A/N Thank you to all the reviewers! I'm so glad ppl like this!:3 And special Thanks to Bralt, who's been helpign me when I get stuck. I shoulda said that before...Bralt get's a million smileys!:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):) P.S Anyone remember "Cliff Hanger" from Between the Lions? *ahem*
"Will, Treaty, hangingfromaTREE!...And that's why he's called Will Treety!"

What Halt Should Know

What now?

Will hung from the branch with one arm, holding Michael in the other. There were no branches close enough to stand on, so Will gripped Michael's jerkin and heaved him up on the branch, then pulled himself up in front of him. Michael lay flat along the branch, exhausted, but fully conscious. He looked up at Will.

"How are we going to get down? I'm not sure I can climb…" he said reluctantly.

"Of course not. Let me think," said Will, leaning his back on the trunk.

"I would have you hang on my shoulders, pig-a-back like little kids do, but I don't want to risk you falling again." After a moment, he tugged lightly on Michael's quiver strap.

"Is this the double strap kind?" Araluen Rangers and most military archers used a type of strap that had two belts, one passing under the arms and the other diagonal over the right shoulder.

"Yeah, it is. Do you want to use it?"

"Yes, I have an idea. Sit up, you can balance on me since you don't have anything to lean on." Michael did as he said, leaning forward with a hand on Will's knee while Will loosened the buckle on the diagonal strap. Then, he turned to face the tree, slipping the strap over his head as well, so that the chest strap still held Michael securely, but both wore the shoulder strap. "Hold on loosely just in case, I'll do the climbing, so just relax," he instructed.

"Are you sure this will work?"

"Yeah."

Trusting to Will's judgment, Michael hung his arms limply around his neck while he began to climb down, going slowly to be sure the extra weight didn't slip him up. They reached the ground safely to find Alyss waiting at the base.

"I saw through the window. What happened to Michael?"

Will gingerly set Michael down and removed the strap. The boy leaned against the tree, looking annoyed that he was so shaky.

"Sorry Alyss, I was testing him and forgot that he would be exhausted after last night. I woke him up early too," he apologized.

"No, I shouldn't have got carried away with a challenge," said Michael. "Thank you for rescuing me by the way."

Alyss interrupted whatever Will was about to say and wrapped an arm around Michael's shoulders supportingly.

"Can you walk? And don't worry about that, I'm sure if something stupid happened, it was Will's fault," she said jokingly.

"I can walk, it's mostly my arms that feel like custard."

They entered the clearing, and Lona trotted up, whinnying. She seemed to understand what had happened, smelling the bear's blood on the air. Michael wrapped his arms around the pony's neck, whispering into her shaggy mane.

"I was really scared for you Lona. Silly girl, not smelling a stinky bear."

While Michael was buried in Lona's mane, Tug walked nonchalantly up, holding an apple by the leafy stem in his mouth. He held it out to Lona, who crunched it happily. He tossed his mane in horsy approval.

"Tug, quit flirting with the lady horse," said Will. All three laughed, walking back to the cabin. But, Michael paused by the stable.

"Um, can I stay out with Lona?"

"Are you sure?" asked Alyss with concern. "Your hands are all scraped up, and you must be exhausted."

It was true, Michael's hands were dirty and scraped raw.

"Yeah, I wanna stay out with her."

"Well, then I'll bring water to wash your hands and a blanket." With that, Alyss and Will disappeared inside. Abelard was in front of the veranda. When they opened the door, Halt was sitting at the table helping himself to Will's coffee, leaning back on the chair legs.

"Hullo Halt. Didn't you say leaning on them would loosen the legs?" grinned Will.

"Yeah, that was when they were mine. I don't care if they're yours." He said. "And stop making that joke, it's getting old." He raised the coffee pot for more, but Will snatched it away, exclaiming "Halt, Halt! That's my coffee!" Halt frowned. "And so is that joke." "Just like you."

Alyss ignored their bantering and walked past to get things for Michael.

"Those two will never grow up."

Lona crouched down on her knees, and Mychele lay her head on the pony's side.

"Don't scare me like that. That bear could've eaten you," she whispered, talking to calm herself more than anything. Stroking the thick fur, Mychele curled up against her horse. She really was exhausted; the day before had been spent in the saddle, then the long night, and early rising. The mental strain of the past few minutes left her completely drained, and she would've fallen asleep if Alyss hadn't come out with a bowl of water, a mug, and a blanket.

"Sorry about Will, he gets carried away easily. Though I must say, he must have seen something in you to get him so interested," said Alyss, gently cleaning Mychele's grubby palms and applying simple ointment to the scrapes. She handed her the steaming mug, which Mychele sipped gratefully, and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders in a motherly way.

"Thanks. That's alright, I'm pretty hasty. This kind of thing happens to me a lot. I wonder what he finds interesting about me." Yawning hugely, Mychele hunched into the blanket, drinking the hot tea with slightly shaky hands.

