John Flanagan: The Royal Ranger

“Wooph! Wooph! Wooph!”

Horace stared at his wife, somewhat nonplussed. She grinned at him and pumped her fist even harder.

“Wooph! Wooph! Wooph!”

“Congratulations, Maddie. How does it feel to be a pioneer?” Gilan said softly in her ear.

She felt him placing the chain over her head. She reached up and took the bronze oakleaf pendant between finger and thumb, holding it out so she could see it. Her eyes misted with tears of pride.

“And now let’s eat!” Gilan shouted, and the cheering redoubled.

They had feasted. They had laughed. They had drunk toasts to fallen members of the Corps—Liam among those named. They had sung, concluding with the traditional Ranger song that ended every gathering— Cabin in the Trees. Maddie joined in on the song, thinking how appropriate it was to the Ranger life, thinking of the little cabin she had shared with Will for the past nine months.

Now she stood in a small circle of those closest to her: Cassandra and Horace, Halt and Pauline, Gilan and, of course, Will. She kept reaching up and touching the tiny bronze oakleaf around her neck. Gilan and Will understood how she felt. They had shared that sense of disbelief and joy when they had been awarded their oakleaves, bronze and silver.

Horace enveloped his daughter in a bear hug. “I’m proud of you,” he said. “So proud.”

There was a catch in his voice and, when he released her, he turned away so that the others wouldn’t see him wiping away a tear. She patted his shoulder.

Then her mother hugged her as well. But when she released her, Cassandra produced a rolled parchment from within her sleeve. “This is for you,” she said and handed it to Maddie.

The new Ranger’s apprentice looked at it curiously. It looked very official, she thought.

“What is it?”

Cassandra smiled at her. “It’s your reinstatement. Officially, you are once again a royal princess of Araluen. You’ve earned it,” she added.

Maddie hesitated, looking quickly at Will. He looked away. This was her decision and he wasn’t going to influence her.

“Well, that’s wonderful, and I’m very grateful. Very grateful indeed… but… could it wait a while?” she said.

Her mother looked at her, confused. “Wait a while? What for? You’ve proved you’re worthy of it. You don’t have to do any more. It’s time for you to come home.”

“But… I’d rather finish my training as a Ranger,” Maddie blurted out.

Halt and Gilan turned away to hide their grins. Cassandra glared accusingly at Will.

“This is your fault!” she shouted at him. “I might have known it!” She turned back to Maddie. “But that’ll be another four years!” she said, her voice rising in disbelief and anguish.

Maddie nodded, chewing her lip nervously. “It’ll be over before you know it,” she said. “And I’ll visit you often.”

Cassandra, for one of the rare times in her life, was speechless. She looked around the faces of the group. Suddenly, she had a sense of déjà vu as her memory took her back to a day many years ago. She was a young girl, standing on a balcony at Castle Araluen, Horace beside her, as they watched Will riding away with Halt. He had just chosen life as a Ranger over life at the Araluen royal court. Now it was happening again.

“I’ve been here before,” she finally managed to say.

Horace nodded, knowing what she was thinking. “And I told you then, Rangers are different from the rest of us. I was right then. And I’m right now.”

Cassandra opened her mouth and shut it again several times. Finally, she appealed to Horace, whose strength and common sense had supported her on so many occasions through their life.

“What should I say?” she asked.

He smiled at her, then at Maddie.

“Say yes,” he told her.