The Ruins of Gorlan

“Strange, he thought, how seldom people tend to look up.”

Already, Will has a sense of how people respond to their surroundings. He knows that, if he climbs a tree or a building, he can hide in plain sight because no one will look there. This aptitude foreshadows Will’s future success as a Ranger’s apprentice while studying under Halt.

“‘Bucket there. Barrel outside the door. Water in the river. Ax in the lean-to, firewood behind the cabin. Broom by the door and I believe you can probably see where the floor might be?’ ‘Yes, sir,’ said Will, beginning to roll up his sleeves. […] As he walked outside, the empty bucket in one hand, he heard the Ranger say contentedly as he poured himself a mug of coffee and sat down again: ‘I’d forgotten how much fun having an apprentice can be.’”

Halt’s simple, mundane, and tiring tasks help Will develop the methodical determination that will get him through the difficult field work he’ll soon confront. When completed well and cheerfully, they also signal to Halt that Will is ready for the next level of Ranger training.

“‘King Herbert felt that to remain safe, the kingdom needed an effective intelligence force.’ ‘An intelligent force?’ said Will. ‘Not intelligent. Intelligence. Although it does help if your intelligence force is also intelligent.’”

Will receives his first lesson in spy craft: A nation must know what its enemies are up to. All the ensuing lessons are about how to gather that information from hostile forces. Such a career requires smarts, since spies must outthink their opponents, and a foolish or dumb one won’t survive long.

“You were going to deny having stolen the cakes. Then I saw you admit it. […] If you’d lied, you never would have become my apprentice.”

Halt makes it clear to Will that honesty is a requirement of Ranger training. Not only is it hard for a teacher to train someone who can’t be trusted, it’s harder still for a Ranger to be successful if they’re not honest—none of the other Rangers can rely on them. Most of all, though, is that people who can’t own up to the misdeeds they’ve been caught doing have no sense of responsibility for themselves and will try to wriggle out of anything difficult. They’ll prove useless in a crisis.

“When he’d applied for Battleschool, Horace had a vague notion of glittering, armor-clad knights doing battle, while lesser folk stood by and watched in awed admiration. Quite a few of those lesser folk, in his mental picture, had been attractive girls—Jenny, his yearmate in the Ward, had been prominent among them. To him, Battleschool had been a place of glamour and adventure, and Battleschool cadets were people that others looked up to and envied. The reality was something else.”

Horace’s dreams of a glorious student career go up in smoke when he finds that the reality of Battleschool is extreme toughness, back-breaking hard work, and no glamor at all. It’s his first lesson in humility, something he never had to learn.

“Halt showed him how to strap the double scabbard to his belt so that his hand fell naturally to the knife hilts. ‘Now,’ he said, ‘all you have to do is learn to use them. And you know what that means, don’t you?’ Will nodded his head, grinning. ‘A lot of practice,’ he said.”

Though physically talented, Will tends to be impatient. Halt quietly and methodically teaches Will to become quiet and methodical. It’s an early lesson in maturity that Will slowly masters.

“‘Why does this boy ask so many questions?’ he asked the trees. Naturally, they didn’t answer.”

Halt, frustrated by his student’s relentless curiosity, asks for a comment from nature itself; the silence is the eloquent answer. If Will could admire nature’s quiet ways, Halt’s life would be more peaceful. By the time Will learns to refrain from too much chatter, he’ll already have obtained the answers he wants and won’t need to talk. Thus, silence is a form of wisdom lost on the very people who need it most.

“Experienced warriors like Sir Rodney and Sir Karel were expert swordsmen, but naturals took the skill to a higher plane. It was as if for them, the sword in their hand became a true extension not just of their bodies, but of their personalities as well. The sword seemed to act in instant communion and harmony with the natural’s mind, acting even faster than conscious thought.”

While older, more skilled soldiers demonstrate their years of training, this passage references Horace’s growing abilities within the Battleschool. While Horace currently is not able to understand the mysteries of his own skill, the passage foreshadows how his talent will impact the story and his friendship with Will in the future.

