Ranger's Apprentices (Will X Reader) Book 1 (Discontinued for now)

Chapter 5

I was surprised that everyone in the castle didn't wake up at that very moment. "AHHHHHHHH!" Will yelled, jolting up out of my bed. I was trying so hard to contain my laughter but I couldn't. "I gave you 2 chances Will," I exclaimed through laughs.

Will just glared at me and took off his shirt to grab a dry one off the floor. "Oh come on," I told him, rolling my eyes as he put on a green shirt. "I mean, couldn't you have just like, I don't know, hit me on the head with a pillow or something?" he asked, grabbing the sheets off the bed and ringing them out. "You wouldn't have woken up if I hit your head with a rock," I rolled my eyes.

"I wasn't that asleep!" Will defended. "Oh you so were, now get dressed, we don't want to be late for our first day of apprenticeship, especially with Halt," I said. All trace of tiredness was gone now and Will looked at me nervously. "You really think we can do this?" he asked timidly. I sighed, wanting to be honest. "I really don't know, but we'll do it together, like we always have," I smiled, putting my hand on his shoulder.

He sighed and gave me a tiny smile in return. I squeezed his shoulder and he went into his room to get changed and packed. I looked around the room and memorized every detail.

The window that was on the wall above my bed that always let enough light that I didn't need a torch, the incredibly soft bed that had gone through all my nightmares with me, the cracked walls and corner of peeling wallpaper that Will and I had wrote our names under one night. I squatted down and fingered the little letters. I was well and truly leaving, but it wasn't as sad as before, because I was taking the one thing that really made it feel like home.

After Will and I got packed, we said goodbye to Jenny and Alyss. Jenny hugged me and Alyss just said goodbye, not much more than I expected since we weren't the best of friends really. Will however, got hugs from both the girls, a tighter one from Alyss than Jenny. I rolled my eyes once again and allowed them a moment more before clearing my throat. They broke apart quickly, blushing. "Lets go, is Horace still sleeping?" I asked. "Yeah, he'll be up soon though," Jenny said.

"Good, I didn't want to say goodbye to him anyways," I said icily. "Bye girls!" I called stepping out the door with Will. "Bye (Y/n)! Bye Will," they both said. After a while of walking in silence, the ward came out of view and all that was in front of us was the forest where Halt lived. I could tell Will was lost in his thoughts so I stayed quiet, not wanting to disrupt them.

I spent the time thinking about if I would be good enough to be a ranger. I mean I'm the first ever girl and I want to live up to the expectations. Soon enough, the cabin came into view and Will and I looked at each other, nodding and walking down the path. The sun was just rising as we stepped onto the verandah. Will seemed hesitant so I knocked.

"Come in," a voice said from inside. Will pushed the door open and we stepped inside. It was small but surprisingly neat and comfortable looking. We found ourselves in a main room living and dining area, separated from a small kitchen by a furnished pine bench.

There was a circle of chairs around the fire and even a vase of wildflowers on the table. The sun streamed in comfortably through a window and there were two other rooms connected to the main. Halt was sitting in one of the chairs, his booted feet resting on the table. "At least your on time," he said gruffly. "Have you had your breakfast yet?"

"Yes sir," Will and answered. We thought it would be best to have breakfast before we left. "Finished staring?" the ranger asked suddenly. It was directed at Will, who jumped. "Yes sir, sorry sir," he said. Halt grunted and pointed to the larger of the two rooms. "That will be your room both of you. You can put your things in there."

He moved over to the woodstove in the kitchen area and Will hesitantly walked into the room, me following curiously behind. It was relatively small but furnished and comfortable, with two beds on either side of the room and chest at the foot. There was a shared nightstand pushed up against the back wall. I smiled at the comfy room, it was obvious that the bed on the right had been moved in last minute so I would have to straighten it out.

I pushed it into position and went back into the main room with Will. Halt was busy with the stove and his back was to us. Will cleared his throat and Halt ignored him. He did it louder this time. "Got a cold boy?" Halt asked, not even turning around. "Er... no sir," Will said, embarrassed.

"Then why are you coughing?" he asked, turning around swiftly. "Well sir," he began uncertainly. "I was just wondering, what does a ranger actually do?" "He doesn't ask pointless questions boy." Halt said. "He keeps his eyes and ears open and hopefully he learns. "Oh, I see," Will said uncertainly. I smiled slightly, this was going to be interesting.

"We were just wondering what a Ranger's do, is all," I said rebelliously. Halt looked at me with a weird gleam in his eye. "Well then I suppose I'd better tell you. What Rangers do, or rather Ranger Apprentices do, is the housework," he said with a grim smile.

I had a sinking feeling that Will and I had made an error somehow. "The... housework," I repeated. Halt nodded, looking pleased about something. "That's right. Take a look around." He paused, gesturing around the cabin for Will and I to do as he says, then he continued, "See any servants?"

"No sir," Will said slowly. "No sir indeed, because this isn't a mighty castle, there is work to be done, and who do you suppose is to do that?" Halt asked rhetorically. I knew what he wanted us to say, and Will was on the verge of saying it, but I couldn't resist being Will for once. "Well before we came I suppose you managed fine," I smirked.

Halt turned and glared at me, about to say something when Will jumped in. "That would be us sir," he said resignedly. I sighed at this and nodded. "That it would be," he said, and then began listing things off crisply. "Bucket there. Barrel outside the door. Water in the river. Axe in the lean to, firewood behind the cabin. Broom by the door. And you can probably see where the floor might be?"

"Yes, sir," Will said, beginning to roll up his sleeves. I didn't need to roll up my sleeves because I had cut off the long part before coming, feeling it might be more suitable. Wordlessly, Will and I both agreed that I would take the first half of the tasks, him the second. I walked out the door, Will following behind. Empty bucket in one hand, I heard the Ranger say contentedly as he sipped his coffee:

"I'd forgotten how much fun having an apprentice could be."

This one is shorter but I really wanted to end the chapter there.