Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice, nor the characters used in this story.
(A/N): So! This here is the beginning to an AU that I've had for a really long time. This first chapter has most of the basis of the AU right in the beginning, so I don't want to spoil anything.
The beginning lined up with a request I received, so I decided to finally put this AU down on paper. Please review if you've read, and any criticism is welcome! Please be warned that there is an abusive relationship featured in this story, so please read with caution.
Update 8/24/2019: Hello again! I've decided to start rewriting this story, so everything below is slightly different then before. If you've read this story, please check out this chapter again, because some things have been added, changed, etc! I hope y'all enjoy!
A few months after the events in The Siege of Macindaw …
Walking down the hall towards Pauline's office, the last thing Lady Alyss wanted was to run into Percy Lyon, a transfer courier out of Caraway. He was nice, she knew, but he was very persistent about it, and an interaction with him always took time. She didn't have time to spare for him at the moment, and bit back a sigh of frustration and rolled eyes when his face brightened as she came closer. She hadn't seen him recently, as he had been quite busy, and she had been in Macindaw all winter, dealing with a minor invasion and traitor knight.
She nodded politely to him, and walked by him swiftly, hoping that he would notice she was in a hurry, and let her go. Apparently things weren't in her favor that day.
"Lady Alyss!" his voice came, following her down the hallway. Not wanting to be rude, she slowed her steps, and turned to face the courier as he came up behind her.
She had to admit, he was handsome—light blond hair and lively brown eyes, he was one of the few men Alyss worked with who was of similar height to her. He had an easy smile with dimples, and a small scar on his cheek. He almost seemed like a toned down version of Will, if you ignored his height. Where Will's features were handsome and dark, Percy's were handsome and light. She smiled at the man she was comfortable to call a friend, and tilted her head in question.
He smiled in return. "I've been meaning to ask you a question, but you left for the north before I could catch you," he said, eyes flicking over her. Alyss assumed he was looking at her new dress—one of her old ones got ruined while in Macindaw, and Pauline had given her a replacement with the new design.
"Oh," she responded, glancing behind her towards Pauline's office door. She'd arranged to meet with her former mentor at three that day, and she had already been pulling it close when she turned the corner. Percy wasn't making it any easier. "What was it? Sorry, I'm in a bit of a rush …" she trailed off, waving vaguely behind her to Pauline's office.
"That's fine," he nodded, looking away from her. She thought he was about to let her go and started to turn away, when he continued, his voice nervous and rushed. "It's just a simple yes or no question, so it won't take too much time." He hesitated, and as he paused, a group of courier apprentices turned the corner, walking right into their conversation. One laughed awkwardly, and the group went to walk around them when Percy dropped to one knee and grabbed her hand, surprising her.
"Alyss Mainwaring, will you marry me?"
Her eyes widened, and around her, she could hear the apprentices gasping and whispering to each other. Lady Alyss was just proposed to! … That transfer from Caraway must have been lusting after her for a while … Isn't Lady Alyss with that Ranger? For a second, panic rose in Alyss's throat, and she didn't know what to do. Percy was still holding her hand, and it almost seemed constricting, the way he slightly pulled her down.
She looked down at him and saw only hope and eagerness in his eyes.
Will slipped from Baron Ergell's office, mentally checking his list of duties he had to do over the weekend. He had already done his routine patrol around the fief's border, visiting other towns and checking in with other citizens of Seacliff on any problems they may be having, last week, so that wasn't necessary. He'd told a man in town, Riley, that he'd help him repair his roof sometime soon, but that was mostly it for the time being.
Not for the first time since he got back from Macindaw, Will wished he was assigned to any other fief besides Seacliff. He understood Crowley's decision to assign him there, being the most junior of the Rangers, but it was still frustrating when he was used to a fief like Redmont—constantly moving, constantly having one or another thing happen. He and Halt had always been dealing with robberies or some sort of assault at least every week. He also knew that it was a good thing that Seacliff had such low crime rates—it meant his people were safe.
It was just so boring.
Walking down the steps from the top of the keep, Will passed by scribes copying documents down in their offices, and two couriers climbing the steps to their own offices. Without even glancing at their faces, he recognized them as two couriers from Redmont. Seacliff didn't have many citizens in the first place, so finding enough to do the jobs that any Castle requires was a struggle, up until it's neighboring fiefs, as well as larger ones like Redmont and Caraway, sent personnel to help. Similar to Will's position, it was where newer graduates worked to hone their skills until they were able to transfer back to a larger fief.
Of course, because he didn't want to be seen, they didn't see him, and continued on chatting as if he weren't there.
"Lady Pauline's assistant? That doesn't sound right," one of them said, catching Will's ear. Anything to do the family he was separated from always made him pause. He and Halt exchanged letters fairly often, but it wasn't the same. He still missed everyone. Also, the fact that they referenced Pauline's 'assistant' made Will pause. He knew Alyss was technically considered her second-in-command—would they refer to her as her assistant?
"Yeah," the other responded, nodding their head vigorously. "I couldn't believe it either. I thought she was in a relationship?"
"She is," the first said, "to our Ranger. He used to train in Redmont, remember?"
Will froze. The two couriers still climbed the stairs above, but their voices echoed down the stairs clearly. The sun was going down, causing long shadows in the stairwell, one of which Will currently stood in. Without really thinking about it, he slunk back into the shadows, and followed behind the two couriers.
"…so what happened? Did she say yes?"
"I don't know about that. I only know about the proposal and how some of the third-years saw the whole thing. Apparently it was a pretty awkward scene. She didn't say no, though."
"She didn't say no? I thought you just said you didn't know what she said—"
"Well, I don't. But Charlie was adamant that there might be a wedding happening soon and we might have to take a trip back to Redmont, because she didn't say no."
"So she said yes?"
"Maybe?"
Completely breaking out of the shadows, Will took the stairs two at a time, heading to the first floor and out to the stables. He would have to help Riley later in the week—he needed to check in with Alyss.
