ureshiitamago: So, my friend acacia626 and I are collabing on this. :) I hope you all like it!
acacia626: Um, ok, so this is my first story, so…...yeah. And stuff.
ureshiitamago: -_-' not very talkative are you?
acacia626: No.
Evan: Can we get started before I have to poke you with my knitting needle?
Little Brother: Disclaimer; ureshiitamago and acacia626 don't own Ranger's Apprentice. And Warning, this will be set after the 11th book, but well before the 12th book. Also, Halt and Pauline will be younger.
Chapter 1: The Return
Pauline, a tall and graceful grey haired woman, sat down with a cup of tea. Quietly, she sipped it while eyeing the others who were sitting around the living room with her. Will, Alyss, and Horace were currently visiting her and Halt in their small apartment in Castle Redmont. Halt looked at his wife fondly, and then glared at her choice of beverage. Despite having been married for nearly seven years, they still disagreed with each other over tea and coffee.
"So…" Will began, trying to keep his old mentor from glaring a hole into the tea cup. It was effective, the glare was redirected towards Will. He flinched slightly and then went on. "What was it that was in the report that I never got to see?" Halt's glare subsided a smidge.
"It was the movements of slave traders along the coast, and some movements of a new religion." Halt sneered slightly in disgust at the last statement. Will nodded slowly.
"So...we're going to do something about both of them, right?" He asked. Halt grinned feraly.
"Yes." Pauline smiled into her tea, and locked eyes with Alyss, who was also smiling in amusement. The girls grinned at each other, and rolled their eyes at their husbands antics. Horace looked up from the bread roll he was demolishing.
"I get to go too, right?" He asked, eyes flicking from Halt to Will. Will grinned at his friend, then looked at Halt pleadingly.
"As long as he doesn't eat all of our supplies." Halt growled in a mock fierce tone. Pauline set her cup back down on her saucer, and glanced from Halt to Will to Horace.
"Don't underestimate slavers." She said warningly. "They do the work that they do because they are great at not being caught." Halt looked at her askance.
"Are you suggesting that we won't catch them?" He asked suspiciously. Pauline smiled mysteriously.
"No. I'm just warning you." She said, sipping her tea once again. Halt glared at the cup in disgust, and then stood up, grabbing his bow and quiver from behind the chair he had been lounging in. Will and Horace followed suit. Horace, who was closest to the door, reached it first and opened it, only to have a small fist driven into his stomach. He quickly backpedaled, and winced in pain. Will peeked around his large friend, and saw a diminutive woman standing in the doorway with a puzzled look on her face.
"Since when did wooden doors suddenly turn into cloth?" She asked in a gravelly voice.
Will blinked. "Uh, the door opened?" He said questioningly. The lady let out a short bark of laughter.
"I get that." She remarked sarcastically. She tilted her head way back to look up at Horace. "Since when do they make size 'giants' in knights?" she asked.
"It's not my fault." Horace said under his breath. Then, in a louder tone, "I was born big." The lady eyed him up and down before snorting.
"Yeah, yeah. So was I." She said gloomily before pushing past Horace. "I was told that I could find Paulie here." she said in an explaining tone.
Pauline, who was just finishing her tea, noticed the tiny woman, and a wondering expression crossed her face.
"Evie?!"