Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, made possible by the Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan. I have only borrowed his creation and I make no money. For this story I have used several other Rangers from the books, though I've also added my own. I do this only in the hope to entertain….

Author's Note: No harm shall come to the characters that can't be fixed with enough coffee…..

Chapter 3

Laying back and relaxing after the meal Will tried to figure out if there was anything else that needed doing right then. He was full, almost too full as there had been plenty of the stew and no sense in wasting it. They would need to scour the pots and the bowls, which normally as he had done the least of the cooking, would have been Gilan's job. However, as sending him down to the creek clearly wouldn't be advisable Will had to assume the job would be his. It wasn't really that he minded either, he just wanted to wait until he wasn't feeling so full.

Halt was sitting with a serious look of contemplation his face, staring into the glowing embers of their fire. Another thing Will figured he should take care of as soon as he felt more like moving, coffee.

Crowley was sitting carving at a fairly long stick, at first Will couldn't tell why. He had never seen him that interested in whittling or carving before, but then he realized given the forked end that it was to be a crutch. That made sense, once one thought about it.

"Do you know where Perry got him?" Halt suddenly asked, and it took Will a moment to figure out what he was referring to.

"He was a bit vague in his request, but from what he said, I had no reason to doubt his suitability Perry never was the best at writing his reports." Crowley stated. "Now however, I'm not as certain."

They were referring to Hubert, Will realized. "Does that matter?" he wanted to know.

"Before I took Gilan, which might have been a mistake," Halt threw a half hearted glare at his first apprentice. "I made sure he'd do. Which he does, in spite of a few less favorable aspects."

"The badger was a one time thing," Gilan shrugged.

"The badger was not the only thing," Halt shot back.

"Are you referring to the bit with the barrel? Because that was not my fault."

"That 'bit with the barrel' was entirely your fault…" Halt stated, his voice dripping with irony. "As was 'that other bit' with the pine…."

"That's a bit hurtful," Gilan frowned. "After all, you're the one who told me to do it…"

"I did nothing of the sort," Halt growled. "And I don't want to hear anything else about squirls, adders, buckets or anything, is that clear?"

"Perfectly," Gilan nodded.

"And that should prove my point," Halt shook his head, giving his former apprentice an exasperated look. "He's a menace and he'd test the patience of a saint, but I knew he'd do. He's honest, he doesn't make excuses for his mistakes, and he is at least a half decent shot. Not the brightest, but he can usually think his way through from one end to the other…" In truth, he thought much more than so of his first apprentice. He had been convinced even before he took him on that Gilan could be one of their best. Just as he felt about Will. The two of them really were the best and brightest future of the corps.

"From Halt, that's high praise," Crowley added, smiling himself as Gilan's grin had got bigger and bigger as Halt spoke. The taller Ranger knew how to interpret him, that was for certain. He did not mistake Halt's somewhat harsh words for criticism.

"It means I knew he'd do, once I was through with him," Halt ignored them. "That's one thing you have to be certain about before you take an apprentice. There has been those who were dropped, a couple, but generally because they had traits that didn't show until their second or even third year."

"I knew Perry might be exaggerating a little," Crowley was serious now. "He's not the best report writer, so I generally take what he says with a pinch of salt. He tends to forget details and add in a lot of things that are not in any way essential, so I was cautious. However, the boy comes from a good family."

"I thought who your family was did not matter in the Rangers," Will frowned.

"It does not," Halt confirmed. "But in a sense you'd expect the son of a knight to have learned certain values of honesty and such. In this case, it seems to be wrong."

"Perry didn't pass with more than the skin of his teeth himself," Crowley added. "He might not have, but we were desperate for Rangers at the time. We didn't have enough to fulfill our responsibilities, and he wasn't that far from it. He tried hard, we felt that he'd improve with time, though it hasn't been by much I suppose."

"And now, for one reason or another, he has decided he wants that boy for his apprentice, and that's a disaster waiting to happen," Halt mused. "I saw him shoot before, he could barely hit the target."

"Take a good look at him," Crowley told Gilan. "Talk with him, see if you can find out a bit more of what's going on."

"I'll see what I can do," Gilan promised him. "That about ready?" he nodded towards the makeshift crutch Crowley was making.

"I think so," Crowley ran his hand over the wood. "As long as you don't mind a few splinters…"

"Sounds like just the thing I need to make this day a perfect one," Gilan mused as he held out his hand, accepting the crutch. He slowly made his way to his feet, testing the crutch to make sure it held. "Thanks," with that he started hobbling towards the other side of the gathering ground.

After the tall Ranger had left, Will noticed Halt seemed somewhat distracted. He scoured the pots, fetched more water and had a pot of coffee boiling before Halt even said anything at all. Crowley had picked up a bundle of paper that he was perusing, muttering to himself from time to time.

