Ranger's Apprentice Quick Stories

Into the Woods Pt. 3

Maddie woke with her mouth feeling like cotton. She smacked her lips a few times, trying to work her jaws in hopes that saliva would moisten her tongue. She had no luck.

Slowly, she sat up and glanced around her. She was in a small, humble looking cabin. It wasn't the same as the one she and Will shared back in Redmont. This one had a different layout. Nearby, she could see several shelves and tabletops piled with medicinal jars and flasks and equipment.

She took a few minutes to allow her groggy mind to refocus. She wasn't sure what had happened or how she'd gotten there. The last thing she could remember was keeping watch in the edge of the woods like Will had asked her to.

Finally satisfied that she could stand and walk without losing her balance, she made her way shakily to the door. It was cracked, so she opened it as quietly as she could. She wasn't sure who had brought her here. The fact that she was still alive suggested that it was a friend, but she couldn't be too careful.

Her nerves disappeared, however, when she saw Will in the clearing just outside of the cabin. He was seated on the grass a few meters away, trying his best to pet four puppies with just two hands.

"Will?" she called softly. Her voice was hoarse and scratchy. She cleared her throat and smacked her lips a few more times, wishing that awful feeling of cotton would go away.

Hearing her voice, Will turned around rather quickly. His face seemed to relax, as if he'd been carrying a great deal of concern moments earlier. He sat the puppies, who had all managed to crawl in his lap, to the side gently and stood to make his way to Maddie. She grunted as he crushed her in a massive hug.

"Maddie," Will sighed, squeezing her tightly. "How are you feeling? Are you alright?"

Maddie rubbed her eyes to dispel the sleep in them as Will stepped back.

"I feel like I just woke up from the deepest sleep of my life," she said slowly. Will nodded.

"That's probably because you did, in a way."

Maddie frowned now, cocking her head to one side.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "What happened. Last I remember, I was in the woods keeping watch."

Will nodded again, an angry expression clouding his features.

"You were ambushed. I don't know how. But they managed to drug you and they were trying to carry you across the Pictan boarder. I stopped them just in time. Unfortunately, I had to take down the rider who was carrying you, and you took a fall from the horse. You were concussed, and probably still are, though not as bad as a few days ago."

Maddie blinked slowly. She was painfully aware that it was taking her much longer to process Will's words than it normally would.

"Hold on," she said, shaking her head. Immediately, she wished she hadn't. She swayed dizzily and Will reached out to steady her. "Did you say 'a few days ago'? How long have I been here, exactly?"

Will pursed his lips in thought. "About five days," he decided. Maddie balked.

"What?" she cried. Will gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"That drug they used was quite powerful. Malcolm said it would probably take several days, possibly even a week before you first showed signs of fully waking up."

Maddie's eyebrows twitched together.

"Malcolm?"

Will smiled softly, as if suddenly just now realizing that he had yet to introduce his old friend to his mentor.

"Ah, yes," he said. "Maddie, follow me. There's someone I would like you to meet."

Maddie frowned, slowly following Will around the corner of the cabin. She gasped aloud at the sight before her. From every direction, strange beings were making their way out of the woods, all of them gathering near something in the clearing. Maddie saw short people, sickly thin people, people with a hunched back, or a missing foot. Across the clearing, on the far left near the wood's edge, was a rather tall man with a mishapen mouth.

"That's Trobar," Will said under his breath. Maddie glanced to him with wide eyes.

"Isn't Trobar the one that gave you Ebony?"

Will smiled at the memory, nodding. "That's him. He regularly breeds those dogs now. Those pups you saw me playing with around front are his newest litter."

Maddie glanced back at Trobar. He was bent double to pet a full-sized boarder shepherd, which Maddie guessed was the mother of the pups.

"Over here," Will called, and Maddie followed as Will gently made his way through the crowd of people.

In the center of the ruckus was an old, thin man. He had wrinkles around his eyes, like he was used to smiling a lot. In fact, he had a wide grin on his face now as he administered some sort of salve on the burned skin of someone.

"Come back just before dark and I'll reapply," he said, and the person smiled their thanks before scurrying away.

"Malcolm," Will said before the next person in line could step forward. Malcolm turned and beamed at Will.

"Morning, Will! Isn't it a lovely one?" he cried in a joyous voice. Maddie couldn't help but feel her spirits lift at the mere happiness on Malcolm's face. It seemed as if the man's positivist was contagious. 

"It is indeed," Will replied. Then he stepped to the side, allowing Malcolm a full view of Maddie. "I'd like to introduce you to my apprentice, Maddie."

Malcolm gave a toothy grin.

"Ahhh, so she's awake eh? Well, it's good to meet you, Maddie! Good to meet you indeed!"

He reached forward and shook her hand gleefully. Maddie smiled politely.

"Good to meet you too, sir. I assume you're the one who helped me heal from being drugged?"

Malcolm's eyes twinkled. "And concussed," he added. Will frowned, but Malcolm only smiled. Maddie's own smile grew wider. She liked Malcolm.

"Thank you," she told the man, and he waved her gratitude away.

"Malcolm, do you remember Horace?" Will asked. Malcolm turned his smile to Will, nodding vigorously.

"Hard to forget that young man," he said. "I hear he's the Crown Princess Reagent's Champion now days!"

Will nodded. "That, and Maddie's father."

Maddie and Malcolm both balked. Malcolm turned a look of renewed respect on the girl before him. As for Maddie, she stared at Will in complete shock. So far, they had kept Maddie's identity a complete secret wherever they went, for her safety. Clearly, Will trusted this Malcolm character.

"Well, I'll be!" Malcolm cried. He smiled even brighter than moments before. "She's impressive!"

Will simply nodded. Then, Malcolm's eye gleamed in that mischievous way again.

"And I am assuming her mother, the princess, is quite a beauty. I don't remember Horace having such dashing looks..."