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 the story is 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 5

"Halt," Baron Arald smiled as Halt was shown into his study. "How's Gilan getting along with those things?"

"We managed to lose one today, but there's still nineteen of the pests…" Halt grumbled. "They managed to find ways of getting into the cabin, when I woke up, floor was crawling with them, and a couple had made their way into his bed…"

"That's not good," Arald sobered. "That could be dangerous, really dangerous for him. Perhaps the two of you should stay here for a few days."

"If we did, like as not, they'd just find a way in here and you'd have an infestation on your hands," Halt shook his head. "So far, they let the boy do what he wants with them, don't even hiss at him, I don't think he's in any danger yet."

"Alright," Arald nodded. "You'll be glad to know that Old Hambly's boy is keeping fairly calm, apparently, he's kept in bed by his mother. I let Weaver Hambly out as well, and he seemed a bit meeker. At least I don't think he'll go after Gilan, but I've told the men to make sure he doesn't stir up any trouble."

"Good, I appreciate that," Halt nodded. "We spent most the day tracking, I had hoped to lose more than one of them things along the way, but we came across a set of fifteen prints, men, all seemingly hiding out in the forest together."

"Ah," Arald nodded. "Want me to send the knights?"

"We didn't have time to follow them, I don't want to stumble around over the adders in the dark," Halt admitted. "Every time I turn around, there's one or two there, hissing at me…"

"I suppose it's best that way," Arald chuckled.

"As soon as we're rid of the damn things, we'll track them, let you know where they are."

"We'll be ready, Rodney will be glad for something to do," Arald smiled. "Master Chubb has a pie all ready and waiting for Gilan…"

"I've heard worse ideas," Halt mused. "It's nerve wracking, the way those damn things get inside. The boy didn't mean any harm though, no matter how aggravating the whole thing is. I can't blame him for the curiosity of just wanting to watch."

"If Hambly's boy hadn't done what he did, it like as not wouldn't have been any trouble at all," Arald decided. "I don't think it would be fair if you took all the pie…" he added with a pointed look. "The boy deserves it, he did a good job there. Imagine if that thing had had her babies in the kitchen…"

"That would have been bad," Halt agreed. "And I'm not 'that' cruel," he added with a snort. Even so, the lad was sharing, if he liked it or not. It was the least Halt deserved given what he had to put up with.

"I seem to recall there's quite a lot of the boar left since last night, not to mention the apple pie. Why don't you bring back some of that?" Arald mused. "That should be more than enough for the two of you. I think I might as well go down with you, make sure that Master Chubb finds something in the pantry. There are all kinds of odd bits of this and that there," he mused.

Halt didn't argue, though he knew that quite a few of those, 'odd bits', would wind up going up with the Baron, just to tide him over until supper, as he put it. He didn't say anything about it though, everyone needed a vice or two. Of course, he did not really have a vice himself. Coffee was a necessity of life, especially when one dealt with an apprentice like Gilan...

Returning back to the cabin with a cloth wrapped bundle he found the lad busy splitting wood. Somewhat hindered by the babies that seemed to be clamoring for attention. He had to move very carefully as they tended to gather around his feet, and occasionally around the chopping block as well.

"I think Alinda caught a lizard," Gilan told him as he came. "That's good, isn't it? It means they know how to hunt."

"I suppose it does," it probably was good, but having to step over venomous snakes to get to his chair on the verandah was not what made Halt happy and content. "We might as well go inside to eat, though I don't imagine they'll leave us alone."

"I can stay out here," Gilan offered.

Halt contemplated it, Gilan did seem to be safe enough with them, but he shook his head. "I got some boar, I'll warm it up. You come in when it's ready," in spite of his company, he seemed to have split a fair supply of wood. "You stack that and put the axe away."

Nodding, Gilan started gathering up the wood and carrying it to the neatly stacked woodpile. There was no such thing as too much wood, Halt knew. Whenever you decided you had more than enough, and there was no need to get more, would be when you wouldn't have enough.

Gilan came inside, firmly closing the door before going to wash his hands. "I tossed them a small frog," he grinned. "One I caught by the river, about six of them started going for it. It got away, but they went after it…"

"Good," that hopefully meant they were developing a sense of independence. "But you'd better mind yourself tonight, having them get up in your bed like that is not safe." For his own part, he fully intended to sleep with his boots on.

"I know," Gilan nodded. "It was kind of sweet, but scary at the same time…"

Frightening was the word Halt wanted to use, insane, and if the boy got bit that way, there was no way that Halt would be able to explain it to his father. Suppressing a shudder he put two plates with thick slices of roasted boar on the table. Both Baron Arald and Sir Rodney certainly enjoyed a good boar hunt when they got the chance, and as the animals grew large and mean, they were often a danger to the villagers. They generally needed to be hunted, and Halt was more than happy to leave it to the knights. An angry boar was not something to be trifled with. Hunters had been killed, and even men as skilled as Arald and Rodney sometimes got in trouble.

