The Rogue Tribe - Ranger's Apprentice

Chapter 5: Ambush

That evening, the Rangers set a few small fires glowing for light in preparation for their meal. Will and Berrigan both cooked along with another older senior Ranger named Jonathan. Earlier in the day, Ranger Jonathan had set several small pigs roasting slowly over hot fires, and now the fat was just starting to drip onto the hot coals. Will had gathered some apples from his pack, cut them up, and put the pieces into a pot full of boiling water. A few minutes later, the pieces had browned and softened, and Will smashed up the pieces until a smooth sauce was created. He put in a few spoonfuls of sugar for sweetness and some cinnamon and nutmeg, and poured the applesauce into large pitchers. He also swept some wilted greens off the flat stone he had been cooking them on into another platter to be eaten with the pork and applesauce. Berrigan was stripping the pigs off the spits and carving the fragrant and juicy meat, setting the slices on large platters to be served. He had also previously set some large rounds of dough into the coals of the fires, and now he pulled them out, revealing warm, golden, freshly-baked bread. He sliced them up as well and put them into large baskets. Jonathan laid out several long tables and arranged the benches around the small fires they had lit earlier for light. By now it had grown completely dark, and a steady stream of hungry Rangers flowed in by the dozen, drawn by the light, warmth, and aroma of food.

Will, Berrigan, and Jonathan waited until all the seats at the benches had been filled. Then they brought out the flasks of wine and water, setting them on the tables. The Rangers cheered heartily, produced their own mugs, and filled them, quickly emptying each jug. Then Crowley stood, raising his hands for quiet. "Welcome, everyone, to another Gathering!" A large cheer rose from the crowd of green and grey, now only an indistinctive blur in the darkness under the trees. Crowley let them cheer for a moment and then called for silence again. "Yes, yes, another year has gone by, I suppose, and for most of you young ones, that's exciting. But for others it means you've lost a few more hairs, maybe gained a bit of belly - "

"Are you sure you're not just describing yourself?" called Halt from one end of the tables.

All the Rangers laughed, as did Crowley, who said, "Quite sure, Halt, quite sure. Sure about myself, that is. I'm not so certain about you though..."

A low rumbling and a few scattered laughs and giggles swelled for a moment, and then silence fell again. Crowley continued, "Just a few housekeeping type things before we get to what we really want: the food." He pulled out a folded paper from his pocket. "Jonathan, my old friend, come on out of the bushes. I know you're back there with Will and Berrigan, but you can't bring out the food just yet." The older Ranger smiled and stepped out and made his way through the tables to the front. Crowley grinned at him and said, "I would like to present to you the gold oak leaf as a symbol of your new status as a retired Ranger. May you regain some of your hair now that you're finally off duty."

Jonathan laughed and walked up to Crowley, grinning. "And may you lose that 'bit of a belly' you gained from my cooking!" The whole assembly laughed and cheered as he exchanged his silver for a gold. Then as he stepped back over towards Will, he muttered to him, "That's the last meal I'll be cooking for this ragged lot. I'm going to go sit down with my friends, and you can serve the meal with Berrigan." And with that succinct and final statement, he turned and walked towards a long bench nearby. He seemed to realize how frankly he had spoken and turned back briefly, saying, "It was nice working with you, Will, and you, Berrigan." Then he turned and sat next to a boisterous and smiling group of older Rangers.

Will glanced at Berrigan. "Well, so much for the three of us."

Berrigan rolled his eyes at Will. "I think we'll do fine on our own. And if we have any sort of trouble, we can always ask Halt."

Will nodded. "True, he's a surprisingly good cook. Although, I think you're right in the fact that we'll be fine. Besides, all we have left to do is serve the meal." But as Will's gaze flicked off into the forest, he froze for a moment. A familiar feeling bubbled up in his stomach. Someone is watching us. Will squinted off into the darkness, trying to sense any movement from the brush. But there was nothing. Only the cool breeze and pale light of the moon. There's nothing there, snap out of it. Maybe you tasted the raw food and are getting sick or something.