Ranger's Apprentice: The Tantalizing Tales

Do Not Disturb.

When Will woke up that morning, he felt surprisingly calm. This was the first day in a few weeks that he had slept past sunrise. The last couple of weeks had been busy, with tours all around Redmont and very little rest. It felt good, waking up and knowing that there was only a very small chance that he would be needed somewhere today. He turned his head to the left. There was Alyss, still asleep, breathing evenly. He had barely seen his wife lately; if he hadn't been out, Alyss had been. He readjusted the pillow under his head and pulled the covers up.

"Morning," Alyss' sleepy voice broke the silence. Will smiled and softly pressed a kiss against her forehead.

"Morning, 'Lyss." She smiled at him and pulled him towards her so that their bodies touched. His body felt warm against her cold skin, and she realised, not for the first time, how much she had missed having him around. She curled up against him and his strong arms embraced her.

"No one will disturb us today," Will promised. As if it had been planned, immediately after he had said that, someone knocked on the door. Will sighed and pulled the sheets over his head.

"I don't want to open."

Alyss smiled and stroked his hair. "You've got to, babe."

Will grunted and turned around in his bed. The knocking became harder.

"Will-"

He pulled a pillow over his head. "I think I heard Tug neigh a greeting two seconds before the knocking so it's probably Halt."

"Shouldn't you open, then? He might have a new mission."
"All the more reason not to open."

The knocking turned into banging.

Will sighed. "I'll open."

He did precisely that and was not surprised to see Halt standing on the veranda.

"Halt, what-" Halt cut him off and asked sharply: "Are those your pajamas?"

"That's usually what one wears in bed, yes."

"Why were you still in bed?"

"It's barely past sunrise! We can sleep past sunrise once, can't we? It's been some busy weeks!"
"Yes, so that means that there's probably more to come."
"Or it means that we can finally have a day off - what are you doing?" This time Will cut himself off when Halt, yet uninvited, entered and walked towards the cupboard in the kitchen.
"We're out of coffee." Will couldn't believe his ears. "So you decided to come down here to drink ours?"
"Yes."
"Motherf-"

"Good morning, Halt." Will could hear the amusement in his wife's voice as she entered the main room. He glanced at her and she smiled in return.

"Morning, Alyss. Hope I didn't wake you by making Will yell at his old mentor." She smiled at him and laid her hands on Will's shoulders and massaged his neck.

"You didn't. After all, we were already awake."

Halt grinned his famous wolfish grin and looked at Will as he put the coffee pot on the fire. "See, Will, nothing to complain about."

Will muttered something that Halt couldn't understand, but he saw Alyss shake her head and could guess what his former apprentice had said. He decided not to comment on the matter and instead poured himself a mug of good warm coffee with honey. Will rubbed his hands over his face and stood there, defeated, disturbed. Alyss kept massaging his neck.

A few minutes later, Halt put his mug into the sink and put a few steps towards the door.

Will lowered his hands and looked at him in disbelief. "Are you leaving?"

Halt nodded. "Yes. I finished my coffee."

There was a moment of silence, followed by a "I can't do this anymore," and then Will walking straight back into the bedroom.

Alyss looked at Halt. "You do understand that I am the one who has to deal with a disturbed Ranger for the rest of the day?" But her tone was amused, and Halt shrugged.

"My apologies, but he's a Ranger, and all Rangers should learn to deal with disturbance every now and then."

"But I don't want to be disturbed if there's no reason to!!" Will yelled from the bedroom. It sounded smothered and both knew that Will was probably laying under the sheets, refusing to be further disturbed by his former mentor.

Halt looked at Alyss and she nodded her consent.

"Coffee is always a reason!" The grim Ranger yelled back. Then, he bid Alyss good-bye.

"Say hi to Pauline for me, and tell her I'll pass by later today," Alyss said and he smiled one of his rare smiles at her.

"Good day, Alyss."