Alyss paced Pauline's office, picking at the hem of her sleeve with little thought to the damage she was doing to the new dress. She had barely gotten away from Percy and the third-year crowd two days ago, escaping only because of Pauline's appearance (she had also been running late), and Alyss quickly saying "I have to go, but I promise to get back to you," and fleeing into her mentor's office.
By now, she and Pauline had discussed her course of actions multiple times over, but a worm of doubt still curled through Alyss's stomach.
"It's not that I don't know what to say to him," Alyss said, pacing in front of Pauline, who was sitting very still in her desk. "It's just the fact that I work with him, Pauline. And it's not like I don't like him," she said, "he's a really nice person. If this had never happened, I'm sure we would have been good friends for a long time."
"And you think denying him will cause him to … what, exactly? Hate you? If he's a nice person as you say, he should respect your decision no matter what," Pauline said back, used to these conversations with Alyss. Normally, the discussions were about work and decisions they had to make and nothing personal, but they had always been close, and Pauline knew that she had to be there for her former apprentice as much as she could.
Alyss threw her hands up into the air and stopped her pacing. "I just don't know how he'll react, Pauline! I don't know him that well, just in passing. He may be polite over it, or he may be completely ridiculous and do something drastic!"
Sensing that her apprentice was getting panicked, Pauline decided to change the subject to something that she knew would calm her down. "And what about Will?" she murmured, tapping her cheek with her index finger. Without having to say it, they both knew Will was involved in this whether he knew it or not. He was, after all, Alyss's partner.
The younger courier paused, her face going from slightly panicked to thoughtful. "What do you mean, what about Will?"
Pauline shrugged. "Did you tell him about this? I'm sure he'd be concerned about you."
Unbeknownst to either of the ladies inside the office, Will padded up the hallway. He had just gotten in from Seacliff, and the moment he walked through the front gate of Redmont, a guard directed him to Pauline's office. Even without considering it, Will knew that Alyss must hate the fact that, for the first time in her life, she's the talk of the castle. She wasn't the type to be spreading gossip, so being the subject of it must be worse.
He was there to check up on her, to give her comfort and help when she needed it. Not to force her decision one way or another. He was, truly, just worried about her.
Will walked up to the door, his hand already up to knock, when he heard voices. He recognized Alyss's voice immediately.
"I know, Pauline, but Will isn't …" Hearing his name, he paused. He knew he shouldn't listen at the door and should just knock, but something made him stop. Back in Seacliff, Ergell often forgot to tell Will things that he needed to know, so he often found himself listening into his conversations just in case there was something that concerned the attention of the local Ranger. It was a terrible habit, he knew, but it was one that had saved people more then he'd like to admit.
"…yes, but what about …" Pauline's voice was harder to hear, but he still recognized her deeper voice, noticing that she sounded tired.
"Percy, I just … I love him, I do …" came Alyss's voice, and Will—Will's fist dropped from where it had frozen just inches from the door. "Really, yes, I do, I love him. And he … Percy … I think I will," her voice went softer and faded from Will's earshot. He took a step back, dimly aware that the hall was dead silent around him. Only one guard had seen him come in, he knew, no one else was even aware that he was in the area. Everyone else was either asleep or in their rooms.
He stared at the door for a moment, internally dissecting what he had just overheard.
Alyss loved Percy. She was going to accept his proposal.
He turned away from the door, knowing that he was the last person Alyss wanted to see.
"That's why I want to form a Special Task Group," the commandant said. "And I want you and Halt to run it."
Immediately, Will's mind went to the worst. A Special Task Group, as nice as that would be, would move him to wherever Halt was. Halt was in Redmont, as always. The younger Ranger looked away from Crowley, not knowing what to say at the moment. He could accept, and get a change from the monotony of Seacliff … but he would be in the same fief as Alyss, and he didn't know if he could stomach seeing her. As much as he loved and missed Redmont, he had loved and missed Alyss more, until …
Hearing Crowley finish his speech of what the task force would include, which Will hadn't listened to, he heard the commandant say, "Mind you, you're yet to tell me if you accept."
In that moment, Will made a slip-second decision. "Let Gilan take it." He took a few steps away from the stump Crowley sat on, ignoring the surprise that even the skilled Ranger before him couldn't conceal. Looking back towards the Gathering Grounds, Will could see people moving around.
"Wait, what?" Crowley said, the shock evident in his voice even if Will wasn't looking at him. The commandant stood and took a step closer to Will. "What do you mean, give the job to Gilan?"
Will shrugged. "Personally, I think he'd be a better fit. I like having my own fief too," he said. He shoved his hands into his pockets, and again turned away from Crowley. He would give anything in the world to pull his hood back up and disappear into the forest at that moment. So much was happening and none of it was good. None of it was what he had expected.
"But—But didn't I just go through why you'd be the best fit? Either way, I was going to give Gilan Whitby—"
Again, Will shrugged. "Mix it around, then," he said, twirling his finger in the air. "Gilan would be taking Redmont along with Halt, leaving Whitby open. That leaves your choice to Harrison getting either Norgate or Whitby, and I would get whichever one is still open."
Crowley frowned, but the confusion and surprise were still evident on his face, even as he said, "Well, which would you prefer?"
"Well," Will paused, thinking the decision through. He honestly hadn't expected Crowley to give him the option. "I've never been to Whitby, only passed through. I know Norgate better, though."
The two fell silent, and in the distance, they could hear apprentices taking tests and graduate Rangers talking in the background. Halt would be out there somewhere, Will knew. He just hoped that Halt wouldn't confront him right away about this choice when Crowley told him.
"Hmm," Crowley said to himself, his hand on his chin as he thought the new placements through. He sighed. "Will, you've been to Norgate, but you realize how different it's going to be, right? From both Seacliff and Redmont?" In his head, he knew Will was more then capable to take on a fief such as Norgate. But all he could think about was how much work previous Ranger assigned to that fief took on, and how they either worked themselves to the bone or didn't try at all.
Most Rangers didn't last too long in Norgate, usually only spending a few years there at once because of the high-demand of work. And those that stayed long didn't always come back the same, or come back at all.
