Title: The Inkwell and the Dagger
Author: John Flanagan
Series: The Ranger’s Apprentice #3.5
In: The Lost Stories (John Flanagan)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Short Story
Publisher: Random House Australia
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘The seneschal’s office is straight ahead, on the ground floor of the keep.’

It takes place in Araluen during the events of The Icebound Land and tells how Gilan came to track down Foldar, after Halt is exiled for a year because he wants to find Will who was taken captive after The Burning Bridge by Skandians.

After Halt and Horace leave for Skandia to rescue Will and Evanlyn, there is a lot that must surely have happened back in Araluen. Halt’s abandonment of his pursuit of Folcar is one such story that never really felt completely finished. After all, he was an immensely dangerous and slippery foe that really needed to be removed from the kingdom. Finally, The Inkwell and the Dagger helps to fill in the gaps about what happened in their absence. After all, the world didn’t stop moving because Halt abandoned his post.

Gilan’s ability to quickly and successfully track down and immobilise Folcar is a testament to his skills. And, honestly, it was exactly the ending you’d expect. However, his finding and bringing the person who was slowly feeding him information to justice was another matter entirely. Although there were a few easter eggs throughout the tale that hinted at the real culprit, it isn’t until the last pages that it is revealed. And it is then that the pen is truly mightier than the sword… or the inkwell more powerful than the dagger as the case may be.

Image source: Wikipedia