Halt's Ranger Apprentices- John Flanagan Ranger Apprentice fan-fiction

CHAPTER NINETEEN:

Squirt arrived in Araluen. She stared amazed at the beautifully carved stonework that was put into making the castle. She stared at it for a few minutes just admiring it in Beauty's saddle. Then a familiar voice caught her attention. she looked for where she heard the voice and saw Anthony the Chamberlain was waving to her. Beside him a young boy around her age trying to keep in step with Anthony's long, quick stride. When Anthony made it to Squirt the boy grabbed Beauty's reins. Beauty insulted that he didn't asked snorted at him leaving horse snot on his arm. They boy stepped back wiping the snot with a cloth he wore at his belt. He was obviously a stable hand, and a very inexperienced one. Squirt jumped down from her saddle in one easy movement and held Beauty's reins in her hand. Anthony shook in disgust at the boy stable hand.

"Robby what are you doing, you don't handle a horse like that. You need to get permission from the horse first." The boy looked up from the wiping off snot task and shook his head

"Didn't you see what that thing of a horse did to me? And how are you supposed to ask a horse for permission to hold damn reins!" Arrogant, Squirt thought, full of arrogance. Then he let out a sigh of realisation, "Oh, I'm sorry" he walked over to the horse "May I take your reins?" he asked sarcastically. Beauty Snorted on his face this time and the boy yelled angrily. Squirt found it incredibly challenging not to smile or laugh. She stood closer to Beauty and whispered in her ear

"Good girl" she said in a barely audible tone. But beauty seemed to hear it loud and clear and whinnied in laughter. Anthony shook his head at the arrogant boy.

"Go wash that off and you can be on washing duty for the rest of the day" the boy huffed and puffed as he walked away in an angry stride. Anthony turned back to Squirt apologetically.

"Sorry, he's our new trainee, who came from a rich family. His parents have gone on a trip for two weeks and have asked us to look after him and make him learn some discipline. I don't understand why they couldn't have done it themselves but anyway" he shook his head one last time getting rid of the anger and smiled, " Let's not worry about that. So how are you?" he asked. Squirt nodded. "Really good, I'm loving my apprenticeship as a ranger!" she said. Anthony had known Squirt for some time and was one of Duncan's closest friends in Araluen. He found out about Squirt being Duncan's daughter some years back, but he barely knew about it, Duncan preferred not to talk too much about it. Ever since then, Anthony and Duncan had become close friends and had met up with Squirt on several occasions. She was probably one of the sweetest girl's he had ever seen. Most girls he knew at Squirt's age were always worrying about their appearance so they could go and flirt with boys. But Squirt was nothing like those girls. She was more like the silent, sweet natured types, he thought.

After Squirt was settled down in her room in the Keep Tower she went back down stairs to the office where Anthony told her to meet him. He then took her to the Castle Hall and told her to wait outside until Duncan was ready for her. After 5 minutes, Anthony reappeared and ushered her in the Throne Room. In there was a long table with chairs surrounding it. At the very end of the Table was a throne where Duncan sat. Duncan gave her a polite smile but from growing up with a ranger she had learned many things. Including knowing what people were thinking. Duncan was sad. Miserable in fact and she hesitated. The facial expression was becoming too familiar. When she was leaving the cabin back in Redmont, Halt gave her very much the same expression, trying to cover up his sadness with a smile. She chose not to ask him about it and gave him a kiss on the cheek and left for her journey to Araluen. Duncan seeing her hesitation gestured for her to sit down in a chair next to him. She smiled and sat down. This conversation wasn't going to end good, Squirt knew.

"Squirt" Duncan said after Anthony left and shut the door. His smile had faded away now and his pained expression was all too obvious. "Squirt there's something I need to tell you, something I should have told you long ago..."