Will nodded, remembering his time in Macindaw, and how he'd been essentially cut off from the rest of the country just from snowed in roads. Sure, Keren had been blocking some travel, but the snow had made it nearly impossible for anyone to get anywhere.
But at the moment, that sounded exactly like what Will needed.
"I understand that Crowley, and I think I can handle it."
Two and a half years after Will left for Norgate …
"When did you become aware of this, Your Majesty?" Horace asked, shifting in his seat. He really wasn't sure if this meeting was formal or informal, so he erred on the side of caution. With his recent success in Macindaw, Duncan had been more open with him, letting him into confidential meetings and explaining to the others present that Horace would be attending them from now on. Horace didn't know how to act in those meetings, especially because they included all of Duncan's advisors and more.
"Considering the circumstances, Horace, let's just keep it to first names," Duncan said, smiling at him. Being fairly familiar with the Ranger Commandant beside him, Horace nodded. He'd been called in rather suddenly, and upon seeing only the King and the commandant, he'd gotten rather tense. "We were alerted a few days ago when someone managed to steal tax payments while it was along a road not on it's usual schedule. They do that sometimes, change up the schedule, and only a few people know of it's routes. And then, someone slipped past the guards, knowing their schedule despite how often it changes. If someone is getting that kind of information, they need to be caught. They could get something worse."
Horace nodded, but was already deep in thought. He was familiar with Redmont, which was probably why he was in here. But thinking about all those he knew, he didn't know where the leak would come from.
Will had moved out of Seacliff and up to Norgate a few years back, and while he wasn't the Redmont Ranger during his time in Seacliff, he was there often and was trusted. With him being so far away, there was no possible way he was the leak.
Halt, Alyss, Pauline, and the Baron were all long-time trustees of Duncan's, excepting Alyss, but Horace had known her for their entire lives. No one there could be the leak.
Alyss's husband, though, Percy, made Horace pause. He didn't know Percy that well. He had met him a few times, such as at their wedding or whenever Horace had to opportunity to visit Redmont. Horace frowned, thinking back. Whenever he thought of Alyss's wedding, he could never help but to think that something was wrong with everything that had happened there. It was obvious that Will and Alyss liked each other, especially after everything that happened in Macindaw, and yet she had still agreed to marry Percy. What got to Horace the most was that Will didn't wait for Alyss's wedding. Instead, he left as soon as he could for Norgate, not even bothering to stop in Redmont. It had been awkward to be at his sister's wedding without him.
"We need to clear this up fast," Duncan was saying, motioning randomly. "You already have Halt and Gilan in Redmont, and I want you and Horace to head there as well. You might as well throw in another Ranger too."
Crowley frowned, and leaned forward in his seat. "Isn't that a bit conspicuous? People will question the sudden appearance of two Rangers and a famous knight no matter what excuse we give," he pointed out. Horace knew the two men had worked together for more then a few years, but every time someone reasoned against one of Duncan's decisions always made Horace balk. But even he had to admit, Crowley had a point.
"Who cares?" Duncan said, surprising both of them, "Even if it does tip off the leak, it could just tell us whoever it is. We already know that it must be someone with high-level clearance, so if upon your arrival a high-ranking official leaves, then we have our leak then and there."
After a moment, Crowley nodded and then shrugged a moment later. Duncan had a point, and he had a Gathering next week anyways. He would be telling the Rangers about their inclusion whether or whether not he liked it.
Duncan dismissed them, with a good luck and a message for Horace saying that if he called him 'Your Majesty' again in comfortable company, he'd be dismissed from duty. Horace smiled and nodded and followed Crowley out the door. Something made him hesitate, though, and before Crowley could slip away, Horace placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Who're you going to choose as the extra Ranger?" he asked, looking at the commandant.
The only response Crowley gave, though, was a mischievous smile, before he turned away and walked out of the room.
Plodding north from the Gathering was the only thing Will really didn't enjoy about his placement in Norgate. Everything else was good enough. Maybe not what he once had, and had the opportunity to have again at Redmont, but it was a close second. With the recent, constant, Scotti raids, he was kept busy, and the Baron and Battlemaster became a little less pompous and a bit more serious.
Tug didn't mind the long rides in between Gatherings, and as long as he didn't push himself too hard, neither did Will.
"Will! Slow down! Seriously, why are you riding so fast?"
Turning in his saddle, he saw Crowley riding after him with two other Rangers falling in behind him. It was fairly easy to figure who each of the Rangers were, considering the horses he saw, but he also figured they recognized him because he wore his winter uniform for up north, which was different from the standard winter uniform. Instead of more layers of brown and green, Will wore layers of black, white, and gray, which would blend easier with the winter scape of Norgate.
As Crowley, Halt, and Gilan made their way after him, he stopped Tug, and sat comfortably until the other three were caught up with him.
"Hmm?" he asked as they feel in beside him. Thankfully, the road was wide enough to handle four horses abreast.
"Need to ask a favor of ya," Crowley said, riding comfortably beside him. Halt rode on his other side, and Gilan was on Halt's far side. Will glanced warily between the three of them.
"And it's something that requires all three of you?"
"Actually," Halt said, "yes. All four of us would be involved."
Will shook his head with a frown and glanced over at Crowley. There had been a weird relationship between them ever since Will refused his placement in Redmont. Now, the commandant seemed to be acting normal for once around him. "What the hell could be going on that would require the presence of three Rangers and the Commandant?" he asked, not quite believing the reason they were there for. Nothing he could think of would need more then one Ranger, hence the saying one riot, one Ranger. He'd understand two Rangers, but four?
"And Horace," Gilan added, leaning forward in Blaze's saddle. "Horace is meeting us."
Before Will could say anything in response to that, Crowley answered his question. "Intel leak. Big one," he said simply, looking behind them as if he were expecting someone to be following them.
"Four Rangers," Will said, glancing over at Gilan, "and a knight." He looked back at Crowley. "Still seems to be an overkill."
Crowley shrugged, flashing Will a vicious grin and a raised eyebrow. Beside Will, Halt rode along, grim as usual. It must be in Redmont, he reasoned, that would be the only excuse as to why both Halt and Gilan would be needed. But why would they need him?
