Ranger Apprentice One-Shots

Tangled Memories pt1

Halt stirred restlessly and opened his eyes. The ceiling of his cabin floated strangely, and he blinked, trying to restore vision. Someone moved off to his left, and a face peered anxiously down at him.

 "Halt! Thank goodness you're awake." The younger ranger's brown eyes scanned his face carefully, and as Halt tried to sit up, widened. "Lie still. You hit your head pretty hard. I don't think anything's broken but you'd better not move too much too soon."

 He hated to admit it, but that sounded pretty good. "How long have I been out?" the light seemed lower than he remembered...he thought he had been outside. 

"Almost all night." Will disappeared from sight but returned soon with a bowl in his hands. "Here. I made soup."

 He helped the ranger swallow some of the broth, and checked his forehead again for fever. "The Healer said you might take a while, but it had me worried. What were you thinking, getting so close to the ledge? I don't think the deer was worth the headache you're having right now."

 Deer..he had been deer hunting? It seemed right but his head hurt to think. Above him, Will's face tightened with concern. He dragged up a smile and bluffed. "Can't anyone make a mistake around here, without it being such a surprise?" His voice came out sounding gruff, but it actually seemed that the boy relaxed. 

 "Well, you're not supposed to," he replied grinning. "You're Halt."

"Nice to be so legendary," Halt muttered. He winced as pain laced through his eye and through his skull. "I think I need to lie quietly for awhile. Till the headache stops."

  "Well, I'll be right here if you need anything." There was a gentle pressure as the younger ranger gripped his shoulder lightly, before his footsteps retreated and became faint.

 Closing his eyes, Halt tried to piece together the events with the clues that Will had given him. Why didn't he remember on his own? Deep down inside, he was worried...how hard had he hit his head? Suddenly, memories began to return, as if a curtain had been pulled aside and he was finally allowed to view them. As they surfaced, however, it felt as though some others submerged..in a moment, Halt had remembered all, or had he?

  The next morning, Will heard movement behind the Senior Ranger's door and turned as the latch lifted. Halt stood in the doorway, his cloak pulled about his shoulders, and his brows pulled down into a frown.

 "Halt, is something the matter?" Alarm bells triggered in Will's head as the other ranger's hand dropped to his Saxe knife and he glared across the room at him. 

 "Yes, young man there is. Who are you, and what are you doing in my cabin?"