Will nodded to Gil as the older Ranger walked inside the cabin from where he had been outside talking to the growing amount of Rangers gathered there. He got up and flicked the jug on before offering him a seat. It was only a movement out of instinctive politeness, he knew that Gil would treat the place as his own.

"Another person spotted last night. unknown as to who it was exactly. Could have been another Ranger or…."

"Someone after Alyss."

Gil shrugged. he hated to admit it, but that was the truth after all. Another two people had been caught trying to get to her, and whilst she was probably in the safest place possible with the amount of Rangers that were there, it probably wasn't that good either. Suddenly Gil had an idea.

"Go to my cabin!"

Will looked at him thoughtfully. He knew that Gil's old fief was one of the ones that had been demoted to unimportant recently by Crowley, thus making the cabin empty. No one would be expected to be there and if they kept careful, no one would ever know that they were there. It did however mean one thing, his children would end up in the ward again. Whilst he sat there contemplating all of this Gil had made himself and Will cups of coffee. The familiar smell filled the air and helped to relieve tensions.

"Any left for me?" Michael called from outside.

"Silence you insubordinate cur!" Gil called back jokingly. "If you get in here before everyone else does, yes."

A split second later Michael and three other members of the corps rushed in.

"For some reason, coffee from a Ranger cabin fire always tastes better than one brewed outside," Michael commented as he poured a cup for himself and their companions, finishing the water.

"That's because I always put bugs in yours at the gatherings. I was wondering how many years I would be able to get away with it for before you noticed," Will said deadpan.

"If you didn't have enough on your plate already, I would have hit you."

"Let me help!" Gil offered and punched Will in the arm in an area where he knew there to be no bruises. As of yet.

The clearing went silent as the horses all called out the warning for a stranger approaching as one. Quickly the Rangers disappeared into the treeline. There was nothing they could do to remove the evidence that they had been there, but you couldn't charge someone unless they were there to acknowledge the charge. Gil went into one of the two bedrooms to hide in a clothes cupboard, followed by the other Rangers. Will allowed himself to grin for a split second at the thought of five rangers attempted to fit into the two small cupboards.

"Will! It's only us!" he heard Pauline call out. Netherless he wasn't going to risk it and waited until he had walked out of the door and seen his adoptive mother and wife until he called out like a bird to tell the others they could come out.

"It's been how many days and you basically have the whole corps here?" Alyss quired, amazed. Will gave a tired half smile that turned into a whole one at the noises that were coming from the bedrooms. Alyss shot him a confused look before they both looked at Pauline who had a mischievous look.

She shot forwards and pulled open the appropriate doors until she found the noise makers. Out tumbled Gil, Michael and the three others. Pauline stood above them with her arms folded sternly and with a disapproving look. Gil shot to his feet before bowing and quickly running into the kitchen.

"Wimp!" they all heard Michael hiss in the silence. He got a look from Pauline as well and he paled. "I"m going to go and attempt to get my coffee," he rushed out before running as well. The other men also soon followed. This woman had married Halt. She had to be the most scary woman they all knew then for putting up with him.

Ten minutes later the four Rangers had left the cabin, their cups finished and, after a stern look from Will, washed and dried. Gil was nursing his second cup for that drinking session and Will had kindly made a cup of tea for Alyss and Pauline, who only drank coffee when her husband was around to make life easier.

"I'm glad you came today actually," Will admitted to Alyss. She looked at him with her head tilted sideways slightly.

"Why would that be, Will?" Pauline asked.

"Run away with me? Just for a little? Until this whole thing blows over. I couldn't bear it if anything more happened to you," he pleaded and held Alyss' hands in his own up to his mouth. Placing a small kiss on this he was able to see her working through it.

"The children?" she asked. Will's eyes closed in pain for a little before he responded.

"They need to stay where they are. if there is someone after you, the thought that our children could be placed in danger like they were last time is heart wrenching."

"I think it is smart. But where will you go?" Pauline asked.

"My old cabin. I would continue to run this one with all of the Rangers here, but mine isn't being used, and probably won't be for a little while at least. This way, there are the normal quirks about the cabins that Will knows for that little bit more protection. If it is planned carefully no one will ever know that they were there."

"When will we leave?" Alyss asked.

"Two days. Give me that to plan how we are going to get you out unnoticed. It also gives the Rangers way too much time to plan an elabourate plot," Pauline suggested. Will and Gil nodded with nearly identical grins that Alyss supposed must have been influenced when a person joined the corps.

Two days later a farming couple travelled down the road out of Redmont. If anyone had been questioned about their appearance they would have admitted that the couple looked to have a little wealth and that the woman was heavily pregnant. If the couple had been asked, they would have mentioned about how the man's elder brother who had owned the farm had passed and they couldn't bear the memories. In return they would be moving to one of the villages in fief Norgate. A large journey, yes, but so difference to the place where they had lived that it wouldn't hurt them as much as it would have staying.

Back with the Rangers, Will had left Halt a letter on his bed for if his adoptive father came back before it was safe for Will and Alyss to return. In it he explained all about how he wasn't able to bear the pain of seeing everything move along without him and that the separation from Alyss had gotten to him. Structured the way as though it was a last goodbye letter, for one about to greet his own death voluntary, both Gil and Will in writing it knew that it was bound to send Halt into a rage first before properly examining it. After such he would approach Pauline who would just send him away and tell him to read it properly.

At which point his ex-apprentices dearly hoped that he would.

Small markings on the page told Halt which letters and words to read and which to ignore as cannon fodder. The read message explained that in order to protect his family from an assassin Will had left. It mentioned the bits and pieces that the Rangers had managed to find out, disappointingly little.

Two weeks later and young man and his not pregnant wife arrived in Gil's old fief. They didn't stop in any of the inns, being careful to avoid the main town completely. There were a few game trails that Gil and previous Rangers had carved out and Will followed these in order to find the small cabin in the woods that would be their home for the next however long.

Dismounting he drew Alyss close to him and just held her tight. Appreciating the warmth in her skin and assuring himself that the self imposed exile was for just that.

Tamora Pierce just keeps appearing in things I write today and I have to apologise for that :)

Pick the book & reference?

Anyway, this is so close to being done and I am excited about that fact! Seven chapters and I will be done!

Alyss Mainwaring