Ranger's Apprentice I: Arising Danger

| Chapter I

I walked through the hallway towards my room. On the way of getting there, I walked past Baron Arald's room. I stopped by when I heard indistinct voices coming from his room. Frowning, I laid my ear against the door. I frowned more when I heard Baron Arald talking to someone. To a calm but confident voice.
". . . has something, I feel it," the voice said.
"And you are sure about training him?" Baron Arald went on. "Because he is. . . Well, not the most popular boy among his wardmates."
     Is this about me? I wondered. I frowned again and lifted one eyebrow. That eyebrow-lift-thing was a tic I have been doing automatically since I was little. Well, littler.
"You know Silver better than me," Baron Arald said.
     What are you talking about? I wondered again. I was so nervous that I unconsciously held my breath.
The unknown voice behind the door stayed silent and then suddenly said: "I think that Silver wants to give his opinions on this."
The door went open in all of sudden and I fell inside the room. I quickly got up and looked around me. But there was no one else in this room but Baron Arald. "Eh. . . Sir, you were talking to someone," I said, with all my confidence that was left. So not much was left.
     Baron Arald looked innocently at me and then shook his head. "I wasn't. Why do you think I was?"
     "Because I heard voices, Sir." I was right, I knew it! I heard it so well — why would he deny that?
"And what if I was talking to someone?" he asked. "Who do you think it was?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. I didn't recognize the voice, Sir."
     Baron Arald nodded. "Good. Then I wish you a good night, Silver."
I raised my hands to interrupt the Baron, to tell him that I did hear someone. But he gestured me to go away. "You should sleep now so you'll be in good condition tomorrow for the Choosing Day. Any preferences for a Craftmasters?" he asked with a friendly smile. Baron Arald always has been friendly, but the way he was acting now was absolutely not him. Something was going on. . . And I would find out what.
"You see, Sir, I don't. . ." I hesitated and then continued, knowing it wouldn't matter at all. Nobody wants me. "No Craftmasters can teach me something."
Now Baron Arald frowned. "Why is that?"
"Because. . . Never mind. . ." How can you teach someone to behave? How can you teach someone there are people you can trust? How can you teach someone that the world is not against you? I turned around and was about to leave when Baron Arald cleared his throat.
"Silver, if you hesitate tomorrow, just think about your father." Then he turned around and continued his work, sitting on his chair behind his desk.
I furrowed my eyebrows. Why should I think of Father? Specifically him, I thought. I shrugged it off and went to my room. I quickly fell asleep. I expected my insecurities to go away once I was sleeping, but it kept haunting me like evil ghosts do in your sleep. Even my dreams were no safe place for me.

"All right, candidates! This way, this way!" the speaker, or more correctly the shouter, said. It was Martin, the secretary of Baron Arald.
I followed my wardmates into the anteroom. The room was big, and the ceiling was higher than you could imagine. I realized that I've never been in this part of the castle. Because this was no place for low ranks such as wardmates.
"Stand in line! Stand in line!" Martin shouted.
I couldn't hold a grin when I saw Baron Arald shaking his head while he looked up to above him and seemed to be praying Martin would once stop shouting and demanding.
"In size place! Tallest to end!" Martin shouted. He begun to drag the wardmates to their place. I knew what was coming, so I quickly walked to the other end, away from Archie. Because he was surely going to be assigned as an Apprentice of the Battlemaster Rodney. I don't want to know how sharp his sword would be.
     We stood there, waiting for Martin to go away. And finally, he did. Baron Arald came forward and looked at us, eyeing each one of us from head to toe. He turned to Martin and said: "Now, let the Craftmasters in!"
     Martin nodded his head. "Yes, Sir!" He turned to the door and said, as friendly as he could: "Craftmasters, the Baron is ready now!" It still sounded as shouting and demanding, but he was making progress at not shouting.
     I watched Battlemaster Rodney and the Horsemaster. Then Lady Pauline and Scribemaster George followed. Lady Pauline was Courier of the Queen and King, and head of the Diplomatic Service in Redmont. After them, Kitchenmaster Jenny followed. Then, the Armorer and Blacksmith followed. And many other Craftmasters followed, in need of Apprentices.
I turned my gaze at a figure who was sneaking through the crowd. He was wearing a cloak with strange green colors. The figure was walking over to Baron Arald and was now standing behind his chair. And then, suddenly, we made eye contact.
I don't know how to explain it. It was like all lights were slowly turned out by someone, as if the darkness was rising again. As if a coldness ran through my spine and made me shiver from fear. It was like living in Skandia, in the cold winters and working hard to not get frozen there. It was like if all living thoughts in you were sucked out.
Suddenly, the figure looked away and the lights were on again. I blinked my eyes several times and noticed Martin standing in front of us.
"What were you thinking about?" Charlotte suddenly asked. She was standing right beside me, as she was not the smallest but definitely not the tallest of the wardmates.
"About how to avoid Archie," I simply answered. I am good at improvising. "I hope our wardmates won't laugh at me."
"No matter what they do," she started. "I won't ever laugh at you." She gave me one of her rare smiles and even laid her hand on my forearm.
I smiled. Nothing mattered now, because Charlotte was there for me. And I was ready to confront this Choosing Day.
I was born ready.