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 16
"What?" Hearing the exclamation Arald gasped in shock. He could not believe Gilan thought he had intentionally pushed him. He had meant a friendly touch, a gesture of familiarity, such as he had bestowed on the lad often enough before. "Good lord no, I never would have, it was an accident…" though he was still uncertain as to how it had happened, he knew he would never have committed such an act. "Lord I would never want to hurt you!"
"He pushed me!" Gilan's breath was shaky, ragged gulps, and he pressed the heel of his palm to his eyes as blood started trickling from his nose down his mouth and chin.
Halt's eyes narrowed, and for a brief moment as Pauline pushed in beside them, Arald wondered if the grizzled Ranger would attack him for harming his apprentice. It certainly wasn't something he would put past him, if someone had truly hurt one of his boys. He opened his mouth to once more proclaim his innocence, wanting that part over with so they could properly tend to the boy, when Halt and Pauline almost simultaneously proved just why they were so good at what they did.
"Who?" Halt demanded sharply.
"Gilan, who was it that pushed you?" Pauline urged. With no regard for how badly it would stain the material, she used the sleeve of her white courier's gown to gently wipe some of the blood away from his face. Looking up, she caught the eye of Will who was as of yet standing, watching.
"Will, could you fetch some water?" she asked. "And please, step back, just a little," she nodded to Arald. Her concerned, and yet warm smile stating without words that she did not think him at fault.
"There's water in my office," Arald told the boy who took the steps back up two at a time. While Arald himself got back to his feet and moved up a few steps. He was back with the pitcher before long, and Pauline dipped the hem of her dress in it, gently mopping his face.
"Who pushed you Gilan," she asked again, and he swallowed…seemingly coming back to himself.
"Battlemaster," he started, rubbing at his face. He swallowed again. "It was the Battlemaster, he was behind me, they all were, was stupid of me. He pushed me."
"What?" Arald frowned, his first thoughts going to Sir Rodney.
"The Battlemaster in Hogarth Fief?" Halt asked, and Gilan nodded.
"The Battlemaster?" Arald gaped in astonishment.
"Yeah, it was bad there, no one on guard, gambling…" Gilan pressed his hand to his forehead again, squeezed his eyes shut. "Remember it all, but my head, really hurts."
"Might be the shock of having it all come back so fast," Pauline decided. "And you might have hit it as well. I think it's best if we take you to the infirmary."
"Can you stand?" Halt asked him and he nodded, slowly pushing to his feet though he wavered somewhat.
"Lean on me," with an inward sigh, Arald moved forward. There obviously wouldn't be much of a feast, not with the lad feeling as he did. Couldn't be helped though, as much as he enjoyed his food, he knew his priorities. The lad was far more important than food, no matter how good a meal was expected. It was painfully clear he needed to be checked over. He was pale and a little unsteady, appearing a little confused and disoriented, and Arald had to admit he experienced a sense of trepidation that he would lose his memory again.
The surgeon however had a very positive outlook, claiming it was most likely due to the shock of it coming back so fast, in combination to the fall. The fact that it had been caused by a hand on the shoulder, his hand, did bother Arald somewhat no matter how well intended it had been.
He wasn't worried that Gilan would hold a grudge, the lad never seemed to, even when Arald felt that perhaps he should. That just wasn't his way, but who was at peace with the thought that you had hurt a friend?
If there was anything at all the lad was displeased about, it was the surgeon insisting that he stayed in the infirmary over the night.
"Better to be on the safe side," Arald shrugged.
"Might be," Gilan admitted. His head was pounding, and he felt somewhat nauseous, so he certainly didn't feel like eating. "But this is the first time in a long while I actually remember where I'm supposed to be, and this isn't it…"
"Given the shape you're in, I'd say it is, so just get in bed," Halt commented.
Gilan frowned, putting one hand on the blanket he was sitting on. "I am in bed…"
"You're on it, I want you in it," Halt stated, though he softened his tone.
"Might be easier if I take my leave for the time being," Pauline hid a smile. She had gone with them, because she certainly wasn't going to go and enjoy her dinner without knowing how the boy was doing. She had long since come to the conclusion that if she wanted Halt, she'd get Gilan and Will as well, The way she saw it, that only made it better. Both were sweet boys, and she loved both of them dearly, even if she had not been able to yet show it fully.
There were some who would say she had no claim on them, the boys wouldn't, and not Halt. There were others though, who might give the boys trouble if they felt she overstepped her bounds. Gilan was not unpopular with some of the younger ladies of the court, nor with many of the older. His tall form, and chivalrous ways attracted far more attention than he would wish for. Gilan didn't try to get their attention, but he was a good looking young man who simply had that easy, and welcoming way about him. She was not surprised that several of them would hang around the corridors at times, ready to just blunder into his path when he turned a corner. Even the Ranger cloak did not seem to deter them, thought she expected it would keep several of them from wanting to really get to know him.
She was keeping a close eye on the situation though. There were several of them that could not be trusted, and would most likely hurt him. They certainly would not care about him, thinking only of their own statues. Should any of them get too forward, she was ready to make sure they thought better of it.
