Willy led his crew through the gate into the brotherband training field. They took a good look around at the familiar sight.

"Taking in the view so you remember it when you loose?" Came a voice behind Willy. He rolled his eyes, causing a few of the boys to laugh. "What are you laughing at?!?" Tristan demanded.

Willy slowly turned around to face Tristan.

"They are laughing at the look on your face that you'll have the day we win brotherband." Willy retorted. Tristan glared at him.

"I won't loose, Will." He said. Willy was about to respond when Sigurd approached, followed by the other two instructors, and a girl, who looks about sixteen, Willy's age.

"Alright, boys, listen up. Hal has resigned due to certain events that have occurred in the past month. So I have chosen a new instructor for the Hounds, This is Emilia. She will be your coach and go with you on your sea fairing tests." Sigurd said. Willy noticed how his crew was eyeing Emilia, and oddly, he found himself doing so himself.

"But a girl has never been an instructor before." Tristan scoffed. Sigurd glared at him.

"I'm in charge here. The Oberjarl approves of her, so she is not to be questioned." Sigurd said. He glanced up at the sun. It was almost noon. "Head back to your campsites and get ready for lunch. Hounds, take Emilia and show her around."

   The bands slowly began to head back to their camps. Willy had the Hounds stay for a little bit so they could talk to Emilia. She had bouncy blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. She was fairly tall and slender, though she was about an inch smaller then Willy.

"Hello, I'm Emmy." She said smiling.

"I'm Willy, the skirl. This is my first mate, Quint, and here is the rest of the crew, Oilge, Dannie, Javat, Boyd, Grong, Kerk, and Farrel." He said introducing them all.

"So you have experience with sailing?" Boyd asked curiously. The pretty girl nodded.

"My great uncle takes me out whenever he can. He taught me everything there is to know." She said.

"Who is you're uncle? Do we know him?" Oilge asked. Emmy smirked.

"Yes, you know him, everyone knows him. He is Oberjarl Erak."

***

    Lynn couldn't help but smile as the arrow met it's mark. She lowered her bow and glanced over at MJ, who was sitting on the veranda. He was suppose to be going through reports, but he was watching her intently instead.

"Pull more with your shoulders, it'll take the stress off your bicepts." He said. She did as he told her, and she noticed the sudden change, noting how the string was significantly easier to pull back. She met her mark again, and glanced back at MJ for more instructions. Within three days, she had already shown massive improvement in all of the rangers weapons. MJ knew she was ready from the beginning and started her off the very next day. She was a natural in all of them.

   MJ stood and made his way over too her. He picked up his own long bow and drew an arrow from her quiver, notching it onto his string.

"Now that you have aim and draw down, I want you to limit yourself five seconds between each arrow." He said. He demonstrated by fire five arrows within five seconds of themselves. Lynn stared in amazement as he concentrated on his target, having them all fall within the same ring. "Your turn." He passed an arrow to her and she stared at it in horror.

"Five seconds?" She asked in disbelief. He nodded.

"Yes, I do believe that's what I said." He said smirking. She let out a shudder, trying not to focus on how cute he looked when he smirked. She notched in her arrow and drew and fired. She grabbed another and another as MJ counted. Once she had met five arrows, he stopped counting.

"That was thirtyfive seconds. Keep working, and get it down to twentyfive." He said leaving her to practice.

   MJ watched as Lynn tried to prefect the shooting method that Will had shown him he was an apprentice four years prior. And His grandfather had learned from the famous Halt the ranger. Once MJ told Lynn his mentor and grandfather was Willy Treaty, She listened to him better, knowing that he learned from some of the best rangers in Araluen.

   Lynn lowered her bow and MJ gestured for her to follow him inside. She hung up her bow on the peg next to MJ's and he told her to sit at the table while he prepared some coffee.

"Three days from now we will head to Araluen. Since you have been apprenticed late in the year, this will be different. We are going to a gathering for all the rangers and they will give us updates and we will give them ours. But first, we need to pick up your ranger horse." She held in her squeal of excitement as he said horse. She had always dreamed of having her own horse, just like every other girl did. She smiled and sipped the coffee MJ placed in front of her.

"I know it's short notice, but we can't miss the gathering." He said.

"No, no, it's fine. I want to go." She said hurriedly. He smiled a bit.

"Are you sure you can wait a whole two weeks to see your horse?" He teased. Her smile faded.

"Two weeks? I'm gonna die!"

***

  The Hounds stared at Emmy for a while before it finally comprehended what she had just told them. Great niece if the Oberjarl? Willy was the first to shake out of it. He smiled at her sincerely though he was suddenly scared of her.

"Wow, we had no idea he had relitives here." He said. She shook her head.

"We don't. I was sent up her by my parents three days ago, uncle Erak offered to take me in." She said. The crew nodded, not knowing what else to do.

"Well, um...let's show you to our campsite and then we can head off to lunch." Willy said. Emmy nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. They walked a little over a half kilometer to get to the Hounds campsite. Emmy set her things down in the tent and the boys took her to the dining tent, where they joined the other crews. Emmy was not allowed to eat with the crew, so she joined the other instructors and Sigurd at the head table. The other instructors tried making a light conversation with her, but she ignored them and gazed out towards the crews. She caught Willy's eye and gave him a shy smile.

   Lunch ended ten minutes later and Emmy joined the Hounds again. She led them out to the training field and had then run laps and do a series of excersies that her uncle had taught her would strengthen certain muscles they would use for sailing.

   After an hour of them running and training, she set them out to work with their weapons that were issued to them. She walked among them as they hacked away at the posts set up for them. She wasn't the best at the ax, which everyone except Willy had. Willy had a sword. Emmy was taught the sword since she was little, so she knew a lot about it. Enough to know that it was an extreamly unbalanced sword. Ten minutes into training with the weapons, A man Emmy had never met approached them. He was carrying a common sized sword and one was at his hip. She noticed the boys smile as he came up to them. She told the Hounds to continue to work as she talked to the new comer.

   "Hello." Emmy said. He smiled.

"Hi, my name is Hal." He said. She glared at him.

"I thought you resigned due to you giving the crew instructions?" She said more snottily then she intended. She felt her new job at risk because he was in her presence. He smiled a bit and nodded.

"Yes, but it was needed, I wasn't going to have them kill themselves." He said. He noticed how tense she was and smirked. "Relax, I just came to say goodbye to my boys and to give this to Willy." He said holding up the sword. Emmy let out a sigh and nodded once. Hal thanked her and called the boys over to him. They set their weapons down and ran to him. Javat stumbled a bit and Boyd had to catch him, Leading him back to Hal.

"Sorry uncle Hal." Javat said. Hal simply smiled.

"You're just like your father." Hal laughed. Javat nodded and Hal handed Willy the sword. He drew it and tested it's weight, smiling as it was balanced in his hand.

"Much better then what they issued me." Willy said admiring the blade.

"Your father stole it from Frother Blacksmith." Hal said, his face unreadable. Willy scoffed in disbelief and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah right. He has had a soft spot for the old man ever since he took Wolfgangs place as Maktig." Willy said. Hal smiled and nodded.

"Yes. Very true. Alright, I've kept you from your lesson for to long. I'll see you later." Hal said.

"Thank you Uncle Hal." Willy said. He sheathed the sword ans ran back to join Emmy as Hal walked back to Hallasholm.

***

What do you all think about the two new characters? Emmy and Lynn. Sorry it's been a little bit, my wifi has been out off and on a lot lately. Please comment and vote! love ya!

~Avis