A/N: Hi...I know, I haven't been on in quite some time; I got caught up in life. The Christmas spirit is in the air, and I'm excited! It is for this excitement that I am updating here in the middle of the week!
Enjoy, and Merry Christmas, six days early!
Thirty-Six: Steal
Will crossed his arms. "So you're telling me that you have never stolen anything? Never?"
"That's right," Halt said with a nod. His smile was smug.
"So, what about that bandit's knife?"
Halt just scoffed. "I gave it back."
"Yeah, right into his calf. What about…that tin of coffee beans?"
"I was told that I could have it."
Sighing in exasperation, Will said, "Well, how about the time when you sneaked into the kitchen and got those pies?"
"That was borrowing forever without asking. There's a massive difference, my dear apprentice."
"…I'm not sure I know how to respond to that one."
Thirty-Seven: Ship
Evanlyn stood gazing at the moored craft as it lazily rocked with the oncoming surf. "She's a fine beauty, Erak," she said to the Skandian on her right.
He nodded. "Indeed she is, Princess. Indeed she is," Erak said. He cocked his head. "What part do you like the best of her; her mast, stern, prow…?" He left the question open.
The Oberjarl was confused when she started cackling like mad.
Evanlyn was doubled over in laughter, and Erak looked at her like she was going to explode at any moment. "What?" he asked. "What did I say?"
She finally got control of herself and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oh man, that's funny," she said in that breathless sigh that everyone seems to talk in right after they die laughing.
"What's funny?"
She pointed at him with one lazy finger. "Oh jeez, that's hilarious. You think I have a clue!"
A/N: that didn't turn out quite as funny as I hoped. I just hadn't made any drabbles with Evanlyn in them…so I figured that 'clueless' would be a good start.
Thirty-Eight: Crossword
While Halt was busying himself with paperwork and Will was sitting in the floor doing God-knows-what, Gilan was chewing on the end of his pen as he tried to complete his crossword puzzle.
The younger Ranger frowned and sighed for the 294,437th time, and Halt looked at his former student. "What are you stuck on, Gil?"
"How do you know I'm stuck?" Gil inquired a bit too innocently.
"Because," Will chirped, "you never sigh this much."
"Alright, fine," Gil said. "I need a four-letter word for 'disappointment.' I just can't figure it out!"
Will assumed his 'thinking expression' as he tried to puzzle out the crossword. "Uh…how about 'downfall?' Wait, too many letters. Oh, I know! It's 'failure!' Oh, wait, that's not four letters either…"
While Will continued his attempts, Gil turned to his former mentor. "Halt, do you have any idea?"
"What was it again?" Halt asked, lips pursed thoughtfully.
"A four-letter-word for 'disappointment.'"
"Oh, that's plenty easy."
Gilan looked expectant. "Well, what is it?"
Halt scoffed. "It's 'Will.'"
"Hey!" Will exclaimed, turning quickly where he sat, managing to lose his balance and fall flat on his face. Halt and Gil facepalmed.
Thirty-Nine: Shoot
Will walked in the room, grinning from ear to ear. "Horace," he called as he leaned his bow, strung and ready as always, against his knee, "come here! I've got to tell you about my trip into town."
"Okay, okay, hold on!" the knight called from the other room. "Just let me finish getting…" He trailed off, obviously doing what he was mentioning.
Will waited patiently for his friend to come in, and in a few moments, Horace came jogging. As he started to flop on the couch, he prompted, "Aaaaaaaaand shoot. Ah, my foot!" he suddenly exclaimed as his toe banged the leg of the couch.
Horace shouted even louder as a very confused Will—who genuinely believed he was doing what the Horace had asked him to—shot an arrow through the knight's foot.
A/N: yet another experience of mine, except, you know…I didn't get shot. …My life is a walking parody. Funny, ain't it?! XD
Forty: Fly Away
With absolute precise care, Evanlyn spread out a thin sheet on the floor. Once she got every wrinkle smoothed and every corner exact, she raised her head from her task. "Alyss! I need you."
The young diplomat rose from her seat where she had been reading her book. "Sure. What do you need me to do?"
"Stand on that end of the sheet."
Once Alyss did so, Evanlyn prepared herself. She squared up to the sheet, grabbing the two corners opposite Alyss. "I have to do this just right," she explained. Readying herself, Evanlyn billowed the sheet once by raising it up above her head and snapping it back down again. The wave in the fabric rose and traveled the length of the sheet, where it stopped and fell flat at the diplomat's feet.
"Crap," Evanlyn muttered at her failure.
Alyss was giving her an odd look. "What was that meant to do?"
"The swell in the sheet was supposed to make you fly up!" And at the other young woman's baffled expression, Evanlyn frowned, confused. "What? Haven't you ever wanted to fly?"