"You coming or what?" Crowley said, the grin still plastered on his face. And the only thing Will could think of was that there was more to it then Crowley was saying.
The four of them traveled together, turning from Will's northern path for a more western route. It was awkward at first—Will having been so distant recently, and Halt and Gilan closer then Will had seen them before. Crowley, suspiciously, acted as if nothing was the matter, and would drag Will into conversations when he would have previously just sat doing something listening to Halt and Gil speak.
A week later and the four Rangers rode over a hill that looked down on Redmont and it's neighboring village of Wensley. Halt and Gilan rode down as they normally would have, and Crowley happily followed. Will hesitated at the ridge, though, looking over the town he had grown up in.
The last time Will had ridden in Wensley was also the last time he had visited Alyss. A lifetime of happy memories was ruined simply by one act. One choice.
Whenever he had ridden into the small village, especially while he was visiting from Seacliff, he would receive welcoming smiles, some greetings, and sometimes even old friends walking up and along side him until he rode over the bridge to the castle. This time however, all he received was confusion. He heard some "Welcome back!"s, but they were all directed at Halt or Gilan, and people were even recognizing Crowley. Will watched their backs, feeling strangely … envious. Was he a ghost or something? Were they ignoring him? Yes, he was wearing his cloak, but—
His cloak.
The standard winter cloak didn't work for northern fiefs, as they found out a few years ago in Macindaw, so he wore the black, white, and gray dappled cloak instead of the green and brown version. They didn't recognize him because of his cloak. And, most likely, the fact that he hadn't shaved recently was also a part of it, giving him a slight scruff that he hadn't previously let grow.
Will shrugged to himself, grinning. Not being recognized by people who watched you grow up? He was getting good at this.
They passed over the bridge, and the calls of welcome, at least, for the other three Rangers, slowly faded away.
"Horace here already?" Gilan asked, leaning forward in his saddle to look at Crowley. They hadn't met him on the road, so either he was already here or was running late.
Crowley glanced back briefly. "He should be. If not, I'd be worried. He had a few days head-start on us, not including the three days for the Gathering, or our travel time." Now they were riding beneath the portcullis, and Will glanced around the courtyard. Stable boys were peeking out of the stable, wondering if they were needed. When their eyes found the Rangers, they grinned and realized they weren't.
They walked their horses into the stables, brushing off the weak offers of assistance from the stable boys. One glance around and Will's eyes immediately caught the sight of a very large, very familiar, black battlehorse near the back. Will walked Tug over to an open area beside Kicker, and quickly brushed his horse down and fed him.
"Okay, we have to go to a meeting with the Baron, so we might as well go—"
"Crowley, I need to check in with someone, stall a few minutes?" Will called from the back, finishing up with Tug.
The Commandant gave him an odd look. "It's nearly nightfall, who the hell would you need to talk to right now?" But as he said it, Will was out the back of the stables, already gone and not bothering to wait for his commandant's response.
Alyss tapped the note in her hand, wondering what she could do with it. She couldn't burn it, she needed it for later. But where could she successfully hide it without it being found? All of her other hiding places had been found. Warily, she glanced down, namely at the bodice of her dress.
"Alyss!" someone hissed behind her. She spun, her hand instinctively unsheathing her dagger and bringing it up in a defense stance.
On the windowsill in front of her, a figure crouched dressed in a familiar assortment of colors. Colors that reminded her of Will Barton, the Bard, from Macindaw. She dropped the dagger, and smiled fondly at the figure she hadn't seen in ages.
Will Barton, my foot, she though, unknowingly quoting Lord Orman.
"Will?" She murmured, walking forward, "What're you doing here?" She went to embrace him, and he swung his legs inside and swept her into his arms. They were old friends who hadn't seen each other for quite a while, so she didn't really mind the fact that she hadn't left the window open. As they parted, she stepped back, and Will sat down on the window sill, comfortable, as if he regularly climbed inside her bedroom window.
That didn't matter, though, because at the moment, she was just glad to see one friendly face.
"How've you been?" he asked, a tentative sound to his voice. He leaned back though, comfortable in the window despite being inches from falling. His voice and his body told two different stories, Alyss noted immediately. He was nervous, she figured, because they hadn't seen each other since Will had left abruptly for Norgate.
"It's been … fine," she said, crossing her arms, "How come you've never visited? It's been years, Will."
"I've been busy!" he responded, sounding slightly defensive. She could see in his eyes, though, how uncomfortable he looked. Still, his body remained relaxed in the window sill. "Plus, it's kind of hard to 'visit' for the weekend when I live a good two weeks away."
She gave him a look, and her voice suddenly went cold. "Halt told me you volunteered for the Norgate assignment."
Will flinched, not expecting her to come right out and say it. Sure, it had been the elephant in the room, but he thought she would just leave it at that. For a moment, he was unable to find words. "What—"
Scowling at him, she turned her back to him. "He said you denied the Redmont position, and then volunteered for Norgate, Will. And then you refused to visit. Not even for … for me. Don't think that I'm not pissed at you."
Before he could respond, a door opened somewhere in the apartment behind them. "Alyss," a man called out, "you here?"
The color drained from Alyss's face. Glancing around, she quickly shoved the letter in her hands into Will's, and spun towards the door. "Stay here," she snapped, turning towards the shut bedroom door. Footsteps could be heard in the adjacent room.
"Why?" Will said, standing up. He could see the fear in her eyes, which automatically put him on alert.
"Because Percy probably won't appreciate you climbing through our bedroom window, considering how scandalous that sounds."
"I'm a friend!"
She opened the door and closed it without responding.
Out in the apartment, Percy was standing just behind the main sitting area, a small smile on his face. It got marginally larger as she walked out of their room and towards him. She smiled back, hoping that it looked natural enough.
As she got nearer, he moved towards her, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "What's with the arrival of four Rangers?" he asked, moving around her and into the sitting area. She turned to him, her eyes never leaving him.
"Halt and Gilan live here," she murmured, but shook her head and feigned confusion.
