~ I figured I get a pretty penny for a ranger's knife...~
Their eyes widened.
"Halt was no easy prey, but as I said, I was good at what I did... I had just. wrapped my hand around the hilt when he picked me up and threw me into the nearest pile a hay." She laughed, "He does seem to enjoy throwing people around."
"He didn't hand you over to the guards?" Horace asked.
She smiled, "No... he asked me where I'd learned to move like that... through the shadows... unseen."
She glanced to Gilan who nodded with a small smile.
"I told him years living in the gutter with the lowest of the low teaches you how to get from place to place. He bought me some food... clothes... and then he took me with him."
Gilan piped up then, "It was quite the shock to see a pretty young girl open the cabin door instead of Halt when I got back."
Maia elbowed him and he laughed, glancing down at her with an amused glint in his brown eyes.
"But I thought you could only have one apprentice?" Will said thoughtfully.
"That's true," she smirked, "But since I was a girl I wasn't technically a ranger apprentice. They didnt allow it."
"They only made her one after she 'proved herself'." Gilan rolled his eyes.
"Even now, they're still not all to happy with me," she added. "But even they have to admit, I'm good at what I do."
The three boys nodded. That she was.
"Well I'm for sleep," Gilan announced, "We're on a war footing these days so we'll set watches. Will, your first, then Horace, then me and Maia. Night!"
Wil and Horace exchanged a glance as the two older Rangers laid down beside one another.
Will couldn't help but notice the close proximity in which the two other rangers slept. Gilan slept on his back one arm cushioning his head, the other strewn over his chest.
Maia slept on her side, not a foot away from Gil.
As he turned to wake Horace a sigh broke out of Gilan as he turned onto his side, his arm falling over Maia who sighed, rolling her shoulder, and leaning into him slight in her slumber.
Will woke Horace with an amused grin.
"Do you think they..." Horace trailed off as a yawn inturrupted his speech.
"I don't know," he told the other boy with an amused grin.
As Horace's shift ended he noticed how the two rangers sleeping position had changed once again. Maia was curled up on herself, Gilan's head on her shoulder and his arms circled around her. If he'd been a girl he might have thought it cute, but he wasnt. He was a knight's apprentice and it simply wasnt proper. They weren't even courting!
"Sir?" He asked, "sir?" And then he remebered, "Gilan?"
The ranger's eye opened, immediately picking up the knight apprentice's voice.
"Gilan?"
"Yes, I'm up, got it," then he realized how he was curled around Maia's sleeping form. He felt the heat rush to his cheeks.
He shook his head, hair falling in his face and extracted his arms from around her. "Go to sleep, Horace."
The boy laid down with barely concealed laughter.
Gilan stood watch that night with drifting focus as his eyes kept coming back to the dark-haired girl beside him. She was snoring softly, something he'd often found laughable. He sighed and turned back to the dark sleeping forest.
Shook her awake gently, her emerald green eyes snapping open. Then she groaned, "My watch already? "
He nodded, "Not enough beauty sleep?"
She snorted, "I don't need beauty sleep, Gil."
He knew for a fact she was joking as the light in her eye was twinkling with humor and that stupid smirk was on her face once again. "Just don't fall asleep on watch."
She shot him a glare, "As if, Gil."
He laughed, "G'night Mai."
"See you in the morning," she smiled softly.
They were on the road again before the sun had risen. The clouds had cleared, A fresh southern wind crisp and cold blew them away. Trees were gnarled and stunted, sickly as the forest was replaced by windblown scrub.
The wind blew constantly on this part of the land. Cold and hard it only became more so as they entered Celtica.
In the evening Gilan continued with Horace's instruction.
"Timing is the essence of the whole thing," he said, "see how you're parrying with your arm locked and rigid?"
Sure enough the boys arm was tight as a bowstring. "But I have to be ready to stop your stroke," he explained.
"Take a swing at me," Gilan told him. Horace did so. "Look... see how I'm doing it?" He asked. "As your stroke is coming my hand and arm are relaxed. Then just before your sword reached the spot where I want to stop it, I make a small counter swing, see?"
He demonstrated, using his hand and wrist to swing the blade in a small arc. "My grip tightens at the last moment, and the greater part of the energy of your swing is absorbed by the movement of my own blade."
Horace seemed doubtful as he nodded. "But what if I mistime it?"
She shook her head at the smile that spread widely across Gilan's face. "Well, in that case, I'll probably just lop your head off your shoulders." She stopped as Gilan paused at Horace disappointed frown.
"The idea is not to mistime it," she added gently, patting his shoulder as she passed.
"But..." the boy began drawing her attention back.
"And the way to develop your timing is?" Gilan interrupted. Horace nodded wearily.
"I know. I know. Practice."
Gilan beamed at the boy. "That's right. So, ready? One and two and three and four, that's better, and three and four... No! No! Just a small movement of the wrist... and one and two..."
The ring of steel echoed through the campsite.
She noticed the slight interest Will had in the swordplay as he sat at the side and decided he should be doing something. Practicing some sort of skill.
The boy watched her with a raised eyebrow as she gathered up the fallen pine cones. Having gathered a good size pile she smirked. "Get ready,"
He drew his bow having a good idea of what this practice would be. He had a feeling this was more to pass the time than to really develop a certain skill, but he was looking forward to it all the same.
She threw the pine cone up in the air a few feet to her left.
Will let the arrow fly, piercing the cone in mid air.
"Haha!" She laughed, clapping her hands together with glee, "You're pretty good!"