“They rode a few kilometers farther in silence. The sun was lowering over the trees now and their shadows were long and distorted on the ground in front of them. Will studied Tug’s shadow. The pony seemed to have enormously long legs and a ridiculously short body. He wanted to call Halt’s attention to it but thought that such a frivolous observation would not impress the Ranger.”

Though a first-year apprentice, Will displays great curiosity and a flair for noticing interesting things. He holds back his comment because he already annoys his mentor with frivolous questions, but Halt already senses boy’s promise as a Ranger for his sharp observations. Will’s knack for paying attention to the unusual will serve him well when gathering information about enemies of his kingdom.

“‘Remember you told me how a Ranger was responsible for Morgarath’s defeat?’ ‘Mmmm,’ Halt grunted. ‘Well, I was just wondering, what was the Ranger’s name?’ the boy asked. ‘Names aren’t important,’ Halt said. ‘I really can’t remember.’ ‘Was it you?’ Will continued, sure that it was. Halt turned that level, unsmiling gaze on him again. ‘I said, names aren’t important,’ he repeated. There was a silence between them for some seconds, then the Ranger said: ‘Do you know what is important?’ Will shook his head. ‘Supper is important!’ said the Ranger. ‘And we’ll be late for it if we don’t hurry.’”

Halt teaches Will that heroism among the Rangers isn’t about claiming honor but doing one’s best and moving on to the next assignment. Halt continues to keep Will grounded in what’s important, the business of the day. Halt teases Will by keeping him guessing, since being comfortable with uncertainty is a virtue for Rangers.

“‘I’m Halt!’ The Ranger thundered at him, placing his face a few centimeters from Salt Peter’s as he did so. Again, the old farmer recoiled a few steps. Then he gathered his courage and shook his head in disbelief. ‘No, no, no,’ he said definitely. ‘You can’t be him. Why, the Ranger Halt is as tall as two men—and as broad. A giant of a man, he is! Brave, fierce in battle, he is. You couldn’t be him.’ Halt turned away, trying to regain his temper. Will couldn’t help the smile breaking out on his face again.”

Rangers avoid the limelight to keep their identities secret so they can continue their spy work. This leaves the legend of Ranger Halt, hero of the decisive battle against Morgarath, to grow out of control until, in the public’s imagination, he turns into a giant of a man. Halt thus becomes a hero whom no one believes. Will, watching Halt’s predicament, begins to see that he’ll never be able to match his father’s heroism—at least, not in public.

“‘We’ve got two fine young men here!’ [Arald] said to the group at large, and again there was that hearty chorus of assent. ‘Halt, Rodney, you can both be proud of your apprentices!’ ‘Indeed we are, my lord,’ Sir Rodney replied. […] when Will turned to look at his mentor, the grizzled Ranger met his eye, and simply nodded. And that, Will knew, was the equivalent of three hearty cheers from Halt.”

Will and Horace experiences their first great moment of heroism, and, in performing it together, they change their relationship from enmity to friendship. This signals the changing point for Will and Horace’s relationship from one of competition to one where the two work together.

“By the end of the first week, the events of the hunt had been so blown out of proportion that they had Will single-handedly killing both boars as they charged out of the thicket. A couple of days after that, to hear the story related, you could almost believe that he had accomplished the feat with one arrow, firing it clean through the first boar and into the heart of the second.”

Will discovers that fame and glory are made of myths, and that the real events are much more complicated. The evolution of the story demonstrates how information is circulated in the world and provides valuable worldbuilding for the narrative.

“‘People will think what they want to,’ he said quietly. ‘Never take too much notice of it.’”

Halt reminds Will that what matters in life isn’t the approval of others but one’s own conscience. His advice instills humility in Will that will help him succeed and remain consistent as a Ranger.

“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.”

Horace demonstrates his skill growth during the one-on-one combat between the two bullies to reveal their true characters. Horace’s skills force his bullies to retreat and highlight the weakness that underlies their violence and abuse.

“Don’t focus your attention on one spot. Keep a wide focus all the time and keep scanning. You’ll see him as a movement, not as a figure.”

