Ranger's Apprentice - Race For Halt

Ch. 10

"What exactly are we doing?" Maddie asked as they left the castle and turned towards the market.
"Questioning the villagers," Will replied. "Seeing if we can find anyone who Malcolm may have trusted."
Maddie nodded, though she wasn't sure how she could be much help here. She never knew Malcolm, and there wasn't much she could do to be of assistance to Will on this part of the mission.
But she trusted Will with her life. And she wasn't about to doubt his abilities now.
They spent hours in the market, just talking to the people around them. They'd both stashed their cloaks in their saddlebags, along with their bows and quivers. But their knives remained strapped to their wastes, and Maddie kept her oakleaf tucked under her shirt.
Nobody even gave them a second glance. After years of practice, both Maddie and Will had become exceptionally well at extracting information from people without them realizing it.
But at the end of the day, none of their newfound gossip helped.
"This is hopeless," Maddie complained, letting one of her phrases from years ago slip back.
Will caught her arm.
"It's never hopeless," He reminder her. She stared at him for several seconds before nodding, determined once again.
"Okay, so let's recap." She suggested. "So far, we've learned that Malcolm apparently did a very good job of disgusting himself. And nobody has seen a man coming from or going into Grimsdell Woods, so he must have known a good way in and out."
Will nodded distractedly.
"Yes," He agreed. "But that's only to be expected. Malcolm was-" Will choked.
Maddie glanced at her friend, aghast. Will must have know Malcolm more than Maddie had expected. His death seemed to affect Will deeply. But it didn't last long. The strong-willed ex-Ranger continued.
"He was a very good trickster. He had paths and pipes and tunnels that only he could possibly know of. And he was not an idiot, he would know exactly how to conceal his identity. He was...a good man."
Maddie watched Will silently, not sure of what to say. She mistook his silence for mourning. In reality, Will was thinking.
"I may have just found another plan," He said, eyes gleaming.
"Well please, do share." Maddie said gesturing with her hands.
"Malcolm was renowned for his healing abilities. He was a good man, in hiding because he hadn't been able to heal on boy."
Maddie stared at Will. "And?"
"And a man like that wouldn't die and leave all his knowledge to die with him. Not when he could pass it on to help save more lives."
Maddie began to follow Will's train of thought.
"He could have just decided to start making his own grocery trips that last year of his life..." she said. Will finished for her.
"But it's more likely he was tutoring someone else. A nurse or doctor, perhaps. He could have told them everything he knows. Diseases, antidotes and cures."
"We find them," Maddie said.
"We save Halt." Will agreed.
Maddie felt the hope swell in her chest, dispite the fact that most of this plan was based on a large what if.
She took a deep breath of acceptance.
"Looks like we have a new plan."

Major plot twist coming up next chapter!