Ranger's Apprentice: The Battle for Skandia Quiz

Answer: 3 weeks

When "The Icebound Land" ends, Will and Evanlyn are stuck up in the mountains until the thaw. Will is recovering from his warmweed addiction, and he is almost completely better at the start of "The Battle for Skandia". This book begins with the thaw, so you don't have to sit through the whole winter.

"It had barely been three weeks since he [Will] had thrown off the mind-numbing effects of the warmweed given to him as a yard slave in Ragnak's Lodge."

Answer: Sten Gluehand

Erak hates tax-collecting, as he'd much rather be on the sea. However, he's so good at it, Ragnak summons him every time there is collecting to be done. Erak has to go to the village of Ostkrag (dashing his hopes for a coastal town so he could use his ship) and get the withheld taxes from the jarl there.

"'The jarl at Ostkrag is Sten Hammerhead,' Borsa said, as if that were explanation enough. Erak stared blankly at him. 'He should be called Sten Gluehand,' he elaborated with heavy sarcasm. "The tax payments have stuck to his fingers before this, and even when they're paid in full, he always makes us wait long past the overdue date. It's time we taught him a lesson.'"

Answer: A bull

This little detail comes about because Halt is forging King Henri's seal to get into Skandia. Horace is appalled, because of all the knight's manners training drilled into him, but Halt convinces him it's necessary. Apparently, King Henri is only a puppet king anyway.

"'Whose seal is that on the bottom?' he [Horace] asked finally, indication the impression of a rampant bull that was set in a large splodge of wax in the bottom right-hand corner of the parchment. Halt touched the wax gently, checking to see if it hardened completely."

Answer: Tem'gal

The Temujai are, of course, the bad guys of this book. When Halt and Horace first see signs of the Temujai in Skandia, Halt gives Horace a history lesson about them. The Temujai are fierce horsemen and archers. Halt bred Ranger horses from Temujai horses, and learned how to make good bows from them. The Sha'shan is the Temujai leader, like the Skandia Oberjarl.

"'...Steppes--the plains and grasslands to the east. [Halt said] Nobody knows exactly where the Temujai originated. At one stage, they were simply a disorganized rabble of smaller tribes until Tem'gal welded them into one band and became the first Sha'shan.'"

Answer: Some double-knife scabbards

Halt brought a mottled Ranger cloak with him for Will, along with a saxe knife. On the journey, Halt made Will a new bow. Halt was unable to get double-knife scabbards because they are Ranger-issued, and Halt got himself expelled from the Corps.

"...He [Halt] glanced around and smiled to see Will pacing with him, wrapped in the gray mottled Ranger cloak that Halt had carried with him, along with the bow he'd made and a saxe knife. The double-knife scabbards were a Ranger-issued item of equipment and Halt, expelled from the Corps, had been unable to find one for the boy. As yet, Will hadn't remarked on the fact."

Answer: Nordal

Nordal was left behind because he was injured and dying. He told Halt where Will and Evanlyn were because he had lost his sword, and all Skandians believe that if you die without a weapon in your hand your soul is lost forever.

"'At the beach,' he [Erak] said. 'How did you know to find us there?'
'You left one of your men behind,' Halt said. 'He told me.'
The disbelief was plain on Erak's face.
'Nordal? He'd have spat in your eyes before he told you anything.'
'I think he owed me,' Halt said quietly. 'He was dying and he'd lost his sword, so I gave it back to him.'"

Answer: He hits it with his head

Halt and Erak are trying to find out information about the invaders. Halt, alone, probably could have done it but with Erak along... well, that didn't go so well. They ended up getting chased back to their men/group.

"'I thought I told you to watch where you put your feet,' he [Halt] said accusingly. Erak shrugged.
'I did,' he replied ruefully. 'But while I was busy watching the ground, I hit that branch with my head. Broke it clean in two.'
Halt raised his eyebrows. 'I assume you're not talking about your head,' he muttered. Erak frowned at the suggestion.
'Of course not,' he replied.
'More's the pity,' Halt told him, then gestured up the hill. 'Now let's get out of here.'"

Answer: willpower

Halt and Erak are riding when the Temujai are chasing them. Erak is a wolfship captain, not a rider, and he makes that very clear. Erak hates horses, and hates riding them. Halt keeps making Erak's horse go faster, and Erak is hanging on for dear life!

"Alone, and mounted on Abelard, he [Halt] was confident that he could outrun them [the Temujai] easily. But burdened by the Skandian, he wasn't so sure. He'd seen the man's skill as a rider--which was virtually nonexistent. Erak seemed to stay in the saddle by virtue of an enormous amount of willpower and precious little else."

Answer: An abbey on the coast of the Constant Sea

We find this out when Ragnak is waiting for Halt to come see him in his private chambers. This is the conversation where Halt and Ragnak sized each other up. Halt makes the deal to help the Skandian army, and drops the bombshell that is he is helping defend Skandian only because he is in turn defending Araluen from the Temujai. The Temujai want the Skandian ships so they can invade Araluen.

"The centerpiece of the room was an immense chandelier, taken from an abbey of the coast of the Constant Sea years ago. With no high ceiling to hang it from, Ragnak had chosen to leave it resting on a rough pine table. It dominated the room and was more than a little awkward in the confined space."

Answer: Making snowmen

Halt says this to Will when he is talking about Will's need to practice. Will hasn't done much of that lately, because he lost his weapons and was recovering from the warmweed addiction. One nice thing is that Erak, ever the hoarder, gives Will back the double knife scabbard that was taken from him when he was captured.

