Tag: horace, ranger-s-apprentice, will

Already, Cullum felt a stirring of interest. The name Horace and the mention of an oakleaf symbol struck a chord in his memory. Sir Horace, the Oakleaf Knight, was a legendary figure in Araluen, even in a place as remote as Norgate. Of course, the more remote the location, the more garbled and fantastic the legends became. As Cullum had hear tell, Sir Horace had been a youth of sixteen when he defeated the tyrant Morgarath in single combat, slicing the head off the evil lord’s shoulders with one might strocke of a massive broadsword.Then, in the company of the equally legendary Ranger Halt, Sir Horace had traveled across the Stormwhite Sea to defeat the Riders from the East and rescue Princess Cassandra and her companion, the apprentice Ranger known as Will. Will! The significance of the name suddenly registered with the innkeeper. The jongleur’s name was Will. Now here he was, in a cowled cloak, festooned with recurve bow and a quiver of arrows. He looked more closely and saw the hilt of a heavy saxe knife just visible at his waist. No doubt about it, Cullum thought, these cheerful young men were two of Araluen’s greatest heroes!

All we could get out of them was that they were taking us to ‘Kurokuma’. We didn’t know if that was a place or a person. What does it mean, by the way?”I’m told it’s a term of great respect,’ Horace said, unwilling to admit that he didn’t know.

Easy climb, Kurokuma. You do it easily.”Not on your life,’ Horace said… ‘That’s what we have Rangers for. They climb up sheer rock walls and crawl along narrow, slippery ledges. I’m a trained warrior, and I’m far to valuable to risk such shenanigans.”We’re not valuable?’ Will said, feigning insult.Horace looked at him. ‘We’ve got two of you. We can always afford to lose one,’ he said firmly.