#castle redmont

[that-one-enby-ranger]

GUYS I THINK I FOUND THE INSPIRATION FOR CASLTE REDMONT! Don't know if someones already found this but here it is anyway:

It's called Castle Caerlaverock and it is a TRIANGULAR SHAPED castle, with a MOAT, and is made of REDSTONE. That is literally the description of Castle Redmont. It is in Scotland but that doesn't matter, it's close to England.

I was doing some research on Scotland a few years back for school when I found this castle. I just remembered it a couple minutes ago.

[caffeineinducedbeing]

frostbound

---

It was a cold and bristly evening. Heavy flakes of snow hit the windowpanes before falling to the ground to join their companions, forming thick snowbanks, and covering the beautiful grounds of Redmont in luscious white clouds.

It was a truly wonderful time of the year.

To be inside where it's warm.

Cold weather had always agreed with Alyss, the hot sweaty environment that the summer offered was just too miserable to the courier. She preferred being comfortable in a warm cloak than sweating in the unrevealing clothing that her gender was expected to adorn.

Thankfully, during the summer months. She was usually at home with her husband; where she could wear whatever the hell she wanted with no commentary from him. Well, no insulting commentary anyway. But Will Treaty had an excellent command of the Araluen language and knew exactly how to use it to stimulate a reaction from his beautiful wife.

And that usually went exactly as planned.

But today, it was below freezing. So Alyss covered as much of her skin as possible, and then more on top of that. She felt like a ball of cloth, but she was warm. There's no fashion in the winter months anyway, sacrifices were made for comfort and no one gave two shits about it.

It just meant that at the end of a long workday, you had to put all of those layers back on, and then ride home. And although the ride was short-- just under half an hour, it felt like days when you were shivering beneath your coats and scarves, all your energy being forcefully sucked into the unproductive shivering that your body insists on subjecting you to.

Alyss stared out the massive window in her office, watching the snow fall, dreading what came next on her schedule and contemplating staying at the castle tonight. Will would presume that's what she was doing when she wasn't home within the hour, it wasn't uncommon for one of them to stay at Redmont when they had a late night, when the ride to the cabin seemed too tiresome.

They didn't like to do that though, neither of them slept as well without the other anymore, although the mutual dependency conflicted with their jobs. But that's how it was. Alyss felt safer with Will beside her, and Will slept more peacefully with Alyss beside him. Without either of those things, it wasn't the same.

That's why Alyss truly didn't want to not go home tonight, but the ride through the deepening snow seemed too detrimental. And who knows, maybe it would be too deep to ride through in the morning, and the project she was working on at the moment couldn't be postponed.

She would stay at Redmont for the night, Will would understand. Not that she ever doubted he would.

She could ask Arald for a guest suite, he would of course give it to her free of charge, he tended to spoil her like that; the advantages of being the Baron's surrogate daughter, she thought with an interior smile.

But it was already 8:30. She didn't want to bother the Baron. The next option was quite obvious.

She knocked on Halt and Pauline's door, patiently waiting for one of them to answer.

The door swung open with a creak, and revealed a very cheery-looking Pauline, "hello!" she cried, "come in dear, what a pleasant surprise."

Alyss stepped inside, her gratitude evident as she addressed Pauline, "I'm sorry for the impromptu visit. Would it be possible for me to stay here tonight? The snow is looking rather—" Her words trailed off as she locked eyes with her husband, who was seated on the couch with a mischievous grin

He stood as Alyss entered, playfulness dancing in his eyes. "Looks like we had the same idea."

Alyss suppressed the urge to reciprocate a smile.

"It looks like we did."

He took the bag from her hands, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek as he did so.

"Far too cold to endure horseback in this weather, hmm?"

"Mmhmm" she nodded at him, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of amusement and suspicion.

"You were meant to be working from home today, Will," she quipped.

Will looked back over at her, feigning confusion, "Was I?"

Alyss nodded back at him. A knowing glance passing between them.

Will shook his head, "Must have slipped my mind as I rode over," he responded with a wink as he crashed back on the couch with an air of nonchalance.

Alyss shook her head, exchanging a look with Halt that conveyed a shared exasperation.

"He follows you like a lost puppy, have you noticed that?" Halt remarked dryly, his voice laced with amusement.

Alyss chuckled, her gaze shifting back to Will.

