A.N.: Sorry about the shortness of this chapter! It is still on the start of a problem so I don't want to give too much (*grin*). Next chapter will be longer (2000, I think)!
Sitting up the tree, Will soon realized, gave him a great view over the forest. The tree branch was strong enough to support him and his training with the assassins helped. A lot. He could make out the small gaps in the trees where the assassins once lived at until they left. He couldn't help but feel sadden by it. If he hadn't been there, would they have move and their home castle burned down? Probably not.
"Will! What are you doing up there?" A voice called from below.
Will gazed down through the leafy branches and squinted a little to see better, "Arch!"
He snuck a quick glance toward Halt's cabin. He was probably out. Will grinned and slid down the tree, landing in an almost silent thud in front of Arch.
"Hey, Will." Arch smiled slightly and pointed upward, "What are you doing up there? Talking to birds?"
Will shot him a look, "No, it was my punishment."
Arch stared at him for a moment before laughing out loud, "It must have been a really fun experience for you."
"I guess so." Will shrugged then smiled, "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I just came to visit you. Didn't expect to find you up in a tree." Arch replied and gestured toward the creeks, "Walk with me?"
Will followed.
"What do you have in mind?" Arch asked once they were a little further from Halt's cabin.
Will glanced sideway at the assassin, "How do you know?"
Arch poked him on the shoulder, "I can read people's emotion pretty well, Will. You were frowning an awful lot this morning. Something bothering you?"
"Well, yes." Will said hesitatingly, "There is this one matter that I have been wanting to ask you."
Arch didn't say anything but nodded his head for him to go on.
"How are you coping with the rangers so far?" Will asked.
"Coping?"
"Relationships." Will elaborated a little, "I don't really see, well, any friendship growing." He gestured wildly, "So…"
"Mind your hands before they slap me in the face." Arch grinned, much to Will's embarrassment, "Coping? Funny that you would ask."
"Why?"
"To be honest," Arch glanced at Will, "We are not really on good terms with the rangers."
"What happened?"
"Nothing really happened." The blond shook his head, "They seem to be distrusting us. They have a good reason, though since we were once the assassins that sent you to assassinate the king."
"I thought they have gotten over that." Will started.
"They might have for you," Arch shrugged, looking away slightly, "since they have found the real culprit behind all of this. They welcomed you back with open arms but the same couldn't be said for us."
"I didn't know." Will said almost warily. It must have been his fault.
"Is that the only thing you have in mind?" Arch prompted.
The brunet shook his head with a sigh, "Well, there is still the ranger's gathering."
"Ranger's gathering?" Arch frowned, then he said, "Oh, that."
"You knew?" Will was surprised.
Arch grinned almost slyly, "Well, I might have tailed a ranger once or twice to their gathering."
"Arch!" Will said accusingly, causing the blond's grin to widen.
"It was for information." Arch smirked, "We need to know everything about Araluen to ensure our safety back then."
Will raised an eyebrow, "Arch, there is a reason as to why it is secret and no one else besides rangers attended it."
"So?"
Will threw his hand in the air in exasperation.
"I am not the one who went to the gathering the most amongst us." Arch crossed his arms.
"Who then?"
"Lord K." Arch said, tapping his fingers against the side of his arms, "Well, ever since you became a ranger, Lord K had been going to the gathering every year."
"Why?" Will frowned.
"Why what?"
"Why did he...?" Will trailed off.
"Oh, he hadn't tell you about it?" Arch looked taken aback and flapped his hand, "Well, forget what I had said."
"Why?"
"He," Arch hesitated, "He will tell you when he thinks it is the right time."
There was a momentary silence as they both walked on before Will broke it, "Are you coming to the ranger's gathering?"
Arch looked surprised, "Why would we? It is a ranger's gathering, as you pointed out. We are…assassins."
"But since you are officially working with the king, wouldn't you be counted as a ranger as well?"
Arch grinned slightly, "We are thinking of a different name than 'rangers'. The king didn't seem really pleased with the title 'Assassins' and he kindly suggested us to change it."
"So will you be coming?"
A pause.
Then Arch glanced toward the sun, "Well, you better get back to the tree. We have been gone for long enough."
"Alright." Will managed and turned, heading back to the cabin. Arch stared after his retreating figure.
There were a lot of unanswered questions. And in some ways, he was going to find the answers for himself. There were still a lot of secrets surrounding the assassins. The distrusts weren't new but somehow, he knew that he had to solve it. Or there will never be peace between the two. For once, he wanted nothing more than to just relax and sit back. Just to enjoy the sunrise at Araluen. But even that seemed far away. There were still much to do.
Thanks for all the reviews, they really made my day ^ ^ (again, sorry about the shortness. But it was necessary!)
