Ranger's Apprentice 1 & 2 Bindup Read Online Free PDF Page B

line of Craftmasters, praying that one of them would relent and accept him. One by one, silently, they shook their heads.
    Surprisingly, it was the Ranger who broke the awful silence in the room.
    â€˜There is something you should know about this boy, my lord,’ he said. Will had never heard Halt speak before.His voice was deep and soft-spoken, with the slightest burr of a Hibernian accent still noticeable.
    He stepped forward now and handed the Baron a sheet of paper, folded double. Arald unfolded it, studied the words written there and frowned.
    â€˜You’re sure of this, Halt?’ he said.
    â€˜Indeed, my lord.’
    The Baron carefully refolded the paper and placed it on his desk. He drummed his fingers thoughtfully on the desktop, then said:
    â€˜I’ll have to think on this overnight.’
    Halt nodded and stepped back, seeming to fade into the background as he did so. Will stared anxiously at him, wondering what information the mysterious figure had passed on to the Baron. Like most people, Will had grown up believing that Rangers were best avoided. They were a secretive, arcane group, shrouded in mystery and uncertainty, and that uncertainty led to fear.
    Will didn’t like the thought that Halt knew something about him – something that he felt was important enough to bring to the Baron’s attention today, of all days. The sheet of paper lay there, tantalisingly close, yet impossibly far away.
    He realised that there was movement around him and the Baron was speaking to the other people in the room.
    â€˜Congratulations to those who were selected here today. It’s a big day for all of you so you’re free to have the rest of the day off and enjoy yourselves. The kitchens will provide a banquet for you in your quarters and for the rest of the day you have free run of the castle and the village.
    â€˜Tomorrow, you’ll report to your new Craftmasters firstthing in the morning. And if you’ll take a tip from me, you’ll make sure you’re on time.’ He smiled at the other four, then addressed Will, with a hint of sympathy in his voice.
    â€˜Will, I’ll let you know tomorrow what I’ve decided about you.’ He turned to Martin and gestured for him to show the new apprentices out. ‘Thank you, everyone,’ he said, and left the room through the door behind his desk.
    The Craftmasters followed his lead, then Martin ushered the former wards to the door. They chatted together excitedly, relieved and delighted that they had been selected by the Craftmasters of their choice.
    Will hung back behind the others, hesitating as he passed the desk where that sheet of paper still lay. He stared at it for a moment, as if somehow he could see through to the words written on the reverse side. Then he felt that same sensation that he had felt earlier, that someone was watching him. He looked up and found himself staring into the dark eyes of the Ranger, who remained behind the Baron’s high-backed chair, almost invisible in that strange cloak of his.
    Will shuddered in a sudden frisson of fear and hurried out of the room.

It was long after midnight. The flickering torches around the castle yard, already replaced once, had begun to burn low again. Will had watched patiently for hours, waiting for this moment – when the light was uncertain and the guards were yawning, in the last hour of their shift.
    The day had been one of the worst he could remember. While his yearmates celebrated, enjoying their feast and then spending their time in light-hearted horseplay through the castle and the village, Will had slipped away to the silence of the forest, a kilometre or so from the castle walls. There, in the dim green coolness beneath the trees, he had spent the afternoon reflecting bitterly on the events of the Choosing, nursing the deep pain of disappointment and wondering what the Ranger’s paper said.
    As the long day wore on, and the shadows began