AreiaCannaid

My original Posts

Art: #a.c-art

Writing: #a.c-writing

This is the last one of my apprentice Gilan mini series to be moved over to AO3. Hopefully, I'll get the last few of my other works moved over soon too, and a few new ones published as well.

Summary:

There have been a series of disappearances and deaths around Redmont and it's up to Halt and his apprentice to discover the cause and put a stop to it. But with Gilan only months away from finishing his apprenticeship, strain brought on by the promise of upcoming change has a way of getting in the way. (Based off of, and inspired by, a scene mentioned in book 7)

Abelard stood as Halt had left him, fully saddled and ready to go. He guided the little horse out of the stables and out into the clearing before mounting.

Abelard swung his head around slightly to look at him.

Are Gilan and Blaze not coming?

"Not this time," Halt said gruffly.

Why not?

Because he's just a boy, Halt wanted to say but didn't.

The truth was that, when he had first left the castle, he had had full intentions to bring Gilan with him on this mission. And yet, when the time had come, he'd changed his mind. He had found that he truly wasn't in favor of the idea at all. The task he faced now was an unpleasant one; one that had the potential to be very dangerous.

There had been a series of unexplained deaths. Several foresters and small game hunters had gone missing without a trace. The incidents had ranged all over the fief. Hunting and forestry was a potentially hazardous job. So, at first, the people had not taken serious notice of it. Which led to the heart of the problem: by the time the missing men's companions and family had come to the Baron or to Halt to report the loss, the trail had already gone cold.

Summary:

Gilan's first Gathering didn't exactly go as expected.

The sounds of Gilan returning to camp well after dark were minimal, almost nonexistent; especially with the backdrop of the now fairly low sounds of the Rangers, those still awake, talking and reminiscing quietly around the large central fire of the Gathering Grounds. In fact, the infinitesimal noise that Gilan made would probably have been completely overlooked by a normal person. But, seeing as Halt had stayed up with the purpose of listening out for them, they were more than audible to him.

The soft, almost soundless, footfalls stopped in the center of the little campsite they had set up earlier that day. Then came the sound of the fire being quietly stoked and water from the water bucket being poured: probably into the cook pot, Halt guessed by the sound. Not that he particularly cared in the moment. He stepped out from the tree shadow he was sheltering in with his arms crossed.

"You certainly have an interesting idea as to what it means to be back before dark," Halt said dryly.

Gilan startled, nearly dropping the pot as he hung it on the hook above the fire. He just managed to save it and whirled around to face his mentor.

"H-halt," he stammered, still mildly surprised, "I thought you'd be asleep already... or by the fire."

Read on AO3

Summary:

The Festival of Summer's End has arrived and mischief is in the air. (Takes place during the first few months of Gilan's apprenticeship with Halt.)

Gilan wiped sweat off of his brow, stopping a moment to catch his breath before moving to start the next set of the exercises he was working through. He'd only been a Ranger's apprentice for a few months and already it seemed that he had worked harder than he had during all the years he'd spent in Battleschool combined. But if there was one thing he was certain of, it was that he would never trade this for what he'd had before. He was happier here than he'd ever been training as a knight—despite his new mentor's grim mannerisms, he thought with a faint smile. Ranger training was something that meant everything to him, something that he'd wanted for himself…

Well, it wasn't the only thing he wanted for himself at the moment. He couldn't help but sneak a quick glance in the direction of Wensly village before looking towards where Halt sat on the veranda of the little cabin in the woods, reading reports.

There are many times in the book where Will, Gilan, and even Horace comment or think about how safe they feel around Halt, how much they trust and respect him.

Summary:

The one time Sir David was thankful for his son's sense of mischief: the events leading up to Gilan's apprenticeship with Halt.

Read on AO3

The moon was full; it lit up the sky with a quiet silvery glow that filtered down to dust the tops of the trees of the woods outside the castle. It bathed the ground in between the forest and the castle courtyard with a light that was exceptionally bright for being night. It made for a rather lovely view, Gilan thought from his position, or rather, perch, sitting casually in the large open windowsill of one of the upper towers.

The view from the window of this abandoned tower room was usually beautiful though, no matter the time of day or the season. There was always something new to see, something different, something intriguing. The world outside was always moving, always shifting, unpredictable and exciting. It was so very different from the monotony of Battleschool with its same repeated schedules, its same repeated drills.

Glancing again at the moon, he felt a smile beginning to spread across his face. He absolutely loved the view from this spot. Though, it had to be admitted that just looking at the woods could never quite hope to match being in them.

He was not quite sure what it was about the outdoors that appealed to him so much, he thought as he continued to whittle away at the cane in his hands. It was the sounds: the babble of a brook, the hissing whisper of wind through pines, the rustle of grass and leaves. It was the appearances: always something new to see, to explore. But, most of all, it was the feeling of openness and freedom. There were no drills, no parades, and no strict rigor to every waking moment.

I'm finally moving over my old FFN works to AO3. Here is one of my old favorites.

Summary: Will and Gilan met each other before Will's first Gathering, but neither of them realized it.

Meeting by Chance

Gilan was going to be spending the next month doing extra chores and, on top of that, he was quite possibly going to lose his day off at the upcoming harvest festival; Halt hadn't decided yet. All the grizzled Ranger was certain of was that the boy was going to be in serious trouble. His frown deepened. He urged Abelard forward to keep pace with the servant in castle livery as they made their way along the shadowed road to Castle Redmont.

Halt had suspected that something was amiss when Gilan hadn't come back before dark. But he hadn't guessed that what had held the boy up was anything like what, he had just been told, had happened. Halt had sent his apprentice to get some meat from the butcher for their supper—and he had been almost two hours late in coming back. Gilan did have a bit of a penchant for getting himself distracted sometimes, but even he wouldn't have gotten distracted for nearly two hours.

In fact, when he hadn't shown up, Halt's first reaction had been worry. Gilan hadn't taken his bow or his sword with him when he left. It was just meant to be a quick trip to Wensley Village, after all. But if he had run into trouble, Halt had known that he wouldn't have anything but his two knives with which to defend himself. Not even that, Halt had realized when he'd seen the two knives in question sitting on the table next to Gilan's whetstone. It appeared that his young apprentice had left in such a hurry that he had forgotten his knives as well.

Halt had then tried to tell himself that running into danger in Wensley Village wasn't all that likely. It was more likely that Gilan had simply gotten himself volunteered into helping one of the villagers—that was what had kept him the only other time he had been late after all. But the grim Ranger had been unable to shake the feeling that something was off. So thinking, he had grabbed his bow and his cloak, which was hanging next to Gilan's—the boy had yet to finish mending it from where he'd torn it on a branch during unseen movement practice earlier in the day—and had headed to the door of his cabin.

He had just reached for the knob when he'd heard Abelard's warning call that someone was approaching. Shortly after, he'd heard rapid hoofbeats approaching the cabin. At the sound of a knock on the door, Halt had looked through the spy-hole to see the servant in livery — a man who had been almost incoherent with nerves and excitement. It had taken Halt a while to make any sort of cohesive sense out of him.

Long story short, he'd been informed by that servant that his apprentice had gotten into a fistfight with the sons of a visiting nobleman and was currently in the castle infirmary. The nobleman was furious. Baron Arald had requested Halt's presence immediately.

Halt shook his head and cursed softly as he continued following after the servant. This was Gilan's second year as a Ranger's apprentice, he really knew better…