A couple thick slices of roasted boar though, juicy and cooked to tender perfection was something he was only too happy to enjoy. Especially since Master Chubb truly was a master at his craft, knowing how to use the spices, and how to get the meat just right. This time it came with thin slices of golden fried potatoes and carrots cooked soft and drizzled with honey, not to mention a rather large slice of the turkey pie each.

Gilan certainly wasted no time digging in, thought it was not something they had with every meal Halt had put a pitcher of cold milk on the table. Gilan hurriedly putting his mug down and slipping from the table with a speed that surprised Halt. Then the boy dove in under the table and came out with an adder that had apparently been trying to crawl up Halt's boot.

"I told you to stay outside," Gilan scolded the serpent, giving it a firm look.

"I swear this is a sieve and not a cabin," Halt glowered at the creature as he carefully made certain there were no more of them. "I don't care if it takes a week, I want every hole plugged…"

Gilan, who had taken the snake outside and laid it down on the verandah nodded, then went back to his food. Shaking his head, Halt did the same. He had always known snakes were good at getting into small odd places, but he had never known they were this good at it. That neither one of them had got bit yet he considered to be nothing more than amazing.

Going into Gilan's small bedroom the next morning, and finding no less than nine of the serpents on the bed, he echoed that statement. True to habit, the lad had kicked off the blanket, and one of the snakes had draped itself partially over his ankle as he slept. Halt didn't dare touch it for fear he would cause it to strike.

Instead he put his hand on Gilan's shoulder, "don't move," he told him. Sleepy eyes opening Gilan gave a barely perceptible nod. "Wow," he mused as he took stock, biting his lip. As he started shifting, very carefully, two snakes slithered away to curl themselves up in a tangle at the end of the bed, thankfully the one on his ankle being one of them.

The rest, he was able to pick up and lay down with them, though one gave an annoyed tongue flicker as he did so.

"I think they're getting more independent," Halt noted. He would have been thrilled, if he hadn't been aware that made them even more dangerous. If they didn't feel the same inclination to follow Gilan around, they were more likely to strike.

"They really should be," Gilan mused. "I'll take them outside, they might not even be as keen on getting back inside anymore."

"Get them out, very carefully," Halt told him as he went into the kitchen to start breakfast.

Wearing nothing but boots and nightshirt, Gilan tromped back and forth as he deposited them outside, one by one. Halt was pleased to note that he paid full attention to every single one of them, not allowing himself to get careless. Only when the last one was out, and he had checked through his clothes and Halt's, hurriedly inspecting both rooms he dressed and came to the table.

"I thought I'd take a bit of a hike today to," he stated. "I should be able to lead them off, and if they're getting more independent, they might not come back with me."

"Good idea," Halt decided. If they made it hard for the snakes to keep up, they'd most likely get fed up with it and disappear. "We'll work on a bit more tracking."

"I think I could manage it on my own, you don't have to come along," Gilan offered. He had noticed the way Halt shuddered as he looked at them, and had to admit he was a little uneasy himself now. The way they had given the occasional hiss as he took them outside. "If they're starting to like me less, they probably like you even more less," he frowned, as if unsure about his choice of words, then shrugged it off.

"And if something goes wrong, I'm not leaving you alone with them," Halt stated. "I'll feed the horses, you pack us up something to eat that we can bring with us." Normally, he'd see to the food, but he didn't want the snakes in the stable. Abelard and Blaze were sure to dislike that, and a snake bit horse was just marginally better than a snake bit apprentice.

However he paused by the door, "and I had better not find that come lunch, we only have a loaf of bread between us…"

"I won't," Gilan assured him, with something of a guilty look on his face that made Halt glad he had remembered to make the warning. Gilan was a good lad, but he really needed to devote some more time to his cooking skills. Given how thin he was now, when Halt was feeding him, he dreaded to think what he'd look like later when he was on his own.

They set out with only the occasional whisper of scales over rock and stick behind them to mark the presence of the snakes. A faint rustle of leaves, as nineteen tiny snakes still followed them.

Though at one point he paused and looked around, "Is there eighteen of them?" if there were, it meant one less.

"I think seventeen," Gilan stepped closer to them, and started counting. As he did, Halt saw one of them disentangle themselves and making across the moss. "You know, if we could get those men we saw the tracks of yesterday, we could leave a bunch of adders in their camp…"

Halt raised an eyebrow, that could not be what they taught in Battleschool, and yet it echoed his sentiment from the day before. "Interesting idea, but isn't that a little cruel you think?"

"If they're robbers, they kind of deserve it," Gilan shrugged.

"I meant to the snakes…"

TBC

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