Ranger's Apprentice 12: The Royal Ranger Read Free Page A

recognised the men on post. They were two of her favourites and her face lit up with a smile.
    ‘Morning, Len. Morning, Gordon. I see you’ve had a quiet night.’
    The sentry called Gordon smiled back at her. ‘That was until a fierce warrior maiden burst out of the forest just now and threatened the castle, your highness,’ he said.
    She frowned at him. ‘What have we said about this your highness business? It’s all a bit too formal for five o’clock in the morning.’
    The sentry nodded and corrected himself. ‘Sorry, Princess.’
    He glanced back up at the walls of the castle. One of the sentries there waved in acknowledgement of the fact that they had recognised the princess as well. ‘I assume your parents don’t know you’ve been out hunting?’
    Maddie wrinkled her nose. ‘I didn’t want to bother them,’ she said innocently. Gordon raised an eyebrow and grinned conspiratorially. ‘I’m perfectly safe, as you can see.’
    The sentry called Len shrugged uncertainly. ‘The forest can be dangerous, Princess. You never know.’
    Her grin widened. ‘Not too dangerous for a fierce warrior maiden, surely? And I’m not defenceless, you know. I’ve got my saxe and my sling.’
    She touched the long double leather thong that was hanging loosely around her neck. Then, as mention of the sling reminded her of something, she delved into the laden game bag slung over her shoulder.
    ‘By the way, I got a hare and a couple of wood pigeons. Can you use them?’
    The sentries exchanged a quick glance. They knew that if Maddie suddenly produced fresh-killed game in the castle, questions would be asked as to how she had obtained it. On the other hand, the addition of some fresh meat would be a welcome change to the soldiers’ table.
    Gordon hesitated. ‘The pigeons are all right, Princess. But the hare? If my wife’s found cooking that up, folks might think I’d been poaching.’
    Only the King, his family, or senior officials and warriors had the right to take game such as hares in the environs of the castle. Rangers, of course, hunted wherever they chose, with a fine disregard for such matters. Ordinary people were allowed to hunt smaller animals such as rabbits, pigeons and duck. But a hare was a different matter. A peasant or soldier could be fined for taking one.
    Maddie made a dismissive gesture. ‘If anyone asks, say I gave it to you. I’ll back you up.’
    ‘I wouldn’t want to get you into trouble.’ Gordon hesitated still, his hand halfway out for the hare.
    Maddie laughed carelessly. ‘Wouldn’t be the first time. Probably wouldn’t be the last. Take it. And you take the pigeons, Len.’
    The sentries finally gave in, taking the game and chorusing their thanks. Maddie brushed their gratitude aside.
    ‘Think nothing of it. I don’t want to throw them away and see good food go to waste. And you’re saving me a lot of explanations.’
    The guards stowed the animals in the small sentry box that gave them shelter in bad weather. Maddie waved to them and stepped lightly across the footbridge, letting herself into the small wicket beside the main castle gate. The two sentries smiled at each other. This was one of the perks of being assigned to the outside sentry post.
    ‘She’s a nice kid,’ Len said.
    Gordon, who was the older of the two by some years, agreed. ‘Like her mother,’ he said. Then he addedthoughtfully, ‘Mind you, Princess Cassandra used to stalk us when she sneaked out of the castle as a girl.’
    Len raised his eyebrows. ‘Really? I hadn’t heard that.’
    ‘Oh yes.’ Gordon nodded, remembering. ‘She practised her stalking skills on the sentries. Then she’d let fly with her sling and hit the heads of our spears. A right terror, she was, until we got used to her tricks.’
    Len was trying to equate the current Princess Cassandra – the caretaker ruler of the Kingdom – with the picture his companion had drawn of a wild, adventurous tomboy terrorising the castle