The Ranger's Apprentice - Oakleaf Bearers discussion

Another fief

Vincent grimaced. There was nothing like waking up with a headache. He'd run into an especially temperamental band of thieves the days before and one had managed to slam his head into a tree. Needless to say, that thief had regretted the attack. He pulled himself onto his horse, the battle school and its apprentices looked fine.

Lucan greeted, "Hi Ranger Vincent! Can I be your apprentice, I'm now fifteen and all..."

The man rolled his eyes. "Shouldn't you be at lessons or something, Lucan?" he asked exasperated.

Lucan asked, "Lessons? Hm... don't have any, after all I don't have a mentor yet... ah oh well bye!" He dashed into the forest and move away silently while blending skillfully into the shadows.

Vincent sighed. "Where are you going?" he shouted lazily.

Lucan responded, "I always feel calm when I'm in the forest."

"Are you insane?" Vincent wondered as he urged his horse forward into the forest.

Lucan asked, "No why?"

He exhaled. "And you say you want to be my apprentice?"

Lucan said, "Yeah! I always look up to Rangers, and I my dad was a Ranger here before he died in battle... and I have promised myself that I will become a ranger that my dad."

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Did you now? Tell me, what skills do you have?"

Lucan said, "Before my dad died he taught me how to shoot an arrow and I already demonstrated my ability to move without being heard or seen."

"So you have." Vincent rolls is options around in his head. "All right. I'll give you a shot."

Lucan cheered, "Alright! Thanks Vincent, I promise that I won't let you down!"

Vincent sighed. "Like you have a choice. Follow me," he said, waving his hand over his shoulder as he turned his horse around. "So, tell me a little bit about yourself."

Lucan said, "well I'm 15 years old, and I have a distant cousin in Redmont... I am an orphan and I have always wanted to become a ranger since my 5th birthday."

"Who's the orphan?"

Lucan said, "me, my dad when I was 3 and mom died when I was a born."

Vincent nodded. "Cousin," he amended. "I meant who's the cousin?"

Lucan responded, "Oh you should know him, he's also a king's ranger... you know Adrian Kaliar, he's my late uncle's son. He was adopted by my dad when I was two and he is nine years older than me."

Vincent nodded. "Yes, I know him. Good guy."

Lucan wondered, "I wonder how he's doing... do you think we can see him at the next Ranger's Gathering?"

"Unless he has a mission at the time, yes. You'll have to train hard though." Vincent fiddled with his reins. "Here we are." He climbed down from the saddle and let the reins drop as he walked up his porch steps.

Lucan said,"Okay, so what should I do now?"

"You need to go get water and fill the water barrel."

Lucan dashed over to a nearby river and began to fill the water barrel

Vincent chuckled to himself, trudging to the table and heavily taking a seat. He sighed and hung his head back.

Lucan quickly finished and went into the cabin dripping wet, he said,"Done, and sorry that I'm wet... I sort of fell in the river."

"You fell in the river?" Vincent asked incredulously. "Do you know what happens to people who can't keep their balance on solid ground?" he asked standing up and walking towards Lucan.

Lucan said, "Yeah, we can easily get killed by enemies and wild boars and stuff."

((Can you believe that I had a test on Monday, 2 tests yesterday, 4 tests today, and one tomorrow and two on Friday? I think I am going to drop down dead... and this is only in freshman high school year...))

((DANG, that sucks!))

"Yes," Vincent agreed crisply. "And I assure you a knife in the stomach, decapitation, poison is not comfortable or fun. Imprisonment, torture! You risk all of these things when you can't stay on your feet!"

Vincent balled one of his hands into a fist. "From now on, you will stand on the wettest river stone you can find and you will not fall! You understand me?"

Lucan said, "My balance is fine but... its just that someone pushed me into the river... but yeah I understand."

((I won't be on again until next Saturday because I'm going over to my grandparents' place and well... they don't have internet connection, so I'll see you later.))

((kk))

Vincent stopped. "Someone pushed you in? Who was it? That is different from just falling in!"

((sorry! I haven't been on! my sophmore year was pure torture and I didn't have time to come on!))

Lucan shrugged. "I didn't see the person. He was quite strong though."