DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters. They all belong to John Flanagan.

Hey guys :)

So I'm not sure exactly how this'll go, but I'm hoping you like it :)

Review please!


CHAPTER 1:

Rayna watched wistfully as Will showed Axel how to draw back on his bowstring properly. When he was convinced that the fifteen year old boy had it right, he stepped back and allowed him to realease at the target. The arrow embedded itself not quite in the center of the circular block of wood. Axel grinned and turned to Will, who clapped his son on the back. Rayna sighed. She'd very much like to be a Ranger, she thought. Oh well. She had gotten the next best thing. The only girl in her age group to be selected for Battleschool.

Will glanced over towards the trees, and Rayna knew better than to move. He'd probably known she was there the entire time, but just in case he hadn't she didn't want to draw attention to herself by moving. His gaze appeared to pass right over the tree where she sat huddled in the branches, but she didn't take that as a sign that he hadn't seen her. She knew her best friend's father too well for that. After he had finished scanning the trees, he leaned towards Axel and said something unintelligible to him. Axel didn't move, but Rayna guessed, correctly, that he was scanning the trees as well, with his eyes. He said something to Will, and the famous Ranger smiled at him. He urged him to run along, and when Axel was gone into his small one man tent he looked up at Rayna's tree and touched two fingers to his forehead in a salute. Rayna smiled at him, and the Ranger went to follow his son inside.

Rayna grabbed a cloak and swarmed down the tree like a squirrel. She dropped to the ground without making a sound and crept towards the Gathering Ground. She had "borrowed" one of Axel's Ranger cloaks and now studied the pattern of shadows cast by the trees in the evening light. Axel had taught her this trick a couple years back, and it had helped her slip past her parents night after night to join James – her friend from Battleschool who had grown up in the ward – in the forest. She grinned. They hadn't caught her once. Now she pulled the cowl of the cloak over her head, bathing her face in shadows. She slipped past a few Rangers who looked up, frowning, feeling as though they'd missed something. Then they shrugged and went back to chatting quietly. Rayna smiled to herself as she came up behind Axel's tent, apparently without being spotted. She climbed up a tree so that the noise projected properly. She had practised for hours, preparing for the Gathering. She emitted an almost perfect impression of an owl's hoot, and she heard muttering voices from inside the tent. She slipped silently back down the trunk of the tree and waited for Axel. He came out and walked past her tree, pretending not to notice her. She slipped after him, darting from cover to cover, crouching, remaining unseen by everyone but Axel. He looked back every once in a while and she froze, but she knew he had seen her. She grinned at him once. He was smart enough not to grin back until they were deep in the forest. Then he said quietly: "They won't be able to see you here, you can get up. But move quietly; they might hear you." She nodded and stood slowly. He grinned at her now.

They walked side by side through the forest, making barely a sound on the leaf-littered forest floor, heading to a clearing they had selected just for this purpose. There was a large fallen over log towards the far side, and they sat down on it. Rayna let out a sigh. Axel looked at her and smiled. She looked up at him and smiled back. Then they turned back to watching the forest floor. Rayna rested her elbows on her knees and clasped her hands together, bouncing her knees up and down. Axel kept glancing from her to the forest floor, then back to her, and back to the ground. The plan had been to sneak past the Rangers and meet here, but now that they were here they didn't know what to do. Rayna hadn't expected to get past the professionals, and Axel had thought she would know what to do.

"Hey," he said eventually, and she looked at him. He grinned. "We did it."

Rayna grinned back and he stood up, offering a hand. She took it and jumped to her feet. Then she threw her arms around his neck. She hadn't exactly been sure if they would make it, and she didn't think Will would give them much trouble if they did get caught, but other Rangers might. And they hadn't been caught.

"We sure did," she muttered into the cowl of his cloak that had been pushed back from his head. He smiled into hers. Then they pulled apart. This was Rayna's least favorite part. The part where the other Rangers would expect him back, so he had to leave. And that meant she had no reason to stay any longer.

