Thank you for the reviews and story alerts. They are much appreciated!
Ranger's Apprentice belongs to John Flanagan.
Chapter Two – Musings Come Before A Fall
Will and climbing went together like Rangers and coffee – it was a natural combination. Will was able to clamber up onto the roof of the cabin and negotiate the sloped surface with the expertise of a squirrel. Will chuckled as he thought about his days back on the Ward, climbing up trees to escape from Horace since he knew that Horace didn't have the guts to climb up after him. Will knew the reason why he enjoyed climbing so much – he wasn't afraid of falling. He would just get right back up and have another attempt – and that was the secret to his success; not to mention the fact that Master Chubb's delicious pies were motivation enough themselves, back when he lived at the Ward.
Will looked up from where he was working. He could see Tug and Abelard munching away on the lush green grass of their paddock. Halt was also down there, somewhere behind the stable. Will could hear some colourful cursing coming from that direction. Will did consider shouting down to see if the Ranger was alright, but decided against it since Halt would be in a foul mood – repair work was not one of his strong points.
Will inspected the work he had been doing during the morning. He had replaced the wooden tiles that had become broken or loose, much to the displeasure of his fingers. They had received a few painful whacks from the hammer he was using. That had resulted in a few curses coming from his own mouth, but he didn't shout them out like Halt did as the Ranger would wash the apprentice's mouth out with soap if he ever heard. Will thought that this threat was highly unfair since he had learnt all of the curses from Halt in the first place.
To finish the roof, all Will needed to do was paint on a tar-like substance which helped to protect the roof for longer. Will scuttled to the edge of the roof, and after checking it was all clear, dropped the hammer he had been using, letting it land with a dull thud on the grass below. His work pouch, containing extra tiles and nails, followed soon after. He didn't need them now – they would only get in the way. He then retrieved the bucket filled with the tar-like substance from where it was balanced on the top of the roof next to the chimney, and made his way back to the edge. Will dipped the brush into the mixture, and began the monotonous task of weather proofing the roof.
Halt let out a stream of colourful curses. His hammer had decided it would be a wonderful idea to hit his fingers instead to the nail poised between them. He heard Abelard snort behind him.
That should teach you to be more careful, the horse seemed to say.
"Shut up," growled Halt.
Another snort, Just passing on some advice.
"You're a horse – what do you know?"
More than you, obviously.
Halt decided that he hated repairing things, and also added to the list that he hated horses that had to get the last word. As an afterthought, he added Will's endless questioning to his mental list – which he changed to apprentices in general.
Thinking of Will, Halt stepped to the side of the stable so he could get a good view of the roof. He could see his apprentice scrambling about with the grace of a squirrel. Halt was secretly glad when Will volunteered to fix the roof – he didn't fancy scrambling around like that – he would look like an idiot. Will on the other hand, looked right at home as he started to paint the roof.
Halt's eyes flickered upwards. It was time for their noon meal. Halt dropped his tools to the floor, narrowly missing his toes, and walked into the cabin, giving Will a nod of acknowledgement as he walked by. Usually, it was Will's job to prepare meals, but Halt needed an excuse to get away from repairing the stable, and Will looked like he was having fun up on the roof – there was no need to spoil his fun.
As Halt stepped into the cool cabin, he decided he would have five minutes to himself to relax, with a mug of coffee and his favourite armchair as his companions. At least they didn't ask questions or try to give him advice. Halt did consider offering Will a mug of coffee, but his apprentice knew where the coffee was kept – if he wanted a mug, he could get it himself.
It wasn't long before Halt settled into his armchair, with a steaming hot mug of coffee nestled in his hands. Halt closed his eyes briefly, only being able to hear the sound of Will adjusting his position from where he was perched on the roof.
A loud rumble from Halt's stomach made him open his eyes. He drained his coffee while it was still hot and went to the kitchen to make lunch in response to his complaining stomach.
As Halt was cooking the eggs in the pan, he realised that it had gone quiet up on the roof. He never liked it when Will went quiet – it meant that trouble was bound to follow; either that or a particularly stupid question. Halt shook his head. He swore he got more paranoid the older he got – or maybe that was the result of having two apprentices. Anyway, Halt decided he should enjoy the quietness – Will would shatter it soon.
Halt checked the egg mixture to find that it was now ready to eat. He flipped it onto two plates and placed them on the table. He then stuck his head out of the door.
Halt called up to the direction of where Will had been working. "Lunch time Will! I made that weird egg thing you're so fond of."
He heard no answer.
"Will?" he called again.
Still no response. Rolling his eyes, Halt stepped out of the cabin and walked around to where Will was sat on his heels next to the edge of the cabin roof. The brush was limp in Will's hand, and his eyes were glazed over, staring off into the distance. Halt, due to his many years of being a Ranger, moved silently closer to where Will was positioned.
Annoyed that his apprentice was away with the fairies, Halt took a deep breath and bellowed, "CLOTH-EARS -!"
Halt didn't finish what he thought would be a witty sentence. Will, shocked by the sudden loud noise, practically jumped out of his skin. Unbalanced he lurched to his left – where there was only air. Will tried with all of his might to regain his balance, but his whole weight had gone to his left side, and he toppled over the edge of the cabin's roof with the ground rushing up to meet him.
Oh noes! Poor Will.
I'm now going to do that really annoying author thing and ask you to review - it doesn't even take a couple of minutes!
Stay tuned for the next chapter!