The Ruins of Gorlan

Chapter 22

WILL WAS IN THE OPEN MEADOW BEHIND HALT'S COTTAGE, practicing. He had four targets set up at different ranges and was alternating his shots at random between the four of them, never firing at the same one twice in a row. Halt had set the exercise for him before he had gone to the Baron's office to discuss a dispatch that had come in from the King." If you fire twice at the same target," he had said," you'll begin to rely on the first shot to determine your direction and elevation. That way, you'll never learn to shoot instinctively. You'll always need to fire a sighting shot first. " Will knew his teacher was right. But that didn't make the exercise any easier. To add to the difficulty, Halt had stipulated that he should let no more than five seconds elapse between each shot.

Frowning in concentration, he let the last five arrows of a set go. One after the other, in rapid succession, they flashed across the meadow, thudding into the targets. Will, his quiver empty for the tenth time that morning, stopped to survey the results. He nodded in satisfaction. Every arrow had hit a target, and most of them were clustered in the inner ring or the bull's-eye itself. It was shooting of an exceptionally high quality and it proved to him the value of constant practice. He wasn't to know it, of course, but there were already few archers in the kingdom, outside of the Ranger Corps, who could have matched him. Even the archers in the King's army weren't trained to shoot with such individual speed and accuracy.

They were trained to fire as a group, sending a mass of arrows against an attacking force. As a result, their training concentrated more on coordinated actions, so that all arrows were fired simultaneously.

He had just set the bow down, preparatory to recovering his arrows, when the sound of a footstep behind him made him turn. He was a little surprised to see three Battleschool apprentices watching him, their red surcoats marking them as second-year trainees. He didn't recognize any of them, but he nodded a friendly greeting. "Good morning," he said. "What brings you down here?" It was unusual to find Battleschool apprentices this far from the castle. He noted the thick canes that they all carried and decided they must have set out for a walk, The closest of them, a handsome, blond-haired boy, smiled and said: "We're looking for the Ranger's apprentice." Will couldn't help smiling in return. After all, the Ranger cloak that he wore marked him unmistakably as an apprentice Ranger. But perhaps the Battleschool apprentice was only being polite. "Well, you've found him," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"We've brought a message from the Battleschool for you," the boy replied.

Like all Battleschool trainees, he was tall and well muscled, as were his companions. They moved closer to him now and Will instinctively backed off a pace. They were a little too close, he felt. Closer than they needed to be to pass on a message. "It's about what happened at the boar hunt," said one of the others. This one was red-haired, with a heavy dusting of freckles, and a nose that showed distinct signs of having been broken-probably in one of the training combats that Battleschool students were always practicing. Will shrugged uncomfortably. There was something in the air he didn't like. The blond boy was smiling still. But neither the redhead nor their third companion, an olive-skinned boy who was the tallest of the three, looked as if they thought there was anything to smile about.

"You know," Will said, "people are talking a lot of nonsense about that. I didn't do much."

"We know," the red-haired boy snapped angrily and again, Will took a pace back as they all moved a little closer. Halt's training was ringing alarm bells in his mind now. Never let people get too close to you, he'd been told. If they try to, be on your guard, no matter who they are or how friendly you think they are.

"But when you go swanking around telling everyone you saved a big, clumsy Battleschool apprentice, you make us look foolish," the tall boy accused. Will looked at him, frowning." I never said that!" he protested. "I… " And at that moment, while he was distracted by Bryn, Alda made his move, stepping quickly forward with the sack held open to throw it over Will's head. It was the same tactic they had used so successfully with Horace, but Will was already on his guard and, as the other boy moved, he sensed the attack and reacted.

Unexpectedly, he dived forward toward Alda, rolling in a somersault that took him under the sack, then letting his legs sweep around, scything Alda's legs from under him so that the bigger boy was sent sprawling. But there were three of them and that was too many for him to keep track of. He'd evaded Alda and Bryn but as he rolled to his feet, completing the movement, Jerome brought his cane around in a ringing crack across the back of his shoulders.

With a cry of pain and shock, Will staggered forward, as Bryn now brought his cane around and hit him across the side. By then,

Alda had regained his feet, furious with the way Will had evaded him, and he struck Will across the point of the shoulder.

The pain was excruciating and, with a sob of agony, Will dropped to his knees.

Instantly, the three Battleschool apprentices crowded forward, ringing him, trapping him between them, the heavy canes raised to continue the beating.

"That's enough!" The unexpected voice stopped them.

Will, crouched on the ground, waiting for the beating to begin, arms over his head, looked up and saw Horace, bruised and battered, standing a few meters away.

