Daughter of a Ranger

Chapter 13

A month later, Jemma was out in the bush surrounding their cabin. Halt and Will were standing in the shade, and Will signalled for Jemma to start.

They were watching to see how well Jemma had trained and how well she could slip by unnoticed.

Jemma watched Halt and Will lift their cowls over their heads, and blend into the trees around them. She had her new cloak around her, and her cowl covering her head. She ran forward lightly, quietly grabbing a few rocks on the way.

She made no sound. She tossed a rock behind her and slowly inched forward. She watched where she trod, keeping an eye on the two older Rangers at all times. She stepped and walked and leapt lightly, until she had eventually reached the end. She turned around and saw the two Rangers still standing at their spot.

She smirked underneath her cowl.

She snuck up behind them as quietly as she could and jumped on her father's back. He turned around and bear hugged her as she jumped, the two falling to the ground. Halt stood over the two and sighed.

"You were supposed to go the length of the course, Jemma." he sighed.

"I did." she cried, through peels of laughter as Will started to tickle her.

Halt said 'oh!' which surpassed for a jump in the air and a shout with surprise.

Jemma giggled.

The three went back to the cabin. Jemma immediately sat next to Alyss and Lady Pauline, or as Jemma called her, Gramma Pauly.

Alyss and Pauline were talking about the Diplomatic Service and Horace was sitting at the table, nursing a cup of coffee. Will and Halt grabbed the cups of coffee that Horace passed them and Will quickly placed a spoonful of honey in the drink.

Halt tutted as the other two men laughed.

Jemma raced over to the table and sat down as well, grabbing her dad's coffee and taking a sip. "Ugghh, you put honey in it?" she said, smirking. Will noticed it and had to hide is laugh.

"Told you it spoils the taste of good coffee." Halt said, smirking on the inside that someone agreed with him for a change.

"Yeah," Jemma laughed, "Why put honey in it when you can have milk and sugar?"

"Harrumph." Halt buried his face in his cloak. Will and Horace burst out laughing as Jemma went to fix herself a cup of coffee. Alyss and Pauline looked up, but decided they didn't want to know, and continued talking.

Jemma drained her cup of coffee in a minute, then dragged Horace to his feet saying, "Come on Uncle Horace, let's practice with the sword."

Jemma lead Horace outside and stood, ready. Horace grinned and they both pulled their swords out at the same time. Horace showed her some techniques and then he got her to practice the techniques while he blocked them. Then they swapped positions.

But the end of the day, Jemma was exhausted. She had had another round of getting to a certain place without being spotted and she had practiced for hours with her own longbow, her new sling, and her new knives.

Will was going to get her a recurve bow, but after a discussion with everybody they decided to give her a longbow, as she already was used to it.

She was stronger then she looked.

That night she flopped onto her bed, still in her modified women's Ranger uniform, instantly asleep.