Author's note
I had almost completed writing Ranger's Apprentice Book 6: The Siege of Macindaw when I realized I had neglected an important period in Will and Halt's lives. Books 1-4 deal with Will's early years as an apprentice. Books 5 and 6 describe his first mission as a graduate Ranger. But there was a gap between them. I realized that as Will approached the moment when he would become a Ranger in his own right, he would be troubled by the worry that he wasn't ready for the responsibility that this would entail. In addition, I wondered about Halt. As a graduate Ranger, Will would move on to his own fief. How would Halt deal with the loss of his cheerful, lively influence—one that had become so much a part of his day-to-day existence?
These questions were too important for me to ignore. So this book goes back a little in time, to the period before Books 5 and 6. It's set a few months prior to the moment when Will is due to graduate. Halt is making his own plans to fill the empty space that Will's imminent reassignment will leave in his life. Will is beginning to worry that he's not ready to move away from the comforting shelter of Halt's presence. Other characters, too, are chafing at the changes that have taken place in their lives. Principal among these is Erak, Oberjarl of the Skandians. And it's Erak's restlessness and dissatisfaction that precipitate the chain of events described in this book.
-John Flanagan
Plot summary
Erak Starfollower becomes tired of paperwork after becoming the Oberjarl of Skandia during the events of Oakleaf Bearers . He decides to go on one last raid to the desert country of Arrida. His raiding party walks into an ambush and is captured; Erak's crew are eventually released in order to obtain a ransom for Erak, who is left behind. Meanwhile, at Castle Redmont, senior Ranger Halt and diplomat Lady Pauline are getting married. During the wedding after-party, Svengal, Erak's first mate, appears. In a small meeting with Ranger Will and the knight Horace, he reveals Erak's kidnapping, and also tells them that Erak thinks he was betrayed by a small congregant of Skandian dissenters located in Hallasholm who seek to depose him under the leadership of Toshak, a Jarl who was once a follower of the executed Slagor, the treacherous Skirl who previously sought to kill Cassandra.
Princess Cassandra begs her father, King Duncan, to supply the money for Erak's release. Duncan agrees, but is unable to go himself as he is in talks with the Hibernian kings. Cassandra eventually volunteers herself, much to Duncan's chagrin. Will, Cassandra, Halt, Svengal, Horace, the ranger Gilan as well as thirty of Erak's men go to deliver the ransom, which delights Cassandra. As they travel, Cassandra and Will rekindle the friendship they somewhat lost in Oakleaf Bearers and Gilan offers Will advice as the young apprentice worries about how he will fare without Halt's guidance. Once in Arrida, they learn from Arridi leader Seley el'then that Erak had been sent to Mararoc, a fort in the desert. The party, guided by Seley el'then and his men, head to Mararoc.
During the journey, a sandstorm causes Will to lose his horse Tug. In an attempt to find him, Will gets lost and loses consciousness. A group of nomads called the Bedullin find and restore him, revealing that they have also found Tug. Will manages to reclaim Tug after winning a riding race against Hassan, who had found Tug and claimed him as his own.
Meanwhile, the others continue their journey to Mararoc. On the way they discover the corpses of the people escorting Erak. Seley el'then deduces that they were attacked by the Tualaghi, a nomadic tribe. Gilan scouts and discovers the Tualaghis, however, the Tualaghi also discover the Arridi party. The Tualaghis attack, though the Arridi group wins the first battle. However, the leader of the Tualaghi, Yusal, negotiates with Seley el'then, who is forced to surrender as their group is running out of water and cannot fight a sustained battle against Yusal. A Bedullin scout relays this information to the Bedullin, and the nomads offer to help rescue Will's friends. On the way, they find and rescue Seley el'then's soldiers, who had been betrayed and left to die by Yusal after surrendering.
The Tualaghis come into a desert town and lock the party in a storehouse where they had also put Erak. Toshak reveals himself and boasts of betraying Erak, intending to take over as Oberjarl after Erak is killed. Meanwhile, Will, the Bedullins, and the Arridi devise a plan to attack the town. Erak and the other prisoners are scheduled for execution. When the executions were scheduled, they built a platform for the execution. As Halt is pulled forward to be executed, Will shoots the executioner. Mayhem ensues, with Arridi and Bedullins mixed in with the crowd revealing themselves and fighting the Tualaghi. The captured prisoners join in the fight and turn the tide against the Tualaghi. Erak kills Toshak, while Cassandra wounds Yusal in the head with her slingshot, permanently damaging his mind.
The Araluens return to their home country. Some time later, Will graduates from the Ranger program, with his friends cheering him on for his next chapter in his life.
Australia 
