I swear that there aren't any cat puns in the actual story

It was spring in Araluen. The icicles had melted, the snow disappeared, the trees started blossoming and the grass had never been so green. The temperature had risen again, and save for chilly mornings, the day's temperature was enough for wearing the standard Ranger winter uniform.

Someone who really appreciated the turn of weather was Will. Ever since he'd returned from Skandia, winters just weren't the same, and even if he had mostly recovered, the trauma was still hidden there. He couldn't as much as look at the warmweed salve without feeling nauseous. He couldn't step out of the cabin during winter without wearing a thick winter coat, just so he wouldn't be reminded of the harsh conditions of the slave yard.

While he had worked on himself and on getting through one thing at a time, and Halt has been an enormous help, now that he only had him to rely on during the worst of winter (now that Horace was at castle Araluen and his ward mates didn't know the full story).

Will trusted Halt, and after several months of trying, he had recognized that Halt was no danger to him. He could speak freely around him, and he could do so without being punished. He warmed up to his mentor, but he hadn't smiled. Will had stopped smiling, just like that. At least, it wasn't a genuine smile. Halt couldn't remember when he saw his apprentice simply smiling - it must've been well before Skandia.

At least Will seemed to be doing better when the weather started being warm again. The winter had been tough, but finally, the fief came to life once again, and with that, Will became progressively happier. It wasn't ideal, but it was a start.

The sun was shining that day. In the forest, the sun rays were dispersed by the leaves and made a light and dark pattern. The land had dried up and was no longer a giant patch of mud, though training in the mud was another great opportunity to practice - if we forgot about washing the whole uniform afterwards. There were ideal conditions for practicing stealth.

Will and Halt of course made the most of it. From early morning, Will had been practicing silent and unseen movement, with Halt skillfully hidden Gorlog knows where and occasionally shouting out things like "Whose arm is it there in the bushes?" or "Crawl properly, or will you have me come there and show you how it's done?"

Will was trying his best and kept practicing until Halt suddenly appeared next to him, telling him that it was time to go make lunch.

As Will crawled back to their meeting spot, his ears picked up a faint sound. He froze, true to his Ranger training, and tried to determine where it was coming from. A drop of sweat went down his back. This was only a training session, but one could never be too careful.

Then, he heard it again, just a soft sound being carried by the chilly spring wind. Will risked moving his head in the direction the sound came from. It was a meow he heard. There was a cat somewhere.

The boy hesitated for a moment, trying to hear for Halt. But, his curiosity took over and he crawled closer to the sound. The cat meowed again and Will stopped. He must've been very close to it. His eyes scanned his surroundings, but he couldn't make out where it was hiding until the mud moved. It wasn't mud per se, it was just a very dirty kitten.

Will reached out with his hand.

"Hello, little fella," he said softly, watching as the kitten turned its big green eyes to him. The poor thing must've been pretty hungry, Will noticed. It was painfully skinny.

"Will!" Halt called from the spot where they were supposed to meet. The boy quickly scooped the kitten up and hurried to his mentor. Maybe Halt would permit him to keep the kitten…

"No."

Will held the cat up.

"But Halt," Will tried again. "It will die out there if it's left on its own." He pressed the muddy kitten onto his chest gently, leaving a big brown spot on his clothes. Will didn't want the kitten to freeze to death. For a moment, he shivered; for memories of almost freezing to death himself had returned to him. He didn't want the kitten to live through such a situation. The apprentice looked at Halt with the best puppy eyes he could muster.

The greying Ranger sighed and massaged his temples.

"Fine. But we're not keeping it," he said finally, making it clear that the kitten wouldn't be a permanent member of their little family.

Will smiled and if it wasn't for him holding the kitten, he would've probably hugged Halt. The older Ranger started going in the direction of the cabin, mumbling about supper.

Upon returning, Will set the kitten next to the fireplace on his dirty clothes (that he would have to wash anyway), and watched as the little feline curled up, soaking up the warmth from the fire. The apprentice smiled, noting to himself that he would have to wash the worst dirt off later. He went to Halt to help with preparing lunch.

The Ranger had been kind enough to set off tiny pieces of meat aside so Will could cut them up and put them into a bowl for the kitten. The boy placed the bowl next to the sleeping kitten and went to have lunch.

The day slowly passed. It started raining in the afternoon, so Halt lit a candle and worked with Will on reading maps. It was one thing that Will needed to improve for the next Gathering. He always lacked attention to detail and Halt was determined to improve his skills.

Afterward, the two Rangers made coffee when they heard a soft meow. Will looked down; it seemed as if the kitten woke up and was demanding attention. He looked at the food bowl; it was eaten.

"Hey, little guy," Will cooed, extending his hand to the cat. The kitten sniffed at it and then put its dirty little head into his palm. Will's fingers curled up and soon, he was scratching it.

"How about you give it a bath?" Halt suggested. "It's getting dirt all over my floor."

Will looked up at his mentor.

"Halt, you know very well that I'm the one who's washing the floor here," he reminded lightheartedly. Halt's expression softened. He hadn't heard such a soft tone from Will in a long time.

The apprentice warmed up some water and then, much to the kitten's dismay, he gently washed the dirt away. The cat hissed at the first contact with water, but then just clung to the boy desperately. Will washed the worst dirt and mud away and could see that it was a small, ginger kitten.

His face lit up.

"Look at you, you're gorgeous!" he cooed, wrapping the kitten in a dry cloth to keep it warm. "We can call you Crowley."

He heard Halt's sigh from the other room and then: "You're not naming the cat. You'll get attached like that. Once it's doing better, we'll go see Nigel if it can stay in the stables. There's always a need for cats in the stables."

Will sighed sadly, but he knew all too well that Halt would never permit him a pet. Well, other than Tug, of course. But he was already grateful for Tug and his company.

The days passed quickly now that Will had to take care of the kitten on top of his usual duties. He didn't mind though, he liked watching the kitten's progress. After a week of proper nutrition, it wasn't on the brink of death anymore and had more energy. It started exploring the cabin, often ending up in strange places and the Rangers wondered how in Gorlog's beard did it get there.

Finally, the day before they'd leave for that year's Gathering came. It was time to say goodbye. Will had the unnamed cat in his arms while he and Halt rode to the battle school and the stables for battle horses that were right next to it.

Ulf, the Horsemaster, was just in the stables. He turned to the newcomers, holding a black steed's reins in his hand.

"Ranger Halt, Ranger Will," he greeted them. "What brings you here?"

Halt dismounted and let Abelard's reins fall to the ground. He knew that he wouldn't run. Ranger horses were trained not to stray away from their masters.

"Horsemaster," the Ranger greeted back. Will carefully dismounted too, holding the kitten close to his chest. The boy swallowed, knowing that it'd be very hard to utter the next sentence.

"We were just wondering if you had a place in your stable for another cat?" Will opened his arms and revealed the ginger cat, looking curiously around, taking in the new surroundings. Finally, it scrambled free of Will's hold and he let it go and check its new territory.

Ulf the Horsemaster looked at the kitten.

"There's always a place for a cat in the stables. The mice never rest," he replied. Halt shot Will a significant look. It said: "Say goodbye."

The apprentice crouched down, prompting the kitten to come back to him. Will scratched it behind the ears and heard a soft purr coming from the cat's throat.

"This is goodbye, little fella," he said, a lone tear sliding down his cheek. "You're strong. You got back from the brink of death. You know, we're similar in that." The kitten tilted its head, looking at him with its big green eyes.

"And we'll keep fighting." Will's voice faded into a whisper when he scratched the kitten's head one last time.

"Goodbye, little friend."

And for the first time, Will smiled genuinely.