Mel

It's been quite a while since I updated this one and it's time to also reorganise it to make it easier to see what kind of fanfic it is. I'll sort them into the main categories that I have now: multiple chapters, series, one-shots and collections.

You can find me on AO3 @Meabh_Maeve

* indicates a romantic relationship in the fanfic

# indicates the fanfic is a collab

^ indicates the fanfic in part of an exchange

Ranger’s Apprentice

Multiple chapters (more than 7 chapters)

Jailbuddies in the past (on hiatus) #

Disclaimer: the OC's in this fanfic belong to me and @araluenrangerdanger’s. Using them without our permission won’t be allowed.

Tess and Lynn decide to spend their holidays in London after taking their exams. Two girls, a beautiful city and lots of things to do and see. But not everything always goes as planned and they're in for the journey of a lifetime. Not just figuratively.

The Legend of the Protector (in progress) *

Disclaimer: the OC's used in this fanfic belong to me. Using them without my permission won't be allowed.

There are lot of legends in Araluen, yet one is only known by those who are chosen to become a Ranger. Little is known about “The Protector of the Corps”, only that they will appear when Araluen is in great danger and when the Corps is at the brink of falling apart. A war is approaching in the Kingdom of Araluen. The once so powerful and feared Ranger Corps has been turned into nothing, the true Rangers being chased away or even executed. Crowley and Halt have come up with the plan to reform the Corps, but help is needed. They’re going around, looking for the remaining Rangers who haven’t left Araluen. On their travel across the country, they get entangled in strange events. Not only are they on a mission to reform the Corps, the Rangers also have to find out what's going on.

Remember when... (in progress) *

Disclaimer: the OC's used in this fanfic belong to me. Using them without my permission won't be allowed.

Every year, all the Rangers come together for the annual Gathering. Besides training, exams and the other things they usually do, they love to tell their stories. It could be about the renewing of the Corps, a funny action of an apprentice or how he tricked his mentor. Some have been told over at least a hundred times, others are brand new. Every evening there’s time to tell them, but the most stories will be told at the Story Evening, the evening before the big feast which marks the end of the Gathering. In this “Remember when…” collection, I will write a hundred stories using the 100 themes challenge with the use of a number generator. There will be funny ones, but also some with angst, fear and other feelings. The stories will be about different characters set in different times: Halt, Will, Horace, Alyss and everyone else. They'll all have a story to tell. Sometimes together with others, sometimes about themselves.

Tales over coffee (in progress) *

A collection with stories from a long time ago, the past and present. Stories that have crossed the sea to Araluen and even some untold stories of never mentioned characters. Shifting from the timeline (as much as we have one) from The Early Years, to Ranger's Apprentice and The Royal Ranger, as well as Brotherband Chronicles and my own OC's. In "Tales over coffee" I collect all the stories that are inspired by @theraven-gil-lyn RA prompt list for the Ranger Gathering 2022. Credits to @araluenrangerdanger for helping with the title <3

Although it's still the 30th of June and not yet midnight, I personally won't be able to finish the last three prompts before that time

However, it doesn't mean I won't write them. I hope to finish them in the upcoming days. I'll post them here as well as on AO3

In the few hours (CET, at least) left, I want to give a huge shout out to @rangerangel for organising! I've had a lot of fun with the prompts

And also a huge shout out and thanks for everyone who participated! There's so much talent in this fandom and I love to see what work each of you brought to this year's Gathering <3

If anyone wants to read this year's fic collection, click on the link

The longer they were staying in Hibernia, the more Will realised there were a lot of things he didn’t know about his former mentor.

He wanted to share his thoughts with his friend, but didn’t want to risk that Halt could hear them. So, he waited until the older Ranger had gone away for an investigation of the area.

“Haven’t you noticed that Halt’s acting… odd?” Will asked once he was sure that the man was away. Horace looked up from his work. He had been taking care of his sword, sharpening the blade. There had been a few nicks in the metal when it clashed with another.

“Define ‘odd’,” the knight replied.

Will rolled his eyes, but sat down next to him.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed that Halt has been sneaking away ever so often?”

“I thought that was because he went to do an investigation of the area?” Horace hadn’t paid attention to it, if he was honest. He had learnt a long time ago that Rangers had their own ideas and visions and one should interfere too much with them.

“No, it’s not. He would always tell me that,” Will said, digging his heel in the ground. “Also just now, he said ‘I’m back in twenty minutes.’. It’s really strange.”

Horace frowned, looking at his friend.

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“What?” Will asked in return.

“To say ‘I’ll look around’ or ‘I’m back within a certain time’?”

The young Ranger looked at him, confusion in his eyes.

“It’s not,” he said, not understanding why the knight didn’t see the difference. “With the first one, you never know how long it will take. However, if we say to be back within a certain time and are not, then you should be worried something has happened.”

Now it was Horace’s turn to be confused.

“But with the first one there could happen something as well. Does that mean you won’t be worried then?”

Will waved his hands, trying to make his point.

“Of course, but it’s not like we have to assume that right away.”

“But it could very well be the case.”

It wasn’t often that Horace managed to win a word game. The times he did, he enjoyed to see how long it would take before a Ranger gave up. Halt more often than not would just keep his mouth shut, leaving the conversation in the air. Will, on the other hand, would more often try to get his point.

“It’s still not the same,” Will concluded after a minute.

Horace hummed once, then focused on his work again. He was almost done sharpening his sword. Preferably, it would be done before they continued their way.

As the minutes passed by, Will found himself to become more and more restless. He didn’t like that Halt had just left, without any indication.

“Can you sit still? You’re shaking the whole log!” Horace had finished his work and was putting the whetstone away. The sword was put back in the scabbard.

“I’m just worried,” Will muttered, looking around again. “He should have been back already, don’t you think?”

“He knows how to stay hidden,” Horace said. “Besides, he has been coming back to this area often enough. I assume he does know his way.”

Will didn’t have anything to say to that. Horace was right, he thought. Halt knew what he was doing. At least, most of the time. He grew up here, so he wouldn’t get lost.

The Ranger and the knight sat in silence, until the moment Will again started to move his leg.

“Will!” Horace exclaimed angrily. “Quit that!”

“It’s of no use, Horace. That boy is as stubborn as a donkey.”

Both Will and Horace turned around when they heard the voice behind them. Halt was standing not even two metres away. Had he stretched out his hands, he could have tapped their shoulders.

“Where have you been?” Will asked after he had gotten over the scare. “What did you find?”

Halt raised an eyebrow in reply. Back in the days where Will was an apprentice, that gesture would have made him nervous. Nowadays, he knew better.

“You’ll see,” was all the Ranger said. “Get into the saddle, we’re moving.”

From the outside, it was difficult to understand what was so special about the forest they were about to enter. The trees looked the same, the breeze played with the leaves like it did with the other ones. And still, still there was something different.

Halt had told them to dismount, leading their horses by taking the reins. The Ranger went first, followed by Will and then Horace.

As they were walking through the forest, no one spoke a word. Not even whispers were flying around. Will found such silence rather ominous and dangerous, yet not this time.

It was peaceful, calm. As if he was in another realm, he thought.

“We’ll leave the horses here and go that way before returning here and going.” Halt whispered into their ears. “Remember, no sound.”

The two young men followed him over grass, then through moss and over roots. They did share a look from time to time, but didn’t say a word.

Finally, they reached what looked like a place with water. Upon arriving, Will and Horace were taken back by the beautiful view.

The well was surrounded by trees, of which one had its roots closest to the water. Countless ribbons of fabric were tied to the branches, moving gently in the wind. The grass around it was greener than they had ever seen. The flowers were blooming, showing their colours.

Although they were in a forest, it felt like being in an open field, with endless space around.

Halt was the first to step closer, bending down on a knee. He cupped his hand and carefully placed it in the water. He then drank from it, after which he gestured to Will and Horace.

A bit unsure, they repeated what he had done. The water didn’t look special, but when it touched their lips, neither of them could deny they had felt something.

When they all had drank from the well, Halt spoke.

“Maidens of the Well, we thank you for giving us water for our journey. We ask you that you may do the same to other travellers. Above all to the people of Dun Kilty. In return we give you theses pebbles. That they may be an enrichment of this well and may add to its beauty.”

The Ranger took three round, shiny pebbles from his pocket and carefully placed them on the edge of the well. Halt waited a moment before turning around, indicating that they would continue their way.

This time, Will was the last one. He was still pondering over Halt’s words when he casted one last glance over his shoulder.

What he saw made him wonder if the Hibernian air had messed with his mind. Three golden dots appeared above the well, each of them taking a pebble. As they grew, they shone until their light was too much for Will to look at.

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they had vanished. The three pebbles were also gone, while he was sure they were laying there not even a minute ago.

Horace, who had stopped when Will wasn’t walking behind him, had only seen the bright light. He didn’t know where it came from, but when he saw Will’s surprised face, he knew he hadn’t dreamt it.

