Thanks for all the awesome reviews! I really appreciate it! Enjoy! :)

To: ariel (anonymous reviewer) I am a girl.

It was long after everyone had gone to bed. To Will's delight, Horace had told him that nobody was going to sleep in Halt's office. Will, who was hiding behind the couch, was waiting for the best moment to sneak into the office. He glanced at the clock. Only five minutes until midnight.

"They must be asleep by now," he said to himself.

He looked around, checking to make sure that his path was clear.

Okay, he told himself. Go…now.

He leapt up from his hiding spot and made a dash for Halt's office, which was right across from this room. Will reached for the doorknob…

It was locked. Of course! Will smacked himself on the forehead. Obviously, he thought. Halt wouldn't just leave the door unlocked, it would be too easy to sneak in! He knew what I was planning!

Will looked bitterly at the doorknob. Thoughts raced in his mind. The first to step over the finish line was I'm doomed. The next was Find the key, dummy! Will looked hopelessly over his shoulder.

"C'mon, think…where would Halt put the keys?" he said irritably.

This was harder than he had thought. He looked around frantically. The floor was spotless. He checked the walls. Not a key in sight. Will considered blasting the door open, but that would get Halt furious.

"C'mon, where's the key?" Will said, very frustrated.

Then a thought occurred to him. There was a good chance that Halt had the key. So why didn't he just sneak up to Halt and take it?

But what if he doesn't have the key? Will thought. Then I'd have wasted my time! Plus, I bet Halt would've woken up.

There was a debate going on in Will's head. Finally, he settled on his decision: he would have to steal the keys from Halt. If he even has them, Will thought.

Will checked the room once more, and then quietly darted across to the next room. He looked around, searching for Halt.

The first thing he saw was Horace. He was gently snoring, his stomach to the ground, and right in front of the doorway. If Will hadn't looked down, he would've stepped right onto poor Horace.

The next person Will saw was Alyss. She, Will noticed, had a much more comfortable sleeping spot. She was lying on a hastily prepared "bed", which was constructed with a straw mat, several blankets, and a feathered pillow. She was sleeping soundlessly. A few feet away, Will saw George and Jenny. Both of them had been given separate straw mats to sleep on and some blankets.

Together, his friends seemed rather squished in this room.

Will looked around one more time. He saw all his friends, but where was Halt? His eyes darted nervously to every corner. And then he spotted him.

Halt was sleeping in the corner, his green and grey cloak wrapped tightly around him. He seemed to disappear right into the walls. Will quietly tiptoed to Halt, and then gazed down at the Ranger. Halt did not appear to be holding anything; but Will quickly realized that the keys must be hidden inside Halt's cloak.

Will paused. How was he going to do this? Halt would surely wake up. But there was no time to be second-guessing. Will gently reached inside Halt's cloak, trying to be as quick as possible. He groped around, trying to feel the key somewhere in the folds of the cloak. At last his fingers touched something metal, but not hard enough to be one of Halt's Ranger knives. Will knew that this must be the key.

He pulled gently, and the key slipped right out. Will turned the key over in his palm. Sure enough, carved on one side, was the word Office.

Will's insides squirmed with pride. He had done it. Now all he had to do was unlock the office door, and then open the box to read the note. It had been all too easy.

Beaming with pride, Will walked silently back to the locked office door. He put the key into the slot, turned it, and with a click, the door opened.

Will walked in and shut the door behind him. He looked around. There was not much in Halt's office. A round table was in the center of the room, and the box on it. Will immediately reached for the box and lifted the lid.

When he opened it, Will saw that the back side of the letter Halt had written was facing up. Will read the one simple word that Sir Rodney had written in reply: Yes. That was it. Will turned the paper over eagerly. "So Halt must've asked Sir Rodney a question," Will said excitedly, and a little too loudly.

There were footsteps behind him. And then, the door opened, and Halt stepped in. He had an expression of rage on his face.

"What are you doing?" he said angrily.

"I was…I was just…I wanted to read the letter," Will admitted, ashamed and embarrassed.

Halt glared at his apprentice. "Didn't your friends tell you that you'd find out soon enough?" he snarled.

"Yes," Will admitted quietly.

Halt shook his head in exasperation. "Apprentices. Too curious for their own good." he muttered.

Will stared at the ground.

"Did you read the note?" Halt asked.

"No." Will replied, not looking up. "I only read Sir Rodney's reply. That's all."

Halt merely nodded. "Go to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow." he said. "And never enter my office without permission. Understand?"

Halt took the key, still hanging from the doorknob.

"Yes, Halt." Will answered. He walked bitterly to the living room couch.

"No, you can sleep where I was sleeping. I'll sleep here for the rest of the night," Halt said.

Will, having no more energy to be puzzled, obeyed and stepped into the room where his friends were sleeping.

"Good night, Halt." Will called.

Halt gave a grunt in reply.