R&R please!


On the day after the Gathering ended, and everyone was going home, Will found Robin sitting with an old Golden Leaf Ranger. Will vaguely knew the man, Tanner, who had retired in one of the first years of his apprenticeship. Tanner had been a top-notch healer and doctor, best in the corps.

"I see, so the heart basically can be healed by..." Robin trailed off, looking up at Will. Robin grinned and waved at him.

"That's the basic idea, anyway. You never know when that sort of knowledge will come in handy," Tanner finished, gesturing for Will to sit down with them.

"So what are you two talking about?" Will asked, flopping down on the ground next to Robin.

"The lad here just wanted to know if there was any way to heal a heart that's been shot through with an arrow," Tanner said. Will arched an eyebrow, looking at his apprentice's bright red face. "I was explaining how, theoretically you could, if you were fast enough... if you accomplished the whole surgery in about two minutes, anyway."

"Interesting," Will said mildly. "Anyway, Robin, we should be packing up and setting out."

"I already packed," Robin said quickly. "Even put everything in saddlebags on Nudge... what do I do with my gelding?"

"Sell him, use him as a pack horse, whatever you want. He's your horse," Will said dismissively. "So how about we get going?" Robin stood, waved to Tanner and gave him his thanks, and started for the horses. Will held up a hand for him to stop, fixed his quiver and scabbard belt, and pushed him off again.

Tanner snickered. "Teach the lad to keep his belt on straight, eh?" Will rolled his eyes, and set off after the boy. When he passed by where his tend had been, he grabbed hold of his bags, and continued for the horses.

"Mauch!" Will hollered, looking around for the boy that would accompany them. A figure scurried up to Will, reminding him to an extent of a mixture of a bug-eyed frog and a chipmunk. Not exactly a flattering comparison, but true none the less.

"Hullo, Master Will," Mauch said, fidgeting. "You called?"

"Yes... are you packed and ready to go?" Will asked.

"Of course, sir," Mauch responded, ringing his hands nervously. Will fought back a grimace. "Whenever you're ready, sir."

"... Call me Sir one more time, and I'll string you up by your thumbs," Will said calmly, smiling to show he was kidding.

"Of course s- my lor- Er, Will?"

"Will is fine," Will responded, laughing. "Go on, get ready."

"I'll put everything on Chariot?" Mauch said, saying the statement as a question. Will nodded, and the boy scurried off. Will whistled, and Tug looked up and trotted over to him. He swung the bags across Tug's rump and tied them in place, before swinging up into the saddle of the little horse himself. He trotted Tug in a tight circle to make sure everything was properly balanced in the saddle and stretch out, then trotted him to where Robin was sitting on Nudge with the gelding tied behind him. Mauch was scrambling up onto his mount, and Gilan was trying hard not to laugh at him... he wasn't entirely succeeding.

"Well, are we ready to be setting off?" Halt asked, bringing Abelard to stand beside Will.

"Yes," Mauch said happily. Suddenly, Ebony looked up from where she was by Tug and bounded off into the trees. Will frowned, but looked at Halt and nodded. They set off down the path that headed north-east, which would fork into two paths heading North and East in half a kilometre.

Robin suddenly looked up, and Will paused to find out what he was listening for. Then he heard it; a scuffle, and a loud bark from about fifty meters to the right in the underbrush. Another yelp sounded, closer this time, and two furry figures rolled out into the path near under Tug's hooves. Tug reared a bit to avoid stepping on them, and took a few steps back into Abelard's nose. Abelard whinnied his protest, but backed up.

"MAX!" Robin barked out, and a blob of silver fur detached itself from a ball of black an white. Ebony sat up slowly, licking a cut on her side. The silver one limped over to Robin, and sniffed around the horse's hooves. "Maximus Wallawitz, just who do you think you are? You know better! You best not be setting to fight with that sweet dog." The silver wolf bowed his head and tucked his tail between his legs in shame.

"He's yours?" Will said, mildly irritated. He wasn't that irritated with his apprentice, however; Ebony HAD been the one who had raced into the trees, he realized.

"Yes," Robin said distastefully. Max lay down and looked up at Robin with big, apologetic eyes. Robin sighed, swung down, and looked at the wound on Max's paw. "Not too bad... you'll live, goober. Ebony, come here hun," Robin said, holding out her hand for Ebony, and Ebony trotted over to him. She bared her teeth unhappily at Max, but didn't make a move for him. Robin looked at her side, and poked it gently. "Just a scratch, but perhaps we should bandage it." He reached into the bag on his hip, and pulled out white gauze.

Ebony shied away, but Robin but a calming hand on her head. He wrapped Ebony gently, and she licked his face. He chuckled, an pushed her away. He then wrapped up Max's paw, and then coiled his cloaks into a nest on the back of the grey gelding. He paused, looking at the nest, and the big wolf, and then back up at the nest that was higher than his head.

Without a word, Gilan slid down and hauled Max into the nest. He patted the wolf in, easily seeing over the saddle and even the wolf's head. Robin grinned at him and nodded his thanks, then looked at Ebony. Ebony (surprisingly, considering she went against a wolf) fared much better, though she wasn't altogether happy with it (naturally). Robin swung back up into the saddle, and looked at Will over his shoulder. Mauch was watching Robin like Robin was some weird idol, and Will had to cover a grin.

"Good job handling that," Will said passively. "Go on." They continued down the path to where the track split and took the northern one, which would lead them straight to their destination. They'd be in Biurman fief by nightfall, and they should get to the castle the next day around noon. They travelled mostly in companionable silence, though sometimes they would have small fits of conversation.

The woods parted into the northern fields as the sun was setting, and they entered Biurman. In the opening between the two woods, one of crimson and orange oaks and maples, and one of evergreen, there was a little town with an inn with a welcoming gust of smoke rising up around them.

"I'm guessing this is where we will be staying tonight," Gilan commented, looking at Halt.

"That it would seem," Halt agreed. His lip curled. "Hopefully it's clean."

"Hopefully they have lots of good food," Mauch said, patting his considerable stomach. Robin looked over at him with a crinkled nose, and Will was forced to put his hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh at his apprentice's expression.

"Hopefully they have decent food," Robin countered quietly. "No need to be greedy." Mauch's face turned into a tomato, and he slunk down in the saddle of Chariot.

Soon, they were infront of the inn. They dismounted, and Robin tethered the gelding to the frame; no one had to worry about the other horses, seeing as they were all Ranger's horses.

"Shall we be going in?" Gilan said, getting Max down from the horse and handing Robin his mottled cloak. He accepted it with a grateful smile, and threw it around his shoulders. Gilan then turned and pushed open the inn door, and together, they walked inside.