Ranger's Apprentice: Tales Untold

Arm Guard

THE ARROWS HISSED THROUGH the air, each one hitting their marks. Will grinned in satisfaction as he set down his bow, going over to collect the arrows.

He and Halt were currently at Castle Araluen, due to a meeting with the King. Will was just glad for the opportunity to see his two friends, Evanlyn and Horace.

Of course, the break didn't mean that he didn't have to practice. "You'll forget it all in one day if you don't practice," Halt had told him.

Footsteps pattered behind him from a distance, and Will whipped out another arrow, nocking it and loosing the arrow in almost the same instant. A yelp came from the direction, and he grinned as Horace leaped back in surprise.

"Don't try to sneak up on me next time!" Will called cheerfully. Horace looked warily at the bow as he approached.

"Well, next time, don't try to shoot me if you know it's me," he retorted, a smile spreading across his face. "And you also missed."

Will raised an eyebrow. "I missed? Would you have rather me hit you instead?"

Horace snickered. "I don't think you could if you tried. You missed this time, didn't you?"

Will rolled his eyes. "If I'm so bad at shooting then, why don't you give it a go?" he teased. At once, the knight brightened.

"Really? I've always wanted to try it."

Will hesitated; he hadn't meant it, of course, but at the pleading expression on his friend's face, he decided to relent. "Oh, all right." Horace took the bow and an arrow, clumsily nocking it to the string.

Will hid a grin as he watched. Seeing Horace with a bow, of all weapons, was so out of place that there was no way it couldn't be funny. The warrior was much more at home with a sword; a blind person could see that.

"Use your back muscles, too," he suggested. "Like you're trying to push your shoulder blades together."

"You deal with this every time?" Will raised an eyebrow as the bow wavered slightly.

"Yes. You get used to it." He glanced around, and then started with surprise. "Wait, Horace—!"

But the knight had already let the arrow fly. Where it went, Will didn't know, as he was distracted from the shout of pain that escaped his friend.

"Ow!" Horace dropped the bow as if scalded, holding his forearm. "What did I do wrong? That hurt!"

Will eyed him for an instant before he burst out laughing.

~<>~

"IT'S NOT THAT FUNNY." Laughter rang through the halls as the knight's surly tone defied the lightheartedness. Halt raised an eyebrow as Horace and Will approached him, the latter still trying to smother his laughter.

"And pray tell, what did you do this time?" he asked, giving his apprentice a long-suffering look. Will grinned and nudged Horace in the side.

"Horace shot the bow today."

Halt blinked. "What?"

"Horace. Shot. The bow."

Halt glared at Will. "Yes, I heard you the first time. Why did he shoot your bow, and what's so funny about that?"

"He didn't tell me about the arm guard." Halt raised an eyebrow.

"I forgot!" Will exclaimed. "He shot it just as I remembered it!"

Horace shook his head, and Will laughed once more. Deciding that his apprentice was enjoying this altogether too much, Halt decided to share a story.

"Don't feel so bad, Horace," he told the knight. "Will did the exact same thing."

Horace smirked as Will's grin fell. "Wow, thanks, Halt. I was enjoying the moment here!"

Halt smirked. "Good." Will gave him a mock scowl while Horace laughed. "I figured your ego might be getting too high for a moment."