The Ruins of Gorlan

Halt takes Will into the forest, where they practice stealthy movement and work on map reading and chart making. Halt also gives Will his first lessons with Ranger weapons. Will hopes for a sword and battle ax but finds instead a small, efficient bow and two elegantly crafted knives.

Familiar with hunting bows, Will tries the little one and promptly thwacks his arm with the bowstring. Halt says Will is too impatient and must prepare for lots of practice. Halt introduces him to the knives, one for throwing and one for close fighting, and how to wear their double-pouch scabbard. Halt hurls the throwing knife, and it neatly pierces a tree trunk. Will wants to know how the weapons are used and Halt says they involve lots of practice.

Wearing helmets, chain mail, and shields, and wielding wooden practice swords, Horace and the other recruits train in battlefield fighting. Third-year cadets walk among them, making corrections. The monotonous drills instill in trainees the automatic reflexes that might someday save their lives.

Sir Rodney notices something interesting about Horace’s sword work. The lad completes each sequence perfectly, slashing and thrusting, but at the end of one, he adds a quick side slash that no opponent would be able to parry. A third-year driller, thinking Horace is swinging his sword randomly, berates him, but Horace, confused, replies that he performed the sequence as ordered.

Rodney has Horace repeat several sequences and he performs them perfectly. At the end of one sequence, Rodney calls out the extra stroke and Horace executes it automatically. Karel the drillmaster sees it, too. Rodney quietly tells Karel to report to him later to discuss this remarkable development.

In the forest, Will works on his archery. Halt says, “With more practice—a lot more practice—you might even achieve mediocrity” (85).

They hike through the forest to a set of buildings. Halt calls out, and a bald man, Old Bob, appears. He sports a gray, matted beard, and body odor like a dirty stable. Old Bob takes them to a paddock, whistles sharply, and two horses trot up. They’re small—one’s a pony—and the larger one walks to Halt, who gives it an apple and murmurs to it like an old friend.

The pony, Tug, is meant for Will. He holds the bridle and feels disappointed. Bob says, “He’s a strong ’un, this ’un. He’ll keep going all day, long after them fancy horses have laid down and died” (88).

Halt suggests that Will let go of the bridle and try to catch Tug. Will does so and the horse darts away. Will approaches Tug and Tug backs up. He runs after Tug playfully, and the pony gallops off. Will thinks, then grabs an apple from the barrel. He offers it to Tug and the horse walks up and accepts the treat as Will seizes the bridle.

They stay overnight, Will in the barn. Will lies awake much of the night, worrying about riding Tug the next day. He’s never been on a horse.

Rodney and Karel agree that Horace is “a natural” with a sword, someone who becomes a champion. They’ll send him to sword master Wallace for extra training, but they’ll keep quiet for now, lest Horace becomes cocky.

The second-year cadets, hearing about Horace’s run-in during training, decide to punish him. They take him to the river, make him wade in, pick up a large rock, and hold it over his head while he counts slowly to 500. They walk away while he counts. He doesn’t dare stop in case they sneak back to watch. Horace vows to get revenge on them someday.

Will saddles Tug and mounts the horse, who promptly throws him. Halt explains that Tug is a Ranger horse: “They’re trained that way so that they can never be stolen.” The secret words for Tug are “Do you mind?” (100). Will repeats them to Tug, who lets him ride. They walk around the paddock, then trot a bit.

Halt opens the gate, and Will guides Tug out to the meadow. They try a gallop and Tug responds well to Will’s reins. The boy’s first ride is a success. He’s a natural horseman. Will spends the day with Old Bob, learning how to care for horse and saddle.

Will and Halt ride back to the Ranger’s cottage. On the way, the horses whinny as if chatting. Wondering if Halt was the Ranger who saved the kingdom from Morgarath, Will asks for the name of the hero. Halt says, “Names aren’t important,” but that supper is, and he races his horse toward the cottage, Will galloping in pursuit (105).

Three months into their studies, all apprentices get leave to attend the Harvest Day festival and fair, hosted by Baron Arald. It has “fire-eaters and jugglers, singers and storytellers” (106), along with booths where fairgoers can toss hoops or balls at targets for prizes.

Will arrives on Tug, who by now, is a dear friend. Will ties Tug to a tree and waits. Baron Arald rides past and greets Will; he asks if the boy enjoys Ranger training. Will says Halt is always very serious. He asks the baron if Halt was the Ranger who led the cavalry in the victory over Morgarath. Arald says he was and Will wonders why Halt wasn’t honored for it. The baron explains that the Ranger refused any honors.

Alyss, George, and Jenny arrive, Jenny carrying freshly baked pies. George seems much more confident than he was on Choosing Day, and he argues that they eat the pies immediately. Jenny wants to wait for Horace, but the others are hungry, and she relents. They’re delicious; Jenny’s reputation as Chubb’s star pupil is well earned.

