Ranger's Apprentice Quick Stories

Haunting of the Past Pt.3

Halt had left a few hours ago when Will had arrived back home from Pauline's. Then, Will had set Maddie off to more chores for the rest of the afternoon.

Now, they were back inside. Maddie was cooking their dinner, a skill that Will was enjoying having around. He had to admit that, no matter how much he practiced, he would never be able to top a woman's naturally ability to cook.

"Smells excellent," he complimented. Maddie smiled over her shoulder at him. It was a forced smile, he noticed, and he frowned to himself as the young girl went back to work. Still, it was clear that something was on her mind.

For a few moments, he waited in silence. Then, he mouthed the words.

Three... two... one...

"Will?"

Right on cue.

Will turned to look at Maddie expectantly. She'd apparently reached the point in her cooking when she could afford to take a break, because she'd sat her ingredients to one side and was leaning against the counter. There was a sheepish, almost shy look to her eyes, something that was extremely rare. Maddie was a lot of things, but sheepish and shy weren't two of them.

Will realized that, this time, his simple gaze wasn't enough to goad her into action. He stood and moved to stand beside, her, leaning against the counter as she was.

"What's on your mind?" he asked. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Maddie drew a deep breath.

"Do you remember in Skandia," she began slowly, then hesitated. "Well, actually, Halt told me- No, that's not where I should start. Okay, so for a while now-"

Will raised an eyebrow as Maddie started, then stopped, about three sentences without finishing a single one. Finally, he sighed, rubbing his temple.

"Always with the questions," he teased. But Maddie's face fell, and he realized that now was not the time for jokes. This must be serious. A little concerned, he turned to look at her head on.

"Maddie?" he asked gently. "What is it?"

She lifted her gaze to meet his, and he was shocked to find a few tears shining in her eyes.

"I don't like admitting when I can't do something," she said. Will thought briefly on the irony that she'd just done that very thing in that very sentence. Then he pushed the thought aside, focusing instead on Maddie's pain-filled face. He waited patiently. Finally, she drew another deep breath.

"You know that I had some warmweed in Skandia," she said, a little rushed. Will couldn't help but frown at the memory. Then, seeing the shame on Maddie's face, he softened his expression.

"You didn't know what it was," he comforted, touching her forearm reassuringly. "And I shouldn't have reacted so harshly when I saw you with it. Is that what this is about?" He wondered only now if his intense reaction to the drug had perhaps scared Maddie.

But Maddie was already shaking her head.

"No," she said. "Halt told me about your past with the drug. I didn't know, but I do now, and I don't blame you for reacting the way you did."

Will hesitated. He didn't like for people to know that particular part of his past. It was a weakness that could not only be exploited, but that constantly haunted him on some level. Still, if it helped Maddie understand why he'd been so harsh, he supposed he couldn't blame Halt for telling her. It did no harm, he reasoned.

"Then what's wrong?" he asked now. Maddie bit her lip, her eyes sliding to the side.

"Well... Before we met back up at the camp, I tried some of it. Before I knew what it was," she added hastily. "And I haven't tried any since you made me promise not to. But..."

"You're going through withdraws," Will finished. It wasn't a question. Part of him had wondered if this would happen. It didn't matter how much of the drug one took. As strong as it was, there would always be withdraws.

Maddie nodded, her head drooping in shame. Will took her chin in his hand and lifted her head again, forcing her to meet his steady gaze.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner, Maddie?" he asked gently. "This is hard. You shouldn't have to do it alone."

Maddie sniffed, wiping a tear away furiously.

"I didn't want you to know that I'd had that much of the drug!" she cried. "I thought you'd get mad at me!"

Will felt a strange tug at his heart. He remembered the days when he tried to hide things from Halt, fearing that he might disappoint his mentor. Knowing that Maddie felt this way toward him now gave Will a strange sense of protectiveness. He pulled his goddaughter in close to his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

"Maddie," he said softly. "I'm not mad at you. I'm proud of you for the strength you carry yourself with. But you're too independent sometimes. You'll learn as you get older that it's okay to admit when something is too hard for you to do alone. Especially to me. I'm here to teach you, and that means helping you along the way. And trust me, Maddie, this will get better. I promise. It takes time, but it gets better. Understand?"

He felt Maddie's head nodding against him.

"Yes," came her muffled reply. Will smiled sadly, kissing the top of her head.

"Good," he said, pulling her away gently. "Now finish up that dinner before I wither away."

Maddie smiled, sniffling and wiping the last of her tears away.

"Like you'll ever wither away," she teased, turning back to their dinner. "You've nearly got the appetite of my father."

Will scoffed.

"No one has that appetite except your father himself."