Could it be? The 3rd chapter! Why yes my pretties it is! Some of the dialogue in this chapter is right from Ruins of Gorlan only shortened, so some of it will be familiar and some of it will not, oh, and as promised to rangerforever6, Will is the main focus of this chapter. I don't feel too satisfied with this chapter but that's for you all to decide. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I was thinking of writing to Mr. Flanagan about handing over the RA rights to me...we'll see how that goes.

Chapter 3

7 years later

Will was currently heading to Halt's cabin, who was to be his Craftmaster, beginning today.

Will looked back to Castle Redmont. He looked longingly at it, wishing he was still a child of eight years in the ward and running around with his best friend, Seth.

She had left the ward last year, as was the custom, which every ward, at the age of fifteen, would be assigned to a Craftmaster of their choosing. Seth had gone to the Baron's study and chose the craft she wished to learn. She hadn't mentioned which craft she picked and merely said good-bye to Will and the rest of the ward mates, which had grown in numbers since she had arrived. After going off, Seth barely had time to visit the castle, much less the ward. The only day he was able to see her was on the holiday, Harvest Day.

She had only worn plain clothes that day, nothing that would give away which craft she had chosen. They had hung out together the whole day. Will told her about how Horace still bullied him and was planning to become an apprentice in Battleschool. Alyss was as elegant as ever and had been meeting up a lot with Lady Pauline, the head of the Diplomatic Service. George one of the recent wards, was planning on being assigned as a scribe. And Jenny, another recent ward, was sure to ask to be Master Chubb's apprentice.

Seth, who had developed a sign language so as to communicate with Will better, asked what he was planning to become. Will told her that he wanted to be accepted for apprenticeship in Battleschool. Seth looked a bit surprised but nodded and signed for him to go for it.

Will in return asked how things were going with her Craftmaster. She was very vague in her answer. Her only response was:

Good.

No matter how hard Will tried, she wouldn't tell him anymore.

So they had spent the day roaming all over the castle, looking at the stalls that were erected and the traveling fair that had stopped in town.

Will had grown to care for Seth as if she were his sister, so it was always sad to part ways with her, knowing that their meetings would be brief, if any.

As he stared at the castle, he wondered if anyone would tell her who he had been apprenticed to and how he came to be apprenticed. Well, he thought, it served him right, he shouldn't have been poking around and sneaking into the Baron's study. But then again, if he hadn't, he'd probably be on his way to a farm family right about now.

No, he didn't regret sneaking into the study. Even though he wasn't sure what it was that the Ranger Corps did, he was sure that it was a hundred times better than being a farm hand.

With renewed hope, Will trudged onward to Halt's cabin.

Once Will arrived at Halt's door, he steeled his nerves and knocked. He heard a faint "come in" and opened the door.

He looked around in surprise at the neat cabin and laid his eyes on Halt who was sitting in one of the chairs.

"At least you're on time," Halt said, then added, "Have you had your breakfast yet?"

"Yes, sir," said Will. He looked at Halt with quiet fascination since this was the first time seeing the Ranger without his gray-green mottled cloak.

Halt allowed him to stare a while longer until he stood up and asked, "Finished staring?"

Will jumped, "Yes, sir! Sorry, sir."

Halt grunted and pointed to one of the rooms Will had noticed as he entered, "That'll be your room. You can put your things in there."

Will entered the room hesitantly. It was small but comfortable-looking. He noticed something under the bed that lay alongside the wall. He lay his small pack of clothes and belongings on the bed and looked under the bed. He saw that it was another mattress.

"That's weird," he mumbled but shrugged it off and headed back out to the main room.

Halt was still at the stove not facing Will. Will coughed several times to get his attention.

"Got a cold, boy," Halt asked, without turning to him.

"Err…no, sir."

"Then why are you coughing?" asked the Ranger, turning to face him.

"Well, sir," Will hesitated, "I just wanted to ask you…what does a Ranger actually do?"

"He doesn't ask pointless questions, boy! He keeps his eyes and ears open and he looks and listens and eventually, if he hasn't got too much cotton wool between his ears, he learns!"

"Oh, I see," he said, then repeated a little rebelliously, "I just wondered what Rangers do, is all."

Halt caught the tone and stepped closer to him with a strange gleam in his eye.

"Well then, I suppose I'd better tell you. What Rangers do, or more correctly, what Ranger's apprentices do, is the housework."

Will had a sinking feeling as he replied, "The…housework?"

Halt nodded, "That's right. Take a look around," he swept his hand across the room, "See any servants?"

"No, sir," Will said, with a deep sense of dread.

"No sir indeed! Because this isn't a mighty castle with a staff of servants. This is a lowly cabin. It has water to be fetched, firewood to be chopped, floors to be swept, and rugs to be beaten. And who do you suppose might do all those things, boy?"

He replied with a sigh, "Would that be me, sir?"

"I believe it would be," said Halt and gave him a quick list of instructions of where all the cleaning materials were.

Will began to roll up his sleeves and as he walked outside with the empty bucket in one hand he heard the Ranger say contentedly as he sat down with a mug of coffee in one hand, "I'd forgotten how much fun giving orders can be."

Will, in turn, was beginning to regret sneaking into the Baron's study.

Half way through the day, as Will was cleaning some pots Halt had set him to, he looked up to see a cloaked figure heading for Halt's cabin. He noticed that the cloak was exactly like Halt's.

Will looked curiously at the retreating figure. He had no idea that there were other Rangers in Redmont but he shrugged away his curiosity and concentrated once more on the pots.

But several minutes later he saw the figure again. This time when he looked up the figure was still and staring at where Will was. He couldn't be too sure since the figures cowl was pulled up. After a few seconds of staring, the figure moved and headed back the way it came.

Will wondered if he should ask Halt who the figure was.

It was in the late afternoon when Halt finally ran out of jobs for Will to do.

"Hmmm. Not bad," Halt said, "Not bad at all."

Before Will could feel too pleased with himself, Halt asked if he could cook. Will admitted that he didn't know. Halt, of course, knowing that most boys didn't know either, said he would teach him.

After peeling and chopping, trimming and cutting, the two sat out on the verandah to wait for the dinner to be ready, meanwhile talking quietly in the early evening.

The two talked about the founding of the Ranger Corps, one hundred and fifty years ago under King Herbert's reign. Will vaguely recalled learning about him in the ward and learned that there was one Ranger established in each of the fiefs in Araluen, Halt being Redmont's Ranger.

Will suddenly remembered the Ranger he had seen while cleaning the pots in the riverbank.

"Halt?"

The Ranger grunted, signaling to Will that he was listening.

"I saw a Ranger today heading up to your cabin. Is that Ranger from one of the other fiefs?"

Halt didn't answer for a second or two but then said, "No."

Will looked puzzled and remembered something else from that morning.

"And why is there another mattress under the bed in my room?"

Halt looked out into the trees. Will followed his gaze and saw a figure coming from the darkness.

Halt stood. Will didn't know what was going on but stood as well.

"You're back," said Halt and he turned to Will, "Boy, this is my other apprentice. She'll be sharing the room with you."

"She," asked Will, not sure if he had heard Halt correctly.

The figure stepped into the light and took off its cowl. It was definitely a she. A very familiar she.

The silent figure held up a hand and signed:

Hello, Will.

Will stared, dumbfounded at the grinning girl.

"Seth?"

AN: Okie dokie people! Please, please, review this chapter. The more reviews I get, the more quickly these chapters will come. I don't care if all you say is good. Just let me know that you're reading this and I will be a happy panda.

Big thanks to SonicGirl2002 who was the only one to review last chapter O.Q Your review made me really happy!