Easter with Halt and Will

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice.

Just a one shot to celebrate easter. This takes place between the first and second books, but my times are a bit messed up. I'm kind of assuming Will was apprenticed after easter, so he's almost been training for a year and this is his first easter with Halt.

On the fringes of the woods there was a cabin. It was a cozy cabin; polished wooden floors, a rug by the hearth, plush armchairs ranged around a fire; the dining table often sported mugs of coffee. Said coffee was plentiful, and the stores of food were always full. There was never a shortage of vegetables and stock for a stew, and the forest provided fresh meat.

There were wildflowers on the windowsills and the beds were always made, clothes folded neatly in the wadrobe. Both bedrooms had desks with inkwells and quills. This cabin was by no means owned by a rich man, but it still had a few books to read that had been gifted over the years- books were expensive and the lower class araluens usually read from goatskin parchmet, if they read at all.

While he was not a rich man, the cabin was not owned by one who was exactly lower class. No, it was owned by a ranger. And that meant, comfortable furniture, always enough food and tidyness. It also meant long periods of time where the dust and dampness could creep in when no one was home though a crackling fire cheered it up upon the ranger's return.

However, to keep the cabin in this condition took work, work that was layed onto the unwilling apprentice. He had to fill the water barrel, sweep the floors, dust the surfaces, chop firewood and polish pans and beat out the rug. After all this, he still had to learn his craft and the chores sucked his free hours away.

So when it came a certain time of the year, say for example, easter, when all the other apprentices were getting time off, this apprentice also needed a well-deserved break.

During easter, the apprentice could kick back with his friends and eat hot cross buns that the apprentice's friend Jenny made, he could catch up with Horace and Alyss and George, and after the break he'd feel so relaxed and refreshed that he'd have enough energy to double his archery practise-

"Forget it Will," Halt grunted. "You aren't getting the weekend off."

Will's impersonation of a fish was perfect. "But it's easter!"

"I am aware of that." Halt took a sip of his coffee and shifted the parchment to get a clearer view of the bottom. "I have heard of easter, you know."

Maybe, Will thought, his mentor hadn't registered the significance. "You see, on easter the craftmasters give their apprentices the weekend off."

Alas, Halt simply raised an eyebrow and continued reading through the report.

"Alyss is getting a holiday," Will tried.

"Alyss is not a ranger," Halt stated. He folded the report, tutting at something he'd read. Another sip of coffee. Will got the impression he didn't have his mentor's undivided attention.

"No, but she's a courier which is kind of similar to a ranger." He stopped when he saw Halt's expression.

The older ranger shook his head in exasperation. "Nevertheless, you are a ranger's apprentice, and ranger's apprentices do not get time off on easter."

Will heaved a deep sigh, defeated. There was nothing to be done except practise until his hands were raw and hope this was enough to persuade Halt he deserved a rest. For all the excitement his apprenticeship had brought him so far, there was three times as much work.

…...

Baron Arald, Sir Rodney and Halt were hunched over a map. Halt traced the markings with his finger as he explained the best route for the army. In another month or two, they had to pack up their fighting men and lead them to meet the king's army.

"All these war preperations are awfully dour," the baron sighed, when they had agreed that Halt's plan was a good one.

"They're necessary sir," Rodney said with a tolerant smile. "But I know what you mean. I'm glad we've got easter as a break from all this seriousness."

Halt grunted. He tapped the map to try and bring their attention back to the matter at hand.

"Quite so," the baron agreed. "I'm considering an easter egg hunt up at the castle. What do you think?"

Rodney hesitated. "As fun as that sounds sir, where would we get all the chocolate?" Chocolate was expensive, even more so than paper. Once a year, the richer nobles would give their families big eggs in crinkled, decorative wrapping, or even rabbit shaped chocolates. Most people got a smaller, less decadent egg, only one, and that was if they were lucky.

"You're right of course," Arald nodded. "We'd never fund enough for everyone to get one. There's probably not enough chocolate in all of Redmont for that."

"The younger kids would be sad if they missed out," Rodney pointed out.

"If there is nothing else," Halt said stiffly, "I'll take my leave." He had a job to do, reports to write, and he wasn't going to wait around while the baron and the battlemaster discussed easter plans.

"Lighten up a bit," Arald said airily. "Enjoy the season, Halt. There's no need to worry about this blasted war twenty-four seven."

Halt kept his face even and blank. "Be that as it may, I'll still take my leave if there's nothing more to be discussed about 'this blasted war.'"

"Language Halt," Arald scolded. He paused, glancing at both Halt and Rodney with a glint in his eye as if he expected them to burst out in chuckles. "You see," he explained, "I said it first and then-"

"We know what you said, sir, we were standing in the room," Halt interrupted. Now when Arald looked at him there was a hint of annoyance. But the ranger was unfazed, and he still had his I'm-on-my-best-behaviour innocent expression on as if he had no idea that interupting a baron was both rude and against protocol.

"I'll take my leave too, my lord," Rodney said. "With your permission, I think that's enough war talk for the day." They had already been discussing plans and numbers for several hours.

"Very well," Arald agreed. They bowed to him and left the room, Rodney's steel-toed boots clipping on the polished wood, and Halt making no sound at all.

The ranger glided down the staircases. He wasn't in a tremendous rush, but he did want to get back to the cabin before mid-afternoon because god alone knows what sorts of mischief apprentices get up to when their masters are away.

