Ranger's Apprentice - The Afterwards

Ch. 7

   Maddie woke early the next morning. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, yawning. Her curtains showed that it was light out; a brilliant orange-yellow, like the sun had just rose. She looked around for her crutches.
   Might as well look to see if my knee has gotten any better, she thought. She reached over and rolled her pants leg up.
   And gasped.
   "Dad!" She screamed. "Mom! Will!" It only took a few seconds for three pairs of footsteps to come rushing through her doorway.
   "Maddie!" Her parents chorused. Maddie noticed that all three if them looked worried and frantic all at once.
   "What's wrong?" Cassandra said. They crowded her bedside.
   "My knee!" She exclaimed. All three looked at her knee. And gawked.
   "Maddie..." Horace said. "It..it looks so much better!"
   Where her left knee had been purple and swollen, it was now almost the size of her right knee. All that was left was a large bruise.
   "Can you walk on it, though?" Will asked, voicing her own wonders exactly.
   Maddie rose slowly. Her parents and Will lingered by, in case she needed help. Maddie put her left foot down gingerly. Nothing happened. Anxious, she immediately tried to take a step.
   And yelped, letting her knees buckle.
   Horace and Cassandra surged forward, but it was her father who caught her. She leaned back in defeat.
   "Well, looking better is still on the road to recovery." Will said. Cassandra and Horace muttered agreement.
    Maddie stood back up and found her crutches. She picked them up and hobbled out of the room, her family following.
   She fell on the couch in disappointment. Will and Cassandra came in to sit by her, while Horace took the chair. Almost as soon as Horace sat down, a knock came on the door.
   "My luck," he groaned, getting up and opening the door.
   "Morning, Sir!" A cheery voice said.
   "Jason," Horace said in greeting. "Yes, a good morning to you too. I assume you're here to take Maddie on her daily adventures?" He asked. Maddie glared daggers at his back.
   "Yes Sir." Jason replied.
   "Alright, have at it." Horace said. Maddie jumped from the couch, grabbing her crutches, and hobbled to the door. She turned back once, to wave to her family, before leave. Jason followed.
   "Remember!" Horace called. "Have her home by 9:00!"
   Both Jason and Maddie laughed. They made their way down the stairs, Jason in front so he could catch Maddie if she fell. At the bottom, Jason turned to face her with a smile.
   "So, what's on the Princess's wish list today?" He asked, giving a mock bow. Maddie laughed.
   "I think I'd like to go to the meadow. It's very lively this time of year. We can take the horses." Maddie tried to cortsey around the crutches, but failed. They both laughed and headed to the stables.
    Once there, Maddie immediately check on Bumper.
   "Morning, old friend!" Maddie exclaimed. Bumper gave her a look.
   Old friend? Since when am I the old one? You're the one who can't walk by herself!
   Maddie frowned. "You know, you have more sarcasm in you than Halt." She said. Maddie could have sworn she saw Bumper smirk.
   "Uh, Maddie?" Jason asked from behind her. "I hope you're not expecting me to ride that battle horse again?" Maddie laughed.
   "Are you kidding? At the rate you were going on that horse, you'd be needing my crutches before we even got to the meadow!"
   Jason made a pouty face. Maddie laughed and punched his arm in a joking manor.
   She saddled Bumper and led him out of his stall before dropping the reins to look for Jason a new mount.
   "Aren't you afraid Bumper will run off?" He called as Maddie searched each stall she could find.
   "No," she replied. "He's a Ranger's horse. He's trained not to." She stopped at a stall with a smaller pony. It was about Bumper's height. Maddie new this horse could never beat Bumper's stamina, but they wouldn't be racing today.
   She saddled the pony and led it to Jason.
   "Her name is Carmen," Maddie said before handing him the reins. Jason nodded.
   Maddie looked at him expectantly. After a few moments, he laughed.
   "I'm sorry, Mads." He said. He came and helped Maddie onto Bumper.
   But her mind was elsewhere.
   'Mads'? He called me Mads... Her Ranger training told her that it wasn't a vital piece of information. Maybe he just didn't want to say her whole name.
   But there was another part of her, part she hadn't felt before, that said otherwise. Maybe it was his way of establishing a friendship? Her own nickname, just from Jason...
   "There ya go!" Jason said as he laid Maddie's crutches across her lap.
   "Thanks," Maddie said, grinning. She watched as Jason put his left foot in the right stirrup.
   "Other way," she said between fake coughs. Jason looked up at her, an indignant look on his face.
   "You're laughing at me!" He said.
   Maddie snorted and shook her head vigorously.
   "Am not!" She said.
   "Are too!" Jason replied. But she corrected his footing and mounted Carmen.
   They rode together to the meadow.