Chapter 4
Alyss had her hand outstretched to read. She had found this story particularly interesting and she wanted to know more about what happened in her husband's life.
"Well I guess we should read on and see whether Will decides to knock over table in his frustration." Alyss said.
"Enough with the impatient jokes already." Will complained.
"Mate no one's going to let that live down." Horace said while chuckling, after which Will very purposely shoved a pillow up his buttocks.
"Right that's enough." Halt ordered. "You boys need to learn to grow up." He said bluntly. Horace stopped in mid action as he was about to retaliate to Will.
"How about we get on with the book?" Jenny asked curtly.
"Alright Alyss it's your turn." Duncan announced. Alyss smiled, then sitting up straighter started flowing the words out of her mouth in a beautiful voice narrating the next chapter.
HALT TURNED SLOWLY TO FACE HIS IMPULSIVE YOUNG APPRENTICE, and raised his eyebrows at the outburst. Will, subsiding, muttered, "Sorry, Halt," and the older Ranger nodded.
"O.K maybe I was a little over the top with my eagerness." Will admitted sheepishly.
"A little?" Horace said.
"Over the top?" Gilan exclaimed.
"Eagerness?" Cassandra snorted.
"Alright, alright it was terrible. Forgive me for being a little moderate." Will replied flustered at being bombarded like that.
"Now if you're little girly chatting has finished could we please move on with the story." Halt drawled.
"I should think so. It's more than obvious that Gilan is asking if I'll release you to accompany him to Celtica."
Gilan nodded confirmation of the fact and Will frowned, puzzled by the sudden turn of events.
"Me?" he said incredulously. "Why me? What can I do in Celtica?"
Here you go doubting yourself again." Pauline shook her head. Will still didn't completely believe in the trust she was putting in his ability but nonetheless he accepted her remark and wisely said nothing in turn.
"He should doubt himself." Halt added rudely. Pauline gave him one of her very stern looks she had been practising in the mirror for ages and he was quickly subdued.
The moment the words had left his mouth, he regretted them. He should have learned by now never to give Halt that sort of opening. Halt pursed his lips as he considered the question.
"Ask interminable questions, interrupt your betters and forget to do your chores, I suppose. The real question is, Can you be spared from duty here? And the answer to that is 'Definitely.'"
"Well Will, I certainly have much sympathy for you." Baron Arald said kindly while giving Halt an almost evil glare. Even Duncan felt a little sorry for the poor lad who had been put under Halt's constant torment.
"It's called tough love. Get over it." Halt snarled.
"Then why…" Will gave up. They would either explain or they wouldn't. And no amount of asking would make Halt deliver that explanation a second sooner than he chose to. In fact, he was beginning to think that the more questions he asked, the more Halt actually enjoyed keeping him dangling. It was Gilan who took pity on him, perhaps remembering how closemouthed Halt could be when he chose.
"Oh I remember all the times when Halt used to be closemouthed with me." Gilan sighed. Halt turned around quickly to pretend to cough but secretly he was hiding a smile that was lurking on the corner of his lips.
"I need you to make up the numbers, Will," he said. "Tradition-ally, the Celts insist that an official embassy be made up of three people. And to be honest, Halt's right. You're one who can be spared from the main effort here in Araluen." He grinned a little ruefully. "If it makes you feel any better, I've been given the mission because I'm the most junior Ranger in the Corps."
"Yeah it did make me feel better Gil thanks." Will said gratefully.
"Aah don't mention it." He replied smoothly. He knew his kind words to Will would impress Jenny and so it had. She smiled up at him sweetly and squeezed his hand in a loving way.
"But why three people?" Will asked, seeing that Gilan at least seemed disposed to answer questions. "Can't one deliver the message?"
"Finally someone is asking the question to which I want to know the answer of." Jenny said exhausted. Even the King hadn't a slightest clue as to the Celtic superstition however he did not let that fact be known.
Gilan sighed. "As we were saying, it's a superstition among the Celts. It goes back to the old days of the Celtic Council, when the Celts, the Scotti and the Hibernians were one alliance. They were ruled then by a triumvirate."
"Well we know that, that's fairly obvious isn't it?" Horace asked. He was returned with both Alyss and Gilan's stares that said don't push it there's more to come. Horace shook his head in apology and Alyss continued.
