Authors' Note: Are we nice for giving you two chapters right at the start? I will warn you that we do have school and work, and I am still writing my other story so we apologize in advance for not posting very often. We will finish the story that is a promise we can make, might take a while but it will eventually get there.

FYI***our main character will be around Will's age, maybe a little older. Just so you have an idea of the time frame. Not sure if it's between the books, or after the books but we won't be mixing with the books so I don't think it will be that much of a problem (I will have Halt and Will in their task group later on, if that helps). We also apologize if the timing messes up the timing in the books, this is not meant to happen.

We love feedback, positive and some constructive criticism it helps. And reviews make us smile for days not to mention that they help us post the next chapter sooner. Happy reading...

Disclaimer: I don't own any of RA

Chapter 2

Who You Are

I blinked a few times, my eyes getting used to the dark room only lit by the fire nearby. When did I get here? I was in a small room, all alone with just an older man that started looking at me weirdly.

"Who are you?" I asked carefully. Daddy had always told me never to speak to strangers, but if I asked his name, we wouldn't really be strangers anymore.

"My name is Beckett, I'm... I'm your grandfather." Why did he look so sad? Daddy told me that we were going to meet his daddy, did he mean him?

"You're my daddy's daddy?" I asked him. He nodded again still looking sad. I looked around, but I couldn't see him. I couldn't see mommy either? "Where's daddy?" Suddenly, I remembered. There was an accident. Daddy told us to stay in where we were, and then mommy left me alone. I heard their screams and went to check outside and saw a bunch of men surrounding us with shiny red covered swords. I heard mommy scream as she ran and hugged me. She landed on top of me, but she wouldn't get off. All I could do was cry and scream.

The entire house shook and I drew my knees in and hugged them crying into them. Mommy and daddy were gone, that's what the other men said too, but I thought they were just lying. Those nightmares were real. I felt arms wrap around me and pulled me close. I didn't even realise that I was screaming. I stopped screaming and hugged the man tightly, crying into his shoulder as he smoothed my hair down comfortingly.

"Shhhhh, everything is all right now, you're safe." He whispered as he held me in his strong arms. Now I know why he was sad, because of the same reason that I was sad. "They're gone now, but I won't let anything ever happen to you."

Five years later (10 years old)

"You can't cry over every single animal that I shoot." I knew he was right but I wasn't going to let him know it. And technically, I wasn't crying. Becky hated it when I cried even though I haven't cried in years. He also hated me calling him Grandpa; apparently Rangers are very sensitive about their age. I crossed my arms and pouted as he pulled his arrow out of the white rabbit. How he had seen a white rabbit in a snow-covered forest, I have no idea. I could only see it now because of the few drops of blood on its fur. "If you want to dig through this snow and eat grass, be my guest. I'll eat this all by myself and I was thinking of a nice warm rabbit stew tonight."

He led the way back to the house, jogging lightly on top of the snow as I stumbled behind him. Well it was easy for him; he wasn't forced to carry everything. I doubt that we even needed half of the stuff he packed; we were only going hunting for the afternoon.

"Pick up your feet Silas; I don't want to be here all night. That's when the wolves come out to hunt." He had finally noticed how far back I was. Of course it was that second that a tree decided to lift up its snow covered roots just to trip me. I landed face first in the snow. I felt a hand grab my collar and hauled me out of the snow and to my feet.

"Well this bag is as big and as heavy as I am, so it's slowing me down! What's in it, and why do I have to carry it?" I complained as he lowered me to the ground.

"It is important to always be prepared." He said.

"Sure, but why do I have to carry it? I mean can't you take at least some of it?" he gave me a small push forwards.

"No." I stuck my tongue out at him behind his back. "I saw that." He stopped and looked over his shoulder, giving me one of his rare mischievous smiles. That was his way of saying that I wouldn't win this conversation. I ran up to him and grabbed his hand smiling at him. Sure, he was grim, and for the most part had a bad attitude, but I was use to it after five years of living with him. We only have each other, and besides I think he may be smiling more and more these days. He told me once that he had tried to train his son to become a Ranger, but he didn't have any of the skills or the talent, and I think that he is secretly happy to have someone to teach his skills to. Well he hasn't yet, but he has said sometimes that I would make a great Ranger.

'Silas' I stopped and looked around for whoever called my name, but there was no one in sight. 'Come back to us' it sounded like it was coming from multiple directions.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Becky. His brows furrowed and looked around, usually he the first one to hear these things.

'It's time for you wake up now'

"What are you talking about?" He asked me like I was crazy.

