The Fires of Esus - Ranger's Apprentice

Chapter 2: I Was Hoping You Knew

As Will passed through the gates of Castle Redmont four days later, the guards shouted to warn others of his arrival. Who's waiting for me? This trip wasn't urgent at all, no one should have even noticed I was gone. As he and Tug trotted through the archway, a few people noticed and waved in greeting, while others stared up in awe at the Ranger. It wasn't that he never visited the castle, most of these people were familiar with him by now. But for some, they never got past the fact that he was a famous Ranger. They would never treat him like an equal. This was something Will always resented about his fame, but something he had also learned to live with.

Tug had only just slowed to a stop in the courtyard when Gilan and Alyss came bursting out of the double doors leading to the Great Hall. He sighed with relief at the sight of Alyss. It had been a difficult week, spent traveling through dark forests alone without his bow, and the unsettling memory of her apparition in the fires ruining his sleep. But if he thought he was going to have a moment of peace, he was wrong.

"I got your message," Gilan shouted, waving a piece of paper around in his hand and jogged up to Tug.

"What message? Aren't you supposed to be back at Castle Araluen?" Will snapped back, irritated that Gilan hadn't even let him get off his horse before bombarding him with news. He swung himself off Tug, and turned only to catch Alyss as she threw herself into his arms.

"You almost got yourself burned to death, you idiot!" she cried as she squeezed his neck so tightly Will could hardly breathe.

"How do you - " he croaked, and Alyss finally relinquished her hold. He sighed. "How do you know about that?" He turned back to Gilan, confused. "I didn't send a message."

Alyss raised an eyebrow. "Gilan got the letter from the Baron of Stamford, the letter you apparently told him to write."

Will was dumbfounded. "I only told him to write a letter if another fire happened. It's only been four days." He met Gilan's eyes. "Where was it? What burned down this time?"

Gilan scratched his neck anxiously. "A tavern at Drexel. A small fief, only a few kilometers north of Stamford along the edge of the Solitary Plains."

Will pressed Gilan further. "Did they find anything? In the wreckage? Were there any witnesses?"

He held up a hand to fend off the barrage of questions. "Nothing survived the flames, and no, no one saw who started it, they only saw it once it had engulfed the entire building."

Alyss squeezed his hand. He could tell she was worried, but that she was holding it together for the sake of Gilan, and maybe for even for himself. "It's just like the fire you got caught in. The Baron sent a full report of both."

Gilan, having gotten over his initial excitement, was peering at Will strangely. "Call me crazy, Will, but aren't you missing a few things? Where's your cloak? And your bow?" His eyebrows climbed farther up his forehead with each question.

Will raised an eyebrow shrewdly. "Where do you think they've gone? Perhaps they're where my saddlebags disappeared to? Maybe I just lost them all and they're waiting in the forest for me right where I left them." Gilan looked pointedly' over his shoulder at Tug, noting the lack of saddlebags, the empty bow case, and the slightly charred quiver and arrows.

Alyss squeezed his hand again, but not as gently this time. "Don't be mean, Will," she said sternly, although she was very unsuccessfully hiding a smile.

Gilan rolled his eyes and turned away from them both. "Look at this, now it's both of you ganging up on me, two against one! That's not fair!" He threw his hands up in mock outrage. But after a moment of silence, he turned back around and was met with two very unforgiving stares. "Fine, I know all his stuff probably got burned up, I just didn't think of it right away."