Rangers Apprentice : The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan
Will, Apprentice to a ranger named Halt, has arrived back at the camp with Halt, Gilan, and a Battle school Apprentice, Horace. After the first defeat of two monsters called Kalkara and the Morgarath’s army, the Wargals. Already, Halt is getting ideas of sending his mates traveling to Celtica. They want to create an official embassy with the Celts. He knows that Morgarath is up to something. King Duncan is worried about Morgarath coming back to secretly ambush the Kingdom of Araluen’s army. Will, Horace, and Ranger Gilan travel to the town of Celtica only to find it deserted. Everyone has been captured. Morgarath is surely up to no good. Halt decided to stay behind, having the feeling Morgarath could secretly ambush Araluen’s army and kingdom. Under the behalf of Lady Pauline and King Duncan, Halt travels to the Baron and meets him up to discuss. Meanwhile, Will, Horace, and Ranger Gilan camp in the forest to stay safe and plot a plan. Gilan knew thieves will want to rob or steal from them since they are open to attacks. The two Rangers and the Battle school apprentice set up a camp and surely enough, a bunch of thieves try to steal their weapons, but Horace beats them up and Will intimidates them. Halt and Lady Alyss stick at the Baron’s area to insure availability and safety. Halt worries about Will. Will, on the other hand, is not worried about himself. Leaving Gilan behind, they trudge deeper into the forest they camped in. Evanlyn is a person from the Kingdom of Araluen, and she comes with them after seeing their camp. A group of warriors and also civilized people called the Skandians are their hope for info, and Evanlyn is a source of information from a talk. Walking in the forest brings them to a huge bridge. Not any bridge. It was the passage between the Kingdom of Araluen and the Mountians of Rain and Night, where Morgarath had his headquarters. Will and Horace know they are the only ones to prevent Morgarath from getting to Araluen, so they try burn the bridge down so the Wargals cannot reach Araluen so easily. But the flames cease quickly and Will, Evanlyn, and Horace realize that no changes will be made. Will and Horace get back to Gilan, and go to an area of Celtica where Halt and the Baron have moved to station incase the Wargals come. Later, they move to the Bridge and attempt to burn it again and it collapses. They come back down the hills and realize that Morgarath might come in the big fight coming up. Later in the fight, Halt and Gilan look for Morgarath. He came and ordered the Wargals, and then came to fight the Rangers. The Wargals knew no hope came to them, so they put up the white flag of truce, everyone parted, and Lord Morgarath himself steps fowards. He challenges Halt to a duel and Halt accepts, but to the disappointment of King Duncan, who also rode to follow Halt. They realize the Skandians and Duncan’s forces were fighting the Wargals and Halt is fighting the Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night. Two people, Erak and Nordal get in the way and Duncan ushers them out. Morgarath sees Horace, and before contact comes with Arrows with Halt and the Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, Horace calls out, “Morgarath! I challenge you to a single combat.” The duel lasts long, and eventually, Horace stabs Morgarath to death in the heart to cheers. The Wargal Army was released from Morgarath’s mind control immediately after his death, and walk around in confusion on the battlefield. Will escapes to a ship, and gets caught on it. Halt tries shooting at it to bring it down. He doesn’t want Will to leave. But the arrows aren’t enough and the boat gets away. Halt cries out and shouts, “Will! Stay alive! Don’t give up! I’ll find you wherever they take you!” The boat floated away and Halt swore a promice that only he could hear.