She loved the two of them very much, they were like her own sons, but she doubted Gilan was very comfortable taking off his pants and shirt in front of her so he could get into bed. Smiling she leaned forward to brush away a lock of hair so she could press a kiss to his forehead.
She loved the way he shone up, it had been hard knowing she could not offer him all the comfort she had wanted to, as he did not know her. This however, was her Gilan, and she allowed herself to brush the back of her hand over his cheek before she stood again. "You rest, and do what you're told to do, and I'll come back and see you tomorrow."
Gilan nodded, and started unbuttoning his shirt. As soon as he had the clothes off, he was handed a nightshirt that he put on, wincing as moving about seemed to make his head hurt more. Though he was glad that Pauline had offered him the privacy, he missed the comfort she had offered. When she kissed his forehead, it had seemed to make the headache abate for a moment, and now it was back in full force. He was however not going to ask Halt to repeat the act….
Even if he did, he had a feeling it would not be the same coming from the grizzled Ranger. He was about to lie down, when the surgeon held out a mug of tea towards him. "Drink this, it will help with the headache, and let you sleep."
Willing to do most anything for that, he accepted the mug, though he had to hold it with both hands. It was already cold sufficiently he could drink it fairly quickly, recognizing the taste. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but there was no poppy in it as was the most common drug for pain. It was also fairly effective and fast acting.
Shortly after he had given the empty mug back, he felt himself starting to drift off.
"I didn't see him hit his head, at all, but he was bleeding from the nose as well," Halt fixed the surgeon with a questioning look. One that demanded an answer, regardless if there was one or not.
"I don't think he necessarily did," the surgeon shrugged. Glad that he actually had an answer he felt was fairly good. "You said he regained most of his memory earlier in the day, but not all?"
"He knew who he was, but was missing a couple years, here and there," Halt agreed.
"And then, shortly after he had, he found himself in an almost identical situation as when the injury occurred, being at the top of the stairs, and feeling someone push him…"
"I most certainly did not!" Arald objected. "I never would. I meant it as a gesture of friendship, we were talking of Master Chubb's turkey pie. I barely even touched him!" he really did not want anyone to think he'd intentionally hurt anyone who didn't deserve it. Certainly not a lad he was very fond of.
"I'm sorry, my lord, I do believe I said almost identical the surgeon offered an almost amused smile before he bit it back. "He was at the top of the stairs then, and he was pushed, and I would say it was an attempt to kill him as certain as anything."
"But they didn't," Will frowned. "Why would they try to kill him, and then let him go?"
"They probably let him be after the initial fall, hoping he'd die," Halt sighed, wearily. "When he didn't, but woke up without his memory, there was no need to kill him. If he had remembered, you can be certain they would have killed him. Instead they just made up the story about the ambush."
"Then your touch, my lord, no matter how well intended, allowed him to re-experience the events…" the surgeon decided. "In spite of it not being the actual event, he felt the actual event, and acted accordingly, even falling, as it was what he remembered doing. Now, most likely, part of the headache, the nausea, is from the shock of the sudden return of his memories, and the rest, is what his mind would assume him to feel after the fall, even though it's now quite long ago."
"Is that even possible?" Will wanted to know.
"Very much so," the man decided. "Men who lose limbs in battle, or in accidents, usually experience pain in them, even though they are not there. Real genuine pain in a limb that does not exist. I see no reason why a fall he believes himself to have suffered, would not have caused the resulting pain. It should however, I think, pass quite quickly. He just needs to reacclimate himself with his memories, and he'll know there is no need for the pain. While it might not seem so now, I should say it was fortunate that it happened as it did," he stated, his eyes on the Baron.
"Now we know what happened," Halt nodded. "And I intend to make them pay for hurting him…"
"But what about the bandits?" Will frowned. "They said he was attacked on the way there, by bandits…"
"They probably said that to make sure no one asked them any questions," Arald mused. "Gilan sure wasn't able to contradict them.
"He was bad enough off he didn't know a single thing before they got him all the way to Castle Araluen," Halt agreed. "I imagine they thought that in the state he was in, he was still more likely to die than not, and if he had been sent back by then, there would be even less questions."
"I know the Baron there, or, know of him," Arald shook his head. "Lazy coward. His father was a good man, but he's not really good for anything. He's not very well liked either, not at all."
"I believe it," Halt ran a hand over his beard. "We need to report to Crowley and Duncan." The king certainly needed to know, he mused. "We'll see how he is when he wakes up, if he can go with us or not."
Arald nodded, minded to go with them himself, the fact that a fellow Baron would be condoning such an act was intolerable, and he'd be glad to put a sword in the man. "Better you stay here then, than go all the way back to the cabin. Come, let's eat, even if it's not what we hoped, you still need it. I'll give the order that something light and easy is kept ready for the lad if he wakes. And that you have a room here."
"You can find him a bed," Halt nodded towards Will. "I won't need one."
"I suppose not," Arald allowed himself a slightly amused smile. He was almost impressed that Halt went with them to eat a hasty meal. He knew however where he would spend the night.
Right at his former apprentice's side….
TBC
The caffeine addicted Cricket wants to thank you all for reading...