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Young Crowley meets young Halt, the Hibernian, and begin the adventure of The Tournament of Gorlan.
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Halt and Crowley hear that Prince Duncan has supposedly been raiding, although they find that it was an imposter, and the real one was at Castle Wildriver. They recruit 12 dismissed Rangers and confront Morgarath at the Tournament of Gorlan, as they had been suspecting him. After making an attempt to keep his place, he escapes.
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Will Treaty’s mentor Halt shares a tale of his past after the Battle of Hackham Heath. Halt recalls how Morgarath's forces kept fighting, and during a skirmish, he was saved by a sergeant named Daniel, who sacrificed himself. Halt promises to care for Daniel’s wife and baby, Will. After intervening in a raid, Halt vows to protect Will, whom he takes to an orphanage. Halt confesses he hid the truth about Will’s parents to protect him, but Will forgives him, seeing Halt as family.
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Morgarath attacks again with Wargals from the Mountains of Rain and Night. Halt scales the mountains to spy on the army, gaining valuable information. While the Wargals raid through the countryside; Duncan's wife is in labor and dies. The baby escapes safely, and the Araluen Army attacked the Wargals at Ashdown Cut, then dealt the finishing blow at Hackham Heath, scattering them into the Mountains of Rain and Night. Baby Will is taken to the ward by Halt.
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The war between Araluen and Morgarath that would decide the fate of the kingdom.
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Will's journey from 1-15 years of age.
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Morgarath has returned with his army of Wargals and Kalkara only to lose his army and his life
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Will, captured with Evanlyn (Princess Cassandra), is enslaved by Skandians led by Jarl Erak. Halt, banished from Araluen, seeks to rescue him, teaming up with Horace in Gallica. Meanwhile, Will struggles with drug addiction under Skandian control. Evanlyn and Will plan their escape, and Will recovers his old self. The story ends with Halt and Horace watching a fire at Castle Montsombre, foretelling further trouble.
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Morgarath, exiled lord, plans revenge after 15 years, using Wargals and Kalkara to attack Araluen. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Will becomes a Ranger's apprentice, training in stealth and combat. He builds friendships, faces bullies, and proves himself in battles. During a Ranger gathering, they confront Morgarath's creatures. Will heroically defeats a Kalkara, earning his Ranger status, as Araluen prepares for war against Morgarath's forces.
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Gilan returns to Castle Araluen to track and catch the murderer Foldar, uncovering a conspiracy involving the castle's officials. He discovers that Baron Douglas is in league with Foldar, while Philip, the treacherous seneschal, was secretly working to pay off gambling debts. Gilan devises a trap and ultimately kills Foldar in a sword fight, exposing the corrupt officials and saving the fief from further treachery
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In the prologue, Halt and Will capture Morgarath's former henchman, uncovering his plans. In a mission to Celtica, they find villagers vanished and learn Morgarath's true strategy to trap Araluen's army. They burn a bridge, but Will and Princess Cassandra are captured by Skandian slavers, while Morgarath is killed in combat by Horace, ending his threat and freeing the Wargals. Halt searches for them but is too late, as Cassandra and Will are sold into slavery.
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In the previous book, Will and Cassandra are captured and enslaved by Skandians and Temujai forces. Halt and Horace travel through Gallica to rescue them, defeating enemies along the way. They reunite with Will and Cassandra, but Halt is banished from Araluen. The Skandians form an alliance with Skandia, and Halt is reinstated. Will chooses to remain a Ranger trainee rather than accept a high military rank, while Cassandra feels distant from Will, though Horace reassures her.
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After tracking Tennyson to Picta, the trio pursues him through dangerous waters and fights his assassins. Halt is poisoned but is saved when Will and Malcolm identify the correct antidote. They confront Tennyson, expose his schemes using Halt’s resemblance to King Ferris, and prevent him from cheating more villagers. Tennyson dies in a cave-in caused by Will, and the heroes return to Araluen celebrated for their bravery.
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Will, Halt, and Horace work to stop the cult called the Outsiders from taking over Hibernia. They prevent the cult from expanding into Araluen, but its leader, Tennyson, escapes. King Ferris of Clonmel is killed by an assassin, and Halt’s nephew Sean becomes king. The trio then sets out to pursue Tennyson to prevent further chaos.
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Will rescues a wounded dog and visits Castle Seacliff, where he strikes a deal with Skandian raiders. He is later captured and enslaved. Disguised as a jongleur, Will investigates a sorcerer threatening Macindaw, uncovering political intrigue and magic. With help from Alyss, Halt, and Horace, he exposes Keren as the sorcerer and seeks to save Orman. Will escapes from Malcolm's house after a confrontation with Keren, continuing his mission.
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Erak becomes tired of leadership and goes on a raid in Arrida, where he's captured. Cassandra leads a mission to rescue him, facing desert tribes and treachery. Will, Halt, and friends confront the Tualaghi, rescue Erak, and defeat Toshak and Yusal. After the battle, Erak is restored as Oberjarl, and Will graduates from the Ranger program, ready for his next chapter.
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Will helps rescue Castle Macindaw from Keren, using Skandian mercenaries and clever tactics. He breaches the castle wall, rescues Alyss, and defeats Keren, who is killed after being hypnotized and attacked. Soldiers arrive to push back the Scotti invasion. Will leaves Malcolm’s home, and after receiving a love letter from Alyss, he sets out to find her at Castle Redmont, seeking to reunite with her.
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Halt and Will stop river pirates using their skills and reputation. When Ebony goes missing, Will and Alyss disguise themselves to track the Roamers who took him. They discover a dog fight planned by the Roamers, rescue Ebony, and warn them to leave the kingdom. The Roamers obey, ending the threat.
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Will reviews a speech for Horace and Evanlyn’s wedding, finds it a bit overly fancy, but likes it. He then helps Halt stop a gang of moondarkers who wreck ships and steal cargo. They succeed in capturing the gang, but Will’s speech gets accidentally destroyed in the process. Halt encourages Will to express his true feelings, making both of them happier.
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Jenny prepares a romantic dinner for Gilan, but three robbers break into Ambrose’s safe at her house. They try to kidnap Jenny to cover their escape, but Gilan arrives, apprehends the thieves, and calms Jenny after the scare, saving the day.
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Horace and George visit Nihon-Ja and help defend it from a coup led by Arisaka. With the help of locals and allied tribes, they set up defenses at Ran-Koshi. The final battle sees the allied armies, including the Kikori and Hasanu, fighting off Arisaka's forces. Arisaka is killed when Will confronts him. Upon returning to Araluen, Horace and Cassandra get engaged, and Will's attempt to propose to Alyss ends humorously with her mock indignation.
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Before Horace and Evanlyn's wedding, Castle Redmont faces mysterious accidents, leading Will and Halt to uncover a plot involving Genovesan assassins. Will’s quick thinking and bravery prevent an attack during the wedding, and he and Alyss look forward to their own future together.
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Will faces a dangerous wolf attacking a child, and during the chase, the wolf wounds Tug badly. Will kills the wolf to save Tug, but Tug’s injury is severe. Old Bob assesses Tug’s wound, and Will learns Tug can’t fully recover. Tug is retired to the Ranger horse ranch, where a new horse takes on Tug’s name and personality, while the old Tug becomes Bellerophon and joins the breeding program
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Finally, at long last, Will and Alyss are married, with Horace as best man, Tug as best horse, and Ebony as best dog. Halt tries to hold it together but finally breaks down and cries as he finally sees his once before apprentice getting married.