Journey to be a Ranger

<Chapter Seven>

The days fairly flew by for Anna. Each day she would get up, do school, and practice her archery. Each day, she would get more accurate and faster with the bow.

"Deer tracks!" Anna exclaimed quietly to herself. Grinning, she stood up from her crouch and followed them in a half jog. She stepped as quietly as she could in the freshly fallen snow. The tracks led all around the woods. Anna guessed they were fairly recent, as they were not covered by the snow that had fallen the previous night, and they were not trampled over by anything.

'Maybe I'll find the deer itself.' Anna grinned silently at the thought, glanced up, and froze. 'Well this is weird.' Up ahead on the trail was a lone deer. The doe was facing partially away from Anna. Moving very slowly and carefully, Anna circled the deer until she was behind it. Quietly, she stepped forward a few paces and stopped. The deer started to munch on a young tree that had survived the cold so far. Anna watched it, smiling as she studied its behavior. The deer started to walk again, headed down the path. Anna followed it as fast as she could while still being quiet. Every time the deer stopped, Anna froze in place, only moving when the deer moved. After a few minutes of following it, Anna accidentally made a noise by stepping too quickly in the snow. The deer swung it's head to look at Anna, and Anna froze. They stood there for several moments, each staring at the other, before the deer started moving again. Anna smiled and turned back to walk towards Graybeard Halt.

When she arrived at the cabin, she unlocked the door with the key that she kept on a necklace around her neck. Anna went inside, and grabbed her bow off of the table. She had left it there while she looked for tracks so she would not be encumbered by it. Vaguely she felt like she should have brought it along, in case she would need it, but she shrugged. She doubted anybody else was in these woods. Holding her bow in her right hand and arrows in her left, she started walking back to the house. Anna had already practiced with her bow before she tracked the deer. She broke into a jog, and soon the house came into view. Going in, Anna went to her room and propped the bow and quiver against a wall. Walking back out, she saw her mom in the living room, knitting.

"Hey mom! I'm going to go ride Erak for a little while. I'll probably go check on Black Lily as well." Anna said cheerfully.

Sylvia smiled, "All right! Be careful!"

Anna grinned and nodded. Running out the door, she went out to the back. Her horse, Erak Starfollower was waiting in the paddock. Opening the gate, Anna ran in and went over to Erak. She stroked his neck and smiled. Erak sniffed her sweatshirt pocket, and Anna's smile turned into a grin. Reaching in her pocket, she produced an apple and offered it to him. Erak quickly ate the apple and looked at Anna for more. "Halt wouldn't approve." Anna told him, "But I guess Will doesn't listen to him about that." She grinned and produced another apple out of her pocket, which was quickly devoured in the same way as the first.

Saddling Erak Starfollower, Anna mounted and led him out of the paddock towards Amity's house. The ride through the woods was uneventful, and Anna kept Erak at a walk, enjoying being in the fresh air. When she arrived at Amity's house, a horse's neigh greeted them. Erak pricked his ears, and increased his pace to a trot.

"Black Lily is eager to see you too." Anna commented. Erak trotted up to the paddock and rubbed noses with Lily, Amity's horse. Anna dismounted and tied Erak's reigns to the fence. She went into the paddock, and refilled Lily's water and food. Grabbing Lily's gear, and saddling her, Anna mounted her. She waited a few moments, briefly wondering if Black Lily had a code word, like the Ranger's horses, and any moment was going to rear and wildly buck to get Anna off her back. Tentatively, Anna tugged gently at Lily's reigns to turn her. Much to Anna's relief, Black Lily complied, and let herself be led out of the paddock. Anna rode her over to Erak, and untied her horse's reigns, slipping them around her wrist. Anna urged Lily into a canter, and Erak increased his pace as well, keeping stride with Lily.

Anna rode the horses for about half an hour, switching off between riding Lily and riding Erak. When she was done riding, she put Lily back in her paddock, and started back to her house on Erak. Filled with a sudden impulse, Anna urged Erak into a gallop, expertly guiding him on the trail. As she passed by Graybeard Halt, Anna slowed him down to a walk. She kept him in a walk the rest of the way home. When she got home, she left Erak in the paddock, and jogged around the house to the front door. Walking in the door, Anna took her boots off and headed to the kitchen, where her mom and dad were talking. "Hi mom! Hi dad!"

"Hey pumpkin!" Her father greeted.

"How was work?" Anna asked, hugging him tightly.

Doyle smiled and hugged her back, "It was great."

The small family sat down to dinner. After dinner, they all watched a movie, and then went to bed.

Anna sat on her bed, and sent a text to Amity.

"I took Black Lily out for a run today! Hope you are having a great vacation."

A few moments after, Amity replied, "Thank you so much! It's been super great! And warm... I heard it's like 30 degrees there... Well it's like 90 here...❄️🔥"

"Hilarious."

"Hahahahahaha😂"

"Beware when you get home.😈"

"wut...."

"Just beware.🏹"

990 words!

I am thinking of starting an Inheritance Series fanfiction! Tell me whatcha think in the comments!

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Well, bye bye for now little hobbitses!

<Evara>