So this was a long time coming and I realise that. A two whole years but as I say. None of my stories are discontinued unless I say they are so. :) And I just worked out the storyline for this and can I just say how excited I am for it! I think it is going to have about 27 Chapters + epilogue.

Pauline was on a mission.

Not a tchnical one. After all, she didn't go on those anymore.

But an important one nonetheless.

She was walking down a corridor until she ran into Alyss. This time the woman would not get away no matter what.

"Alyss!" she called out. She could have sworn that the younger woman's shoulders tensed for a moment before they relaxed. As to what caused this, no one had any clue.

"Why?" she asked coming closer. Alyss looked down with closed eyes. Emotional pain was the only thing visible on her face and Pauline was confused. Suddenly, almost as if someone had told her what to do, as Pauline watched the woman dragged herself together. Her shoulders straightened from where they had been slumped over and her face closed off. It was the same expression that was common on some of the Couriers. A blank face that showed that they had done things they weren't proud of, but had to be done. There was no hint of a smile or even an interest in the world.

When a member became like this they were of no use to the courier service anymore. No matter what they did they weren't able to wipe the dead look out of their eyes.

"If you continue to go like this I will be forced to review your position in the couriers," Pauline said attempting to get a response from Alyss. At this again her face scrunched in pain before it disappeared. The expression itself was a fast as one of Halt's arrows, and there had been a few occasions where Pauline had seen them used in negative contexts.

"If you believe that I am no longer fit, then I will resign from my position," Alyss choked out. Pauline shook her head.

"No! Just something has changed for you suddenly, and if it continues I can see it affecting your work. I don't want that to happen."

Alyss turned to walk away again and this time Pauline followed her. They reached the door to the place where Will was meant to be staying when she stopped.

"I can't do it anymore," Alyss said.

"Do what exactly. I'm sure I can understand and help you through anything you need. After all, I did get married to a ranger myself and I'm sure your ranger is more friendly," Pauline replied gently, bringing Alyss in for a hug. It wasn't something the two women did regularly, but with Pauline feeling as though Alyss was her own daughter, she was fully prepared to get her through whatever she was currently going through.

Alyss relaxed into the hug for a while before standing back from it. Her eyes were filled with tears as she finally admitted something. It was so small that it nearly wasn't helpful at all, but it told Pauline that another force was at play here and that it wasn't Alyss' fault entirely that Will was left heart-broken.

"You can't understand. I can't tell you why this is happening as it is. Please, just trust that I am doing this for Will's sake," Alyss whispered before walking off again, this time going to her own rooms.

Two minutes later after watching her ex-apprentice walk off, Pauline was broken from her thoughts when Baron Arald walked up.

"Any clue what's going on?" he asked her, just as worried for the couple's sake. In fact the whole castle had been worried and buzzing with energy at the news. Everyone had seen the two together and agreed that it was a perfect match. Why now did this suddenly change?

"Not at all, that's the worrying aspect. I asked her and I think something larger is calling the shots here," Pauline explained.

"I think we should neglect to tell anyone, except those who are really high up, that the wedding has been cancelled. I think that we should just leave it as postponed until further notice," Arald suggested.

Halt, who had been searching for Pauline and had been directed to this area, heard the last comment and agreed with it.

"I think that's smart. I have the address of all of the Rangers and will begin sending out messages."

"I will attend to the rest of the guests. I can't imagine what they would think by receiving a letter sealed with an oakleaf," Pauline continued.

"Especially one signed by Halt," Arald joked and quickly shut up at the look Halt gave him. Pauline noticed and gave one of her own back to Halt.

"Be nice," she scolded.

"I hate this," he admitted. Arald remained silent, not wishing to intrude on this small moment of weakness in Halt.

"They belong together. I don't understand why this is happening. And I hate not understanding something!" he continued.

"All we can do is support the two of them in these moments and watch them to see if we can find the cause of it," Arald suggested softly. He was surprised that instead of his sentence keeping the mood, it ruined it.

"So stop complaining and help them. You don't need to understand. You just need to be there for Will as I will be there for Alyss. Now go back to Will's cabin and sit with him. Make sure that he doesn't feel lonely. After all, it's the first time that he is alone after spending most of his days with Alyss for the past two months," Pauline snapped.

"I do not look forwards towards going back to that cabin," Halt admitted.

"Why not? I thought you were close to Will," Arald said.

"I am. I just don't know who he is right now. There are dents in the walls, glass was all over the floor, its still in the lounge in fact and the whole practice field is riddled with broken arrows. Tug has given up on attempting to make sense to Will, instead remaining in the stables and the whole place uncharacteristically stinks of alcohol."

Arald felt his eyes widen in shock.

"Then what are you doing here? He obviously needs you!" Pauline said and shoved her husband down the corridor to make sure he was moving.

"I don't know when I will be back," he admitted to her.

"It doesn't matter. I will look after Alyss here."

"Baron. I will notify Crowley of the whole incident and request that another ranger be supplied to the fief to cover the work," Halt said to Arald, all of a sudden regaining his formality. Arald nodded his head in acknowledgement and walked away. He had a feeling that Halt and Pauline needed to say goodbye to each other.

He didn't walk away happy like normal. Maybe he need to go talk to Sandra for a while and get a woman's insight on the situation for it to make a little more sense…

I hate how I ended it but I am so excited for later chapters. And I just realised that I added what was meant to be chapter 7 into this.

Damn it!

Oh well. I'll add something else there to make it bigger. Maybe someone getting injured or something. I have written so much emotional angst lately that I feel as though I need to write about someone dying.

Maybe I could make someone die in my story Abhorsen…

(*cough*read it*cough*)

I ran into a door today and now have a line on my forehead. I have to go to uni tomorrow.

I am so mature!

:)

Alyss Mainwaring