He held one of the wooden Battleschool drill swords in his right hand. One eye was blackened and there was a trickle of blood running from his lip. But in his eyes there was a look of hatred and sheer determination that, for a moment, made the three older boys hesitate. Then they realized that there were three of them and Horace's sword was, after all, no more of a weapon than the canes they carried. Forgetting Will for the moment, they fanned out and moved to encircle Horace, the heavy canes raised to strike.

"Baby followed us," said Alda.

"Baby wants another beating," Jerome agreed. "And Baby's going to get it," said Bryn, smiling confidently. But then a yell of fright was torn from his lips as a sudden, jarring force slammed against the cane, whipping it from his grasp and sending it spinning to land several meters away.

A similar yell to his right told him that the same thing had happened to Jerome.

Confused, Bryn looked around to where the two canes lay. With a sinking feeling, he saw that each one was transfixed by a blackshafted arrow. "I think one at a time is fairer, don't you?" said Halt.

Bryn and Jerome felt a surge of terror as they looked up to see the grim-faced Ranger standing in the shadows ten meters away, another arrow already nocked to the string of his massive longbow.

Only Alda showed any sign of rebellion.

"This is Battleschool business, Ranger," he said, trying to bluster his way through the situation. "You'd best stay out of it."

Will, slowly regaining his feet, saw the dark anger that burned deep in Halt's eyes at the arrogant words. For a moment, he almost felt sorry for Alda, then he felt the throbbing pain in his back and shoulders and any thoughts of sympathy were instantly blotted out.

"Battleschool business, is it, sonny?" Halt said in a dangerously low voice. He moved forward, covering the ground between him and Alda in a few deceptively swift, gliding steps. Before Alda knew it, Halt was barely a meter away. Still, the apprentice remained defiant. The dark look on Halt's face was unsettling, but seen close-up, Alda realized that he was a good head taller than the Ranger and his confidence flowed back. All these years he had been nervous of the mysterious man who now stood before him. He had never realized what a puny figure he really was.

Which was Alda's second mistake of the day. Halt was small. But puny was not a word that entered into it. In addition, Halt had spent a lifetime fighting far more dangerous adversaries than a second-year Battleschool apprentice.

"I seem to notice that there was a Ranger apprentice being attacked," Halt was saying softly. "I think that makes it Ranger's business as well, don't you?"

Alda shrugged, confident now that, whatever the Ranger might do, he could more than handle it.

"Make it your business if you like," he said, a sneer entering his voice. "I really don't care one way or the other."

Halt nodded several times as he digested that speech. Then he replied.

"Well then, I think I will make it my business-but I won't be needing this."

As he said it, he replaced the arrow in his quiver and lightly tossed the bow to one side, turning away as he did so. Inadvertently, Alda's eyes followed the action and instantly he felt a searing pain as Halt stamped backward with the edge of his boot, catching the apprentice's foot between arch and ankle and driving into it. As Alda doubled over to clasp his injured foot, the Ranger pivoted on his left heel and his right elbow slammed upward into Alda's nose, jerking him upright again and sending him staggering back, eyes streaming with the pain. For a second or two, Alda's sight was blurred by the reflex tears and he felt a slight pricking sensation under his chin. As his eyes cleared, he found the Ranger's eyes were only a few centimeters from his own. There was no anger there. Instead, there was a look of utter contempt and disregard that was somehow far more frightening.

The pricking sensation became a little more pronounced and, as he tried to look down, Alda gave a gasp of fear. Halt's larger knife, razor edged and needle pointed, was just under his chin, pressing lightly into the soft flesh of his throat. "Don't ever talk to me like that again, boy," the Ranger said, so softly that Alda had to strain to hear the words. "And don't ever lay a hand on my apprentice again. Understand?" Alda, all his arrogance gone, his heart pounding in terror, could say nothing. The knife pricked a little harder against his throat and he felt a warm trickle of blood sliding down under his collar. Halt's eyes blazed suddenly, like the coals of a fire in a sudden draft.

"Understand?" he repeated, and Alda croaked a reply. "Yes… sir."

Halt stepped back, re-sheathing the knife in one fluid movement. Alda sank to the ground, massaging his injured ankle. He was sure there was damage to the tendons. Ignoring him, Halt turned to face the other two second-year apprentices. Instinctively, they had moved closer together and were watching him fearfully, uncertain as to what he was going to do next. Halt pointed to Bryn. "You," he said, his words edged with contempt, "pick up your cane.

Fearfully, Bryn moved to where his cane lay on the ground, Halt's arrow still embedded halfway along its length. Without taking his eyes off the Ranger, fearing some trick, he stooped at the knees, his hand scrabbling awkwardly until it touched the cane. Then he stood again, holding it uncertainly in his left hand.

