Ranger's Apprentice One Shots

Bound. Part One.

The day had started out bad enough when Jenny dropped the cake. She didn't need a headache, embarrassment, and now near torture to add to it.

It wasn't like Jenny even wanted to go on the mission with Gilan! He nudged her until she thought her ears would fall off. And he promised he would be safe. Just a simple sneak into the thieves' hideout, grab the evidence, and leave. Nothing too dangerous.

Gorlog's beard, he was wrong, Jenny thought angrily.

At first, she was confused why Gilan even needed her in the first place. It was a decent question, not to mention complaint, but Gilan's answer was also infuriatingly decent and accurate.

"It's part of the plan, and also for backup. I've been following these guys for weeks, Jen,'' Gilan had told her, "you look nearly identical to one of their girlfriends. You'll be the one going in, I'm really there, shall we say, behind the scenes? I'll be keeping guard and giving you instructions."

That didn't work out too well, did it Gilan, she thought.

It had started out well enough, though. The hideout was an abandoned shack, a little on the outskirts of a village. Out there, the streets were nearly covered in dirt and garbage rolled all over the place. There were residents, though, many grouped together, huddling and staying together, altogether looking fearful. Jenny gulped. Gilan walked beside her, neither looking intimidating nor scared.

When they reached the shack, Gilan had pulled her to the side, giving her the instructions.

"Once you get in there, the evidence we need won't be in an obvious hiding spot. You're going to need to think a little. These thieves aren't stupid." he saw her take a breath and forestalled her question. "I'm guessing there's a loose floorboard or even a secret compartment. Once you find it, come straight back out. Try to not move anything out of place. Now, if they do come back, which they might, just act normal. The girlfriend is tough, but not too much. If they ask you any questions, don't be too vague. That could and will cause suspicion." he saw her shaking slightly and said, "Jenny, you got this. I believe in you. I'll be right outside, keeping guard and watching you from the window."

She nodded, mostly in a self-reassurance way, and moved on inside. The first thing that hit was the smell. Ash, smoke, liquor, and garbage. Maybe some old barn smell, too. After wiping her suddenly teary eyes, she got her first look of the room.

It wasn't large, maybe just twenty meters in length. There was barely any furniture. Only a few small hay mattresses and what was left of a broken desk. Several materials hung down from the roof, swaying in the wind, almost hauntingly. The walls were covered in graffiti. But whether it was made from them, Jenny didn't know.

Realizing that every second she stood there was one less second to look, she started opening the draws in the desk. Gilan described the "evidence" as a document, something that was signed by all of the thieves.

Nothing was in the drawers.

Frantically looking around, she decided to check under the mattresses.

Nothing.

Nearly losing despair, she circled the room, checking for hidden compartments in the walls. Her right hand stayed on the wall, feeling up and down.

But then, her foot hit something hollow.

At first, she didn't even notice. It wasn't until a few seconds after that she realized something didn't sound right. She retraced her steps, and found a loose floorboard!

Eagerly, she peeled open the wood, opening a small compartment. Jenny suddenly flashbacked to whe Gilan showed her his in his cabin, telling her that all Rangers had them.