Halt's Ranger Apprentices- John Flanagan Ranger Apprentice fan-fiction

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:

It was early morning, Halt was in his room, Crowley had bunked on the couch, Will in his room, Duncan in Castle Redmont and Squirt was standing outside in the fresh morning air. She was thinking hard, trying to look at the situation in Duncan's or Halt's or anyone else's shoes who knew about the secret. Maybe I'm being too hard, she thought to herself. She sat on one of the chairs on the veranda trying to think it all through carefully. It had been an hour of thinking when the door of the cabin opened. Will came out and sat next to Squirt. Squirt didn't look away from her gloomy gaze in the distance, but her peripheral vision told her that it was Will.

"How are you?" Will said after several minutes of silence. Squirt sat there considering the question carefully. She came to a decision.

"I have know idea" she said. It was the truth. Squirt's heart was saying that she wanted take revenge on everyone, but all the rest of her body were saying that she was being too hard on them all and that she should forgive them. Will knew that she was thinking about the secret. He knew that it wasn't Halt's or Duncan's fault for anything and he had to get Squirt to see that. He put his hand on her arm.

"They love you, you do know that?" Squirt just sat there and didn't respond, Will squeezed her arm gently "And deep down, you love them too" Squirt turned to look at him for the first time that day. He's right, she thought. Squirt didn't say anything, she looked away from him and continued her gloomy gaze in the distance once again. Will let go of her arm now.

"I'll make some breakfast and coffee" He said, Squirt nodded. Will went back into the cabin and shut the door gently. As he walked in, he jumped in surprise to see Halt and Crowley sitting at the table. He could smell the aroma of the coffee on the stove and could hear the bubbling sound of bacon sizzling in a pan. Will gave them a sad smile and sat at the table with them.

"How is she?" Halt asked. Will sighed tiredly.

"She doesn't know" he said. Halt and Crowley exchanged a curious glance.

"What do you mean 'she doesn't know'" Crowley asked.

"Well, last night I got her to put herself in Duncan's shoes and got her to pretend that her soul-mate had just died and that she had a baby look after what would she do, and she answered in very much the same thing that Duncan had done. I pointed out to her that Duncan didn't do it to hurt her and that he did it so something like this massicre wouldn't happen. I think she's starting to see sense, but I'm not sure, now she doesn't know what she feels about you guys" Crowley and Halt listened intently.

"Thank you Will" Crowley said, "You helping us alot" Will nodded

"I hate seeing her like this" he said sadly and both Halt and Crowley nodded in agreement.

Squirt was still sitting on a chair on the veranda, when she saw Duncan appear on his horse coming towards the cabin. Squirt took a deep nervous breath. She had come to a decision. She sat there, not making eye contact with him. He strode up the steps and stood in front of the chair for several seconds to see if Squirt would say anything or even look at him, She didn't. He went towards the door to open it when he felt something tug on his shirt. He turned and saw Squirt looking at him

"Wait..." she said and gestured for him to sit down. He stood back from the door and sat down in a chair opposite to Squirt. They sat in silence for several minutes until Squirt spoke. "If I...Forgive you, which I'm not saying I am, would I have to give up my apprenticeship?" Duncan stunned by her sudden forgiveness talking and sat up straighter and considered the question carefully.

"Well," he said "Would you like to continue your apprenticeship?" he asked. Squirt answered immediatly with out histation

"Yes" Duncan nodded and considered the question very, very carefully.