A/N: This is my first published fanfiction, so please help me by reviewing, about anything, so I can learn how to improve :) Basically, I was always curious about what Halt was thinking when different situations were occurring, so I decided to write those scenarios from his POV as I imagined them to be.

Disclaimer: The Ranger's Apprentice series, ideas, and characters all come from the wonderful Mr. John Flanagan. I only own Halt's thoughts and actions that were not explicitly described in the books.

Oneshot #1 - First Encounter

What was Halt doing in Master Chubb's kitchen, anyways?

Halt was standing in Master Chubb's kitchen, eyeing some of the sweetcakes that were airing on the window ledge. Master Chubb, he knew, would be back in a few minutes. He would have to make his move quickly. But before he could move, he heard soft footsteps near the window, and scraping as nails and boots made contact near the wall. Some was climbing the pipe on the wall, Halt thought. A head appeared.

He froze, decades of training suppressing the natural instinct to dive for cover. Thankfully, he was still in the shadowy corner of the kitchen, where the light was uncertain and his cloak broke up his shape. The chances were that the person who came in wouldn't see him.

A boy climbed in the room, swinging artfully through the left side window, lifting his legs to make sure they didn't touch the sweetcakes that were airing on the right windowsill. Halt mused quietly in shock, making note of his appearance. Will...

For it was Will, the orphaned boy that Halt had taken to the Ward thirteen years earlier. What was he doing there? As he watched, curious, the boy glanced around furtively, his eyes passing over Halt without noticing him, then looked hungrily at the cakes.

The same cakes that Halt was after. Halt would have chuckled, but for the fact that he had not shown any outward emotion for almost several years now. Ever since Gilan, his former apprentice, had became a Ranger...

Will reached for the cakes, bagging them in a burlap sack. Halt let him take them. A plan was forming in his head, and he thought over it as the boy left, quietly climbing the drainpipe with the sweetcakes in the bag. Even though the boy had failed to notice him in the corner, Halt had to admire his skill. Gilan had shown the same skill, though it was admittedly in a more serious manner, by trying to track Halt without being noticed. The boy had failed, as Halt was used to being stalked by more dangerous foes than a fifteen-year-old boy.

Halt slipped out of the kitchen a few minutes later, using his cloak to blend in to the more shadowy areas of the corridor beyond. There was no sign of the boy. No doubt, thought Halt, he had some escape manner ready for the go. Master Chubb came hustling down the hall, heading for his kitchen.

Master Chubb entered his kitchen, muttering about the sweetcakes. Halt waited a few seconds, ready for the explosion.

"My cakes!" Master Chubb roared. "Someone stole my sweetcakes!" Halt winced. The volume in which Chubb had bellowed was equivalent, if not louder than, Sir Rodney's parade ground voice.

Unfortunately, Master Chubb looked out the window in fury. Will chose that moment to walk underneath, licking the last of the frosting off his fingers. Equally unfortunately, the window was still open and Master Chubb was given an unobstructed view of the garden outside, the grass, and the boy.

Master Chubb stormed out of his kitchen swinging his ladle. Will, in turn, froze guiltily when he saw Master Chubb. Halt was already still as a statue, hidden in the shadows of the garden. Will turned pink in seeing this new factor that wasn't part of his plans.

A very large factor.

"Boy!" the factor roared. Red-faced and angry, Master Chubb didn't see Halt, huddled in the corner. Even if he wasn't distracted, Halt doubted that he would have noticed him. His survival - both in enemy campaigns and in trying not to be caught by a man so formidable as Master Chubb - depended on not being seen. Halt was by no means a coward. But even he didn't fancy being scolded by the Kitchenmaster. Or his wooden ladle, Master Chubb's symbol of office, for that matter. Master Chubb wielded that ladle like knights wielded morningstars, mace and chains, and battleaxes.

He almost felt sorry for the boy, then mentally shook himself. Young people, he thought, had a way of getting inside you. He must be getting old and sentimental.

"What are you doing here?" Master Chubb continued, shaking his ladle threateningly.

The boy retreated a pace, away from the deadly ladle that being brandished at him. Good choice, too, thought Halt.

"Er..." The boy turned beet-red.

"That's frosting on your fingers. Today, I was preparing sweetcakes. With frosting. Would you happen to know where those cakes are, boy?" Master Chubb questioned suspiciously, his eyes narrowing to glare at the unfortunate boy. "Did you happen to eat them?"

And here was an important moment, Halt knew. The boy had shown that he was talented. He'd snuck in and out undetected - except by Halt, of course - and devoured those cakes quickly, though Halt wasn't sure if that was an admirable talent that was needed in Rangers. But was he honest?

"Did you?" Master Chubb bellowed, waving his ladle menacingly. The boy's eyes stayed riveted on it for a few moments, then reluctantly raised up to Chubb's. Halt saw reluctance there, but also a simple honesty.

Will hesitated. Halt couldn't help it - he leaned forward, still unconsciously keeping to the fringe of the shadows. This was an important moment.

"Yes, sir?" Will replied reluctantly. Halt shook his head. Youngsters, he sighed mentally. Always answering questions with questions. But the boy was honest. That was a good trait.

Chubb didn't seem to think so. He advanced, his ladle swinging in a fast arc. Startled, Will didn't even try to retreat.

Halt winced sympathetically at the resounding crack the ladle made on Will's head. Will winced too, rubbing his head ruefully. "Sorry, Master Chubb... I was just hungry..."

Master Chubb waved his hand dismissively. Thankfully, it was the hand without the wooden ladle, otherwise Will might have been knocked out with Chubb's hand-waving. "More work for me, now, lad. Just don't do it again!" he threatened, embellishing his threat with a fierce waggle of the ladle. Will took an involuntary step back.

"Y-Yes, sir! Sorry, Master Chubb!"

Master Chubb, confident that he had upheld his honor, waddled back to the kitchen. People were always hungry, he thought philosophically, and it was the cook's job to feed them. So cooks were always busy.

Halt watched the round cook head off the corner, then looked at Will. The boy looked at his hands - probably imagining the sweetcakes in them again, Halt thought. Then Will walked off. Halt watched him for a few minutes, then headed back to his cabin. Today was an interesting day, he thought. And Will would be an interesting apprentice, when he was ready two years later.

Hope you guys liked it :) Please, please review! I'll try to update with more one-shots every few days, depending on how busy I am and when I get an inspiration. Thanks! :)