CHARACTERS

Will has lived at Castle Redmont all his life. Along with his friends George, Alyss and Jenny, and his sometime-enemy Horace, he is a ward - an orphan brought up by the generosity of the Baron. All his life Will has dreamed of becoming a great knight, like the father he never knew.

At the Choosing Day, when wards of the castle turning fifteen are given the chance to become apprentices, he desperately hopes he is chosen for the Battleschool, where the kingdom's knights are trained.

The problem is, Will might be wiry and agile, but he's small for his age. There's no way the Battlemaster will accept him as a warrior apprentice. Will uses what he is good at - sneaking around without being seen, and climbing trees and walls - to find out what the Ranger Halt has written about him on the piece of paper in the Baron's office. When he's caught in the act, Will decides to face up to his fate rather than lie to the Baron. It is his honest answer and courage that convinces Halt that he is right about Will - small size or not, he is the perfect candidate to become an apprentice Ranger.

As Halt trains him, passing on the secret skills of the Rangers, Will begins to realise that speed and agility and intelligence are every bit as important as physical size and muscles. He learns about loyalty and trust and friendship and he learns that courage can overcome even the greatest of enemies. Finally, as the Kingdom prepares to go to war, he learns about his own identity - who he is and what he is to become.

Like all Rangers, Halt is a master of concealment in his mottled cloak. He is the Ranger of Redmont Fief, and when he slips into the Choosing Day ceremony no-one notices - until Will gets a great shock when he looks up to meet Halt's dark, unfathomable gaze. Halt has been keeping an eye on Will for years without Will knowing, and he is willing to take on Will as his apprentice. In fact, he's very happy to have someone to do the housework in his cottage in the woods!

Although he never appears happy with Will's progress, and very rarely smiles, Halt is a thorough and generous mentor to Will, and begins to teach him all the skills a Ranger needs. When they travel to the Rangers' yearly Gathering, Halt is relying on Will's newfound skills to keep up his own reputation among the Rangers - his previous apprentices try to sneak up on Halt every year, but so far he's never been caught. Halt is a Senior Ranger, among the Ranger Commandant Crowley's inner circle, and he was instrumental in the defeat of the traitorous Lord Morgarath in the battle fifteen years ago.

Tall, broad-shouldered and athletic, Horace is easily accepted into Redmont Battleschool as a warrior apprentice. He soon realises that it's not all glamour and adventure - his days are filled with gruelling physical training, running the obstacle course, lifting weights, lessons in military history, and still more physical training. His life is made even worse by the fact that three second-year students have chosen Horace as their victim - they constantly torment him, making him obey their orders, and they bully the other students into telling them where Horace is hiding.

Although Horace's teachers have noticed his outstanding ability at sword practice, they're puzzled by his behaviour - why does he always seem to have bruises, and why is his classwork so sloppy? It will take someone as intuitive as Halt to work out what's going on, and help Horace get his revenge on the bullies.

As the Ranger's Apprentice series progresses, Horace's uncanny skills at swordsmanship become apparent, and he is soon recognised for the hero that he is, although he's always happy to rely on the intelligence and strategy of the Rangers when it comes to planning.

You won't find her in Book One: The Ruins of Gorlan, but Evanlyn is destined to be a major character in the Ranger's Apprentice series. When Gilan, Will and Horace find her in Book Two: The Burning Bridge, Evanlyn is starving and exhausted. Her travelling party have been attacked by Morgarath's Wargals, and Evanlyn is traumatised by her escape from the horrible creatures. Not knowing who she can trust, she tells the two Rangers that she is a servant - but her real identity is much more important.

Evanlyn is feisty and determined, and when she sets her mind to something - like making Will and Horace take her with them to spy on the Wargals rather than sending her back to the Kingdom - she won't be dissuaded. Evanlyn's real identity is revealed by the end of Book Two: The Burning Bridge, but she doesn't tell Will until Book Three: The Icebound Land. Evanlyn proves herself to be brave and resourceful in the battle for Skandia in Book Four: Oakleaf Bearers and she reappears as a major character in Book Seven: Erak's Ransom.

Erak is the Jarl, or captain, of the Skandian wolfship Wolfwind. The Skandians sometimes agree to fight for other countries for payment, and in Book Two: The Burning Bridge he is fighting under the banner of the rebel warlord Morgarath, who is trying to defeat the Kingdom of Araluen.

Erak is known for his navigational abilities - and his willingness to use his battleaxe to make his point known! Although he's gruff and battle-hardened, Erak has a soft side, too, which can be seen more in Book Three: The Icebound Land. Erak appears in Ranger's Apprentice Books Two, Three, Four and Seven.

Halt's former apprentice, Gilan is now in his twenties, and is the Ranger of Meric Fief. Gilan never misses an opportunity to try and catch his old master out, but Halt hasn't been fooled yet.

For all his jokes and light-hearted manner, however, Gilan is serious about being a Ranger - he chose to be a Ranger rather than a knight, something which Will finds hard to believe. Gilan is the best 'unseen mover' in the Ranger Corps, and he's the only Ranger who uses a sword along with his knives and bow. Fans of Gilan will be pleased to know that he reappears as a major character in Book Seven: Erak's Ransom.

Will's friend from childhood in the Ward at Castle Redmont, Alyss has grown into a beautiful young woman. Her quick wit and calm nature make her a perfect fit for the Diplomatic Service, who are also known as Couriers.

Under the tutelage of the elegant Lady Pauline at Castle Redmont, Alyss will learn diplomacy and become a Courier, travelling on missions for the Kingdom. Alyss's job as a Courier will bring her back into contact with Will in Book Five: The Sorcerer in the North.