(A/N)

Yay, Je Buurman is back in action! Also, I've hammered out most of the plot's details now, so I'm pretty sure I'll continue this. I still think there are a lot of things wrong with it, like how Verita should be much to young and traumatized to be quite so independent and relaxed, but I'll stick with my own motto: a bit of imagination improves most fanfics by tenfold. Anyway, I've grown rather fond of this story, especially with the twist that's coming up in the next few chapters, I hope to surprise you with it.

Ranger Robin, guest, Moniquebowman, Alex The Rogue and Seriya Silvermist, thanks for your reviews!

Moniquebowman, I'm reading your story now, it's great and I'll review when I've finished it! By the way, I also think that it's a bit weird that Verita immediately tells Crowley her whole life story, I consider it one of the plot's weakest points. Still, in Verita's defence, Crowley had already been following her around the forest for more than a week before she let him find her, so she's had plenty of time to observe him. His dedication, skill and persistence must have impressed her. She says herself that something about him simply made her trust him, the huge contrast with the lousy previous ranger must have contributed to that. Also, don't forget that it's not just a matter of him winning her trust, but also of her winning his trust, because she needs that job as a cloakmaker for the rangers. Only in that position will she both earn money and have permission to keep poaching.

Anyway, enjoy the new chapter, and I don't own the Ranger's Apprentice series.

Chapter 11 – Father and Son

It was a humongous effort for Gilan Davidson to keep his mischievous smirk hidden as he waved his mentor goodbye at the crossroads. The path Halt took would bring him back to Redmont, the path Gilan took led him to Araluen – and Caraway behind that. His hand unconsciously strayed to pet his saddlebag, which contained the entire coffee supply which Halt had brought to the gathering. The reason for Gilan's suppressed smirk was the fact that Halt had no idea that his apprentice currently had the coffee supply.

The boy considered it only fair. After all, Halt had a positively huge stash of the stuff at his cabin, while Gilan had none at all. He conveniently overlooked the fact that he could ask for some coffee from the kitchens of Caraway Castle, where his father lived, whenever he so desired, not even having to make it himself. No, he was much too preoccupied with imagining Halt's face when the older man would camp at the side of the road that night, and discover that he had no coffee and wouldn't have any before the next evening when he arrived home.

A smirk did break through when Gilan imagined telling this story to Verita, whom he was sure he'd see while he was in Caraway. He had never gotten the chance to tell her he was going to be a ranger, to say goodbye, and he regretted that. On the other hand he hoped to deepen his friendship with the girl now that he knew a bit more about her life. They had certainly been friends before, they had talked and joked around and enjoyed each other's company a lot. Gilan idly contemplated that he and old pater Hadrianus were the only two people she ever smiled at. Even so, she had never told him a single thing about her home life, not even when he had the courage to ask. He only ever saw her in school, at the market or in the harbor, but he had no idea where she lived.

He could ask Crowley about that, Gilan realized. As a fellow ranger it was only logical that he'd speak to the man at least once during his stay, and Crowley would surely know it. He'd make things right with Vera, and then he'd ask her if she perhaps wanted to go hunting with him when he had some free time. But first things first, he'd have to go home and see his father.

That meeting didn't exactly go like the young man expected. Sir David greeted his son of course, and they exchanged the usual pleasantries, but the man seemed mentally absent. His eyes were unfocused most of the time, he hardly listened to what Gilan said and appeared to be in distress. Gilan decided to confront his father with the fact.

"Father,", he began, "what distracts you so?"

Sir David looked at his son for a moment, and then blurted out: "I've made a terrible mistake."

Gilan gestured at his father to explain himself, which the man did.

"About eleven years ago a woman entered this castle in the middle of the night and gave birth to a baby girl. She was well dressed, so I took her for a noblewoman who had gone astray with some man, gotten pregnant as a result of it, and then fled from her parents. She was obviously not from here, as she spoke with the oddest accent, but even while recovering from giving birth she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever beheld, more beautiful than your mother I must admit. The baron decided that she could stay in the fief if she provided for herself and didn't cause trouble. She sold her jewelry to pay for the registration fee and thus became a citizen of this country. Enough money remained for her to buy a small neglected cottage, and she found work in a pub I hope to never see you entering."

Sir David briefly paused to swallow before he continued. "The woman later became a prostitute. She wasted all the money she earned and spent nothing on daughter who pretty much grew up in that horrible pub where her mother worked. When the girl got older and became able to wander around the fief though, she was always expensively dressed, and often walked around the market carrying big amounts of food, more meat than a family needs in a month. She couldn't afford that, so considering her upbringing, I pegged her as a thief. Not only that, I shared those suspicions. I was perhaps the only person in this fief who didn't judge the girl for her mother's occupation, but she didn't become a real outcast until those accusations were added to her mother's disgrace."

Sir David paused again.

"You're talking about Verita, right?", Gilan decided to interject. Sir David looked his son in the eye, and his sad, remorseful expression was answer enough. His confession wasn't done yet though.

"You know about the sponsorships baron Fergus sometimes gives, son?"

Gilan nodded in confirmation. In Caraway, when a child of poor parents showed uncommon intelligence, the baron would pay for this child's education so that no talent would go to waste.

"With her obvious intelligence she should have gotten one, but because of my misjudged view of her I discouraged the baron from allowing her in the castle, which is why she didn't get one. She still went to school when the ranger paid for it, but that stopped when her mother died. Had she been able to finish her education, then she could have made a career in another fief, but now she seemed doomed to destitution."

"She wasn't, she joined the ranger corps.", Gilan remarked in a slightly accusing tone.

"That's the point. According to Halt, there are a lot of rotten apples in the corps these days, but ranger Crowley is a decent lad and he would only recruit reliable people, hence my assumptions must be wrong, hence I made a young girl's life hell for a decade for no reason. I wish I could at least have apologized to her, but by the time I figured it all out she fell ill and then she suddenly left on a long journey, it'll be several months before she returns."

Gilan felt his hope sinking like it was an actual substance in his body. He wouldn't get to see Vera after all. Father and son sat in uncomfortable silence for a while, then the latter heaved a big sigh.

"I understand your reasoning father, really, but I can't forgive you just like that, Verita is too dear a friend."

The boy contemplated his own words and realized that he was right. His father had noticed that Natalja neglected her daughter, he should have done something about it, or at least mention it to the baron who was obligated to take care of the people in his fief. If not he should have investigated more before condemning the poor girl. One thing that struck Gilan as typical for Verita was that she was always working – even when they hung out in the harbor together, their favorite place, she would always take some knitting with her. Someone so diligent could never be a thief, which David should have realized.

"That is more than I had any right to expect.", sir David answered.

Gilan despondently studied his shoes, then got up and left the room. Before he closed the door though, he asked one more question.

"How is she?"

His father answered without hesitation. "She's grown very tall, and looks more alive than before somehow. She'll be as beautiful as her mother if not more so."

Without Verita, Caraway held little appeal to Gilan. To distract himself from her absence he threw himself into swordfight practice with a fiery determination which surprised even his teacher, MacNeil.

When Crowley returned from castle Araluen, Gilan got to know the man better and became good friends with him. The memory of Halt's many girlfriend jokes kept the boy from asking too many questions about Crowley's missing protégée though. Crowley vaguely remembered Verita mentioning the battlemaster's son, but had forgotten the boy's significance, so he didn't volunteer any information either.

Life carried on like that for two months, until Gilan was supposed to return to Halt. He wasn't exactly happy with the way his visit had turned out, but at least his swordwork had improved.