Ranger of Kings (William of Alamore Series Book 1)

by C. J. R. Isely

  “Ready?” Rowan asked, turning to Will, bracing his feet.

  Will glanced between them, trying to figure out how to ready himself. Would they both attack him to make him look like a fool? It was too late to back out. Finally, swallowing, he nodded. “Yeah.”

  Colin dove, his sword snaking around Rowan’s blade, and sending Rowan off-balance. Rowan fought to steady himself and Will blocked as Colin turned toward him. The wood swords hit with enough force to send the vibration up Will’s arms. A sudden excitement filled his blood as he blocked another, then another. The fifth blow swiped toward his side and he moved to block. A short burst of pain told him of his own foolishness. He’d tried to predict Colin too much and Colin had fainted the other way, hitting him on the far side. Will backed up as Rowan sprang forward with a loud laugh, swinging down on Colin’s sword with all his strength. Shaking himself, Will jumped as the squire turned to him. Colin sprang at him and he off-balanced in his attempted retreat, falling on his back in the dust. Rowan, already engaged in battle again, grunted as Colin smacked him on the back with his sword, grinning.

  “Gotcha! Gotcha both!” Colin said, laughing. Rowan glanced at Will; eyes bright with mischief. Will nodded, reading the look on the squire’s smirking face

  “GET HIM!” Rowan howled and they both sprang at Colin. Rowan’s sword flew past Will’s head within the first few strikes of Colin’s weapon. Will ducked a swing, bringing up his sword to block another.

  “Aha!” Rowan roared, springing forward and seizing Colin around the knees, bringing both of them to the ground. Colin’s wood sword spun away through the dust and Will saw his chance, springing toward them and putting the dull tip of his wood sword an inch from Colin’s chest.

  “We win,” Will said. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face despite his best effort.

  Rowan rolled to the side, laughing until tears filled his brown eyes. “Victory!” he managed to choke out. “We have victory!”

  “You cheaters!” Colin barked, trying his hardest to hold a disapproving expression, as he wiped a hand across his sweaty forehead. “Look, Rowan’s already corrupted you now!” he said, grinning up at Will as the sword tip was moved aside.

  “There is no such thing as cheating in the battlefield. If it’s not one on one there are no rules but win.” growled a voice behind Will. All three of them turned, Colin quickly scrambling to his feet, his eyes lowering to the dirt.

  Will felt his mouth open slightly in awe. Brown hair fell above the man’s eyes, dark stubble lined a stern jaw, and his dark blue, almost black eyes, were icy. His tunic was a deep sapphire like the Alamore pennants and the shirt beneath an off white. The horse he rode was large, black and white with one eye deep brown, the other bright blue, almost white. The animal struck the ground with a heavy shod hoof, sending a plume of dust into the air. This, Will had no doubt, was a knight. A real knight! Outside his house! He felt a pang as he wished he could get his mother. She’d always been the one to bring him outside when the squires and knights rode through town.

  “I didn’t know where you two had gone then I heard the racket and figured I would find you here.” the knight growled, his eyes fastening on Colin. “Though not necessarily in the dust.” Colin’s face turned slightly red, but still, he didn’t lift his eyes.

  “I just tackled him. And, if you think about it, no one in the battlefield’s going to do that. Not in armor or chainmail. I definitely broke a few rules of combat. Just wanted him to eat some dirt too, for a change.” Rowan challenged.

  “You’ll see men driven to anything, Rowan, in war.” The knight said coolly. Will wasn’t sure he cared for the man, he seemed harsh. “Now, I didn’t come to debate with you over the rules of battle.” He turned his restless horse in a tight spin and Will saw the sword swinging from his saddle, a deep blue stone the only decoration inlaid into the hilt.

  The knight’s hard eyes flitted to Will, his brow becoming tightly furrowed. His eyes focused on the two squires once more as the horse gnawed the bit. “If either of you are to earn a horse you have to keep up working with the ponies at the castle.” Rowan groaned and Colin ground the toe of his boot into the dirt.

