Portal:Ranger's Apprentice (series)/Plot
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[edit] The Ruins of Gorlan
Will is a 15-year-old orphan without a last name. He lives in Castle Redmont and longs to join the Battleschool and become a knight, an occupation he believes his father had. He is therefore devastated when he is rejected. However, Will is soon shocked with the knowledge that another of the taskmasters, Halt the Ranger, had accepted him. Halt wanted him to become one of the Rangers, who were mysterious and feared by the Castlefolk. The people of Araluen thought the Rangers were evil wizards gifted with invisibility, but they were actually just trained at moving silently. There are 50 rangers in the kingdom, one for each fief. Their job is to provide law, order, and intelligence to the king. With the new skills that Halt teaches him, Will has the skills crucial for a Ranger. Will befriends Halt's previous apprentice, Gilan. They go to track the two fearsome Kalkara which are huge, gorilla-like beasts. The Kalkara are assassins who will kill people for large amounts of silver. They absolutely love silver and are they behind the assassination of Lord Norath, or did he die by nothing? The first one is weakened by Halt, and killed by the combined efforts of Will, the Baron, and the Battlemaster soon after. Will saves Halt, the Baron, and the Battlemaster's lives by finally killing the second Kalkara by a single fiery arrow. When the Battlemaster offers him a place in Battleschool, he decides to stay on as a Ranger. 281 pages in the Australian edition.
[edit] The Burning Bridge
On a special mission for the Rangers, Will, his friend Horace, an apprentice knight, and the Ranger Gilan travel to a neighboring country, Celtica. They discover that all the villagers are gone. Will and Horace wonder if all the villagers have been slain or captured, but Gilan thinks that the evil Lord Morgarath finally devised a plan to cross the mountain pass. If that were true, and the King wasn't warned, the country would be destroyed. Gilan goes to warn the King, and Will and Horace begin to follow a straggling Wargal force. On their way they come across Evanlyn, who claims to be a maid to an Araluen lady. When the three of them follow the Wargals they discover that a bridge is in the process of being built across The Fissure. They also discover that the King's army will be trapped on the Plains of Uthal, surrounded by Morgarath's army and a Skandian force. They decide that the only way to save the country is to burn the bridge. They manage to do this, but Will and Evanlyn are captured as they keep the fire going. Meanwhile, Gilan reaches the camp and as he reports Evanlyn to the King, we find that Evanlyn has a secret identity. Horace rushes back to the battlefield in time for the fight to begin. The cavalry is destroying Morgarath's army, so he sends a retreat, then goes forward and challenges Halt to single combat. When the King forbids Halt from accepting, Horace challenges Morgarath instead. Morgarath is about to kill Horace, but, using the move that Gilan taught Will, Horace stabs Morgarath and wins the battle. The Wargals start retreating back up Three Step Pass and the Skandians escape with Will and Evanlyn. Halt tries to rescue them, but he comes minutes too late. Halt promises Will that he will rescue him. 263 pages.
[edit] The Icebound Land
Will and Evanlyn are bound for Skandia as the captives of the fearsome Skandian Jarl, Erak. Halt has sworn to rescue Will and will do anything to keep his promise - even defy his King. He insults King Duncan until he is taken into custody. Expelled from the Rangers and banished by the king for a year, Halt is joined by Horace, who was unofficially released from Battleschool, as he travels through Gallica towards Skandia on his venture to save Will. On their way, they are constantly challenged by freelance knights - otherwise known as thieving thugs. Horace knows how to fight, though, and he soon begins to attract the attention of knights and warlords for miles around with his uncanny skill. They are captured and tormented by the local warlord. Meanwhile, Will becomes addicted to warm weed. Jarl Erak helps Will and Evanlyn escape from captivity and tells Evanlyn how to cure Will. 307 pages.
[edit] Oakleaf Bearers (The Battle for Skandia, in U.S.)
Just as spring approaches and Will and Evanlyn can finally escape Skandia, Evanlyn is carried off by mysterious horsemen. Will sets out after them. He's not the only one on their trail. On the way to find Will, Halt and Horace have also been tracking the small party of Temujai, a fierce, nomadic tribe of horse warriors from the east. Will is overjoyed to be reunited with his mentor and his best friend, and together they rescue Evanlyn; however, the occasion is not as happy as it could have been as Halt realizes that the Temujai they discovered are only the scouts for a massive invasion force. The Skandians have no chance, unless they accept the help of their sworn enemies from Araluen. This book in one edition has 327 pages and 294 in the U.S. edition.
[edit] The Sorcerer in the North
Five years have passed since the Skandians and the Araluans made their treaty, and Will has finally become a Ranger, with his own fief to look after. He soon learns that even sleepy little island fiefs have problems enough to keep Will on his toes. Will and his old friend Alyss are thrown into a terrifying new adventure, investigating the truth behind rumors of sorcery in a remote northern fief. As he stands in Grimsdell Forest, hearing eerie voices and seeing the horrific figure of the Night Warrior looming in the fog, Will asks himself if sorcery really exists or if there is some other explanation. 329 pages
[edit] The Siege of Mackindaw
In this desolate northern fief, Will tries to gather the fighting men he needs to overcome Sir Keren and his band of criminals. Across the border, fierce Scotti warriors are waiting for the signal that castle Macindaw is in friendly hands to launch a full scale invasion. With the arrival of an old friend, Will has to try to stop Sir Keren and rescue the imprisoned Alyss. Released May 2007. 331 pages.
[edit] Erak's Ransom
When Erak, the Skandian Oberjarl, is taken hostage during a raid on the desert lands to the south of the constant sea, a few of his men escape, including Erak's second in command, Svengal. Halt and Will must go with the Svengal to deliver the ransom and secure Eraks freedom, but a royal presence is needed, too. The princess Cassandra, who Will knows as Evanlyn, persuades her father to let her go with them. Horace and the ranger Gilan round out the group to make sure that Evanlyn is well protected, but there are still the threats of violent sandstorms, warring tribes, and danger every where that may keep them from reaching Erak in time to secure his release. This book was released on the 1st November in Australia, though some book stores released it earlier. 441 pages
[edit] The Kings of Clonmel
Will is at the annual Ranger Gathering but Halt is investigating mysterious happenings in the west. When he does finally return, it's with bad news. Hibernia is in turmoil. A religious cult calling themselves the Outsiders are sowing confusion and sedition, and five of the six Hibernian kingdoms have been undermined. Now the sixth, Clonmel, is in danger. Halt, Will and Horace set out to restore order. Can the secrets of Halt's past help them in their mission? It is hinted by fans who have asked about female rangers, that there will be a female ranger appearing. November 3, 2008 Release
