Ranger's Apprentice I: Arising Danger

| Chapter XIX

It was all quite boring — the journey — but not until something exciting happened. Finally. Well, if you can actually call it 'exciting'. . .
     "Silver, James, come here!" Halt said. He gestured us to come and sit down by the campfire.
     I sat down on the cold night ground. I looked up to the stars for a moment into the endless depths of the galaxy. We were near the ruins of Gorlan and I knew why we were going to sit at the campfire. We were going to discuss the plans.
     "Will, come here," Halt went on.
     Will nodded, pressed his hand against Tug's nose and then sat down beside me. He placed his hands behind him and asked: "So, what's the plan, Halt?"
     Halt innocently asked: "I thought you might have a plan."
     "Doesn't matter who makes the plans," I said, interrupting both of them, "we have to make one." When both senior Rangers kept silent, I sighed and suggested: "I suggest Halt and I use our bows, and Will and James use their Saxes and throwing knives."
     "That's your plan?" James suddenly asked. "What if they come close to you? Am I supposed to save your ass?"
     I shook my head and said: "First of all: Have some respect for my ass! My ass makes sure I can sit comfortably every day. And second: If we work together, we can make it."
     Halt leaned forward and asked: "Are you indirectly and not very straightforward saying that you assume I am going to be wounded again?"
     I looked at Halt and raised one eyebrow, challenging him to protest against me. "Always expect something to go wrong. Believe me, Halt, if you're wrong, you're not disappointed. If you're right, you're ready for it."
     Halt raised one eyebrow and asked: "And where did you hear that?"
     "From Will," I replied, nodding at Will without turning my head. "I assume that I will be the last survivor and that I have to take those creatures down."
     "You're such a pessimist," Halt said.
     "I know," I replied with a neutral voice. "Once they take me, they'll likely hurt me. A lot. Things can't go any worse from then on."
     "Nah," Halt said, "of course they can!"
     "You're such an optimist," James suddenly said, not keeping himself out of the conversation.
     "You're choosing his side?" Halt asked.
     "Of course, I choose his side!" James said, a little bit feeling offended. "What should I do? Since we're stuck on this mission together, we can become friends!"
     "At least, someone chooses my side," I said, an indirect thank-you for James.
     "You're welcome, Silver," he said.
     After that, my mentor and Halt were making plans for tomorrow in the morning — we would arrive in the morning. In the meanwhile, James and I were making our own plans.
     It was late in the night when we finally fell asleep.

The next morning we mounted our Ranger horses and continued the last part of our journey. I was so nervous and I couldn't relax — I had to admit that I didn't want others to see how nervous and afraid I was.
     ". . . some sort of phobia or anxiety?" Halt suddenly whispered to Will.
     I looked up and saw Will glaring at me. He couldn't answer that question, but instead answered with a question: "Why are you asking about Silver's anxieties and phobias, Halt?"
     Halt seemed to realize Will asked it to let me know what they were talking about. "For another time," he only said. Then turned his gaze at the landscape before us.
     James leaned to me and cleared his throat.
     "Not a word," I said, wanting him to just stop and not ask about what Will or Halt meant.
     "You have anxiety?" James asked. "For what?"
     "For people who can't stop making me nervous," I answered with a nervous smile.
     "What kind of anxiety?" James asked.
     "Stop it," I warned. I closed my eyes and prayed to the Lord above that he would just stop.
     James clearly ignored it and asked further questions. "I only want to know you, nothing more."
     Halt glared with one eye at me and I sighed. "Fine!" I said. "One of my problems is getting panic attacks."
     James nodded once and then said, after a while: "Must be hard."
     "It is hard," I said. That was it for today's conversation.
     Later on the day, James said: "I'm afraid to lose people I love."
     I nervously chuckled and said: "And I get emotional when people ask me about the people I loved but unfortunately passed away."
     "Meant to ask you," James began, "what's the ring around your finger?"
     I raised my eyebrow. Then he got it. "I have it since I was nine years old. It has been mine, but Baron Arald kept it safe for me until I would be nine years old. He assumed I could take care of my own when I was nine, and somehow, he was right.
     "Baron Arald?" he asked.
     "You're not from Redmont Fief?" I asked.
     James shook his head. "I'm from Whitby Fief. . . Gilan is my mentor, remember? By the way, what color arrows does Will use?"
     I looked at Will's quiver and then answered: "Brown. Why?"
     "Gilan's colors are yellow," James answered. "And have you noticed that our arrows, yours and mine, have a white stripe on the feathered flights?"
     I frowned and grabbed one of my arrows. It was brown just like Will's, but with a white stripe on each of them. "That's odd," I stated.
     "Not so odd," James said. "It makes sense, because the Ranger Apprentices have the same arrow colors as their mentors, but have a white stripe on them. Once we're full-made Rangers, we will have the opportunity to create our own color."
     I frowned once again, but this time, I lifted one eyebrow. "How do you know this stuff?"
     "Asking your mentor the right questions," he answered.
     "If you both finally could shut up, we can start our hunt on the Kalkara and Wargals," Halt snapped with a grumpy tone in his voice.
     "Let's get 'em!" James and I both said in chorus.