Ranger's apprentice : The ruins of Gorlan ; bk. 1
(Book)

Morgarath, the exiled lord of the bleak, barren Mountains of Rain and Night has been waiting fifteen years in his dark realm, carefully planning his revenge against the Kingdom of Araluen. His former fief, known as Gorlan, was long ago brought to ruin as a result of his unsuccessful rebellion against King Duncan. Now he silently plots to rebel again, rallying creatures known as Wargals to his side. Wargals have little will of their own, and are easy to control, therefore being suitable as soldiers in Morgarath’s army. Now, after the fifteen years, Morgarath prepares to unleash his power and attempt to take the Kingdom once more. Meanwhile in Araluen, in the fief Redmont, a special day has come for Will and his fellow wardmates (Horace, Alyss, George, and Jenny), called Choosing Day, where they all become an apprentice to a craftmaster or have to work in the local farms. Although Will's first choice was Battleschool, he becomes apprenticed to Halt of the Rangers. Rangers are the intelligence group of the country and specialize in long range weapons and the art of staying unseen. Will is trained in these skills as he prepares for the annual Ranger meeting called the Gathering which is where his skills will be tested. During this time he becomes closer to Halt and is given a horse named Tug. Meanwhile Will's wardmate Horace is in Battleschool. His life is harsh and he is often bullied by other Battleschool cadets. During a local holiday Horace and Will fight, increasing their hatred for each other. After this Will and Halt find signs of a boar that has been roaming the area. The two get a group of men that will take down the boar. During the hunt it is discovered that there are two boars one which runs straight to Horace before being distracted by Will, saving Horace's life, and charging at Will before finally being killed by Halt. This cements a friendship between Will and Horace and erases the lasting tension between the two. After the killing of the boar Will is visited by the cadets bulling Horace. They attack Will before being stopped by Halt and banished from the fief, stopping the bulling against Horace and making him closer with the Rangers. However it has now come time for Halt and Will to go to the Gathering. Here Will meets Halt's former apprentice, Gilan. During the Gathering the Rangers receive a report that the Kalkara, vicious creatures under the control of Morgarath, have came into Araluen. Halt, Will and Gilan leave to track down the Kalkara. Together the trio track the Kalkara. Halt thinks that the Kalkara are headed to the Ruins of Gorlon and tells Will to go back to Redmont, get backup and meet back at the ruins. At Redmont, the Baron, Sir Rodney, and several others head out to slay the Kalkara and to save Halt and Gilan. Finding that Halt is battling the Kalkara, Sir Rodney and the Baron manage to slay one, but are badly injured by the other. Suddenly, the last Kalkara is killed by Will with a flaming arrow that burns it because of its highly flammable fur. Back at his fief, Will is considered a hero and receives his bronze oakleaf which identifies him as a Ranger Apprentice. Meanwhile, Araluen prepares for a battle with Lord Morgarath and his army of Wargals.