Ranger's Apprentice: The Tantalizing Tales

Moat

In which I decide that it is absolutely necessary to have a scene with Alyss, Pauline, and Arald, after Alyss's first mission and her and Halt's encounter with Sir Montague.

~~~

Alyss raised her hand and knocked on the heavy door. She waited for a reply, then pushed against the dark wood and entered Baron Arald's office, high up in the donjon.

"Lady Pauline, Baron," she bowed her head slightly as a way of greeting, before continuing, "Sir Norris told me I could find you both here."

The Baron of Redmont fief and his Head of the Diplomatic Service looked up. Baron Arald spoke first.

"Alyss!" he exclaimed, a broad smile on his face.

"I'm so glad to see you. We had expected you earlier. How are you doing?"

Alyss smiled. "Slightly tired from the trip but very well, thank you."

But Baron Arald was a master host, trained by Lady Sandra herself, and would not allow Pauline's mentee off that easily.

"Should we ask Master Chubb to get you something quick to eat?"

The young girl shook her head.

"No, thank you, my Lord. Halt said that there was no use in not eating if we were going to be later anyway. He made a stew."

"Then I'm sure you've eaten well," Pauline smiled softly.

"Speaking of him, where is Halt?" Baron Arald inquired.

"I'd expected him to report to me."

Alyss had expected this question, as had Halt, and she now answered as he had asked her to.

"His official task on this mission was to guide and advise me, my Lord. Therefore, he is in no obligation to report anything. He has gone back to his cabin, to catch up on what he's missed."

Arald shrugged. The last time he and Halt had spoken had not been one of his favourite conversations with the grim Ranger and so he was in no rush to revisit the topic.

"I'll speak to him later. I trust you have everything in order and signed?"
Alyss smiled again. It was no smile of arrogance, or even pride, but one that hinted at how pleased she was that she had brought her very first mission to a successful end.

"As a matter of fact, I do, my Lord," she answered.

She reached into her bag and revealed a small bundle of wrinkled, damaged, but signed papers.
"My apologies for the state that they're in, my Lord, but they got slightly wet and I had no time to draw up copies."

Lady Pauline raised a single elegant eyebrow, the only outward sign of her surprise. Arald frowned as he accepted the papers from the young diplomat-in-training. He quickly skimmed through the papers, and, once he was satisfied that nothing seemed unusable, handed them off to Pauline, who would perform a more detailed check with Nigel.

"How so?"
This question, too, Alyss had expected, but this time she was less confident in her reply.

"I fear Sir Montague himself was dripping wet when he signed it, my Lord," she explained.

Arald's frown deepened.

"Why on earth would Montague be soaking during a meeting?"
Alyss hesitated.

Pauline sensed her apprentice's discomfort and asked, as encouragingly as possible: "Alyss?"

The young diplomat straightened her back. When she spoke, there was no sign of hesitation detectable in her voice.

"Halt threw Sir Montague in his moat. When he came out, we wouldn't wait until he had changed clothes, because we had spent enough time there. That's why the document is slightly wet."

Unfortunately, that answer seemed to raise more questions than it answered. Once again, the Baron addressed her, the frown in his head more explicit than she had ever seen it.

"Why did Halt throw him into the moat?"

Alyss realised that with her vague answer, she threatened Halt's status and the newfound respect that he deserved after their mission. So she added some necessary details.

"Because Sir Montague showed absolute disrespect for the laurel branch that I wear and for your baronship, my Lord."

The Lord in question seemed to be a bit at a loss of words at this sudden turn in events. So, Pauline took the lead.

"Pray tell us what happened in his chambers, Alyss. In detail, please."
And so she did, starting with their hour of waiting after their arrival, and ending with him being thrown into a moat, hesitating once again when she came to the repetition of his not very flattering words.

"He said some not very flattering words, about you, my Lady, and you, my Lord..."

"... And you," Pauline added quietly.

Alyss shrugged.

"... Well, he only called me names, in a certain way."

"And then Halt threw him into his moat?" Arald asked.

Alyss redirected her attention away from her mentor, so that she could look the Baron straight in the eye.
"To be fair, my Lord, I might have given him the idea. I wondered out loud whether his castle had a moat and then, well, you can imagine what happened then."

Baron Arald shook his head in exasperation, but she didn't see a single sign of disapproval. When she looked at Pauline, there was even the faintest smile present.

"If that was all, then you have my leave, Alyss. You did very well."
Alyss nodded.

"Only one last thing, my Lord, my Lady. I need new credentials."

"What happened to them?" Pauline asked.

Alyss smiled apologetically.

"I'm afraid Sir Montague tore them in half, my lady."

Arald shook his head in pure exasperation.

"Tell Halt to pass by later this week, would you?"

The young diplomat nodded again.

"I will, my Lord."

Alyss turned around and made her way back to the door. Before she could leave the room, however, Pauline called her back.
"Alyss?"

"Yes, Pauline?"

The older Courier merely smiled.

"You did well."