Ranger training teaches Will to look beyond the obvious for the hidden, and to use his senses in unexpected ways to outwit an opponent. Learning to think differently gives Will an advantage and learning to think beyond the enemy’s thoughts can give him the victory.

“Once you best a man, never gloat. Be generous and find something in his actions to praise. He won’t enjoy being bested, but he’ll make a good face of it. Show him you appreciate it. Praise can win you a friend. Gloating will only ever make enemies.”

Ranger skills include diplomacy: Losers shown respect often provide valuable intelligence. It’s never a good idea to humiliate someone when they’ve just lost, as it’s a form of cruelty that hardens enemies. Halt highlights why respect shown to those the Rangers defeat is critical to their success.

“Sometimes, he thought wryly, a reputation for being right all the time could be a heavy burden.”

Halt, in his wisdom, recognizes the responsibility that comes with his level of knowledge and skill. His wry attitude highlights the age he feels and contrasts Will’s open curiosity that befits his young age.

“Seconds later, another howl answered the first. Slightly deeper in pitch, it seemed to come from a position a little to the left of the first. Without needing to be told, Will knew what the sounds meant. ‘It’s the Kalkara,’ Halt said grimly. ‘They have a new target and they’re hunting.’”

Will faces the greatest test of his short apprenticeship: He must be ready to do battle with the feared Kalkara, beasts that hunt humans. Troubling Will is the fear that the creatures are simply leading his team onward, only to turn at the last moment and try to kill them. His concern demonstrates the growth he has undergone as Halt’s apprentice as he tries to anticipate his enemy’s strategy.

“‘Always assume an enemy knows you’re there and that he will attack you,’ he said. ‘That way, you tend to avoid unpleasant surprises.’”

Ever the careful tracker, Halt teaches Will that pursuit can be two-sided, that the thrill of the hunt can make the hunter careless, and that an impatient or heedless tracker may end up a dead one. Halt’s instruction proves invaluable to Will as he applies his master’s lessons in moments of peril.

“What if Halt were wrong? What if the Kalkara had suddenly veered to the west and were heading now on a course that would intercept his? What if he made some terrible mistake and failed to reach Redmont in time? That last fear, the fear of self-doubt, was the hardest one of all to deal with. In spite of the hard training he had undergone over the past months, he was still little more than a boy. What was more, he had always had Halt’s judgment and experience to rely on in the past. Now he was alone—and he knew how much depended on his ability to carry out the task he had been set.”

The stakes are extremely high, and Will must carry out his assignment perfectly. Uncertainty crowds him—he’s not yet old enough or experienced enough to trust himself—and calm wisdom eludes him. He must rise to the challenge unsupported by anyone other than himself. It’s Will’s first sustained test as a Ranger.

“He thought of the long days in the forest with Halt. The fierce satisfaction that he felt when one of his arrows struck home, exactly where he had aimed it, exactly as he had seen it in his mind before releasing it. He thought of the hours spent learning to track animals and men. Learning the art of concealment. He thought of Tug, of the pony’s courage and devotion. And he thought of the sheer pleasure that came when he heard Halt’s simple ‘Well done’ as he completed a task to his satisfaction. And suddenly, he knew. He looked up at the Baron and said in a firm voice: ‘I am a Ranger, my lord.’”

Will comes full circle, from his earliest yearnings to be a knight to his confident understanding that he is a Ranger. It’s hard to turn down the baron’s offer to become one of his lieutenants, but Will finally knows who he is and what his purpose is about. He’s well suited to the ways of Rangers, and that service will do honor to his father’s death in battle as capably as would life as a knight.

“‘It is possible, of course,’ said Halt quietly, ‘to want to do two different things at the same time. Then it just becomes a choice of knowing which one you want most.’”

Halt’s apprentice wants to be a Ranger, but he believes he owes it to his heroic father’s memory to become a knight. This is Will’s only regret about turning down Battleschool to continue his Ranger training, but it’s a big one that serves to develop Will’s self-awareness and character growth.