Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, made possible by the Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan. I have only borrowed his creation and I make no money. For this story I have used several other Rangers from the books, though I've also added my own. I do this only in the hope to entertain…

Author's Note: No harm shall come to the characters that can't be fixed with enough coffee… Chapter Text

Additional Author's note for sensitive Readers: I want this story to be realistic, which means, it might contain bits that some find more difficult. I have chosen not to give specific warnings, as that would lessen the impact of the events. However, there is nothing horribly descriptive, and nothing permanent. I only wish this to have a sense of realism to the reader.

Chapter 13

Asking where Sir David was Crowley found out he was with King Duncan, which was both a relief and not at the same time. He would need to report the loss of a Ranger to the King as well, and it would spare him having to do it twice. It also meant that Sir David might have the benefit of his friend's support. Duncan knew very well the loss his Battlemaster was about to face. When he lost his wife, and when thought his daughter had been killed he had mourned desperately. He would understand what David was about to face, and Crowley hoped he could help him.

Duncan would take it hard as well he knew, he was a King who cared deeply about his people, and he knew Gilan quite well. Not only because Sir David was his Battlemaster but because Gilan had several times dealt directly with the King. The earliest he knew of was at Hackham Heath, Gilan then had certainly impressed a lot of people.

He knew the King considered him a friend, a trustworthy one if not a very close one.

He knocked on the door and entered as he was bid, glad that the two men were alone in the room.

"Crowley, what brings you here?" Duncan gestured for him to take a seat in front of the desk, a frown marring his features as Crowley remained standing. "Trouble?"

"I'm afraid I have some very bad news, for you more than anyone, Sir David," he started softly. "As you know we had some trouble that needed the attention of more than just the Ranger occupying the Fief, since Halt is away, I sent Gilan with Will."

"Was Gilan injured?" David was on his feet in an instant. "Is he here?"

"It's worse than that, I'm afraid," Crowly started softly. "Will was captured, and in trying to free him, Gilan was killed." He did not try to soften the blow, he had too much respect for David to do that. He was a knight and the Royal Battlemaster, he believed in dealing with the world as it was.

Now he stood, stricken, all colour having drained from his face as King Duncan rose to stand beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"What happened?" the King asked, and Crowley relayed the report the Rangers had given him. Both men listened quietly until he was done.

"Will is alright then?" David asked, shoulders slumped as Crowley finished.

"Yes, he's taken it extremely hard, he thinks he's too blame," Crowley nodded. "Though I've tried to tell him it is not so. He wanted to tell you himself, though I think it was in the hope you would confirm his guilt."

"He would never have done anything to hurt Gilan intentionally, I don't see how he could be to blame," David sighed. "If he's safe, then that is what Gilan would have said was important. If you think it would help him to hear it from me, I will be glad to tell him so."

"Not now though, you need some time I think to come to terms with this yourself," Duncan put in. "Gilan was a good man, one of our best, he will be sorely missed, and there will be none that can replace him."

"He was special," David nodded, a weak and painful smile on his face. "I never knew what to do with him, but he was my world…"

"He was one of our best," the sandy haired Ranger stated softly. "There won't be anyone who can ever replace him. The corps will suffer for the loss, as we all do. He has done much good, much more than we ever had a right to ask of him."

David struggled to muster up a smile, though it was still almost more than he could manage. "When Halt spoke to me about him being a Ranger I knew it was the right thing. He would have made a good Battlemaster, better than many, but he made a far better Ranger. I could not have denied him that. And I know he would never have hesitated to do what needed to be done. He would not have said you asked too much."

"He certainly proved that long ago," Duncan put in. "The loss is not just for the Rangers, he's done much for the Kingdom," he nodded to Crowley. "Thank you for telling us. I will need the full report later, but not now."

"I will have it ready for you," Crowley nodded. "Sir David…" there was no words to convey how deep the pain ran for the man before him.

"That girl, in Redmont," David started slowly. "Jenny, you know her, don't you?"

"Not well, but I know her," he confirmed. "I mean to go there and tell her, she should not find out about this through a messenger."

