*peeks out from behind rock and waves shyly* "Hey, you remember me?"
Anyways, I'M SO SORRY I DIDN'T POST THIS CHAPTER EARLIER, but Yr 9 is crazy now, with essays and tests almost every week! I'm so sorry guys, but I hope u haven't given up on this story yet…
Well, without any further delay, ladies and gentlemen, potatoes and watermelons alike, I present to you the third and final chapter of this story!
A few months later…
It was Christmas Eve in Araluen. Feasts were being prepared, fires lit and people were singing.
Halt, Will, Crowley and Gilan had gathered in Halt's cabin to celebrate, and were in the process of demolishing the food and drink. It was as if they hadn't eaten for a decade. Luckily for them, there was plenty to go around, thanks to Jenny's generous donation. After all, she could hardly refuse when it was Gilan who asked her for it.
Christmas was one of the rare occasions on which Rangers could afford to let down their guard and relax. And that was what the friends were doing. This was a time of joy, laughter and friendship.
The fire crackled cheerfully in the fireplace, filling the cabin with warmth and a warm orange glow. Outside, snow was falling steadily, coating everything in it's frosty flakes.
Will was busy playing a soft, jolly tune on his mandola, while Gilan joked around and made everyone laugh, even Halt. All in all, it was a perfect night to celebrate Christmas.
After the food had been finished, for it had simply disappeared from the plates, not leaving even a single crumb behind, the singing had been sung, and laughs had been laughed, now it was time for the presents.
Crowley opened his first, revealing a large box of extremely sticky toffee. 'Hopefully your teeth will stick together and you'll stop making that shrieking sound which you call music'. Said Halt's letter, making everyone laugh. But they laughed even harder when Crowley tried a piece, and exactly that happened.
Wiping away tears of laughter, Gilan reached for his present. The joy on his face shone like the sun when he revealed what it was. An expensive leather bound journal and a set of charcoal pencils. Gilan loved to draw ever since he was little, and this was a dream come true for him. They wouldn't be seeing him for a while.
Halt's present was a different matter altogether. He wasn't sure whether to be happy or angry. For his present was none other than a self portrait of himself, complete with every detail of a grumpy looking Halt. As for everyone else, they found it hilarious, and their laughter doubled when Halt's expression matched the drawing perfectly. After the laughter had died down, Will looked around for his present, and the grin faded from his face when he found there was none.
Halt had seen the change in his apprentice's demour, and soon figured out the reason behind it.
"Your present's in my room", he said while nudging Will towards his bedroom door. Will complied and walked the short distance to the door. Opening it, he glanced around and saw a long, narrow shape wrapped in cloth lying on the bed. His curiosity piqued, it took all of Will's determination not to open it there and then, so instead he walked back to where his fellow Rangers were seated. Plopping down on the couch, Will wondered what the present was as he set it down delicately on the table. Maybe it was a bundle of new arrows? Or maybe a new bow case? Or maybe… a new bow?
"Come on Will, open it." Halt encouraged, Gilan echoing him seconds later. Slowly and cautiously, not knowing what to expect, Will unwrapped the present. What was revealed made his heart leap into his throat.
A beautiful longbow lay on the table before him. The wood was polished till it shone, and an oakleaf was carved into the wood, above the grip. New leather, soft and unblemished, wrapped around and around the middle of the bow, providing the most comfortable grip possible. Gently picking it up, Will professionally strung it and drew the string back as far as it would go. The draw weight, height, weight and balance was perfect. This was even better than the bow he had gotten for his birthday! It certainly exceeded the replacement he had gotten, which was plain and utilitarian in the extreme. And judging from the knowing glances Halt and Gilan were shooting at each other, they were the ones who had made the bow. This was the best Christmas present anyone had given him! In fact, it was probably the best gift he had received at all, Will thought joyfully, and he couldn't stop the grin that lit up his face.
Will rushed forward, embracing his mentor and sending an unexpecting Halt staggering back a few paces. After Halt realised that his apprentice wasn't attacking him, Halt wrapped his arms around Will, who was close to sobbing from joy.
All the while, Crowley and Gilan watched in silence, not wanting to interrupt the moment Halt and Will were having. Knowingly, they glanced at each other, and understood that no other mentor and apprentice would ever have this special relationship with each other.
Voice cracking from emotion, Will managed to whisper two words which only Halt could hear.
"Thank-you".
A few weeks later...
Will grunted as he hauled himself higher into the tree. He was already half way up, and the ground looked to be a mile away. At the bottom, an anxious Tug stared up at his master, whining nervously and hoping Will wouldn't fall. Now you may be wondering why Will was climbing up a random tree, and there is no reason to why other than 'because he wanted to'.
As a matter of fact, Will was 'escaping' from being bombarded with household chores. Funnily enough (although there was nothing funny about it), Halt still insisted on Will doing the housework, even though he was a few mere weeks from graduating and getting his silver oakleaf.
Grabbing another branch, Will hauled himself higher still, and caught sight of the wooden cabin below him. The tree he was climbing was one that grew right on the edge of the clearing in which the cabin had been built. While Will was lost deep in his thoughts, he didn't realise that the branch he had grabbed was old and rotting. So when he transferred all his weight onto that branch, disaster struck.
The branch, unable to hold his weight, broke underneath Will, sending him tumbling back down to earth. Will had never ever fallen out of a tree, so he didn't know what to do as he plummeted. So when he crashed into the branches that he had so recently climbed up, he didn't cover his head.
And when Will finally reached the ground (which took a while), he was covered in bruises, winded and had a massive headache. Not to mention that, but he had heard a loud 'crack' as he had landed on the hard earth, but h had felt no stabbing pain that would indicate a broken bone.
Than what had broken?
Oh no… not again. Despair filled his heart as Will slowly sat up (he had landed flat on his back), and slid his bow free of his cloak. No no no no no NO! The once whole bow had snapped halfway, the two beautifully carved limbs dangling uselessly, joined only by the bowstring. Will bowed his head and stared at the bow in disbelief.
He had only just gotten a new bow, and now he had broken it again. What would Halt say when he found out? Would he be mad, angry, disappointed?
But whatever Halt would think wouldn't matter. All that mattered was the broken remains of his bow which he clutched in his hands. He had broken two of his bows, both had been gifts from Halt as well!
So while Tug snorted and nudged his master, Will stared at the remains of his bow.
Shattered…
Useless…
Broken...
Well?
What did you think about that ending? Bet you weren't expecting that!
Hehehehe…
Anyways, if any of you guys out there have a story you want me to write, or an idea for me, plz PM me or type it in the Review.
Thx so much for reading this and I hope you enjoyed!
KEEP CALM AND TRUST THE CLOAK!
-potato-ranger out