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Halt O'Carrick Spoiler Alert!

Warning! This page contains spoilers for The Lost Stories.


Redmont-map

Baron Arald rules Redmont Fief

Baron Arald was the Baron of Redmont Fief, one of the largest and most important fiefs in the Kingdom of Araluen.

History[]

Baron Arald was an important official of Araluen, leading one of the most integral and influential fiefs in the kingdom. He has taken place in both wars against Morgarath. He was trustworthy, dependable, and a close friend of both Halt and King Duncan.

The Ruins of Gorlan[]

In the Ruins of Gorlan, he first appears at the Choosing Day where the wards in Castle Redmont are apprenticed.  He is a little disappointed when Will isn't chosen as an apprentice by any of the Craftmasters but is pleased when he becomes apprentice to Halt. 

Baron Arald  joins in the boar hunt and talks with Will, who is nearby armed with his recurve bow, he is initially disappointed that the boar didn't come their way and mentions as much.  He is proud of Will and Horace for their courageous behaviour when they get charged by the second boar.  

Towards the end of the book he helps his old friend Sir Rodney (who is also his Battlemaster) fight off the Kalkara alongside Halt and Will. Arald and Rodney finish off one of the Kalkara, whom Halt had mortally injured. Arald is then incapacitated when the second Kalkara deals him a blow in the chest with its massive paw, cracking his ribs. This renders him unconscious, so he is unable to help Rodney, who is then paralyzed by the Kalkara's stare.

At the end of the book he offers Will a place in the Battleschool, but Will declines, saying he is a Ranger's apprentice.

The Burning Bridge[]

In The Burning Bridge, Baron Arald agrees to allow Halt to escort Alyss Mainwaring on her first diplomatic mission. This occurs after a very frustrating encounter with Halt concerning his behavior towards a Battleschool apprentice and Sir Digby. Lady Pauline suggests that Halt  could possibly be lonely without Will's company, thus comes up with the idea of him escorting Alyss.

Towards the end of the book, Baron Arald is seen assisting King Duncan in the battle against Morgarath.

The Icebound Land[]

In the third book, Arald is at Halt's trial after he insults the king in a bid to be exiled.  After that he is not seen again until the end of the Battle for Skandia/Oakleaf Bearers.

Oakleaf Bearers[]

Arald is present at Castle Araluen when Will, Halt, Evanlyn and Horace arrive back from Skandia on the Wolfwind.

Erak's Ransom[]

In Erak's Ransom, Arald performs Halt and Pauline's wedding ceremony. He also joins in the bridal dance with Lady Sandra though it is noted that his wife has been unable to teach him the finer points of dancing, as he is far from elegant on the dance floor.

The Lost Stories[]

Death of a Hero[]

He is mentioned only briefly as having been injured during the battle meaning that some of the ranks were plunged into confusion without their leader.

Dinner for Five[]

In Dinner for Five, Gilan goes to Arald and Lady Sandra to let them know that he has arrived in the fief to stand in for Will and Halt. The Baron and Lady Sandra invite Gilan to dinner that night, but Gilan cautiously declines, much to Arald's amusement, to see Jenny for dinner.

And About Time, Too...[]

In the final story, Baron Arald proudly performs the wedding ceremony for Will and Alyss. 

Notable Relationships[]

Master Chubb[]

Master Chubb was the source of food for Redmont Castle, and also the Barons' favorite cook.

Lady Sandra[]

Baron Arald loved his elegant, stylish wife who balanced out her exuberant husband.  

Duncan[]

He was a good friend of King Duncan and one of his closest advisors.  They fought together in the first and then in the second Araluen Civil Wars.

Halt[]

Due to Arald's degree of closeness to the King, he and the Ranger assigned to his fief, Halt, shared a friendly relationship, as Halt could be friends with him due to the loyalty, closeness, and obedience of the King's will.

Martin[]

Though his secretary could be a bit overwhelmingly zealous at times, Arald was still aware of his importance when it came to dealing with various matters in the fief.

Will[]

Baron Arald was very proud that such a fantastic Ranger could come from the ward in his fief.

Description[]

He was friendly and n expert judge of character and talents, Arald apparently had an uncanny skill for remembering other people's names throughout the kingdom. He was a very popular Baron among the people in his fief, the castle staff, and his soldiers/knights (although it can be noted that the people had no love for his speeches, that presumably dragged on for a long time as he "loved the sound of his own voice."). He was also a strong and brave warrior, though he was known to be slightly overweight. Baron Arald had (in his opinion) a great sense of humor, but not many others caught onto his jokes, to his great annoyance.

He enjoyed hunting wild boar, as did all of his knights, including his Battlemaster, Sir Rodney. Baron Arald also had a stylish wife named Lady Sandra, who taught Halt to dance. It was noted that Lady Sandra had never been able to teach Arald how to dance properly.

He was good friends with Will, partly due to the fact Will saved his life in the first book when he was attacked by the Kallkara. One was about to kill Arald and Sir Rodney but Will shot it with a fire arrow, killing the monster and saving the Baron's and Rodney's lives in the process. Baron Arald thanked him publicly and offered him a place in Battleschool, but Will declines, saying that he'd rather stay as a Ranger. Arald was pleased when Will returned home to Araluen at the end of book four and was at Castle Araluen to welcome him with the King and other various nobles. The Baron performed multiple weddings, including Halt's and Will's.

References[]

  1. The Ruins of Gorlan, chapter 2 - "He had a short, neatly trimmed black beard that, like his hair, was beginning to show the traces of gray that went with his forty-two years." Counting back 42 years from 643, we land at 601.
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