Ignoring History - Ranger's Apprentice Fanfiction

Chapter 19

~☕Crowley☕~

Crowley blinked when the room went silent. Everyone seemed to edge away from Halt and towards Arald. He couldn't tell whether it was fear of the assassin or the need to protect their leader, but he didn't care. He was more intrigued than frightened.

"Explain," he said, nodding at Halt. A flash of surprise seemed to flash in his eyes, but it was gone before Crowley could confirm it was ever there.

"There is no way to get into Gorlan. Morgarath would have upped his security by now, and you would be fools to try to split up your little army and fight on two fronts. What you need is a man on the inside."

Crowley hummed in agreement. "So what are you suggesting?"

"I was sent here to kill Baron Arald," Halt said. "Once that is done, I am to go to Gorlan to collect my payment. Morgarath will be expecting my arrival."

"But you can't possibly be suggesting we kill the baron!" Sir Rodney exclaimed. "Blasphemy, that is!"

"But what if we fake it?"

Crowley sucked in a breath at the suggestion. The corners of his lips quirked up. The thought was so crazy that it could've worked. And with the council being private, only those in the room would know. Everyone, even the castle staff, would be inclined to believe that Arald was dead. It was almost perfect.

"If we fake Baron Arald's death, Morgarath would think that he has won. Power like that will lead him to lower his guard. Then, we make our move."

"Baron Arald is popular amongst the barons," Crowley added. Excitement bubbled underneath his skin, and it took all of his control not to release it. "Even if most of the fiefs are with Morgarath, he is well-known, and they recognize him as a good leader. His death would cause an uproar. Especially if we announce that it was the doing of Morgarath and mention the army marching towards Celtica."

"Okay," Pauline slowly said. "What happens when Halt enters Gorlan? Then, what?"

"I can lead him on," Halt said. "I can provide false information and draw his gaze away from Celtica."

"A distraction," Gilan murmured from where he stood. "It'll buy us time to deal with the army marching towards Celtica. Once that's over with, our forces would have multiplied. There is no loyalty in his army. They are being led by fear and false promises."

"Where should we lead him?" Duncan asked. "Surely, he's not going to leave his castle for a rumor Halt provides him."

"He won't," Sir Rodney agreed. "But he'll have to send a group to investigate. We can lower his defenses."

"I could give him a location and tell him that it's where the rangers are hiding. On the way there, I'll even spread some word around the villages."

"That'll give him a scare," Crowley chuckled. Cracking his knuckles, he mused out loud. "I suppose we'll have to announce Prince Duncan's existence."

"Yes." Pauline nodded. "Better to have the people know about his role in this revolution. The sooner he is trusted, the sooner we can restore the kingdom. And what better way to gain trust than placing him in a heroic position?"

"I'll go to Araluen fief, then," Duncan said. "Tiller will have to be removed."

Crowley smiled to himself. Everything was finally coming together. Through Halt, they could send Morgarath on a wild goose chase while they sort out the situation of the army at Celtica's borders. At the same time, Duncan would begin the journey of claiming back his honor by proving his innocence. His rangers would go around the major fiefs to inform the other barons of the situation, and from there, the people's gossip would do the rest.

"I'll accompany Prince Duncan to Araluen," Crowley said. "It's only right to also announce the return of the King's Rangers. We'll only need a small group with us. I don't think Tiller's going to be a big problem. It's the people we need to convince."

"I'll gather our troops and march to Celtica," Rodney said.

"I'm coming with you," Gilan said. "We should leave as soon as the baron is discovered "dead". Otherwise, the knights wouldn't have the motivation that we need them to have."

"I can tag along with the group to Araluen," Halt said after a moment. "Gorlan's on the way."

Everyone nodded in agreement, each lost in their own thoughts. There would be much to prepare, and they didn't have long before a war erupted with Celtica. Time was not their friend in this endeavor.

Crowley looked around the room. Everyone was fully capable of their skills, and he was confident that they could pull it off. He paused when his eyes found Baron Arald. He inclined his head, realizing that he had said nothing the whole time.

"Sir?" he said. "What do you think?"

All eyes went to him, but Baron Arald didn't move. He only stood there, leaning against his wooden desk. Crowley could clearly tell that he was thinking, his eyes swimming in thoughts.

"I think we have a solid plan," Arald finally said.

Breaths of relief were emitted, and everyone seemed to relax. Ironic given the fact that they were about to make their revolution public.

"But..." Arald spoke again. "I do not like the idea of hiding while you lot set yourself to danger. I will ride with the army."

"My lord!" Rodney said. "Your body needs to be here. The people must believe that you are truly dead."

"That won't be a problem." Crowley scratched his chin. "If he's here, there is more chance that one of the staff will discover him. We'll make a dummy and switch their places at the last minute."

"Great!" Baron Arald clasped his hands together. He grinned. "So when do I get to die? I would quite like to have a bit of fun in my performance."

Laughing, Crowley shook his head. He rubbed at his forehead, nodding to himself. "And a grand performance it will be."