Characters

Will

Will is a ward, an orphan raised because of Baron Arald, Lord of Redmont’s kindness. He has never known his parents and so has no last name. The only information he knows about them is that his mother died giving birth to him and his father died a hero. Therefore, Will naturally assumes that his father was a mighty knight and aspires to follow in his father’s footsteps. So, when Choosing Day, the day when the wards are apprenticed to different masters, comes around Will hopes that he will be granted permission to enter Battleschool, the place where all the knights are trained. However, Will knows that the Battlemaster will never pick him; he is too small for his age. Even though Will might not be big, he is agile, strong, curious, brave, and honest even if he gets in trouble for it. Also Will knows a little bit about moving without being seen. The Ranger, Halt, notices these characteristics and decides to accept Will as an apprentice Ranger. Halt teaches Will the skills of a Ranger and at the same time they are both pulled into a great adventure. They face the deadly Kaalkara, almost-impossible-to-kill-monsters with hypnotizing powers, and Will proves his courage and ability to think quickly. In the end, Will finds out that courage and intelligence can always destroy evil.

Halt

Halt is the Ranger assigned to Redmont Fief. He is well-known throughout the kingdom for helping bring down Morgarath, the Black Lord. He actually showed the cavalry a secret way across the Slipsunder River, so that they were able to attack the enemy’s rear. Will is Halt’s apprentice. Halt teaches Will the ropes to becoming a great Ranger. Usually, Halt is described as an “unnerving person.” This is mainly because of his abilities to blend into his surroundings and creep up on people without making a sound. He is usually seen with brown or gray clothes and his long, gray, and green Ranger’s cloak which helps him camouflage. He owns a Ranger horse named Abelard too. Also, he is a great example of someone who is small but deadly. Halt is quite short, contrary to all the legends that say he is as tall as two men and as broad. Although he has an under average height, he can kill a person in under a minute. Some characteristics that Will notices about Halt are that he never smiles and is exceedingly touchy about his height. Plus, Halt is extremely used to living alone in his little cottage in the woods, but Will’s cheerful spirit makes him happier than before. In turn, Halt is protective of Will, even though he does not like to show it.

Horace Altman

Horace was one of Will’s ward mates. At first, Horace and Will were constantly at odds with each other and fought many battles. Horace is the more muscular and athletic one, but Will usually won these battles because he was quick and agile. Later, when they both face a mad bull together and save each other’s lives, they form a strong friendship. Horace is easily accepted into Battleschool and is training to become a knight which is his dream job. Even though, Horace thought of life as a Battleschool recruit as all glory and adventure that is not the case at all. He is frequently bullied by three second-year cadets named Bryn, Alda, and Jerome who are making his life living torture. In the end, Halt helps Horace get revenge for all the pain they caused him. Meanwhile, the Battlemaster, Sir Rodney, notices that Horace is a natural swordsman who with a sword in his hands could be deadly toward his enemy.

**Note**Horace plays an even bigger part in the rest of the books in the series.

Morgarath

Morgarath is the Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, a barren place full of cliffs and icy mountains lacking any sign of life. He is the former Baron of Gorlan in the Kingdom of Araluen. He was banished to the Mountains of Rain and Night because he tried to revolt against the then new king, King Duncan. His rebellion was defeated mainly due to the Ranger, Halt, who helped tear apart his army at a crucial point of the battle. So, he vehemently abhors Halt. Morgarath is a greedy person that just wants the whole kingdom to himself and completely under his control. He uses creatures called Wargals who he can direct with his mind to cause destruction. Once again, Morgarath is planning to attack Araluen. Except this time, he is using monsters known as Kalkara combined with his usual army of Wargals. The thing is, most ordinary people do not even know if Morgarath still exists. He has become an old legend. Mothers even use his name to quiet their children and threaten them for misbehaving. This only makes his job easier, but the Rangers are still standing in his way and will make sure that he is stopped.
**Note** A physical description of Morgarath was not provided in this book. It was only mentioned that he rode into battle on a white horse.