Free Ranger's Apprentice 12: The Royal Ranger by John Flanagan Page A
Authors: John Flanagan
too much, they were liable to cancel the whole idea.
‘Life as an apprentice won’t be easy,’ her mother said, eyeing her carefully.
Maddie rapidly composed her features so that she looked suitably chastened. ‘I know. But I’ll do my best.’
Inwardly, she was exultant. Will loved her. He doted on her. She could twist him around her little finger. She had always been able to. Why should things be different now?
‘So . . . you’re willing to take this on?’ Cassandra said, and Maddie lowered her gaze, nodding submissively.
‘I’ll do my best,’ she said. ‘I want you to be proud of me.’
Gilan and Halt rode up to the little cabin in the trees below Castle Redmont. As they approached the cabin, they could see a curl of wood smoke from the chimney. Tug, in his stable behind the cabin, neighed a greeting to Blaze and Abelard. They responded.
‘Well, at least he’s home,’ Gilan said.
As he spoke, the door to the cabin opened and Will stepped out onto the small verandah. He nodded to his two old friends.
‘Halt. Gilan,’ he said.
Halt’s heart sank a little at Will’s unemotional tone. Previously, their arrival at the cabin would have been an occasion for happy greetings, jokes and cheerful insults. Now Will simply leaned against a verandah post and watched them as they dismounted.
Halt stepped towards the two steps leading up to the verandah, then paused.
‘May we come in?’ he said pointedly. Will’s offhanded manner deserved some form of reproach.
‘Of course.’ Will stood aside and motioned for them to enter the cabin.
Halt took off his cloak and looked around the familiar space. He frowned slightly. There were unwashed dishes on the kitchen bench and two of the chairs were pulled out from the plain pine table, sitting at random angles. The fireplace was full of dead ashes and needed a good cleanout. Will’s cloak was tossed carelessly over the back of one of the armchairs that flanked the fireplace. Looking through the open door into Will’s bedroom, formerly his own, Halt could see that the bed was unmade.
Will noticed the direction of his gaze and moved to close the bedroom door.
‘Haven’t got round to cleaning up today,’ he mumbled.
Halt raised an eyebrow. ‘Or yesterday, apparently.’ At least, he thought, his former apprentice had the grace to look a little embarrassed.
‘Sit down,’ Will said, turning towards the small kitchen alcove. ‘I’ll make some coffee.’
Halt and Gilan exchanged a glance as they sat in the armchairs by the fire. Gilan shook his head sadly. Obviously, Halt thought, their minds were running along similar lines.
Will adjusted the draught on the pot belly stove in the kitchen then opened the firebox door and tossed in a few small sticks to get the flames going properly. He shook the kettle. There was a vague splashing sound.
‘I’ll get some water,’ he said and headed for the door. The pump was in the yard outside. Again his friends exchanged a look. Normal routine would be to fetch fresh water first thing in the morning.
‘He just doesn’t seem to care about anything,’ Gilan said once Will was outside.
Halt nodded, his brows coming together in a frown. ‘Then it’s up to us to shake him out of it.’
The door opened and Will returned with the full kettle. He set it on the hotplate, then busied himself getting cups, coffee and the coffee pot ready.
‘I know why you’re here,’ he said.
Halt shrugged. ‘Maybe you don’t,’ he replied.
‘You’re going to tell me to snap out of it and pull myself together,’ Will said. ‘Well, I’m sorry the place is a mess. I’m sorry I’m a mess.’ Now that he mentioned the fact, Halt noticed that his clothes were crumpled and stained and his hair and beard were long and uncut. ‘But I don’t care about all that. All I care about is seeing Jory Ruhl on the end of a noose.’
‘I can understand that,’ Gilan said. ‘But the Corps needs you.’
‘The Corps may just have
‘Life as an apprentice won’t be easy,’ her mother said, eyeing her carefully.
Maddie rapidly composed her features so that she looked suitably chastened. ‘I know. But I’ll do my best.’
Inwardly, she was exultant. Will loved her. He doted on her. She could twist him around her little finger. She had always been able to. Why should things be different now?
‘So . . . you’re willing to take this on?’ Cassandra said, and Maddie lowered her gaze, nodding submissively.
‘I’ll do my best,’ she said. ‘I want you to be proud of me.’
Gilan and Halt rode up to the little cabin in the trees below Castle Redmont. As they approached the cabin, they could see a curl of wood smoke from the chimney. Tug, in his stable behind the cabin, neighed a greeting to Blaze and Abelard. They responded.
‘Well, at least he’s home,’ Gilan said.
As he spoke, the door to the cabin opened and Will stepped out onto the small verandah. He nodded to his two old friends.
‘Halt. Gilan,’ he said.
Halt’s heart sank a little at Will’s unemotional tone. Previously, their arrival at the cabin would have been an occasion for happy greetings, jokes and cheerful insults. Now Will simply leaned against a verandah post and watched them as they dismounted.
Halt stepped towards the two steps leading up to the verandah, then paused.
‘May we come in?’ he said pointedly. Will’s offhanded manner deserved some form of reproach.
‘Of course.’ Will stood aside and motioned for them to enter the cabin.
Halt took off his cloak and looked around the familiar space. He frowned slightly. There were unwashed dishes on the kitchen bench and two of the chairs were pulled out from the plain pine table, sitting at random angles. The fireplace was full of dead ashes and needed a good cleanout. Will’s cloak was tossed carelessly over the back of one of the armchairs that flanked the fireplace. Looking through the open door into Will’s bedroom, formerly his own, Halt could see that the bed was unmade.
Will noticed the direction of his gaze and moved to close the bedroom door.
‘Haven’t got round to cleaning up today,’ he mumbled.
Halt raised an eyebrow. ‘Or yesterday, apparently.’ At least, he thought, his former apprentice had the grace to look a little embarrassed.
‘Sit down,’ Will said, turning towards the small kitchen alcove. ‘I’ll make some coffee.’
Halt and Gilan exchanged a glance as they sat in the armchairs by the fire. Gilan shook his head sadly. Obviously, Halt thought, their minds were running along similar lines.
Will adjusted the draught on the pot belly stove in the kitchen then opened the firebox door and tossed in a few small sticks to get the flames going properly. He shook the kettle. There was a vague splashing sound.
‘I’ll get some water,’ he said and headed for the door. The pump was in the yard outside. Again his friends exchanged a look. Normal routine would be to fetch fresh water first thing in the morning.
‘He just doesn’t seem to care about anything,’ Gilan said once Will was outside.
Halt nodded, his brows coming together in a frown. ‘Then it’s up to us to shake him out of it.’
The door opened and Will returned with the full kettle. He set it on the hotplate, then busied himself getting cups, coffee and the coffee pot ready.
‘I know why you’re here,’ he said.
Halt shrugged. ‘Maybe you don’t,’ he replied.
‘You’re going to tell me to snap out of it and pull myself together,’ Will said. ‘Well, I’m sorry the place is a mess. I’m sorry I’m a mess.’ Now that he mentioned the fact, Halt noticed that his clothes were crumpled and stained and his hair and beard were long and uncut. ‘But I don’t care about all that. All I care about is seeing Jory Ruhl on the end of a noose.’
‘I can understand that,’ Gilan said. ‘But the Corps needs you.’
‘The Corps may just have