"Why do you have to be so sensitive," Ashton teased as Justin crossed his arms and pouted. "I want to go into battle school with Sir Morgan," He says. Ashton snickered, teasing him some more. He doesn't get why Justin would want to join battle school. Battle school is a great school, but he just doesn't meet the requirements.

Ashton himself knew that he's got a very high possibility that he will be chosen as a student for Sir Morgan. He's strong, brave, and skilled with a sword. Just like his father, who happened to die when Ashton was only a toddler. With how sad it was, his mother grieved so much to where she wouldn't move or step out of their little hut. She ended up sick and died because no cure could be found.

Justin thought about what Ashton always tells him. You're so small. You won't ever be strong enough. What sword skills do you have?

All of these things are right except for being strong. He may be small at five feet and nine inches tall, but he is strong. Small but mighty. "It's okay Justin, you'll get into some place," Hazel whispers into his ear.

Yeah, some place, He thought. Sitting in a wooden chair in the corner was Maxwell. He's probably the smartest out of all of them due to him being a reader and writer. He tends to stutter though. But everyone's sure that the scribemaster, Sir Roland, can fix that.

Ashton went back to teasing but decided to pull someone else's strings. "Hey Max, c-can you w-write a l-letter to my m-mother?" He mocked. Maxwell, or Max, stared at him with wide eyes and slowly shook his head. That's when he then stood up and ended up face to face with Ashton who was a head taller.

"I don't write letters for jerks."

They all looked at him, surprised he didn't stutter. Justin looked into Max's ocean blue eyes. They were filled with annoyance and sadness. Justin felt sympathy for the boy that was standing before him. He knows how it feels to to be bullied, especially because of his size and the want of joining battle school. Ashton has teased him for only God knows how long.

Raven sat quietly throughout the conversation, from beginning to end. She glanced out the window and up at the sun.  It was a little further to the west from the middle. That means it's a little after noon.

"We should probably get going, we need to be at Baron Wymare's office in a little bit." she warns. The others nodded in agreement and stood up from their table in which they ate lunch. The chef, a frail woman who had two sons and one granddaughter, served them a tasty stew. The five ward kids made their way out of the small cuisine restaurant and headed out to King Damon's castle in the Greyfall Fief, which was one of many. Whiteridge was all warm weather during the spring and summer. It got chilly during the fall and winter, but that didn't hardly affect them at all. Whiteridge was possibly the strongest of them all.

Author's Note: There is more than one castle in a fief. You have a castle that goes to the fief, and then a castle for other places like Araluen in the actual Ranger's Apprentice books. Then you have small villages that go to a certain castle or kingdom. It's hard to understand but you'll end up getting it.