  “Those things are nothing like the warhorses! I’ve ridden Rockwood’s horse and he’s not nearly as stubborn or iron mouthed. Those ponies are twits.” Rowan complained.

  Ross raised an eyebrow. “You think that you’re enough of a rider to upgrade? Do you want to try riding back to the castle on my horse?” the stallion arched his neck and slammed his hoof into the dirt again as if to emphasize a point.

  Rowan shook his head, eyeing the horse’s huge hooves.

  “Now,” Ross said, smirking slightly. “You’ve got two hours, that’s all. I have to meet with someone and that will take a while. I’ll head to the castle without you, so you’re in charge of making sure you aren’t late.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Colin muttered looking at his boots as if they were suddenly more interesting.

  “Can I come?” Will asked suddenly, jumping at the sound of his own voice. Oh, how stupid! Why had he even asked? Would he get in trouble for asking? It was out of his rank. He should know that from how often his father reminded him that he’d grow up to be nothing more than the next man, no more important, even if his mother had taught him to read. Idiot!

  “Who the Thornten are you boy?” growled the knight.

  “Eh... I’m...eh...William.” he understood Colin’s fear of the knight as he was locked under the piercing gaze. He made you feel helpless, this knight.

  “Are you a squire?”

  “N-no, my father, Marl-”

  “He’s a good fighter and he is fast with a sword too,” Rowan interjected. This was a huge stretch of the truth, Will knew. But the look Rowan shot told him to shut up.

  An unreadable emotion flickered across the knight’s face for a moment as he stared down at Will. It was as though he were weighing something more than they had said.

  “Fine as long as his father knows.” growled the knight. Will’s heart sank, thinking of how his father would take the news. Even as it did, the knight swung from the saddle and nodded toward the two squires. “Get a move on, this just changed the schedule a bit. You two take care of him, teaching him today is on you. I will speak with his father but I want you all gone. Now.”

  Without believing his luck, Will followed the two boys, glancing over his shoulder only long enough to see the knight staring at the door, hand resting on the blue stone in his sword’s hilt, his horse standing attentively behind him.

  ***

  “Who was that knight?” asked Will. “He seemed grouchy.” They were making their way along the edge of town; Rowan having insisted that he would not live to make the walk back if they didn’t find something to eat.

  “That was Sir Ross, he’s Colin’s knight. And he’s an old grump.” Rowan answered through a mouth full of the loaf of bread he’d bought. He ripped off a second chunk, handing it to Will, and the third piece to Colin.

  “Rowan, you’re an animal,” commented Colin, taking the food. “And Sir Ross is the best swordsman at the castle so I’m lucky in that aspect. He expects the best and doesn’t settle for any less.”

  Will craned his neck to look ahead, taking in the castle as they neared the top of the hill outside of town. He bit his lip. He had only ever seen the castle from the town’s edge. Now, not far down the trail, it seemed imposing, large and well protected behind its solid walls. They walked in silence for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts, and every step making his stomach twist more with nerves.

  When they finally reached the open drawbridge, he had half a mind to turn and run back. But the other two continued without hesitation so, breathing in deeply, he followed suit.

  “Ah, look who finally came.” Sir Ross had, as Colin had predicted, beat them back to the castle.

  “Sorry Sir, we lost track of the time,” mumbled Colin, looking at the ground trying not to meet his knight’s piercing blue ey
es.

  “Ah, leave ‘em be Ross, we’ve all been young, you know,” said the black-haired man, grinning and elbowing the other knight jovially in the ribs. “So, you’re the cheeky lad who decided to come spend a day living like a squire? Will, right?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “The Ranger mentioned-” Ross growled, cutting off what the other knight had been about to say. Turning slightly red, the man hurried to change the subject. “I’m Rockwood, by the way, Will,” then he turned to Rowan. “Is he any good?”

