It was indeed lunchtime when Will and Crowley got back and Halt had lunch prepared for them. Crowley teased Halt about being a housewife which resulted in Halt tossing Crowley's food on the floor while maintaining eye-contact. Crowley poured at least two tablespoons of salt in Halt's coffee as revenge. It only escalated from there.
Gilan and Will stood in the background, exchanging glances of do you see what I'm seeing right now? and This is our Commandant here?
Once that calmed down and the four of them had finally sat down to eat, Crowley revealed the situation. Halt had recovered his usual gravity by then and nodded seriously as he took the news in. "You're right. Wolves that are that close in need to be dealt with, and quickly. How many are there?"
"About eight."
Halt cursed. "That's too many to handle safely on our own. We'll need to notify the Baron. We should go as soon as possible."
"No objections here," Gilan said. "We need to get materials to fix the stable roof, anyway."
"Oh, 'we' need to do this, do we?" asked Crowley, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, 'we' always need to do the chores, so I think I'm allowed the use of the plural pronoun myself just this once," Gilan retorted, with a pointed look at Halt.
"Are all of you set on bullying me today?" Halt asked grumpily.
"It's not our fault you're easy to bully," said Will.
Halt glared. "Really, now?"
Will laughed. All the tension he'd been holding around Halt subsided, just a little bit. "Don't you mean, 'et tu, Brute'?"
"Do I look like a dictator?"
Gilan and Will exchanged looks.
"I can and will string you up on the nearest tree if you-"
"No, no, not at all!" Gilan said hastily. "You definitely aren't at all like Caesar, Halt!"
"Yeah, definitely!" Will added on quickly. "Not even a little bit of likeness!"
Halt stared at them. Finally, he closed his eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh. "Fine. And Crowley, you can stop holding it in. I know you're dying to laugh at my expense, as you always are."
"Thanks for the permission, O great Caesar," Crowley said, before finally dissolving into laughter.
Halt looked around at the three of them like he couldn't decide who to kill first. He stood, pointedly gathering his dishes and taking them to the washbasin. "Shall we get going? Or would you rather let wolves roam about our lands and kill our citizens?"
Crowley rolled his eyes but stood as well. "You're right, this situation needs to be dealt with. Let's go."
They made decent time to Redmont, the sun still high in the sky as they dismounted in front of the castle gates. They intended to be there for a short time only, so they didn't bother to lead their mounts to the stables, nor did they tie them. Ranger horses knew to stay put.
The four of them had kept up an amiable conversation on the way, each of them contributing more (Gilan) or less (Halt) to it. As solitary as Rangers often were, they still had an appreciation for company. That even Crowley and Halt could be social was a bit surprising to Will, but it eased his insecurity a little. In his first year of apprenticeship, Halt's seemingly solitary ways had made Will think all Rangers must love being alone all the time. Will did not, so he had thought that perhaps he was ill-suited. Seeing Crowley and Halt discuss current diplomatic relations between Araluen and Gallica, though, Will thought that maybe Rangers weren't as solitary as he had initially believed.
As they made their way to the Baron's room, Will let his gaze wander around the castle. The Scribeschool building was nearby, quiet with the occasional student or servant bustling in or out. George would be in there, studying away or giving speeches or debating his fellow students. The thought made Will grimace; such a life most certainly was not for him. It had been scarcely a week since Will had seen George last, a thought that was startling. It felt like much longer than a week.
Redmont's Diplomatic Corps building stood next to the Scribeschool. As closely as Scribes and Diplomats worked together, the proximity of the two buildings made sense. Will had always wondered what exactly their training was like. Alyss was never forthright in her explanations (nor was she ever in most anything, truth be told), leaving much to the imagination. His eyes lingered on the door.
"She's not going to walk out just because you want her to," Halt said dryly from several feet away.
Will jerked. "I wasn't waiting on Alyss!"
He froze, wide-eyed, realizing his mistake a moment too late. Unfortunately, all three of the other Rangers realized it at the exact same time.
"Alyss?" Halt inquired innocently. "I don't recall ever saying her name."
"I-I mean, you said 'she' - who else would I be waiting on?"
"So this Alyss is the only person you'd wait for? Sounds pretty special," Gilan said, grinning.
"G-Gilan!"
"Oh, lay off him," Crowley interjected amiably, setting a hand on Gilan's shoulder. "We can tease him about his childhood crush later. Right now, we have a job to do."
"She's - she's not my childhood crush!" Will exclaimed, face hot. She actually, very definitely, was, but that was beside the point.
"...Anyway," Crowley said, "let's get going. These wolves aren't going to sit still for us."
The Rangers moved as one to the castle. They appeared in front of the guards, startling them as badly as they always did (to their shared amusement), and informed them that they had an urgent matter for the Baron. The guards told them he was up in his chamber but unable to see them currently. When they asked why, the guards replied that Arald was busy speaking to someone. Who, the Rangers asked. Lady Pauline and Master Nigel, came the response. The Rangers exchanged glances and nodded at each other. None of them cared much about interrupting those two. In fact, given Nigel's habit of hour-long monologues, Arald and Pauline might even welcome the interruption.