"Shhh," I shushed him hearing the voices again. "Ugh, you made me miss it." He still looked at me like I was going crazy. I took a few steps forwards thinking the voices might have come from further ahead. I placed my hand on the nearest tree, making sure that I didn't trip over its covered roots again. Immediately, my hand felt warm and started to pulse into my core. I took both of my gloves off and placed them on the tree. Through touching the tree, I could sense everything: Beckett standing just a few meters away, the animals in the hollows of the trees sleeping soundly waiting for spring to come again, every branch moved by the wind. I let go of my hands, startled of what just happened. Becky just stood confused, not sure of what to make of this.

'You need to know who you are'

"It's the trees." How I knew, I had no idea "They're whispering."

"I was afraid that something like this might happen." Now it was to my turn to be confused and to ask the questions.

Five years later (15 years old)

A branch cracked under my foot and I froze. I hope that he didn't hear that one. I lowered to a crouch and tried to move cautiously through the trees. I peered through some branches and saw him sitting by a warm fire cooking a delicious smelling lunch. I moved slowly towards him, smiling as victory was almost mine. Just a few more steps and... Faster than I thought possible, Becks ended up behind me, grabbed me then flipped me over, and pinned me to the ground.

"Just because you are wearing a cloak that makes you invisible doesn't mean that I can't hear you." He let me go. "Again, but this time no cheating" He held out his own Ranger cloak and reluctantly, I took off mine and swapped cloaks with him. I hated taking it off: it was one of the only things of my mother's that I had. Apparently, Becks was just waiting until I was tall enough to wear it before giving it to me. I headed back to the starting position. "And no using magic!" He yelled, but I already knew his distaste towards magic, even if it was mine. He said that was the reason he didn't keep in touch with my dad was because he thought my mother was a witch. Turns out he was right. Ever since that day in the woods and my powers started awakening, I could do some things that couldn't be explained: by just feeling the earth with my bare hands, I could see and feel everything for miles in each directions, I can control nature to a certain point, and lately when Becks thinks I'm asleep, I have been playing with shadows. For him, I try not using my powers because I think it scares him, but I can't help it. It's a part of me. But for him, I will become the Ranger that we both want; the old fashioned way. This will come with a tedious amount of hard work and Becks constantly telling me what I am doing wrong.

...

"Tell me about the other Rangers?" I asked after a long hard day of training. My muscles ached, but I didn't show any pain on my face. It would take a little while for my body to be use to this type of training. But I could only expect that the training will get harder, especially since I have only been doing real training for a few months now.

"What would you like to know?" I loved seeing the grandfather side of him, when he was no longer my ranger teacher, at the end of the day usually when he had coffee in his hand.

"What do you do exactly as a Ranger? I know what they are able to do, but what do they use it for?" It was a question I had been waiting to be answered for a long time, but never had the right moment. I gave up on waiting and figured now was as good a time as any.

"We are the eyes and the ears of the King." That wasn't really what I expected, but from the look on his face I would have to wait and find out the answer for myself. Of course Becks knew too well of my curiosity and sat back to watch me explode. Not this time, I was prepared.

"Who is or was the best Ranger?"

"That would be Halt." I leaned forwards put my elbows on my knees and rested my chin on my fists. I then waited patiently for him to tell me the story, giving him one of my hopeful pleading looks that usually won him over. He sighed then told me the story of Morgarath and how he planned to take over the kingdom with his Wargal army. Halt lead an Araluen force and basically won the battle single handed.

"So can I come and meet Halt when you leave for the Gathering tomorrow?" I asked hopefully. Every year he left me at the inn with the Innkeeper's wife for a week while he went to his Ranger meeting. Since I was going to be a Ranger, I should be able to come this year, at least that's what I figured.

"No." That was the usual answer I heard, whenever I asked something of him. That or go do it yourself.

"But why not? Shouldn't a Ranger's Apprentice come to a Ranger's Gathering?"

"My dear Silas, it's not because I don't want you to come..." I leaned forwards waiting for him to figure out what he was going to say. "It's because I'm a retired Ranger and technically I'm not supposed to have an apprentice. This year I will go to Crowley and ask him about it. I don't know how he will react once he finds out you're a girl."

"What difference does it make that I'm a girl?"

"There has never been a female Ranger before, so it might take some time for them to get used to the idea."

"What if they say I can't be a Ranger?" That was probably my biggest fear. It was all I wanted to be ever since Becks showed me what a Ranger can do.

"Well not having their permission hasn't stopped me from teaching you before." I smiled and hugged my grandfather, ignoring the fact the muscles in my arms protested greatly against the movement.

