Disclaimer: Ranger's Apprentice and all the characters associated with it belong to Mr. John Flanagan. I'm not making any money, I don't own it, and this isn't for any personal gain. Or something like that.
My excuse for not posting this sooner: I forgot about its existence. Oops.
You watch wearily as a Ranger enters through Redmont's gates.
By definition, you're normal. You're just another sentry, positioned around the wall that protects Arald's castle.
But the hooded Ranger seems to think otherwise, and raises his head to meet your gaze. The face is young, but showed signs of recent stress.
Fear takes your heart, your jaw clenches, and the grip around your pole tightens. Then, the Ranger urges his horse forward, and you relax.
You used to trust Araluen's hooded protectors. But you've heard the rumors. A Ranger brutally murdered a farmer and then ran. The last you heard, the Ranger had been seen three days south of Redmont. You don't know the whole story. You don't know if the farmer induced the attack, but you believe that Rangers should be able to hold their anger.
"Aye," The sentry next to you says, "Have you heard? They caught 'im."
"Who?" You reply.
"Will Trea'y," The guard tells you. Your face must have been the picture of shock, so the guard quickly says, "'E's the piece 'o slime that murdered some farmer." Your speechless. Will Treaty. The Will Treaty.
None of the stories in the village ever pinpointed who the killer was. The story teller would take random guesses, but no one ever was positive. And everyone believed Will Treaty was out of the fief because he was looking for the killer. Not that he was the killer…
"They can't sentence 'im, though…" The guard continues. His expression is downcast in a mocking manor.
"And why on Earth is that?" You ask, slightly alarmed. Your fellow guard tosses his head back and laughs, saying,
"Because Ranger Halt found 'im dead in a river!" The guard laughs like it's the funnies thing he's ever heard. You shift uncomfortably.
"It wasn't a river." A new voice says from behind you. You jump, spinning towards the shadow that the voice came from. "And Will didn't drown."
A tall, lanky man wearing a cloak that marked him a Ranger steps out from the shadows. His hood covers his eyes, but you still recognize him as the Ranger who'd rode in a few moments ago. Up close, you realize the Ranger is exhausted. His shoulders are slumped, and he is swaying slightly.
"Your kind," The Ranger says bitterly, "Killed him. Not a river."
The guard continues to laugh, though.
You shift uncomfortably. "What… what do you mean by… our kind?" You ask. The Ranger's hood slips back, and more of his face is revealed.
The Ranger's dark eyes dart to your own. They're narrowed, and you look away quickly.
"Your kind," The Ranger snarls, "Chased him town to town, not even giving him a chance to explain himself. When Halt finally found him, exhaustion, hunger, and fatigue had set in. Running- trying to help… that's what killed him."
Your fellow guard has stopped laughing. Without another word, the Ranger stalks away.
"It's alright, Gilan…" Halt says, hugging his eldest 'son' close.
"We'll make sure they know." Arald says from behind his desk. "King Duncan has already been informed. I'll personally tell all my staff of Picta's plot…
"Yeah…" Gilan says meekly through his tears. "We'll make sure they know it was for us… it was for us."
Hidden behind the curtain, your eyes widen. Renewed hope- hope that you've been needing- in the Rangers fills you. You smile.
"For us…" You repeat to yourself over and over again. "For us."
Short, semi-sweat, and to the point (sorta.)
Renegade Inspiration