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 4

Frowning, Will looked up as he heard Tug and Abelard whicker from the stable, a friendly greeting of a horse they knew. Halt, who had been preparing vegetables he meant to let simmer overnight while his apprentice was supposed to practice his map drafting skills. The boy wasn't much for sitting still, and could be even more difficult about it than Gilan had ever been.

At the sound of the horses, he laid down the knife and moved to the door, opening it, and Will coming behind him broke out into a grin.

The commandant of the Ranger corps was just coming up to the cabin, and behind him, a tall Ranger on a horse that was most certainly not a Ranger horse.

"Halt, we need to talk," Crowley stated before either the grizzled old Ranger or his apprentice had time to say anything. "Come Gilan," he turned to his companion. Dismounting first, he turned to help the younger man, and Will frowned as he noted the difficulty Gilan was having with dismounting. Once he was on the ground, it was clear why as he strove to avoid putting any weight on one leg, and kept one arm firmly against his midsection.

"Take the horses to the stable Will, and I'll put some coffee on," Halt decided as he entered the cabin.
Will, with a furtive glance at the other two hurried to obey though Crowley stopped him. "Leave Cropper, just loosen the girth a bit, I won't stay long,"

Nodding, Will eased the saddle girth a few notches, while taking the other horse to the stable. The large gelding followed easily enough, though he looked much more like a horse from Battleschool. Large, muscular with a heavy build.

Inside the cabin, Halt had filled the coffee pot with water and beans, placing it on the stove when Crowley spoke. "Gilan, this is Halt, and Will is his apprentice."

Not believing he had heard him right, Halt spun around, staring at them.

"Gilan was attacked, and was found injured so we don't know what happened exactly," Crowley started. "He lost his memory."

"You don't remember anything?" for once, Halt had to fight to regain his composure, though years of training allowed him to remain mostly calm outwards. The sullen headshake was all the answer he needed. Gilan, would never have been so subdued, yet he stood quiet next to Crowley.

"Why don't you sit down Gilan," Crowley nudged him gently towards one of the chairs at the table. "He's not recovered, far from it, and the ride here was hard on him."

"Why did you bring him in that shape?" Halt frowned, watching the stiff way he moved. "And why didn't you let me know when it happened?"

"The surgeon at Castle Araluen thinks that being in familiar surroundings will help him regain his memory, and this is about the most familiar surrounding there is," Crowley stated. "At the point we knew that, there wasn't much I could tell you that wouldn't have made you pack up and go there. We just waited long enough he could make the trip."

"Are you okay?" Halt ignored his friend, and turned to his first apprentice who sat quiet, seemingly trying to pretend he wasn't listening to them talking about him.

The young man gave a start, as if he was surprised to be addressed. They had been talking over his head, Halt mused, and there had probably been a lot of that going on since he was hurt. The surgeons at the castle discussing what was best for their patient, David discussing with Crowley, and that was something he needed to ask him about later. "I'm, fine?" he answered, hesitantly and with a look at Crowley.

"I wouldn't go that far," Crowley mused. "The ride here wasn't dangerous for him, I made sure of that, but it wasn't exactly pleasant either. I might have pushed a little too hard to get here this early, but I honestly felt it was for the best. Being in Castle Araluen certainly wasn't helping, and there's not a lot of people there who really know him. A few, but not very many."

Giving a noncommittal grunt, Halt took down four mugs and filled them with coffee. Placing one in front of Crowley. Before he put the second one in front of Gilan, he put a liberal spoonful of honey from the jar in it. The young man, his former apprentice, blinked as he stared at it. "What is that?"

"Honey, like any civilized human would take their coffee," Halt answered him.

"Why did you put it in?" there was no mistaking the mug was meant for him, since Halt had put it just in front of him. Putting one mug in front of himself that he was now spooning honey into, and a fourth mug in front of an empty chair. Will, Gilan recalled Crowley had said the boy was named. It would be for him.

"Because it's how you like it," Halt told him.