The second part of the chapter 'Tournament' from a few days ago

The disappointment that had been present the whole week disappeared when Halt explained the task to him.

Will now understood that the Ranger didn’t want him to make a plan beforehand – it wasn’t always possible to do that. And one of the skills that all Rangers needed to have, was to be creative.

After Halt had gone back to the cabin, Will had taken his time to think of a strategy. It wasn’t difficult to get to the seats since everyone was focused on the tournament. The real issue would be avoiding the dogs.

He had already discarded the idea to bring some food with him to distract them. They were well trained dogs and wouldn’t leave their owner without being told. Besides, it would give away his position.

“I first need to get over there,” he mumbled softly to himself. Will looked up, trying to see if there were any guards at this moment.

He saw a couple of them, walking towards each other. At their midpoint, they made a round before turning back, until they met another guard. He figured he had to move when they were both with their backs to each other.

Waiting for an opportunity, Will crawled through the calf high grass, using the shadows to make himself invisible. It took him almost half an hour to reach the castle walls, but there he could hide in the shadows.

Will now had to find out where the Baron was seated. That was quite easily done; on the opposite side from where he was, was a tribune. On it, he could see the Baron, his wife, Sir Rodney as well as a few other knights. They were all there to keep an eye out.

And, just like Halt had warned him, he could see at least three dogs laying next to Baron Arald’s feet.

The apprentice had seen that simply walking up there wouldn’t be of any use. He couldn’t merge with the crowd either, like Halt had told him to do. His cloak was too outstanding. And even if he wasn’t wearing it, his uniform was revealing enough.

“Plus, a moving head among those that sit still is highly suspicious,” Will thought. “I will need to go underneath then.”

The arena was made of wood, with the tribune elevated more of the ground. To support it all, there had to be wooden beams. That might be a possibility.

The apprentice searched for a route and, after finding one, he headed to a spot not too far away from the tribune.

He took a couple of breaths, calming down his racing heart. So far, everything had gone well. There hadn’t been anyone who had spotted him. Everyone was focused on the jousting that was taking place.

Will dug underneath the canvas and looked around for a beam. He had to be careful to not get onto one that was too close to the sitting area.

As he was making his way up, he passed a spot from where he could see two knights approaching each other on their horses. The crowd was cheering on their favourite; one part let out excited screams while the other sighed all together.

“The winner of this round: cadet Altman!”

Will slipped with his foot when he heard the name of his former wardmate. He moved his head a bit more until he could see the teenager better.

Horace wasn’t wearing any fancy harness like the other knights did. Instead, he wore the standard one that he borrowed from the Battleschool.

“Way to go, Horace!” Will cheered softly from his spot. Then, much to his dislike, he focused on the task again.

He climbed his way up until he reached the wooden beams that were underneath the tribune.

“That was the last round for now, wasn’t it?” A lady’s voice, warm and melodic, sounded. It belonged to the Baroness, Will knew.

“Indeed, dear.” That was the Baron. “We shall head back to have lunch before continuing the tournament.”

After saying those words, they got onto their feet, the dogs following them. Will cursed himself for the moment of distraction. Had he been quicker, he might have been able to have a look around.

The group left to go inside the castle, while the crowd stayed in their spot. They had all brought some food with them to eat while waiting for the rest of the programme.

Will waited a few seconds before pulling himself up a bit. He could now see onto the tribune. His eyes were scanning the area, hoping to find something that he could still bring with him.

Then, just as he thought to give up and admit his defeat, he saw it.

In the middle, next to the Baron’s seat, stood a wooden goblet. It wasn’t the most expensive one, nor of any importance. But it was something he would miss.

Will carefully pulled himself onto the platform, making sure he stayed in the shadows. Taking small steps forward, he hid behind the large seats. Looking once to his left and right, he grabbed the goblet in a swift move.

“I could have sworn it was standing right here.”

Will froze in his spot, breathing slower and deeper to make as little noise as possible.

A shadow fell over him and for a moment, he thought he was seen.

“You’ve got plenty of other goblets, Arald.”

“I know, but this one was my favourite. Sandra made it for me.”

Will heard the sound of a clap on the shoulder.

“We’ll just tell her it has fallen. It will come back.”

Two pair of footsteps that slowly died told Will that he was alone

It was time to go, the apprentice thought. Understanding that the goblet was of emotional value to the Baron, Will made sure to keep it safe.

He went back the same way he had come, but decided to not crawl through the grass. He didn’t want to risk to break the object in his hands.

Instead, he made a detour and walked through the village. It wasn’t uncommon for him to do, so the people wouldn’t notice anything.

While he was walking back to the cabin, Will’s confidence grew. He had managed to do the task without being seen. Surely Halt would be proud of him!

That brief moment of pride almost made him miss the screams behind him. As he turned around, he saw one of the dogs that had been laying next to the Baron. It was sniffing the ground, his nose in the air until it had picked up the smell it had gone after.

Instantly, when his eyes locked on Will, the boy started to sprint. He was aware that it wasn’t a smart thing to flee from a dog, especially such trained ones. However, if he was caught and they found the goblet, then he was in big trouble.

Will kept running, but had to change his plan when the dog was almost biting his feet. In an attempt to escape, he climbed into a tree and waited there until a knight came to bring the dog back.

Tired and out of breath, Will reached the cabin. Halt was sitting on the porch, enjoying a rare moment of rest.

“You look like you’ve run through the castle,” the Ranger commented dryly. “Did you manage to do the task?”

As a way of replying, Will pulled out the goblet and placed it on the table. He didn’t wait for a reaction, but opened the door and fell down on the couch. He would face Halt’s anger about boots on the fabric later. For now, he thought he deserved at least a little time to rest.

It was still early in the morning when Halt walked to Wensley Village. The sun hadn’t even showed herself, the first rays of light just appearing in the sky.

Halt was glad that he didn’t pass too many people on his way. He was riding on Abelard, sending the horse in the direction of the smiths.

If anyone would have asked, he could have said he went to the black smith, or the weapon smith. He could easily say that he needed something for his uniform, or new arrow heads.

Instead, he dismounted at Ambrose Shining, the silversmith.

“What will you need to do here?” Abelard eyed him, his ears forward.

Halt petted his nose, casting a look behind him.

“That’s a secret. I can’t have you tell anyone, not even by accident.”

“You’re going to get something for your wedding with Pauline.”

The Ranger stared at his horse, completely surprised.

“How – ?”

Abelard threw his head up, shaking his manes.

“I’m your horse. There is nothing you can keep a secret from me.”

Halt didn’t even try to come up with an answer. He petted Abelard’s neck once and then headed to the silversmith.

Ambrose’s house consisted of two parts; one part for him and his family to live, the other for work. His workplace wasn’t easily entered, to prevent thieves from stealing his silver.

Halt knocked on the door and waited until Ambrose opened.

“Morning, Halt,” the silversmith greeted him. “You’re quite early.”

The Ranger shrugged.

“I rather not have people see me here and then try to guess what’s going on.”

Ambrose wouldn’t call Halt a close friend, but they were good acquaintances.

“I have to say, when you came to me a couple of weeks ago, I thought you needed me to make a new oakleaf.” In every fief, there was one silversmith who was allowed to forge a silver oakleaf for a graduating apprentice. An official request had to be sent in with the signatures of the King, the Ranger Commandant as well as the apprentice’s mentor.

“Will still has three quarter of a year left before his final assessments,” Halt said. “He first has to pass them before I can make a request for an oakleaf for him.”

The silversmith understood that. It was a bad omen to cheer too early, he thought.

“I assume you would like to see what you ordered?” he said, opening the door further.

Halt stepped inside, then followed him to his workplace. He used the trip as a quick inspection as well.

The fireplace was in the centre, surrounded by bricks on the ground as well as behind. There was a chimney that guided the smoke up. The anvil was kept in place with metal pins, securing it to the ground. And, as usual, so was the safe in which he kept his silver.

“I was just doing the finishing touch on it,” Ambrose said. He walked to his safe and opened it. He took out a small, wooden box and, before showing it to Halt, locked the safe again. “Only some polishing and then it will be good.”

He gave it to Halt to inspect it. The Ranger didn’t have much knowledge about it, but he was sure about one thing.

“You did excellent work, Ambrose.” Halt allowed the man to see one of his rare smiles.

Ambrose felt a spark of pride in his chest. He knew that Halt wasn’t a person to spread comments casually.

“Thank you,” the silversmith replied, holding out his hand. “It’ll be done within a moment. In the meantime, you can go to my wife to pay. She’s in the shop.”

After Halt had paid the agreed amount of gold, he went back to Ambrose.

“May I ask you to keep it here, until the ceremony?” he asked the man.

“Of course, that’s no problem. I’ll make sure it’ll be there first thing in the morning.”

It was probably the tenth time in less than an hour that Pauline took off the newly forged wedding band to have another look at it. During the ceremony, now hours ago, she didn’t have the time to do so. Neither during the celebration since every guest wanted to congratulate her.

