Set a short while before Gilan's graduation.
"Halt, we have to stop," Gilan said wearily, running a hand through his hair. "They're worn out."
"They" were the six small children that they had rescued from a bandit camp. Halt had kept them moving through the night, keen to put as much distance between them and the bandits, and ideally, get the children out of harms way. He and Gilan would return later to take care of the abductors. For now, however, their first priority was the children. Looking at the fatigued young people, Halt reluctantly acknowledged that they needed a break.
"We'll stop here," Halt decided. "Just for a couple of hours."
The children immediately dropped, rubbing their droopy eyes. Gilan lowered the young toddler perched on his hip, then raised him arms, stretching out the cramps from holding the girl for as long as he had.
"I'm thirsty," one of the small boys whispered pitifully. Halt immediately passed his canteen over. Gilan did the same.
"Share it," Halt cautioned. "Make sure everyone gets some."
When the canteens came back, Gilan raised his to his lips. He took only a sip to wet his mouth, then capped it. Glancing at his mentor and unconsciously rubbing his gritty eyes, Gilan questioned, "Do you want me to take first watch?"
Halt shook his head. "Get some sleep, Gil." Halt watched as his exhausted student leaned back against a rock and almost immediately drifted off to sleep. Halt observed him a moment longer, then, satisfied that Gilan was unscathed, allowed his attention to wander back to the children.
Some of them had already fallen asleep on the ground. Several, however, watched him with wide eyes. "Are the bad men going to get us again?" One of them asked, a slightly built girl with a thick red mop.
"No," Halt assured her. "They're not going to get near you again."
"But they have knives!" One boy insisted, whose soft brown eyes reminded Halt of Daniel's son, now in the Ward.
Halt gave a grim smile. "So do I."
A beat of silence passed, before the little brown eyed boy piped, "Will you tell us a story?"
Halt shifted uncomfortably. "A story?" He answered dubiously. "You should be getting some sleep."
"But we can't sleep without a story," the little red head said pleadingly, blinking such wide, shining green eyes at him that Halt couldn't help but soften.
"I suppose," he relented. Immediately, the children gathered around him, seeming convinced that they could all fit on his lap. Halt initially stiffened at the contact, but eventually relaxed. He paused for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts.
"Well, um..." Halt slowly began, fumbling slightly as he tried to decide on a half way decent story. "Once upon a time, there was a boy. He, um, he was the son of a Battlemaster. He grew up in a castle and was expected to live a knight's life."
"Was it a big castle?" A stocky boy with curly black hair interrupted.
"It was a huge castle," Halt confirmed. "The boy was tall and lanky, but he was one of the finest students in the Battleschool." Halt paused, then continued, "But he didn't want that life."
The brown eyed boy shook his head in wonder. "Why didn't he like it?"
"He liked some of it. He liked his big chestnut horse and some of the sparring matches. But there were too many rules, too many orders, too much of being made to fit a certain mold. The boy had something different in mind."
"What did he do?"
"His father, the Battlemaster, was friends with one of the King's Rangers. One day, as the Ranger left after visiting his friend, the boy followed him." Halt gave a small snort. "He thought he was being clever, but the Ranger knew he was there and threw him in a stream."
"I bet the Ranger sent him back to the Battleschool!" The stocky boy said confidently, but Halt shook in head.
"On the contrary, the Ranger was impressed with how he had sneaked around the forest. The boy needed a lot of work, but he had potential. The Ranger let him tag along, and eventually decided to apprentice him."
"The boy got his wish!" The little red head said happily.
"Not so fast," Halt cautioned. "He still had a lot to learn. The boy had the potential, but he was hasty and seemed to attract trouble."
The brown eyed boy frowned. "The Ranger probably didn't want him anymore," he said sadly.
"He gave the Ranger grey hairs before his time, but no, the Ranger still wanted him. He liked the boy's energy and wit," Halt quickly reassured him. "The Ranger, though he didn't tell anyone, had been lonely. The boy made him happy."
The children looked significantly happier at this revelation. "What happened next?" the girl persisted.
"The apprentice kept working, and the mentor kept training him. The boy's talents grew, and soon, it was almost time for him to graduate, to move on to his own fief." Halt paused, his eyes distant.
The stocky boy yawned, curling up on the ground as drowsiness overcame him. The brown eyed boy was propped against Halt's side, his breath in the easy, regular rhythm of sleep. Only the little girl remained alert. Her green eyes were sad. "The Ranger's going to miss him," she said softly.
Halt took a breath. "Yes, the Ranger missed him," he agreed. "But the Ranger also knew that his apprentice was ready to go on his own, and that he had to let him go."
The little red head's gaze flicked over to where Gilan was sleeping, then back to Halt. A small smile touched her lips. "The Ranger loved his apprentice a lot, didn't he?"
Halt paused, followed where she had looked, and exhaled. "Yes. He does," he answered quietly. Glancing back at the girl, Halt asked, "What's your name?"
The little girl smiled larger. "Elsie."
Halt gave her one of his rare, genuine smiles. "Elsie, you're a very smart little girl." He glanced around the campground. "You'd best get some sleep. We'll need to get going again soon."
Elsie lowered herself to the ground and settled an arm under her head. "Thank you for rescuing me. And thank you for the story," she added. "I like that story."
Halt lowered himself onto a rock where he could oversee the entire camp. His gaze landed on his still sleeping apprentice, and the Ranger nodded to himself. "It's a good story," Halt agreed to himself. And as he watched the sun peek over the horizon, Halt decided that everything would be just fine.
Just a plot bunny that was yapping and wouldn't leave me alone. Elsie's character just started to happen, and I liked her, so I let it.
R&R?
-TrustTheCloak