The Rangers Apprentice: Thunder Coming

The oak leaf blooms

Halt sat in his little cottage, feeling very confused. His hope to be apprentice had failed the one test he needed to complete to become a ranger. Halt sat now in one of his chairs in a half circle around the fireplace, holding the bronze oak leaf pendant in his hand. He would need another apprentice and soon, for Halt was so certain Will would succeed that he had promised Crowley a new member for the gathering in seven months. Halt heaved a heavy sigh. Why couldn't Will have just given in to his curiousness.

Halt did have a backup, and he now realized that he would have to go get him now. Halt begrudgingly got out of his chair and left the room. Abelard was still at old bens so he would have to go to the castle on foot. Halt snagged  his longbow on the way out. Even if this was only a retrieval mission, Halt would take his prized longbow and double scabbard holding his saxe knife and his throwing knife.

The trip to the castle was long and uneventful, to say the least, for it was still very early in the morning. Halt's silver oak leaf pendant gently thudded against his chest. For Halt it was a comforting presence. The large castle came into view and Halt quickened his pace. The horse masters stable wasn't far now. Ulf was an old friend, and his son was perfect for ranger life. The stables were a massive symphony of wood and horse droppings. This was not the place where the ranger horses where kept, only the massive battle horses. Ulf was hard at work shovelling horse dung into a large cart to bring away later. The small ranger stepped onto his little porch and called out to the massive man.
"Good morning, Ulf" He said. Ulf looked up and nervously met Holts gaze. His dark tanned skin matched that of his sons, and the dark brown hair was a telltale sign of the family. Most common folk such as Ulf where suspicious of Rangers, and the thought that his son might join the mysterious group didn't do much to settle his nerves
"Mornin' Ranger." He said, then firmly planted his shovel in the ground.
"What can I do ya for, Ranger?" He said. Halt removed his hood and looked the man in the eye. "Your son, Ulf." Ulf looked sadly at the ranger. His big brown eyes shot needles of regret through Halt but before he could let the first year fall into his cheek, Ulf stumbled inside the small wooden house to rouse his son.

The pair came back a few minutes later, with one sholder bag for the new ranger. "Goodbye dad." The boy said. He was a small boy, big his arms were already well muscled thanks to the work he had done on the massive battle horses over his life. "Goodbye son" said Ulf. Halt started to walk back the way he came, and the blonde boy followed with no hesitation. He had known this could happen and had already prepared for it. Halt stopped just outside the gates of castle Redmont and turned to his new apprentice.
"Hello, Merec."