Oakleaves

AN: Well, I've now learned that almost no one checks the crossover section between Ranger's Apprentice and Brotherband Chronicles, but this month I'm fully back to RA and the Rangers. I hope you will enjoy this little story. Again, it is written to be both a standalone and a sequel to The Innkeeper's Story and After the Tournament.

Halt took his time rubbing down Abelard, and making sure he had fresh water and food. He knew the Prince Regent and Crowley were waiting for him and his report, but he would never leave his horse before making sure he was taken care of. And besides he knew a runner had been sent to tell them he was back; might as well give them time to get to the main hall before he went there.

Halt slowly made his way to the main keep. Despite himself he was a bit nervous. Not about the report or seeing Duncan – in Halt's mind there was little difference between royalty and everyone else –, but because he knew Crowley was officially the Commandant now and thus the one to give him his oakleaf. And that was the reason Halt had first come to Araluen those couple of months ago.

He went up the three steps and strode into the entrance hall where he was greeted by the King's chamberlain.

"Ranger Halt, the Prince Regent and Commandant Crowley awaits you."

Halt gave a single nod of acknowledgement in return and followed him to the door leading into the King's main hall and audience chamber. The chamberlain opened it and stepped aside to let Halt enter. Then he closed the door again and Halt realised they were only going to be the three of them; Crowley, Duncan, and himself.

Swallowing once he walked confidently forward until he was only a few meters from the throne. Then he bowed to Duncan. "Your highness."

"Welcome back, Halt," Duncan greeted him.

"Had to good trip?" Crowley asked cheerfully.

"And hello to you, too," Halt replied. Despite his gruff tone he was happy at Crowley's relaxed manner and tone. It helped set his nerves at ease.

"You two can chat all you want later," Duncan said with a little smile, "but for now let us focus on the important things first."

Halt nodded his agreement.

"How did your mission go? Do you think you managed to stop Morgarath's lies from spreading further and get the truth out there?" Duncan was only all too aware of what Morgarath and Tiller had been doing to his reputation over the last months, even years, and how hard it would be to undo that damage. But he also trusted that if anyone could do something about it it would be Halt and Crowley.

Halt nodded. "Yes, your highness. I can't speak for the others and the fiefs they went to, but I did get the truth out in several different places from where it should naturally spread around." He nodded towards Crowley. "I visited our friend, the innkeeper, Sherrin, who helped protect us from discovery by one of Morgarath's soldiers as one of the first. Everyone present heard the news, but more importantly Sherrin believed in it and he is a well-respected member of the village. People will listen to him as he keeps on telling the truth and spreading it among travellers."

Duncan and Crowley both nodded.

"Smart move," Crowley said. "I trust you also went to Yorik in Lendsy?"

Halt nodded in reply. "Yes. We are rather liked there right now after our help in scaring off the attackers, so no one there doubted the truth either."

Duncan smiled in relief. "Sounds like a great success."

"In those villages at least, but I did encounter more scepticism in other places."

Duncan's smile faltered.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, your highness," Crowley said. "We knew not all would immediately believe the truth about you or Morgarath, but now that it has been spread around people will start to question what they where previously told more. The hardest part will be those places where Tiller and his men raided; they may be far more sceptic than the average person."

Halt agreed. "They will come around, but we can't force it at arrow point. We'll just have to keep spreading the truth and trust those we know around the fiefs will do the same."

"And besides, this is the whole reason I sent Halt to Keramon Fief, your highness. I knew there were at least some people who would listen to him; it's the same reason the others were chosen to carry out the mission in other fiefs; they are generally known in those fiefs or at least have a personal reputation of being good and honest men."

"And Berrigan and Leander were both eager to go home and kick out those idiots, who Morgarath had installed in their places," Halt added.

Crowley nodded. "There's that, too."

Duncan was somewhat amused by the two Rangers. He wondered if they even realised how much they built on what the other said or if they just did it without any real thought. At any rate they could probably corner anyone in a conversation and discussion with their little tag team. He made a mental note to make sure they didn't corner him in any future discussions. Or at least wouldn't do it too often.