And, if she was honest, she had imagined the first night with her now husband to be different than it was. Instead of talking about the day and taking the time to realise they had tied the knot – finally, after more than twenty years – he was sent away on a mission.

“Ambrose really has a talent, doesn’t he?” she said out loud.

In another room, her husband was packing his bags for the long journey. He had already changed into his standard uniform, discarding the festive gala one.

“I wasn’t sure he would get my idea behind it, nor if it would work out.”

Halt entered the room, placing his bags against the wall. His bow and quiver were already there, as was a bag with food.

Pauline turned the wedding band and twisted it, letting the light of the candle touch it. It was a slim ring, with rounded edges. On the outside, laurels were engraved, accompanied with oakleaves. There was one, small gemstone in the middle.

She turned it up so that she could see what was written on the inside. In elegant, cursive letters she read ‘Mo fhíorghra’, Hibernian for ‘my true love’.

Halt watched her silently. She hadn’t said it with many words, but he could see that she adored the ring he had given her. It was subtle enough for her to wear, easy to take off if needed.

“I apologise that this evening didn’t go as planned.” Halt had stepped forward, stopping in front of his wife. “I actually had been looking forward to spend this night together.”

Pauline slid the wedding band on her finger and stood up. She placed her hands on his cheeks, tilting his head slightly to look him in the eyes.

“Our work doesn’t stop, not even for a wedding.” She didn’t blame him. It could have been her as well.

Halt looked into her eyes, the ones that had made him fall in love with her. They were tired after a day among the people. But there was a warmth behind them, one that was only there for him.

“I promise I make it up to you once I return,” he said, placing his hands on her hips, pulling her closer. “No matter the amount of work waiting, I won’t leave your side.”

“Even if Crowley marches into the room?” she asked, a smile in the corner of her mouth. She took a step closer until she was standing against him.

Without waiting, she moved her hands from his cheeks to his neck, wrapping them around it. At the same time, she bent forward.

When their lips touched, they both tightened the hug. They had shared kisses a thousand times before, but this time was different.

It was the first time Pauline kissed her husband goodbye, wishing and hoping he would return safe and well.

Halt on his turn did the same, not wanting to leave his now wife so soon.

“Promise me to be careful,” she whispered while she hugged him.

Halt held her close, kissing her forehead.

After three days of travelling, they finally had reached their destination. They stopped on the top of a hill, admiring the view ahead of them.

“Quite the difference with Castle Araluen, don’t you think?” a man on a chestnut horse said, a faint smile on his face. He had seen it before, yet still it was breathtaking.

Words couldn’t describe what she was feeling the moment she saw the building in front of her. It wasn’t like anything she had seen before.

The most prominent difference were the two hills it was standing on. In the middle, a sober, square building was standing strong. The stone bricks were grey in colour and seemed to be textured. There were battlements on top, with holes in between to shoot from. In the middle stood a thick wooden pole, with at the top a flag waving in the wind. It was square as well, with smaller squares and lines in it; purple, maroon and green.

A stone wall protected the building, with a round tower that had a gate in the middle. When she followed that with her eyes, she could see a path that led to the other hill.

It wasn’t really visible what exactly was there, since high walls protected it. But there were small, square towers on each of the points.

“It’s very simplistic, but it has it’s own charm as well,” the girl eventually said.

The man’s smile widened. He nudged his horse forward, letting it go in a firm walk. The girl soon followed him and together, they rode to the building.

From afar, it didn’t look that big. But the closer they came, she soon realised that it was a huge building.

“Melany?” the man asked, now looking at her with a serious face.

The girl turned to face him and tilted her head to show she was listening.

“The landlord is Findláech Falconer, Laird of Castle Seabhag Ghorm. He is a descendant of the Falconer’s clan from Picta. His family has been living here long before the Kingdom of Araluen was formed. They’re one of the closest allies of King Duncan, so it’s important that this meeting goes well, understood?”

Melany nodded, suddenly feeling nervous about the meeting.

She and Crowley had been sent by the King to see how things were going with the falcons that were to be send to him. As the name suggested, the Falconers had been training those birds for ages. As a way of thanking King Herbert for letting them stay, the family had offered to deliver falcons that he and his descendants could use for hunting.

“Have you ever been here before?” Melany asked when they were about to cross the bridge that was let down over the moat.

“Not really,” Crowley replied, looking up to see some guards watching them as they walked over the bridge. “I’ve passed it a couple of times, but never went inside. So for me it’ll also be a first time.”

The horses walked until they stopped after a slight pull on the rein. The Ranger and his apprentice waited for the invitation to dismount.

“Guid e’enin’!” A warm, loud voice greeted them. It belonged to a man that was most likely the owner of the fortification, Melany thought. “Hou ar ye? Hou was the travel?”

The man was taller than Crowley, that she could see right away. He was stocky and broad shouldered, as well as muscled. He had strong jawlines, his forehead was broad and he had high cheekbones. His red hair was let down, touching his shoulder blades. Melany’s attention was caught by a stroke of white in the man’s hair. As she stared at him longer, her eyes then went to his; behind the deep blue colour she could see a certain authority.

“A curious lassie, aren’t ye?”

Caught red handed, Melany lowered her gaze. She really should learn not to stare at people.

“Forgive her, Laird Findláech,” Crowley said, directing the man’s attention to him. “She didn’t mean to offend you.”

Laird Findláech looked from the Ranger to the girl. A smile spread over his face.

“Don’t ye worry!” he said, clasping his hands. “Hou ‘bout ye two come inside for some dinner? Ye must be starvin’!”

As the main guests, Crowley and Melany were placed near Laird Findláech and his family during the meal. He had arranged a whole feast, with dishes that originated from Picta. For entertainment, there were musicians playing on Scotti instruments.

While Crowley was talking with Findláech, Melany was more focused on the people. It was the first time she got to meet Scotti people. As always, it sparked curiosity.

She was just taking a bite from a dish when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“All good? You seem a bit absent.”

Turning her head, she looked into a familiar face.

Their interaction didn’t go unnoticed. Crowley and the Scotti warrior stopped their conversation for a moment to see what was going on.

“Aye! There ye a’e! I started to worry you didn’ come!” Laird Findláech exclaimed. He got up from his seat and stood next to the young man, clasping his shoulder. “I take that ye two know each othe’?”

The young man didn’t move when he was practically pushed by the force. Instead, he reached out a hand to Crowley.

“E’enin’, Crowley. I hope my father isn’t boring you too much with our family history?”

Crowley grinned, clasping his arm.

“Evening, Lennox. Good to see you again,” the Commandant said. “And no, it’s rather interesting.”

Melany had been following the conversation with interest.

“Laird Findláech is your father?” The surprise in her voice was clear.

The warrior let out a laugh, pulling his son closer.

“Hadn’ he told ye that, lassie? He’s Lennox Falconer, Younger of Castle Seabhag Ghorm!”

Lennox could already seen the next question forming in the girl’s mind.

“Father, maybe leave that for tonight. Instead, may I take her with me to see the falcons?”

Laird Findláech suddenly didn’t look that happy. It was his wife who calmed him down.

“That’s alright, son. I think she can use some fresh air.”

Unbeknownst to Melany, the woman had noticed that the girl was starting to become lost in thought. That, and she had seen the worried looks Crowley had been sending to the girl.

Lennox took Melany’s hand and guided her outside, into the fresh air. The chilly night was a huge contrast with the air inside.

They walked down the hill, to the part that had been hidden behind the wall.

“Thank you,” the girl said. “I don’t think I would have survived much longer in there.”

Lennox gave a nod in reply. He wasn’t a man of many words, Melany thought.

Her eyes fell on his clothes. So far, she had always seen him wearing his Ranger uniform. Now, it was changed to that of his family, she assumed. He was wearing a linen tunic, the sleeves stopping at his elbows. He wore two leather bracers on his fore arms, one of them being his arm guard for archery. Instead of his pants, he had some sort of skirt. He still wore his Ranger boots, but with socks that ended just below his knees.

“It’s called a ‘kilt’ and the colours on it are from our ‘tartan’, the same as the flag.” Lennox stopped in his tracks. “The weapon is called a ‘dirk’ and yes, there are more weapons that I don’t carry as Ranger but can use.”

They continued until they reached the part where the falcons were. It was a small building, not too outstanding.

She had lost count how often the children had gotten out of their beds that night. Not that they were to be blamed. It had been hot the whole day, the humidity creeping into the usual cool and dry castle.

Clothes were glued to everyone’s skin, hair sticking on the heads likewise. It had been a long time since the summer had been this unbearable.

“Miss Beatrice, we can’t sleep.”

A girl’s voice broke through the silence, clear yet also unsure. The girl was aware that they shouldn’t be awake and wandering around.

“Who is ‘we’, Jennifer?” Miss Beatrice asked, not too unkind.

