Ranger's Apprentice: The Ranger's Paradise

Chapter 1

Will yawned, stretching as he shuffled to the door of his bedroom. Glancing behind him at the lumpy blanket and the form underneath, he smiled happily. Alyss lay, sleeping soundly. Though his wife was not a late sleeper, she certainly didn't rise as early as Will did.

But then, that was part of being a Ranger.

He shut the door softly behind him, not wanting to wake Alyss. She had been up late into the night studying papers that Pauline had given her, and Will wanted the beautiful blonde to rest for as long as she could. If he knew his wife at all, and he was confident that he did, she would be right back to studying those papers as soon as she was awake. Rest would do her mind good.

He made his way to the kitchen and fished out a coffee mug and a pot. A quick trip outside brought in enough water for Will to fill the pot and place it over the fire in the sitting room to warm. Once it was heated enough, he would throw several coffee beans inside to brew the delicious, dark liquid. As he waited, he began to prepare breakfast.

It was a longstanding joke between Will and Alyss that the true reason he rose so early in the morning was to cook breakfast for the two of them. In contrast to the typical roles in families throughout the kingdom, Will did most of the cooking. Though he never made too much of a fuss about it, Alyss was a poor cook. Will claimed that he loved cooking for the girl, which was true. Still, Alyss was no fool, and she knew the main reason he did most of the cooking was because he had no desire to eat her sorry excuse for food.

As his coffee finished and the breakfast began to reach its end, the cabin filled with a sweet mixture of several aromas. Perhaps that was why Alyss finally rose, barely beating the sun up. She pattered softly to the kitchen and took a seat at the table, yawning heavily. Will smiled at the sight. Alyss was always so reserved and professional. It was part of her job, after all, to be an eloquent representative of Redmont Fief. But since the two had married, and Alyss had moved into the cabin with Will, the Ranger had seen a whole new, unguarded side of the courier that had at first shocked him, but had quickly become a new part of his wife that Will loved.

"Good morning, beautiful," Will said. Alyss, still half-asleep, grunted. Will chuckled.

"It's almost as if I still live with Halt," he commented as he served his wife a breakfast of bacon strips, eggs, and toast. Alyss smiled sleepily.

"That's extremely rude," she said, grabbing Will's hand before he could turn back to fix his own plate. She brought his hand up to her mouth and kissed it softly. His skin tingled from the feeling of her lips. "Thank you," she said.

Will's smile widened.

"We've been married for nearly five months, and I make you breakfast every day," he said. "You don't have to thank me every time."

Alyss swallowed her food. That was one part of her life that she refused to become undignified in - she never spoke with food in her mouth.

"I do," she said softly. "Because I am always thankful that you cook for me."

Will propped his feet up on the side of the table and leaned back to take a bite of his toast.

"I like cooking for you," he said. Then he quickly sat up straight as he noticed Alyss frowning at his feet.

"And sometimes," she said politely, "it feels as if I am the one living with Halt."

Will rolled his eyes, but couldn't keep a smile from his face.

They finished their breakfast, and Will his coffee, in comfortable silence. Then Alyss stood and piled the dishes, preparing to take them out for a wash.

"I can do that," Will objected, but Alyss smiled over her shoulder at him.

"You cook, I clean,"  she said. "It's only fair. Besides, it's giving me a reason to put off looking over those papers for a few minutes."

Will smiled and nodded at this. It did seem fair, he thought. Besides, he understood wanting an occasional excuse to ignore his paperwork.

Once the dishes had been cleaned, and Will had changed into his clothes for the day, he stopped at the door to glance at Alyss, now seated at the table and reading through her papers once again.

"I'm off to patrol," he told her. This was part of his job as a Ranger. In times of peace, it was still his responsibility to patrol the fief and monitor crime in the area. Alyss glanced up, smiling.

"Be safe," she said. He hesitated as she returned to her papers, her smile melting into a focused frown. Will thought for a moment, and couldn't help the mischievous grin spreading across his face.

In a last minute decision, he raced to her chair, leaning it back on its back two legs. Alyss cried out in shock, and Will cut the sound off with a firm kiss on her lips. When he pulled back, a grin on his face, Alyss laughed gleefully. Will's heart skipped at the giggle that came from his wife's mouth.

"Will Treaty!" she cried in light-hearted protest. "You could've caused me to fall!"

"But I didn't!" Will called as he danced out of the cabin. "I love you!"

With that, the door closed. Alyss waited, grinning and touching her tingling lips, until she heard Tug's hooves trotting away. She chuckled softly, shaking her head.

"I love you too, Ranger Will," she murmured.