The Ruins of Gorlan

Growing up, Horace enjoys tormenting his ward mate Will. At Battleschool, he’s confronted by bullies who make his own life miserable until he stands up for Will when they attack him. Horace learns that true friends aren’t arrogant, and that they protect rather than mistreat their friends.

Horace is tormented by three second-year cadets in Battleschool, Alda, Bryn, and Jerome, who bully him relentlessly. Used to being the bully, instead of being bullied, “Horace simply assumed that was the way things were supposed to be and, not knowing any better, went along with it, allowing himself to be bullied and insulted” (95). When Horace tolerates the abuse, it only gets worse. Honor dictates that he endure the treatment without complaint and the other students, sensing trouble if they stand up for Horace, leave him friendless.

His mood darkened by the constant bullying, Horace meets Will and his former ward mates at a festival. Instead of joining in, he berates them, upsetting his friend Jenny. He mocks Will and tries to ride the boy’s horse, Tug, who promptly throws him. Humiliated, he charges the pony with a stick, but Will blocks him, and they fight. Sir Rodney pulls them apart. Horace’s life is at its lowest ebb.

Rodney, trying to improve Horace’s prospects, invites him on a boar hunt, attended also by Will. The boar charges them, and Horace instinctively places himself between Will and the beast. He sets his lance and braces for impact but slips on the snow. Will shoots arrows at the boar to distract the beast and give Halt time to ride over and kill it. Grateful to Will, Horace shakes hands with him, and their feud ends. This is a major change in Horace’s outlook: No longer concerned with petty bickering, Horace accepts that, in his heart, he wants to protect Will, and he appreciates Will’s similar good intentions.

The hazing at Battleschool worsens, though, until one day Alda, Bryn, and Jerome severely beat Horace simply because Will, a Ranger apprentice, saved his life. He overhears them planning to punish Will as well. Realizing that the cadets’ hazing is based entirely on cruelty, envy, and shame, Horace decides to end things. He follows them to the forest and stops them before they can harm his friend. With Halt’s permission, he metes out justice on each of the bullies. Halt reports the hazing to Sir Rodney, who expels the three and banishes them from the fief.

Thus vindicated, Horace’s school work improves, and he continues to master the battle arts at a high level. More important, though, is the lesson he learns about arrogance and humility: The former ruins friendships, while the latter saves them. For the first time, Horace truly understands the knightly code of honor: It’s not about showing off but about showing up to help those in danger.