Jenny, as she preferred to be called, looked over her shoulder. Behind her, at least ten children were patiently waiting.

“We tried to be silent, but everyone was awake.”

The woman saw a few of the smallest children that were at the ward, aged from two to four years.

Understanding that none of them would be able to sleep, she let them all in the common room. It was a bit cooler than upstairs in the bedrooms, though still not ideal.

“Be quiet, please,” she warned them. “You may stay here for the night, but it doesn’t mean we should wake up everyone else in the castle.”

The children, fifteen in total, sat down on the colder tiles. They had brought blankets with them that they spread out on the floor.

One of the other caretakers had head the noise and went to have a look. When she saw the children, she didn’t even question it.

“I’ll get them something cool to drink,” she said, while turning into the direction of the kitchen.

Miss Beatrice had some of the oldest children take a cloth to clean everyone’s face. It wasn’t much, but it did help a little.

With a cup of water in their hands, the children now looked expectantly at Miss Beatrice.

The caretaker was sitting in one of the chairs, a cup of water standing on a table nearby. She had been working on a small weaving project before she got interrupted.

“What is it, children?” she asked after feeling their stares.

“Could you tell us a story?” a girl with long, blonde hair asked.

Miss Beatrice moved to look at her.

“And what kind of story would you like to hear, Alyss?”

The girl thought for a moment, a little frown on her face.

“Oh! A mythical one!” a boy with brown, curly hair exclaimed.

“Will, what did we say on talking before your turn?” Miss Beatrice asked, looking at the boy with raised eyebrows.

Will made himself small, aware of his mistake.

“That it’s impolite and one should raise their hand and wait,” he replied softly.

Next to him, a larger boy was snickering. He received an angry glare from Will.

“Horace.”

Her voice was calm, yet the warning tone underneath was more than clear. She looked at the boy until he understood her message.

“Well then, if the others are fine with it. What kind of mythical story would you like to hear? A fairy tale, a myth, a legend?”

One boy raised his hand, waiting patiently for the caretaker to notice.

“Yes, George?” Miss Beatrice asked, giving the boy permission to speak.

“How about the tale of the ‘Ignorant King and the Prophet’?”

Several children nodded in agreement. It was a tale not often told and some had only heard just a few sentences before being send to bed.

“That’s fine by me,” Miss Beatrice said, placing her weaving aside.

“Long ago, before Araluen was a Kingdom, the people lived in small settlements.

They all had their own chief who ruled over them. The chiefs had advisors to help them and warriors to protect them. Life wasn’t always easy and there was often a war between the different settlements. Sometimes, one settlement took control of another one, merging the two together until a new, bigger settlement emerged.

One of them was named Aedelric. He had won several wars and had taken over dozens of settlements. But he didn’t stop there. He dreamt of becoming more than just a chief.

During the Summer Solstice, he had himself be crowned to king. From that day on, things started to change. Some warriors were given the title of ‘noble’, and were given grounds to live on. If a family already lived there, they were chased away.

Little by little, Aedelric pulled more and more power towards himself. The borders of his settlements spread and at some point, he started to call it his kingdom.

Everyone living there, had to pay taxes. The sons had to go into his army, which was growing the more battles he won.

With these changes, Aeldelric’s personality started to change as well.

Before, he had been a humble person, kind and always there to help others. His family wasn’t wealthy nor had an important job in the settlement they lived in.

When Aelderic appointed brothers, nephews and cousins for important positions, his family was excited. Finally, they wouldn’t have to worry about their income.

But, being this close to the new King, also had a downside.

They started to see how greed was taking him over, his heart consumed with hatred and jealousy. He wanted more and more, until there was nothing left to take.

Only a forest, consisting of oak trees, was still out of his hands. Some said spirits lived there, others said there were witches. But one thing was clear: no one was allowed to take it.

Aelderic didn’t care about it. He wanted to take it and so he did. He gathered his army, marched to the forest and surrounded it. Infantry, cavalry and archers; he had them all present to conquer the forest.

Then, all of a sudden, fog started to appear around them. It was so thick, the soldiers could barely see anything through it. It was noon, but it felt like it was night.

Out of the forest, a voice, high and clear, spoke to them.

‘Aelderic, King of the people, listen to this prophecy:

Never will the emptiness in your heart be filled, no matter the amount of land you get.

The more you get, the worse it will become.

True richness cannot be found in material possession.

The true value of your Kingdom is what you must seek.

If not, Misfortune will befall on you.’

After hearing those words, Aelderic was enraged and demanded the forest to be burned. The flames turned to all kinds of colours and the soldiers who were present later on claimed that their King had sealed his fate by doing so.

Years passed by and Aelderic thought that the prophetess had been a false one.

That was until his Kingdom slowly fell apart; crops didn’t grow, cattle died, the people turned to anger and demanded his head.

His soldiers left him, the borders slowly fell apart. Enemies entered his Kingdom and took control.

Crowley pinched the bridge of his nose after reading what was written on the parchment.

“I thought I had been clear the previous time this happened?” He looked up to the man standing in front of him. “What part of ‘don’t do this again’ didn’t you get?”

“In my defence, it wasn’t me who came up with the idea.”

Crowley massaged his temples, wondering how much more sandy coloured hairs he would find the next day.

“Halt, I’m serious. This is the second complaint of a noble in less than an month. You can’t just moat them whenever you like!”

Halt lifted an eyebrow as he heard the choice of word.

“To moat or not to moat, that’s up to the noble,” he remarked dryly. “But if they insult the Corps or the Diplomatic Service, I think it is allowed to show one goes too far. It’s not any different than when a commoner says such things. I’ve never had any of them complain when they were thrown onto the ground.”

Crowley got up from his chair and started pacing around. He did that more often when he was frustrated. It helped him to sort his thoughts.

“There is one difference, Halt. They’re nobles. Meaning they have a certain power in this Kingdom.”

“Are you saying you’re scared of them?” Halt scoffed. “We’re far above them. They can’t hurt us.”

The Ranger Commandant let out a groan that was a combination of anger and frustration. He sometimes wondered if having Halt be a Ranger was such a great idea.

“No, of course I’m not scared of them,” Crowley said once he calmed down a little. “Yet if this happens too often, then they can make a complaint to the King. And once that happens and it’s severe enough, the King can decide to take action. I don’t think any of us wants a repetition of a couple of years ago, do we?”

Crowley started at Halt with a meaningful glance. He saw that Halt understood what he meant.

“What do you want me to do then?” Halt asked, leaning against the Commandant’s desk. “I can’t get rid of them.”

Crowley stared at him as if he had gone mad.

“File a complaint, have it send to me,” he spoke the words slowly. “Seriously, didn’t Pritchard teach you that?”

Halt shrugged nonchalantly.

“He did, but he was also saying to be efficient. And yes, I can file a complaint, but then it will lay here for gods know how long. Not to forget, that another Ranger then has to take care of it.”

Crowley started to understand that there was no reasoning with Halt at this point about it. His friend would stay with the fact that he was obliged to do something about the insults. Yet, he failed to see, and understand, that he couldn’t just moat them.

“I give up, you’re too stubborn to understand either way.” Crowley sat down behind his desk and searched for a quill and parchment. “Here,” he said, handing it over to Halt. “You can write your own report on the matter and deliver it to the King. If I can’t bring reason into that mind of yours, maybe he can.”

Much to his surprise, as well as Crowley’s, King Duncan found Halt’s solution rather amusing. He had been aware of what had happened beforehand, also that the Ranger had been able to keep his cool for a long time. Even tried to reason with said nobles and remind them they were on thin ice.

“It doesn’t mean I give you a pass in doing this all the time. I do prefer that you inform me like you are supposed to. However, if you find yourself in a situation where reasoning doesn’t work, yet you have to make your point, I might not be too reluctant to this solution.”

Halt and Crowley had been summoned to the King’s office, a day after Halt had written and given the report. Both Rangers could see the faint smile that was forming in corner of the King’s mouth, however, his chamberlain didn’t see any fun in it.

“Have I made myself clear, Ranger O’Carrick?” King Duncan asked, using Halt’s surname to point out that he was serious about the matter.

“Loud and clear, Your Majesty,” the Ranger replied, bowing his head.

“Good,” King Duncan said, glad that this was dealt with. “Then you two may go now.”

Halt and Crowley bowed before turning around to leave the room.

“Guess moating isn’t such a terrible solution,” Halt said, testing how his friend and Commandant reacted to it.

Crowley glared at him, but then looked away. He wasn’t going to react to that. He knew Halt was trying to get to him.

They silently parted ways, Halt heading to his room while Crowley went to his office. From his room, Halt had a view on the moat. Perhaps it was a coincidence or deliberately. Either way, he could see the joke in it.

Several hours passed in which he had taken the time to read some reports – did they ever end – and also to sleep a bit. The last couple of weeks had been exhausting. Not only because of all the preparations for the war. His mind was also occupied with –

A scream from outside made him run to the window, just in time to see how someone ended up in the moat with a huge splash.

