I don't own Rangers Apprentice; we can all thank John Flanagan for that!
-Angelica
Will and Halt looked at each other; they both knew that Derrick would be fine, since only the five of them knew who we was. So it left the whole Royal family. They had talked earlier about telling Isabel, but felt that Derrick should know before Isabel.
"Someone has to stay and follow them," Halt said. "And someone needs to get back to the castle and explain this whole problem to Horace and only Horace at the moment."
"They've never met you before Halt, so you should follow them and Isabel and I should go back to Redmont," Will said.
There he goes again, Isabel thought, never letting me do anything. "But one person riding back would be faster than two. And Keren will recognize you, but Halt not so much. And Halt really doesn't know what the men look like."
"She has a point," Halt said.
"She always has a point," Will said meeting his daughter eyes.
"But it's a good point," she said sipping her coffee.
"I'll leave in the morning and ride back to the castle," Will said. "You won't leave Halt's side and do everything he says."
Isabel nodded. "When don't I?" She responded.
The next morning Will left with Tug for Redmont. Isabel stayed in the dress and went around town till she located Tyler and Paul. Halt stayed in the shadows watching her the whole time. The two men were talking to a third man at the stables. They were selling and buying new horses.
She followed them back to the tavern at a safe distance, but they never came back out. That night, Halt had a feeling they'd try something sneaky soon. So he went out scouting the town and saw the six men leave the tavern. One was limping, from the wound he received from the arrow Isabel drove through his leg. And of course one was wearing a mask.
They went into the stables and left on their horses, in the dead of night.
Halt went back to the inn and woke Isabel, they grabbed their gear and went to the stables to get Abelard and Twig and followed the group in the dark.
Will rode all day and made it back to the castle at dusk. He found Horace in his rooms. Cassandra had taken Addison and Marcus to dinner at Jenny's but Horace had stayed at the castle talking to the Baron.
"Will," Horace said. "I thought you were on a mission, what are you doing back already?"
"Horace I have to telling you something," Will said. "It starts a little over a week ago…" Will told him the whole story about Isabel and Keren, and what they found in Linton.
Horace slumped back in his chair and looked at his friend. "If he's coming after me, then I we have to take precautions."
"Addison and Marcus shouldn't be left alone. Halt, you or me should always be with them and the guards."
"Let's just hope that Keren doesn't know anything about Derrick," Horace said.
"The less people that know the better," Will said.
Horace nodded in agreement.