"Yeah," her husband responded, "but I saw two others ride in with them. The commandant and one in a black and white cloak. Also Horace is here," he pointed out. He stretched out on the couch, moving languidly. Alyss moved so she stood on the other side of the couch, looking down on him.
"Well, Horace normally comes here to train at the Battleschool. Crowley is always coming back and forth from here and Araluen to talk to Halt and Gil." She paused, studying Percy's behavior. "A fourth Ranger, though, in a black and white cloak?" She forced herself not to glance back to the bedroom, knowing Will's presence would give it all away. Instead, she glanced forward, out the window.
"Don't the northern Rangers have cloaks like that because of the snowfall?" Percy asked, sitting up partially and staring at the side of his wife's face. Alyss could feel his eyes burning into the side of her face.
"I believe so," she said, knowing where he was leading this conversation. She knew the most painless way would be to bring it up herself instead of making him say it. "I don't know any northern Rangers, besides Will. But he hasn't visited since he left before our marriage."
He swung his legs off the couch and stood up, facing Alyss. He hands in his pockets, standing comfortably with that same small grin on his face—most women would find him attractive. And she had too, once.
"C'mon, honey," he murmured, his voice dropping to a husky level. He stepped forward so they were literal inches away. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "I know you know. And you know I'll never tell anyone else. It'll be easier if you just confide in me, right?"
Sensing what was coming, Alyss crossed her arms and turned her face away. She took a minute step back. "It's confidential, Percy. You know that. You're not a high enough level to be confided into … darling."
His smile slowly faded and his eyes flicked over her face. "But aren't we married? I thought we agreed on no secrets." He took one of her hands in his and squeezed. With any other partner, that would have been a reassuring gesture. With Percy, she could feel her bones groaning with the force he was applying. It hurt. "Don't you love me, Alyss?"
Blood rushed to her cheeks. She wished she could draw her dagger on him, but she kept herself faced away, acting as if she hadn't heard what he'd just said. She made sure her face stayed neutral, knowing what was coming.
Back inside the bedroom, Will's head snapped up when the sound of a loud, harsh slap came through the wall. The voices he'd been hearing clearly beforehand suddenly went deathly silent. He slowly stood up from his spot on the window sill, and walked noiselessly to the door. Placing an ear against the hardwood, he strained to hear if the voices went silent or quiet.
Out in the sitting room, Percy was walking out the front door, a scowl on his face. Alyss leaned against the back of the couch, her eyes wide and rimmed with tears, watching him go with a hand to her cheek.
As he heard the door open and close, Will opened the bedroom door. Alyss saw him do it out of the corner of her eye, but didn't turn to face him. She continued to glare at the door, her free hand gripping the back of the couch so hard her knuckles turned white.
Will hesitated a moment, before taking a step forward. "Alyss?" he said softly, wanting to reach out to her but not knowing if she wanted to be touched.
She turned her face away from him as if she was trying to hide her tears.
Will could feel the anger rising in his throat, and it was all he could do to stop himself from following Percy out and decking him. Even though she was trying to hide it, the red mark across her check was getting redder and darker by the second.
"Alyss," he tried again, "do you want me to—"
"It's fine, Will," she said, straightening. She dropped her hand from her cheek, not even bothering to hide it now. "I think it's time you go. I'm tired." She walked past him, back into her bedroom. Will turned to face the inside of the room, which was now completely dark with the sun set.
"Alyss—"
"I'm serious, Will," she repeated, more force in her voice this time. She kept her back turned to him, her shoulders hunched over as she hugged herself.
He sighed in resignation, knowing that he wouldn't get her to talk. He moved towards the window, putting a leg over the side of it and looking back to her. He hesitated going over the edge, though, not wanting to leave her alone.
That's when the front door opened with a bang. Boots stomped over to the bedroom door, which was still sitting wide open. Alyss faced the door, a defiant tilt to her head when Percy stormed through the doorway. He ignored his wife's look, though, and kept his eyes on the Ranger in the black and white cloak.
"Ranger Treaty," he said coldly.
Will nodded politely, and said in return, "Percy. How're things going?"
He ignored the question though, instead narrowing his eyes and curling his lip at Will. "What the hell are you doing in my bedroom? With my wife?"
The Ranger took a deep breath. "No offense, but Alyss isn't your wife. You're married, but she's her own person." Will moved partially, so he was facing the pair inside the room. He leg was still hanging out the window, anchored against the wall, but he turned the leg that was inside so that it looked as if he was just sitting on the sill. Percy didn't seem to notice.
He rolled his eyes. "I wasn't saying it claiming to own her," Percy snapped, stepping forward. Behind him, Alyss stared blankly at his back.
"And yet," Will frowned, "you were."
Percy hissed and started for the Ranger in the window. Will used his foot that was based against the wall to push, and he straightened his leg on the inside so that it would just slide out. Alyss gasped, shocked, and Percy just stopped in his tracks, wide-eyed.
Because Will had just pushed himself out of a third-story window.
"No one with high enough clearance to know the intel getting leaked is untrustworthy, though," Baron Arald growled. "It has to be getting out some other way."
His office was getting rather warm with all the people gathered inside and with a fire blazing in the fire place to combat the coldness outside. Horace stood leaning against the wall beside the window, while Crowley and Pauline sat in the straight-backed chairs across from the Baron at his desk. Halt stood slightly to the side and behind his wife, and Gilan stood on the opposite side of the room as Horace, near the door. The only person missing who was supposed to be there was Will, but he had run off for some reason, not telling Crowley where he was going. Horace had an idea where his distant friend had gone, and, considering the time, figured he would be kicked out soon. That was why he stood by the window, remembering Will's preferred entrance to the Baron's study.
Crowley opened his mouth to respond to Arald, but was interrupted when a tap sounded on the window shutters that were closed beside Horace. Everyone turned, confused.
Except Horace. Instead, he turned and opened the shutters, revealing a small man in a black, white, and gray cloak sitting comfortably on the ledge. He grinned as the knight opened the shutters, slipping underneath his friend's arm and crawling into the room.
"What the hell, Will," Gilan laughed, the first to speak. He covered his mouth with a hand. "Why don't you ever just use the door?"
