A favor returned

Now, as Will no-name sat alone up in his secret room, one, and then two slow tears trickled down his thin, dusty face, and rolled off the bridge of his nose; they landed on the drawing, blurring a bit of it. Alarmed, Will jumped up and grabbed one of the rags and dabbed at the precious drawing carefully. He was about to sit back down, but his observant eyes fell on a section of the plank flooring; a knot-hole had cracked and widened into a fairly long, narrow gap. Curious, Will bent over the hole, peering through. He stifled a gasp as he recognized the room below him; the main room of the wardbuilding! Below him in the room were Alyss, and him. He was talking to her; Will could barely hear what was being said, so he turned his ear to the hole to listen.

"Ha! That Will no-name is just a crybaby. He thinks he's smart, doesn't he? But we all know he's just a baby." That was Horace. Tensing instinctively, Will could picture the arrogant smirk on his face. The thought nauseated him. Then, he froze when he heard what Horace said next:

"Don't you think so Alyss? Isn't he annoying and dumb?" He guffawed.

Will Held his breath; somehow, he thought that if Alyss, the Alyss who always comforted him, the Alyss who was almost like a sister to Will, agreed with him, took his side, then life as he knew it would end. Tragically. With bated breath, Will listened anxiously.

"Horace, there is no reason to make fun of Will; that's mean! How would you like it if someone called you a baby? And made fun of you?" Alyss's voice was calm, but neither Horace nor Will, due to lack of observation on Horace's part, and lack of a good view on Will's, could see the defensive flash in her pale-grey eyes. Irked that the younger girl wouldn't take his part, Horace retorted hotly.

"No one would dare to call me a baby. I'd thrash them! Why do you always take his side anyway? Humph!" Horace stormed out with a huff. Slowly, the little girl walked over to the table, sat, and laid her head on her folded arms on the table; as if she was suddenly very weary.

Up above, Will sat back from the hole, and let out a breath which he hadn't known he was holding; a giant grin on his peaked little face. She hadn't deserted him! She was still his loyal comforter! Suddenly, the world didn't seem so bleak; his life would not come to a tragic and premature end after all! Little did Alyss know what she had done for Will in that one speech; something which Will was made aware of when a small sigh reached him from below. Looking down, Alyss was still sitting at the table, head on the table, her posture the very picture of defeat. Jumping up, Will knew exactly what to do. Now he would have the chance to help Alyss the way she'd helped him!

He would be her loyal comforter.


"Good" Muttered the shadowy figure. " so far, he's naturally talanted, sympathetic, and above all, loyal. This should be good" Then he slipped away silently.


A/N Heya all! Well, that's it. Thought it'd be fun to dolil story about when Will was younger. I think it said somewhere in book 1 that Alyss and Jenny always stood up for him, or sumfin. So, here came the story! I likes the idea that Halt was always watching him, and seeing what Traits he had for Ranger-hood. Review plz! I give u a cookie? Or coffee?