{Ranger's Apprentice} "A Mission to Skandia"

Chapter 3: En Route to Castle Araluen

It was a pleasant experience, Alyss thought, being on a real trip with her old mentor and the two rangers.

After the first few miles of talk, they settled down to a quiet routine, with Halt at the front, leading them; Pauline and Will on either side of her. It was probably, she reflected, the safest place or position she has ever been in for a long time.

But then, unsurprisingly, it didn't last for long.

"Alyss," Will said suddenly, his voice almost a lazy calm. He turned in his saddle slightly to look in her direction, but Alyss noticed that he wasn't actually looking at her exactly. His eyes, under the deep cowl of his cloak, scanned from side to side, above her head, at the trees behind her. "Are you tired? Do we need to find a place to rest soon?" His voice still betrayed none of his suspicions.

"I don't know," Alyss replied, playing along with him, she turned to face him so as to look as if they were really having a conversation. "We could do with a rest if you would like?"

"Keep your eyes peeled for a possible camp site then." Will said, letting a false grin flash across his features. Alyss immediately interpreted this as simply keeping her eyes open for any possible danger. Beside her, she sensed Pauline shifting in her saddle.

"Will," Halt said from in front of them, "Come up here and keep the company of an old man, will you?"

With a grin, Will gave Tug a small dig on one side and quickly caught up with his old mentor. "Old man, now, is it? Why, do you feel threatened by age?"

Rangers are no less impressive with their choice of words than diplomats, Alyss realized. It seemed as if every word the two men now spoke were coded and had more meaning that met the eye. Or the ear.

When Will had already caught up with Halt, Halt leaned sideways on his saddle and whispered something in Will's ear. "Ah." Will said softly. Then, faster than the eye could follow, Will whipped out his bow and notched an arrow to its string. The two rangers must have their moves already planned out, for when Alyss turned her gaze to Halt, she realized that he had done the same thing, and Will had pushed further beyond the older Ranger and now the two of them were in the middle of the road, their arrows fixed together at one spot.

"We know exactly where you are," Halt said, keeping his voice dangerously and ominously low, "I would advise you to come out and surrender, before we put an arrow through your heart, and another arrow through your companion's."

"Or perhaps not." Will said, turning his head slightly towards Halt, as if this was an aside not meant for the ears to the intruders, without changing the direction of his gaze. "We may need them for interrogation. It would be a better idea to shoot their legs instead."

"You know," Pauline said, with her usual quiet grace, "We could just bring them directly to the king, since we're going in that direction anyway."

"These are not Araluan. I doubt the king will have much power over them." Halt said. The two women exchanged a quick look at his words.

However, despite the threat of the two Rangers' arrows, the forest gave no response and no sign, that the couriers could see, even of any men out there at all.

Halt sighed. "No time left, Will." With that, the two men let loose their arrows at the same second. There was a quick gasping sound from the forest, and then silence.

Will turned to Halt with a small degree of surprise. "You shot that one down."

Halt shook his head slowly. "They are of the Temujai. It is no coincidence that they are here. I did not want any to return and bring news to their Shan. But it is fine that you spared the other. For maybe, this could unravel some of the mysteries of the treaty in Skandia being destabilized. We can take him along, take him to Castle Araluen."

>>>———>

"Halt! And Will! Been a long time, hasn't it? Alyss and Lady Pauline, as pretty and graceful as ever!" Horace basically sprang forward when he saw the four of them. He was standing close to the gates, talking with some other knights.

"Horace!" Leaping off from Tug, Will threw out his arms in an embrace with his old friend. "How are you doing lately? What are you doing out here anyway? And how's Evanlyn, and little Maddie?"

He waved a hand vaguely. "Knight business, don't think you King's Rangers would care much about it. Cassie's doing good. And Madelyn, I've been told, learned how to walk, a few days ago."

"You've been told?" Alyss asked. "One would expect that a father knows about his own daughter?"

Horace turned a sheepish smile in her direction. "I've been a bit too busy lately. I just returned from my yearly check of the fief's battle schools. Haven't had the time to catch up with my family, I guess. You are here for the mission that Will told me about? Are you going to collect one of my personal students?"

"We've been told that you want them to learn some things from the rough-and-tumble Rangers." Halt said with a perfectly straight face.

Horace shook his head. "You just have no idea. Knights who've spent there entire life in the battle school tend to get a bit sticky with the rules. I'm not even used to it anymore. And it's all because I myself have spent too many years out there, traipsing all over the world with you two."

Will grinned and slapped his back. "Good thing you have some friends who can take you out and have the time of your life, huh? And now I think we ought to go visit the king first. So see you later Horace!"

"How long are you staying in Araluen?"

"No more than a week at most. It depends on the duty ship, really, we need to get a ride to Skandia, after all."

Horace grinned mischievously. "I'm sure Halt will enjoy that."

Halt rolled his eyes. "I'm sure I will, thank you very much."