Will unclasped his cloak and shook it out before hanging it near the fire. His clothes were the same as his cloak, a mixture of black, white, and gray, with other minor differences from the other Rangers. He shifted the arm-guard on his forearm, and turned to face Gilan. "What d'ya mean? Climbing is easier then going all the way inside."
"Going inside and using the stairs, you mean?" Crowley snickered.
"Yes," Will turned to Crowley, his face completely serious. Behind where Will stood, Horace closed the shudders, hiding a smile.
"Should you really be climbing stone walls during the winter?" Halt muttered, looking to Will, "The ice and snow build up is dangerous, even for someone like you."
Will waved it away. "I've done further climbs in worse conditions, Halt."
Crowley sat forward all of a sudden, an alarmed look to his face. Before he could say anything, though, Pauline put a hand on his wrist, and smiled. "Now that our last member is here," Pauline said, hoping to pull people's attention away from Will's behavior, and back to the task as hand. "Can we actually start debating this problem? We need to catch whoever is giving out this information."
Everyone in the room nods, except Will. He frowns. "Wait," he said, leaning against the wall next to Horace. "Alyss isn't being included? I would think with her being Pauline's second—"
Arald shook his head. "We wanted to keep it to the people involved. Whoever Duncan sends, the people who would be handling it anyways, and the person who's information is being stolen." He shrugged, and then smiled to himself. "And me, of course."
Will was shaking his head before Arald had even finished. "No. Send someone for Alyss, she can help."
The Baron sat back in his seat, not quite used to Will objecting to him or any of the other people in the room. No one else seemed to be as surprised as him, but Halt had raised an eyebrow, and Pauline had looked down, obviously upset about something. Only Gilan and Crowley were visibly grinning. Horace seemed actually confused, though. "Why? How can she help, unless she knows who it is."
His friend shrugged. "As far as I know, she doesn't know anything specific. But she can help, I can guarantee that."
Crowley shifted in his seat. "I don't know, Will, maybe—"
"No," he said again, firmer this time. "Send for her. Now."
For a moment, everyone in the room sat staring at each other, not sure what to do.
Finally, Gilan, being the closest to the door, opened it a crack and stuck his head out. Voices could be heard as Gilan talked to someone, and then footsteps could be heard hurrying down the steps. He stepped back, and closed the door. "A guard is going to fetch her now," Gilan said, looking at Will instead of Crowley or Arald.
Everyone in the room sat in awkward silence, until a few minutes later, where multiple footsteps could be heard climbing the stairs.
When Alyss finally walked through the door, her cheek was back to a normal shade, but the blank look she had when she told Will to leave was still spread out on her face. When her eyes actually registered that there were four Rangers in the room, including Will, and Horace, Pauline, and Baron Arald, the neutrality changed to curiosity. She knew they were coming, but not why. The letter was only a cursory notice that there would be two extra Rangers and Sir Horace in the area investigating an incident. And that is was for her eyes only.
"Now can we continue?" the Baron asked Will, a little irritably. Not waiting for his response, he started talking. "So, now that everyone is here, and that we've had plenty of time to consider the reasoning as to why we are here, any ideas?" As he spoke, Crowley had stood up and offered his seat to Alyss. She smiled at Crowley and sat down next to her mentor. Crowley moved to stand next to Gilan at the wall.
"If it's the couriers that are missing the information, then it's either a courier that's the leak or someone close to a courier," Will stated, studying his nails. He had rolled up his sleeves, almost as if he hadn't noticed the fire dying down and the cold seeping into the room.
"All of my couriers are completely trustworthy, Will," Pauline turned to face her husband's former apprentice, "You of all people should know that."
Will shrugged, and loosened the collar of his shirt. "And I do know that, Pauline," he smiled warmly at her, "but Redmont gets plenty of transfers. Transfers you didn't personally train."
Pauline seemed to consider his suggestions, but before she could respond, Alyss spoke. She had inferred the subject of the meeting from what Will had said about missing information. "If we're speaking of a leak in intelligence, Will, then it's have to be a higher up, like Pauline or myself. No transfer can get critical information because transfers can't rise in ranks outside of their original fief until a certain amount of time has passed."
That's when Horace finally spoke up. "That's true. But what Will points out are technically the only way this information is getting out, unless someone is sitting outside doors and listening into conversations."
"Except that doesn't explain how they're getting written information," Halt pointed out, pulling slightly on his beard.
"That leaves it being someone close to a higher up," the Baron leaned forward, eyebrows furrowed but seemingly interested in where this was going. "But that would mean either the courier is sharing information that they shouldn't be unknowingly, or that their friend is … what, blackmailing them?"
Everyone was silent for a moment.
"Not necessarily," Will said, finally speaking up. He had a knowing look on his face, and he seemed to be staring at Alyss. There seemed to be a hint of sadness in his eyes as well.
"Not necessarily what?" Horace nudged his friend with his shoulder, studying his face. He could see where he was looking, but didn't know how to take that information.
"Meaning not necessarily a friend. Arald said that a friend could be blackmailing the courier. And not even necessarily blackmailing. They could be doing literally anything to the courier and no one would know any better."
"Who else?" Alyss asked quietly, finally meeting gazes with the northern Ranger. "Who else if not a friend?"
Will shrugged, his eyes never leaving Alyss. "Maybe a spouse?"
Horace pushed Will against the wall outside the keep, carefully away from where everyone else was speaking near the front. "What the hell was that?"
Will, who had let himself get pushed, leaned against the wall. His hood was down and his sleeves were still rolled up, but he at least had his cloak on. To Horace, who was practically shivering in the cool air, it almost seemed as if Will was immune to the cold. "What was what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He fiddled with one of his sleeves.
"You know something about all of this," Horace hissed, "You know who the leak is, don't you?"
"Even if I did," Will started to tighten the collar of his shirt, looking away from Horace's eyes. "I've got it covered. Everything will probably be over by tonight, if not tomorrow." Even though he wasn't trained in it, the knight could easily tell when Will was hiding or lying about something. He had known Will for so long, had gone on plenty of life-threatening adventures with him, it was almost second nature to understand his body language. It had saved his life in the past. But right now, it was just annoying.
