Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters
Bralt wannabe: Hanging was a very common way of execution but so were beheadings. A lot of times you hear of hanging and all that and it may be traditional but it wasn't the only way, we did a whole thing in Social Studies about a mess of medieval punishments and forms of executions. And I've just learned, thanks to two reviewers, that the way you were executed also depended on your rank and status in society. And, as SeekerMaxia pointed out, King Duncan would have wanted the execution to be over as fast as possible and hangings where something might go wrong or something and Halt could be hanging with a rope around his neck that didn't break it and just have to wait until he suffocated. In fact, I did the hanging a bit wrong. In medieval times each town would have a permanent gibbet that they hung the accused. And the accused got to the hanging by ways of a wagon. And then they would leave the corpse hanging there until it crumbled apart
Crowley stared at the door that led to Halt's infirmary room. He had been moved from the royal infirmary and back to the king's private room so he was closer to the expert help. The commandant didn't know what to expect behind the door. He was sure Pauline, Gilan and Will were in there, he doubted they'd leave his side until he either died or lived. And he knew that Rodney and Arald would have been beside them if they hadn't had to go back to Redmont and resume their duties. He stared at the door a while longer and before he could enter, a healer exited. Crowley stepped out of his way but held up a hand to stop him. Without his cowl to cover up his features, Crowley's worry was clear.
"What's the news?" he asked. The healer's expression was grim and he held quite a few red bandages.
"The arrow hit his breastbone. We're unsure as to whether or not it's broken but the real worry is to get it to stop bleeding. The cut across the front of his chest was ripped back open and I only just got that to stop. As for his head, he's gotten hit quite a bit in the past few days and I think he has a concussion after all that. He may not wake up for a few days and then it might be too late. Even if he does wake up before that, chances are he's just going to go back under," he answered gravely. Crowley took a deep breath and nodded.
"Thank you," he said. The healer gave a short nod in return then hurried off to get more bandages.
Clasping the cold door handle, Crowley closed his eyes and forced himself to relax.
"He'll be fine," he whispered to himself before opening the door. Just as he suspected, Pauline, Gilan and Will were seated on some chairs around Halt's bed. Pauline looked like she was about to lose it and her eyes were puffy. Will and Gilan looked to have tear stains on their cheeks but they had a certain anger in their eyes. All eyes swung towards him. "Hullo," he said softly. Gilan and Will stood and walked over to him. "What happened with the shooter?" Crowley asked in a whisper though there was no point in it.
"He got away," Gilan said angrily. "The damn bastard escaped when everybody was trying to get a better view of the stage where Halt was lying. He was dressed as a farmer and blended in well. Add that to the fact we didn't really get a clear view of him and you got a problem when chasing him," he added. Crowley frowned, agitated and ran a hand through his hair.
"Halt told me to tell you that Feller told him about the whip and he snapped. That's why he killed Feller," Will said after a pause. Crowley's frown deepened.
"What?" he asked in a bit of shock as he looked from one face to another.
"He said you'd understand what it meant," Will said with his own frown.
"I know what he means, I think. What's this about him killing Feller though?" Crowley asked a bit numbly.
"Duncan didn't tell you?" Gilan asked and Crowley shook his head. "The night after the trial, I snuck into Feller's room to kill him and keep Halt alive. Halt met me there and made me go back. Apparently something happened between Feller and him and he just snapped. Stabbed him right through the heart. Then when Matthew came yelling for the guards, he got slashed across the chest and slammed in the head with a knife hilt," Gilan explained. Crowley's eyes opened slightly and he couldn't talk for a moment.
"He…he stabbed him?" Gilan nodded and Crowley felt millions of thoughts and questions come to mind. The most prominent was that he didn't kill his own father, his brother had. "So how is he now?" Crowley asked timidly. He would tell them his story later. Will turned away, a tear rolling down his face. He joined Pauline back by Halt's bedside.
"He hasn't woken up yet. They got the slash to stop bleeding but nothing else," Gilan said and his voice cracked. Crowley just gave a small nod. Still trying to think through the information he had been given about Feller, he took the seat Gilan offered him. "I'm going to go talk to Duncan. We need to sort this mess out," he said lamely. Crowley looked at him and gave a small nod; Gilan just didn't want to be around so much sadness at the moment. Will stood and followed the other Ranger out the door somberly.
"Why did he kill Feller?" Crowley asked quietly to himself as he looked at Halt. Halt's face was pale and he looked downright awful. Pauline looked at Crowley.
"He didn't say. He only told Gilan and Will that he found out about the whip. Other than that, he wouldn't say what went on," she said in an upset voice. Crowley looked up; he hadn't expected her to answer him. "He wouldn't tell anybody why he kidnapped Feller or why he stabbed him at the cabin either."
"What?" Crowley asked, confused. "When did he kidnap Feller?"
"The night he stabbed him at the cabin, Crowley. He said you were there," she answered as if it were obvious. Crowley understood all the sudden, it was the story Halt had told everybody.
"That's….that's not what happened," he said slowly and looked down at his hands. "It was a story he made up," he added. "What happened was Feller attacked us in the clearing. I don't know why he would say anything about kidnapping Feller but he must've had a reason. Anyways, Feller's men came at us first. Halt dealt with the first two and I went to finish a third. I finished my man and when I turned back, Feller was behind Halt, he'd snuck up on him with the loud fire in the background. I warned Halt but he got this." Crowley motioned towards the large wound on Halt's arm. "Feller stabbed him in the calf and Halt fell down. Before Feller could run the sword through Halt's body, I tackled him. After that…I don't remember it clearly. All I remember after tackling him is seeing my knife go into Feller and him falling to the ground. Halt shoved me aside and grabbed the knife. He told me to run and I guess I just panicked. I tried to convince him to tell the truth but he wouldn't listen," Crowley said dejectedly.
Pauline fell silent. The news was a shock to her, knowing that everything Halt had said was true wasn't. He hadn't even stabbed Feller in the beginning.
"I'm sorry. I really am Pauline. I should have told Duncan no matter what Halt said. Because I didn't, I've caused more than one person to suffer, Halt's almost dead and almost nobody knows what's going on. It's my fault," Crowley said quietly and ran a hand over his face as if he were frustrated. He found it odd that his hand was damp when he stopped the motion.
Pauline didn't have anything to say to that either. She was still trying to swallow the idea that Halt was innocent to a certain degree and Crowley was the one who started the mess. She was looking at Halt worriedly. Crowley lowered his head again. Like Pauline, he was in a bit of shock. Halt had apparently killed his father because Feller had told him of the whip. The whip was something he was hoping to keep from Halt. Crowley didn't have any good feelings towards Feller but they were family. Though neither of them would want to be and hearing that Halt had killed him seemed to annoy him.
"I'm sure Halt had his part in doing this. It can't all be your fault," Pauline said softly as she brushed a strand of hair out of Halt's face, Crowley shook his head.
"I brought him into this. I didn't have to call him to Castle Araluen to switch. I could have told Duncan the truth more than once but I didn't," he answered.
"It never does any good to blame yourself," she said as she stood up. "I think I'm going to go back to my rooms. It's been a long day," she added even though it was only a few hours after noon. She wanted to stay with Halt for if he awoke but something told her that he and Crowley would best be left alone if that happened. Besides that, it was clear that Crowley needed time to himself and he wasn't going to leave Halt's side. In his mind he'd left Halt enough times in the past few days.
"I'll tell you if anything happens," Crowley said despondently and looked back to the ashen faced Halt.
Please review, next chapter will be a bit more interesting