The New Rangers

Chapter Seventeen

Halt frowned. "You're certain?"

Will sat back in his seat on the porch and stared out at the trees surrounding the cabin. "Yes, quite. Deva told me herself."

Halt's frown turned into a scowl. "I know Mithcell and he's much like his father. He would never do this other boy's work not without some kind of coercion."

Will acknowledged Halt's reasoning with a slight inclination of his head.

Halt cast a sidelong glance at his former apprentice. "What are you thinking?"

"That perhaps we should let the kids figure this one out on their own."

Halt sat back in his own chair and cast his gaze out over the forest. "Perhaps. You don't believe they'll muck it up?"

Will chuckled softly. "Oh, I'm certain they will, but there are certain times that I think we need to let them bungle just a bit or they'll never learn."

A tiny hint of a smile tilted the corners of Halt's lips upward. "You learned that lesson well many times, eh?"

Will reached over and gave Halt's shoulder a small shove. "I did perfectly well, thank you very much."

Halt arched a brow at him. "All right then."

Will didn't miss the implication behind his former mentor's words but he made no response. There was no sense in getting Halt started. They'd end up being here all night.

***

Holly trailed after Deva. "This is ridiculous."

"You're welcome to leave. I didn't ask you to tag along."

Holly mocked her best friend behind her back. "I came because you're my best friend! Why are we following these knuckle dragging losers anyway?"

"Shush!" Deva waved a hand back at her and crept closer to where Griffin and his friends were standing to the side of the road a bit. Bullies to the end of the line. They had shuffled two boys from the village off the road so they could harass them.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. This was getting her nowhere. For five days she'd been lurking around, following the boys while she attempted to figure out why Mithcell was allowing Griffin to use him. She was no closer to the reason than she'd been five days ago.

Now it seemed she needed to keep Griffin and his idiot friends from injuring two innocent boys. She didn't have time for this nonsense. Still, she couldn't let these fools pick on those boys simply because they were looking for some sort of sport.

Reaching back over her shoulder, she pulled an arrow free and nocked it to her bow before taking careful aim at Griffin.

Just when she would have released the arrow, Mitchell stepped into the midst of the group, blocking her shot. She cursed quietly and lowered her arm slightly. "What is he doing there?" she hissed quietly.

"Beats me, but this is starting to look like it's leaning toward the explosive side."

Deva ignored Holly's words and stared into the little clearing. She did however, have the feeling Holly's assessment of the situation was quite correct. Griffin looked less than pleased by Mitchell's interference.

Mitchell kept his gaze firmly fixed on Griffin as he spoke to the two boys huddled together in the center of the little knot Griffin's little ruffin friends formed. "Go on now, get out of here."

"That isn't up to you, Mitchell." Griffin growled.

"I won't stand by and let you harm people because it entertains you." He focused on the two boys. "Go on now, get out of here." The boys needed no further urging, they turned and fled.