DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice; all rights to John Flanagan!

For my amazing sister EvenstarWarrior, who has never let me down and has always been there for me. Happy Birthday!

It was a beautiful day in Redmont. The few, fluffy clouds in the sky were decidedly still, and the thick scent of wildflowers hung in the air.

Crowley breathed in deeply, wanting to savor this wonderful morning air for the rest of his life. He patted Cropper's neck affectionately, and the horse responded with a quiet snort. Then the little cabin came into view, and the Ranger twisted in the saddle to make sure the small cage tied to the back of his saddle was still there. Satisfied that all was well, he clucked his tongue gently to Cropper, and the horse obediently increased its pace to a smooth trot.

It did not take long for them to reach the front porch of the small cabin in the woods. Crowley happily slid from the saddle and quickly untied the cage from his saddle. He peeked underneath the thick canvas draped over top to make sure his precious cargo was still intact before making his way up to the front door.

He was about to knock on the door when he stopped, knuckles still raised in mid-air. Don't need to knock. He thought to himself before shoving the door open cheerfully.

"Good morning, Halt!" He glanced around the interior of the house, fully expecting to see his old friend lounging on the couch reading through reports or sipping a cup of coffee. But he wasn't there. "Halt?" Throwing the cowl back on his cloak and setting the cage down beside the front door, he took a few steps inside the house, calling again to his friend. "Halt, I know you're home. Abelard is out in the paddock." He grinned as he heard a frustrated sigh coming from the bedroom.

Crowley strode over to the doorway and threw the door wide open. "There you are!"

Halt glared at him. "What do you want?"

"Woah there! No need to be so grouchy." Crowley sank down on the bed and watched his friend sitting at the little desk in the corner of the room. "What are you doing?"

"Reports. What else?"

"Oh." Crowley was slightly disappointed that his friend was in such a bad mood, but he knew that it wouldn't be a problem to cheer him up. "Where's Will?"

"Outside."

The Ranger sitting on the comfortable bed realized that Halt's replies were getting shorter and shorter, so he decided to change the subject. "I—"

"Done!" Halt exclaimed at exactly the same time that Crowley began to speak. The gray-bearded Ranger quickly folded the papers he was working on and slid them into an envelope before placing them neatly in the pocket of his jerkin. "What were you saying?"

"I brought a surprise."

Halt groaned as he headed for the kitchen. "Isn't that what you always bring?"

Crowley grinned as he followed the other man, closing the bedroom door gently behind him. "I got a pet." He said excitedly, walking over to the little cage still resting on the floor and picking it up by the handle on the top.

"A pet." Halt raised an eyebrow as he set a pot of coffee brewing.

Crowley nodded emphatically.

Just then Will burst into the cabin, shouting for Halt. "Halt! Hey Halt, where did you go?" He didn't realize that his master was sitting at the kitchen table, watching him amusedly. "Why are you always sneaking off like that?" The boy dashed into Halt's bedroom before emerging seconds later, only to run right into his mentor. "Oh, Halt!" He continued, completely nonplussed. "There you are. Can I—"

Will glanced up and saw Crowley still standing by the front door, the cage dangling by his fingers. "Oh, good morning, Crowley!"

The other Ranger frowned. "Is that any way to speak to your commandant?"

Will shrugged. "I learn everything I know from Halt." But before either of the two senior rangers could say anything, though, he continued. "What's in the cage?"

"My pet." Crowley said, beaming. Then, with those words, he ripped the canvas off the cage to reveal what was hidden inside.

Halt raised both eyebrows this time as he saw the little animal inside the cage. "A bird?" He asked, completely unimpressed.

"No, not just a bird. It's a crow!"

"Cool!" Will said, coming forward to look at the little black bird with dark, beady eyes. "What's his name?"

"Not his, her." Crowley said, setting the cage down on the kitchen table and taking a seat beside Halt. The gray-bearded ranger stood to get the coffee while Crowley continued to explain the little beast to Will.

"Her name is Lee."

"Lee? Isn't that a boy name?" Halt asked, currently coming back to the table with three mugs of coffee.

Crowley shook his head in disgust as both Halt and Will spooned a healthy amount of honey in the dark liquid. He shrugged. "So what?"

"Where'd you get him?" Will asked, taking a big gulp of coffee.

"Her."

"Sorry."

"I got her from a little shop in the town. Forget what it was called. Something like, 'Wings and Beaks, or something like that."

Halt snorted. "Wings and Beaks?"

"I told you I don't remember what it was called!" Crowley said defensively.

"Hey, Crowley has a crow named Lee!" Will beamed at his own wit and glanced around the table at hs two companions.

Crowley just stared at him blankly and Halt shook his head.

Will decided at that point it would be a good idea to change the subject. "She's cute." He said, sticking a finger between the bars of the cage to stroke the dark feathers.

"I wouldn't—" Crowley began.

"OW!" Will yelped, yanking his hand out of the cage and glaring at the bird accusingly. "It bit me!"

"Birds don't bite, Will. They peck. The bird pecked you." Halt said, taking another long draft of coffee.

Will scowled at his mentor. "Same thing. Crowley, this bird is rabid! You should get your money back."

Crowley shook his head. "I bought her that way."

"You mean you bought a rabid bird?"

"No. She's wild. She's not tame or anything."

Halt peered at his friend over the rim of his coffee cup. "Crowley, what exactly are you going to do with it?"

"What do you mean, Halt? I'm gonna keep her." Crowley looked fondly at his new pet.

"But she bit me!" Will said indignantly.

"She doesn't bite me, see?" Crowley opened the bird-sized door to the cage and Lee obediently hopped onto his outstretched finger. With his other hand, Crowley gently pet the bird, crooning to it gently.

Will's mouth hung open, and Halt even stopped drinking his coffee to stare at his friend.

Crowley glanced up, an innocent look on his face. "What?"

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed it, especially you, EvenstarWarrior! I tried to make it funny, but if it turned out like more of a smile-and-inwardly-kinda-chuckle story, then I guess that's okay, too. And remember, reviews are very muchly appreciated! And PLEASE PLEASE tell me what you thought about it. Were all the characters in character? I'm kinda nervous if this one was good or not, so please tell me!

Arrow :D :D