Dedicated to Aubrey Cortez, who reviewed as I was writing this chapter XD
There was a tension in the air. It wasn't from the beginnings of a fight but rather from a group of 59 people standing as still as they were able to, not breathing, waiting.
One person walked up and down the lines that the mass had quickly and hesitantly arranged themselves in. The front row on the left held the higher up members and as the line went down so the numbers grew bigger. The way that they had lined up, you would think that it was a common occurrence for the lines to be needed when in fact it was the first time ever that this had happened.
"What is going on?!" one of the higher up members snapped as the single man got to him on his inspections.
"Your saxe being not looked after is what's going on!" was yelled back. As the man looked down in confusion, having never been told off for such a thing, even when he was an apprentice he felt something fly at his head from the top.
The next thing he knew was nothing.
From further down in the first line out of three Gil tried not to flinch or let the tears that were threatening out. Crowley had just struck one of his most trusted advisors, leaving the man sprawled in the dirt. With a blow like that it was a hard thing to know from his position if the man was still alive or not.
Blood suddenly filled his mouth and Gil realised that he had been biting the inside of his lip anxiously.
In an act that was typically the opposite to the norm, none of the rangers assembled moved to help the poor man.
Quickly Gil looked either side of him and noticed that most of the Rangers had closed their eyes.
"I'll be conducting an assessment of the Corps. I believe that they are slacking. Those who I deem not suitable will be receiving a notification of the fact soon!" Crowley called out.
There was a pause and Gil swore that he could hear the 58 beating hearts. He still wasn't too certain about the guy on the floor.
Quickly he abandoned his thoughts and remained with his eyes looking forwards as Crowley started walking down the rows again. As the once loved commander walked all of the rangers were careful to keep their eyes forwards and to not look at him. This time, no one questioned it.
Upon reaching Gil, Crowley's eyes narrowed.
He stopped.
Gil held his breath.
The pregnant pause grew longer and Gil was starting to wonder how long he could hold his breath for.
Crowley continued walking.
It was noticed by all that Crowley didn't stop in front of any one else much to their relief. Occasionally he was slow to a point of nearly stopping but then at the last moment continue on faster than before. Curiosity getting the best of him Gil tried to remember all of the names that Crowley had stopped in front of. Odds were that he was going to be the second one dismissed, only after the senior Ranger, who still hadn't moved to everyone's apparent worry, and he wanted to know if the people Crowley slowed for were going to be the others.
Was there a pattern to this madness?
Crowley stopped in front of the apprentices. All of them. Not just one in particular. This year there were two first years, a second year and a fourth year. Joseph, Joshua, Dylan and Austin.
The Ranger Corps tensed, ready to pounce on Crowley if he so much as threatened a hair on the apprentices' heads.
"You are the first to go. After leaving the grounds here you are dismissed and should go home to your families. If I hear word of you leaking any of the secrets there will be drastic consequences."
"May I enquire as to why?" Austin the fourth year asked bravely. Every muscle in his body was visibly tensed in preparation for dodging a blow. As he was a fourth year he was standing the closest to the graduated rangers with Harrison being next to him as number 49. 50 obviously being Will who hadn't been invited.
"You aren't needed. We don't need 50 rangers to cover the whole of Araluen," Crowley snapped back and then walked back to his grand tent in the middle of the grounds.
As one the rangers relaxed. The senior rangers knelt beside Leander and quickly conducted first aid. Large circles started to surround the group and once again tension started mounting.
"Just knocked out. Don't know anything for certain until he comes around but until then…" Egon trailed off. Leander was a close friend of his as well as Crowley. His mind went back to a long time ago when a small group of rangers voted on Crowley as their leader. For the first time since, he wondered if their decision was right.
Farrel looked up at the group frowning. This was his home. These were his brothers and had been now for a long time.
"Gil will be our unofficial leader" he said, making sure his voice wouldn't carry to Crowley's tent.
"Aye."
"Aye."
"Aye."
"Aye," came a faint voice from on the ground. Leander had no clue what was going on but had heard this last thing Farrel had said and trusted his judgement.
Farrel looked down at Leander and nodded, glad to see that there wasn't any permanent damage to his friend.
"Where will be your base of operations?" he asked Gil who was standing there looking like a stunned fish.
"Redmont. Halt's cabin," he finally managed to stumble out. Farrel nodded.
"Redmont is a safe place. The apprentices will go with you. Also anyone who is thrown out of the corps, don't tell anyone where you are going, but quietly head there as well. Avoid main roads, we don't want many people to know that a large mass of Ranger's are on the move."