It didn't make sense, if they had been sending Gilan out injured into the field, then Will would have been worried about him. He would be a lot slower, he wouldn't be able to remain unseen the same way since he would not be able to move as easily. This however was the Ranger's gathering ground. There were a total of fifty Rangers and several apprentices. Which meant, that there was a lot of people who'd be more than willing to lend a hand if he got into trouble.

He felt a bit sorry for him, naturally, Gilan was a friend and he didn't like the thought of him being in pain. Even so he did not see the need for Halt to be fussing about him quite so much.

It was fairly dark by the time Gilan returned to the command tent where they still waited. Will thought he was leaning even heavier on the crutch as he hobbled towards them. Giving them a weary smile as he paused.

"Here," Crowley got up out of the slightly rickety canvas chair he had been using.

"Thanks," with a groan Gilan lowered himself into it, heaving a soft sigh as he stretched out, propping his injured ankle on the good one. "I think I got splinters," dropping the crutch he inspected his palm.

"I didn't have time to sand it," Crowley shrugged. "I did tell you that you'd get splinters. How did it go," he pushed.

Gilan who had been picking at his palm as if trying to extract the splinters dropped the hand into his lap and shrugged. "Not a lot better, I kept out of his way, but he really does not understand what I'm telling him. When I come, he tries to hide himself better, and I don't know how many times I've told him not to move. I have tried to demonstrate, but he says that's what he's doing. He seems to have an idea of what it is he's doing in his head, and he does not see that it's not what he's actually doing. When I tried to demonstrate, he started blundering about again. He nearly stepped on my hand, I had to move, and he still didn't see me."

"I thought you weren't going to do that?" Halt narrowed his eyes as he watched him.

"It was only a short demonstration," Gilan shrugged. "I was hoping if he saw how I did it, he would get the idea of what I was doing. I took every step slowly, and I even kept talking, told him what I was doing. It still doesn't work. I'm going to need some help Crowley. I thought I'd take Will with me tomorrow," he nodded to the youngest Ranger. "He can stay with Hubert, and help him do as I say."

"Do you think that will work?" Crowley wanted to know.

"I don't know what else to try," Gilan shrugged. "With Will, there was an instinct for it, what Halt and I did was to help him perfect it and help him see why it was that it was working."

"Then Will might not be the best choice," Crowley mused.

"No, Perry would," Gilan agreed. "Because he had the same difficulty, as I understand it, but he's too close to Hubert. He's been excusing him all this time for not wanting to discourage him. So I can't use him. Andrew would be my next choice…."

"I'd say he would be a good choice," Halt decided. Andrew was fairly skilled if far from their best. He had had some real difficulties with the unseen movements, but he had worked hard to overcome them. "He made many of the same mistakes himself, so he would be able to tell Hubert that they are mistakes. Why not use him?"

"Because I asked him, and he says he's a Ranger and that means he'll take on any riot, outlaw, wild boar or rampaging bear he's required to. But that he's not going to let himself be trampled by a bumbling apprentice," he glared at his aching ankle. "They're laughing at me…."

"They're laughing because they think it's amusing, and because you are just a little too good at what you're doing," Crowley gave him a consolatory smile. "There isn't one of them that hasn't been annoyed at one time or another because they can't spot you. Myself included."

"Even so, it's annoying," Gilan decided. "Laughing at someone who's injured doesn't really seem all that nice."

"It's that annoying code of honour and good conduct," Halt grunted. "It will get you every time."

"Then I should be glad for it," Gilan gave a half scowl. "Is there any coffee left? I'm all wore out."

"Sorry, all gone," Will shrugged.

"And it's too late for that anyways," Halt interjected.

"It's not that late," Gilan cast an eye around to where most of the Rangers had started drifting towards their tents for the night. "You're old, Will and me still have a couple of hours in us, don't we Will?"

"Well, I could stay up, but it is kind of late," he liked it when Gilan included him, but at the same time Will wanted to stay on Halt's side.

"And you need a good nights' rest," Halt glowered at his first apprentice.

"You're fussing Halt," the taller Ranger smiled easily. "I've been on my own long enough I know when my limit is. Though even if I've not reached it yet, I also know the value of a good night's sleep when I can get it. I'll go to bed, same as you."

"So you don't want us to tuck you in and read you a story?" Will piped up, grinning.

"What?" Gilan blinked confused. "Doing what?"

"Tuck you in and read you a story," Will shrugged. "The ward wasn't much like a family, but it wasn't that bad. When we were ill they usually read us a story or something to help us sleep better. Not like a real mom, but pretty good." It had been good, the few times he was sick. You'd usually get some extra treats. The ward was not really a real home, but the women there cared much for the children and it was a warm and happy place. When he was very young they were read stories all the time, and even when they were a little older there would be times with stories, hot cider and small spice cakes. When you were sick, someone usually sat with you until you fell asleep, and Will always begged for stories then.

