Looks like he’s lost a guinea and found a farthing,” Horace said, then added, unnecessarily, “Will, I mean.”Halt turned in his saddle to regard the younger man and raised an eyebrow.”I may be almost senile...

They are totally opposite. The arm motions are completely different. Mentally though, you’ve got to be there in both. You’ve got to be focused. You can’t just go out and throw the ball anywhere. Every...

The the uncertainty was dispelled and the melancholy lifted as he saw a familiar stocky figure moving near one of the tents. “Halt!” he cried out gladly, and a slight pressure with his knees set...

Will raised both eyebrows. ‘Well, you learn a new thing everyday,’ he said reflectively.’In your case, that’s no exaggeration,’ Halt said, completely straight-faced.

Without thinking, [Will] spoke.’Halt? Are you awake?”No.’ The ill humor in the one-word reply was unmistakable.’Oh. Sorry.”Shut up.’He pondered whether to apologize again and decided this would go against the instruction to shut up, so...

But what if I make a mistake?’ Will asked.Gilan threw back his head and laughed. ‘A mistake? One mistake? You should be so lucky. You’ll make dozens! I made four or five on my first...

You’ll like it less when you hear what they’ve been building. It’s a big raised platform at the end of the square about two metres above the ground, with steps running up to it.”Like a...

All we could get out of them was that they were taking us to ‘Kurokuma’. We didn’t know if that was a place or a person. What does it mean, by the way?”I’m told it’s...

There’s a tavern by the docks. He’s there most evenings.””Then I’ll talk to him tonight,” Halt said.”You can try. But he’s a hard case, Halt. I’m not sure you’ll get anything out of him. He’s...

I just found the line I was comfortable with and stayed with it. I’m left-handed, so the lanes don’t change much. It was a good day.

Already, Cullum felt a stirring of interest. The name Horace and the mention of an oakleaf symbol struck a chord in his memory. Sir Horace, the Oakleaf Knight, was a legendary figure in Araluen, even...

If everything is done for me… how will I ever learn?

Easy climb, Kurokuma. You do it easily.”Not on your life,’ Horace said… ‘That’s what we have Rangers for. They climb up sheer rock walls and crawl along narrow, slippery ledges. I’m a trained warrior, and...

Halt regarded him. He loved Horace like a younger brother. Even like a second son, after Will. He admired his skill with a sword and his courage in battle. But sometimes, just sometimes, he felt...

No matter how thoroughly you plan, no matter how much you think you know, you’ve never thought of everything.

What about you three, where are you going?”Even before Halt answered, Will knew what he was going to say. But that didn’t make it any less terrifying or blood-chilling when the words were said.”We’re going...

You’re dropping the bow hand as you release,” he called, although Halt certainly wasn’t.His mentor looked around, saw him, and replied pithily, “I believe your grandmother needs lessons in sucking eggs.

You can always win points; winning people’s respect is a lot more important.

Come closer, Kurokuma. It’s quite safe.’Horace shuffled closer to the edge…’Quite safe, my foot,’ he muttered to himself. ‘And what’s this Kurokuma you keep calling me?”It’s a term of great respect,’ Shigeru told him.’Great respect,’...

Gundar, seeing Halt upright for the first time in two days, stumped up the deck to join them.’Back on your feet then?’ he boomed cheerfully, with typical Skandian tact. ‘By Gorlag’s toenails, with all the...

A hundred people is rather a large handful for the four of us to take on,” Malcolm pointed out. “Do you have any ideas about how we’re going to handle that task?””Simple,” Halt told him....

Remember no one expects you to be Halt. He’s a legend, after all. Haven’t you heard? He’s eight feet tall and kills bears with his bare hands…

Right! Let’s get on with it! All right… you… Will… have trained as apprentice to Ranger Halt of Redmont Fief these last five twelvemonths and blah blah blah and so on and so on. You’ve...

Horace, who had been trying to find out the meaning of Kurokuma for some time now, was pleased to hear the translation. “Black bear,” he repeated. “It’s undoubtedly because I’m so terrible in battle.” “I’d...