"Now give me back my arrow," the Ranger ordered, and the tall, swarthy boy struggled to remove the arrow, stepping close enough to hand it to Halt, tensed in every muscle as he waited for some unexpected move from the Ranger. Halt, however, merely took the arrow and replaced it in his quiver. Bryn stepped hurriedly back out of reach. Halt gave a small, contemptuous laugh. Then he turned to Horace.

"I take it these are the three who gave you those bruises?" he asked. Horace said nothing for a moment, then realized that his continued silence was ridiculous. There was no reason why he should shield the three bullies any further. There never had been a reason." Yes, sir," he said decisively. Halt nodded, rubbing his chin. "I rather thought so," he said. "Well then, I've heard rumors that you're pretty good with a sword. How about a practice bout with this hero in front of me?"

A slow grin spread over Horace's face as he understood what the Ranger was suggesting. He started forward. "I think I'd like that. " Bryn backed away a pace. "Just a moment!" he cried. "You can't expect me to…"

He got no further. The Ranger's eyes glittered with that dangerous light once more and he took a half step forward, his hand dropping to the hilt of the saxe knife again.

"You've got a cane. I suggest you use it. Now get on with it," he ordered, his voice very low and dangerous.

Realizing he was trapped, Bryn turned to face Horace. Now that it was a matter of one-on-one, he felt far less confident about dealing with the younger boy. Everyone had heard of Horace's almost uncanny natural swordsmanship.

Deciding that attack might be the best defense, Bryn stepped forward and aimed an overhead slash at Horace. Horace parried it easily. He parried Bryn's next two strokes with equal ease. Then, as he blocked Bryn's fourth stroke, he flicked his wooden blade down the length of the other boy's cane in the instant before the two weapons disengaged. There was no crosspiece to protect Bryn's hand from the movement and the hardwood drill sword slammed painfully into his fingers. With a cry of agony, he dropped the heavy stick, leaping back and wringing his injured hand painfully under his arm. Horace stood, ready to resume. "I didn't hear anybody call stop," Halt said mildly. "But… he's disarmed me!" Bryn whined.

Halt smiled at him. "So he has. But I'm sure he'll let you pick up your cane and start again. Go ahead." Bryn looked from Halt to Horace and back again. He saw no pity in either face. "I don't want to," he said in a very small voice. Horace found it hard to reconcile this cringing figure with the sneering bully who had been making his life hell for the past few months. Halt appeared to consider Bryn's statement. "We'll note your protest," he said cheerfully. "Now continue, please." Bryn's hand throbbed painfully. But even worse than the pain was the fear of what was to come, the certainty that Horace would punish him without mercy. He bent down and reached fearfully for the cane, his eyes fixed on Horace. The younger boy waited patiently until Bryn was ready, then made a sudden feint forward.

Bryn yelped in fear and threw the cane aside. Horace shook his head in disgust. "Who's the baby now?" he asked. Bryn wouldn't meet his gaze. He shrank away, his eyes cast down. "If he's going to be a baby," Halt suggested, "I suppose you'll just have to paddle him." A grin spread over Horace's face. He sprang forward and grabbed Bryn by the scruff of his neck, spinning him around. Then he proceeded to whack the older boy's backside with the flat of the drill sword, over and over again, following him around the clearing as Bryn tried to pull away from the remorseless punishment. Bryn howled and hopped and sobbed but Horace's grip was firm on his collar and there was no escape. Finally, when Horace felt he had repaid all the bullying, the insults and the pain that he had suffered, he let go.

Bryn staggered away and dropped to his hands and knees, sobbing with pain and fear.

Jerome had watched the proceedings in horror, knowing his turn was coming. He began to edge away, hoping to escape while the Ranger's attention was distracted. "Take one more step and I'll put an arrow through you." Will tried to model his voice on the quiet, threatening tone Halt had used. He had retrieved several of his arrows from the nearest target and now he had one of them ready, laid on the bowstring. Halt glanced around approvingly. "Good idea," he said. "Aim for the left calf. It's a very painful wound." He glanced over to where Bryn lay, sobbing, on the ground at Horace's feet. "I think he's had enough," he said. Then he jerked a thumb at Jerome.

"Your turn," he said briefly. Horace retrieved the cane that Bryn had dropped and moved toward Jerome, holding it out to him. Jerome backed away. "No!" Jerome yelled, wide-eyed. "It's not fair! He…"

"Well, of course it's not fair."

Halt agreed in a reasonable tone. "I gather you think three against one is fair. Now get on with it." Will had often heard the saying that a cornered rat will eventually show fight. Jerome proved it now. He went onto the attack and to his own surprise, Horace gave ground before the rain of blows aimed at him. The bully's confidence began to grow as he advanced. He failed to notice that Horace was blocking every stroke with consummate ease, almost with contempt. Jerome's best strokes never even looked like they were breaking through Horace's defense. The second-year apprentice might as well have been hitting a stone wall.

