Ranger's Daughter

Chapter Five

So it was day-in and day-out training for a while. I improved on my good (modest, my amazing) skills with the bow and arrow, learned how to throw a knife (and only cut myself once) and became really good at sneaking around (even if it was only to steal another cookie from the kitchen, I still did it without Halt’s noticing). And I did it all without worrying. But today, of all days, I’m really nervous. Probably because today is the day of the Apprentice fair.

         Allow me to explain: the Apprentice fair is for masters (Halt) to show off their hard work in training their apprentices (moi). In front of the entire fief. Yeah. You see the problem. I like disappearing. And this is nothing but a performance. Halt prepares me for it, in his own, vague, way.

         “If you can manage to pretend like I’ve taught you something in the past six months, though obviously I haven’t, that would be just great,” he says in that bluntly sarcastic tone of his. “I realize that do to the fact that you’re a gi… uh, different than most Ranger apprentices, you shouldn’t be too badly ridiculed. Most of the people there just want a good show, and as you are, of this moment, a secret, you should do fine in surprising them. So, shoot a few arrows, throw a couple knives, and spook the bejeebers out of a few people by popping out unexpectedly. Got it?” I nod, not very convincingly. “Good. Off you go.”

*****

         We get there, and I kid you not, there was a stage. For my benefit. Gulp. At one end, there’s a target. At the other, a table full of weapons I don’t need. I never put mine down. That’s one thing Halt has taught me. Since my training began, I’ve gotten used to the added weight and almost don’t notice it. But now, with all those people out there deciding for themselves on how good I am, it feels like I have a ton of rocks strapped to my back. I’ve always been a self-conscience person, but this was ridiculous. Plus, I’m not the most graceful swan in the lake, if you catch my drift. If I was supposed to walk somewhere, I inevitably fell. Every. Stinking. Time.

       Somewhere, there was an announcer calling my name, but I barely heard him over the rushing sound that was all I could hear. I got tunnel vision, everything was changing colors, and for some reason, the sky was sideways, why was it doing that….

     “CLAIRE!” Halt’s ever-so-gentle-not-really voice woke me up. “What was that all about?”

     “Wha??” Oh yeah, I have such a way with words.

    “You just passed out. On stage for your Apprentice fair.”

    One of the ladies with a huge hat on passed by and said, “Oh the poor dear. Doesn’t she know this is a man’s job? No wonders she’s gone and fainted.”

    Then I passed out. Again. One could say that I have a wee bit of stage fright.

                                                  ****

         After I regained conscienceness, I was still required to go through with the fair thing. Halt drives a hard bargain. I believe the exact words were, “Get your rear on that stage and do something or I’ll kick it there.”

Hard to argue with that logic.

So I take my bow, take a little bit of comfort in having a weapon in my hand, and head up on stage. A lot of people left after my little ‘incident’ so it’s easier now. I sight briefly, and release my arrow. Straight to the middle of the target. I look to Halt, to make sure he approves. He nods and gives me the signal. We discussed this, to make sure I had the audiences attention so I wasn’t overlooked. I look out to the audience who is very obviously not paying attention to anything I’m doing. I see what I’m looking for; a woman with a gigantic hat. They’re the latest style I’m told, but I’m not into fashion like some girls my age are. But that’s not why I pick this woman out of the crowd. She’s the same one that thought I passed out because this was a “man’s job”. Idiot. I aim my arrow and fire. Directly into her hat, and I pin it to the wall behind her. She gives a little wail and faints.

Ha ha.

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so i'm sorry this chapter is kinda short. thank you for everyone reading and voting and becoming fans. i won't upload again until i get 3 votes. it's not a lot, and seriously, if people are too lazy to drag the mouse to the button and click it, what's the point of me writing entire chapters? thanks

-V