Ranger's Apprentice - Rescue

Chapter 4

Will entered the keep that held the baron's office the next day. He had allowed the stable hand to care for Tug, knowing that young boys like himself took great pride in being able to tell their friends that they had cared for a Ranger's horse.

"Can I help you?" a pleasant voice asked. It was a secretary, Will noticed. The man had been writing on a parchment with his quill and ink, but had turned his full attention to Will upon recognizing his Ranger's cloak.

"I'm here to meet with the baron," Will replied, careful to keep his tone neutral. It was difficult, seeing as how Will had always been a friendly boy. But over the past five years, Halt had drilled him to remain as aloof as the commoners thought him to be. Letting people get too comfortable around you can be a dangerous thing for a Ranger, Will could hear Halt's voice saying in his head.

"I'll take you to his office now," the secretary was saying, and Will blinked several times to bring his mind back to the presence. "Name?"

"Will," he replied. "Ranger Will Treaty."

He followed the secretary up a central wooden staircase. Will supposed in the event of an attack, the stairway could be burned to prevent access to the upper levels of the structure. Of course, there was still the main stairwell, but it was built like the other stairwells in Araluen castles, twisting up and to the right so that an attacker would be forced to use his left hand to fight while he tried to ascend the stairs.

Will frowned as they stopped on the second, rather than the third level. Typically, the baron's offices and sleeping quarters were on the uppermost level. Apparently, things were not so in this castle.

"Come in," Will heard a voice call from behind a door as the secretary had knocked. The man opened the door now, stepping inside to introduce Will.

"Ranger Will Treaty," he said rather proudly, allowing Will to step inside before he left, closing the door behind him.

"What can I do for you, Ranger?"

Will regarded the baron carefully as the man stood to offer a hand. He was aging, with white hair that fell past his shoulders. It was obvious from his slender body shape that the man had hardly ever seen a day of physical labor in his life. What was more, he had an uneasy air about him. Not enough to cause Will suspicion, but enough for the younger boy to notice his obvious discomfort. Still, Will was used to people being uncomfortable around him and thought no further on the matter.

"I'm here on a mission from the Commandant," Will explained, shaking the man's hand firmly. "It's really nothing to be concerned about. Not to my knowledge, anyway. I just thought it wise to stop by and check in with you."

The baron nodded, clearly appreciative of the unnecessary but respectful act.

"Much appreciation for that," the baron asked. "The name's Philip, by the way."

Will nodded.

"I've heard of you before. Gil- Ranger Gilan told me of his time here some years ago when he captured Foldar."

Will rushed the last of his sentence to compensate for the fact that he had almost called Gilan by his name, without his title, in front of the baron. Though Will might be welcomed to call Gilan by his name in a face to face discussion with the other Rangers, it was unprofessional to do so with anyone outside the Corps. Except, that was, for the few exceptions of close friends.

Like Jenny, Will thought, briefly remembering the strange liking Gilan seemed to have taken to the kitchen apprentice. Then Will shook his head, returning his mind to the task at hand.

"I remember Ranger Gilan," Baron Philip was saying, nodding in approval. "A kind and rather capable young man, if I remember correctly."

Will nodded, forcing himself not to smile.

"Sounds like him," he replied easily.

"Well, I do appreciate you stopping by," the baron said again, clearly trying to ease the conversation to an end. Will, however, had one more thing on his mind.

"I do have one question," he told the baron, waiting for the man to nod before continuing. "Are you aware of any missing persons reports in the fief? I've found a young girl who goes by the name of Annalise. She's been very quiet, but I was wondering if you might have heard anything about her disappearance?"

The baron paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"Those kinds of reports rarely come to me," he said regretfully. "I've not heard the name. If I do hear something, I'll send word."

Will nodded his thanks. It had been a long shot, he knew.

"I'll appreciate that. Take care, baron," he said, waving his farewell before slipping from the room.

________________

"Is she still here?" Will asked in a low voice.

Maeve, the pretty, middle aged inn keeper, nodded. Will had discretely asked her earlier that morning to keep a close eye on Annalise.

"She hasn't left the room," Maeve told him now, careful to keep her voice low. She leaned over, pretending to wipe a table top, so Will could hear her speaking clearly. "I went to check on her, but she was still asleep until about an hour ago. Last time I went in there, she was just sitting in the bed, rubbing her hands together in a nervous sort of way. I asked if she wanted a meal but she just shook her head."

Will nodded sympathetically. He hadn't really expected the girl to speak much to Maeve, though he had wondered if she might take off out of fear.

"Thank you anyway," Will told the inn keeper, handing her a few extra coins for her trouble.

"Thank you, Ranger," the woman said, smiling at him kindly.

Will made his way up the steps inside, knocking twice on the door he knew to be Annalise's. When there was no reply, he cracked the door just enough to allow his voice to travel inside clearly.

"Annalise?" he asked softly. "It's me. Wi- the Ranger."

He suddenly became aware that he had never shared his name with her. Nevertheless, she recognized his voice and called him inside. Hesitantly, he slipped through the door.

Annalise was still seated on the bed, though she had thankfully changed into a pair of fresh clothes that Will had asked Maeve to bring her. He'd kept the wardrobe to be breeches and a shirt rather than a dress, hoping they would make the younger girl feel more comfortable. After all, it had been breeches and a shirt that she'd been wearing when Will had first found her. This pair, however, fit her much better around the legs and waist. Will quickly averted his eyes, not wanting to appear rude.

"How did you sleep?" Will asked, standing by the door awkwardly. Annalise, now more awake than she had been when Will had found her the day before, regarded him closely.

"Better," she finally admitted, never taking her eyes off the Ranger. "Thank you for... well, everything I suppose."

Will nodded. He waited a moment, unsure of how to ask his next question without sounding demanding and insensitive. Finally, he shrugged, deciding it would come out however it did. He still had to ask.

"I still need to know what happened to you," he reminded the girl as gently as he could. "I need to know who you were running from."

Annalise calmly rose, staring out the little window beside her bed. Will realized with surprise that she was shorter than he had initially thought. If he were standing beside her, she would barely come to his shoulders. Her hair, now that it had been cleaned and dried, was darker than he had remembered. It fell past her waist, straight as a board.

Suddenly, the girl sighed deeply, turning back to face Will.

"I suppose it is rather important information," she decided. "And who better to tell than a Ranger? Come sit, and I'll tell you everything I can."