Riding Home (Ranger's Apprentice Fanfiction)

Prologue

I thought I was done with apprentice work once I graduated, Will thought to himself as he lugged a large bucket of water to the cozy cabin nestled in the woods of Redmont Fief. And yet...

A familiar nicker drew Will from his thoughts, and he looked up to see a familiar brown horse beside Tug at the lean-to - Abelard.

"So that means Halt's here," Will mused to himself after offering a gentle pat to Abelard's nose.

He set the bucket down on the porch with a soft grunt and pulled open the cabin door. Sure enough, the greyed Ranger was sitting at the table with a mug of coffee in his hand.

"Nice of you to drop by," Will muttered, strolling over to the coffee pot. "You know, sometimes a little notice would be nice." He poured a mug of his own and pulled a chair out from the table before collapsing in it with an exhausted sigh. He wrapped his fingers around the drink and took a sip, sighing appreciatively afterward.

Halt didn't respond for a long moment. He sat hunched over, mulling over a piece of parchment with a few words scrawled across it - and as Will leaned forward to eye it more closely, he noticed that the royal seal was stamped on the sheet as well.

"What's that?" Will questioned, indicating the parchment.

"Always so many questions," Halt muttered in reply, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone. He slid the piece across the table towards the younger Ranger and leaned back, taking a long drink of his coffee before he set the mug down on the table. "It's a summons," he finally answered.

Will arched an eyebrow as he scanned the parchment, running a finger around the seal at the bottom. "A royal one, clearly. What for?"

"It doesn't give any specifics," Halt said. "But I have my suspicions." He didn't wait for an answer from Will before continuing. "I think this is about the Scotti. They're-"

"The Scotti?" Will cut in. "They shouldn't be a problem, not anymore." He wilted slightly as Halt shot him a withering look, and fell silent.

"They've had a few years to regroup after what happened at Macindaw," he continued. "And the Norgate army has relaxed too much. They don't see them as a threat anymore - and that was a major mistake on their part. Not only is the castle at risk, but so is the entire fief. And you know the Scotti; they like to conquer. So once they're done with Norgate, they'll move to Caraway. And from there..." He trailed off, looking forward expectantly.

Will rubbed his chin in thought. "Eventually they'll make it to Araluen Fief." He shook his head. "They can't take on all of Araluen alone. They couldn't even take Macindaw. Like I said, they shouldn't be a problem."

"But they are a problem. I don't know the full details, but I'm betting there'll be more than three clans this time. They've learned, Will. And they're going to try to take over with all the force that they've got."

Will sighed, taking another sip from his coffee. "Alright, if you're so sure that's what this summons is about. And I'm guessing that's why you're here, too. I'm coming with you, aren't I?"

Halt nodded. "We ride for Castle Araluen at first light tomorrow," he said as he stood from his chair with his empty coffee mug in hand. "So let's enjoy the afternoon while it lasts - we may not be back in Redmont for quite a while."