"The surgeon just gave me plain coffee, Crowley put honey in it, I liked it better that way," not touching the coffee, Gilan cast uncertain glances at Crowley. "Did, did you tell him?" he finally asked uncertainly.

"No, Halt didn't know we were coming here," Crowley mused. "But Halt is the one who got you into the habit when you were his apprentice. I still don't see the use of it, mind, but if you needed familiar things. It made sense to make your coffee the way you're used to it."

"No one else did," wrapping his hand around the mug, Gilan toyed idly with it.

"No one else really knew how you liked it," Crowly smiled softly. "That's why I wanted you here. Because no one knows that better than Halt. You lived with him for five years Gilan, as his apprentice. In this very cabin. I know that it must feel very strange now, but you lived here in Redmont for five years, and I don't really see how there's anything that would seem more familiar to you than that."

Before Gilan could answer, the door opened and Will came inside. He slid into the seat in front of the coffee mug, and instantly reached for the honey. Giving Halt an uncertain look. When he entered, he had seen Gilan freeze up, which didn't make sense, because Gilan had always been very friendly to him. Even if they hadn't been able to spend as much time together as he would have liked, he had always thought of Gilan as a big brother of sorts. The one who would always get you out of trouble no matter what, and was even quicker at getting you into trouble.

"Will, Gilan was hurt, and will be staying with us until he recovers," Halt stated.

"What happened?" Will gave his friend a worried look.

"I don't know," Gilan dropped his eyes to the table.

"We actually don't know Will," Crowley put in. "He was supposed to report to Hogarth Fief. Then I got a message from them saying that when he did not arrive, they sent out some men to look for him, and they found him injured at a healer in a small village after a farmer found him on the road. He had suffered a bad head injury, so he was taken to Castle Araluen. It took some time before he even woke long enough for us to find out what was wrong, and then we found he had lost his memory."

"Is that even possible?" Will gaped.

"It is," Halt told him, somewhat sharply. "Headwounds are very hard to predict. Some has lost both sight and hearing after one, others, lose all their senses. I've heard of lost memory before. Never seen it before, some gets their memories back, some don't."

Gilan's head shot up at that, but then he lowered his eyes without saying anything.

"There's nothing that says that will happen," Crowley stated softly. "That's why you're here, so that it hopefully won't."

"Well, I suppose you had better take the bedroom, it's through there," Halt pointed to one of the two doors. Gilan hadn't paid much attention to the interior of the small cabin, a small living area and kitchen, divided by a bench. The two doors at the far side of the room and there wasn't much else. "Will can sleep out here for the time being," Halt decided.

"I, can sleep here," Gilan started quietly, casting a worried look at Will. Halt however shook his head.

"You're injured, you need a bed. He's an apprentice, hardship is good for him."

"But what happens if we have something we need to deal with?" Will asked. "Some of it could be dangerous."

Crowley nodded slowly," if you think it's safe enough Halt, he goes with you. If you think it's too dangerous. He stays here. If you think it'll take more than one day, you can leave him at the castle. I'll speak to Baron Arald. I'll arrange for it so he can go up there for sword lessons anyway."

"Sword lessons?" Gilan blurted out. "Why would I need sword lessons? I don't know how to use a sword, and I certainly don't have one."

"Sir Rodney who is in charge of the Battleschool will ensure that you get one to use," Crowley told him. "I would have got you one, but I was actually not certain if it was a good idea for you to carry one yet. You're injured, and, I did not want anyone to challenge you because they saw you carrying one."

"But I don't know how to use one," Gilan objected, his nervosity starting to shine through more. "I don't."

"Actually, as I understand it, you're quite the proficient swordsman," Halt told him.

Gilan just looked at him in total disbelief, then for most parts sat quiet as Crowley went over all he knew with Halt.

It was when Crowley drained the last of his third cup of coffee, saying goodbye that he looked up. He was quiet as the commandant went out, then he suddenly leapt from the table and hobbled outside, barely keeping his balance as he tried to run.