They made quick time to the Baron's chambers, where they once again alerted the guards to their presence. After a bit of arguing between Crowley and the guards, they were let in.
The Baron's personal office was pretty much the same as Will remembered. Granted, he had not had a whole lot of time to examine it his first time around, given Choosing Day and his later break-in and capture by Halt. Still, the same portraits that Will remembered as staring judgmentally down at him were still there. Their gazes were just as unimpressed two years later.
As they stepped into the Baron's room, all the occupants turned to them. Arald, Pauline, and Nigel were all there, along with several others. Two Scribeschool students stood next to Nigel, and next to Pauline was Alyss. Will noted with amusement that everyone except Nigel looked strangely relieved at the Rangers' presence. Nigel was the only one who looked irritated.
Looks like we did interrupt one of his monologues, Will thought, hiding a grin.
The Rangers made their greetings to Arald and the others. As Will straightened from his bow, his eyes - of course - met and locked with the only person in the room he wished they wouldn't have: Alyss. She gave him a small, polite smile. Will forced his lips to smile back. Inwardly, his heart sank further and further every second. Why did she have to be there?
"Crowley! And Gilan, too! Good God, what catastrophe has happened that there's four of you here?"
"No need to get too worried," Crowley said. "Although there is a problem, I'd hardly term it a catastrophe. Gilan and I just happened to be here at the same time."
"Knowing our luck, you're probably the reason it's even here in the first place," Halt said to Crowley. Crowley gave him a look at the same time that Pauline very subtly yet pointedly cleared her throat.
"So, what is the problem?"
"Wolves," Crowley said, sighing. "Will and I tracked them down just a few hours ago. They were a bare few miles from Halt's cabin - who knows how close they've been getting to our citizens. From the tracks, there's eight of them, all adults."
Concerned murmurs came from the two Scribeschool students. Pauline's gaze had softened to concern, and Alyss was once more looking at Will. He tried his hardest not to look back. Arald muttered a curse. He quickly apologized to Pauline and Alyss, who of course accepted it graciously.
"We'll have to organize a hunt immediately," Arald said. "I can have the knights mobilized and prepared today."
Halt shook his head. "There's no need to move that quickly. Spend tonight and tomorrow making preparations. I'd suggest you send out some of your men to dig traps near where the hunt will take place. We'll scout a place out tonight and show your men where to dig. Let's hold the hunt tomorrow afternoon."
Arald nodded. "Very well. I'll send out the orders at once." Turning to Pauline and Nigel, he said, "I apologize, but given the matter at hand, I must go and issue these orders straight away. I'm afraid we'll have to continue our conversation another time."
Despite his words, he definitely doesn't seem that apologetic, Will noted, trying not to laugh. Especially when Arald's gaze lingered on Nigel as he spoke.
Nigel and Pauline nodded, assuring the Baron that they understood. Nigel added that he would make sure to save the rest of his thoughts for their next meeting, which Arald just nodded, very unenthusiastically, to. Pauline lifted a hand to her mouth and turned away.
Everyone filed out at once, Pauline and Alyss falling into step with Nigel and the Scribeschool students. The Rangers followed. Will tried to edge past them and failed miserably. There was no way to get past them without appearing very rude, and Will wasn't so desperate to get away from Alyss that he was willing to be rude.
Although, as he and Alyss somehow ended up walking side-by-side, he did start to wish he'd found a way to escape after all.
The other three Rangers, traitors that they were, had fully abandoned Will. All three of them were now next to Pauline and Nigel, several paces in front. Once again, Will knew he couldn't just leave Alyss without being rude. Besides, as much as he wished he could avoid the awkward situation he was in now, it did at least give him a chance to...apologize, he guessed?
So, he turned his head to look at her. She was already looking at him. Their eyes met.
"Hi," he said, very awkwardly.
He swore he could see her smile. "Hello, Will. How have you been?"
It was very polite. Too polite. Alyss had always been formal, but she was never that formal to him. Will tried to hide the pain that caused him. He opened his mouth, searching for words to say. What ended up coming out was, "I've been better. Uh, you?"
Great. You sound even dumber than you normally do.
"I have been better as well."
What was Will supposed to do with that? He floundered for a moment. "Oh, is- did something happen?"
Alyss hesitated. Her eyes flicked to him and she opened her mouth as though to speak. Then she looked away and closed her mouth. "Oh. Not really. There is simply...some stress from the upcoming exams at school."
Will got the distinct impression that she was not being entirely honest.
"What about you?" she asked after an awkward stretch of silence.
"Oh, uh, me?"
Alyss smiled slightly. "There is no one else."
Will was abruptly seized by a dilemma - the same one he suspected Alyss had had. Should he tell the truth or not? Surely, if he were honest, that would not only be awkward but possibly even worsen things between them?
