Welcome to the last chapter of The Ranger's Daughter. I am soooooo sorry I have neglected to update. School is heartless, merciless, and pointless. I had to say, if so many of you hadn't wanted Maria to live, she would have died. So don't flame me! Read and review!
Halt was worn out. He had been riding for a few days now, with Will's annoying apprentice at his side, it was just like having Will with him. Word had gotten around the country of the strange female Ranger that had won the war for Arulean. As soon as Halt had heard, he was packed and off with out so much as a goodbye for his wife. Halt swore, he would shoot whoever let his Maria fight. Along the way, he had met up with the fifteen year old Matthew, with even more grave news.
"Who are you?" Halt grunted to the teen in the Ranger molted cloak who rode beside him. His jet-black hair was wind blown, and his eyes held a vast amount of sorrow that Halt couldn't figure out.
"Matthew. I'm Will's apprentice. He set me a note to give to you, because he knew you would already be on your way to visit Maria. She's an amazing girl. But there is something you should know about the battle." The boy said. Halt didn't like hat way he was talking about Maria, but he would have to keep an eye on this boy around his daughter. But he wanted to know what he knew.
"Yeah? So what don't I know about my daughter fighting?" Halt growled in his most threatening one that would send most people running. This Matthew barely flinched at his tone.
Matthew swallowed hard. "She almost died." He mumbled, hoping the grizzled Ranger hadn't heard him. He wasn't that lucky.
"WHAT? What happened?" Halt demanded, and the boy flinched under the elder Ranger's accusing eyes.
"H-here, sir. Will told m-me to give this to you." He stammered, holding out a shaking hand with a piece of paper clutched in his shaking fist. Halt glared at him before snatching the paper and he began to read.
Halt,
Please don't kill me. It wasn't my idea for Maria to fight, it was Gilan's! Kill him, not me! So, if you are reading this, Matthew must have caught up to you. So, I'm no going to say this any other way.
Maria almost died.
She had ridden up and shot Olc, but he stabbed her in the gut. The sword missed her vital organs, or so said Malcolm, and she is going to be fine. But you might want to get here soon, before Gila takes Maria on as his apprentice. Just saying.
Don't kill me!
Will
Halt grunted. Matthew looked at him. "So, can I come with you?" he asked. Halt nodded. It would be about a two day ride to the castle.
xXxXxXx
Maria sat in the highest branches of one of the trees in the courtyard, looking around and thinking. There was soft white cloth wrapping her stomach area where Olc stabbed her. Will and Gilan had been terrified that she might not survive, and then Halt would then kill them. But she, with the help of a healer named Malcolm, had pulled through.
Maria looked around from her perch at the top of the tree. Another cloak-clad Ranger entered the courtyard, scanning the area. Maria froze, scarcely breathing as Will's gaze locked on to her hiding spot. He walked right over to the tree, rubbed his hands together, and grabbed the lowest branch. Maria watched as Will clamored up the tree and seated himself next to her. He did not look happy.
"What do you think you're doing up here? You got stabbed in the gut a week ago! Anyone with and common sense would be in bed." hissed Will. Maria grinned sheepishly.
"I can't just sit still! I am a Ranger, after all. What are you doing up here?" Maria replied. She had forgiven Will for his outburst after she had seen how worried he was about her.
"Someone is here to see you. Come on, if you can get up here, you can get yourself down." Will teased. His hopped off his branch and jumped to a lower one. Not to be outdone, Maria noticed a larger branch further down than Will's. Maria leaped and flew past Will, who shouted in surprise. She landed and looked up at Will, who was grasping his heart and panting.
"Come on, slowpoke! Don't want to keep who-ever-it-is waiting!" called Maria as she hopped from branch to branch. The two Rangers landed on the ground soundlessly, looking at the figure in the Ranger cloak. He tossed his cowl back. Maria beamed and launched herself at him.
"Matthew!" she cried. Said Ranger's apprentice grabbed the girl and they hugged. Will knew better than to think that he was the only one watching the two teens. He looked over to the clump of tree and at a glowering and deadly Halt.
The teens broke apart at the sound of a clearing throat. Halt glared daggers at Matthew, who in turn, spun and ran. Maria, in her defense, looked a bit sheepish. Halt walked over to her, and she cringed.
"Why did you fight, Maria? You know you didn't have to prove anything to me, your mother already did that." Halt said. Maria looked up at him.
"I discovered Olc's plot. He said if I didn't fight, he would find me and kill me. If I didn't have to prove anything to you, then why can't I be your apprentice?"
Halt sighed. "Maria, I was stupid. I thought I was protecting you, but I was only keeping you from your destiny. Would you still like to be my apprentice?"
"Of course! When can I start? I already know and have mastered the basics of the Ranger's art, so can I start at an advanced level?" a hyper Maria blurted. Halt chucked.
"Come on." He said.
xXxXxXx
Maria waltzed out of Crowley's office, gazing at her new bronze oakleaf and listened to her father violently yell at Crowley, trying to learn the name of whoever thought it was a good idea fro her to lead the calvary, but she didn't care. She was a Ranger's apprentice, and her name was going to go down in history under the category of "legendary Ranger", along with her father and Will.
Maria looked up from her oakleaf oogling. Gilan was walking past her with a worried and slightly horrified look on his face.
"Gilan? Is something wrong?" Maria asked.
"The Temiji have launched war ships. They are en-rout to Arulean." Gilan whispered. Maria gasped.
The life of a Ranger's apprentice is never a boring one.
The story is done! Thank you to all of my amazing reviewers who kept me writing! I have TWO, yes two, polls for you!
Poll #1:
Should there be a sequel?
A: Yes
B: No
Poll #2:
If there is a sequel, should there be romance between Maria and Matthew?
A: Yes
B: No
Review and Vote! I need both!
