Together Forever - A Collection of Will/Alyss One-Shots

The Scream

It's a beautiful, clear late fall night in Redmont Fief, the kind that makes you want to curl up outside in a thick blanket with a cup of coffee under the stars. The kind that's usually perfectly silent and utterly peaceful.

Halt relaxes into his chair on the verandah of his small cabin and sighs. It's rare that he gets to relax like this, with nothing to do and no one around to bother him. Even rarer since Will arrived and started asking endless questions and contributing to the world problem of noise pollution. Halt revels in the silence and takes a long, slow sip of his coffee.

A scream from somewhere nearby in the forest rings out, splitting the cool evening air. Halt jumps, then glares at the shadows around him. Leave it to some idiot kid from the castle to get lost in the forest - on this night, of all nights. Halt isn't superstitious, but a lot of the castle and village folk are. And this night, many believe, is when the earth is closest to the underworld. To hear people talk, it would seem that on this one night, the entire fief is overwhelmed by an inundation of spirits and lost souls.

"All Hallows' Eve," Halt mutters darkly. "When all the ghoulies and ghosties gather to play." 

"Halt! Halt!" The cry rings out from the entrance to the clearing. Halt recognizes the voice instantly. He looks up to see Tug gallop into the clearing. Will pulls him to a stop in front of the verandah in a cloud of dust and leaps out of the saddle.

"What, Will?" Halt asks. He's half-annoyed that his apprentice is home early on his night off, half-amused by what his apprentice is wearing. Will has abandoned his usual Ranger uniform and cloak in favor of black trousers and a black shirt with drapey sleeves.

"Aren't you coming up to the castle? The party is starting soon!"

So that's what he wants, Halt thinks. He's been planning to attend the All Hallows' Eve party the Baron throws every year up at the castle, but he's pretended not to be interested for the entire day, for the purpose of pulling Will's leg. 

"Oh, I don't know, Will," he says, faking a yawn. "I am quite tired. It's been a long week."

Will pouts. "But Halt, you have to come!" he pleads. "It won't be any fun if you're not there."

"I don't have a costume," Halt points out.

Will recognizes the fact that Halt might be relenting from his original refusal to attend the party. "You don't have to dress up," he says hopefully. "In fact, you can just go as a Ranger!"

Halt resists the urge to roll his eyes. "And what are you supposed to be?"

Will grins. "A bat!" he announces. He lifts his arms to either side, and the folds of black fabric bunched under his arms unfold into the shape of bat wings. "Isn't this cool? Alyss and Jenny made it for me!"

"Yes...cool," Halt says, the word unfamiliar on his lips. He's heard the expression a few times from some of the younger people around the castle and the village, and even Will has begun to use it. In fact, Halt thinks Will looks more ridiculous than cool, but he decides not to mention it.

"There's going to be hot spiced apple cider," Will wheedles. "And sausages roasted over the bonfire! Did I mention the bonfire? And apples for bobbing, and loads and loads of sweets!"

"All right, fine, you've convinced me," Halt relents, rising from his chair. "You go along up to the castle and join your friends. I'll be along in a few minutes."

Will whoops in excitement and punches the air. "Yes!" he shouts. Then he surprises Halt by throwing his arms around his teacher's waist in a quick hug.

Halt pats Will's back a few times before his apprentice lets go. Will runs back to Tug and swings into the saddle. "See you at the castle!" Will shouts. Then he clucks to Tug, and the little horse takes off.