The Icebound Treaty

Chapter 4

Maddie heard a knock on the door. Curious, she sat her hunting gear down and moved to open it.

As soon as she caught sight of the two men on the other side, she gasped and leapt into their waiting arms.

"Will!" she cried, full of joy. "Halt! What brings you here?"

 Will and Halt, for their parts, grinned at the ecstatic face before them. As Maddie stepped back, they entered the apartment.

"Just a minor mission," Will lied, knowing that if Maddie hadn't been informed of their coming, she likely didn't know of their mission either. And probably, Will guess, for good reason.

"I see," Maddie replied, and instantly Will was aware that Maddie knew he was lying.

Darn Ranger training, he thought to himself. Still, he also knew it was that very training that would keep Maddie from pressing him or Halt for details that they weren't willing to give out. She knew that some missions were not meant to be shared.

"Is your mother around, Maddie?" Halt asked, taking a seat on the padded sofa. Will sat promptly on the chair nearby, waiting for Maddie's reply.

Maddie, in turn, scrunched her eyebrows together in mild wonder, glancing to the hallway that led to the other rooms of the apartment.

"She should be somewhere," the princess finally replied. "I'll go and fetch her."

Halt and Will nodded their thanks as Maddie left the room.

"Suppose she'll try to tag along?" Halt thought aloud, thinking fondly of the eager young Ranger.

Will raised an eyebrow. "She doesn't even know what the mission is," he pointed out. Halt nodded knowingly.

"Exactly," he said. "I'm willing to make a bet that her curiosity gets the best of her."

Will, confident in his ability to predict his former apprentice's behavior, sat forward with interest.

"You're willing to bet, are you?" he inquired. Again, Halt nodded. Will sat back, smiling arrogantly. "I'll take my chance with that. I trained Maddie. She's grown out of that stage. She won't try anything."

"Two silvers says your wrong," Halt wagered. Will nodded. Though he wouldn't show it, the grizzled old Ranger's confidence in his bet gave Will a small twinge of self doubt. But he was too far into his own hole now. He couldn't go back on his word.

"Deal."

Just then, Maddie arrived in the room, followed by Cassandra. Horace emerged from the hallway shortly after. The royal family took seats around to two seated Rangers after hugging their friends in greeting.

"I assume you will be staying in our guest room here?" Cassandra asked, more of an invitation than an actual question. Will, grateful for the bed, nodded.

"If you'll have us," he replied kindly.

"If we'll have you?" Horace asked, mock surprise plastered all over the knight's face. "Since when do you two ever ask permission for anything?"

Halt couldn't help but smile. Will did the same, though he hid his smile well by pretending to scratch his beard.

"Never you mind that," Halt stated in good nature. "Thank you for the beds, Cassandra."

The queen waved the thanks away in her usual informal manner.

"Don't mention it," she replied. "I should probably warn the chef that we will have company tonight, and tomorrow morning." Then, as an afterthought, she added, "and that they both eat nearly as much as my dear husband, here."

Horace frowned slightly at the comment, and again, Halt and Will hid smiles.

"So you leave out tomorrow, then?" Maddie asked, having caught the small detail in her mother's comment. For a moment, Cassandra and the two elder Ranger's shared a quick glance. They all seemed to be on the same page; Maddie should not be told the details of this mission. She would only beg to tag along, and they group didn't need another Ranger. Even more, if things went south, none of them wanted Maddie placed in harm's way.

"Yes," Halt finally replied, a note of finality in his voice. Maddie detected the tone and asked no further questions.

A rather awkward silence befell the group until, finally, Horace stood to his feet and clapped his hands together.

"Well," he announced, none too quietly. "I've got some business to attend to. I trust that I can leave you two to entertain yourselves without you burning the place to the ground?"

Will gave Horace a look of amusement.

"Oh, come now, Horace," he said in a reasoning tone. "When have we ever burned a castle?"

Horace gave his friend an unamused stare in return, mimicking the Ranger's signature eyebrow-raise.

"Fine," the king corrected. "Then without you throwing someone in a moat," he said as he turned his gaze to Halt, and returned his eyes to Will as he finished. "Or scaling up the walls of the castle to enter a room that has been closed off to you." 

This time, neither Ranger had anything to say. Filled with pride in himself for finally having gotten the last word but determined not to make a fool of himself, Horace left abruptly.

Leaving the Rangers and Cassandra to fill the silence with suppressed giggles from the girls and embarrassed glares from the men.