Read Warden for Free Online Page B

much: you’re definitely a Magnus.”
    Errol smiled at that.
    “ All right,” Bander continued. “ Grab your gear and we’ll get underway.”
    A short time later, Errol and Bander, sitting astride their horses, left the relative safety of the Station House and headed towards the Badlands.
     
    *****
     
    There was still a small amount of daylight when Errol and Bander started out. The elder Warden used the opportunity to get up to speed on how things were going in the region by quizzing Errol, who needed little prompting in order to willingly share his adventures (and in some instances, misadventures).
    Half an hour later, Errol had enlightened the older man with respect to everything that had been happening in Stanchion of late, including the day’s episode with the bladebeak. (He also illuminated things, literally, by creating a light from his wand as darkness fell.) The only thing Errol neglected to mention was the fact that Berry was staying at the Station House.
    In return, Bander regaled Errol with stories of his own adventures, particularly those on the road with Till and Prap for the past six months.
    “ All in all,” Bander said in summation, “ despite encountering a few monsters like fever-fiends, it’s been a fairly quiet trip. That said, there’s probably not much we couldn’t have handled with two Wardens.”
    That brought up another subject that Errol hesitated to inquire about for a moment, but then decided that asking was the only way to get an answer.
    “ So, what’s the story on Prap?” Errol asked, not certain how his question would be taken.
    Bander gave Errol an appraising glance. “ What makes you think there’s a story?”
    Errol shrugged, and then was quiet for a moment as he tried to figure out the best way to put his question. “ I guess he just doesn’t strike me as being a typical Warden. He’s…” He trailed off, struggling to find a diplomatic way to say something less than pleasant about a fellow Warden – something he had no trouble with when Prap was present, as the rotund Warden seemed to possess an innate ability to make Errol angry.
    Bander laughed unexpectedly, finding mirth in Errol’s discomfort as the younger man made an effort to be tactful.
    “ I know,” Bander said, still smiling. “ Prap is, shall we say, not quite as polished as we normally like Wardens to be.”
    “ The truth of the matter,” Bander continued, getting serious, “ is that Prap can most likely be considered a recruiting error.
    “ You’re probably too young to remember, but a few years ago the Wardens suffered grievous losses in terms of personnel. We were losing good men left and right – it was almost as if those damn monsters from the Badlands were orchestrating a coordinated strike against us.
    “ As you know by now, it takes a special kind of person to be a Warden. They are exceedingly rare and incredibly hard to find. However, our casualties were running so high back then that a decision was made to recruit what would normally have been less-than-desirable candidates in order to fill the ranks.”
    “ And Prap was one of those,” Errol guessed.
    “ Yes, although to be frank we were practically taking anyone with a pulse. In retrospect, however, that recruiting effort was a mistake, a failure on a number of levels.”
    “ Why was that?”
    “ We didn’t pay enough attention to the quality of people we were getting; we had a high number of volunteers, but it turns out that mere interest in being a Warden really wasn’t enough. Take Prap, for instance. A Warden is supposed to inspire trust and confidence; are you getting any of that from him?”
    As Errol shook his head in the negative, Bander continued. “Exactly. He thinks he’s special just because he wears the uniform, and the result is that he leaves a bad impression on people more often than not. On top of that, he’s got no instincts. Being a Warden is not just trusting your eyes and ears, but also your gut. You