"He does indeed." She agreed, slipping off her winter cloak. Will's casual demeanor couldn't hide the truth—his devotion to her was apparent in every glance and gesture.

She settled on the couch next to her husband, curling into his side naturally.

"But I wouldn't have it any other way."

[theoakleafpancake]

The Ties of Fate

[Image ID: A drawing of two emblems, one a leopard’s eye and the other a snake’s eye. The leopard is red and the snake is yellow, and both of them have a sort of lightning strike reaching towards each other. /End ID]

::: ::: :::

The bells were ringing again. It was a sound they all dreaded, a sound that dampened the usual cheer of the dawn of a new day.

It was the sound of war.

Will Barret lowered the bow—the bow he’d made from a tree branch—and turned to watch as the single rider made his way along the road. A coil of unease slithered inside him, and without a second thought, he leaped through the little woods, towards the farmhouse in the field.

Daniel was already outside, carrying the shovel back into the barn. “Dad!” Will shouted. His father looked up and waved a hand, stopping as he waited.

“Is everything alright?”

He slowed down, panting. “Rider,” he said, letting out a slow breath. “There’s a rider coming.”

::: ::: :::

This is my AU submission for the Ranger assessment! (More info under the cut)

It’s kinda of a reversal AU, but also not really because about half of it remains the same. It’s also still very rough so I haven’t figured out all the logistics yet.

Morgarath was never defeated. In fact, the original war continued on much longer, with each group taking heavy losses. So much so that it came to a point where a tense truce was offered.

Unfortunately, Morgarath’s advances reached from Gorlan to a shaky line across Araluen. Thus Araluen was split into Duncan’s land and Morgarath’s land (now known as Tenebris).

The erasure of the Ranger Corps did happen. And Crowley did end up uniting the Originals to help Duncan. Unlike in the main timeline, he did it alone.

Halt O’Carrick, once heir to the throne of Dun Kilty, faced the same assassination attempts from his brother Ferris. It was around the third attempt that their father grew extremely ill.

Instead of allowing Ferris to take the throne, Halt was determined to keep his brother’s corruption from spreading. So he stayed. Caitlyn was the first to know. Halt had his own ensemble that was loyal to him, and managed to keep Ferris compliant for the time being. And so when the King died, Halt took the throne.

In this AU, he still met Pritchard and trained with him. His main weapon is still a bow and arrow. He has his own guards practice the weapon as well. For a while, everything went relatively smoothly.

There was no Ranger to save, and Daniel survived. The other two who ransacked his home in the original story (I can’t remember their names) still tried to pull their stunt but were unsuccessful. His wife lived and so did Will. For fifteen years, all was still.

(For reference, I gave them the last name of Barret. Vira is his wife and Will’s mother)

When the war commences once more, Will is forced back into it as well as his father. Will proves to be not so competent in most weaponry and finds himself with the archers.

The rest of the Wards are still in their respective places. As Morgarath plans, Battleschool students, Diplomats, and Scribes are all doing their own part.

Horace is a natural when it comes to swordsmanship, but not when it comes to fitting in. His mother lives alone, and he worries about her every day. Alda, Bryn, and Jerome make his life a living hell every day and he almost wishes he never joined.

Alyss strives to be everything Lady Pauline is. Her family is still gone, and so she did grow up in the Ward with George and a few others. Coincidentally, a popular baker in town frequents Castle Redmont to help with any major events. Her daughter, Jenny, often tags along and spends time with Alyss and George.

Never given the opportunity to choose another path, Gilan is a respected knight in Caraway. He still looks to the Rangers with longing and envy, but he knows it’s far too late to join. And besides, this is what everyone expected of him, right? As the Battlemaster’s son, it’s only natural.

At the start of the AU, Cassandra is placed in Celtica. Which geographically speaking is still weird because I have no idea how she would have made it even with a truce, but I’ll figure it out. The war did start again some time after she had arrived, so there’s that. Madelydd and her get into all sorts of antics and enjoy spending time with one another.

As the war starts, Crowley and Duncan are noticeably concerned about the growing size of Morgarath’s army. They will need more support if they have any hope of winning, but international relationships are not so well off. Fortunately, though small, an army from Hibernia decides to cut in on the decision of one of the six Kings - Halt O’Carrick

And of course, Ferris sees this as the perfect moment to strike. His brother leaves Caitlyn and Ferris in charge, not without sparing a few of his men to keep an eye on his brother. Unfortunately, Ferris has his own loyal followers. If the King were to leave to fight a war and never return, no one would bat an eye, after all.

