Ranger's Apprentice - Rescue

Chapter 9

Halt paced his floor, the parchment still clutched in his hand.

"Halt," Pauline's sweet voice soothed. The Courier had taken to visiting the Ranger in his cabin over the weeks, knowing it was the one thing that seemed to calm the man down. She had been paying Halt another of these visits when a messenger had come riding into the clearing with the letter, giving it to Halt before leaving promptly.

As soon as Halt had read the letter, he had gone pale. After several minutes of Pauling calling his name, the woman had finally resorted to shaking the man by his shoulders. It was perhaps a little less dignified than her typical behavior, but she'd been afraid. Whatever was on the parchment, it had clearly effected Halt deeply.

"Halt," Pauling said again, her eyes trailing the Ranger's movement carefully. "What is it?"

Halt didn't reply, and Pauline wondered if he was hearing her words at all. His mind seemed to be kilometers away. He continued his pacing, muttering under his breath.

Pauline sighed softly, clasping her hands together in her lap. Halt's behavior was beginning to rub off on her. She could only hope that the letter her friend had received didn't say what she feared it did.

"That's it," Halt suddenly said, and Pauline jumped at the noise. He'd been silent for so many minutes now that his voice sounded loud in the little cabin.

"What is it, Halt?"

"I'm going to Highcliff," Halt said, but Pauline doubted it was in response to her question. Halt was simply thinking out loud to himself.

"Halt, what is in the letter?" she asked again, her tone a little more firm this time. The change in her voice seemed to pull Halt from his thoughts. He glanced to her, and the deep fear in his eyes only made Pauline's stomach twist.

"He's gone and disappeared," Halt said gruffly. Pauline felt the knot in her stomach loosen.

"Disappear?" she asked, trying to hide the relief she felt. Judging by Halt's reaction, she had expected Will to be dead. Hearing that he had simply disappeared was a relief to her. Clearly, Halt didn't share in the feeling. "Isn't that what you Rangers do?"

Halt didn't answer. Instead, he began to pack a nearby bag with several things; clothes, utensils, an extra bowstring. Pauline rose and made her way to Halt, gently laying a hand on his back as he leaned over to retrieve a blanket. The contact made Halt freeze in place. Pauline herself felt a tingle where her hand met his muscled back. She ignored it.

"Halt, you must think this through," she said calmly. Halt rose slowly, and Pauline removed her hand respectfully. When the Ranger turned to face her, she could see a faint trace of red in his cheeks. She could also, however, still see the deep pain in his eyes. Pain, she realized, and worry.

"I am thinking," he said, his voice thicker than it usually was. "He's my apprentice. I'm going after him."

"He's a strong boy, Halt," Pauline said. "And clever at that. You must trust that he knows what he is doing."

"I do trust him," Halt replied, his voice nearly a whisper. "But he's disappeared, Pauline. The letter said he visited the baron and told him not to send for me unless he wasn't back in three days. He's not back. And with the time that the letter took to reach me, he could be-"

Halt's voice broke off. Pauline felt her heart flutter as she thought she saw a glimmer in Halt's eyes. With some shock, she realized that the Ranger was on the verge of tears. His hands were shaking at his side.

He's reliving the moment when Will disappeared to Skandia, she thought, mentally chastising herself for not catching on earlier. Glancing down, she took Halt's hands in hers gently, holding them in an attempt to stop them from shaking.

"He will be alright," Pauline said again, staring into Halt's eyes to stress how much she believed the words. "You must let him do his job. This is his mission. He is growing."

"He's just a boy," Halt said in that same, hushed tone.

"He is nearly a graduated Ranger," Pauline reminded him kindly. "How can you trust him to become an independent Ranger if you can't trust him to complete this simple mission without you?"

"But what if this isn't a simple mission?" Halt asked fearfully. "What if there is more involved than we thought? I've got a bad feeling about this, Pauline. My instincts tell me-"

"You are worried," Pauline cut in softly. "You need to take a deep breath and relax."

Halt closed his eyes, ignoring the single tear than fell down his cheek, and drew in a breath. Holding it for a few seconds, he released it in a shaky exhale. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Pauline smiling at him.

"There you are," she said, and Halt forced himself to smile back.

"Thank you," he told her, and couldn't help but be a bit disappointed as she released his hand and stepped back.

"I must be going," she said. "But please, Halt, try and relax. Will is fine. You've trained him well. Now you must learn how to let him go."

Halt nodded, watching her go until she had disappeared into the trees. Sighing, he glanced back at the parchment still crumpled in his hands. With the absence of Pauline, Halt felt his worry come crashing down on him once more. The weight on his chest was too much. He sank to his knees, closing his eyes and running a hand through his hair.

"What are you doing to me, Will," he muttered.