There's a bit of a time jump here, keep the story moving pretty well. Anyways, next chapter, enjoy. ~~~
In Redmont Fief, all was well and busy. Baron Arald walked through a square in the fief, thoughtfully. Preparations were being made for a festival for the next day, so many were busy so as to be ready in time. Not to mention there were travelers around to sell their trade and enjoy the festivities themselves. It was a cheery time, and Arald was well ready for the celebration.
Glancing sideways, the Baron noted a curious difference to some of the crowd ahead of him. He walked over, wondering what could be drawing the attention of everyone around. Arching his neck, he got a look at what the crowd was observing with laughs, or nervous glances from some others.
Into the square, on horseback, came an odd looking person. The lone rider rode with a hood up, hiding his face from the view of others, a cloak wrapped warmly around himself. His horse was a black stallion, hardly something abnormal, except . . . The boy rode bare back, no saddle to be had, or reins to control his horse. Once more, he had no shoes on his filth covered feet, making him appear, to put it bluntly, like a country bumpkin.
That was why some where laughing at the stranger to Redmont Fief. The poor lad looked as though he'd never been to a bigger fief such as Redmont before. He looked pretty silly to the native Redmont people. In fact, he looked funny to about everybody,even travelers, though they watched the boy laughing with sad, understanding gazes. Arald held back his own laughs at this young visitor, then continued on his way about his fief.
After a time of riding around Redmont, the hooded rider came up to another person who had taken to the shadows where no one had seen him, even as he had weaved his way through the crowds alone. The rider frowned down at his companion, who grinned up at him.
" Don't look so damn smug." the rider said, irked to the point of frustration. His companion's grin grew only larger and he chuckled slightly under his breath.
" I'm guessing by that grouchy mood of yours that you haven't spotted that mystery person you're looking for, Aaron?" he giggled at Aaron, who glared at him for this comment.
" Do you even need to ask me that, Gilan?" he snapped back at the young Ranger. Turning to look out at the crowd that continued to eye him up and down while he spoke to Gilan, who still remained unseen by others. " My stupid Master and his flipping codes." Aaron muttered irritably under his breath so much so that Gilan couldn't hear what he was saying.
Gilan only kept on grinning. The boy's cussing didn't bother him as much as it used to.
" Where's Blaze?" Gilan looked up and Aaron from the coil of his Ranger's hood, confused for a moment.
" Dropped her off at my Master's place," he answered, easily," had to let him know he should expect two guests tonight. Wasn't there when I showed up, so I left a note." Aaron kind of laughed and sighed at Gilan for this silly comment.
" Somehow, should've expected you to do something like that." he said, walking Rurin along side the tall Ranger as they began to move along, side by side. Gilan laughed lowly.
" Most of the time I try to sneak up on him." he informed the boy. Aaron tilted his head slightly to his choice of words.
" 'Try'?" he asked Gilan, who nodded in confirmation. Gilan had such skills at sneaking around and all these other abilities, Aaron couldn't imagine him not being able to catch everyone he meets by surprise. " As in, attempt, but doesn't actually happen-?"
" Yes, Aaron, must you rub it in?" Gilan frowned, mad at the boy. Then his smile returned to his face again. Aaron found that Gilan's smile could be quite contagious at times, as he felt a smile pass his own face. Quickly he banished it away. All that training to try to be unreadable to anyone was going to waste because Gilan was too much of a nice guy.
Gilan was thinking of something else completely, however. Despite his smile, he was a bit uneasy. This would be his first encounter with Will since he'd left the apprentice Ranger alone in Celtic, where he was captured along with Evanlyn by Skandian's to destroy the bridge made by Morgarath.
To say he'd felt horrible about the whole insident would be an understatement, and he wasn't quite sure how he was going to approach Will today. Earlier, he'd actually been relieved to find Halt and Will gone, just to put off the meeting as much as he could.
Still, they couldn't spend the entire night outdoors again, both were far too worn out not to want a place comfortable to stay for at least a short time. Although, Gilan felt that for such a small hut as Halt had, it would be a tight squeeze for four people to stay in. That and he was piggy backing off of his Master to get out of paying for lodging within the fief itself. That, however, Gilan could live with.
So, later that night, having no luck finding whomever it was Aaron had to find, Gilan led the way through the trees to Halt's residence. This was going to be a problem. If Aaron couldn't identify the person he needed to find, they could be here awhile, and surely Urosia and his men would pass through and possibly catch sight of them. Then there's the risk of getting Halt and Will caught up in all of this . . . This was a lot to consider and worry about all at once. . .
"Everything alright, Gilan?" Aaron asked, and Gilan looked lostly up at him. He looked down at Gilan from ontop of the black stallion giving a shrug at him. " You just seem a little off right now, you know? Your master won't mind us staying with him, will he?"
To this, Gilan could only grin at Aaron and laugh. "No, no, it's nothing like that. It might be a tight squeeze, but it shouldn't be a problem. I've just got something on my mind, that's all." he answered, honestly, waving away any concerns the boy had about their place of residence.
