Ranger's Apprentice: Alex + The Burning Bridge (Discontinued)

The Mysterious Rider

It was close to midnight when the single rider reined in his horse outside the small cottage set in the trees below Castle Redmont. The laden pack pony, trailing behind the saddle horse, ambled to a halt as well. The rider, a tall man who moved with the grace of youth, swung down from the saddle and stepped up onto the narrow veranda, stooping to avoid the low-lying eaves. From the lean-to stable at the side of the house came the sound of a gentle nickering and his own horse's head rose as he answered the greeting. 

The rider raised his fist to knock on the door when he saw a light come on behind the curtained windows. He hesitated. The light moved across the room and, a second or so later, the door opened before him.

"Gilan," Halt said, without any note of surprise in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

The young Ranger laughed incredulously as he faced his former teacher. "How do you do it, Halt?" he asked. "How could you possibly know it was me arriving in the middle of the night, before you'd even open the door?" 

Halt shrugged, gesturing for Gilan to enter the house. He closed the door behind him and moved to the neat little kitchen, opening the damping vent on the stove and sending new life flaring into the wood coals inside. He tossed a handful of kindling into the stove and set a copper kettle on the hot plate over the fire chamber, shaking it first to make sure there was plenty of water in it. 

"I heard you horse some minutes ago," he said finally. "Then, when I heard Abelard call a greeting, I knew it had to be a Ranger horse." He shrugged again. Simple when you explained it, the gesture said. Gilan laughed again in reply.

"Well that narrowed it down to fifty people, didn't it?" he said. Halt cocked his head to one side with a pitying look.

Alex walked out at that time and laughed seeing Halt like that. 

"Gilan, I must have hear you stumbling up that front step a thousand times when you were studying with me," He said. "Give me credit for recognizing that sound once more."

Alex had a brush in her one hand and a piece of green ribbon in the other. Her head was tilted slightly to one side and she was brushing her hair. Once it was nice and straight she brushed it back and put it in a braid. Then she tied the ribbon on the end to keep the braid from falling undone.

Then she pushed the braid to hang down her back. "Hey, Gilan." Alex said. Gilan studied her. She was wearing what she would wear during the day. She slept in what she was wearing the day before. 

Will walked in the room. His clothes were pulled hastily over his nightshirt, his hair was still tousled from sleep.

"Evening,Gilan." he said casually. "What brings you here?"

Gilan looked to each of them in something like despair. "Isn't anybody surprised when I turn up in the middle of the night?" he asked of no one in particular. Halt, busy by the stove, turned away to hide a grin. 

A few minutes earlier, he'd heard Will moving hurriedly to the window as the horses drew closer to the cottage. Obviously, his apprentice had overheard Halt's exchange with Gilan and was doing his best to emulate his own casual approach to the unexpected arrival. Alex had walked in when Gilan had just asked a question so that Halt would answer before she could talk. That way she got to know who it was and could do her best at a casual approach. Plus she had done her hair to give her extra time to calm down from the surprise.

Halt knew that both of them were burning with curiosity. He decided to call their bluff. "It's late, twins." he said. "You may as well go back to bed. We have a busy day tomorrow."

Instantly, the twins' nonchalant expressions were replaced by stricken looks. The suggestion from their master was tantamount to an order. 

"Oh, please, Halt! I want to know what is going on!" They exclaimed.