"All right, I get it. We can't dispel the rumours and lies in just a few weeks, but we have a good first start now. Have you had any news from the other Rangers regarding their missions?" he asked Crowley.

Crowley nodded. "I've just heard from two of the others in the north in the last few days, and generally the message is that some people are easy to convince of the truth while others are far more sceptical. As expected the villages raided by Tiller tend to be harder to convince –"

Duncan sighed.

"– but it is not always the case. Berrigan has reported at least two of the attacked villages he has visited has come around and accepted it wasn't their prince, who raided and terrorised them."

"Good to hear," Duncan said.

Crowley couldn't help a small grin as he continued. "It probably helped that Berrigan told them their Prince would help them rebuild their food stock so they wouldn't go hungry in the coming months."

"I guess I have to send something to them then. What and how much did he promise them?" Duncan did want to help, but he also knew that they only had so much to spare.

Crowley took a paper out and consulted it. "One small bag of grain, two sacks of potatoes, and permission to hunt rabbits this autumn for one village; a large sack of grain, three sacks of potatoes, five casks of ale for the inn, and also permission to hunt rabbits this autumn for the other. And he have asked for permission to add to that by shooting and bringing them a couple of deer each in a few months to help the feeling of goodwill and trust in their Prince."

"Good idea," Halt said. "Tiller and his men ate and drank a lot of what the villages had in their stores, and while harvest should help them, we're still a couple of months away from that. And generating some extra goodwill among the people won't hurt."

Duncan nodded. "Tell him I approve of the idea. And that goes for all the villages that have been raided by Tiller and his men. We want them to believe in the truth. For now I will make sure the extra resources are sent their way."

"Consider it done, your highness," Crowley replied.

"Are there any other questions, your highness?" Halt asked. While this was certainly an important issue he wanted to get to the next one; his oakleaf. In his opinion the details of food and drink could be discussed by those who were in charge of such things.

Crowley carefully looked at his paper, then at Prince Duncan. "I don't know. Do we have any more questions for Halt, your highness?"

"I don't think so. At least not right now."

Halt nodded curtly.

"But maybe there will be more questions once we have read your full report," Crowley added. He knew that Halt was impatient and wanted to get to the subject of him becoming a King's Ranger, so he wasn't going to miss the opportunity to mess a little with him now.

"Fine," Halt said. He just wanted to get on with it.

Duncan nodded. "Then it is time to get to the other matter we need to discuss," he said with a small smile. "I believe you still have to officially become a part of the Ranger Corps."

Crowley nodded. "That he do," he agreed.

"Yes, we can't keep sending you out on missions without the mandate of a Ranger," Duncan said smiling at Halt. Halt might tend to be grumpy and stoic, but Duncan knew he was one of the best and he wanted nothing more than to be able to officially call Halt one of his Rangers.

Crowley nodded in agreement. "Well, we know Halt trained with Pritchard for roughly three years, so he still has about two years left on his apprenticeship." Crowley carefully kept his smirk hidden as he said it. As he had expected Halt stiffened and then narrowed his eyes as he looked at him. Duncan swivelled around to look at him with surprise on his face.

"What?" he said. "Apprenticeship? But Crowley, Halt is an excellent Ranger. I see no reason to delay him becoming a King's Ranger."

Crowley shook his head. "An apprenticeship is five years, your highness, and it is so for a reason. We need to make sure those we train are experts in all the Ranger skills before we give them the silver oakleaf."

Duncan gestured with a hand towards Halt, who had grown very quiet as he stared at Crowley. "But Halt is already an expert at the Ranger skills! He has demonstrated that in the last couple of months."

"I'm a better archer than you," Halt said to Crowley, raising an eyebrow. He was pretty sure Crowley was messing with him, but if he wasn't... Halt pushed the thought away.

Crowley seemed to consider it for a moment. "True," he then conceded. "But there are all the other skills, too, of course."

Halt snorted. "Still as good as or better than you and you know it."