" Good." Aaron sighed in relief. There was a brief silence, and Aaron realized something, turning to ask Gilan. " A 'tight squeeze'? What do you mean?" Gilan smirked a little bit at this, and Aaron knew he was in for it then.
" You'll see, trust me." spoke Gilan, ominously in reply to Aaron's question. This made Aaron extremely nervous. Acting like he did, it was hard for anyone not to feel nervous about what Gilan said. Aaron found out fast why too.
They came up on the small hut not long after. It looked to be made for a single person, who might have the occasional guest to attend to at his house. Gilan smiled, seeing that Halt was definately back, but didn't see them right away.
He gesticulated for Aaron to follow his lead with a devious looking grin. Curiously, Aaron went along with whatever Gilan was doing. They crept close to the hut from the back, sliding along the side of it to the front porch that was vacant, currently.
Motioning for Aaron to stay put, Gilan slipped out onto the porch with complete silence. Aaron stared in wonder at this, but remained silent as Gilan had motioned for quiet.
" Gilan! Stop sneaking around!" shouted a voice from inside, and Gilan jumped nearly out of his skin at the suddenness of it. The door flung open, and out stepped Halt, grizzled and short as ever he was compared to Gilan's great height.
Gilan straightened, grinning sheepishly at the older, shorter man. Still frowning so much too. He'd been right in his thinking before. Now when he looked at Halt, he had the inkling of Aaron in the back of his mind, and he tried to suppress his giggling as much as he could. Halt raised an inquisitive brow at him. All Gilan could manage was a dismissive wave at him.
"I'll tell you later." he insisted, clenching his sides and keeping a hand over his mouth to try and hide the obvious smile on his face. Halt keep looking at him, confused, but said nothing. This only caused Gilan to go into another giggling fit, and it was another few moments before he regained himself once more.
" Where's that lad you said you had with you?" Halt asked, incredulously. " You said you had someone with you in that note. That was definitely a change for once, Gilan." he added on thoughtfully to Gilan, who laughed sheepishly again.
" Yeah? Whatever you say, Halt. He's just over here." he put in, walking over to the side of the house, gesturing that way to Halt as well. " Aaron, come on, We're busted already . . ." his voice trailed when he turned the corner and he was gone!
Halt looked annoyed when he saw that no one was there. Could Gilan be pulling his leg? That seemed a stretch for Gilan, but, then again, so did the note, so he wasn't sure what to expect.
" Was this a joke, Gilan?" Halt asked, while Gilan looked around, seeking out the young boy. Jogging a few paces, he looked all around. No, Aaron couldn't have gotten caught by Urosia without a sound, could he? No, no, that was impossible, they'd faked death to get away from them, certainly the cavalryman hadn't figured them out so quickly.
" I'm not joking," Gilan insisted, still searching vainly for Aaron," where did that boy get to?" he asked himself. Gilan walked up to Halt, a bit paniced now. "His horse is right there, come see." When he reached the spot where they'd left the stallion, said horse was nowhere to be seen!
Gilan felt like he was half loosing his mind! What the devil was going on?! Meanwhile, Halt was taking this as a prank gone sour fast. They headed back towards his home stopping on the side of it to talk.
" Enough, Gilan. Let's get inside and you can tell me what's really going on-" Halt began but Gilan shook his head.
" But he-it-ah!" he flung his arms up in frustration, lost completely. Halt had to think he was loosing his mind. In fact, Gilan was sure that Halt thought he was lost some marbles along the way.
" Come on, you can come inside and get some rest-"
" Seriously, Gilan. You look like crap right now!" Gilan felt like he was a snake with how many times he was getting scared out of his skin in the last few minutes. Halt had managed to suppress his surprise from any physical surprise, but he definitely didn't see that one coming!
Wheeling around, Aaron grinned at the two surprised Ranger's and waved in a rather perky manner to them both.
"Aaron!!" Gilan exclaimed. " What where you doing?! I felt like I was going crazy you brat kid!" Gilan scolded the boy, but kept smiling despite that he'd just had panic whip through him and then ripped out because of a joke.
" Well, that was the point! It was just a little fun, besides, you had me all worried for nothing on the way here." Aaron frowned at him, waving a finger in the fashion of a parent dealing punishment to a child. " I can deal with a cramped house, if it means I get a roof over my head, thank you!" He bowed at the waist. " I think I dealt a fair punishment by making you seem crazy."
" But what about-?" Gilan pointed towards the horses, and Aaron grinned a bit wider still at this question. He gave a loud, deep noted whistle, and from the nearby trees trotted the black stallion. The horse came right up to Aaron, and he stroked the black and white nose.
" You forgot about that, didn't you?" Aaron asked. Shame faced, Gilan nodded once. To this, Aaron only giggled at him, and patted him on the back. " I thought you might have."
" You forgot about me too, didn't you all?" came yet another voice, making all three of them waiting around outside jump into the air with another shock thrown their way. This time it was Will, leaning out the doorway from on the porch, looking at them, grinning at the surprise he'd seen from them. ~~~
Silly Will, being such a shady person and not showing up til the end. lol. Thought this was an interesting way to meet/have a reunion between Aaron and the Rangers. Read and Review please, children.