Horace arrives. Of all the apprentices, he alone despises his training. Badgered constantly by Bryn, Alda, and Jerome, Horace has fallen behind in his schoolwork, while the other trainees shun him for fear of falling prey to the third-year cadets.

Watching his ward mates enjoying their pies, he assumes they didn’t bother waiting and have consumed his as well. He says as much. Jenny, hurt, quickly brings him his pies. As he eats, he criticizes them, warning them to be respectful to a “warrior.” He shoves George, and nearly gets into it with Will but hesitates, noticing a new firmness in Will.

Horace discovers Will’s horse and makes fun of Tug. He decides to ride it and climbs on, but Tug promptly throws him. The apprentices giggle. Horace regains his feet, grabs a stick, and heads for the horse. Will tackles him and they roll on the ground, fighting. Sir Rodney arrives and breaks up the fight. He scolds them for their behavior and orders them to shake hands. They do, but each knows the fight isn’t over.

Weeks pass and snow carpets the ground. Will and Halt ride through the forest, searching for animal tracks. Will, distracted by thoughts of his argument with Horace, doesn’t pay attention, and Halt brings him up sharply. Will focuses and sees rabbit tracks. A little later, Halt shows him the tracks of a wild boar. The horses are calm, so the dangerous creature isn’t nearby. Will notices bushes moving and he draws an arrow and raises his bow. Halt warns Will that the bushes hide a person. A skinny, frail old farmer rises, hands in the air, crying, “don’t shoot!” and sprawls out in front of Will and Halt.

The farmer says he was following the boar and hoping to find someone who can kill it for food. Halt asks the farmer, named Salt Peter for his preference for salted meat, to take a message to Baron Arald from Halt. The farmer recognizes the name as that of the hero of the battle against Morgarath. Halt admits he’s that man, but Salt Peter doesn’t believe him because everyone knows that Halt is a giant. Halt insists he’s the same person, and that the baron needs to know about the boar, and that the knights should prepare to hunt it tomorrow. The farmer dutifully repeats the message and agrees to deliver it.

As Halt and Will ride off, the farmer shouts that he still doesn’t believe Halt is the famous hero: “Nobody grows shorter and thinner!” (132).

The large boar’s trail is easy to follow in the snow. Will asks Halt why they don’t simply kill it themselves without bothering the baron. Halt says a boar hunt is big and complicated—the animal is very dangerous and hard to kill—and the baron and his knights “wouldn’t miss the chance of a boar hunt for worlds” (134). Will and Halt will wait on their horses: If the boar escapes, they’ll chase it down and finish it off with arrows.

The next morning, Sir Rodney invites Horace to the boar hunt. 14 knights and one apprentice meet up with Halt, who leads them to the boar’s bushy hiding place, which he and Will found the previous evening. The visitors dismount and circle the boar’s hideaway. Halt rides near the least-experienced knights, while Will is positioned near the baron and Sir Rodney. Horace, who’s there to observe, stands protected between them.

The circle of hunters moves in on the boar. It issues a screaming roar and the hunting dogs, baying excitedly, are released and race into the bush. A tremendous battle erupts within the bushes. The boar breaks free. As large as a horse, it charges at one of the knights. He kneels, plants the butt of his spear in the ground, and aims the tip at the charging animal. The boar runs headlong into the spear, collapses, and dies.

The men gather round the knight who made the kill, congratulating him. Will and Horace glance at each other but say nothing. Tug whinnies, and Will looks up to see a second boar standing outside the lair. Will shouts a warning and the boar charges at Horace, who plants himself between Will and the boar. Horace slips in the snow and his spear clatters away. Will dismounts and fires an arrow at the boar, which turns and charges at Will. He dashes behind a tree and the boar slams into the trunk, then backs up and charges again as Will keeps the tree between them.

Tug gallops up, whirls, and kicks at the boar with his hind legs, sending the giant animal sprawling. It jumps back up and slashes its tusks at Tug, who dances away. Will fires another arrow at the boar and it turns and charges him again. Desperate, Will pull his long knife, kneels, and points it straight at the boar. An arrow strikes the boar just behind the left shoulder and penetrates its heart. The beast rears, twists, and falls dead.

The archer is Halt. He drops off his horse and hugs Will to him. The knights rush over and congratulate Will. Horace tells him, “You saved my life […] That was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen” (144). He asks why Will did so and Will says he’s never hated him. Horace insists he owes Will his life. He offers his hand and Will shakes it. Baron Arald steps forward, hugs them both, and declares, “Well said, both of you!” (145) The knights cheer.

The baron tells Halt and Rodney to be proud of their students. Will looks at Halt, who merely nods at him. From Halt, Will thinks, that’s the same as three cheers.

People begin to treat Will with deference. The story of his exploits grows quickly, and soon he’s credited with killing the two boars with a single arrow. He did act bravely and honorably, but he didn’t kill anything. Halt reminds him that people’s opinions don’t mean much.

