Ranger's Apprentice; The Final Pieces

A very merry Christmas

...

So please don't be too hard on your apprentices these days (I'm talking to you, Halt) and give them a day or two off to visit their family.

Anyways, Merry Christmas

Crowley Merratyn Ranger 1

Halt laid down the letter. Just like every year, Crowley had sent all Rangers a letter, wishing them a merry Christmas and telling them not to be too hard on their apprentices. Not that he needed to. Halt might be grim and tough, but he also understood the magic of Christmas. In Will's first year of apprenticeship he had given the boy off to spend some time with Alyss, Horace, Jenny and George. He had expected him to do the same this year, but according to Pauline, Will had declined the invitation from Alyss. Halt wondered why. It was nothing like Will, to ignore and outrun his friends, especially not Alyss. The old Ranger knew that the blonde, tall girl had been trying to meet with her friend multiple times, but Will had had an excuse for every appointment she had tried to make.

In all honesty, he was worried about the brown-haired boy. It had only been a few months since their return from Skandia, and things were still odd. Will's cheerful mood wasn't as cheerful as he tried to made it look like, and his eyes still didn't carry the lust for life and adventure they used to. On top of that, he had been outrunning his friends ever since they had returned, not answering to their desperate calls to meet him. Instead, he had been practicing day and night, without Halt ordering him to do so. He was wearing himself out, desperate and forlorn.

Speaking of which, the older Ranger wondered where his apprentice was at this very moment. He hadn't seen the boy since they had had breakfast, three hours ago.

If that boy is practicing again, I'll break his bow, Halt thought to himself, knowing he would never make true on that promise.

"Will?" he called, carefully listening if he was practicing. Not a sound. He stood up from his wooden chair and walked outside, looking left and right.

"Will?" he called out again. This time, there came a reply.

"Yeah, Halt?" a voice from somewhere in a tree called.

"Why don't you come down for a few minutes to take a break? I can make you some coffee."

A face appeared from between the leaves, frowning and with a questioning look.

"Why should I do that? I'm not tired or anything," Will replied. Halt sighed tiredly. It was the same story, every day again. As he thought of a good excuse that would make Will take a break, his young apprentice jumped out of the tree he had been hiding in. He took his bow, hung the quiver with arrows over his shoulders and focused on the targets in front of him.

Halt saw that there was again no way to stop him, so sat down against a tree, a stack of documents placing next to him. If he couldn't make him stop, he decided, he would at least make sure the boy didn't push himself too far.

Meanwhile, Will's thoughts were far gone. Although he seemed to be focused on the shooting of his arrows, his mind was at a totally different place. In Skandia. With every arrow he shot, he saw another memory.

The storm at sea.

Skorghil.

Hallasholm.