Ignoring History - Ranger's Apprentice Fanfiction

Chapter 5

~🌾Will🌾~ 

"Did you hear the news?"

Will glanced at the couple, looking away quickly as to not eavesdrop. The farmer's market was littered with people, stalls lining the sides of the street. Gossip floated about the air at every corner and crevice. The murmurs were impossible to escape.

Something had happened to get the whole village talking. Something big. Whatever it was hadn't reached Will's ear, and he was getting curious.

Turning back to the pair, Will approached them. Their eyes snapped towards him, and he nervously smiled.

"Good morning," he said.

"Morning," they said in unison.

Will halfheartedly nodded, suddenly nervous. Maybe he should have asked someone he knew. Though it was too late now.

"I was just wondering what's going on. Everyone seems to be talking about it."

"You don't know?" the woman asked. "It's huge! Absolutely enormous."

"What is it?"

The man answered. "King Morgarath himself is coming here to meet with the baron."

Will sucked in a breath. "When?"

"Noon today."

Noon. Will looked towards Castle Aspienne. His eyes darted to the sky. It was almost noon. His time was running short. He looked down at the shopping list in his hand. He gulped. They'd have to wait.

The couple called after him when Will ran, and looking over his shoulder, he shouted. "Thank you!"

From far away, Castle Aspienne looked bare and strategically well done. Built on top of a hill, any person would be seen coming, and that included Will.

Standing on the base of the hill hidden away in the patch of trees, Will looked up. From up close, he could see the castle at its best. It was not the intricate details that made it beautiful, but the simplistic design.

Somewhere in the castle was the financial records of his family, and he needed to find them. Morgarath's arrival only made things more difficult. If he was caught, it would be over in a second.

The bell that signalled rang, and the clopping of hooves slapped the ground. Will looked towards the village. Morgarath and his company were right on time. He inclined his head. Maybe Morgarath would make things easier. He could easily sneak through as a servant. He certainly had the right kind of clothing.

Will frowned. He didn't have a horse though, and from the looks of it, all the servants had one.

Sighing, he turned back to the castle, walking along the treeline. The guards would all be focused on the king's arrival, so there had to be a small chance he could run in without drawing any attention.

Will made it behind the castle. Looking up at it, he frowned. There was no back gate, so he would have the scale the wall himself. He wet his lips. He hadn't climbed anything in a while, but it was a skill and talent he was born with.

A horn blew, a sign that the front gates of the castle were opening for Morgarath. Will breathed deeply. It was now or never.

Another breath, and he sprinted. Will leaped onto a hill, racing up as fast as he could. His muscles burned, his face red. Working on the fields did not prepare him for this whatsoever.

Collapsing on the back wall of the castle, Will struggled to catch his breath. Sweat splattered his forehead and neck, sore muscles hating him. He grunted. He had to keep going.

Reaching up, Will grasped onto a stone, pulling himself upwards with all his might. With the added body strength from the farm, his climbing skill excelled even when his legs wanted to fall off.

Will vaulted over the wall, rolling onto the ramparts. He wobbled onto his feet. That was one task done. Now, he just had to find his way through a castle he had never stepped foot into. Will pinched his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. No big deal.

No big deal. He could do it. He had to.

He had no other choice.

Ducking inside the nearest door, Will followed the stairs downward. He made a face at every creak and jumped at the slightest noise. "Come on, Will," he whispered softly to himself. "Breathe. You can do this."

The stairs led to a door, and he opened it slowly and carefully. The courtyard. Will gulped, poking his head out. He looked at the castle doors, where two guards stood on duty. It was the only way he knew of to get inside.

Crouching down inside, he let his head rest against the stone wall. He scratched his head, his fingers weaving through his hair.

"My lord Moragarath!"

A clear voice echoed across the castle grounds. Will peeked out as Aspienne's battlemaster Sir Norman marched to greet the king. He inclined his head, and his eyes found the servants, who crowded behind Morgarath. He traced a path from their location to the castle doors, and he grinned when he realized that they would pass within close proximity of him. Then, he could blend in with them.

He listened to Morgarath and Norman's conversation in frustration. He clenched his fists. Talk about knighthood wasn't anything he wanted to listen to. Not with what had happened the day before. A few more minutes, and they were finally moving. His heart pounded. It wanted out of his chest.

Will timed himself, stepping out of the tower door as the last servant passed. He looked around, and thankfully, no one noticed. He kept his head down, watching his feet. His heart went faster with every step, and Will thought he was going to collapse with adrenaline.

He could feel his movements growing stiffer by the second, his muscles getting tense. Somehow, it was worse than when he ran up the hill. He wanted to move around, jump until he couldn't take it anymore. He felt the urge to wiggle around, but he couldn't. It would only serve to give him away.

And giving himself away meant that he would be caught. That couldn't happen at any cost. It wouldn't.

Will looked back behind him. No guards. In front of him, unknowing servants. At the next turn, Will cut himself off from Morgarath's company. After a minute of walking alone, he quickened his pace into a run. The castle was the largest thing he had ever seen or stepped in, and to his chagrin, he was already loss.

At his pace, it would take the whole afternoon to find the financial records. But one thing was for certain. He had broken inside Castle Aspienne, and there was no leaving until he found what he was looking for.