For the trick or treat fest: a Gathering that's held in autumn (for whatever reason) and make it a trick please. I leave it up to you to decide in which period (TEY, RA, TRR) it is :)
I swear to glod I had no idea how long this was until I looked at it today.
So. Uh. Enjoy the preview below, and read it on ao3! Open for everyone to read for the first week before it becomes restricted to registered accounts only :D
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'I just don't get why they moved the Gathering,' Crowley said, for probably the dozenth time.
'Nicholl has been facing heavy pressure lately,' Pritchard said, with the same patience he had shown every time Crowley had brought the matter up so far. 'I'm sure he had his reasons.'
Crowley sighed. He believed, with the firm conviction that could only come with being twenty years old, that having the Gathering in spring had been one of the best things about it. It was a nice pick-me-up after a long, dull winter. Autumn was lovely, of course, but didn't have the same appeal.
The thought that had been lurking in the back of his mind for weeks now made itself heard once more, and he finally gave voice to it. 'Pritchard? This won't affect my graduation, will it? I mean, I'll have six months less practice than usual...'
Pritchard smiled warmly at him. 'You don't need those extra months, lad. You've been ready for a long time. You'll graduate, I know it.'
'Are you sure?'
'I am. You're a skilled Ranger, Crowley, and you know what you're doing.'
After a moment's hesitation, Crowley said, 'Only I don't feel—'
'Part of being a skilled Ranger,' Pritchard cut in, 'is always acting like you know what you're doing.'
Crowley clamped his mouth shut and sat straight up in the saddle. Pritchard's good-natured laugh made him blush.