Looking up, Halt couldn’t see who exactly it had been that threw the noble in the moat. When he discussed the situation later on with Crowley, his friend’s reaction was short and avoiding.

Slowly, dots started to connect in Halt’s mind. He leaned back in his chair, a grin on his face.

Crowley tried to ignore it, his focus on the parchment in front of him. The quill in his hand was moving from left to right, from up to down.

Halt knew that Crowley knew that he knew.

“Can you remove that grin of your face?” Crowley asked without looking up. “It’s already unnatural for you to smile. This doesn’t make it any better.”

Halt shifted in his chair, moving forward so that he was at eye level with Crowley. He still grinned, his eyes trying to get to Crowley’s.

Finally, not being able to block out the feeling of Halt watching him, the Commandant sighed.

“Fine,” he said, placing the quill down. “Can you please stop looking at me that way? It gives me the ick.”

As he had thought, Halt didn’t stop. Instead, he continued until the moment Crowley was shifting in his chair.

“It’s not like I did it for fun,” Crowley tried, his voice not convincing at all.

“Really?” Halt raised an eyebrow. “Tell me, what happened beforehand then?”

Halt did his best to not let out his frustration when he noticed that Will, again, was focused on something else rather than his training. He had sent the boy outside to train with his bow so that he could read a report in peace and quiet.

“Dar na déithe, cad atá ar siúl aige anois?” Halt mumbled, placing the folder on the table. He got up and walked to the veranda. Peeking around the corner, he could see that Will wasn’t training anymore.

Even more, he was nowhere to be seen. Halt took a deep breath and walked to the spot where Will had been not too long ago.

Using his tracking skills, Halt soon found out where Will had been going to. Also because he saw a tree shaking and a few branches falling down.

“You have three seconds to get down!” Halt called to the figure above him.

Hearing the underlaying threat in his voice, Will hurried to get out of the tree. He was sure he didn’t manage to do it within the given time, but at least Halt didn’t comment on that.

“Care to explain to me why you abandoned your training?”

Will fumbled with his thumbs, too afraid to look up in the Ranger’s eyes. Without his cloak and the cowl covering his head, the man’s eyes were even more frightening.

“Well?” Halt pressed, taking a step forward.

Instantly, Will took one step back, his back now against the tree. For a moment, he thought about going in there again to escape the man’s anger.

“I was curious where the noise came from.”

Halt didn’t know what Will was talking about. He looked at the boy with a frown.

“What noise?” he asked.

Will pointed in the direction of the village.

“That’s what I wanted to know,” Will replied. “But I couldn’t see anything.”

Halt moved his head until his ear picked up a faint noise. It repeated itself in the same, slow pace. Sounded like metal, he thought.

“That’s probably the preparations for the tournament that’s to be held in a couple of days,” Halt concluded. “They’re building an arena next to the castle, with a podium for the Baron and Baroness to sit on.”

Will’s face lit up when he heard the word ‘tournament’. In all of his life, he had only heard of one being held at Castle Redmont. That had been when he was just a small child.

“What will they do during the tournament?” he asked, forgetting about his fear. There were a couple of possibilities that someone could choose from.

Halt glared at him, enough for Will to understand he wouldn’t get an answer to that.

“I don’t know, nor do I think it’s of our business.” Halt pointed at the bow laying in the grass. “The only thing I care about is you getting back to your training. Now.”

Will nodded, then hurried to get back to where he had been standing. Taking the bow in his hand, he noticed that Halt moved to sit on the veranda.

“In case you get the brilliant idea to sneak away again,” the Ranger said in a warning tone.

Will blushed slightly, then focused on his training. He kept shooting arrows until the moment Halt said he could store his bow away.

The boy’s arms and shoulders were shaking. It didn’t help that Halt then put him to work on his map making.

“Didn’t know our borders were so curvy,” Halt said, casting a glance over Will’s shoulder to look at his work. “Remake it.”

Will knew better than to comment on it. So, he took another parchment and started again, taking his time to draw the lines. It was more time consuming, but in the end, his work was much better than before.

“I’ve seen better,” Halt mentioned when he inspected his map later on that day. “Yet I’ve also seen worse. You can put it away for now and continue with your other chores.”

Will hadn’t mentioned or asked anything about the tournament the following days. Any time he slightly went in that direction, Halt had him do a task or chore. By the third day, Will had given up on getting more information about it. He figured that, hadn’t he went into the tree, Halt might have told him something more.

It had even gone that far that Halt woke up early in the morning to get fresh bread from the baker, rather than sending Will to get it. The Ranger probably didn’t want him to get a glimpse of what was going on.

Will’s tracking classes were now also orientated to the south rather than the north. Anything to keep him away from the tournament.

Day after day, Will had to hear the cheering and laughter of the people that were attending the celebration. They often continued until the late evening, keeping him awake during some nights.

He already started to think that he wouldn’t get to participate at all after a week had passed. Perhaps he could ask Horace about it, he thought.

“Will, get ready to go outside,” Halt called. He had been inside in his bedroom while Will had been working at the table. “We’ll be leaving in ten minutes.”

Without answering, Will put away what he had been working on and put on his cloak. He wasn’t sure if he needed to bring his weapons.

“You won’t be needing them,” Halt said when he emerged from his room. “We’ll do tracking today.”

Will silently followed his mentor as they left the cabin, heading southeast. From time to time, he would answer Halt’s questions which animal the foot prints belonged to.

He was that occupied that he didn’t notice they had been going around in a circle. They ended up behind the castle.

“That will be your next exercise,” Halt said. “Make your way to the tournament, find yourself a spot in the crowd and make sure no one notices you. At the end, before he leaves, I want you to take one item from the Baron. Nothing that’s too important to miss, but still obvious. Then, make your way back to the cabin. If all goes well and according to plan, you pass.”

Halt looked at Will to see if he understood what had been asked of him.

“And what if I do get caught?” Will asked, his eyes scanning the area already.

“That’s up to you to prevent.”

Halt got up from his position, turning back to the cabin.

“Oh, before I forget, there is one last thing,” he said, watching how Will was preparing himself to move forward.

“Yeah?”

The death of the King had brought different emotions with it. One thing they had in common; only a handful of people mourned about him as person. The majority, if not all, only mourned the soon to lose privileges that they had gotten.

Not for the first time that week did the soon to be King wake up during the night. Nights in which he cried for losing his uncle. The uncertainty that was now hanging in the air. More than ever, he understood that an impossible job was weighing on his shoulders.

And, although he lost his uncle, he did regain one back.

It wasn’t the first night that he was standing on the battlements, his eyes focused on an invisible point in the distance.

“Can’t sleep?”

Shaken out of his thoughts, the young Prince turned his head around, trying to find where the voice came from. He still didn’t understand how he managed to do it.

“It’s not the first time, uncail Darach,” the Prince said.

From behind, felt a poke in his ribs. He winced as the fingers touched a weak spot.

“How often do I have to tell you? Just call me ‘Halt’, like everyone does.” The Ranger appeared on his left side, the cowl pushed back. “Or do you want me to call you ‘prionsa’?”

“No, please don’t.” The Prince cringed at the word. “I’m a soldier in the first place.”

Halt looked at him for a moment, then turned to stare in the distance.

“It wouldn’t be a good thing to start your reign with sleepless nights, Sean.”

Next to him, Sean rubbed a hand over his face, stopping at his mouth. He only managed partly to hide the yawn that was trying to escape.

“As if I don’t know that,” he replied, more tired than annoyed. “But it’s not like I was prepared for this.”

Halt scoffed softly.

“I’m not surprised. Ferris thought he would reign forever, forgetting the fact that he too would die one day. Though that day came sooner than any of us imagined.”

Both men stayed silent for a while, not knowing what to say next. The night was colder than they had thought, as if it felt that something had happened not too long ago.

“He was aware that he would need a successor,” Sean said, his eyes now facing the moon that was above them. “But he was convinced I would take it away from him. That’s why I had to focus on my career in the army. Eventually, he would maybe see that I wasn’t going to shove him aside and take the throne.”

A bit hurt, he noticed that Halt had different ideas about it. “Ferris wouldn’t have gotten that idea. To him, the older you became, the more of a threat you would become. Sooner or later, he would try to get rid of you.”

Sean felt a knot forming in his throat, which he tried to swallow away. It didn’t really help.

“Uncail Halt?” he tried when a couple of minutes had passed.

The Ranger gave a soft grunt, his way of saying that he was listening.

“Would it be possible for you to stay until a day after the coronation?”

Halt would be lying if he hadn’t thought of the question being asked. Preferably, he wanted to go after Tennyson now that the tracks were still there. If he waited any longer, then there was a possibility that the fake prophet had a chance to escape.

“Sean,” Halt started, now facing his nephew. “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. It’s not seen as polite if Will and I keep our cowls up during the ceremony. Besides, Ferris and I look too much alike, even now that my beard is growing back.”

