Ignoring History - Ranger's Apprentice Fanfiction

Chapter 25

"I have to go."

Alyss looked at him like he was crazy. "What?"

"I have to go," Will repeated. "I don't belong here."

He broke away from her, leaving the cemetery. Alyss looked like she wanted to go after him, but she didn't. Unlike Will, she was somebody. She would have drawn attention.

Will sprinted away once he was out of sight. Out of instinct, his feet took him into the forest. There, he let Halt's teachings lead him. Will didn't know where he was going, but if he had stayed, everything would have gone wrong. Will sighed. What was Gilan thinking when he brought him all the way out here? Did he really think that he could be useful in the revolution?

He let the question sit in his head, festering until he couldn't take it anymore. Stumbling forward as his foot was caught on a tree root, Will gasped as he fell on his face.

Dirt covered his nose, leaving a blemish on his cheeks. His hands were all scratched up. Will coughed, rolling onto his back. Wiping the sweat off of his brows, he sighed. He forced himself to relax, swallowing a gulp.

When he finally sat up, Will found that he had fallen into a clearing. A small wooden cabin sat in the middle of it. There was a stables to the side of it. Standing, Will blinked in confusion. Where in the world was he?

Will stared at the cabin. Something was telling him to go in. He stepped onto the veranda. He raised a fist and knocked on the door. Will wasn't sure what he was expecting, but there was no answer. He frowned.

The door was unlocked, and Will jumped at how loud it creaked. He winced and rubbed his ears. The hinges hadn't been oiled in a long time.

The cabin was empty. The furniture was dusty, worn out, and one chair even had a broken leg. Will cautiously wandered inside, the littlest sound making him startle. He walked across the room, freezing when his step seemed off.

He looked down, expecting to find that he stepped on a poor animal, but it was just the floor. Will lifted up his foot, stepping down on it again. It sounded hollow, emptier than the other floorboards. Was it a secret compartment?

Will bent down, lifting up the board with ease. Too much ease. Someone must have been there recently. Inside, there was an envelope. There was no name on it, simply marked with a date. Will looked up, letting his eyes flicker around. The hairs on his arm bristled, and his heart lurched.

He tore open the envelope.

Your Royal Highness,

Today, Baron Arald held a meeting with his close circle. We have undoubtedly risked our lives to listen in. You see, those rangers that we wrote to you about last time were guarding the doors. It was due to our skill in espionage that we were able to survive, and we feel as if we deserve a raise. A big raise, to be clear.

Anyway, Baron Arald plans to fake his death. He believes that this act will cause the whole kingdom to revoke against you. And you wouldn't believe who suggested it! It's that assassin you hired. He has grown soft. You made a mistake choosing him. You could have easily given us the job. We would have never dreamed of betraying your trust.

That traitor is going to report to you at Gorlan. He will lie to you. Do not trust him. They also have an army preparing to march to Celtica to meet yours. To top it all off, the rangers are going to separate and ride to the other fiefs. They think that they will be able to turn against you, but don't worry, my lord. You have us to tell you everything.

You should act quickly. Time is running out.

ABJ.

By the time he finished reading it, Will's face had whitened. The letter dropped onto the floor, its words burning into his mind. His throat went dry.

There was a spy. There were spies at Redmont.

Morgarath knew about the rangers. He knew about—no. He didn't. Not yet. No one had delivered the latest letter. He didn't know. He wouldn't know.

As Will reached out to tear the letter to shreds, a hand clamped over his mouth. His arms were pinned back, and his eyes widened. He screamed into the hand.