The Ranger Corps

The Choosing

Hey! I assume if you are reading this story you know me or the Ranger Corps G+ community, but if you don't, it is a Role-playing community on Google+ where people get together and comment parts of an overall story involving the Ranger's Apprentice world created by John Flanagan. My character is a commandant named Eric Oakentes, and this is his story. Enjoy!

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Eric wandered through a dark room. He constantly heard the moaning and groaning of a beast hiding in his closet. He walked through the darkness through the sound. Opening the door he saw nothing but blackness. Then a huge face lunged out at him, a mix between a wolf and a bear and a man, with huge horns that could kill him in an instand. It roared, and the boy fell backward into the bed as it lunged toward him angrily, hungry and thirsty for flesh.

Eric Oakentes, a barely fifteen year old brunette boy, jumped out of his bed and hit his head on the top of his bead. He reached up to rub the bruise that was quickly developing on his forehead. Stupid Wargals. he thought to himself. Why am I so scared of them when none are even left? I should be thinking about the choosing, not some stupid monster. He had heard about the dreadful beasts when the storyteller of the town had told a long tale about two famous rangers named Will and Halt.

After he had gotten on his every-day wear, he walked down the hall past his sleeping friends in the ward. His parents had been killed seven months after his birth by someone or some group that had not been named. Someone had brought him to the ward shortly afterwards. But no-one he knew in the small fief of Tallmount knew who.

"Good morning, Eric!" a warm voice greeted him as he entered the meal hall. He looked at Matilda, the head lady who ran the orphanage with a tired smile and returned the greeting, sitting down at the table with her and the two other ladies who ran the orphanage, along with two other early-risers, his wardmates.

"Hey Eric." His friend Tom said to him cheerfully between bites of his bacon and toast.

"Morning, Tom." Eric replied. "Hey, remind me, what do you want to be when you get chosen by one of the masters?"

Tom gave him a bored look, and his eyes told him that he had said it a thousand times already. "A knight. I want to be one of the heroes of the land. Haven't I told you this before?"

Eric looked at him. "Yeah, I just don't know what I should do."

Tom gave him a dull look. "I don't know, be a diplomat! A scribe! A horse-whatever-person! I don't know, just do what you want.

Eric's face lit up. "That's it! I'll be a the Horsemaster's apprentice!"

"I don't know if that is even an option. I've never seen the horsemaster at the choosing before."

Eric slammed his face against the table in complete frustration. He instantly regretted it, and sat up quickly, groaning as he held his nose.

***

It was here. Choosing day. Eric stood in line in front of the different masters. He saw Sir Kithman, a great knight who had fought many battles, Madam Pinterst, a tall and elegant woman who controlled the diplomats of Tallmount. And behind all of these great people, Baron Timothy and a man in a cloak that seemed to blend in with the wall. As he peered at the man, he couldn't make out any decipherable features about him, other than the overall stout figure he had, and the bow and quiver slung over his shoulder. Archery Master, perhaps. He looked away from the interesting man and reverted his gaze to the awe-inspiring knight he looked up to so.

"Tom. Tom Hiddleston. Your turn." said the man with a long nose directing the choosing. "Who do you want to be chosen by?"

Tom swallowed hard, nervous. "Erhm, I, uh, Battleschool. please."

Sir Kithman studied Tom's broad figure thoroughly. "You sure about this, boy? Battleschool is a hard and long journey."

Tom swallowed again, considering his words for a whole thirty seconds before looking at Sir Kithman, a determined look on his face. "Yes." He said confidently.

Sir Kithman smiled at him. "He will do." he said to no-one in particular. "Tom, meet me at the training grounds tomorrow morning five-o-clock sharp. Bring all the belongings of yours you wish to bring."

"Yes sir!" Tom said excitedly. He ran out of the room, skipping with excitement.

It was Eric's turn.

"Eric? Eric Oakentes? Your turn, boy."

He swallowed like Tom, hoping someone, someone would choose him. He didn't want to end up a farmer in the hot reaches of Tallmount.

"Who do you wish to be chosen by? Or rather, what apprenticeship do you want to be in?"

He thought hard for awhile. He didn't want to be a scribe or diplomat. He didn't want to a cook or... No, he didn't want to be a knight either, somehow. His eyes searched the room, looking at everyone there. His eyes rested on the man in the cloak who looked at Eric intently. He looked away quickly and shut his eyes. He suddenly knew what He wanted to do as he looked at an old man standing with the rest of the masters.

"Horseschool, sir." He said to the long-nosed man.

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I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter of my story. Stay tuned for more chapters soon to come.