"The point is," Halt interrupted, "of course Gilan can take the message to them. But if he's a sole messenger, they'll keep him waiting and fob him off for days, or even weeks, while they dither over form and protocol. And we don't have that sort of time to waste. There's an old Celtic saying that covers it: One man may be deceit. Two can be conspiracy. Three is the number I trust."
"That's ridiculous! We can't run a country if fiefs are like that." Duncan exclaimed.
"Well of course we can't. But you already know this so why is it so much of a shock to you?" Pauline asked sweetly.
"Oh well of course. I mean I know all this it's just…"
"Save it Dad your bluff isn't working." Cassandra told him straightforwardly.
"So you're sending me because you can do without me?" Will said, somewhat insulted by the thought.
Everyone in the room laughed while also having a bit of sympathy for him.
"I can definitely do without you and your endless questions." Halt retorted. Pauline gave him another quick kick and he winced, starting to feel the beginning of a bruise.
Halt decided that it was time to massage Will's young ego a little—but only a little. "Well, we can, as a matter of fact. But you can't send just anyone on these embassies. The three members have to have some sort of official status or position in the world. They can't be simple men-at-arms, for example."
"And you, Will," Gilan added, "are a member of the Ranger Corps. That will carry a certain amount of weight with the Celts."
"I'm only an apprentice," Will said, and was surprised when both men shook their heads in disagreement.
"Low self esteem again" Cassandra said to Will.
"Sorry I couldn't help the way I felt at the time." Will said in apology.
"You wear the oak leaf,"Halt told him firmly. "Bronze or silver, it doesn't matter. You're one of us."
Will brightened visibly at his teacher's statement. "Well," he said, "when you put it like that, I'd be delighted to join you, Gilan."
Halt regarded him dryly. It was obviously time for the ego-stroking to end, he thought. Deliberately, he turned to Gilan.
"So," he said, "can you think of anyone else who's totally unnecessary to be the third member?"
"Well that was extremely kind of you wasn't it?" Baron Arald asked sarcastically. It wasn't the first time he had doubted Halt's mentoring skills.
"That's the way I am." He said simply.
Gilan shrugged, smiling as he saw Will subside. "That's the other reason Crowley sent me here," he said. "Since Redmont is one of the larger fiefs, he thought you might be able to spare someone else from here. Any suggestions?"
Halt rubbed his chin thoughtfully, an idea forming. "I think we might have just the person you need," he said. He turned to Will. "Perhaps you'd better get some sleep. I'll give Gilan a hand with the horses and then we'll go up to the castle."
"This is where I come in the story isn't it?" Horace asked impatiently.
"All in good time Horace. All in good time." Alyss replied while keeping a straight face.
Will nodded. Now that Halt mentioned sleep, he felt an irresistible urge to yawn. He rose and headed for his small room.
"See you in the morning, Gilan."
"Bright and early." Gilan smiled, and Will rolled his eyes in mock horror.
"I knew you'd say that," he replied.
The girls in the room smiled at the small byplay between Gilan and Will.
Halt and Gilan bedded the two horses down and strolled through the fields toward Castle
Redmont in companionable silence. Gilan, attuned to his old teacher's ways, sensed that Halt had something he wanted to discuss, and before too long, the older Ranger broke the silence.
"This embassy to Celtica could be just what Will needs," he said. "I'm a little worried about him."
After hearing this many of the listeners straightened a little to hear what was going on better. Will felt a sense of shame swell up in him. He knew he had let Halt down. That's why they were talking about him. Halt, noticing Will's body language caught his eye and gently shook his head showing that, that was not what he meant.
Gilan frowned. He liked the irrepressible young apprentice. "What's the problem?" he asked.
"He had a bad time of it when we ran into those Wargals last week," Halt said. "He thinks he" lost his nerve."
"And has he?"
Halt shook his head decisively. "Of course not. He's got more courage than most grown men. But when the Wargals charged us, he rushed his shot and missed."
Gilan shrugged. "No shame in that,is there? After all, he's not yet sixteen. He didn't run, I take it?"
"No. Not at all. He stood his ground. Even got another shot away. Then Tug took a hand and backed the Wargal off so I could finish it. He's a good horse, that one."
"He has a good master," Gilan said, and Halt nodded.
Will felt the shame go out of him and smiled at Halt and Gilan who both groaned.
"Remember Will, it never does good to boast." Horace told him.
"I know, I know it's just. Couldn't you have told me this in front of me?" This question he directed at Halt.
"Obviously not." He said crisply. Will sighed and Alyss stroked his hair a little before reading.
