So... Ranger's Apprentice. It may or may not have replaced Percy Jackson as my favorite book series of all time. And book 8 may or may not be the greatest thing I've ever read.
Halt is, naturally, the best character in the whole series. And I'm a bit disappointed in Mr. Flanagan for not giving us anything about Caitlyn, and for not giving us anything regarding Halt as a child and interacting with his siblings and stuff. But that's what Fanfic is for, I suppose.
I guessed that Halt and Ferris were really close when they were little, and that Caitlyn is about three years younger than them. So... yeah. In this, teh boys are 6 and Caitlyn is 3. Hope you enjoy. If not, then... meh.
Halt and Ferris had wanted to bake cookies. Caitlyn wanted to join her all-knowing and super fun big brothers. So, one day, the three of them walked into the kitchen and asked to bake cookies.
The castle cook said she'd let them, but they had to call her to do the actual baking, seeing as the twin princes, and especially their baby sister, were far too young to do that part themselves.
The boys didn't mind. They had fun mixing up the ingredients and measuring out the sizes for the cookies. They were uneven, different-sized lumps on the cookie sheet, but that didn't matter to them.
After that was done, the two boys started cleaning up. Caitlyn was sitting on a table, watching her big brothers with awe. They sure seemed to know what they were doing. And that cookie batter… it smelled delicious.
Halt turned to Caitlyn and asked if she could put the beaters in the washbin for him to clean later. She nodded dutifully and took the cookie batter-covered beaters, hopped off the table, and began making her way across the kitchen.
Halt turned back to what he was doing, waiting for the splash of water that would indicate that Caitlyn had done what she was asked.
A minute passed. No sound.
Another thirty seconds. Nothing.
Halt and Ferris glanced at each other.
"Maybe she can't reach it?" Ferris asked.
Halt shook his head.
"No, she can reach it," he said. "I saw her wash her hands in it earlier.. There's som- "
Halt cut himself off, a shocked, horrified look on his face. Ferris was confused for a second before the same thought struck him. Both boys turned around sharply and saw their sister.
She hadn't gotten halfway to the sink before realizing the potential treat in her hands. Her three-year-old mind had told her it was a good idea.
She glanced up at her brothers and laughed at the expressions on their faces. Boy, they were so silly.
The boys, in their stead, didn't find the situation humorous in the slightest. There was their baby sister, face covered in raw cookie dough. If their parents caught her in this state, they'd have a fit!
Without even glancing at each other, they set to work. Halt rushed forward and scooped her up, prying the beaters from her hands and handing them back-handedly to Ferris, who took them and rushed to the washbasin, throwing them unceremoniously inside.
Halt dashed to the other basin and dropped his sister inside, pouring water inside until it was half-full. He turned around and saw that Ferris had grabbed some dish soap and a towel.
"Dish soap?" Halt asked. Ferris shrugged his shoulders.
"I panicked, alright?" he asked, a little red-faced. Halt sighed and took the dish soap, pouring it over his sister's head. She giggled and reached for the bottle.
"No, no, Cait," Halt chided. "You can't eat this or you'll die." He handed the bottle back to Ferris, who set it on the table beside him. He excused himself, noticing that Halt had dumped their sister in the sink with all her clothes on, and deciding that he should get her some dry ones.
Halt worked quickly, smiling softly to himself as he listened to her giggles. She scooped up a handful of bubbles that had formed when some of the excess soap had slipped from her head and blew them in Halt's face.
Instinctively, he brought his hands up to protect his eyes. She laughed at his reaction, and he grinned at her, splashing some of the water in the sink on her. She squealed and retaliated, which made Halt splash her again.
They continued like this until he had managed to get all the cookie dough off of her, then he pulled her out of the basin, pulling out the drain and grabbing the towel to dry her off.
This was when Ferris returned with some fresh clothes. He and Halt worked together to help Caitlyn squirm out of her soaked dress, then helped her step into her new one. Ferris had just finished patting her hair dry when Halt returned from a trip to Caitlyn's room with a piece of string. He pulled back her hair and tied it off. Both boys stepped back to admire their work.
"Ok, she's definitely clean," Ferris said. Halt nodded, glancing behind Caitlyn to the mess they had made in their mad attempt at cleaning her.
"Can't say the same for the rest of the kitchen," he said. Ferris nodded and sighed.
"Guess we should get started on that," he said. Halt shook his head.
"I'll go ahead and get started. You get the cook so she can put the cookies over the fire, then you can come back and help me," he said. Ferris nodded and walked off to find the cook. Halt picked up Caitlyn and set her down on one of the tables.
"Don't put anything in your mouth," he commanded her. She smiled at him and made grabbing motions with her hands in his direction. Clearly, she wanted to be picked up again. He shook his head and pointed at the soaking mess behind her.
"I have to clean up this mess," he said. "We can play later, alright?"
She pouted and hopped off the table, moving over to clean up the messy area. Halt watched her in shock.
"Pay," she said simply. Halt translated the baby word to 'play.' He smiled at her and knelt down, helping her clean.