No one except Caitlyn.

Anyways, that’s all I have for now! Everything will tie together eventually, I just have to figure out how to get there, lol.

[an1d10t]

Headcannon that Halt got lost the first time he needed to got to castle Redmont for a meeting.

I just feel like he would because I’m pretty sure that Irish cities are different than English ones

[theraven-gil-lyn]

15 - Unbridled

‘Now I get a chance to show what an administrative genius I am. Gilan’s new fief adjoins the north-eastern border of Redmont. In fact, Castle Whitby is less than ten kilometres from the border.’ He raised a hand to still Will’s instant question. ‘Yes, yes. I know, Whitby is an important fief too. So that’s why, if you agree to all this, Alun will base himself at Whitby rather than Castle Araluen. He can still attend to paperwork and administration for me and he’ll be on hand if you and Halt are called away. In such a case, Gilan moves into Redmont Fief—’

‘Which he is familiar with anyway,’ Will interrupted.

‘Exactly. He served his apprenticeship there, after all. Then Alun can resume temporary duty as Ranger of Whitby. And, of course, young Clarke will take your place at Seacliff. Didn’t I say I’m a genius?’

The Kings of Clonmel // Ch 8

crowley acts like he’s a genius working out logistics but we all know that he sits in his office, at his most deranged, to make it work

[solarishashernoseinabook]

For the trick or treat, could I get a Arald/Duncan? As a trick, please.

Here ya go :D

~

When Arald inherited his father’s position as Baron of Redmont, King Oswald came to personally offer his condolences for his father’s death. Redmont being so important to the kingdom meant Oswald had worked closely with Arald’s father Wellaby, and he said he looked forward to working with Arald in the future. Arald didn’t remember what he had said – empty platitudes, probably. Oswald had brought his son Prince Duncan along with him, and all of a sudden Arald’s plans of settling down with a nice young woman were dashed to pieces. He only tried to bring up his feelings once, when he and Duncan found themselves sharing a tent on campaign. In a low, hesitant voice, he asked if Duncan had ever felt any attraction to men.

There had been a few agonising moments of silence; then Duncan had laughed. Arald had forced a laugh as well, and they spoke no more about it. A few months later Arald proposed to young Lady Sandra de Claire, who accepted instantly, and they managed to live comfortably enough, even if Sandra had to acknowledge that she was not the only object of Arald’s affections. Arald, too, made peace with his feelings, or thought he had, and regarded Duncan as a good friend.

Months later, that friendship was tested when whispered rumours said Duncan had tried to poison King Oswald. Arald refused to believe it. Duncan was a good person, not power-hungry enough to kill his father. But then Duncan seemingly disappeared after a trip to Gorlan, and a few weeks later news came that he was fighting and raiding near the Pictish border. Arald was sure it was a mistake, but the news kept coming, and Arald was too busy running Redmont to track him down and find out the truth for himself. Soon, it became impossible to deny that Duncan was up to something. Arald tried to harden his heart towards Duncan, tried to tell himself he had been wrong about the prince, but it wasn’t that easy. Sandra spent many long nights comforting him as he cried over the betrayal.

And then the most wonderful news came – Duncan hadn’t been raiding at all, but imprisoned, and an impostor had been raiding instead. Arald leapt at the chance to save the prince and expose Lord Morgarath for the duplicitous traitor that he was.

He saw Duncan at the tournament at Gorlan. The change in him was shocking. No longer was Duncan neatly groomed and well-dressed – now his hair and bear were overly long, his clothing old and dirty, and he had a wild, restless look in his eyes.

It was quite dashing, if Arald was being perfectly honest. When Duncan fought a pitched sword battle with Morgarath on the last day of the tournament, all of Arald’s carefully-buried feelings came rushing back to him.

But nothing could come of them – that Arald knew. A year after the tournament, Arald stood arm-in-arm with Sandra at Duncan’s wedding. Lady Rosalind Serenne was a lovely bride, and Duncan a stunning groom. Seeing the prince there, so close yet so far, brought a lump to Arald’s throat that had nothing to do with the festivities. He had to excuse himself early, taking a few moments alone to recover.