"Just some stuff," he said vaguely. "The Ranger's yearly gathering is coming up in a few months, and with it my exam." He paused. Then, without quite knowing why, he went on. "It's been hard, readjusting to life here. There's been some...issues."
Was it just his imagination, or had Alyss moved closer? She was close enough now that he could reach out and take her hand in his. He swallowed.
"I'm sorry you've had to go through that," Alyss said softly. Will turned his head to look at her and for a moment he forgot to worry, to think, to breathe. Her eyes...
He pulled himself back abruptly and looked away. "U-Uh. Thanks. Um. I-I'm sorry about your, uh, your exams, too."
A low, gentle laugh filled the air. Will went hot and turned to Alyss, opening his mouth defensively, but her smile stalled him.
"Thank you for the sentiment," she said, still laughing a little. "But I think my school exams don't quite compare to your situation, do they?"
"I-I mean," Will stammered, "it's not my place to judge someone else's difficulties or anything! You might be having difficult stuff going on too!"
She smiled again, eyes laughing at him. "Of course. Thank you for your consideration."
Had it come from anyone else, Will would have thought she were making fun of him. As it was, he fidgeted nervously, raising a hand to scratch his head. "You're, uh. You're welcome."
They were almost to the exit out of Redmont Castle now. Halt and the others passed through the door into the sunshine, and Will and Alyss followed shortly after. A swirl of autumn leaves blew around them as they stepped out into the cold, bright day. Will stretched his arms out and breathed in deeply, grinning as Alyss did the same - albeit more subtly.
"I wish I was able to get outside more," she admitted as they walked. They were heading towards the Diplomats' building now, where Alyss and Pauline would go in. "Especially with my exams coming up, I have had to stay indoors and study for hours on end."
Will made a face. "I would not be able to do that. Even a day without being outdoors is horrid for me."
Alyss gave him a fond look. "I suppose it is good that you are a Ranger then, is it not?"
He laughed a little. "You're not wrong."
They were almost to the door of the Diplomat headquarters now. Will knew they didn't have much longer. He bit his lip, then all at once he blurted, "I wanted to apologize for the other day."
Alyss faltered. It was quick, barely an instant's hesitation in her stride, but it was there. She caught back up to Will quickly. "I cannot remember anything that has passed between us that you would need to apologize for."
Will breathed in through his nose. He knew she most certainly did remember. She just didn't want to talk about it. Well, he didn't want to talk about it either! Unfortunately for both of them, though, Will was pretty sure he had learned a lesson from the past several months, from the warmweed and everything that came after it. The lesson? Fucking talk to people you care about.
"Well, I can," Will said. His tone came out more aggressive than he'd intended, but he kept going. If he stopped, he didn't think he'd be able to start again. "When you and George and Jenny came over - afterwards - I said some things I didn't mean."
"Will," Alyss said. "Like I said, there is nothing to apologize or forgive."
Her expression was unreadable but her tone was firm, the message clear. Leave it.
Will hesitated. He didn't want to make the situation worse, but he had to set things straight. "Please, Alyss, just listen. Please?"
He felt her eyes on him. He glanced over to see her about to respond-
They stopped. They were at the door.
Dammit!
Will almost swore out loud from frustration. If he had just come to the point quicker! Alyss was already stepping towards the door, opening her mouth to give a polite farewell. The others were watching expectantly. There was no way they could finish their conversation now.
"Alyss, wait."
She turned.
In a move that surprised even him, Will stepped up to her, took her hand in his, and - as he'd seen the knights and noblemen do to their ladies at court - pressed a kiss to the back of it. Then, in a voice he failed to recognize as his own, he said, "Farewell, Alyss."
He drew back and was met with the rare sight of Alyss absolutely gaping, as though he were an alien lifeform she had never before seen in her life. She blinked several times and looked down at her hand and back. "Goodbye, Will."
Her voice was low and shocked. She stared at him for a moment longer before turning and vanishing into the Diplomat building.
Will watched as Pauline followed and the door clicked closed. Then, and only then, did he turn to look at Gilan, Crowley, and Halt, who had witnessed the entire thing.
"What," Gilan said slowly, "and I mean this as kindly as possible - the fuck, Will?"
A/N: You ever read those posts about writers whose characters have gotten away from them? Yeah? Well, I finally get what they meant. I was not expecting to write that lmao.
So, I've done some research on how wolf hunts go, but I honestly have not been able to find some of the information I wanted. I keep pulling up either Medieval Dynasty walkthroughs or random medieval literature sources talking about the hunting symbolism. If there's anyone out there who knows what hunts, specifically wolf hunts, are like, either in the modern or medieval time period, please hit me up lol.
ALSO. I know that 'et tu, Brute' is an anachronism, since the phrase is coined from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and not actual Roman sources. However, Will saying that to Halt is funny and there's no similar replacement so we're ignoring it. Poetic license, babes!