Here we are! Another Chapter for MPWT!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Ranger's Apprentice, just my OCs (- wink wink ;) )

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Chapter 1

'Are we nearly there yet?' Will asked for perhaps the tenth time that morning.

Halt gave vent to a small sigh of exasperation. Other than that, he made no reply. They had been on the road now for three days and it seemed to Will that they must be close to the Gathering Ground. Several times in the past hour, he had noticed an unfamiliar scent in the air. He mentioned it to Halt, who said briefly, 'It's salt. We're getting close to the sea,' then refused to elaborate any further. Will glanced sidelong at his teacher, hoping that perhaps halt might deign to share a little more information with him, but the Ranger's keen eyes were scanning the ground in front of them. From time to time, Will noticed, he looked up into the trees that flanked the road.

'Are you looking for something?' Will asked and Halt turned in his saddle.

'Finally a useful question,' he said, 'yes, as a matter of fact, I am. The Chief Ranger will have sentries out around the Gathering Ground. I always try to fool them as I'm approaching.'

'Why?' asked Will and Halt allowed himself a tight little grin.

'It keeps them on their toes,' he explained. 'They'll try to slip behind us and follow us in, just so they can say they've ambushed me. It's a silly game they like to play.'

'Why is it silly?' asked Will. It sounded exactly like the sort of skill exercises that he and Halt practiced regularly. The grizzled Ranger turned in his saddle and fixed Will with an unblinking stare.

'Because they never succeed,' he said. 'And this year they'll be trying even harder because they know I'm bringing in an apprentice. They'll want to see how good you are.'

'Is this part of the testing?' Will asked and Halt nodded.

'It's the start of it. Do you remember what I told you last night?'

Will nodded. For the past two nights, around the camp fire, Halt's soft voice had given Will advice and instructions on how to conduct himself at the Gathering. Last night, they'd devised tactics for use in case of an ambush – just the sort of thing that Halt had mentioned now.

'When will we …' he began, but suddenly Halt was alert. He held up a warning finger for silence and Will stopped speaking instantly. The Ranger's head was turned slightly. The two horses continued without hesitation.

'Hear it?' Halt asked.

Will craned his head too. He thought that, just maybe, he could hear soft hoof beats behind them. But he wasn't sure. The gait of their own horses masked any real sound from the trail behind. If there was someone there, his horse was moving in step with their own. Then, he felt a tingling sensation on the back of his neck, he turned his head slightly to take a look at the trees but saw nothing, he moved his sight slowly but still saw nothing.

'Change gait.' Halt whispered. 'On three. One, two, three.'

Simultaneously, they both nudged their left toes into the horses' shoulders. It was just one of the many signals to which Tug and Abelard were trained to respond.

Instantly, both horses hesitated in their stride. They seemed to skip a pace, then continued in their even gait.

But the hesitation had changed the pattern of their hoof beats and for an instant, Will could hear another set of horses' hooves behind them, like a slightly delayed echo. Then the other horse changed gait as well to match their own and the sound was gone.

'Ranger horse,' Halt said softly. 'It'll be Gilan, for sure.'

'How can you tell?' Will asked.

'Only a Ranger horse could change his pace quickly as that. And it'll be Gilan because it's always Gilan. He loves trying to catch me out.'

'Why?' asked Will and Halt looked sternly at him.

'Because he was my last apprentice,' he explained. 'And for some reason, former apprentices just love to catch their former masters with their breech down.' He looked accusingly at his current apprentice. Will was about to protest that he would never behave in such a fashion after he graduated, then he realized he probably would, and at the very first opportunity. The protest died unspoken.

Halt signaled for silence, and scanned the trail ahead of them. Then he pointed. 'That's the spot there,' he said. 'Ready?'

There was a large tree close to the side of the trail, with branches hanging out just above head height. Will studied it for a moment, then nodded. Tug and Abelard continued their even pacing toward the tree. As they came closer, Will kicked his feet from the stirrups and rose to stand, crouching, on Tug's back. The horse didn't vary his pace as his master shifted position.

As they passed under the branches, Will reached up and seized the lowest one, swinging himself up onto it. The instant his weight left Tug's back, the little horse began to pace more vigorously, forcing his hooves into the ground with each step so that there would be no sign to a tracker behind them that his load had suddenly lightened.

Silently, Will climbed higher into the tree until he found a spot where he had a solid perch and a clear view. He could see Halt and the two horses moving down the trail. Will cautiously turned and took in his small surroundings, sensing that feeling again, like he was being watched. Again, Will surveyed his surroundings making sure no one else was there with him, and passed it off as nerves.

As Halt reached the next bend, he urged Tug to keep going, then halted Abelard and swung down from the saddle. He dropped to his knees, seeming to study the ground for signs of tracks.

Now will could hear the other horse behind them, He looked back the way they had come but another bend hid their follower from sight.

Them, the soft hoof beats ceased.

Will's mouth was dry and his heart beat faster and faster inside his ribcage. He was sure the sound must be audible to anyone within fifty metres or so. But his training asserted itself and he stood motionless on the tree branch, among the leaves and dappled shadows, watching the trail behind them.

A movement!

He saw it from the corner of his eye, then it was gone. He peered closely at the spot for a second or two, then remembered Halt's lessons: Don't focus your attention on one spot. Keep a wide focus all the time and keep scanning. You'll see him as a movement, not as a figure. Remember, he's a Ranger too and he's been trained in the art of not being seen.

Will widened his focus and scanned the forest behind them. Within seconds, he was rewarded by another sign of movement. A branch swung back into place as an unseen figure passed silently by.