"Why aren't you leader?" Gil asked Farrel.
"Because, you need someone young to get into the fierce battles. I'm getting too old for this shit," Farrel replied bluntly.
"Speak for yourself!" Egon replied.
"Well technically Egon is the oldest but Berrigan-"
"Not literally, Norris!"
The senior rangers all groaned good naturedly but Gil was too much in shock to do anything further.
Everything suddenly grew quiet. Crowley appeared in the circle next to Gil who was very decidedly keeping his eyes straight to not give anything away.
"The meeting is over. Leave the grounds," Crowley ordered before walking off.
Half of the Rangers hadn't gotten around to setting up their tents yet and so it was easy for them to escape the fray. Everyone set about trying to get out of the camp as easily as possible, leading to a certain sense of carelessness. Normally the Rangers would be careful to cover their tracks to make sure the grounds were noticed, at the point none of them could care.
Those who hadn't unpack went around packing someone else's things before moving onto the next person. In this way all of the rangers were finished in half an hour, the fastest that they had ever decamped. Of course when they were on missions it was faster, but at the gathering grounds all of the rangers set up their things planned for a solid stay and so there were fire pits that had to be filled and stones scattered. The practice range also had to be taken down, taking the most time and four rangers.
But the main thing with the way it was all done was that it was silent. Even the horses could sense the wrongness and had stopped talking to each other.
The first people to finish packing up where Farrel and Gilan. Each having two other rangers to help. The two spent the next 25 minutes attending to Leander's things very slowly. Farrel was telling Gil all about what was expected of him in his temporary position and every now and then none of the other rangers would come over and ask for something to do next to do.
Just as they were all leaving again as one large group, once again completely against the normal thing to do, Crowley appeared again. From somewhere in the crowd there was a groan.
Crowley's head snapped towards the source and only after he had done so, everyone else did as well. Only to find Gil looking at Blaze in complete horror.
"Did you have to?" he asked his horse. Crowley's eyes narrowed.
"Gilan, I expect you to return to your fief. There is nothing you can do for Alyss right now. Do not go to Redmont."
Again for the millionth time that day Gil was aware of all of the rangers' held breaths.
"Who will be assigned to Redmont then? Surely such a large and notable fief needs a ranger," Farrel noted.
"That information will be alongside that of the proscriptions," Crowley replied and walked off.
Together as one the rest of the Corps rode off.
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"Lead the way Gil," Farrel muttered as the corps turned around the first bend away from the gathering grounds. Gil looked back at him confused. "In this confusion and unknown territory people need someone who they can look at to solve this 'bumbling along' that we appear to be doing."
Gil sighed and turned to face the group. They really are nothing like my father's knights when they ride together, he thought.
"Right! Listen up!" he called to no success. He gave a helpless look to Farrel and received a raised eyebrow in return. Oh Gorlog's beard. It's like being an apprentice to Halt all over again. When in truth Farrel was mimicking what he knew Halt was like to his apprentices as he knew the reaction it would cause in Gil.
"BAND OF HEADLESS, DANGEROUS CHICKENS! LISTEN UP!" Gil yelled and the talking strangely stopped in the middle of words.
"I need everyone to go back to their fiefs and pretend nothing has happened. I will be in Redmont if you need me, hating on the amount of paperwork I know is going to be due after this all. If you are placed on the proscription list travel to the cabin there. I will set about clearing the trees behind the cabin to accommodate placing tents there. I suspect that everyone Crowley slowed down for will be targeted so be prepared. Make no fuss and go quietly. We can't let word get out of what we are doing so avoid the village at Redmont at all costs especially. The apprentices will come with me straight away as well as anyone here who has the gold oak leaf."
Gil nodded once and then rode off, the others letting him through until he went from the middle of the procession the the front.
He was the Ranger Commandant.
Wow. 1839 words. That's definitely the longest chapter of this story and I am amazed.
It was too much fun to write.
And if anyone wants to talk to me about the latest RA book awesome! I have read it, just so long as you try not to spoil anything for anyone else in the review you will kindly leave me.
*hint hint*
It was so funny. As I watched and wrote this (which has taken me longer than it should because I actually wrote another fic in the middle of it), my hits for my stories went from 60 - 98 - 112 - 117 - 133 - 137 - 138 - 140 - 155. If I mathed right (which I do occasionally), it more than doubled! Makes me so happy considering I recently moved out and have been feeling lonely right now.
XD
Alyss Mainwaring