Rangers apprentice fanfiction

chapter 7- snooping around

                                                                 CHAPTER 7-SNOOPING AROUND

   I was aloud to leave a day after the event with Keira. I had never seen her act like that before and it was starting to worry me. I couldn't keep this to myself so I talked to my friends about it, all they said was that she's probably having some problems considering how old she is. She started her apprenticeship a few weeks after maddie and of course is 16. A second year apprentice.

   Crowley said she had stayed in the inn and was staying there for another day and was leaving in the morning. I headed straight for the inn at full speed on sky. We arrived in 10 minutes, a new record for me. I saw Keira emerge from the inn and was about to head out into the forest when I blocked her path.

   "Yes?" She asked, I saw fear in her eyes and jumped off sky and headed towards her. "What's wrong?" I glared at her. She continued staring at me with a mixture of shock, fear and depression. "I... um... I uh am late for something with baron Arald!" She headed to mount her horse but I put a hand out to stop her. "Wrong fief." I raised an eyebrow at her and she started to panic.

   "Oh... um..." She looked around for help and fortunately for her, Halt emerged from the trees. I didn't see him and continued. "Why are you so nervous." I asked tilting my head. "I'm not nervous!" She said it to quickly and I saw straight through her bluff. "Please?" I said slouching. She looked at Halt for help and he shrugged. I turned my head and noticed him for the first time. "I don't like being lied to." I eyed them both. Halt looked like his normal and grim self, while Keira fiddled with her hands.

   "Halt?" I asked him. I faced him and he sighed, "Gosh you look like your father." He looked away and stared at the sky. My jaw dropped and I looked at them both. "That's what your hiding." I turned back to Keira and glared at her. She glared back. We glared for what seemed like half an hour until Halt finally grew impatient.

   "Okay, if she tells you who your dad is I'll..." Halt hesitated and tugged at his beard thinking of a punishment. Kiera turned his glare to him, "You'll what?" He shook his head and they stared at each other. "I'll drop you as my apprentice." He said it with such ease I thought he was bluffing and smirked as he said it. "You shouldn't be smiling Echo." He glared at me, then I realized it wasn't a bluff.

   I stared at him wide eyed. Then I remembered something, something shocking. "Your bluffing." I said still wide eyed. "Nope." He said still glaring at me. My jaw dropped and once he realized his mistake he launched himself onto abelard and went at full speed into the forest.

   I shook my head and turned to Kiera. "Care to tell me?" She shook her head quickly and did the same as Halt. I was left alone. I ran to sky and mounted her quickly, I headed to where I knew they would be. The castle.

   I held my hood down and I went at full speed towards the castle. One of the guards stopped me and I skidded to a halt as fast as I could. "State your business." He boomed at me. I raised an eyebrow and took my silver oak leaf from my neck and handed it to him cautiously. He eyed it and turned pale. "I'm sorry ranger Jerry-" I cut him off and said in my 'jerry' voice. "Jerry's fine." He sighed then said. "I'm sorry... Jerry... Carry on." He quickly moved out of the way and I grinned at him and headed to where I know Halt and Keira would be.

I quickly and swiftly trotted to the stables. I graciously left sky there and ran to the baron's tower.

   I was once again stopped by a guard. I sighed and reached for my oak leaf when someone behind me shouted, "Do you know who that is?!?" I fearfully turned my head to see the battle master walking towards me. I shook my head over enthusiastically and said, "Shhh!" I put a finger to my lips as I said it. "Not so loud idiot!" He tilted his head at me and I said, "Halt and Keira might be up there!" He shook his head not understanding and I groaned. "They're keeping secrets from me and it's just so anoying!" He then whispered the words 'ohhhh' under his breath and I rolled my eyes. "And to make it worse they're hiding secrets about... my family!"

   His jaw dropped and he waved the guards in front of me to the sides. He walked with me to the top of the tower and I told him to go in first. He nodded without asking questions, knocked, was answered with a 'come in', and strode in. I caught a glimpse of two rangers and knew it was them.

   I waited a few minutes and ghosted in. The rangers' had their hoods off and I was more than positive that they were Kiera and Halt. I began focusing on what they were talking about. "You can't keep it from her." The battle master said shaking his head. "You're lucky I told her off." I raised an eyebrow at that and realized he was covering for me. The baron shook his head.

   "Halt she needs to know she's a fully grown woman and she needs her parents." I watched Kiera walk to the window beside her and stare out. I wanted so desperately to apologize to my friend and stand beside her and laugh. But she knows how important this is to me and she won't tell me. "What if I tell her." Kiera said in a low voice. I watched everyone turn to her, "If she has to know who her parents are I think either Halt or Pauline should tell her." The baron said.

   Why them? Why aren't they saying my parents names? When did they tell Kiera? Why did they tell the baron and the battle master? WHAT'S GOING ON? All these questions zoomed through my head, my head was begging me to burst into tears and faint. But I couldn't. Not now at least.

   I continued listening and once they had finished speaking they all left the room. The battle master stayed behind and looked around desperately. "Echo?" He called out, I emerged from the shadow, my face stained with tears, my eyes and cheeks puffy and red. I rubbed the back of my head but it didn't stop the headache. I learned so much in the past like, ten minutes about my family that I had my whole life!

   He looked at me with wide eyes and hugged me. I stood there not moving and started crying softly into his shoulder. He sighed, pulled back and looked into my soft, gentle gray-blue eyes and said, "I'm so sorry you had to go through that." I shook my head and whipped the tears away slowly with my sleeve. "I..It's fine." I said forcing myself not to break into tears and run for the door.

   He shook his head as well and put his hand on my shoulder. He led me out of the room, I let tears silently fall down my cheeks. I didn't make any sounds. Just walked with the regular swiftness in my step. He led me to the battle school. Half of the battle school apprentices turned their head to us and their swift and grace full stroked were turned sloppy and stupid.

   He stopped at the gate and bent down, "One day you'll find someone who will tell you everything about your family." He said smiling. "But today is not the day." I gave him a shy smile and watched sadly as he walked off.

Someone who used to be my enemy... Just turned into one of my friends.

   Once I whipped the tears away from my face, I ignored the grinning faces or shocked faces from the battle school apprentices and watching them practice. They weren't at their best. I could tell by a fact because I had seen them practice every once in a while in my free time. I knew they were off because of my presence.

   I sighed and shook my head. I stared at one particular apprentice. He seemed to do his strokes perfectly and wasn't like his other comrades and was in a trance-like mood. He was swift and grace full... kind of like me.

Then I remembered exactly who he was.