I'm going to be terribly disappointed if Gilan is the wrong age in the new books. If there is anything that bugs me about John Flanagan's books, it is his age discrepancies! (Also, when is David going to be added to the character list, seriously?)
Two people purposely strode down the wide corridor of Caraway castle. They were both short, stocky, well muscled, and dressed in almost identical mottled cloaks; however, the resemblance ended there. The slightly taller one had a mop of messy ginger hair, a light dusting of freckles over his nose, and light, laughing hazel eyes. His companion had a thick shock of black hair, a light stubble, and piercing dark eyes. Despite their differences, they moved with a feeling of familiarity and trust. The ginger raised an eyebrow as heated shouting could be heard from the office down the hallway, which just so happened to be their destination. "What do you think, Halt? Bad day?" He said mildly, turning to glance at his fellow Ranger.
Halt shrugged. "I think David is entitled to have a few bad days, Crowley. He puts up with a lot of idiots." As the Rangers tentatively came closer to the heavy wood door, slightly cracked open, they were able to make out the words of the conversation.
"Sir, that's outrageous! You can't expect that!" The speaker had a rather high, nasally voice, one that would very quickly grate on someone's nerves. "And do something about that terrible coughing! That child doesn't belong in here!"
The sound of a chair being roughly shoved back across the floor could be heard. "Excuse me?" Battlemaster David's normally calm, mild voice was colored with anger. "I refuse to deal with you right now. You're dismissed!"
"But, sir!" The nasally voice was even worse when it whined.
"Dismissed!"
The door flew open and Halt had to lurch out of the way as a red faced man angrily strode out of the office, muttering unsavory things under his breath. Exchanging glances, the Rangers cautiously entered the office. David, a tall man with light brown hair and soft grey eyes, was seated at his desk, looking completely and utterly frustrated. The Battlemaster's young son was curled on his lap, coughing miserably. Soothingly stroking his boy's blonde bangs, David tensed as the two men entered, then relaxed as he recognized them.
"Crowley, Halt. It's good to see you." he greeted them, shifting the cargo in his lap so he could address them better.
"That exchange didn't sound pleasant," Crowley responded sympathetically. "And Gilan sounds awful."
As if on cue, Gilan went into another bout of harsh, barking coughs. David winced and held his son tighter. "Can you believe that man's nerve?" The Battlemaster said as he shook his head, anger seeping through his voice. "Getting angry at my coughing, wheezing child?"
Crowley shook his head in disbelief. "What an idiot." Crowley was quite fond of David's normally happy baby, and it troubled the Commandant seeing him so dull and miserable.
David gave another heavy sigh. "Lysette is in Norgate for a few weeks, and somehow all of the nannies are unavailable." He halfheartedly rocked his son and attempted a weak smile as the boy stirred and blinked sad blue eyes at him. "I can't leave him alone, but all the meetings and such have been rough for him."
Halt's brow furrowed. "Have you taught your Battleschool classes yet?"
The Battlemaster groaned before replying, "Not yet." Glancing out the office window to the cold, windy weather, then back at his baby, he continued in a troubled tone, "I was just going to try to bundle him up and take him with me."
Crowley cleared his throat uncomfortably. "David, I respect you a lot, but that sounds like a really terrible idea."
"I know it's not ideal, but what else can I do?" David shot back, slightly exasperated. "I'm not leaving him alone when he's this sick, and I have classes to teach."
Crowley, without a beat, replied brightly, "We're here early and don't meet with the Baron till tomorrow. Halt and I could take him."
"I'm sorry, what?" Halt muttered hurriedly out of the corner of his mouth, prompting Crowley to quickly stomp on his friend's foot.
Halt glowered fiercely at Crowley while David thought. "Crowley, you're capable of a lot of things, but I'm not sure if babysitting is one of them," the Battlemaster said finally, biting his lip.
"Surely, leaving him inside with two Rangers is better then taking him out in the cold and wind when he's already this sick," Crowley countered reasonably.
David continued nibbling his lip, before wearily running a hand through his hair. "You're right. He's already sick enough... You don't mind that he's coughing pretty badly?" he asked anxiously.
"That's fine!" Crowley answered cheerfully. "Everything will be fine."
David stood up. "I you're completely sure... I suppose I'll leave, then," he said reluctantly. "My first group starts soon." Pressing a quick kiss onto Gilan's forehead before he passed the child to Crowley, David murmured, "I'll be back soon, Gilly." Turning back to the Rangers, he continued, "Be careful with him, and for pity's sake, don't drop him.
"I know, if I drop him, I have to buy you a new kid," Crowley answered, then, seeing David's slightly panicked expression, hastily added, "Joking. David, we're not going to drop your child," he said carefully. "Go teach your class."
David raised his hands in surrender and headed to the door. Casting one more glance from his coughing son to an encouraging Crowley to a sulking Halt, the Battlemaster quickly made himself exit before he convinced himself to change his mind, trying to ignore all of the awful potential scenarios that were running through the protective fatherly part of his mind.