  “Yes, he’s almost as good as a trained squire.” Will glanced at Rowan, wondering if all young nobles and squires were trained to lie this well or if it was a self-taught trait.

  Sir Rockwood nodded approvingly, but Ross’s dark expression deepened. “Words are cheap, boys, and they don’t prove anything without action. Colin, you and Will face off.”

  Colin nodded, turning toward Will. He had no chance, he knew, of beating Colin but he braced himself. This was a chance to show something, anything, to knights of the King. Even if they deemed him as bad, he had nothing to lose and, if it went well, who knew? I could be a soldier. I could train with them, live in the barracks and still have friends among the squires.

  He hefted his weighted weapon more securely in both hands, trying to mimic the stance that Colin struck; braced without looking stiff.

  “Begin.”

  Colin didn’t hesitate. He struck a downward blow that Will moved to block, giving ground. The moment that the vibrations rattled up his arms, the other sword had swung to the left, cutting in toward his more open side. Spinning, Will felt the edge of the wood strike a rib. Fight back fight back! His mind screamed but, again, he was forced to defend as Colin dove forward, stepped sideways, glanced another blow from his weapon.

  He saw the opening and nearly dove. Colin’s right side was unprotected as he made an exaggerated swipe up. As he moved, he remembered Rowan falling for the same false opening earlier. At the last moment, he stepped back, Colin’s sword missing his entire side and instead striking his forearm.

  With a gasp of pain, his fingers dropped the weapon and he held both palms up in surrender. In his head, he cursed his stupidity for lunging at the opening and for letting instinct make him drop the sword.

  “Well,” Rockwood said, slowly. His voice seemed to break an endless silence. “It wasn’t bad. You got close to getting away after falling for that faint, but…”

  “Not close enough.” finished Ross. His lips curled in a smile as he nodded at his squire, his dark eyes remaining cool and unreadable.

  “There’s a dappled grey pony, Will, in the paddock that’s housing Rowan’s and Colin’s own,” said Rockwood. “Ross and I have a matter to discuss with the King but I expect you can do well enough with these two. Is that right, Will?”

  Will fought to hold down his smile. “Y-yes, Sir!”

  “Then get to it,” Ross ordered.

  The three turned and Will followed as Rowan led them back across the drawbridge and along the side of the castle. Temporary paddocks had been thrown together and, in the nearest, he could see three ponies. The grey caught his eye instantly and he lifted himself over the fence, ready to approach.

  “Hold up, what are you doing?” Rowan asked, staring.

  “Catching the grey?”

  “Have you been around ponies?”

  “My father has a horse,” said Will, a little defensively. He hadn’t ridden the animal but he’d been sent to catch it enough times.

  Rowan laughed darkly. “A horse, perhaps, but ponies aren’t horses. Ponies are small imps in the bodies of horses. They live only to be spiteful and feed off the misery of others.”

  Will stared at him, not sure what to say.

  “Rowan and his pony have a hate-hate relationship,” Colin explained, picking three halters off the gate and passing them to the two others. “He swears at it and it bites him.

  “It’s evil, Will. Yours will be too, I promise.”

  Colin rolled his eyes and pulled himself across the fence. After a moment of quiet swearing, Rowan followed suit.

  As they neared the ponies, the animals turned, ears perked, to watch. Colin slowed in an easy manner, seeming to relax his body. Rowan, on the other hand, continued forward. Will followed, unsure what to do.

  “Come here, useless,” Rowan snapped at the bay pony. It pinned its ears.

  “Rowan, don’t spook them or we will be out here all-” Colin started but it was too late. Rowan had taken one too many steps and the bay spun, throwing its tail high, and galloping past them. The other two ponies joined in, prancing to a standstill to observe from their new vantage.

  “It’s official. I will be a knight who walks if I have to, but I am not going to work with these, these…” words failed Rowan as his face grew red with frustration.

