Category: John Flanagan

John Flanagan

The Rangers were founded over one hundred and fifty years ago, in King Herbert’s reign. Do you know anything about him?” Halt looked sideways at the boy sitting beside him, tossing the question out quickly to see his response. Will hesitated. He vaugely remembered the name from history lessons in the Ward, but he couldn’t remember any details. Still, he decided he’d try to bluff his way through it…”Oh … yes,” he said, “King Herbert. We learned about him.””Really?” said the Ranger expansively. “Perhaps you could tell me a little about him?” He leaned back and crossed his legs, getting himself comfortable…”He was …” he hesitated, pretending to gather his thoughts. “The king.” That much he was sure of. Halt merely smiled and made a rolling gesture with his hand that meant go on. “He was the king … a hundred and fifty years ago,” Will said, trying to sound certain of his facts. The Ranger smiled at him, gesturing for him to continue yet again. “Ummm … well, I seem to recall that he was the one who founded the Ranger Corps,” he said hopefully, and Halt raised his eyebrows in mock surprise.”Really? You recall that, do you?

John Flanagan

Right! Let’s get on with it! All right… you… Will… have trained as apprentice to Ranger Halt of Redmont Fief these last five twelvemonths and blah blah blah and so on and so on. You’ve shown the necessary level of proficiency in the use of the weapons a Ranger uses- the longbow, the saxe knife, the throwing knife.”He paused and glanced up Halt. “He has shown the proficiency, hasn’t he? Of course he has,” he went on, before Halt could answer. “Furthermore, you are a trusted officer in the service of the King and so on and so on and hi diddle diddle dee dee…” He glanced up again. “These forms really do carry on a bit, don’t they? But I have to make a pretense of reading them. And so forth and so on and such like.” He paused, nodded several times, then continued.”So basically…” He flicked a few more pages, found the one he was after and then continued, “You are in all ways ready to assume the position and authority of a fully operational Ranger in the Kingdom of Araluen. Correct?”He glanced up again, his eyebrows raised. Will realized he was waiting for an answer.”Correct,” he said hastily, then in case that wasn’t enough, he added, “Yes. I mean… I do… I am. Yes.””Well, good for you.

John Flanagan

But…’ Horace looked from one familiar face to another. ‘How did you come to..?’Before he could finish the question, Will interupted, thinking to clarify matters but only making them more puzzling…’We were all in Toscana for the treaty signing,’ he began, then corrected himself. ‘Well, Evanlyn wasn’t. She came later. But, when she did, she told us you were missing, so we all boarded Gundar’s ship-you should see it. It’s a new design that can sail into the wind. But anyway, that’s not important. And just before we left, Selethen decided to join us-what with you being an old comrade in arms and all-and…’He got no further. Halt, seeing the confusion growing on Horace’s face, held up a hand to stop his babbling former apprentice…Will stopped, a little embarrassed as he realized that he had been running off at the mouth.

John Flanagan

Fighting positions, please, ladies…”That’s debatable,’ Halt said in an undertone to Will as they stood watching…’The ‘fighting’ part or the ‘ladies’ part?’ Will replied with a grin.Halt looked at him and shook his head. ‘Definitely the ‘ladies,” he said. ‘There’s no debate about the ‘fighting.”Will shrugged. He knew there was an edginess to the girls’ relationship and that it had something to do with him. Why that should be so was beyond him.