The Rangers will soon hold their annual Gathering, where they exchange news and assess the apprentices. Will’s training began late, and he doesn’t want to be held back a year, so he practices hard every day, including on his days off.

Bryn, Alda, and Jerome corner Horace. As always, they call him “Baby.” To punish him for needing rescue by a Ranger apprentice, they beat him with long canes until he nearly blacks out. As they leave, he hears them decide to find Will and punish him, too.

Will’s relentless practice pays off: He can put his arrows precisely where he wants them. He doesn’t know it, but already he’s one of the best archers in the kingdom.

Bryn, Alda, and Jerome appear and tell Will they have a message for him from Battleschool. He senses something off and backs away. They surround him and he almost gets free, but they knock him onto the snow with their canes.

A voice says, “That’s enough!” and they see Horace standing near them, face bloodied, holding a wooden practice sword. The three bullies turn and raise their bludgeons at Horace. Two of the bullies yelp as their sticks are knocked away by arrows. Halt stands 10 meters away and almost instantly, he’s suddenly three feet away.

Alda looks down at the short man and, feeling confident, warns the Ranger to stay out of “Battleschool business.” Halt stomps on Alda’s foot, punches his nose, and puts a knife to his neck. The boy promises not to treat Halt disrespectfully ever again. Halt turns to Bryn and orders him to pick up his cane, remove the arrow, and return it to him.

Halt asks Horace if these are the boys who gave him his bruises and Horace says they are. Halt suggests Horace demonstrate his widely rumored skills in a duel with Bryn. Bryn protests, but Halt glares, and Bryn turns to face Horace.

Bryn strikes a couple of blows at Horace, who parries them easily, then disarms Bryn. Halt makes Bryn pick up his cane. Horace lunges in a feint, and Bryn, crying in fear, drops his stick and backs away. Disgusted, Horace asks, “Who’s the baby now?” (161). Halt suggests that, if Bryn is a baby, he needs a paddling. Horace grabs Bryn by the collar, spins him around, and delivers several whacks to Bryn’s rear with the flat of the practice sword. Bryn yelps and jumps about, but Horace keeps at it until he’s satisfied. Bryn falls on the snow, sobbing.

Jerome backs away, but Will, bow drawn, warns him not to leave. Horace hands Jerome the cane. They fight, but Horace quickly defeats him, forcing him to cower, his butt in the air. Horace gives Jerome a tremendous kick in the rear that sends the cadet skidding a full yard.

Halt throws the cane to Alda, who protests that he’s injured. Halt points out that Horace is, too. Smiling, Horace says he’ll manage. Alda, the best swordsman of the bullies, puts up a good fight and gets in some surprise strikes, but Horace parries until he breaks Jerome’s stick and slugs the cadet in the jaw. The tremendous punch takes Jerome off his feet. He sails through the air and lands in a heap next to his friends.

Horace thanks the Ranger, who thanks Horace for defending Will. He adds, “my friends call me Halt” (165).

Halt informs Sir Rodney about Horace’s bullies. Rodney investigates, expels the three cadets, and banishes them from the castle and its village. Horace’s life promptly gets better: Students befriend him, and his schoolwork straightens out.

Will and Halt travel for three days to reach the Ranger Gathering. As they near it, Halt and Will prepare for ambushes by other Rangers who want to test Halt and his apprentice. They detect hoofbeats behind them and Will jumps from his horse into a large tree while Tug continues walking, trained to press his hooves harder into the dirt to hide the sudden loss of weight.

Halt dismounts and examines the ground. Will scans the distance for movement. He sees some, then keeps scanning and detects two more slight shifts in the foliage. Each time, though, he can’t find the source. A tall, cloaked figure appears suddenly in the roadway beyond Will and calls out to Halt. It’s Gilan, one of Halt’s former apprentices. He chides Halt for letting him get the better of his old master. Will answers with an arrow that strikes a tree next to Gilan, who starts in shock. He realizes it’s he, not Halt, who’s been had.

Will drops from the tree, and Gilan shakes his hand. Diplomatically, Will admits he was impressed by Gilan’s ability to disappear in the foliage. Halt says it’s Gilan’s best skill, and Will should learn from Gilan how it’s done. Gilan whistles for his horse. The saddle holds a sword and Will asks about it. Halt says Gilan’s father is a knight, and Gilan was adept at swordplay from a young age, so he got leave to continue those studies as a Ranger apprentice.

Will looks puzzled. Gilan explains that he chose, not Battleschool, but Ranger school. Will grasps that some Rangers come from noble families. The two men ride off and Will jumps on Tug and catches up. They make space between them, and Will realizes he’s part of a very special group: “It was a warm sense of belonging, as if, somehow, he had arrived home for the first time in his life” (176).