However, he had just reached the bottom floor when he heard a nervous voice call 'ranger Halt' and a plumpish, motherly woman jogged over to him. He couldn't place who it was at first. Halt didn't know many plumpish, motherly people, and those he did know weren't his friends. This one wasn't either. If he couldn't tell by not being able to recognise her, then he knew because she acted like most other people, shifting her feet and wringing her hands together.

"Yes?" He asked, cool and even. If he was intimidating, it was just because that came naturally to him, and the shadow from his cowl helped with that.

"Sir ranger, I just wanted to ask, just because I saw you just now," the woman said, "how is Will?"

Now he realised who she was. The caretaker of the ward where Will had grown up. He failed to think of her name. Something like Mary or Lucy, something plain, nothing that stuck out in the memory.

"He's fine," Halt said, a trickle of pride entering his voice.

"Good, good," Mary or Lucy or some such name said. There was a pause. She was blocking his path, and he shifted, wondering if she was planning to move or if he'd have to shove past her.

"It's good friday tommorrow," the caretaker said.

"So it is," Halt agreed cautiously. He wasn't sure where this was going or if he wanted to go there.

"We're having a celebration at the ward," she said tentatively, testing the water. "Will's invited of course." She must have seen his eyebrows drawing together, because she hurried on. "It's just that it's his first easter away from my ward."

He peered at her in suspicion. Had Will put her up to this? Probably. She didn't look like she could have talked to him without some encouragement if he took her frantically twisting hands into account.

"I'm sure he's grateful for the offer," Halt said, "but Will is busy this weekend."

"I thought he would be," she said, sorrow creeping over her features. "Well, can you tell him a happy easter from me? And that I would have bought him a chocolate egg but my budget doesn't cover the orphins that have left my ward."

"I'm sure he'll cope," Halt said. He was starting to feel uncomfortable, but he wasn't about to back down just because some woman whose name he couldn't remember was worried.

"Oh I know he will!" she gabbled. "I get anxious, is all, because I usually buy them all an egg, and this is his first easter that he won't get one, and I don't know if he expects one and he'll be disappointed, or if he'll feel lonely seeing other kids with eggs from their parents when he doesn't have parents- I'm sorry ranger, I shouldn't be offloading all this on you."

Halt had never been a good comforter. He cleared his throat and patted her shoulder. "He's fifteen now, ma'am, almost sixteen. I assure you, he will be absolutely fine."

"Yes, yes," she said. Then she straightened, alarm flashing over he face. "Sorry ranger, sorry." She curtseyed and tripped over her feet in her rush to get away and stop annoying him before he turned her into a toad. Halt shrugged to himself and continued on his way, shaking off the encounter. But he took a detour on the way home anyway.

…...

On easter sunday, Will woke at the lazy light of dawn. He stretched and yawned, eyes opening to stare at the ceiling. His mentor would expect him to be up and dressed in minutes. Will rolled onto his side, regretting the loss of sleep.

Then he stopped thinking about sleep entirely, for sitting at his bedside table was a single egg the size of his palm, wrapped in gold paper. Will tossed off his blankets. He cautiously poked the egg, then lifted it into his hand staring at it.

"Halt! Halt!" he cried, disregarding the getting dressed part of the morning. He flung his door open, clad in sleeping shorts and a tunic, barefoot and hair crumpled. The golden egg was clutched to his chest, as if it was an ancient relic of times gone by.

Halt was already dressed, but he was still in his room and he gave a long-suffering sigh as he came out to see what the fuss was about. He raised an eyebrow at his apprentice, who was gaping and holding up the egg.

"Halt!" he exclaimed. "The easter bunny really does exist!"

Halt frowned.

"I always thought it was Maria," Will continued. "I saw her once, sneaking into my room, and of course there was the time Horace made fun of George for thinking the easter bunny was real, so I thought... I don't believe this!"

Halt stared at him for a long moment. "You imbecile," he muttered.

Will waved it off. "I know. The older we get the less we believe, but it must be true, because I got an egg, and it couldn't possibly have been from you." He drew out the 'you' and then cut it off abruptly after a glance at Halt's thunderous eyes.

"Why could it not possibly be from me?" Halt asked with some dignity and a lot of sarcasm.

Will squirmed. A hint of red touched his cheeks and he looked every bit as foolish as he felt. "Ah, well. You don't seem the type, is all." He grinned, a tad sheepishly. "Thank you Halt," he added. He made to peel off the wrapping but Halt stopped him.

"You can eat it after you've filled the water barrel," he instructed.

Will's face fell. "Aw, Halt! I'm sorry I thought it was the easter bunny!"

Halt rolled his eyes. "I'm not holding a grudge Will, but I'm still not giving you a holiday either."

Will sighed. "Not even one day?" There was no real pleading, because he was already happy with his chocolate, but he tried anyway.

"Not a chance," Halt said. He laid a consolitary arm around Will's shoulders. "You need all the practise you can get. Remember the kalkara? Just think what would have happened to the baron and Rodney if you hadn't put in all that effort in making sure you never missed a shot." Not to mention what would have happened to Halt himself.

"I suppose so," Will agreed.

"You know so. There's a war coming, Will. We're rangers and we can't take risks. We need our skills to be honed."

Will nodded, resigning himself to a hard afternoon of archery and knife throwing and mapping.

"Now," Halt continued. "Shall we have hot cross buns for breakfast?"

So that's what they did, and the little cabin on the fringes of the woods was filled with warm baking. Smoke spiralled from the chimney, lifting into the blue sky. The ranger and his apprentice smothered butter in the toasted buns. That was their break, their ten minute easter holiday.

Happy easter!