Author's Note:
Very short chapter, but I'm trying to adjust my story to sort of align itself with the books. This is the equivalent of the cup-cake scene I think.
Pebble in the Pond
Chapter 3:
|| Awry ||
xxx
Will scrambled over a huge, fallen log, frowning with the effort and the amount of noise he was exerting.
His puppy, Mist, eyed him curiously, her head cocked to one side.
The young boy turned to glare at the log, knowing it had completely ruined his routine.
"Okay, stay!" He ordered to his dog, who wagged her tail and barked at him.
Will loved to hide and play in the forest of Redmont. With Daisy, he would make her sit and chase him after he hid, trying to evade her.
But Mist was troublesome and easily excited and barely trained, so when he walked away, palm up, she simply stood up and followed him.
Hands on hips, he narrowed his eyes at the fluffy grey form.
"You're not playing properly." He accused. He got a reply of an eager bark that seemed to echo in the trees around him.
Shrugging, he clicked his fingers. If he couldn't play, the best thing would be to go home and ask his mum to train Mist.
They walked on for a while, the surroundings all looking the same. But Will knew he way around and he never went too far into the forest.
Suddenly, Mist stopped and her ears flicked back, a pathetic growl rising in her throat.
She might've been an untrained pup, but Will had learnt that his dogs had much better senses than him.
Frowning, he fell against the back of the tree, forcing himself to be still. He silently begged Mist to quieten down with his hands, but the dog ignored him.
He glanced to the side where she was looking and saw a rough shape looming before him.
Deeply frightened, he scrambled up the tree to safety, involuntarily shivering. He then saw that it was a lone wild dog, too small to be a wolf, but able to take care of him. The boy gave a cry of surprise.
He frantically remembered that his puppy was below the tree, the dog's eyes trained on the small, cowering figure with a look of contempt mingled with curiosity.
He knew Mist wouldn't understand if he told her to run. Will decided that he couldn't bear to see anything happen to Mist, so he dropped down from the tree and scooped her up protectively in his arms. The wild dog growled and Will was loathe to take his eyes off it, although he wanted to see if he could make it up the tree with Mist in time.
It took a threatening step forward and Will shut his eyes, clinging to his puppy.
But then a strange sound hissed through the air, and he opened his eyes to see the wild dog staring with its mouth agape, a long black shafted arrow sticking out of its side.
The dog dropped to the floor, dead.
Startled, he turned around to see the uncertain shape of a cloaked figure behind him. Immediately, he shrank back.
He hadn't even heard the person appear, let alone draw and shoot. With the cowl hiding his face, and the sun against him so he was cast in shadows, Will thought he looked just about as scary as the wild dog.
He felt that Mist was no longer shaking with anger, and, apart from being a bit excited, she was back to normal.
Then the figure pulled his cowl back and Will recognised the Ranger Halt.
He didn't look nearly as friendly as he had a few months ago; his mouth was set in a grim line and his eyes were hard.
The man strode forward quickly and hauled Will onto his feet with a hand grasping his cloak. Both boy and puppy whined in protest.
"What do you think you're doing out here boy?" He demanded.
Will bit his lip and put the dog down. "I was exploring." He admitted, very quietly.
"A boy of nine doesn't go running around in a forest." Halt spat, his eyes flashing dangerously. "We may not have wolves, but we have plenty of wild dogs," he used his longbow to point to the rigid form, "boars and other dangerous creatures. You don't even carry a weapon!"
Cringing, he stared at the floor. "Sorry Halt." He mumbled.
"You're damn right you're sorry!" Halt growled. "What if your mother found you had been killed, it was only because you're pup kept whinging that I knew you were here."
"I'm sorry." Will repeated, looking up to meet the eyes of the older man.
Halt saw tears forming there and realised he may have pressed the matter too harshly. After all, he was just a boy.
"Well, grab your dog and I'll make sure you get home safely." He told him gruffly, his tone more levelled.
Sniffing, Will nodded, taking Mist's collar so she had no choice but to follow.
As they drew closer to the edge of the wood, on the other side, closer to Wensley and not Halt's Cabin, he turned reluctantly to observe his silent follower.
He was angry because Will hadn't stayed in the tree and that Halt had personally promised to take care of the boy. He knew he would feel responsible if something happened in his forest.
It was pure chance that he had seen the boy tromping around. In fact, he had been observing him for a while. The dog had only alerted to danger and not its useless noise making.
Grudgingly, Halt admitted that he moved well, for a nine year old.
"Will." Halt called and the boy looked up.
"It was a stupid thing you did." He said seriously. The child nodded. "But it was brave of you to try and protect your dog."
The sadness disappeared quickly to be replaced with a beaming grin.
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Halt turned away.
Children were so airy-fairy, they couldn't stay focused on one thing.
Luckily, Emma wasn't home, so Halt dropped the boy off and left him to his devices, making him promise to stay out of Redmont's woods. Will agreed eagerly.
But as Halt walked away, he reflected that the experience was good for the child.
The fear would remind him in the future, and his bravery hadn't gone unnoticed. Children were easily impressed by memories, and he hoped it would help him as he got older.
It was stupid, Halt thought, but he has courage.