"Michael," began Alyss. "I have a question, you don't need to answer, but what are you planning on doing here? How will you find means to support yourself? You don't seem like you would just be a worker."

"To be honest," Mychele said after a moment's hesitation. "I haven't decided yet. All I was thinking of was making my way out of Clonmel."

"But surely you chose Araluen for a reason?"

"Yeah, I did. But I didn't plan this far I guess." She said, uneasy about where this conversation was going.

"Well, don't think you're imposing on us when I say you can stay here until you figure that out. I know Will agrees; as I said, he's very interested in you." With that, Alyss left the girl to drop off to sleep and went inside.

As soon as Alyss was gone, Will flipped a chair backwards and sat facing Halt, grinning like a naughty boy.

"Good, she's gone. Halt, I-"

"Want to make him your apprentice."

"How did you…"

"It's obvious Will." Halt raised an eyebrow. "But aren't you getting ahead of yourself? Just because he helped you and can shoot and climb a bit, doesn't mean he'll make a good apprentice. You don't know anything about his character, his background, or who he is."

"I know enough. I just have a feeling he'll make a great apprentice."

Halt gave him a hard look, thinking. He had decided not to share his suspicions until they could be verified. Then he would decide what needed to be done. "What make you think you know him? Just a random boy showing up alone from Hibernia with no real reason. Isn't that something to consider?"

"You mention Hibernia as if it's a bad thing! Are you saying you think he might be a spy or criminal?"

"No, I'm saying look at the possibilities. Did you find out anything about him since last night?"

"Alyss mentioned that he said he came because his parents are dead, and he decided to make a new life in Araluen. She also mentioned that his parents died "around that time", when the Outsiders were in Clonmel. Halt, he's practically just like you!"

That's what's so uncanny, thought Halt.

"That doesn't mean anything. If you really think so, do what you like. But You'll have to run it by Crowley."

Will sat up and frowned. "What? I have to tell Crowley? Since when?"

"Standard rule. Either get approved by Crowley, or an appointed senior Ranger."

"But then how?..."

"How did I make you and Gilan apprentices? I broke the rule of course." Will rolled his eyes and propped his chin on his arms moodily.

"Of course."

King Sean sat up after a near sleepless night. His decision two days ago was plaguing him. This morning, the bright day failed to cheer him, the clear air failed to revive him. Dropping his head in his hands, he groaned to himself. Once again, a cool hand laid itself on his shoulder.

"Sean, talk to her."

He shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. "How can I? After what I've done. Do you know, Meredith, what Captain Peter told me she said to him?"

"What did she say Sean?" Meredith asked, pulling his hair away from his face and combing it with her fingers soothingly.

"She said, 'He's not my father.' " His voice was tinged with bitterness.

"Sean,"

He looked half over his shoulder at her.

"talk to her."

Sean didn't manage to get his resolve together after an unsuccessful attempt to see her that morning, but after supper, Meredith gave him a pleading look. With a sigh, he finally trudged up the last of the stairs leadenly, and stood before the locked door for a full minute. Then he knocked.

"Mychele?"

No reply. He tried again with no results. Reluctantly, he took the key from the guard and unlocked the door.

"Mychele, Im sorry, but you wouldn't answer the door…" His voice trailed off and he took in the wreckage of torn down tapestries and clothes strewn about.

"This isn't happening…"

He searched the room, hoping this was merely a fit of rage. But there was no sign of Mychele. He ran out of the room.

"Guards! Every man able search this castle. Princess Mychele is missing!"

Later, he was discussing with his personal council what should be done.

"My lord," said Thaed, his chief councilor. "We don't have any specialty trackers. The mounted guard are all we have for such matters."

"Thaed," Sean said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Mychele is not a 'matter'. We must find her at all costs!" he banged his fist on the table. Thaed and several others looked uneasily at eachother. Catching their looks, Sean sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose my temper, I just…I feel responsible for this."

"Don't be too hard on yourself my lord." Thomas, another councilor, said sympathetically. "There is, however, also the possibility that she was…kidnapped." He concluded grimly.

"What?" his head snapped up. "What do you mean?"

"Do you recall that there have been increasing reports of kidnappings in not only Clonmel, but throughout Hibernia? We believe," said Thaed. "That these kidnappings are connected, and Mychele may have been a target."

Sean pondered this for a moment. "Yes, she had just rescued a boy that had been kidnapped, hadn't she?" he laughed ruefully. "I didn't listen though."

"My lord?"

"Thaed, I think we need to put that Araluen treaty to use. We need a Ranger."

"Ah, Ranger Halt, your uncle, I presume?"

Sean stood decisively, looking as if he had just resolved on something that should have been done long since. "Yes, it's about time Halt found out about Ferris's daughter."

A/N Dun dun DUUUUN…..Who, what, when, where, why, You ask? Not telling. *Sticks tongue out* Hee hee. Oh, and I don't have a clue how to pronounce Thaed either…Reviews r cookies.:3