"Care to explain why you volunteered yourself to babysit? And more importantly, why you volunteered me?" Halt grumbled from where he was moping in a large armchair. The younger man had been sulking ever since David had left, leaving Gilan in the hands of a rather enthusiastic Crowley.
The said enthusiastic Ranger gave an annoyed huff. "I told you, Gilan doesn't need to be in the cold and wind right now. Would you want to be part of the reason why he got even sicker? I don't think anyone would want a baby sick, not even a grump like yourself."
Halt sighed, conceding Crowley's point. "Even so, we still aren't really qualified to watch a sick child."
Crowley snorted and rubbed Gilan's back as the boy sniffed through a congested nose. "You think I would have offered if I didn't know what I was doing? I'm perfectly capable of looking after a baby."
Crowley did look competent, Halt had to admit with some surprise as he watched his friend handle Gilan. The dark haired Ranger had also decided that if Gilan wasn't sick, he would actually be a rather sweet looking baby. If he wasn't flushed with fever, the boy would have a light peaches and cream complexion. Soft, wispy blonde hair fell gently over his forehead, with long eyelashes framing deep blue eyes. Those deep blue eyes would normally be bright and mischievous, Halt decided, looking past their current dull, sick state.
Speaking of Gilan's eyes, they were currently gazing intently at Halt from where the boy was perched in Crowley's lap. Halt winced as every so often a fit of deep, barking coughs would rack the small frame, leaving him out and breath and slumped in exhaustion against Crowley's chest, and it wasn't long before Crowley shifted Gilan in his arms and stood up.
"Take him," the Commandant ordered, offering Gilan to Halt. "I'm going to see if I can find something to help his throat."
Halt balked. "What? I told you, I don't know how to hold a baby."
Crowley smirked before pushing Gilan into Halt's arms, adjusting his friend's grip slightly until he was satisfied. "See? All there is to it. Just sit there and keep him quiet until I get back, alright?"
Halt glanced at the weight in his arms. "Fine," he said moodily. "Hurry."
Crowley gave an encouraging smile before hurrying out of the room. Halt glared at his friend's retreating back before turning his attention to his charge.
"Just you and me, then," Halt said uncomfortably, wincing at Gilan let loose another wet cough. "Take it easy, lad."
Pacing the room, Halt stiffly held the young boy. "I didn't want to watch you," Halt informed him, surprised that he actually felt slightly guilty. "I didn't want to watch a croupy baby." Gilan shifted slightly in his arms, and Halt felt the boy relax. A tiny smile graced Halt's lips as he continued. "You're growing on me, I suppose."
And so it continued, Halt rocking the baby and continuing his one sided conversation, until Gilan drifted to sleep. Crowley returned to find Halt seated back in the armchair, methodically petting Gilan's hair as the boy slept against his chest.
"How did it go?" Crowley asked with an impish smile.
Halt quickly adjusted his face back to his usual grim expression. "It was fine."
"You like him, don't you?"
Halt shrugged non nonchalantly. "He's nice enough."
Crowley shook his head with a snort. However, it didn't escape escape his notice that Halt didn't offer to give Gilan back, instead opting to keep the young boy sleeping against his chest.
"Finally, everything's done!" David said happily as he swept into the room, his grey eyes lighting up as they landed on his son.
"Da!" Gilan said happily, reaching for his father as David scooped him off of Halt's lap. His hacking was still making him miserable, but he had perked up considerably when he recognized his parent enter the room.
Tousling Gilan's blonde mop, David turned to Crowley. "Was he good?"
Crowley smiled. "He was excellent."
David grinned back. It was amazing how being done with work and back with his family could boost a man's mood. "Thank you for watching him; you're right, it would have been bad to take him out there. The wind was pretty nippy."
"Our pleasure," Crowley said easily, and to David's surprise, Halt nodded in agreement.
Perching Gilan on his hip, David turned to exit. "I'm going to see if he wants anything to eat, then I'm going to lay him down, but I'll see you for dinner in the hall this evening. Anything to say, Gilan?" David bounced his son slightly as he spoke.
Gilan, turning shy in the way that young children will do, burrowed deeper into his father's shirt before turning his head and giving the two Rangers a soft smile. Halt felt his heart melt slightly.
"See you later, Gilan," Halt murmured, watching them go. Crowley chuckled.
"You like him."
Halt shrugged again. "He's more tolerable then other children I've interacted with."
Crowley laughed merrily. "You're fond of him." And before Halt could shoot back a response, the ginger quickly continued, "Now, I wonder where I might get a mug of coffee..."
Halt rolled his eyes as he followed Crowley out of the room and promised himself that he would never give Crowley the satisfaction of admitting that he was right.
... Except when you apprentice him, Halt, and it is painfully obvious that you are immensely fond of your apprentices.
I want the new Early Years book SO, SO BADLY. I've read some of the Australian reviews and it sounds so amazing, with GILAN. I wanted to get this one shot out before the Battle of Hackham Heath comes out in the U.S.
Apologies if it's too fluffy or OOC.
-TrustTheCloak