To be able to act as his twin brother, Halt had shaved off his beard. It was now solely growing back, but he still resembled Ferris.

“The ceremony is solely for those invited and since you gave your rights away to me, I doubt that anyone would want you there. At least, not without them knowing it.”

Something in the way he said it, made Halt assume that there was more behind Sean’s question.

“You want me to attend while being hidden in the forest, keeping an eye out during the ceremony.”

Sean nodded, glad that the man had caught his plan.

“May I ask why?” Halt inquired.

“It’s not that I’m scared to be killed. There will be plenty of guards and they will make sure no hidden weapons will be taken. The soldiers that I chose as my personal guards are loyal to me, have always been.”

Halt wanted to ask the follow up question, but remained silent. He was sure that the answer would be given soon enough.

“What I’m mostly worried about is the part where everyone is speaking out their allegiance to me. It’s not a secret that the lords and knights have come to rule over their own people and villages. I want you to be the silent witness to help them remind that they said it. And, in the case they forget, help me to trial them.”

Sean was now facing Halt, trying to see what his uncle had to say to that. To his relief, Halt nodded in agreement.

“I think I will be able to do that. We can make it look like we left, but I can then return.”

Now that that burden was off his shoulders, Sean suddenly felt much lighter.

“Thank you, uncail Halt,” he said, a tired smile decorating his face.

Halt looked at the man that he only recently got to know better. He could see the traces of his late sister in him. The cheerful personality, the kindness. The brown eyes that seemed to have a never-ending light behind them.

“Now that’s been taken care of, how about you go see for some sleep?” Halt placed a hand on Sean’s shoulder, gently guiding him towards the tower.

Sean yawned, nodding at the same time. He let himself be brought back to his quarters. Two guards who were standing on watch looked horrified when they found the future king and his uncle standing in front of them.

“Make sure he gets some rest,” Halt told them after saying good night to his nephew. “If anyone has an issue with that, have me send to them. Understood?”

The guards bowed their heads in reply, then stood with a straight back, crossing their lances.

It was two days after Will had graduated. The previous day, Horace and Cassandra had left to go back to Castle Araluen. Now, it was just him and Halt in the cabin.

After six years of being woken up in the morning by Halt who would move the heavy curtain, it felt strange that that didn’t happen this morning.

Will listened as Halt got up from his bed, did the usual washing of his body before dressing up and heading to the living room. He had already anticipated that the Ranger would open his curtain, but nothing happened.

Will was sitting up in his bed, ready to give his standard, “I’m already up!”. This time, the words got stuck in his throat.

He waited a moment to see if Halt would come back, but his mentor – no, former mentor – started making breakfast.

Still a bit thrown back by it all, Will dressed up and opened the curtain, stepping inside the room. He wasn’t really sure what he felt, but it was like something had changed.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Will asked first thing when Halt turned around.

Halt raised an eyebrow.

“Morning to you too, Will. Usually, people greet each other before asking questions. I thought you would have gotten that after six years.”

He succeeded to hide the smile in the corner of his mouth when Will waved with his hand.

“I do, doesn’t always mean I get to remember that before my morning coffee.” He waited a moment, then added, “Good morning, Halt.”

The grumpy Ranger rolled his eyes up.

“Freshly graduated and already no respect for his mentor anymore. At least you managed to keep it up for two whole days.”

He turned around to the stove, taking two plates to put their breakfast on. After setting that on the table, he poured the coffee into two cups.

“The reason I didn’t wake you is simple,” Halt said in between eating. “You’re a Ranger, so it’s expected of you to take care of yourself in that regard.”

Will nodded once, slowing down on his breakfast.

“Does that mean I get to decline whatever task you give me to do?” he asked with an innocent face.

“Don’t push your luck, boy,” Halt raised a finger at him. “I’m still your Senior, while you’re just a Junior. Besides, you still live under my roof. The moment you’re out, it’s all up to you whether or not you do tasks.”

Will snickered, but decided to rest the conversation. He would never decline a task that was given by Halt, they both knew that.

After breakfast, Halt prepared to go out. He had been given information about a possible secret gambling location that he needed to search out.

“Want me to go with you?” Will asked, already reaching out to get his cloak.

Halt shook his head.

“No, not this time,” he said, watching Will’s enthusiasm falling apart.

“Why not? I can help you, I’m a Ranger now.”

Halt nodded.

“You can’t come along because Arald asked me to send you to him once you have time. And you do have time now, because newly graduated Rangers are given a free week.”

Now it was Will who raised his eyebrow.

“A free week? Since when do Rangers get holiday? You already complained when I asked you for one day off, or even just a few hours!”

Halt gave him one of his rare smiles.

“Indeed. Had I been the Commandant, I would have kicked you to work already.”

He then packed his bag and walked to the stable next to the cabin.

“I should be back by tomorrow, latest in the evening. Until then, be a good lad and watch the cabin.” Halt got into the saddle, sending Abelard to the southeast. “Take care, Will!”

It was late in the evening when Will heard the slight neigh of Tug. He had been reading some reports that were given to him while Halt was away. He had been so used to do the tasks of an apprentice, that it was difficult to adjust to that of a Ranger.

Will got up from his seat and walked to the door. He knew that it was Halt, which was confirmed when Abelard replied with a likewise neigh.

“You’re late.” Will had stepped onto the veranda, waiting for Halt as he approached. “I thought you said to be back in the evening. It’s almost night.”

Halt stopped Abelard in front of him.

“Got distracted on my way home. Make some coffee and put it outside then, will you?”

Will didn’t even think twice about the request. It wasn’t the first time they had spent some time outside in the late evening or even the night. Sometimes after a rather difficult or hectic event, or simply because they wanted to.

When Will returned with two cups of coffee, Halt had already taken place on the steps. Next to him, there was a canvas bag as well as a quiver.

“Here you go,” Will said as he handed the coffee. Halt took it, and waited for him to sit down as well. “How did it go? Did you manage to catch them?”

Halt took a sip of coffee before answering the question.

“Wasn’t much, to be honest. There was a gambling room hidden in an inn. The innkeeper kept saying he had no idea about it. I initially didn’t believe him, but it turned out that the man was speaking the truth. His cousin, who had been looking after the inn while he was gone, had turned that place into that for gambling. When word spread around, they decided it was time to go. And that’s when the innkeeper returned and I showed up.”

Will shook his head in disbelief.

“The lengths some people go to go unnoticed. I hope that cousin will be tried for it.”

“Oh, he will. I gathered enough evidence to make a case. It’s just that he went to another fief, so I shall write a letter to the Ranger there.”

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Then, as if hesitant, Halt cleared his throat.

“There was something that I wanted to give you,” he said and took the canvas bag and quiver, handing them to Will.

A bit unsure, Will put his cup aside and took the equipment.

“Halt, I already have weapons. They’ve been checked and approved during my exam.” Still, his curiosity took control and he carefully opened the bag. “What – ?”

“It’s a silent tradition among mentors to gift their graduated apprentices a new longbow, along with a quiver and arrows. Until now, you have been using my arrows. The white line of paint on the cock feather indicated that you were my apprentice. But now you’re not anymore, so I have been making these for you. I do hope the colours are alright. You had mentioned it once, but back then I wasn’t sure if you were for real or just joking around.”

Will didn’t know what to say. For months, he had been wondering what Halt had been doing so late in the evenings when he had gone to bed. He suddenly started to think that a lot of the ‘meetings’ had just been a cover up to work on this.

“Thank you, Halt.” Will laid the bow down and embraced the man that had taken him in, had trained and raised him. The man that he had come to think of as a father.

“You’re welcome, son,” Halt replied. His voice was muffled and maybe that was for the best. For he found it hard to believe that the orphan he had taken under his wings had grown into a man that would go into the world. Someone he had become proud of and had started to see as his son.

“You are aware that I will visit you whenever I can, right?” Will joked.

The rhythmic sounds of the exercises echoed through the forest, from time to time interrupted by the voice of one of the knights. Now that war was approaching, the classes of the cadets had changed as well. The basic tactics were explained, the most important formations practiced day after day. The youngest cadets, those who were in their first and second year, had to work mostly on their fighting skills. Those in their third and fourth year had to combine that with strategical planning.

Halt was observing them from the shadows. All Rangers had been given the order to increase the evaluation rounds of the Battleschools. Even those who were retired had been sent to help out their colleagues.

It was his second round after Will had left with Gilan and Horace. He knew the teenager was safe and well with his former apprentice. But that didn’t mean that he had a hard time without Will around him.

Halt had been keeping himself busy in an effort to distract his mind. The first few days, it did work. He was occupied with reading reports, making lists of the amount of men that the fief had to deliver for the Royal Army. Now that most of that work was done or almost ready, his mind started to play tricks with him.

“C’mon, focus,” Halt scolded himself when he, once again, missed out on what was happening in front of him. The cadets were given a short break from all the training.

