Chapter four:
Later that night, Will sat by the fire pit that stood in the corner, wrapped in his cloak and enjoying the heat of the flames that illuminated a light glow in the room. His eyes remained staring at the fire, watching the flickering dance of the blaze. His thoughts didn't travel far, remaining thinking about what had happened earlier that day. It had been a strange day, that's for sure.
Suddenly feeling uneasy, he glanced back at the assumed sleeping person who had told him he was his step-brother. The Skandian's chest fell up and down deeply, so Will assumed that he was sleeping. Shaking his head, he gripped his jug of coffee that he had sat down next to him, and sipped at the honey-soaked beverage.
He couldn't wrap his mind over the fact that he had a brother. He had grown up at the ward, the only 'brotherly' figure being George, and Horace. Even then they didn't have a good relationship. His thoughts drifted to the rest of the Skandian's crew. The two who he assumed were twins obviously kept the crew together, with their arguments. On the way to the inn, he had listened to the two's arguments, and the replies the rest of the crew gave them. The older one, who was obviously a warrior, seemed to be respected, and an . . . advisor? He didn't know for sure how to place the words. Hal himself seemed to be the leader, seeing as the others asked him, and depended on him for orders. The largest boy seemed to be the muscle of the crew, same as the other one, who seemed to be close to Hal. Best friends, perhaps? He thought that that seemed to be the best option. The boy, who he had found out to be named Edvin, was obviously in charge of cooking. Judging by his long fingers, Jesper seemed to be the thief of the crew. The other boy, who was called Stefan, he wasn't so sure about.
He was so caught up in his thoughts that he barely missed the small creaking noise the bed made when Hal sat up. He whipped around, and watched as Hal made his way over to him. The half-Skandian sat down next to him, and besides their breathing, the only noise made was the cracking of the flames.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" Hal asked Will. Will shrugged.
"Not tired. There's too much to think about over." Especially with the news that the warriors of Nihon-Ja may invade Skandia. He, of course, didn't say that out loud, but the thought had been mocking him. He knew Araluen would have to get involved, disturbing the peace they had between the two countries.
Hal nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's true. So, did you ever meet Mom?"
Hal knew he had hit a sore point, and instantly regretted the question. But from Will's gaze, he knew the ranger had forgiven him.
"No." He replied quietly. "Well, I did, but I don't remember her. Did you?"
Hal nodded, feeling self-conscious, and slightly saddened. "Yes. She lived with me for a few years, nearly ten, before she passed away."
"I'm sorry." The ranger told him.
"I'm sorry, too." Hal replied. "So, what about your father?"
"Died in battle," Will told him, again in a quiet tone, "never met him."
"I'm sorry." Hal responded. "Mine died in battle, too."
"Really?" The ranger asked.
"So, what exactly do rangers do?" Hal asked uncertainly, unsure whether or not the figure beside him would compel to answer the questions.
Will's eyes dragged over to face the Skandian. He raised an eyebrow, and then shrugged. "Basically, we're the 'eyes and ears' of the kingdom."
Hal nodded. "So, you're like spies, in a way?"
Will grinned. "Yeah, I guess in a way."
Hal grinned back, and then stretched, leaning backwards. "Are there a lot of rangers, then? What about weapons?"
"As for rangers, I'm not allowed to give that information out, sorry. But weapons, we usually stick to the traditional bow and arrow," Will told him, gesturing towards the sleek bow and quiver of arrows that were laid up against the corner of the room.
"I've heard that the rangers all have their own fiefs to take control of. Is that true?" Hal asked, and Will nodded.
"Yeah, we do. What about you? Are you a warrior?"
Hal grinned. "Almost. Have you heard of the vessel called The Heron? The one with the triangular sail? That's my ship."
Will nodded, leaning forward. "As a matter of fact, yes I did hear about that. How does it work, exactly? The physics seem wrong, like the boat shouldn't move as fast as I've heard she does."
Hal began to explain everything that happened, and the important details of the sail shape. Will, having not much familiarity on ships, nodded like he knew everything that Hal told him. When Hal finished, they all leaned back, enjoying the silent company, and the warm bask of the flame.
Finally, Will broke the silence that had formed over the duo. "Sounds like you had one hell of a journey, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess we did." Hal agreed. "It's was definitely something."
Will nodded, then took in a deep breath. He looked up at the flames, and decided that he would speak to Hal about the Skandia and Nihon-Ja problem.
"Have you, perhaps, heard anything about Nihon-Ja recently?" Will asked. Hal shook his head, confusion gathering in his eyes.
"No," he said in an uneasy voice. "Am I supposed to?"
Will shrugged. "We've had some reports lately about Nihon-Ja saying that they might invade Skandia. I was just wondering if anything had happened over there."
Hal shook his head. "Nothing so far, though I suppose it was a few weeks ago when we left. Do you think it's true?"
Will shrugged. "I'm not sure, which was why I was asking you. If so, I want to stop Nihon-Ja as soon as possible."
"Do you think that's wise?" Hal asked. "Erak's a proud man. He's not as easy to trust strangers, and he certainly won't like other countries asking if he needs help."
Will thought over that. It was true, but Erak was also honorable. If he knew that his country was in trouble, then he might not be as reluctant to decline help. But it had been a while since he had visited Erak. What if he decided that he didn't need help? Will shook his head, clearing his thoughts. It was better to try and stop anything from happening then not helping, and watching as the two countries clashed in another deadly battle.
A grin snuck its way across Will's face. "I happen to be friends with Erak."