He saw Duncan between then and the wedding, of course, but the next time they spent any significant amount of time together was nearly a year later. Queen Rosalind had gone to Woldon Abbey in the hopes that the sisters could keep her healthy through the last months of her pregnancy, and with Morgarath preparing to attack at any time, Duncan’s army was camped out on the grounds in front of Castle Araluen, ready to move out as soon as it was clear Morgarath would attack in earnest. The fear for his wife and child weighed heavily on Duncan, visible in the lines on his face and the set of his shoulders, and Arald felt keenly for him. But Duncan didn’t talk about it, and Arald didn’t press.

Until one day, when Crowley came back from Woldon Abbey with a newborn baby girl – and no mother in sight.

That night, lying awake, Arald heard the canvas door of his tent draw back and looked up to see Duncan’s tall frame outlined by moonlight. Arald fumbled with his flint and steel and lit the candle beside his cot. In the dim light, Duncan was a changed man. His eyes were red-rimmed, his face tear-stained. ‘She’s gone,’ he choked.

‘I know,’ Arald whispered. ‘I know. I’m sorry.’

Arald wasn’t sure what happened next. All he knew was that Duncan was on the cot next to him, and they were in each other’s arms, and Duncan was sobbing, and Arald was comforting him as best he could. All the while Arald felt like he was drowning in a sea of emotion, but he couldn’t say anything, not with Duncan as he was.

‘You asked me something, years ago,’ Duncan said. ‘You asked if I’d ever been attracted to men.’

Arald swallowed hard past a lump in his throat. ‘I did.’

‘The truth is…’ Duncan sobbed. ‘The truth is…sometimes I have.’

Arald shook his head. Not now, any time but now. ‘Duncan, please—’

Duncan kissed him, grabbing at his clothes, and it took some effort for Arald to push him back. ‘Stop.’

‘I need to forget,’ Duncan said. ‘I need to stop feeling things tonight.’

‘It won’t help, not in the state you’re in,’ Arald said. ‘But if you must, find someone else.’

‘I don’t want to find someone else!’ Duncan said. ‘You asked me!’

‘And since then,’ Arald said, forcing his voice to remain level, ‘I’ve committed myself to Sandra. As you committed yourself to Queen Rosalind.’

Duncan sobbed, and lowered his head to Arald’s shoulder. Arald hugged him close, and together the two men wept: one for what he had lost, the other for what he could never have.

[rangerangel]

Day 23 - Knowledge

Halt sat with his elbows on his knees, watching the steam rise from the small hole in the ground in front of him. It twisted and turned through the chill air until it dissipated into the cold afternoon above him. Making bows was a contemplative task, contemplative enough that Halt had been avoiding it for several weeks now. But as he sat waiting for the steam to soften the wood strips he had carefully prepared the day before, he couldn’t help his thoughts wandering with the steam in the direction of Castle Redmont, and the boy residing somewhere within. He knew very well that this bow could end up being for nothing. It was unlikely that Sir Rodney would take the boy for Battleschool due to his size, and Halt was certain that Baron Arald wouldn’t deny his request to apprentice once he made it. But the boy could always refuse his apprenticeship. Perhaps he preferred the idea of farming to spending all day with a grumpy old Ranger. Maybe Halt’s own natural inclination towards the Ranger lifestyle was just that—his own inclination.

He rose abruptly, shaking the leaves off the cuffs of his pants, and crossed to the wooden board that covered the small pit he had dug to steam the bow. He pulled the board aside and turned his face away from the billowing steam within as he reached for the strips of wood. He had learned this trick from Temujai bowmakers many years before, when he had lived among them for a time, before they had declared him an enemy of the people. The steamed wood would bend easily, and when it was glued into place and dried, it would retain whatever shape he twisted it. He set one strip of wood against the toe of his boot and began to gently warp it with his hand. He would recreate the S-curve of the Temujai recurve bows, something he had practiced over and over. The boy was small, he knew, and it would take some time before he could pull a full sized longbow.

