WILL EYED HIS FORMER mentor as they rode down the trail. Horace was bound to arrive any time, and neither of them wanted to be late.
While Halt was normally quiet, he had to admit, there was a tension in the air that hadn't been there before. "Halt?" he asked experimentally. The Ranger raised an eyebrow in question, and he continued. "Are you alright?" Halt shrugged. Will waited, holding his tongue. After a moment, the older man sighed.
"It's been a while since I've thought about it," he said at last. "Ferris. I've visited Clonmel occasionally, but even that's been a while."
Will hesitated. "Are...are you sure you want to do this?"
"There's not much of a choice, is there? If Clonmel is overrun, then there's no stopping the Outsiders from coming to Araluen."
Will nodded. "I suppose that's true." He glanced over at his mentor once more. "Maybe Horace and I can deal with him? If you don't want to?"
Halt gave his former apprentice a faint smile. "Thank you for the offer, Will. But I think I'll be fine."
The younger Ranger raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. He sensed that there was something more, apart from the fact that he was a prince of Clonmel. Whatever it was, it seemed to be weighing down on Halt.
But he'd been around the grizzled Ranger long enough to know better than to push him. "Alright then," he said after a moment. Giving his former mentor a smile, he added, "But let me know if it gets too bad, alright?"
Halt smiled, touched by the Ranger's concern. "I will."
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Ranger's Apprentice: Tales Untold
FanfictionYou've heard of their adventures, of the wars, of their accomplishments. You know where they've traveled. But what about the parts you don't see? The parts of their lives that have been untold?