Halt had been evaluating the fourth years. They had trained with the different formations that the army used on the battlefield. One by one, they had the lead over the others, telling them which formation to take depending on a scenario they were given.

Two cadets moved to sit underneath the tree that was growing not far from the training field. The sun had been burning, not too strong to cause a heatstroke, but it wasn’t pleasant either.

“They should give us more breaks,” one of them complained. He took of his helmet, dropping it onto the ground. “This isn’t weather to train.”

“I’m sure they have their reasons, Dave” his classmate brought in. He was sitting on the grass, his helmet on his hands. He was fidgeting with the straps. “They just want us to be prepared in case we have to go to war.”

“I sometimes wish I was still a first year. At least they aren’t burdened with classes as well.” Dave rested his head against the fence, closing his eyes.

Halt listened to their banter, but didn’t see the need to intervene. The Craftmasters were all good friends, but there had been one very clear rule: stick to your own apprentices, unless there is a good reason to reprimand one of the other.

The Ranger did that, sometimes telling the Craftmaster they might need to speak with an apprentice if he caught up something useful. He was about to do the same, hadn’t it be for the fact that Dave spoke up again.

“Or like that orphan, Altman. What I would do to play messenger.”

Halt stopped in his tracks, standing still behind a tree.

“Don’t, Halt,” he thought to himself. “It will only cause trouble for Rodney if you interfere.”

“His name’s Horace,” his classmate said, a warning tone in his voice. “And I’m sure they also have their reason to send him.”

Dave shot up, sending an angry glare to his friend.

“I can give you that reason, Benard. He’s a second year. He’s only good for fighting and being one of the first to fall during a battle. He can be missed, unlike us fourth years.”

Benard shook his head, waving his arms to warn Dave to keep his volume down.

“Just a second year?! Dave, have you ever seen him train? That boy has more raw talent than any of us! And he isn’t sent away with anyone. They say he was asked to accompany a Ranger, together with that apprentice, Will. The one that saved Horace during the boar hunt.”

Dave let out a snort.

“So? It’s not like the kid is anything special. He’s an orphan, without family name even. The Ranger here probably felt pity and therefor took him in.”

Halt was standing behind them before Benard or Dave could even notice him.

“I wonder what Sir Rodney has to say when he hears that one of his students doesn’t agree with is own, personal approval of choosing cadet Altman.”

Benard jumped up in fright, nearly dropping his helmet when he hurried to salute the Ranger.

“Apologies, sir,” he stumbled over his words. How long had the man been standing there, listening to their conversation?

Halt looked at him, until the cadet lowered his eyes. The Ranger’s face was hidden in his cowl, yet his eyes were a contrast with the shadow.

“Shouldn’t you two be back to training?” Halt then asked, nodding his head in the direction of the training field.

“That’s none of your business,” Dave replied. He had gotten up, but unlike Benard, he didn’t show any respect to the Ranger. “You better focus on your Ranger tasks.”

Halt’s eyes lit up momentarily. He took a step closer, standing against the fence as well.

“Ironically, this is part of my job. Making sure that cadets like you train when your mentors tell you to.”

Benard pulled on Dave’s sleeve, silently telling him to turn around. But the cadet hadn’t finished yet.

“I will inform Sir Rodney that you interfered with his business,” Dave said in a challenging tone. Like many, he had always been a bit afraid of Halt. The tales that Rangers could use magic wasn’t unfamiliar to him. But to stand next to him, with a fence as barrier, his pride took it over from his reasoning.

“You’re more than welcome to do so. I will then make sure he gets the whole story how you two were sitting on your behinds rather than training. And also that you were insulting another cadet as well as a Ranger’s apprentice.”

Dave was already preparing himself to speak up when Benard had had enough. He shoved the cadet’s helmet in his hands and gave him a warning look.

“We shall head back to the training, Ranger. Please, forgive us for the things we said. We were in the wrong and shall make sure to train even more.”

He pulled Dave with him after saluting once again to Halt. They had taken a few steps and the cadet was sure that they had avoided a catastrophe.

“As if they’re any better than to act like messengers. A second year cadet, together with an apprentice. What could they even possible do to help win the war?”

Benard’s face paled when he heard Dave mutter the words. They weren’t said like a whisper, rather too loud for it. As if he wanted the Ranger to hear it. He looked at his friend just in time to see Halt showing up behind them.

Without warning, the Ranger grabbed Dave by the scruff of his neck and pulled him closer. The best situation would have been that the cadet froze in his spot, apologised to the man and would, hopefully, be let go with a verbal warning.

In Dave’s case, it ended differently. He managed to get out of the grip by kicking backwards and hitting Halt in his shin. That was the man’s sign that he could now deliver an attack to the cadet as well. The two ended up on the ground, Halt’s fist ending up in the teenager’s face.

As sudden as the anger had appeared, likewise it disappeared. He got up from the ground, taking a few steps back. Halt took a few deep breaths, calming his heart.

“Take him to the infirmary,” he instructed Benard.

Will could barely make out the silhouette of the cabin in the thick snowfall. Big snowflakes were falling down in rapid speed, creating a veil of snow. It didn’t help that the wind was blowing it in his face, sending coldness into his clothes. His cloak had turned white, the snow weighing it down onto him.

“We’re almost there, Cassandra” Will said. At least, he was trying to. The howling of the wind made it almost impossible to be heard.

Instead, he turned around to pull on the rope that was attached to his middle. He was glad he had come up with that idea just as the blizzard had started.

Behind him, a figure just as covered in snow lifted up their arm. She couldn’t overcome the howling either.

The horses slowly made their way through the snow; it had reached them until their knees already. Lifting up their legs became more and more difficult with each step.

Finally, Will found what he had been looking for. He guided Tug forward until they reached the cabin. Going around, Will rode to the shed that was standing next to it.

“At least they thought about this when they built it,” Will thought as he dismounted and opened the door. It was dark inside, but relatively warm. Since the cabin blocked most of the wind, it didn’t reach far into the shed.

When he had entered the place, Cassandra followed him soon. She got off her horse, bringing it inside as well.

“I had thought that such bad weather wouldn’t present itself anymore. Thankfully we weren’t too far away from here.” Her voice was muffled, but Will could hear her well enough.

“Yeah, thankfully.” Will didn’t share the same enthusiasm, but he could hardly be blamed for that.

After they had put the horses in the shed and dried them with some old hay, they went inside the cabin. There was only one room, with an old bed in the corner furthest away from the door. On their right side, there was a small fireplace with wooden blocks next to it. Not enough to keep someone warm for a week, but hopefully for as long as needed.

“Nothing has changed.”

The woman stepped past Will, dropping her cloak on the floor. Once the fire would be burning, it would dry up. While she walked to a wall, Will stayed where he was.

“Even my name is still written here!” she exclaimed, wiping the dirt away. “I hadn’t thought that would be the case.” She turned around, the smile dropping from their face. “Will?”

The young Ranger was slowly walking through the room, paining his brain to recall memories of happier times.

“I had thought that I had been over it. That seeing it again wouldn’t cause these feelings.” Will stopped in front of the bed. “I can’t remember anything, only the last days when I was finally awake again.”

Cassandra stood next to him, one hand on his shoulder.

“Your mind might not remember it, but your body does. And it’s not weird. You went through hell and back.”

Will slowly nodded.

“Maybe,” he responded. “I just hope it’s for one day only. That I can survive.”

Not wanting to be reminded about the harsh time he had gone through, he unclasped the fibula on his cloak before draping it over a chair.

“Let’s see if we can make a small fire. Hopefully that won’t be as difficult as back then.”

Will was the first to wake up. It was still dark outside, but through the window he could see the first sun rays. He watched as light entered the cabin, enlightening the room and chasing away the darkness. With the light also came warmth.

He could hear how the snow was melting, dripping down on the ground. Normally, Will could enjoy the sound, but not this time.

Turning to his side, he saw Cassandra still asleep in the bed. They had had a whole argument over who was to sleep there and who on the ground. Eventually, he had won with the argument that a pregnant woman shouldn’t be sleeping on the cold floor.

Will sat up in his bedroll, yawning as he took a moment to wake up. The wood had burnt up towards the end of the night, creating space for coldness.

Assured that he was awake enough, Will got up, dressed himself warmly and opened the door. The pile of snow hadn’t been that much and now that it was melting, it was easy.

Will checked up on the horses, gave them some water and a hand of grain.

“Don’t you think I deserve some more after riding to this place?” Tug neighed offendedly when he saw the small amount of food.

“I just want to leave as soon as possible,” Will replied. “Halt and Horace must be worried and I don’t want them to start with a search campaign. I don’t think Erak can have that going on while he should be busy with the renewal of the treaty.”

When he had prepared the horses, Cassandra was waiting in front of the cabin. She had woken up not long after Will had left. Assuming that he didn’t want to stay longer than needed, she had packed their bags and taken them outside.

