Ranger's Apprentice One Shots

Childhood Squabbles

The castle's gardens were meant as a place for serenity and peace. Quiet too. But, of course, right then it was anything but.

The two boys ran around the bushes, throwing playful insults at each other.

One of the boys, the older of the two, was dressed in royal clothing. Royal, but simple. The boy never liked anything too fancy. He was wearing a plain jerkin and some black pants. A crown was sitting on his head, dangerously close to slipping off.

"Come on, Ferris!" The boy shouted, laughing loudly, "too slow to catch me?"

The other boy, Ferris, smiled and ran around the bush so fast, he didn't expect it.

"Ha!" Ferris gleefully shouted, "bet you don't think I'm so slow now!"

The other boy smiled and rolled over, pinning Ferris under his legs. "Yeah, but I'm faster."

"Wh- but, Halt, how did you do-"

Halt, the boy pinning Ferris down, grinned. "You might be fast, but I'm quicker and know how to defend myself."

Ferris huffed.

******

The two boys, now slightly older, we're both seated at a high, fancy table. The table stretched down from one side of the room to the other. Halt thought it was ridiculous. Why should they have such a long table? There were only a few of them.

"Halt, I asked you something," his mother said, raising an eyebrow.

Halt looked up, realizing his father, mother, and Ferris were all looking at him expectantly. "I'm sorry, Mother. What did you say?"

She sighed. "I asked you if you were ready for some news."

Halt instantly became more alert. "Yes?"

His mother shared a look with his father, the King. "Well, sons, I'm pregnant."

Halt heard Ferris's fork clatter onto the plate. Halt's own mouth dropped open. "Is it a boy or..."

His mother smiled. "We won't know until the birth, honey. It'll be a surprise!"

Halt wasn't sure what to think.

*Six months later*

The baby was born. It was a hard birth, but his mother survived. And in her arms laid a beautiful, peaceful baby girl.

Ferris went over to touch her. He rubbed his hand gently over the baby's head. She was so delicate, he thought.

Halt was nervous to approach. He didn't know how to be around children. Or at least babies.

"Come here, Halt. Meet your new baby sister."

Hesitantly, he approached. She looked like a potato, a little. "What's her name?"

Mother smiled. "Caitlyn."

******

Halt couldn't sleep. He and Ferris had gotten into another fight that day, but this one really stung. The way Ferris yelled at him...it was just...

Secretly, he'd always feared their relationship. It was rocky. Ferris always seemed on the edge of pushing Halt out of his life. But...he wouldn't, right? Halt and Ferris were brothers, no matter how much they got into fights.

Right?