The New Apprentice

Chapter Nine: One Friend Proven, Another Doubted.

Apparently, a lot had happened at the boar hunt and long story short, after their targeted boar had been killed, another boar, even bigger than the one dead (which was large even in boar standards), had appeared after the knights' formation had been broken up as they congratulated each other. Will and Horace had been left in its rampaging path, and although Horace had tried to defend Will with his boar spear, he had slipped on ice, leaving himself vulnerable to the charging boar. Will had jumped off of Tug and distracted the vicious creature, taking its attention off Horace and angering it by shooting arrows which did no harm to the beast's thick hide.

Will had dodged the animal a few times, but when the boar had come at him slowly and he had known the knights wouldn't be able to get to him in time, Tug had come to the rescue!
Tug's strong kick only knocked the boar over, doing little damage. Will quickly got the boar's attention back to himself, and this time, when it charged, Will had had nowhere to run.

In a final act of bravery, he'd squeezed his eyes shut and gotten down on one knee with his saxe knife pointed at the boar, planning to take it down with him.

Halt (to everyone's huge relief), finally having gotten the boar's one and only vulnerable spot in his line of sight, had made a perfect shot straight into and out of the beast's heart.

But now Will is worried. Everybody had been congratulating him for his bravery, and he felt bad that Horace and Halt had gotten so little credit, while he was getting so much. After all, he wasn't the one who had killed the boar and Horace had been the first to protect the other.

"It's alright," I reassure him, "the people who matter- you and Halt, Horace and Battlemaster Rodney- all know what really happened. You'll both get the credit you deserve. And as for the villagers, just ignore their blown-up stories about how you took down both boars with your bare hands," I grin, "They're just trying to add some spice into their lives."

He sighs, "Yes, I suppose so. It's just that I really wanted to talk to Horace now that we're okay with each other. We did save each other's lives after all, and I want to make sure he knows I have nothing to do with those ridiculous rumors."

I smile, "The time for it will come."

Suddenly changing the subject, Will remarks, "By the way, how are you feeling about the Gathering? There's only two months left!"

I grin, my throat closing up with excitement. "I'm so excited!" I squeal.

Will bursts out laughing, "Did I just hear you squeal? You actually did something girly."

I smirk, "Do I laugh at you when you decide to act manly and tough? When those three battleschool jerks came, I was seriously trying to hold in my laughter about how you were trying to act scary like Halt."

There's a moment of silence. He takes a breath and opens his mouth as if to say something, then realizing he has nothing to say, shuts it.

"I win," I sing with a smirk resting on my lips.

Will sighs, "Ugh, Amaris..." then he mutters under his breath, "What are we going to do with you?"

"Um, decide not to assassinate me. That would be really helpful, and I'll even say please and thank you. Please? Thank you!" I beam at him.

He looks at me, confused. "You're really random. You do know that?"

"Yes, I've been told so. Anyways, we should probably go to bed, it's late and we have training tomorrow."

"Erm, we have training everyday," Will points out.

"Exactly," I say, "so we should probably get to bed. Goodnight, Will. You too, Halt."