The Icebound Treaty

Chapter 3

Will and Halt rode in silence as they approached Araluen Castle. 

Halt considered the fact that this might have been the first time the two of them had been able to ride in such silence, without Will asking numerous questions. Amused by his discovery, he decided to voice his thoughts.

"You know," he began casually, "I do believe this is the first time we've ridden in silence together, without your constant comments."

To this, Will said nothing. Halt glanced over at his former apprentice, who was looking ahead in a blank expression. Halt frowned, slightly disappointed that he had received no response. Determined to get a reaction from Will, he pressed on.

"Especially the questions," Halt continued, sniffing disdainfully. "They are usually never ending. Are you quite sure you feel alright?"

Again, no reply. Halt scowled.

"It's no matter," he decided aloud. "I rather like the silence."

"Halt," Will finally replied in a low voice.

Halt forced himself not to show the pleasure he secretly felt. Instead, he groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Of course," he sighed. "Always with the questions. What is it, now?"

Halt glanced over to see Will regarding him with an amused expression.

"I was only going to point out that you seem to be the one who is making the constant comments, today," Will stated, promptly turning in his saddle to face forward once more.

Halt's mouth dropped open slightly as he realized that Will was right. In his attempt to tease Will about his habit of chatting in his youth, Halt himself had become the chatterbox.

He cursed under his breath, turning forward to glare at the castle that rose before them. Beside him, Will snickered.

Conveniently, they rode through the castle gates and into the boisterous yard, freeing Halt from any further teasing. He and Will rode into the stables, waving the stable boy away kindly as they dismounted.

"We can take care of them," Will told the boy, giving him a smile to ease any offense in their refusal of his help. "Thank you."

The boy, aware of the Rangers' habit to care for their own horses after several years of watching the Commandant himself do so, nodded politely and left the two men to their task.

After the two Rangers had rubbed down their horses and placed them in a stall, they made their way into the castle, deciding to first visit Gilan's office.

As they reached the Ranger Commandant's door, Halt knocked three times before stepping back beside Will.

"Wonder if he's in there, or if he's off doing something," Will commented.

Halt, the events from their ride into the castle still fresh on his mind, made no reply. He had to redeem his grizzled and closed manner, after all.

Then the door swung open and Gilan, at least a head taller than Halt and a few inches more than Will, met each man's gaze before a broad grin broke through.

"Halt!" Gilan greeted cheerfully. "And Will! So good to see you both."

"Perhaps not, under the circumstances," Halt replied gruffly. Gilan's smile faltered, and he shot Will a questioning look.

"Someone seems to have woken up on the wrong side of the Ranger's cloak," the Commandant commented. Will shook his head.

"Don't mind him," the youngest of the Ranger's replied. "He's only bitter because I bested him a few moments ago."

Halt shot the man a rueful glare as Will moved inside the room. Gilan let loose a short bark of laughter before moving aside to allow Halt to pass through as well.  

Once they were inside, Gilan closed the door and moved to sit behind his desk. The two visiting Rangers took seats on the opposite side. Halt, his ill temper taking temporary control of his actions, informally leaned back and placed his booted feet on Gilan's desk.

"I suppose Halt was right, though," Gilan began, glancing once at Halt's feet but taking no further notice. "The circumstances are rather grim."

"What is this gang hoping to accomplish by doing away with the treaty?" Will questioned.

Gilan shrugged.

"We still don't know," he replied. "I assume Oberjarl Erak will inform us of that when we arrive."

"As I said several days ago," Halt commented. Will, increasingly tiring of Halt's bitter attitude, gave his mentor a look of annoyance before turning his attention back to Gilan.

"Are we leaving out today?"

The Ranger Commandant picked up several stacks of parchments, straightened them, and placed them back on the desk before he replied.

"I've arranged for a wolfship to take us to Skandia," he told them. "The crew that is currently stationed along our coasts for protection is on their way home to trade places with another wolfship. If, that is, we can manage to renew the treaty. I've sent a messenger to the wolfship's docking port just before they reach the castle. They will pick up up tomorrow morning and we will ride to Skandia aboard their ship."

"Will their ship hold four horses?" Halt asked, assuming his former apprentice had forgotten that detail.

Gilan, however, had indeed thought of this. He shook his head.

"No," he replied knowingly. "But it will hold three. Cassandra will have to ride with one of us."

Halt felt a mixture of pride in Gilan for doing such a thorough job, and disappointment in the fact that he now had nothing to complain about. True to his character, he said nothing.

"So we leave tomorrow," Will concluded, standing to his feet. Gilan did the same. Halt, in a rare moment when his age showed through, was the last to stand.

"We had better go and visit Horace," Halt commented, hoping to deter the conversation about his age. "And Maddie and Cassandra. They will likely be offended if we don't."

Will nodded. "I can't pretend that I haven't missed them all," he admitted. Halt grunted an agreement.

Gilan nodded, dismissing them.

"I'll see you both tomorrow," he told them. The each bid farewell before Halt and Will exited the room. Once outside, Will gave Halt an exasperated look.

"What?" the grizzled Ranger asked indifferently.

"Halt," Will pled in an even tone. "Would you please behave better when we reach the royal apartment?"