Narrowing his eyes, Horace crossed his arms and glared at Will. He said nothing.
"What? Don't worry, it's not going to cause anything serious," Will muttered, ducking his head. He continued to fiddle with his sleeve, finally just pulling it down. He started to work on the second sleeve.
"This isn't going to get you stabbed, is it?" Horace growled. It had happened before. Will trying to slyly solve a problem without drawing attention to it, and him nearly getting killed because of it.
Will shook his head firmly. "No. If I'm right, which I am, he's not someone who can hurt me." He paused for a second, considering his words. "Well, he can't hurt me seriously, at least."
Horace closed his eyes, exasperated with Will's behavior. He shook his head and looked away from the Ranger in front of him. "Where're you staying? Castle or cabin?"
"Cabin with Gilan. It's easier," Will said, shrugging. "Plus, Castle Norgate has kind of turned me off castles for the time being." Again, the knight shook his head. Then, without a second glance at Will, he turned and walked away, without even a 'goodnight'. Will straightened his collar, and continued to lean against the wall where Horace had pushed him. The voices around the bend of the keep slowly faded away, as everyone else retired for the night. Still, he waited out in the cold.
Footsteps crunched in the frost on the ground, walking around the keep. They leaned up against the wall beside him.
Alyss wore only a thin cloak and her regular dress, so to anyone else, they would have questioned as to why she was still out there.
Wordlessly, Will unclasped his cloak, oblivious to the cold, and held it out to her. All she did was stare at the garment blankly, as if she didn't see it. He gently grabbed her hand and pulled her from the wall. He swung the cloak around her shoulders and clasped it for her. She grasped the edges of the cloak and wrapped herself in it, taking a step back from him.
"Did he hit you again?" Will whispered, watching her face. He could still see a slight mark high on her cheek, possibly from where Percy's ring scratched her face.
She looked away from him, refusing to meet his gaze. "No." Her slouched position and the way she held her stomach gave away her lie, though.
Feeling the same frustration Horace must have felt not ten minutes before, Will closed his eyes with a sigh. He ran a hand through his hair, looking away. "At least tell me you're not going back there. At least for tonight."
Shaking her head, Alyss pulled the cloak tighter around her. She swallowed. "I asked Pauline and Halt if I could spend the night with them. They … they didn't ask any questions, just agreed and said the guest room would be set up for me whenever I get there." She still refused to look at him, instead looking at the wall across from the keep.
"Mmm." Will followed her gaze. Suddenly, he held out his elbow to her, an odd gesture. "Would you like company to Halt and Pauline's?" he asked. There was a small grin visible only in his eyes, his face completely serious.
Alyss finally looked at him, her eyes slightly narrowed as she considered her ex-boyfriend. "I can take care of myself, Will. If he hits me again, I'll …" but a look to Will made her trail off. Something about him told her that it wouldn't be necessary to finish that sentence. Without another word, she settled her hand on Will's elbow, still clutching his cloak with the other.
He put his other hand over her hand and looked her in the eyes. "He won't be hitting you again."
Walking through a completely silent forest usually unnerved people. For Will, it was just an indicator that his plan was a success.
Will halted Tug and patted his horse's head. "Good boy. Just a bit longer and you can rest with Blaze." Then he to turned to face Alyss's husband.
Percy had stepped out onto the path when Will had paused, apparently convinced that he had followed Will without being noticed (which Will had noticed immediately).
Nodding to the man, Will simply said: "Percy."
The other man's lip curled, a look of pure hatred on his face. "Treaty. I'm going to tell you to back off from my wife once, and once only."
The Ranger shrugged. "I leave her alone when she asks. If anyone needs that message, it's you." Anger flashed in Percy's eyes and he stepped forward, a menacing look twisting his face. Will moved his cloak to the side and placed his hand easily on the large saxe knife.
"She's my wife. I've got a right to tell you to fuck off," he snarled.
Will seemed to consider that for a moment, but he easily came to a decision. "Actually, no, you don't. Traitors to the Crown don't get too many rights, much less someone who beats their spouse."
Percy went silent, glaring at the Ranger.
Scoffing, Will turned away, and seemed to move to mount Tug. Behind him, Percy drew a dagger and walked, as silently as he could manage, towards Will's open back.
Will heard him anyways and had actually figured that's what he would do. Not many would attack a Ranger straight out, especially with only a dagger. It was actually what Will wanted him to do.
While Will had shown him his saxe knife as a supposed deterrent, what Percy hadn't noticed was that his throwing knife wasn't in its sheath. With a single foot in a stirrup, he spun quickly, bringing the hilt of the small dagger across the courier's cheek. Percy was thrown to the ground, grunting but not knocked out. Will hadn't hit aiming to knock him out, just to hinder.
Stepping calmly down from Tug's stirrup, Will knelt down over Percy, his knee on his chest. The courier struggled and tried to bring the dagger into Will's exposed ribs, but the Ranger moved, seeing the attack coming before Percy had even begun the action. Catching his wrist roughly his his hand, Will slammed it into the ground above Percy's head, forcing the dagger out of his grip. Using his other hand, Will caught and wrenched Percy's other hand above his head, pinning him painfully to the ground. Holding both wrists in one, steel grip, Will used his other hand to shove his throwing knife at Percy's throat.
The traitor squeaked, closing his eyes. He had expected the Ranger to just simply shove the dagger into his throat, solving all of his problems in one fell swoop. But all he felt was a harsh prick at his throat. Warm blood dripped down his throat.
Will leaned close to him, the fury in his eyes at a level Percy had never scene before in his life. "Don't think that I don't know the shit you've pulled with Alyss," Will hissed, pushing the sharp dagger point deeper into Percy's throat. A large line of blood started to roll down his throat and into the grass, but Will paid no attention to it. He leaned closer, until their noses were nearly touching. "And don't think that I'm oblivious to the fact that you're a fucking traitor and have been for years."
"No—I—" Percy tried, but Will increased the pressure on Percy's chest, cutting him off.