"See you next year," Rayna said. Their parents were from different fiefs, and Rayna's father was a Ranger as well, though not quite as famous as Will Treaty. The only time they could meet was at the Gathering every year, seeing as neither of their parents could move to a different fief just like that. Even if they did move, it would be because Skinner – Rayna's father – had been assigned a new fief, or another Ranger had been assigned his.

"Promise you'll be even sneakier next year?" Axel said. Rayna smiled sadly at him. He returned the look. Then they embraced again, and Rayna kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Promise," Rayna whispered in his ear, and he smiled. They stepped back and looked at each other for a moment, then Rayna darted off into the trees away from the Ranger camp, to skirt around back to the road and retrieve her horse. Axel stayed there for a moment, then turned to walk back to the Gathering Grounds. He was just in time to hear the assignments.

Halt had retired a while back, and Will was the Ranger remaining at Redmont. Axel wondered what fief Skinner would be assigned to. He knew that Rayna wouldn't mind changing fiefs. She didn't make many decent friends at Battleschool. He crossed his fingers, hoping she would be moved to a fief closer to Redmont. He barely suppressed an enormous whoop when Skinner was assigned the fief directly beside his home. When Skinner heard the news, he glanced at the young Ranger's apprentice and smiled. He mouthed the words: I can't wait to tell Ray. Ray was what he called his daughter. Axel grinned and shook his head. Surprise her. Skinner smiled and nodded.

Will smiled at the silent exchange between Skinner and his son. At least now Skinner's small, dark haired daughter and his son wouldn't have to go sneaking off together at every Gathering, although he suspected they would.

That night, he tried to question his son on what he'd done today. Axel replied simply: "Dad, you were with me pretty much all day. I didn't do anything exciting."

"Hmm . . ." Will said, pretending to consider it. Axel glared. He didn't like it when his father knew something but didn't say it. "How's Rayna?" Will asked eventually. Axel shrugged.

"I saw her for a moment when Skinner came in, but she had to leave. As far as I know, she hasn't changed." Axel smiled inwardly. She had actually become much better at hiding with the shadows, making her bird calls, and moving silently.

Will nodded slowly. His son was good at this. He decided not to tell him that he had seen Rayna hiding in the tree. He had to admit that he'd lost track of her after that. He just smiled at his son and apprentice, and he was proud. The small, slim, brown-eyed boy in front if him would grow up to be as famous as his father. Axel yawned suddenly.

"Well," he said. "I'm going to sleep. I still need it, unlike you Rangers seem to."

"You are a Ranger, Axel," Will reminded him.

"Not yet," Axel said, with a certain amount of satisfaction in his voice. "I'm still an apprentice." Then his breathing fell into a steady rhythm and he was asleep.

"Not yet," Will said.

Rayna rode hard, following the long, straight road. Eventually, her small horse tired and slowed to a trot. She sighed and slid from the saddle. She wasn't even a sixth of the way there. She set up a small camp beside the road, hidden by the trees, and coaxed her horse to lay down. He obliged with some hesitation, but eventually he was lying next to the tent, facing the direction they were headed, sleeping. Rayna sat down next to him and leaned on his belly. She would sleep here, hopefully going unnoticed, then move out in the morning. Satisfied with her plan, she nodded and fell asleep.

Skinner saw Crowley that night. "Crowley, I'm going to direct Rayna to head straight for the new fief. Could you send word to Angela –"

Crowley held up a hand. "Already done. A while ago, in fact."

"How long ago are we talking?" Skinner asked suspiciously. Crowley smiled and waved an arm dismissively.

"Not important. Did you have something else to ask?"

"Yes, actually," Skinner said. "Rayna has a friend, at the old fief, from her battleschool. His name is James –"

"Also done," Crowley said with a smile, and when Skinner opened his mouth to ask how long, Crowley held up a hand. "Still not important. Skinner, they know. They're probably on their way already. It's fine."

"Oh," Skinner said. "Well, thanks."

"Out pleasure, Skinner," Crowley said with a smile. "Good luck at the new fief."

"Thanks, boss," Skinner said, returning his smile.

"Please," Crowley said. "It's Crowley."

Skinner grinned and stepped out to saddle Small. He had to go turn Rayna in the right direction.


So there's chapter one!

Let me know what you think!

Review please!

-The Demons