Keep practicing,” he told her.”Until I get it right?” she said. But he corrected her.”No. Until you don’t get it wrong.

What was that, Kurokuma?’ asked one of the escorts riding near him. The others chuckled at the name.’Nothing important,’ Horace said. Then he looked at them suspiciously. ‘What’s this Kurokuma business?’The Senshi looked at him...

Will saw the first Senshi officer release and instantly knew where the arrow was aimed. ‘They’ve spotted Shigeru!’ He was about to turn and shove Shigeru to the ground, but as he did so, his...

Yes, I’m back,” he said, “And look who I ran into.”Horace grinned at him. “i hope you ran into him hard.””As hard as I could.

He looked up at Stig and Hal. ‘Told you this one was a keeper.’ Lydia flushed as the two boys smiled. ‘Shut up. You make sure you do your stuff with those two overgrown dinner...

No. I’m really fast asleep,” came his voice from under the cowl.

Butterfly?” Will said. “Why Butterfly?” “I believe it’s a term of great respect,” Selethen said gravely. He was very obviously not laughing. Too obviously, Will thought. “It’s all right for you,” he said. “They called...

Halt eyed them balefully. They were all being so obvious about not mentioning his sudden reappearance that it was even worse than if they had commented on it…’Oh, go on!’ he said. ‘Somebody say something!...

Many rulers would have spent the morning complaining loudly about the cold and the discomfort, as if their complaints would actually serve to alleviate the situation and as if their attendants should be able to...

Will had been taken aback in his confrontation with Arisaka to discover that his name- Chocho- meant “Butterfly”… He was puzzled to know why they had selected it. His friends, of course, delighted in helping...

Isn’t that someone we know?” asked Horace. He pointed to where a cloaked figure sat by the side of the road a few hundred meters away, arms wrapped around his knees. Close by him, a...

I wouldn’t want to get you into trouble.” Gordon hesitated still…Maddie laughed carelessly. “Wouldn’t be the first time. Probably wouldn’t be the last.

Aside from that.

Uphill? There’s nothing up the hill,” Colly said, trying desperately to work out where this conversation was going.”As a matter of fact, there is. There’s a bluff about twelve meters high, with a river running...

‎Halt looked up at the trees above him.”Why does this boy ask so many questions?” he asked the trees.Naturally, they didn’t answer.

Sometimes, life threw up problems that even the wisest, most trusted mentor couldn’t solve for you. It was part of the pain of growing up.And having to stand by and watch was part of being...

Fighting positions, please, ladies…”That’s debatable,’ Halt said in an undertone to Will as they stood watching…’The ‘fighting’ part or the ‘ladies’ part?’ Will replied with a grin.Halt looked at him and shook his head. ‘Definitely...

Would you have done that in his place? Would you have left him and gone on?””Of course I would!” Halt replied immediately. But something in his voice rang false and Horse looked at him, raising...

I figured if we got the first game it would keep us going. The hits and everything.

The Rangers were founded over one hundred and fifty years ago, in King Herbert’s reign. Do you know anything about him?” Halt looked sideways at the boy sitting beside him, tossing the question out quickly...

S’mimasen,” Alyss said repeatedly as they brushed against passerby. “What does that mean?” Will asked as they reached a stretch of street bare of any other pedestrians. He was impressed by Alyss’s grasp of the...

Now for God’s sake, will you two start behaving like a princess and a Courier?” Halt told them. “If you don’t, I’ll have to think about sending Will home.”Me?’ Will said, his voice breaking into...

You know, Gilan, sarcasm isn’t the lowest form of wit. It’s not even wit at all.” -Halt

Who are you, gaijin? What do you know about honor?”I’m called Chocho,’ Will said…’Chocho?’ Arisaka shouted, goaded beyond control. ‘Butterfly? Then die, Butterfly!

Maybe we should have gone with him,” he said, a few minutes after his friend was lost to sight.”Three of us would make four times the noise he will,” Halt said.Horace frowned, not quite understanding...

We will eventually have this place top notch.