Hello yet again. This is mainly for a disclaimer, which I keep forgetting.

Disclaimer: Yeah, I sooooo own R.A. because I'm rich and awesome and my name is John Flanagan. NOT. If I wrote R.A. then Will and Alyss would have been together a long time ago, and the pretty girls would not all be blonde. (Haven't you noticed? Alyss is blonde, Evanlyn/Cassandra is blonde, and Tyrell is blonde. Delia or whatever her name is isn't.) Also, Evanlyn/Cassandra would be dead. And Tyrell would be in the story more. ['Uncle, can I have an axe for my birthday?']

Anyway, thank you to all the people who reviewed, BUT I WANT MORE!! Reviews make me happy, even if it's just, 'Your story sucks.' Ok, maybe not, but still!! REVIEW, PEOPLE (excluding MacNashi and Jemelon)!! REVIEW!! *speaks through clenched teeth* REVIEWS KEEP ME HAPPY. ME+HAPPY=GOOD STORY. Get the point?

Chapter 8: Messenger

Lady Pauline sat on a chair at the desk in her apartment overlooking the clearing in the forest. She could see Halt fully and sighed wearily. She had been so caught up in her work lately that she didn't know what everyone was doing. She had missed Halt at mealtimes, which seemed to be the only time Halt was around, for he never missed dinner. Now she realised that it was time for him to get a haircut. Jokes, she noticed, around the village were based on Halt's long growing, messy beard. She made a mental note to tell him, and force him into getting his beard cut, instead of asking him to cut his beard, because that would be exactly what he would do, with help from his 'trusty saxe knife'. A loud rap came from the door and she realised that while she had been daydreaming, someone had been impatiently knocking on the door.

'Come in,' she called. Aaron entered. Inwardly, Lady Pauline had been cursing him. She had enough on her mind without Aaron bothering her.

'Your Majesty,' began Aaron in a voice he had hoped sounded royal and rich, but really came out horrible and squeaky.

'Lady Pauline will do,' Lady Pauline interrupted.

'My dear Lady Pauline, I have come to pass on a message.'

Aaron had arrived at Castle Redmont and had wanted a job. Messenger wasn't as royal and knightly as he had hoped for, but he had decided it was a step towards being a knight.

'Get on with it, and I am not 'your dear' anything,' Lady Pauline said, surprisingly gruff and rather Halt like for herself. Aaron gave her a hurt look. She sighed and a made a 'go on' gesture.

'Well,' Aaron began, trying to make his voice in an offended but willing to forgive sort of voice. My dear fiancée, Gabriella and I were taking a nice, leisurely walk, talking about our grand wedding plans, and were up to talking about...' Aaron paused and looked thoughtful up to the ceiling.

'Oh yes,' he began again. 'It was about how long the train of her dress was to be, actually, no, it was about whether or not she should wear a veil or tiara.'

Lady Pauline inwardly groaned, and resolved to let the Baron know that Aaron needed some serious lessons on when to elaborate, and when not to. And it figured that they would talk about something as vain as that, too.

'I thought a veil would look quite beautiful but she preferred the tiara, in the end I think that we decided upon both.' Aaron was enjoying this as much as Lady Pauline didn't. Aaron opened his mouth to continue, but Lady Pauline cut him off immediately.

'Look, she said. 'Could you please get to the serious stuff, or is this all you came to talk about? I have business to attend to.' She immediately regretted her words when Aaron's face fell.

'I'm so sorry for wasting your time milady,' he said in his horrible, sarcastic voice, and Lady Pauline no longer regretted her words.

'I will continue. The lovely Gabriella and I were walking in the woods, and we came across a young man about Alyss' age stumbling along with rags for clothes, a black eye, cuts, bruises and muttering incoherently. We brought him back here and the nurses seemed to know him, from the castle orphanage wards or something.' Aaron cleared his throat before continuing. 'It seems he is lucky to be alive,' Aaron gave an angry look and said, 'I don't know any more, they wouldn't tell me anything, but they want you, Halt, Horace, Will, Alyss, someone called Killan and Gailee or something.'

'Killan and Gailee!?' Lady Pauline exclaimed. 'Oh, Gilan and Ailee!' Lady Pauline laughed.

'Same difference,' Aaron muttered. 'The main point is that they didn't invite me! And me being a knight and all!'

'You are a knight?' Pauline asked, trying to think of something worse.

'Well I'm going to be one, anyway,' Aaron said haughtily. 'You hat better start to practice calling me 'Sir,'' and with that he marched out.

'Wait!'

Aaron turned back.

'Who exactly is the 'young man' you were talking about?'

'Well one nurse called him George, and another Georgie, and they asked him about legal arguments,' he stalked out.

'George!' was all Pauline could say.

--

'Ahem.'

Halt turned and saw Aaron standing there, with a noticeable discomfort. Lady Pauline, who was watching from above knew that Halt would make sure that Aaron wouldn't elaborate.

'A young man, whose name appears to be George demands to see Halt, Horace, Gilan, Will, Alyss and Lady Pauline immediately in the Great Hall! I have already spoken to Lady Pauline. Now Halt and Alyss, would you please tell me where to find Gilan, Horace and Will?'

'I am Gilan, and this is my apprentice Ailee.' A voice came, making Aaron jump. He noticed a young man and girl standing next to Halt.

'Oh, sorry sir, I didn't see you there,' Aaron stammered. Gilan smiled and Ailee piped up saying,

'I've heard about you,' then blushing, realising what she had said, but knowing if she apologized, that it would be confirmed that she had heard bat things not food, Ailee had been trying to cure her habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

'Yes we have,' Gilan said while Ailee glanced at him gratefully.

'Well where can I find Will and...' Aaron trailed off and stared behind Halt where Horace was galloping at full speed towards them on his horse, Kicker. Horace looked like a beggar, tattered clothes with bruises and cuts all over him. He had obviously broken his arm and wrapped it in cloth. Horace handed Halt a tattered piece of parchment, muttered, 'I don't know where Will or George is, the letter's from Will, and the attachment is some information Will found, I don't know what it is.' Then just after Gilan caught him, fell on the ground.

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