Will's muscles screamed in surrender as he scrubbed the copper pot with enough force to shatter a brick.
He had been cleaning for only an hour, and was already working up a bit of sweat. It had been a while since Halt had forced him into the hardships of manual labor, and the endurance he had built during his first month of apprenticeship had quickly disappeared.
"Are you tired yet?" Halt hollered from the living room, most likely lounging happily on a chair and enjoying a period of complete and utter relaxation.
"Of course not," Will shouted back, sarcasm dripping from his tone. "This is a positively effortless mission."
"Do you need more of a challenge? I was thinking of starting a garden just outside the cottageā¦"
"No, sir!" Will said hurriedly. "I am perfectly fine with the task at hand."
"If you say so," Halt replied. Will could hear the mocking smile in his master's voice.
He continued his chores for a bit, agonized as he thought of how little he had actually gotten done, when there was a delicate knock on the door. How peculiar.
Following procedure, the head of the household was the one to answer. With a ready arrow in hand, he heard Halt stroll cautiously to the entrance, followed by a silence that suggested he was looking through the peephole.
Will heard a small chuckle escape his master's lips.
"Welcome, Lady Alyss." As grim as ever, the Ranger greeted the visitor with as much welcome as he could manage. Sprinting to the foyer, Will dropped everything he was doing to see the girl he had could only dream of until now.
As he entered the room, her eyes struck him like a hurricane. They seemed to sparkle with excitement as she noticed his arrival, though her demeanor had not changed. Of course she would maintain the posture and composure she had trained so hard to keep. And yet, the kindness and enthusiasm in her eyes had never faded, even after months of difficult education, and she remained as charming and graceful as ever.
After a brief silence, Alyss decided to break the ice. "Hello, Will." She smiled. He exchanged his own greeting and matched her grin with his own.
They stared at each other, indulging in the moment they finally got to see each other, blissfully unaware that a slightly uncomfortable Ranger was present.
"Ahem," Halt said, failing miserably at a fake cough.
The two snapped out of their dreams, suddenly embarrassed by what they had just done in front of their elder. Will blushed slightly and looked down at his shoes, avoiding both Alyss and Halt's gazes. Alyss kept her composure, and recovered incredibly quickly.
Smiling, and giving the craftmaster a warm apology, she handed him the letter she had intended to deliver.
"This is from Lady Pauline, sir. She asked me to deliver it to you, explaining that it was an urgent message." An almost unnoticeable smirk appeared on her lips as she said it, and Will almost laughed. She knew, too!
Aware of what both youngsters were thinking, and trying to ignore the unmistakable snicker coming from his apprentice, Halt thanked Alyss for the message, and allowed her to go back to her master.
Will exchanged one last glance she left, pleading her to stay through an impossible line of mental telepathy. Failing to receive his call, but understanding what he was portraying through his ridiculous expression, Alyss shrugged ever-so-slightly, and gave Will a tiny peck on the cheek.
Perhaps Halt will ask me to deliver a reply, he thought wishfully as he watched her leave, a long stream of golden hair trailing behind her.