"Thanks Becks." I whispered and kissed him on the cheek.

...

"Are you sure I can't come with you?" I asked Becks again. His horse Celeg was already packed with all his gear, ready for the week ahead. He raised his eyebrow. It couldn't hurt to ask, again.

"Goodbye Silas." He mounted his horse and pulled the cowl over his head. I patted Celeg's muzzle and he whinnied sadly. I had started to bond with Becky's horse because I didn't have one of my own yet.

"See you later Becks." I waved as he rode away.

"Since I only have you for a week my dear, we have to get started right away." Out of everything, Mrs. Padavick was the one thing I feared, her and her instruments of torture. She grabbed my hand and dragged me inside the inn.

Mrs. Padavick wasn't a bad person; in fact we got along pretty well, for the most part that is. She made it her main priority, with the time she had, to teach me everything about being a girl. Once she scrubbed every inch of me (I wasn't dirty, but she wouldn't listen to my protests), she dried me off and strapped me into a corset.

"Does it have to be so tight?" All of the air was squeezed out of my lungs as she tightened the laces. I was fine with simply binding my chest, but this was ten times worse and ten times tighter.

"Oh stop your whining Silas. When you're with your grandfather you can certainly dress like a boy but not while you're in my house." She slipped a dress with ugly frills over my head, coloured in faded pinks and yellows. If she didn't have such horrible taste in fashion, I might not be so appalled, I had seen some of the dresses the girls wore in town and some were rather pretty. "It's not that bad." She placed me in front of a mirror. Yes, it really was that bad. I smartly held my tongue. Mrs. Padavick picked up my clothes from the ground bundling them up in her arms. I felt naked without my weapons. I discretely hid my Saxe, in the folds of the dress. It was the only weapon I was able to grab before she passed my gear to her husband for safekeeping. Apparently, women aren't supposed to have weapons.

"Mrs. Padavick?" I combed through my long dark hair with my fingers still wet from the bath.

"Yes dear?" She was still picking up my belongings so they could be washed.

"I was wondering... Could you teach me how to do my hair? Becks keeps on telling me to get it out of the way or else he will chop it off with his Saxe knife." I asked timidly, never asking her help for anything feminine before. Her face widened into the biggest smile and I hoped that meant a yes.

Did I mention how much I hated being a girl? Sure, I got some useful tips of how to braid my hair and get it out of my face. The parts I that made me absolutely miserable was the manners, the etiquette, the pinchy shoes, the lunches out with other women talking about nothing than how each other looked beautiful. If she didn't take my cloak, I could be invisible right now instead of another one of her tea parties with her old friends. I wouldn't be that bad if they just let me alone to my own thought, but no. It seemed like every few seconds they had to tell me how pretty I was because I would forget like I had nothing past a pretty face.

I collapsed face first onto my bed. I was seriously going to have to work some magic, so next year I wouldn't be left behind. Becks should be coming either tonight or tomorrow, and I couldn't wait to get out of this place. It has been a full week of doing nothing but sitting up straight and sipping tea. Becks is going to complain about me getting soft. Pretending to be someone I'm not is way harder than a full day of Ranger drills, including the extra night training after that. Suddenly, something caught my eye. I rolled off my bed and went to the wardrobe. I opened the doors all the way, pushed away all the frilly dresses until I found what I was looking for. I pulled out the ice blue dress wondering why I didn't see this one before. Compared to the others this one was kind of plain. It was long and flowing, comfortable looking even. I torn off the lacy dress that Mrs. Padavick chose for me and slipped into the blue one. It had long sleeves, but they were loose so I could actually move my muscled arms in them. The wide brown belt at my waist was familiar to the belt I wore as a Ranger. The light fabric allowed for ease of movement and didn't make me over-heat in this summer weather.

"I was wondering when you were going to find that?" I turned around and Mrs. Padavick was standing in the door looking at the dress I was wearing. "That was my daughter's dress, many years ago." I felt a little awkward not knowing if that meant I had to take it off or not because of sentimental value. "After I made it she took one look at it and threw it in the back of her closet, saying that she would never be caught dead wearing something that plain."

"I don't know about her, but this is my favorite out of all of them." I wondered if she had made anymore 'plain' ones because I wouldn't mind wearing those.

"Take it as a gift then."

"Oh no, I couldn't..."