  “You can settle for that, but I’d rather skip dinner to catch them than face Ross without them,” Colin said, readjusting the halter on his shoulder and walking toward the ponies again. Will had to admit, Colin had a point. Rowan seemed to agree as he fell silent and into step with Will.

  After thirty minutes of trying to catch the ponies, in which Rowan had tripped over hs own feet three times and knocked down Will one, the three finally sank onto the grass to catch their breath. Sweat poured down Will’s neck from trying to run and cut off the ponies a few times and Rowan had managed to trip over his lead rope and was nursing a split lip. Even Colin seemed disheveled.

  “Told you they were evil.”

  “They wouldn’t have run if you hadn’t pushed them,” Colin grumbled.

  Will felt hunger creeping into his exhausted stomach. Laying back on the grass, he rolled his eyes back to see the upside-down image of the three ponies, eagerly waiting for their game to continue. “Could we bribe them?”

  “You know, that might be the only thing that works now!” Rowan said, his voice excited. “We could use grain and get them over here.”

  “Dibs on not getting it,” Colin groaned, flopping down on the grass like Will.

  “I don’t mind getting it,” Will said, rolling over and standing. “Where do I go?”

  “The barn is on the left side as you go over the drawbridge, I’m sure you saw it. There ought to be someone around to give a helping hand. If you see an older squire, rope them into coming and helping us,” suggested Rowan. He was already sprawling in the grass, his eyes closing. “If you get lost, well…just don’t get lost.”

  “Okay, got it,” Will turned away, jogging back toward the castle.

  Over the drawbridge, he didn’t stop until he was stepping through the door of the massive barn. There he froze, his mouth falling open. Huge warhorses, the kind he daydreamed about, lifted their heads, putting them over half doors or against the metal bars that separated them from each other. The dark wood of the stalls was shined, the sun shafting through open windows. Tall ceilings were lit with the natural light of propped open doors along the loft. The sweet smell of hay and horses filled his nose and a few of the horses nickered soft greetings. It was the most beautiful and peaceful place he had ever seen.

  “Do you need anything? If not, I haven’t time for the babbling of a useless squire.”

  Will jumped and turned as the lanky man stepped through a side door, his tightly curled blonde hair falling over his narrowed eyes. Behind him, Will saw rows of saddles neatly hung on racks before the door swung shut.

  “Do you know where the grain is? We’re having trouble catching ponies.” Will wasn’t about to correct the ‘squire’. The man, already making the hair on the back of the boy’s neck stand on end, would probably throw him out if he knew he was from town.

  “Yeah, I do,” the man paused and Will waited, unsure what to do. Finally, the man rolled his eyes. “I’ll go get it. Thornten, you squires are useless.”

  “Thanks...” Will mumbled as the man stepped back into the room, reemerging a moment later with a bucket full of grain. He shoved it into Will’s hands without a wo
rd and stalked back through the door, slamming it as he went.

  “Thank you, Sir,” the man yelled through the closed door in correction.

  “Thank you, Sir,” Will said, hefting the bucket more evenly. “W-which knight are you?”

  The man opened the door again, glowering down at Will. “I’m not a knight, nor would I be. I’m a soldier. I am Danvac, you stupid boy.”

  Will didn’t say anything, just turned and left. He wanted to put as much distance between him and the man as possible.

  “What took you so long?” asked Colin.

  “He didn’t take that long,” said Rowan, groggily, as he sat up.

  “Let’s get the ponies,” said Will quickly hoping to divert any arguments or questions. He didn’t want to relay what he was sure was unnecessary suspicions of the man that had helped him.

  The three boys walked toward the ponies. It took a while and finally handing all three halters to Colin to approach, but he was able to bribe the ponies near the grain. Soothing them with a gentle murmur, he slid the halters on each and handed the bay to Rowan and the grey to Will. The grey wasted no time in biting down aggressively on his sleeve. He couldn’t help but agree with Rowan’s statement of ponies as he extricated his clothing from the beast’s mouth.