Ranger's Apprentice: The Rangers' Test

Chapter 8

Halt's mouth instantly felt like cotton.

"What do you mean he hasn't arrived?"

Of course, the sentence was perfectly clear in its meaning. Andross glanced at Crowley for help, unsure of how to explain what he meant to the admittedly intimidating Ranger standing between them.

Crowley, of course, felt his own sense of mounting worry, as did Duncan. But neither of them felt the level of worry that Halt was feeling as Gilan's mentor.

Slowly, gently, Crowley stepped forward and laid a hand on Halt's upper arm.

"Halt..." he said carefully, attempting to soothe the man's mind, which was clearly working overtime with this new information.

"Sirs David and MacNeil said they hadn't heard from Gilan," Andross elaborated. Unseen by the Ranger of Caraway Fief, Crowley glared at him. This wasn't helping Halt, he knew. Nevertheless, Andross ambled on. "They assumed he'd been delayed."

"I sent a letter to you," Halt stated. "I told you that he'd left, and you knew that the letter should have arrived at roughly the same time as Gilan."

His voice was dangerously low. Behind the dark haired man, Crowley and Duncan shared a nervous glance. They both knew what it meant when Halt's voice dropped in both volume and octave, and his thick Hibernian accent returned. It was never good.

Andross was nodding. "I received your letter. But it had only been a few weeks since it was sent. Nothing suggested that Gilan hadn't simply been caught up in some bad weather."

"But he never arrived," Halt repeated. Andross chewed his lip, glancing once more at Crowley for help. The Ranger Commandant moved to lay a heavy hand on Halt's shoulder.

"Halt," he said firmly. "Don't jump to conclusions. Gilan could've easily arrived in the days since Andross left to travel here. There's no reason that we should worry."

Halt swallowed, forcing himself to listen to his friend. No need to worry. There's no need to worry. Don't worry. He repeated the words in his mind until he felt like they were actually taking effect on him. When he felt in control of himself once more, he allowed himself to speak.

"Worry or no worry, I'm going to look into it," he stated. Usually, such a task would require a formal request of a leave of absence to Crowley. But seeing as how they all planned to leave for Caraway soon anyway to look into this letter sent by Selwyn, Halt saw no need to ask. Crowley, likewise, saw no need for any formal conversation.

"Of course," he told Halt. "We'll help you look for any signs of something that might have gone wrong on our way to Caraway."

Halt nodded his gratitude.

"I wish I could help," Duncan put in from behind the group of Rangers. "But my duties require that I stay here."

Most kings might say such a thing simply to make themselves appear more generous and caring than they truly were. But Duncan was a different kind of ruler, and the Rangers all knew that the king meant his words.

"We should be fine, my lord," Crowley said, smiling at Duncan. "Thank you for the thought, though."

Duncan nodded. "Then I wish you safe travels. And good luck."

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As the three Rangers left Castle Araluen, the cobble path turned to dirt and the sounds of their horses hooves changed from a metallic clang to a dull clop. They swung their horses to face north and slightly east, in the direction of Caraway Fief. But Halt suddenly froze, pulling back on Abelard's reins.