was partly a trouble maker. But she didn't mean to be!
It wasn't fair to her that her dad had died in battle and her mom had died of child birth. Erak knew it too, he must've been very desperate for her to go on the trip. She thought grimly.
"My answer is still no." She said calmly. Erak nodded. "If you change your mind, we leave at dawn." Erak said. "Now off to bed Emily and Diamante." He commanded and turned to talk to the older skandians.
Emily glanced sidelong at Diamante and walked out the door, with her friend following. "Why didn't you go?" Diamante asked. Emily shrugged. "I guess I'm just not ready for it." She mumbled.
It was a beautiful place in skandia. There were trees and mountains. But what Emily admired most was the sea. It was her favorite color, blue, and in the sunlight it sparkled.
She sighed quietly. If Diamante hadn't nudged her, she would've ran into the orphanage. She looked up at the building. It wasn't much, just a wooden house with a thatched roof, and it was only occupied by Emily, Diamante, and the orphanage keepers.
Emily yawned and walked inside. It would be hard to sleep tonight, she knew. And the fear of what might happen if she went on the trip scared her. But what scared her more is what Erak didn't mention.
If Emily chose not to go on the ship, she would end up being a maid or servant for Erak. The thought gave her shivers. Emily had a tomboy nature. She didn't care how she looked every day like most of the other girl skandians.
She wore the usual sheepskin vest and attire of the skandians, while the other girls mostly wore skirts and formal tops, well, in skandian standards. She also practiced with the sword every day, and a lot of times with the bow.
When she was a younger girl she would go to the archery group of the Skandian army. She would watch them carefully, until on her tenth birthday she got a bow.
She practiced every day with it, and she still did. Emily shook her head. She was to tired to think over this all. She climbed into her bed and pulled the covers over herself, and quickly fell asleep. She was woken by the sound of men shouting at the docks.
She opened her eyes wearily and sat up. "Gorlogs beard! This is my last chance!" She whispered to no one in general. Emily then hopped out of bed. She sprinted to her closet and opened up the doors.
She grabbed her clothes, sword, and bow, and got dressed quickly. "Ok, Diamante wake up." Emily whispered. Diamante opened his eyes and sat up suddenly, seeing Emily fully dressed with gear and all.
"What in the world are you doing up so early?" He mumbled. Emily smiled at her friend and said cheerfully. "I'm going on the trip."