Crowley had a hard time keeping the grin off his face this time, mostly because he knew it was true. Halt could match him in just about every of the Ranger skills and in some, like archery, he was better. But riling him up was simply too much fun to give it up just yet.

"Halt is right, Crowley; he is as good as you. Why not accept that he knows what he needs and give him the silver oakleaf?" Duncan was only too well aware that the rules forbade him from interfering in internal Ranger business, but he didn't want to just accept Crowley's idea either. He thought it would be ridiculous to make Halt an apprentice instead of a fully-fledged Ranger with the skills he had, not to mention the lack of Rangers in general right now.

"I think you are both forgetting something," Crowley said. "Halt don't yet know everything he needs, your highness. He still has much to learn about Araluen and two months just isn't enough for that."

Halt's heart sank as he realised Crowley was right; he did need to learn more about the country he was now in, but surely he could do that on the job. The thought of having to be an apprentice to any of the Rangers he had spend the last weeks with was simply too weird and slightly depressing. Unless it was Pritchard. That wouldn't be too bad.

"I was thinking Halt could simply become my apprentice until he has learnt enough about Araluen, your highness," Crowley said lightly, sending a grin towards Halt, who once again narrowed his eyes at him.

Duncan looked slightly confused. The way those two worked together and acted he couldn't see them as mentor and apprentice, not to mention there were only a few years between them in age. Duncan opened his mouth, then closed it again as he realised he wasn't sure what to say to that, at least without offending one or both of them.

Crowley smiled at Halt, who continued to stare at him as if he was trying to see directly through his mind. "What do you say, Halt? Ready to be a Ranger's apprentice for a year or two?" Crowley pulled out a bronze oakleaf and held it up.

"You try to give me that, Crowley, and I will stick it up your left nostril," Halt told him stiffly.

Duncan's eyebrows went up in surprise at Halt's words, but he kept his mouth closed. He wanted to hear Crowley's response.

Crowley seemed to ponder that for a moment. "My left nostril, you say?"

Halt nodded. "That's right."

"Well, in that case I'd better give you this instead," he said and held forth a silver oakleaf for Halt. He couldn't help grinning as Halt stepped forward to take it.

Halt looked him in the eyes. "You are an idiot." But there was no vehemence behind the words.

Crowley just continued grinning. "Just take it already. Don't wait for my arm to tire."

Halt raised his eyebrow. "And here I thought you was in good shape. Guess the softness of the office is already getting to you." But he reached out a hand and closed it around the silver oakleaf, which was finally his. He stared at it and admired the beautiful craft and skill that had gone into making it.

Crowley looked at Duncan, who was shaking his head slightly. He wasn't sure he would ever fully understand the Rangers, but he guessed he might not need to either.

"Well, your highness, what do you say? Is it acceptable that we deviate a little from the usual procedure in Halt's case?"

Duncan waved a hand around. "Of course. I think I've made it clear that I see no reason to hold Halt back from becoming a fully-fledged Ranger."

Crowley nodded. "It's settled then. But you really do still need to learn more about Araluen, Halt."

Halt looked up at him.

Crowley laid a hand on his shoulder. "Luckily you have me to teach you what you haven't learned yet, so that shouldn't be a problem." He grinned at Halt, already looking forward to all the adventures they would have together.

A shadow of a smile touched Halt's face, before it went back to his usual stoic expression. "I'm sure the King and Prince Duncan will appreciate having someone here, who can keep you on your toes; wouldn't want you getting too comfortable in your office, not considering how much your strength have clearly already suffered."

Crowley just laughed and looked at Duncan. "Want to continue to listen to us insulting each other or should we leave you in peace, your highness?" Crowley inquired.

Duncan couldn't help a slight smile. He might one day figure out the weird friendship those two had, but he doubted it would be today. "You may both go," he said, officially ending their audience.

Crowley draped an arm around Halt's shoulders. "Come on; I'll show you where the office and our quarters are, then you can get acquainted with the rest of the castle."

Halt nodded. "Lead the way."

They left the hall talking quietly together, Halt holding tightly on to the shining silver oakleaf in his hand. He was finally a King's Ranger.