"...As they'd [Halt and Will had] walked out to collect the arrows he'd [Will had] fired, Halt dropped a consoling arm around the boy's shoulders.
'Don't feel too bad about it,' he told him. 'Your technique is still good. But you can't expect to spend the winter making snowmen in the mountains and retain your edge.'
'Making snowmen?' Will replied indignantly. 'I'll have you know things were pretty rough up in the mountains...' He stopped when he realized that Halt had been pulling his leg."

Answer: Fermented barley

Pretty much, the Temujai drink beer. Beer is made from fermented barley and hops. Technically, beer made with more barley is called "barley wine". Don't ask me why.

"Haz'kam took a deep swig of the fermented barley drink that the Temujai favored, then handed the leather drinking skin to Nit'zak.
'It's not what I expected,' he said. 'They're far more organized than our intelligence had led us to believe.'
Nit'zak drank deeply and gratefully. He shrugged. In his experience, intelligence was usually inaccurate at best and dead wrong at worst."

Answer: False

Evanlyn does follow Slagor, and does get stuck aboard his ship. She gets stuck because she falls asleep amid coils of rope of the forepeak. However, Slagor's ship isn't the "Wolfwind". That's Erak's ship. Slagor's ship is the "Wolf Fang". Evanlyn overhears Slagor talking to a Temujai and hears that Slagor is a traitor. Nobody even realizes Evanlyn is missing until after she comes back! How's that for being missed?

Answer: Position 4

Will was having his archers fire in lines of ten at a time, each with numbered arrows according to position (1, 2, 3, etc). He noticed that number 4 always fell short of the mark.

"...He [Will] didn't really need to check, but a quick glance showed him that, once again, the same archer had undershot the distance.
He grunted thoughtfully.
'All right!' he called. 'Recover your arrows.' Then he led them back to the firing point, the ten men following behind him.
'Who was at number four position,' he asked.
One of the archers stepped forward, hesitantly holding up a hand and looking like a nervous pupil in school."

Answer: Apple

Erak was pointed out the prearranged point that the skirls that had agreed to help Slagor were waiting for him. Strangely, though you are told he peels the apple, he never eats it.

"'They left a week ago,' Erak put in. 'Supposedly they were going to raid behind the Temujai lines. It seems the skirls are in league with Slagor and they're waiting for him at this prearranged point' He tapped the map with his dagger, with which he'd been peeling fruit. A few spots of apple juice fell onto the parchment. Halt raised an eyebrow at him and wiped them away as the Jarl continued. 'With three ships, they'll carry one hundred and fifty men easily.'"

Answer: Ulfak

Erak, Halt, two other ships and Erak's crew (which includes Svengal) go to Sand Creek Bay to see if Slagor is or is not lying that he is not a traitor. Obviously he is, but the fact remains that Slagor has told Ragnak who Evanlyn really is - Princess Cassandra. Ragnak has his Vallasvow against Duncan's family, but agrees to put it off until after the battle.

"'Erak, take three ships to Sand Creek Bay immediately and do as the Ranger suggests. [Ragnak said] Once you've established whether or not Slagor is involved in this plot, get back here and report. As for you...' He turned to Slagor, who was beginning to edge toward the side door of the room. 'Don't try to go anywhere. I want you where I can see you until Erak returns. Ulfak, see to it!' He addressed this last comment to one of his other senior jarls, who nodded and moved to stand beside Slagor, laying a hand on his arm."

Answer: Dropped his sword

This is, of course, when the "Battle for Skandia" begins. Both Will and Horace and pretty much terrified, and are surprised the other looks so calm. In reality, neither is.

"'Nice work [keeping the men calm],' Horace said quietly beside him [Will]. 'How can you be so calm?'
'It helps if you're terrified,' Will replied, speaking out of the corner of his mouth. He was surprised at the warrior apprentice's question. Horace himself seemed to be the epitome of calm, totally unworried and seemingly unconcerned. His next statement dispelled that idea.
'I know what you mean,' he said. 'I nearly dropped my sword when they rode around the bend there.'"

Answer: Third son

This is when Haz'kam finally realizes where Will and his archers are, and sends someone after them. Ulans are, of course, units of 60 riders with one Kajin (elite archer) each.

"Again, the shields aside in unison, and this time he [Haz'kam] saw the solid flight of arrows, black against the sky, as they arced up and struck into another of his galloping Ulans. he turned and caught the eye of his third son, a captain on his staff. He pointed with his lance to the line of shields on the slight rise behind the Skandian ranks."

Answer: True

Because the Temujai kept breaking away to regroup, there were some lulls in the battle. Will, Evanlyn and Horace were able to eat and drink, as well as get bunches of new arrows. The arrows were being made by the woman in Hallasholm.

Answer: His horned helmet

Berserker mode is just that: somebody going berserk. For a Skandian, going berserk is a good thing and if you die that way you get entry to their highest form of heaven. That's good for Ragnak, because the great Oberjarl dies that way - just before the end of the battle.

"It was Ragnak, terrifying in his berserker rage. His shirt had been torn to ribbons and he wore no armor save his massive horned helmet. The horrifying roaring noise came constantly from his throat as he plunged into the midst of the Temujai attacks, the huge double-bladed ax whirling in giant circles as he struck his enemies down on either side."

Answer: a red hawk

You find this out of the way back to Araluen, because Erak's ship is flying the Princess's colors to get safe passage through. There is a big celebration when they finally get there, and everything goes back to normal. The End.

I hope you had just as much fun with this quiz as I had making it. Please rate! Also, check out my other quizzes on all the other books that are available in the US if you haven't already! Thanks!