A/N: Hi, hope you like this chapter, because in the next we don't get to see Alex until, well, until we do. But we do get to see the ranger's apprentice.

AER

Chapter 3: Rogue Apprentice

Gilan and Will melted back into the forest after saying goodbye to Alex, where they collected their mounts and returned to Gilan's cabin.

"So what was this challenge you had with Alex?" Will asked his friend. "We were going to see who was better in hand-to-hand combat, again." Gilan replied, grinning. "Isn't that a bit unfair on Alex?" Will was skeptical of her ability. "No, it's more unfair on me than her, seeing as she beats me every time. She is quite good, almost Halt standard." Will was surprised Gilan would compare skills like that, as comparing someone with Halt usually meant that Halt was way better. "You sure, Gil? Did you let her beat you?" Gilan was shocked, "No! Never! I seriously try to beat her. It's really hard." Will shook his head, slightly awed. "She's good, is what you're telling me." Gilan nodded, "Very. Anyways, why are you here, I never got an answer the first time I asked." Will went silent and didn't speak until they had returned to the cabin.

They sat inside, nursing their coffee, Gilan waiting for Will to speak. "Last week, Crowley sent me a letter, and it said that I should get ready for an apprentice, because I was to be given Meralon's." Gilan snorted with contempt, "What he'd do? Get himself kicked out?" The younger ranger shook his head, "No, actually he's not that much of a snob anymore. Anyways, apparently he and his apprentice were out tracking when they stumbled upon a mother bear and her cub. His apprentice accidently shot at the cub, but luckily he missed, but it enraged the mother. Meralon was too close to use his bow, so he threw his throwing knife and managed to wound the bear, but not kill it. The mother charged Meralon and swatted him, claws slicing his sides. The apprentice tried to shoot the bear, but he missed again. The bear bit Meralon's hand clean off, and ran off with her cub. His apprentice got him to a healer in time to keep him alive, but he's unable to be an active ranger. So Crowley decided that I was going to take over the apprentice's training. I'm heading over to Meric Fief to pick up the apprentice." Gilan mulled over the story, and then said cheerfully, "Good luck with that. Though I am sorry to hear about what happened to Meralon. A horrible thing, really." Will and Gilan were silent for a moment, then continued to talk for an hour or so.

"I should get going if I'm going to make to Bayard by tomorrow. Bye Gil, and maybe we'll stop by on the ride back." They shook hands and Will left.

It was false dawn when Will stopped at the inn. He stabled Tug, and entered the taproom. He approached the bar and ordered a mug of coffee. "Would you like to 'ave breakfast wit' your coffee Ranger? Or would you just like your coffee?" The barmaid asked him. Will thought for a moment, and then replied, "Breakfast sounds good." She nodded and disappeared into the back.

(ALEX)

I woke up earlier than usual. I groggily tried to figure out what had. My thoughts cleared, then it came to me. Soft hoof beats. Now why did they sound so familiar? I struggled out of bed and dunked my face into the basin of water by the door. That cleared most of my sleepiness away, so after drying my hair, I got dressed and headed down to the taproom, pondering the familiarity of the hoof beats along the way. I walked towards the table I had sat at the night before. It was next to the corner table. The barmaid came up and asked if I wanted breakfast, so I nodded and attempted to nap, laying my head on my arms. "Hello?" Gah! Why is everything so familiar this morning? I thought to myself as I looked up into the familiar face of Will. "What!? Are you going to stand there or sit?" I snapped, once again groggy. "Okay, okay." Will smiled and sat next to me. I went back to napping on the table. "So...Lucky that we met again, isn't it Alex?" Will commented and I growled back. "I don't care, so shut up and let me nap!" My bad temper didn't even faze him. "Not a morning person, then." He said, then he shut up when I glared at him.

