The Last Ranger

Chapter 1

Pandora slipped silently through the crowd, her honey coloured hair drawn up into her cap. She slipped up next to one of the nobles, and seemingly 'bumped' into her. 

"Oh," she said in a low voice "sorry Mam, I didn't see you there." 

The snobby noble had no idea that her purse had just been stolen, by the time she found out, Pandora would be long gone. 

Pandora quickly walked into a darkened alleyway, where she pulled on a purple skirt and took off her cap, allowing her curly hair to flow down her back. Now, she would not be found. If the search was on, they would be looking for a young boy, not a girl. 

She headed back to the Ward, a building that was in the castle New Gorlon itself. 

When she arrived she headed to the girls dormitory in a hope to escape the vengeful Mrs Cobly. But, she had no such luck. 

"Pandora Evans! Just what do you think you are doing? Sneaking in like this! Look at your boots, they are absolutely filthy! And what sort of clothes are you wearing?! If you've been stealing again..." 

"I don't steal!" Pandora cried out  

"Oh really?" 

"Nothing's ever been proven. Its Innocent until proven guilty anyway! Not the other way round!" She then turned round and stormed up to the dormitory and slammed the door. 

She headed over to her bed and lifted the mattress up to reveal a small velvet pouch that jingled with the sounds of silver coins. She quickly opened the purse and chucked the contents inside. But a small item fell out- that wasn't a coin. It was a small wooden north seeker, it was old. Incredibly old. It was the type of design that had been used twenty or thirty years ago. Now they used metal ones, metals that weren't magnetic though.  

Pandora shrugged and took a small piece of cord and threaded the pendant round her neck. 

"Pandora!" Yelled Mrs Colby "ya brother, Chef Stephen is here to see you!" 

Pandora sighed and returned the plush to its original place and headed down the stairs to meet her brother.

***

It was the day of the choosing. But she was alone, as there were no other ward mates that were 15. But Pandora wasn't nervous. She was confident she could get picked for something. But no matter what, she was never going to be a chef. Even being a farmhand would be better, because at least she could buy her way out of that job. 

She dressed in her trousers and blouse, pulled her green cloak over her shoulders and headed over to the west tower. 

It had been snowing during the night, so the ground was layered with an untouched layer of snow.

The east tower was cold, as it was hardly used so Pandora jumped up and down quickly to keep herself warm. 

Finally she was called in by George. 

"Ok everyone." He called through the door "line up in hight order and I'll be with you in a second." 

Pandora stood awkwardly around, waiting for George to come back out again. 

"So, everyone-"he began "oh. Right. So, you're the only one?" 

"Yes sir." 

"Well, come in then." 

He led her up the stairs into a small office where the craft masters stood. There was only Battleschool, Blacksmith and the Courier corps who had apprenticeships open. 

"Now, Pandora Evans, where would you like to be assigned." Asked George, reading from her file. 

"Blacksmith sir." She requested 

"Blacksmith? Don't be silly! Oh... You're actually being serious. Well...Blacksmith?" 

"Absolutely not George. I can,t take a girl as an apprentice!" 

"Any other choices Pandora?" 

"Well, If I can't be a blacksmith, then I'm obviously not allowed to go to battle school, so is there any other choice?" 

"Well... No, Sir Cornac?" 

"I can not take a thief!" 

"Nothing's ever been proven!" 

"No." 

"Well, Pandora...I'm afraid that you will have to be a farmhand. There is no other option." 

"I will take her." Said a voice from the corner of the room." 

"Ranger. What? Oh, Of course, five years ago, females were accepted as rangers. Very well Pandora. You are now an apprentice Ranger. Report for duty in an hour." 

"What!? I don't want to be a ranger!" 

"Well, it looks like you already are."

Pandora returned back to the ward for the final time. When she entered Mrs Cobly shuffled up to her. 

"how did it go?" 

"Fine. I'm a ranger." 

"Congratulations. Thank goodness, I don't have to answer for you anymore. Anyway, you had better pack your things."

There wasn't much to pack, there was only a few sets of clothes (mostly boys clothes 'unsuitable' for a young lady), a couple of books, a dagger, two cloaks, a lock picking kit and an old map that had been her fathers. She sheathed her dagger at her belt and tarted to head down to he rangers cabin. 

On horse back the journey only took about five or ten minutes,but walking- with some heavy bags it took about twenty. 

When she reached the cabin she knocked on the oak door. The cabin was simple. It had smooth river stones on the roof and a simple front porch. At the back was a small stable that housed a small horse. 

Soon, she got tired of waiting (after ten minutes the door still hadn't been opened). So She tried pushing the door. Locked. But that wouldn't stop her. She got out her lock picking kit and began to pick the lock.  

It was a simple lock, so it only took her a few minutes to crack before she pushed open the door and entered the house. 

It was warm inside from the fire that crackled inside the fireplace. She walked into the empty bedroom, put her bags down and froze. Something wasn't right. 

There was a person watching her. She had been suspicious in the first place, it had been the fire that set her off. If there was no one home, the fire would of been put out. 

Just in time she spun round to meet the silent attacker with the knife in his hand. His forearm met her arm and she stamped down on his foot and ducked his next blow. 

"Well," the man said "it seems that my suspicions were right. You are unnaturally talented for a girl of you upbringing." 

"Got anything against girls?" I asked him 

"No, my wife was much like you." 

"Why did you take me as an apprentice?" 

"I saw you had potential as a ranger." 

"The real reason." 

"Nothing gets past you, does it? Well, here goes nothing."