Ranger's Apprentice - Rescue

Epilogue

Halt trudged up the steps of his veranda, a deep frown on his face.

He opened the door, and couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at the silent interior. He glanced around, his eyes inevitably catching on the empty, dark room across from his. He sighed, stomping into the cabin and sinking into a chair at the kitchen table.

"Coffee?" a cheerful young voice said in the back of Halt's mind. The fact that it was a mere memory and not reality only served to make Halt feel even more depressed.

He sighed again, standing slowly.

"Don't mind if I do," he answered the imaginary voice of his young friend and former apprentice. Almost as if in a daze, he began to brew the liquid. His mind remained on Will, kilometers away in his own fief.

Never thought I'd miss him this much, Halt mused to himself, staring grumpily at his cup while the coffee began to brew.

The door creaked open, but for once, Halt didn't hear it. He was lost in his own thoughts. Pauline, who had agreed to live in the cabin with her husband while Baron Arald furnished and perfected their apartment in the castle, entered the cozy home.

As she glanced into the kitchen, she noticed the look on her husband's face. It was a look that was all too familiar to Pauline in recent days. She knew that her husband missed Will dearly. She herself missed mentoring Alyss, although she still got to see and work with the lively young girl every day, whereas Halt would rarely see his former apprentice anymore.

She quietly made her way to her husband and reached out, lacing her fingers through his. Finally coming out of his daze, he smiled briefly at her.

"How was your day, my love?" she asked, leaning forward to give him a kiss on the cheek. Halt leaning into the affectionate kiss and turned to kiss his wife on the forehead.

"It was alright," he replied, managing to expel most of the sadness from his voice. But Pauline knew her husband well, and she heard the underlying tone. She wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning into him. A small smile spread across her face as she felt his strong arms envelope her in a tight hug.

"You miss him, don't you?" she pressed gently.

There was a pause.

"Yes," Halt's voice finally replied, a little husky.

She leaned back to stare at her husband. A warm sense of love spread through her as she gazed at him. He was so strong, so legendary. And yet, he'd developed such a sweet, soft spot for his former apprentice. Pauline loved that part of her husband. And his struggles to admit and show his care for Will was, if she was honest, quite adorable to watch.

"I'm sorry, dear," she said into his chest as she pulled him close once again. She kept him there for several more seconds before finally stepping away. "It will get better. It just takes time."

Halt grunted.

"Well it's about blasted time I get past this moping," he huffed. "I've got work to do."

Pauline smiled as she sat down at the kitchen table. Halt remained standing by his coffee pot, waiting for the coffee in his mug to cool. As the silence grew, Pauline frowned with another thought.

"Halt?" she asked quietly. Halt raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, darling?"

Pauline briefly allowed a smile to play on her lips. It had taken Halt quite some time to finally give her an endearing nickname. When he had, he'd chosen the word "darling." Pauline couldn't be more happy with the phrase. Coming from Halt's mouth, with his slight Hibernian accent, it never failed to send butterflies through her stomach.

Still, the thought she'd had was persistent, and she frowned once more.

"Are you unhappy?"

She waited as Halt processed the question. Finally, he drew his eyebrows together in confusion.

"Unhappy?" he repeated. "What do you mean?"

Pauline, in a rare show of self-doubt, chewed her lip.

"I know you love me, dear," she explained softly. "But I also know that you love and miss Will. I want to help you, but I'm not sure how. I just want to make sure that you are not unhappy."

As Halt caught on to what his wife was really asking, he sat his coffee mug down so that he could approach her. He knelt beside her seated form, taking one of her hands in his and staring up at her through loving eyes.

"My darling," he said softly. "Of course I'm not unhappy. Yes, I miss Will. But as you said, that's part of how it goes when one of our apprentices graduates. I'm sorry I've been so mopey lately. But I'm not unhappy. I promise. You make me happier than anyone else in the world. I could never be unhappy when I am with you."

Pauline smiled as Halt's reassuring words filled her ears. She smiled down at the kneeling form of her husband.

"I love you so much," she told him.

Gently, Halt raised her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across her fingers.

"You have made my life so full, Pauline," he told her. "Though I miss Will, I wouldn't trade our new life for the world. I love you too."

Thank you guys so much for reading my book! So many of you were so loyal through the writing of this, and commented on and voted for and liked each and every chapter. Your comments, private messages, and encouragements make my day! I love writing these stories for you all. Lots of Love!