Fifteen minutes later, the barmaid appeared with our breakfast. "Would that be all?" She asked. "Yes." I replied and scarfed down my food. Will ate slower but had bigger mouthfuls. We finished nearly at the same time. "So, what brings you down to the Wayside Rogue, of all places?" I yawned and stretched at the same time, becoming more alert and shaking away the last feelings of sleep. The ranger grinned and replied, "Just stopping for food and coffee, I'm on my way to Meric." I asked another question, "Why the Wayside Rogue? There are better inns up ahead, surely?" Will as thought about it, I set about braiding my long hair to get it out of my way. "Yes, but this one was the closest. Why are you asking?" He asked right back, and I grimaced. "Because, I like to know things." I finished with the braid and got up, saying a goodbye to Will. "Bye Will, and grace be with you." I hurried up the stairs, and then listened for Will. I could hear his almost silent footsteps approaching the bar, the quiet tinkling of coins, and then him leaving.

I located my friends rooms, and woke them up. Loudly. Except for Kayla. I only needed to knock lightly on her door for her to get up. We met downstairs, where the three girls ate their breakfast and I watched. Then we hastened to collect our things, and went to the stables. I helped Lauren with her saddle, then returned to my own, setting it on Mystic's saddle blanket, and tightened the girth. When they were ready, we left, heading towards Araluen fief.

We stopped at noon, and Miranda started lunch. "Hey Kayla?" I asked the brunette. "Yes, Alex?" She replied as she sharpened her blades. "How old is this track? It's only just visible." She put her whetstone and blade down, and came over, kneeling to examine the track. "Hard to tell, maybe three days ago. It's too worn to give an exact date." She got up, dusted her trousers off, and went back to her task. I wasn't as positive on her answer as she was, because I thought it was less than a day, maybe two hours old. I sat with my bow resting on my lap, an arrow nocked. How lucky for us that I was.

The teen seemingly stepped out of the tree, two blades in hand. I was up and aiming before he could register that I had shot. My arrow grazed his cheek and imbedded itself in the tree behind him. "Move, and my arrow will pierce your heart." I threatened and he froze. "Who are you?" He asked, and I snorted, "Travelers. Now you." He swallowed, his eyes focused on my gleaming broad head. "Jim, Ranger Apprentice of Bayard. Can I go?" He was scared, and I knew it. "Fine, go!" I glared, and he scampered away. "How?" Miranda asked and Kayla nodded, "Yes, how?" I gestured to the track. "It's only a couple of hours old, not three days. Plus, I recognized it as a ranger horse track." I explained, glad that I had remembered that. "How did you know that?" Kayla asked. "Because I'm friends with a ranger." I answered. Kayla attempted to raise an eyebrow, but failed. "Can we eat?" Lauren asked us, breaking the tense moment. I nodded and Kayla did the same. So we ate.

We approached the gate to the castle near dusk. The guards stopped us, only letting us in when Kayla had shown her hawthorn leaf. "Come, we can get rooms, for the night, then you guys can go see about starting your apprenticeships." Kayla led us to guest rooms, then left us to our own devices. I unpacked, then left my room and wandered around, unable to sleep. As I was turning onto a new corridor, I bumped into somebody. "Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." A deep male voice apologized to me. "It's okay, neither was I. And, um, who are you?" I asked, gazing at the tall man. "Marcus, Rogue Commandant. And you?" Marcus asked. "Um, Alex Rosse, and I'm hoping to be a Rogue. Coincident, really." I was a little lost, and that messed me up. "Ah, you're related to Irena Rosse, then? It'll be good to have you training as a rogue. Just like your mother." He laughed, only I glared. "Irena is not my mother, nor am I related in any way to that woman. And I don't like being compared to her, I consider it insulting to me." And with that, I bet my chance to be a rogue disappeared. "So you do have a vendetta against her. Kayla was right. You'll make a good rogue. I will see you in the morning, then Alex?" Marcus commented, and left, leaving me confused. I wandered back to my room, thinking over what Marcus had said to me. He seems too cheerful for his own good. But still impressive, all the same. He must be an amazing Rogue. Hmm...I wonder if he knows who the Ranger Commandant is. Or if he's friends with the King and the princess. Something to think about later, I thought before I fell asleep.

A/N: Yay, it's done. Please review, they are very helpful. Shout out to whoever reviews to be posted on the next chapter.
Songs: A lot of different mincraft songs. More specifically Top 100 Minecraft Songs of All Time (2012) Go listen to it. It's long, and good.
AER