Ranger's Apprentice; The Final Pieces

A perfect birthday present

'It'll take good care of you, I'm sure,' I hear her say, as I close the wooden door behind me. 

It's only a few minutes' walk home, but I walk faster than ever before. I am deliriously happy, giddy even. If this precious notebook in my hands turns out to be what I think it is, I have no idea what I'll be doing with it. But that's a problem for later. Right now, the only thing I want to do is read it all. 

When I arrive home, I take off my shoes and run upstairs, greeting my parents as I pass by. 

'Your grandparents will be here in 30 minutes,' my dad tells me, 'Make sure you'll be ready by then.' He knows how long I can stay upstairs, in my room, with nothing but a book. I nodded and smile apologetically as I almost push him out of my way. 

I jump onto my bed, not caring about my dress. I stare at the notebook in disbelief. My hands tremble when I open it. 

"How long is it going to take us to, uh, wherever we're going?" Horace asked.

'However long it takes,' I say out loud.

'Did you say anything, sweetheart?' my mom yells from downstairs. I smirk. 

'Nothing, mom!'

"However long it takes," Halt replied.

Horace scowled. "What kind of answer is that?"

"One that answered your question. Now, let's have quiet, shall we?" Will chuckled quietly. Halt had never suffered questions with a good humour others liked.

It's never been said in one of the original books, but I've always been sure of the fact that Halt must have said this at least once. To be honest, I'd be disappointed if he hadn't. 

I quickly turn over another page. I notice that there should have been one in between, but where it is now I do not know. I focus on the next page, my eyes scanning the words of a second part of a story. The first word my mind recognizes is 'Gilan' and, well, I squeal of excitement by the thought of my favorite character getting some more attention. 

"We're just friends," Gilan said, rubbing the back of his neck. His cheeks were red, and he didn't understand why he was so nervous.

Will grinned, settling back into his seat with two mugs of coffee in his hands. He held one out to Gilan, and motioned for him to continue. For some reason, it felt odd talking to his married, younger friend about his crush on the local chef. "Oh, really?" Will laughed, taking a long drink from his steaming hot coffee. "You sure about that?"

Gilan frowned, still not understanding. "What? What am I not sure about?"

"Being 'just friends'," Will quoted, waggling his pointer finger in Gil's direction while taking another gulp of his coffee. "Where'd you hear that?"

"Where'd I hear that we were just friends?" Gilan asked, confused. Will sounded as if he knew more about his and Jenny's relationship than he did, which didn't make much sense. There was also a mischievous look to Will's eyes, mixed in with a dash of what looked like guilt. Gilan's frown deepened.

"Yea," Will said, nodding and rolling his hand for Gilan to continue. "Where'd you hear that?"

'Will, you're so mean,' I whisper, trying to hold back laughter. I don't want my family to officially declare me insane on my birthday. However, they can't stop me from turning a I-don't-how-maniest-page. Again, there are some pages missing, but there's nothing that stops me from reading what's left. 

...Then, suddenly, there was Halt. Not even a split-second after he had appeared he released an arrow, aimed at the large bandit, the last one left. Of course, not having any interference, the arrow flew true, and slammed into it's target, going all the way through. The bloody sword simply dropped from the man's hands, falling onto the ground, before the entire body came crashing down on top of it.