"Tell her I had looked forward to calling her my daughter," David straightened himself with an effort. "If she ever needs anything, she shouldn't hesitate to ask me. For what she has done for Gilan alone I want her to know that."

"I will tell her," he promised, turning to leave the man to his grief. His own certainly weighed heavily on him. Jenny would take it hard, but David was a good man. He would look out for her. Some of his position might have thought her beneath his standing, and that of his son, but David judged her by her own worth. As far as Crowley knew, he had only met her briefly, but David had always had faith in his son. If Gilan cared for her, then that would have been all David needed to accept her.

The fact that even now in the wake of such horrible news he thought of her proved what a man he was.

Wearily he made his way back to his own office and sank down into his chair. What he had told Will was the truth, as the commandant he couldn't really have an apprentice, but with Halt being his closest friend, he had always been involved in Gilan's training. More than he had in Will's, because already then he had seen that Gilan could make a good commandant. He had also realized given the boy's cheerful and jovial nature that he might occasionally need someone to explain Halt to him. With Halt, Gilan had sometimes tried to suppress his nature because he feared Halt would be too annoyed with him. Crowley could give him a chance to relax and not worry if he was too exuberant. With time, he had come to see Gilan as something of his own apprentice as well, because of the things he taught him that Halt couldn't. Crowley could move virtually soundlessly almost anywhere, which Halt could not, and with Gilan's natural ability for unseen movements, Crowley had set about to also make him one of their most silent movers. Gilan had always been a rapt and most eager student who thrived on such challenges. Crowley who was used to being referred to as young and energetic, too much so by far from Pritchard during his apprentice ship, found he had more than met his match in Gilan. The boy could not be still for a second unless he had a task. Fortunately Battleschool had taught him to harness and channel that energy or Crowley was not certain he would have been able to function very well at all.

While not all would approve of putting a nine year old boy in Battleschool with the rigorous training program and the endless drills, it had been good for Gilan.

Even tasks such as map drafting where he was required to sit still he was now able to do so, the exercise taking his full attention to the point he could easily miss what was going on around him. Not optimal for a Ranger, but something they could work with.

In the end Crowley certainly had no problems with how he turned out when he graduated and got his silver oakleaf. Though Gilan hadn't been much fun to trick. It was a long standing tradition, to pretend they were not really bothering at all about it when they passed, to make a joke of it with losing the oakleaf and all sorts of things like it. Most of them had the most hilarious looks on their faces before they found out it was a hoax and a large celebration awaited them.

Gilan hadn't shown much reaction though, he hadn't really expected anyone to make a big deal of the affair, so he had taken it in stride. As he found himself in the middle of a crowd of cheering Rangers though he had been quite flustered, unsure of what was going on and what he was supposed to do.

That had been fun, Crowley thought. That he had enjoyed, even his father had been able to make it, though he was always busy with his duty to the King. Which was another matter as the King had been there. King Duncan knew and appreciated Gilan well enough he had insisted on an invitation, it had been quite a feast in the end.

His desk held several stacks of papers that needed to be dealt with, the reports Will and Harcourt had written, a new Ranger had to be appointed to his Fief, though it would leave another Fief short.

Knowing that it was something he had to do, he pulled the map in front of him to study. He really did not want to move Rangers around if he did not have to, but the best he could do was to take one of the more experienced ones, who still had a small Fief, and let another one cover two small ones. Gilan's death would be a blow to the entire corps. They were a close-knit group. Not everyone knew one another personally, but they supported one another.

Not only that, but Gilan had always been well known as Halt's apprentice, and well liked for himself. His easy going nature and cheerfulness and endeared him to most of them. They had seen how he used all his energy to his tasks, and never hesitated to help someone else, taking more work for himself.

Many of them would mourn him deeply, and it was a matter he would need to include in the reports he sent out to the Rangers each month. The next Gathering, he decided, they would need to hold a small memorial service for him.

For the moment, he merely wrote out the messages to the two affected Fiefs, then he dropped the quill, unable to focus on the work anymore.

If he was to help any of them get over the loss, he first needed to come to terms with it himself.

He really did not want to face it.

TBC Please review, the caffeine addicted Cricket is hungry…