Then, ten meters further on, a bush swayed slightly. Then he saw a clump of tall grass springing slowly back into position from where a passing foot had crushed it momentarily.

Will stayed stock-still. He marveled at the fact that their pursuer could move through the forest without his seeing him. Obviously, the other Ranger had left his horse behind and was stalking Halt on foot. Will's eyes swiveled for a quick glance at Halt. His teacher still seemed to be preoccupied with some sign on the ground.

Another movement came from the forest, just ahead of him. He could see a figure move from the trees across from him, a few leaves shook back in place. He could see a black shadow moving branch to branch, and then finally it disappeared.

The unseen Ranger had passed Will's hiding place now and was moving back towards the trail, intent on surprising Halt from behind.

Suddenly, a tall figure in a grey-green cloak seemed to rise out of the ground in the middle of the trail, some twenty meters behind the kneeling figure of Halt. Will blinked. One moment the figure hadn't been there. Next, he seemed to materialize out of thin air. Will's hand began to move towards the quiver of arrows, then he halted the movement. Halt had told him the night before: Wait until we're talking. If he's not talking, he'll hear the slightest movement you make.

Will gulped, hoping that the tall figure hadn't heard the movement of his hand towards the quiver. But it seemed that he'd stopped in time. Below him, he heard a cheerful voice call out.

'Halt, Halt!'

Halt turned and rose slowly to his feet, brushing the dirt from his knees as he rose. He put his head on one side and studied the figure in the middle of the trail, who was leaning easily on a longbow identical to Halt's own.

'Well, Gilan,' he called. 'I see you're still making that old joke.'

The tall Ranger shrugged and replied cheerfully, 'The joke appears to be on you this year, Halt.'

As Gilan spoke, Will's hand moved quickly but quietly to his quiver and selected an arrow, laying it ready on the bowstring. Halt was speaking again now.

'Really, Gilan? And what joke would that be, I wonder?'

The amusement was evident in Gilan's voice as he replied to his old master.

'Come now, Halt. Admit it. For once I've got the best of you – and you know how many years I've been trying.'

Halt rubbed one hand over his grizzled beard thoughtfully.

'It beats me why you keep on trying, Gilan, as a matter of fact.'

Gilan laughed. 'You should know how much pleasure it gives an ex-apprentice to get the better of his master, Halt. Now come on. Admit it. This year, I've won.'

As the tall figure spoke, Will carefully drew back the arrow, sighting on a tree trunk some two meters to Gilan's left. Halt's instruction echoed in his ears: Choose a target close enough to startle him when you shoot. But for pity's sake not too close. If he moves, I don't want you putting an arrow through him!

-à

Hiding in the trees, sat the hooded stranger with a smirk planted on his face. His eyes showing mischief as he watched from his perch, the scene play out in front of him. The two Rangers talking in the middle of the trail, while a little apprentice was perched in the tree opposite him. The stranger's hand slowly moved towards his belt, where hanging on the side was two daggers, and a small satchel strapped to his thigh filled will little daggers.

He could see the shadow move within the trees, watching him with eagle eyes the stranger watched as the two Rangers continued talking.

'Ah yes… apprentices and masters. They're a strange combination, all right. But tell me, Gilan, my old apprentice, aren't you forgetting something this year?'

The stranger could tell that the older Ranger put more stress on the word apprentice, he watched as the younger Ranger looked around, searching for the young apprentice. Just as he turned, an arrow hissed passed the Ranger and into the tree he was currently sitting in. The young Ranger looked at the arrow shocked and quickly justified where the arrow came from and looked in the trees for the culprit.

'Come down Will.' The older Ranger, Halt, called to the trees. The young apprentice swung down from the lowest branch and walked up to the duo. They all greeted each other and exchanged compliments on skills.

The stranger starting sneaking back into the thick brush, and started getting away from the scene, before any of the Rangers noticed him. He skillfully jumped from branch to branch, making enough distance in-between him and the trio as could before jumping down and landing on the ground with a soft, almost audible thud.

He casually walked over to a stream, making sure no one was watching and that there were no more Rangers hiding in the trees or in the shadows. He started striping down to his under-garments. Fixing the cloth wrapped around his chest, he slowly started sinking into the cool water. As the water started relaxing his muscle, his thoughts turned back to the master and apprentice. Their words echoed in his mind: 'So, how far is the gathering now?' the young apprentice asked his master.

'Not too far now, Will,' replied the older Ranger, not returning a look at the boy. He turned so he could face him and continued. 'Remember what I told you about the testings?'

The boy nodded before the Ranger continued.

'There are three different tests,' he started. 'Archery, mapping and stealth. In archery, you only get 20 arrows and in 5 minutes you must hit all targets but never doing one twice. There will be other apprentices, and they can cut your arrow off anytime during the test. In mapping, you must locate where every possible sneak attack entrances are for you fief, this is a difficult part in the assessment, as you must know you fief inside and out. But I suspect you already know a lot about the exits and entries. In the stealth exercise, you must not let anyone find you for 20 minutes. If any of the assessing Rangers spot you three times, you then fail the test. But seeing as you have been trained by the very best and you already have that skill of not being found, then I know you will do well.'

Halt finished his explanations of the tests and their rules. But also not giving away too much information about passing and failing each test. Will listened intently and nodded every few minutes. He knew he could do this test, and he knew he would pass them. He just had to make sure that no one else ruined, or sabotaged his chances at passing.

The stranger picked up his clothes and changed into a green/ brown splotchy tunic and wrapped the necessary weapons around his waist and the bow and his quiver around his torso, while also attaching the small daggers on his thigh. He flipped up his hood on his grey/ green cloak and headed toward the Gathering.