DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice; all rights to John Flanagan.
"DON'T ask." Halt said, finally deciding to stop the flow of questions before they even started again.
He could practically hear Will's mouth clamp shut again.
"I was just going to ask—" Will began to mutter, but Halt cut him off.
"You were just going to ask if we were almost to the crossroads, just like the last hundred times you asked. And I said, don't ask." Halt said, a little more moodily than he'd meant it to be. Oh well. He thought. Maybe I can finally get some peace and quiet around here until we meet up with—
"Hello, Halt! Will!"
The gray-bearded ranger closed his eyes slowly, then opened them again to see Gilan waiting for them a few meters ahead, waving enthusiastically.
"Hi Gil!" Will called back, urging Tug to quicken his pace.
Halt kept Abelard at the same, steady walk, though the horse rumbled his protest at being kept behind the other two. "We'll catch up with them soon enough." Halt murmured quietly to his stallion. He enjoyed being around his apprentices, both former and current, but sometimes their youthful vibrancy and actively questioning minds kept him at bay. Not to say he didn't enjoy it, of course. Whenever Will was away, he would find himself strangely missing the constant stream of questions and the lively spark he brought into his life.
Halt was snapped out of his thoughts by Gilan, who was staring at him expectantly. He looked up to find that he had somehow managed to be riding right in between his two apprentices. Will on the right, Gilan on the left. He glared at Abelard, knowing that he had taken advantage of his distraction and sped up to catch up with the other two quicker.
"Well, Halt? Have you seen Crowley's new pet?" Gilan repeated his question, his eyes sparkling mischievously.
"Yes, Gilan. I have." He responded dryly.
The young man beamed. "So, what did you think of her?"
"He thought he was fantastic!" Will answered for Halt, knowing that his reply was nothing like what Halt had thought of the bird.
"She, Will. Lee is a she." Gilan corrected the young apprentice.
"Right." Will said thoughtfully, trying to think of an easy way to remember it. "Hey, Lee is a she. It rhymes, you see?" Suddenly he grinned, starting to laugh at his own unintended rhyme. "Hey, I'm a poet and I didn't even know it!"
Halt rolled his eyes while Gilan chuckled quietly.
The rode in silence for a few minutes, before Will began to inevitably speak again.
"So, Halt. I've been thinking…" He trailed off, glancing expectantly at Halt. But his mentor remained quiet. Will shared a look with Gilan, who shrugged.
"Aren't you going to say, 'Always a dangerous pastime' or 'You're an apprentice; you're not supposed to think'?" He asked, hoping to goad his mentor into it.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because you're expecting it. It's no fun if you're expecting it."
Will shrugged. "Well, I was thinking that I—"
"Always a dangerous pastime."
Will turned to look at Halt, obviously confused. "I thought you said you weren't going to say it because I was expecting it?"
Halt grinned, and Will thought it looked more like a wolf baring its teeth. "You weren't expecting it."
-
They finally made it to the Gathering Grounds, and, while Gilan and Will picked a spot to pitch their tents, Halt left Abelard with them to make a quick stop by the command tent.
"Oh, hello, Halt!" Crowley called to his old friend, standing from his chair to greet him.
"Crowley." Halt dipped his head slightly, acknowledging the other man.
"So, has Gilan told you?"
The gray-bearded Ranger's brow furrowed in confusion. "Told me? About what?"
A look of sudden alarm passed Crowley's face, but he quickly erased it and smiled easily. "Oh, nothing, nothing. Forget I even said anything, okay?"
"No problem." He said, not sure he wanted to know what Gilan still had to tell him.
Okay, EvenstarWarrior requested that this story be continued, and she gave me some great ideas, so…yeah. I'll be continuing this; its no longer a one-shot. Anyways, sorry it was kinda short. I hope you all enjoyed it! :)
Arrow :D