"Why would I need a story?" Gilan blinked again, turning to Halt.

"Ignore him, he's trying to be funny, and he's not," Halt raised a grumpy eyebrow at his youngest apprentice.

Will shrugged, he knew Halt wasn't really as angry as he often wanted to appear to be.

"Stories, like your mother read you," he shrugged.

"Are you implying I'm being a mother hen?" Halt demanded, and now he actually seemed on the verge of getting angry, which surprised Will. "Or, would you rather take on that role?"

"It's fine Halt," Gilan however laughed, though it wasn't his normal cheerful laughter that Will was used to. "Come on Will, we might as well, this is one of the few times we can afford to sleep as deeply as we want. No need to keep our guard up here, in a camp full of Rangers."

"Oh," Halt fixed him with a firm gaze. "And suppose all of the others feel like that?"

"You would?" Gilan raised an eyebrow. "You would trust the rest of them to keep their vigil?"

"No," Halt sighed.

"And he wouldn't either," Gilan nodded to Crowley.

"I might," their commandant decided.

"No," Gilan shook his head. "Because you know that Halt won't, and you won't let him take that alone. Me and Will however, we're young and annoying enough we'll be happy enough to let you do it."

"He's very cocky," Crowley gave Halt a mock hurt look. "I thought you taught them better manners."

"I tried, they're both incorrigible," Halt sighed. "I should make them sleep in a tree, that'd teach them some manners."

"You did make me do that," Will frowned.

"Me to," Gilan shrugged. "Didn't work then, won't work now, but if it makes you feel better, I really don't mind knowing I can sleep easy," he held out his hand towards his old mentor.

"It does not," Halt glowered as he took his hand to help him to his feet. "And before you go to sleep, you need to get those splinters out. If you don't, they'll fester."

"I've got a needle in my pack, I'll take care of it," Gilan shrugged as he grasped the crutch once more.

"You'd make a mess of it, I'll do it, and you won't whine," Halt insisted as the three of them started back towards their own tents after bidding Crowley goodnight.

Will frowned a little as he watched Halt walk on Gilan's other side. Ready to steady him if the crutch should trip him up on the uneven ground. While he fetched water to have it ready for their morning coffee, and other needs, Halt had taken a needle to dig out a few splinters out of Gilan's hand. Spreading salve over the palm to make sure there would be no infection.

It wasn't that he begrudged Gilan the attention, but he though Halt seemed worried out of proportion. Oh, he knew how Halt had acted when he was taken captive by the Skandians, and he had no doubt Halt would have gone to the same lengths had it been Gilan who'd been abducted. He was glad to know it, because Gilan was his friend and he didn't want anything to happen to him. Gilan was becoming more and more like an older brother to him as well as a friend. Sometimes it was easier to talk to Gilan than to Halt. It was easier to discuss his fears and uncertainties with Gilan, and the taller Ranger never seemed to look down on him for it. He was more than happy to share his own errors, both amusing and serious, with Will. He had a way of putting him at ease and helping him to trust in himself so he most certainly did not mind that Halt cared for Gilan as well. If his friend was for any reason abducted, he would want for Halt to go after him and save him, and he would want to go along with him as he did it.

This however was a sprained ankle, there was no reason to fuss so over him, and Halt was fussing. There was no other way Will could describe it. He hadn't let Will tease him, and he seemed to be on the verge of getting really angry, which was very rare.

He also seemed to dictate what Gilan should and shouldn't do, on account of a sprain. Which Gilan did not seem to object to at all, and that had to mean he enjoyed having Halt fuss over him.

When he was growing up in the ward he had always enjoyed that to an extent. Even if Horace had been quite cruel at the time he had found it was not from real malice but from the other boy's own insecurities and his inability to understand he was being cruel. They were close, the children in the age group, and if one was ill or injured, they would all strive to make that one feel better. Hard won copper coins might be traded for a small treat, never much, for it was never easy for them to get the coppers. The Baron and his wife truly did care about the ward, and Lady Sandra kept a close eye on it to make sure it was run according to her wishes. When Will was ill, one of the mistresses who took care of them would usually let him have treats and read him stories. He couldn't imagine that Gilan's mother wouldn't have done the same. Yet for this small injury Halt was treating him nearly as if he thought he would break. It did not make sense, and though Will hated to admit it, he was starting to feel a bit cast aside.

If it had been him with a sprained ankle, would Halt have fussed so about him? He liked to think so, and yet he could recall Halt several times pushing him when his muscles ached or he was bruised from some exercise.

It would seem there was still a bond between the older Ranger and their mentor that Will would never quite share…

TBC

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