"That's true. Still, I think a few weeks away from all of these war preparations will be good for the boy. It might get his mind off his troubles if he spends some time with you and Horace."
"Horace?" Gilan asked.
"He's the third member I'm suggesting. One of the Battleschool apprentices and a friend of Will's." Halt thought for a few moments, then nodded to himself. "Yes. A few weeks with people closer to his own age will do him good. After all, folk do say I can be a little grim from time to time."
Everyone laughed at this then laughed harder when they heard Gilan's reply.
"You, Halt? Grim? Who could say such a thing?" Gilan said. Halt glanced at him suspiciously.
Gilan was, all too obviously, just managing to keep a straight face.
"Nice one Gil!" Will high fived him.
"I know. I can be very witty when I want to be."
You know, Gilan," he said,"sarcasm isn't the lowest form of wit. It's not even wit at all."
"My point exactly." Halt told Gilan. Everyone in the room made ooooooooooo sounds at the reply Halt made and Gilan was left looking stunned.
Even though it was after midnight, the lights were still burning in Baron Arald's office when Halt and Gilan reached the castle. The Baron and Sir Rodney, Redmont's Battlemaster, had a lot of planning to do, preparing for the march to the Plains of Uthal, where they would join the rest of the kingdom's army. When Halt explained Gilan's need, Sir Rodney was quick to see where the Ranger's thinking was headed.
"He was always quick and logical." Arald mused.
"Always got to the point." Horace added.
"Horace?" he said to Halt.
The small, bearded Ranger nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Yes, it's not a bad idea at all," the Battlemaster continued, pacing the room as he thought it over. "He has the sort of status you need for the task—he's a Battleschool member, even if he is only a trainee. We can spare him from the force leaving here at the end of the week and…"
At this he paused and looked meaningfully at Gilan. "You might even find he's a useful person to have along."
"Well that he is." Gilan and Will said at the same time. Horace flushed a little but said nothing in reply to their kind words which were rarely expressed. Everyone in the room knew the skill Horace had as a warrior and they admired it greatly though Horace was oblivious.
The younger Ranger looked at him curiously and Sir Rodney elaborated: "He's one of my best trainees —a real natural with a sword. He's already better than most members of the Battleschool. But he does tend to be a bit formal and inflexible in his approach to life. Perhaps an assignment with two undisciplined Rangers might teach him to loosen up a little."
"Wow you were informal?" Cassandra asked him.
"Yeah I was a bit." Horace said sheepishly.
"Well now you've learnt to loosen up haven't you?" Jenny asked with a smile on her face.
"I have indeed Jenny. You know I'm not even scared of Rangers anymore." Horace replied. At this all three ranger's heads shot up and the green and grey vultures eyed him with distaste. "O.K I am scared of ranger's when I need to be." Horace added. The ranger's relaxed and Alyss laughed at Horace breathing in and out heavily.
He smiled briefly to show that he meant no offense by the joke, then glanced at the sword Gilan wore at his hip. It was an unusual weapon for a Ranger."You're the one who studied with MacNeil, is that right?"
Gilan nodded. "The Sword master. Yes, that was me."
"Hmmm," muttered Sir Rodney, regarding the tall young Ranger with new interest. "Well, you might see your way clear to giving Horace a few pointers while you're on the road. I'd take it as a favour and you'll find he's a quick learner."
"I'd be glad to," Gilan replied. He thought that he'd like to see this apprentice warrior. He knew from his time at Redmont as Halt's apprentice that Sir Rodney wasn't given to overstating praise for any of the students in the Battleschool.
"That's true." Horace said from personal experience.
"I'm glad you were on the journey Horace you learned a lot from me." Gilan said to him.
"Don't ever let Rodney hear you say that." Arald said warningly.
"Well, that's settled then," Baron Arald said, anxious to get back to planning the thousand and one details of the march to Uthal. "What time will you be leaving, Gilan?"
"As soon after sunup as I can, sir," Gilan replied.
"I'll have Horace report to you before first light," Rodney told him and Gilan nodded, sensing that the meeting was over. The Baron's next words confirmed it for him.
"Now, if you two will excuse us, we'll get back to the relatively simple business of planning a war," he said.
"Well it wasn't easy believe me." Arald muttered.
"Right that's the chapter finished I think we should come back a couple of hours later." Alyss suggested. Everyone else had agreed readily at the suggestion as the thoughts of stretching out from the stiff chairs were too irresistible to refuse.