This is for Hibernian Princess's Second Challenge! "So we all know that the Men in Cloaks sing and dance...but how on earth did the Ranger Corps get like this? How did they get into this whole singing and dancing thing? Was Halt the only one behind it? And, best of all...
What was their first musical number?"
Hehehe, this is gonna be good...
Sometime between books 4 and 5...
Halt was practicing his bow skills, a short distance from his hut. Or cabin. Whatever it is. Anyways, his solitude was interrupted as Will came running from the house. Yes, that's what we'll call it. A house.
"Halt! HaltHaltHaltHaltHa-"
"What?" Halt stoically replied.
"What are these?" Will handed him a sheet of paper with two lines of song written on it, and another with three lines.
"These are the very first Ranger Corps Anthems." Halt replied simply, pulling another arrow from his quiver.
"But, they're-"
"Short? Yes. I don't even know why we ever used them, even if it was only for two days."
"Two days?"
"Yes, that's what I said didn't I? I wasn't speaking Gallic!"
"I know! Anyway...I've been wondering-"
"Oh dear." Halt interrupted. Will rolled his eyes.
"Why did the rangers start preforming song and dance?" Will asked. Halt sighed. He knew Will would never leave him alone unless he told the story.
"Let's go back to the house, and I'll tell you." He sighed again. All too soon, then were sitting comfortably on the porch, Will staring at him expectantly. Sighing again, Halt began the story. "It all started a few years after I became a Ranger. It was my first gathering...
Underline-Halt Narrating
Bold-Will butting in
Italics-Song lyrics
"Gilan had just become my apprentice. He was a lot like you-maybe even more bothersome."
"Oi!"
"I'm bored!" Gilan whined.
"Well, I'm resting." Halt replied.
"So? We haven't done anything all day!"
"Because it's rest day."
"But I'm not tired!"
"For the last time: I'm resting! Go away!"
"Does that mean if I ask again if you'll say you're done resting?" Gilan grinned. Resisting the urge to smack his apprentice, Halt sighed.
"Ugh! Go write a song or something!"
"...Okay!" Surprisingly, he left rather quickly, carrying a pen and a piece of paper. It was like he already had an idea...
"I have a bad feeling about this." Halt grumbled.
"A few minutes later, he came back."
"Okay, I wrote a song!"
"Go write another one!"
"A few more minutes later..."
"Okay, I wrote another one!" Gilan panted after he ran back. Halt sighed. Would he never get some rest?
"Let me see." He took the papers. They actually weren't bad. "What are the tunes?"
"Um...I need help with that part." Gilan mumbled. Another sigh.
"Fine. How about..."
"After an hour or so-"
"An hour or so? For a five lines?"
Do you want to hear the story or not?"
"..."
"That's what I thought. Anyway, after an hour or so of debating, the songs were ready. Of course, Gilan just had to show them to Crowley, who was just appointed Commandant."
"A Ranger Corps Anthem? That is...not a terrible idea!" Exclaimed Crowley.
"Really?" Halt questioned, worrying for their leader's sanity.
"Yes! We'll discuss it tonight when the gathering starts."
"Thank you Crowley!" Said Gilan calmly. As soon as he and Halt exited his tent, however, he whooped and jumped in the air. "Yes! And you said it was a bad idea!"
"I never said that."
"You were thinking it." Crowley retorted. Halt said nothing.
"A few hours later..."
"Next order of business: A Ranger Corps Anthem." Crowley stated.
"The general reply to this was 'What?'"
"It was brought up by two Rangers to me earlier today. I personally think it's a pretty good idea." There were noises of agreement through the crowd. "I believe they'll demonstrate for us?" Crowley asked. Halt, and two other Ranger aprrentices who were friends of Gilan, nodded eagerly and ran to the front. Gilan had to literally drag Halt, who didn't like to draw attention to himself. When they were all finally at the front of the crowd, Crowley stepped aside to let them preform. They cleared their throats.
We are Rangers!
They each struck a Ranger-like pose.
Bum bum-de bum bum bum bum bum!
With a ripple effect, they each did a turn, causing their cloaks, "Which, at the time, were plain black, or brown." to flare dramatically. Applause started, but quickly died down as they saw the quartet weren't finished. Gilan stepped slightly in front of the others, and shouted, in his best Battleschool sergeant voice.
"I SAY RANGER YOU SAY CORPS! RANGER!"
He saluted.
"CORPS!"
The other three saluted.
"WE ROCK!"
Their arms went in the air on one syllable and back by their sides on the other. Then the applause ensued.
"Now, there's only the small matter of voting on it." Crowley stated as the quartet strutted back to their seats. "All in favor of 'We are Rangers'?"
"I!"
"Ranger Corps: We Rock?"
"I!"
"The result was-"
"Oh, look at the time! We should probably go eat dinner." Halt finished as he rose from his seat.
"But-but-but-Halt!" Will cried, tearing after his mentor. "Which one won?"
"I can't remember." Halt shrugged. Will frowned. His mentor never forgot anything.
"But you wrote them!"
"No, Gilan did. I helped."
"Halt!"
And that, my friends, is how the Ranger Corps started their Song and Dance career. Hope you had as much fun reading it as I had writing it! ;) I hope tis still counts, even though those weren't real songs...
Reviews will inspire to write SOMETHING over spring break! I'm going Skiing, but I'll be stuck in the car for 3 to 4 days.
July: Three hundred twenty-four days?
Me: No, three to four days. Gosh, you're worse than Will at listening! Anyways, I will not be able to upload, but I'll be able to write, thanks to my new phone XD
Virtual hugs to those who review! XD
.
~WolfyBD
[Edit: Yes, I basically re-wrote the beginning. I personally like this version better. PM me if you agree.]