“I already thought you’d be outside,” she said as she gave him his bags.

Will took them and placed them on his saddle, tying them to keep them in place.

“Didn’t want to waste time. If we go now, we hopefully arrive with lunch.”

Cassandra could hear in his voice that he tried his best to not show any emotion. While the cabin had provided them safety for the night, it clearly didn’t spare Will from any bad memories.

“What’s wrong?” Halt asked when Will stood in front of him later that night. Horace and Cassandra were sleeping in their shared bedroom, while the Rangers both had gotten their own, small room.

“Can I stay with you tonight?” Will avoided the question, answering it with a question himself.

Halt nodded, stepping aside to let the young man in. Closing the door behind him, Halt was doubting if he should ask again what the problem was.

Deep down, he actually had a hunch. Ever since Will and Cassandra had returned from their trip, his former apprentice had been silent. It worsened when the day turned into the afternoon and then the evening.

Will had withdrawn himself, staying in his room and not wanting to see anyone. So, that he came out now meant that something was wrong.

Halt watched as Will made his bed next to his, the bedroll close enough that Halt could place a hand on his head if he was scared.

“I’m sorry.” Will’s voice sounded small, like it had been during the nights where he had woken up in fright.

Halt shook his head, then sat down on his bed.

“It’s alright, son. Go get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a new day.”

Will laid down in his bedroll and saw that Halt did the same. He wasn’t sure if he had made the right decision to come to his room, but then he felt Halt’s hand on his head.

“Rest, child. I’m here.”

“Good news, it’s not a wolf that attacked your sheep,” the Ranger concluded after examining the cadaver of the killed sheep. “Otherwise there would have been more casualties.”

The farmer let out a sigh of relief. He had heard about the attack only that morning, since he had been away for a few days.

“Any idea what it could have been, Ranger Meratyn?” he asked.

Crowley thought for a few seconds, going over the bite marks on the sheep.

“It’s a larger animal, that’s for sure. I doubt it’s a feline. Their jaws are different and they tend to have smaller teeth. However, if it’s a big one, like a lynx, then it’s not that unlikely. Though they more often bring their preys with them, rather than leaving them behind.” Crowley frowned as he went through the options in his mind. He would need to do more research around the farm to narrow the possibilities down.

He got up from his crouched position, putting away his saxe knife.

“Until I have taken care of it, I’d suggest you keep your sheep inside a barn or shed, with a door that you can lock. If you happen to get new information, please inform me about it. And it might also be a good idea to warn other farmers around, might you see them.”

The farmer nodded that he understood. He reached out a hand, thanking the Ranger for his help, even if he couldn’t identify who had killed his sheep.

“I shall do so,” the farmer said.

Crowley nodded, then turned around to go back to the other side of the farm. Cropper was waiting there, together with a horse he had borrowed from the stables.

When they reached the front door, the farmer went inside while Crowley waited outside. He used to the time to look for some clues that could help him. After finding nothing more than a couple of pawprints, he went to Cropper and was already getting back into the saddle when the door opened.

“Here, for helping me with the chores,” a woman said, handing a silver crown to the girl that had followed her.

She looked in Crowley’s direction, asking silently if she could take it. Almost unnoticeable, Crowley gave a small nod. Excitedly, the girl took the money and went to the Ranger. He held out his hand, indicating she had to give it to him. After she had done, she got in the saddle as well.

“Let’s see if there are more clues over there.” Crowley put the money in his pocket and turned Cropper towards the forest, giving him a small tap with the back of his foot. Slowly, Cropper started walking, waiting for the girl’s horse to catch up with him.

When she was riding next to the Ranger’s horse, Crowley had Cropper go into a trot. It took a moment before the girl followed him, but she was soon riding next to him.

“Any more details that you got when helping?” Crowley inquired, looking at the girl.

“Not really, only that the woman was too afraid to go have a look outside when the sheep were attacked. She heard growling, but couldn’t say if it leaned more to a canine or feline.”

Crowley hummed softly. That wasn’t much he could work with then.

“She did find this in the morning,” the girl said, going through her pocket to retrieve what looked like a tooth. “Wanted to give it to you, but was then too occupied to do so.”

The girl reached out her hand, giving the object to the Ranger. Crowley took it, then had a look at it.

“That’s a tooth for sure, but rather that of a dog.” He handed it back to the girl. “It could have been from a neighbouring one.”

The girl took it back, then had a look as well. The tooth was white, sharp and still had a bit of the gum attached to it.

“There are no neighbouring dogs here. Besides, if there are any, they’re guard dogs. And they stay on the farm they live. It would be a wild dog then.”

Crowley was already shaking his head before she had finished her thought.

“There are no wild dogs in Araluen, Melany. You would have known that, had you paid attention to yesterday’s lesson.”

Melany’s cheeks turned a bit red and she wished she could disappear into the ground.

“It was just a suggestion,” she mumbled softly.

Crowley lifted an eyebrow.

“Instead of pouting,” he said, pointing to the ground. “I suggest you help me find some paw prints.”

Glad to have something to focus on, Melany helped the Ranger with finding some sort of track. They had been following some, but it had disappeared.

“There is a paw print!” Melany pointed to something in the mud. “And there is fur hanging on a branch.”

Crowley stopped Cropper next to it. He bent down to get the fur. It was black, so that she had seen it was impressive. He hadn’t noticed it at first, because the colours behind were also dark.

“Seems like we’re going in the right direction. Let’s continue and see what else we can find.”

Melany still couldn’t believe that the plan had worked, or rather that she had managed to survive. After Crowley had found the hiding place – which had been covered in old bones of killed cattle and other animals – he had ordered her to act as bait while he would wait for her at another spot. The plan was that she led the animal there, then he would shoot it down.

It turned out that there were more – a whole pack – and Melany had to go a different direction after the horse got startled and ran off. Part of the pack went after it, the other part after her.

She had found shelter in a tree, but was now stuck in there. Underneath, at least five dogs were barking, trying to get to her. Aside from the noise, they weren’t a direct threat to her. Not too long ago, she had heard the cry of her horse, probably when it was attacked. That was then followed by the cries of dogs. Melany didn’t know what had happened, but she hoped it wasn’t another large animal.

After almost an hour in the tree, Melany noticed that the barking had stopped. Looking down, she couldn’t see any of the dogs. She threw a branch down, trying to see if there would be one lurking around. When nothing happened, she carefully moved one branch. She kept doing so until she was almost on the ground.

“UP!”

The scream was accompanied with bushes moving and the growling of the dogs. Melany froze in her spot, her leg hanging down. Her eyes went to the animal that was closest to her. As she was lifting up her leg, the dog jumped and grabbed her leg, pulling it down with its weight. She wasn’t able to hold herself up and fell down onto the ground.

Her eyes widened in fear when the dog decided to go for her face, its mouth open and teeth bare. Melany wanted to scream, but there was no sound coming out of her mouth.

Suddenly, the dog fell down on her chest, an arrow sticking out of its side. She hadn’t even heard the arrow being loosed, the sound being blocked out.

When he had seen the five dogs emerging from the bushes, Crowley had screamed, both as a warning as well as a distraction. It only worked partly because three of the dogs went in his direction. Not seeing any other option, he had shot them down before going to the ones that were still trying to get to Melany.

Now that the threat was taken care of, Crowley hurried to the girl. He moved the dead dog off her chest, then held her in his arms.

“They’re gone,” he told her. The girl started shaking in his arms. “I’m here. You’re safe.”

Melany embraced him, burying her face in his tunic. Tears fell down and stained the fabric.

“Are you injured?” Crowley asked when she wasn’t shaking that much anymore.

He quickly examined her, then his eye stayed on her leg. He could see where she had been bitten, the woollen leg wrap now a dark red colour because of her blood.

“Let’s take care of that first.” Crowley opened a pouch on his belt and took at a gaze and a bandage. “I’ll have a better look at it later on, but then it’s at least wrapped.” He undid the leg wrap and moved up the fabric, revealing the injury.

In an attempt to distract herself from the upcoming pain, Melany looked at the dogs.

“I thought you said there aren’t wild dogs here?”

Crowley briefly stopped, following her gaze.

“They’re not wild dogs. They’re most likely feral ones.”

“You mean that someone dropped them here?” Melany asked, grunting when Crowley pressed too hard.

“Sorry, girl. No, feral dogs are born in the wild, but their parents were most likely strays; domesticated but ended up in the wild. I sure hope not dropped, but they could as well have walked away or got lost.”

After finishing his work, Crowley made a quick round to retrieve his arrows. When he couldn’t, he broke off the shaft, taking the feathers with him.

Melany tried to stand onto her injured leg, but couldn’t put any pressure on it.

“I got you,” Crowley said. He handed her his quiver and then carried her onto his back. The way to the horses took longer, but eventually they made it.

Crowley set the girl down, making sure that she was comfortable before taking care of the injured leg. He needed to place a few stitches, but thankfully the wounds weren’t deep.