Ignoring History - Ranger's Apprentice Fanfiction

Chapter 37

~🌾Will🌾~

It had been a week since they had set out from Redmont, but Will found himself to be the opposite of tired. How could he be? The looming dread of what awaited them at Gorlan haunted his dreams, only pushing him to walk faster. It was no question now whether Alda, Bryn, and Jerome had gotten the letter to Morgarath-Will was certain they had. He couldn't explain how he knew, but the gut feeling churning down in the pit of his stomach must have meant something.

More than once, Will almost laughed out loud at his predicament. It had only been a month, maybe two, since he had left Aspienne fief with Gilan. Only a couple months since he sat in the middle of a field beneath the stars, exhausted from a long day of work. He still remembered the tickling feeling of wheat stalks brushing against his skin, the refreshing breeze of wind running through his hair. His mother would wave at him from their front porch, beckoning him in for the night. His father's hand was warm on his shoulder as they washed up for dinner.

It all seemed a lifetime ago. The Will back then would have fainted to know what stories he had now-to know the things he had seen and the people he had met. He had wanted to be a knight, but now... Will wasn't quite sure.

You could make a good ranger.

It hadn't been the first time since Will thought about Halt's words, and as more time passed, he found that he enjoyed the idea. Ranger Will-it had a ring to it. But Will shot down the idea as fast as it came, shaking his head as he rid himself of the thought.

Time was ticking, and he couldn't have any distractions. There were bigger things to worry about, mainly the fact that he was the only person in the world who knew about the Redmont spies, the only person who knew that Morgarath was steps ahead of the revolution. Well... Will looked to the side. Not the only one.

To his rear was Cassandra and Horace, who had their heads together in quiet conversation. To his front and leading the party was Alyss. It had been surprisingly easy to convince the girls to join them, but then again, Will couldn't be too surprised.

It hadn't been long since he met Alyss, but she never ceased to amaze him with each passing day. When she spoke, it was with such confidence that Will couldn't help but hang onto every word as if it were the truth. It wasn't just confidence though. There was also a sort of grace, a soft spoken gentleness that Will had begun to associate with her. He had met no other who held the same kindness as her, the same fire as her.

Will hadn't realized that he had started staring until Alyss turned her head. His brain seemed to stop working when he met her eyes. They were blue like the morning sky a little bit after sunrise. He could have gotten lost in them, but then she smiled. It was a soft smile, one that lit up her eyes just enough. Will almost forgot how to breathe.

"What are you thinking about?"

Will blinked, swallowing down a gulp. He stuffed his hands in his pocket, suddenly very self-conscious now that they were walking side to side. "What?" he managed to choke out.

Alyss's smile widened, and there was a glint in her eyes that Will couldn't quite place. "You've been quiet all day," she said. "What's on your mind?"

No distractions, Will reminded himself as he shook his head. "What isn't on my mind?" he eventually said. "Morgarath knows about the revolution, and we're the only people in the world who knows that he knows-gods, that's confusing."