After receiving his Silver Oakleaf and being given Seacliff Fief to take care of, Will takes on his first mission as a full-fledged Ranger throughout the books of "The Sorcerer in the North" and "The Siege of Macindaw". A few weeks after arriving in the fief, Will is sent north to Castle Macindaw to investigate claims of sorcery, disguised as a traveling minstrel. The lord of Castle Macindaw, Syron, was struck down. Many believe a sorcerer to be the cause of the illness since Syron's ancestor was also murdered by a sorcerer which is Malkallam, an old sorcerer who poisoned Syron's ancestor. Alyss, also in disguise as Lady Gwendolyn, is sent up to help Will, but is captured by the rogue knight Keren, responsible for poisoning Syron and Orman. Will manages to escape with Orman and his assistant Xander, and enlists the help of the sorcerer who is in fact a gifted healer called Malcolm. Horace is also sent up north by Halt to provide back-up.