"Please this dress won't do me any good other than hang in the back of that wardrobe." I smiled my thanks knowing that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

I tapped my fingernails on the counter of the table wishing I had my own cloak, so I could blend in to the corner of the room. Mrs. Padavick lent me one of her black cloaks, but it did nothing but attract attention from the other people in the tavern, most of whom were men having their first drinks of the night. I had to wait another hour for supper, which meant an hour of my stomach growling for the food being prepared by Mrs. Padavick in the kitchen. When was Becks going to get here? I couldn't take sitting any longer. I snuck out of the tavern, secretly bending the shadows to hide me from curious eyes so I could slip out unnoticed. I breathed in the fresh air, finally something that I was familiar with. Being cooped up inside for a week was felt more like a prison than anything else. Mrs. Padavick would freak if she knew I was out by myself, but she won't be hearing about this from me. All I had to make sure was to be back before supper is served and she will never know.

I pulled my hood up, not that it did much except cover my hair. I can't wait for Becks to come back and to wear my own clothes including my nice and warm cloak. I took one glance back to make sure no one was following me and I headed down the street. I went down the main roads; people could be seen in their homes settling down for the evening meal. I felt more comfortable with the long shadows from the setting sun; I felt I could hide better in them, not really as well without my cloak or even a ranger cloak. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up on end, it was the Ranger's sixth sense that told me someone was following me. If I had been training for more than a few months, then that sense would've picked up long before they got even close. I pretended to drop something and bent to the ground. The second my fingers touched the earth, I could tell that the man behind me was close, but I could also tell that there were two other men walking straight towards me.

It was too late to run I knew that, they had me cornered against a wall. Becks would be lecture me for hours and ask me how I could be so stupid to let them get so close. Anything they had planned was going to be a piece of cake compared to what Becks will make me do once he finds out.

"What is a pretty lady such as you walking the streets all alone at this time of night?" One asked sweetly and I raised an eyebrow at him, did he really think that I was really that incapable of handling myself? Well if I was anything like the women in this town, I probably would be making the same assumption, which also means that they have done this before.

"You look a little lost, maybe we can help you find your way back." Even from a few steps away, I could smell the reek of alcohol on their breath.

"What make you think I'm lost?"

"We've been watching you for a while and you don't really look like you know where to go." Without moving too much, I fumbled in my cloak to the small of my back where I kept my Saxe knife, which was tucked into my belt. The real question was how am I going to deal with all three at once and to make sure that I don't accidently kill them or expose my magic. They continued to move closer, my mind was racing. What if I...

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A low voice said, "One more step and this arrow will go straight through your thick head." We all looked, but I was the only one who mostly see the hooded figure concealed in the shadows. A Ranger with his cowl pulled down over his face, an arrow knocked and pulled to half draw and the most wonderful sight I have ever seen. Sure Becks was going to kill me later, but I was in no way ready to handle a situation like this smoothly. The men were startled backwards when he exited the shadows. Swiftly, he came and put his arm around me, and escorted me away from the scene, but not without casting a devious smile to the men.

"You couldn't have gotten here any sooner?" I asked him, "How long does it even take to get back?"

"How did you know I was coming, I just decided to grab a meal from the local tavern not ten minutes ago." That was where I realised my mistake. How I had not noticed that it wasn't my grandfather's voice, but someone a lot younger? I guess I was just waiting for the only Ranger I knew to show up.

"Sorry, I thought you were someone else." I said sheepishly, I little embarrassed not to have noticed earlier.

"Don't worry about it." He laughed. "Where are you headed?"

"The inn."

"Great, then you can tell me what's good."

Before I entered, I checked to make sure that there was no Mrs. Padavick pulling out her hair because I was missing. I relaxed when there was no sign of her and I led the Ranger to my table in the back corner. Once settle down and coffee in hand, he took off his hood. I had to bite my tongue from gasping. Under the hood, I would have never guessed was the most handsome face I had ever seen. His short light brown hair and smiling eyes were something that I would never expect from a Ranger. He looked only a few years older than me. Of course, I had only seen Becks, but compared to the other males I had seen, he was by far the only one that made my stomach flutter.

"I'm Gilan by the way." He offered his hand, still smiling.

"Silas" I shook his hand, but didn't want to let it go.

Authors Note: OMG she met Gilan! He will be in the next chapter so don't worry. If you know my writing style you will know to worry after that because I like to prolong things so he might not be in the story until later. There eventually will be romance/ drama between them but that is a while away. Gilan in my story is only about five years older than her. Because cliff-hangers are my favorite way to end chapters, I'll start you off with a small one. Again just wait until we get further into the story.

If you have any questions about the story feel free to ask PM us or leave it in a review and we'll answer them at the bottom of next chapter :). Review please!

Love, C&M