Then, Horace stopped retreating. He stood fast, blocking Jerome's latest stroke with an iron wrist. They stood chest to chest for a few seconds, and then Horace began to push Jerome back. His left hand gripped Jerome's right wrist, keeping their weapons locked together. Jerome's feet skidded on the snow as Horace forced him backward, farther and farther. Then he gave a final heave and sent Jerome sprawling on the ground.

Jerome had seen what happened to Bryn. He knew that surrender wasn't an option. He scrambled to his feet and defended himself desperately as Horace began his own attack. Jerome was driven back by a whirlwind of forehands, backhands, side and overhead cuts. He managed to block some of the strokes, but the blistering speed of Horace's attack defeated him. Blows rained on his shins, elbows and shoulders almost at will. Horace seemed to concentrate on the bony spots that would hurt most. Occasionally, he used the rounded point of the sword to thrust into Jerome's ribs just hard enough to bruise, without breaking bones.

Finally, Jerome had had enough. He wheeled away from the onslaught, dropped the cane and fell to the ground, hands clasped protectively over his head. His backside was raised invitingly in the air and Horace paused and looked a question at Halt, The Ranger made a little gesture toward Jerome. "Why not?" he said. "An opportunity like that doesn't come every day." But even he winced at the thundering kick in the backside that Horace delivered. Jerome, nose down in the wet snow, skidded at least a meter from the force of it.

Halt retrieved the cane that Jerome had dropped. He studied it for a moment, testing its weight and balance. "Really not much of a weapon," he said. "You have to wonder why they chose it." Then he tossed the cane to Alda. "Get busy," he ordered.

The blond boy, still crouched, nursing his injured ankle, looked at the cane in disbelief. Blood streamed down his face from his shattered nose. He'd never be quite so good looking again, Will thought. "But… but… I'm injured!" he protested, hobbling awkwardly to his feet. He couldn't believe that Halt would require him to go through the punishment he'd just witnessed.

Halt paused, studying him as if that fact hadn't occurred to him. For a moment, a ray of hope shone in Alda's mind. "So you are," the Ranger said. "So you are. " He looked a little disappointed, and Alda began to believe that Halt's sense of fair play would spare him the sort of punishment that had been handed out to his friends. Then the Ranger's face cleared.

"But just a minute," he said, "so is Horace. Isn't that right, Will?" Will grinned. "Definitely, Halt," he said, and Alda's brief hope vanished without a trace.

Halt now turned to Horace, asking with mock concern, "Are you sure you're not too badly injured to continue, Horace?" Horace smiled. It was a smile that never reached his eyes. "Oh, I think I can manage," he said. "Well, that's settled then!" Halt said cheerfully. "Let's continue, shall we?" And Alda knew there was to be no escape for him either. He faced up to Horace and the final duel began.

Alda was the best swordsman of the three bullies, and at least he gave Horace some competition for a few minutes. But as they felt each other out with stroke and counterstroke, thrust and parry, he quickly realized that Horace was his master. His only chance, he felt, was to try something unexpected.

He disengaged, then changed his grip on the cane, holding it in both hands like a quarterstaff and launching a series of rapid left and right hooking blows with it.

For a second, Horace was caught by surprise and he fell back. But he recovered with catlike speed and aimed an overhead blow at Alda. The second-year student attempted the standard quarterstaff parry, holding the staff at either end, to block the sword stroke with the middle section. In theory, it was the right tactic. In practice, the hardened hickory drill sword simply sheared through the cane, leaving Alda holding two useless, shortened sticks. Totally unnerved, he let them drop and stood defenseless before Horace.

Horace looked at his long-time tormentor, then at the sword in his hand. "I don't need this," he muttered, and let the sword drop.

The right-hand punch that he threw traveled no more than twenty centimeters to the point of Alda's jaw. But it had his shoulder and body weight and months of suffering and loneliness behind it – the loneliness that only a victim of bullying can know.

Will's eyes widened slightly as Alda came off his feet and hurtled backward, to come crashing down in the cold snow beside his two friends. He thought about the times in the past when he had fought with Horace. If he'd known the other boy was capable of throwing a punch like that, he never would have done so.

Alda didn't move. Odds were, he wouldn't move for some time, Will thought. Horace stepped back, shaking his bruised knuckles and heaving a sigh of satisfaction.

"You have no idea how good that felt," he said. "Thank you, Ranger."

Halt nodded acknowledgment. " Thank you for taking a hand when they attacked Will. And by the way, my friends call me Halt."