"Shut. It." Will snarled. "I have absolutely no problem with slitting your throat right here, right now. Realize that." He paused for a moment and relented just slightly on the constant pressure he had on his knife. There was a small pool of blood on the ground beside Percy, but it wasn't flowing enough to kill him. He gulped and nodded numbly, staring in fear at Will's face, which was dangerously expressionless. There was fury in his eyes though, an amount that unnerved him. He'd never seen anger like this. He'd pissed off plenty of people in his time, drunks, nobles, commoners. He'd done enough for people to want to kill him, but never before had he seen rage like Will's.
And, for the first time since marrying Alyss Mainwaring, Percy realized that he had messed with the wrong people. The wrong Ranger.
Will now spoke more clearly, but still in a whisper. "The only reason why I don't just slit your throat here is because you are married to Alyss. As much as she hates you, she would not appreciate me just cutting your throat and being done with it."
Percy struggled again, feeling the blade at his throat loosen again. "Wouldn't the others question my disappearance as well?"
The Ranger of Norgate laughed, a sound expressing true amusement. Percy stared at Will, terrified. Who laughs when they threaten to slit people's throats?
"Nope!" Will said, still laughing. "Because you'll be disappearing anyways! Whether I slit your throat or not, you won't be staying in Redmont, or Araluen for that matter."
"Y—you can't do that!"
Will grinned, leaning back into the dagger at Percy's throat. "Oooh, you bet I can!" he laughed again, putting just enough pressure on the dagger so Percy wouldn't talk anymore. "Because if you do, if you approach Alyss again, if you are in visual sight of her, and I find out, I will find you and I will kill you." Will let go of Percy's hands, not caring anymore about restraining him. Instead, he roughly grabbed his jaw, forcing Percy to meet his eyes. "In fact," he continued, "I also have the authority to slit your fucking throat if I wish, because you've been selling the Crown's secrets after beating your wife to get them."
Will applied even more pressure to his knee, making it nearly impossible for the man below him to breathe. Desperately, Percy weakly grabbed Will's wrist, but could barely manage a grip. Will kept going, not even noticing. "But, I have a feeling Alyss wouldn't like you getting killed, because she'd probably blame herself. So, y'know what?" Will released Percy and stood up, looking down at him with a look of utter disgust on his face. "Get the fuck out of this country. I'll be notifying my commandant of your role in this bullshit, so you'll be hunted. If you step within the borders of this country, everyone will be hunting you. They will know first thing in the morning, so you better get going." Will aimed a kick at Percy's side with his boot, barely even bothering to pull back. "Don't even go back to that apartment, because I can assure you, you don't need anything there." He stood over Percy's terrified figure for another moment, before shaking his head and turning back to Tug.
"Get the fuck out of my sight," Will snapped, before mounting Tug, and riding the rest of the way to Gilan's cabin.
Will leaned up against the keep, in the same spot Horace had shoved him the day before. Where he and Alyss had last seen each other. He'd just finished telling everyone, minus Alyss, as Halt and Pauline had let her sleep in, about Percy "confessing" to Will. No one in the room actually believed that he had confessed, and he had evaded the questions as to what actually happened masterfully. Crowley was mostly frustrated simply because Will hadn't arrested him, but everyone in the room seemed to have eventually gotten the silent message, even if it seemed to have to be relayed by Horace later.
The knight had also glared at Will, but with a question in his eyes. Will had simply shaken his head and motioned that he'd explain later.
Just as he expected, Alyss rounded the side of the keep, this time bundled up more then she had last night. Will recognized Halt's old winter cloak, one that had gotten ripped. Halt always repaired his ripped clothing, and while he got new cloaks when the rip was bad enough, he also kept his old ones.
"Will?" she murmured, sleep still in her eyes. "Have you seen Percy?"
Will shrugged, waving away the question. "I wouldn't worry about him, Alyss. He can take care of himself."
Alyss moved in front of him, forcing his eyes to remain on her. "Everyone keeps apologizing to me, Will. Do you know anything about that?"
Again, feigning as if he was thinking, Will let a partial grin through. "I … I heard that someone accused him of being the intel leak," he said, watching Alyss's lowered face for her reaction. "Apparently he told someone and ran off. If you think about it," he said gently, "the intel leak started a little after your marriage to him."
The blond courier pursed her lips, looking up to study Will's face herself. "He didn't just 'tell' this person, did he?"
He gave her a small, half-smile, before looking away. "Well, that's what I heard."
Crossing her arms, Alyss stared at him until he looked back to her. Their eyes remained on each other for quite a while, a silent understanding passing between them, before she finally turned away. "I guess that means you'll be returning to Norgate, then?"
Will mimicked his previous shrug, looking around the castle he grew up in. "Maybe I'll visit again."
Three months later …
Someone was pounding on the door.
Horace slowly lifted his head from where it rested on the table. No one had stopped him from putting it there in the first place, only giving him proud looks when they saw how tired he was. He didn't understand why, though. He'd only questioned his friend's methods.
Only Duncan really knew the full story.
"Open the goddamn door, please," Duncan said, a hand rubbing his temples. Horace didn't see who ended up opening the door to their meeting room, but he was thankful they stopped whoever was banging.
A sweaty, dirty, tired, messenger stood at the door, two guards standing to either side of him. It looked as if he'd just gotten in and jumped off his horse.
"Y-your Majesty, I bring news from Norgate." The messenger started, his eyes scanning the room nervously. He was probably placing names and faces, steadily going up the line of important to most important. His eyes finally landed on Duncan. "The Baron says it's an emergency. The Scotti have invaded, taking Macindaw down before they even knew they were in danger. I was sent out when we got the news of the defeat, but I don't know how far along they are to Castle Norgate."
Horace sat up. The Scotti have invaded Norgate?
Being a commanding officer, Horace knew he should be more worried about the possible loss of the fief entirely, the death toll of Araluen citizens, both in the invasion and in the fights that would take place trying to regain the fief, and the threat Picta now was to their country.
But the only thing he could think about when he heard those words was that … was that Will, his closest friend, his brother, was still the Ranger of Norgate.