Crowley paused where he had been tightening Cropper's girth as Gilan stumbled over to him. "Please don't leave me here…"

"Gilan, it's alright," Crowley told him softly. Halt had gone out to stand on the verandah, but did not approach them. "Halt will look after you."

"But I don't know him," Gilan objected. "I don't know it here. Please don't leave me here. Why can't I stay with you?"

"Because no matter how hard it might be to believe, this is what's best for you," Crowley put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "Gil, if it wasn't for that, I would have kept you in Castle Araluen with me as you recovered. But the chance of you actually recovering your memory is much better here. You were Halt's apprentice for five years, even if you were Will's age then. If anything is going to jog your memory. This is it, please, trust me. I would never leave you here if it wasn't what was best for you."

"But I don't know him," Gilan pleaded again, his eyes filling up with moisture. "What if he doesn't want me here?"

"Gilan, if there's one thing you do not have to doubt, it's that Halt wants you here," Crowley assured him. "He cares for you, a good deal, and he knows you better than even I do. I understand this is hard, I'd be scared out of my wits if it was me. But if you trust me enough to want to stay with me, then please trust me when I say you're better of here."

"But what if he gets tired of it?" Gilan was no longer able to hold back the tears. So far, he had been shipped around endlessly or so it felt. First, he had barely realized it, then in the castle, when he finally became fully aware it was much more of the same. People seemed to come, and as soon as he felt he knew who they were, they shipped him off somewhere else. Another part of the infirmary, another part of the castle, and the only constant had been Crowley. "What if he just decides to get rid of me?"

"Gilan, that is not going to happen," now Halt stepped over to them. Putting a hand on his former apprentice's other arm.

"Don't know how I'm supposed to think it won't," Gilan pulled free from him, pressing closer to Crowley. Cropper, sensing the agitation of someone he knew well laid his ears back in response as he tried to find the source of danger, and Crowley patted his neck. "Everyone else has so far, I don't see why you wouldn't," Gilan continued. His voice rising with the agitation. "I don't know you!"

"That's right," Halt agreed, taking him by surprise. Whatever he had expected to hear, it obviously wasn't that. "You don't know me, not now, but I know you Gilan."

"Putting honey in the coffee doesn't prove you know me," Gilan replied sullenly, and Halt nodded slowly. That explained why the boy had let it sit and grow cold in front of him.

"It doesn't," he agreed. "But, the fact that I know you have a scar, here might," he touched Gilan's left forearm. "About three inches, jagged looking, I should say five years old."

Startled, Gilan pushed back the sleeve of his shirt, exposing his forearm, gaping as he saw the scar there. Exactly as Halt had described it, he had not even been aware of it himself.

"There's another one, here," Halt reached up to touch his shoulder. "And you got a slight dimple behind your right ear, never evened out again."

His face pale, Gilan reached up his hand to probe the spot with his fingers, eyes widening as he found it.

"I know you Gilan, even if you don't know me," Halt told him. "And not just a couple of scars. I know you always stumble at the top step of the verandah. And I know you chew your thumbnail when you're thinking hard, Gorlog knows I tried to get you to stop doing that, but you still do."

Hesitantly, Gilan turned to look at Crowley, obviously stunned by the information, as if he was starting to wonder if Halt really did know him that well. If he could trust him or not?

"Stay here Gilan," Crowley urged, giving his shoulder a light squeeze again. "I swear to you, it's what's best for you. And Halt will keep me appraised. If this for some reason do not work, if it is worse for you. Then I will come back. Okay?"

"Okay," his voice was quiet, timid, but he gave a small nod.

"Take care of yourself Gilan, Halt will keep me appraised," Crowley promised as he swung himself up on Cropper. Gilan watched as he left, but didn't say anything.

"Come," Halt nudged his arm gently as the commandant disappeared behind the trees. "Let's get back inside. Get some of that coffee in you to warm you up." He led the way, and noted, that Gilan stopped at the top of the steps. Frowning at the top one before he ducked his head and followed Halt inside.

TBC
The caffeine addicted Cricket wants to thank you all for reading...