That is, if he could even pull a bow at all. Perhaps Halt wouldn’t be able to teach him effectively, even if he did choose an apprenticeship with the Ranger. He had good luck with Gilan, but Gilan was a fast learner anyways. His success as a Ranger was likely due to his own natural skill, not Halt’s instruction, and if he was honest with himself, it was more than likely just a fluke that Gilan turned out as well as he did. Halt’s hands moved automatically to the next strip of wood and the small jar of glue next to him. At this point, he barely even needed to think about what he was doing as he shaped the bow piece by piece. What if the boy went through his training and ended up dying to some mission due to Halt’s inadequate teaching? He had told Crowley that he didn’t want an apprentice more than a decade before, and yet here he was, choosing to take on another. Tempting fate, that’s what he was doing.

He shook his head slowly, looking at the half-formed bow in his hands. The sun was beginning to descend below the horizon, and Halt had reached a point in his craftsmanship where he needed to let the bow dry before adding the rest of the strips of wood. The bow was still rough, nowhere near complete. It lacked the grace of a fully formed bow, and it likely wouldn’t hold an arrow in its current state. Yet Halt studied it intensely, turning it over in his hands again and again; he had made dozens of bows just like this one, and he knew that his craft was sound. He could see the completed bow in his head, with the upturned tips of the string nocks curving gracefully into the grip. He knew it would shoot well too, once he was done with it. Halt looked slowly from the bow to the red walls of the castle in the distance, gently gleaming in the red sunset, and the faintest hint of a smile began to curve the edge of his mouth. The boy within was just as unfinished, a restless ball of energy with no training and no discipline. But he’d done it once before, hadn’t he? It had taken time and effort, and a great deal more patience than Halt liked to think about. But the knowledge Halt could give the boy might shape him into a Ranger worthy of joining the Corps in his own right. He set the bow in the crook of a nearby tree and began to walk back to his quiet cabin. Tomorrow was Choosing Day, of course, but Halt had already made his choice. Alright Will, he thought, Let’s see what you can be.

[incomingalbatross]

Was tempted to make up a whole crop of next-gen OCs for my own personal Ranger's Apprentice timeline, just so Will and Alyss can have like four kids who keep choosing to be something OTHER than Rangers. I succumbed to the temptation.

Their oldest is named Daniel (obviously) and grew up learning Ranger skills as part of life. No one pushed that career path on him or anything, but there was still a lot of shock and mental readjustment when he turned fourteen and declared he was going to be a knight.

Will and Halt are both disappointed but working very hard to make sure Daniel knows they're not disappointed IN HIM. (They just wanted to get to share their work with him.) Halt is also recalibrating how much he's allowed to insult knights now. Gilan, having done the exact same thing in the other direction, is the voice of unconditional support. Horace is INCREDIBLY smug (and also begging to take his nephew as his own apprentice).

Their second son is named Robin and no one is surprised when he wants to be a Courier, because that's still a family business and it's been clear for years that he's more interested in his mom's work than his dad's. Will's just like "yeah that's fair" and makes sure to give Robin knife lessons on the side, in case of dangerous assignments.

Their third child is named Caitie and after some agonizing she confesses to her mom that she doesn't want to apprentice in anything in particular, she mostly just wants to pick something she won't have to leave home for. Alyss and Will get this and Caitie ends up with a variety of odd jobs at Castle Redmont that will help her learn household management and stewardship. Everyone there loves her, anyway, so they're willing to bend structures for her.

Their fourth child I am tentatively naming Alan, and he's frankly very confused that none of his older siblings chose to be Rangers. He has to check if there's a rule against it, or something, before tentatively bringing up the possibility of his own apprenticeship to his dad. Will—who had by now accepted that none of his children were going to be Rangers—is DELIGHTED by this twist. Alan isn't the favorite child, because there isn't a favorite child, but there are definitely some jokes made to that effect. He himself is very excited about having this extra bond with his dad (does he take after Will in his attachments? maybe) so he doesn't mind being called his mini-me at ALL.

There is a fifth child, and her name is probably Tiffany, and she is BOUND and DETERMINED to be a professional jongleur. Will is delighted to have such a musical child, but also concerned? about the nomadic lifestyle this would entail?? Rangers and Knights and Couriers travel but they always have infrastructure. Neither Will nor Alyss likes the idea of their baby growing up to travel alone, even with all the weapon skills Will can give her. It's an ongoing conflict.

Anyway there's like a six-year period where people keep going "wait, your kids aren't Rangers? NONE of your kids are following in your footsteps? But they're Will Treaty's children! That's so weird!" and Will has to keep shutting that conversation down because it's RUDE to his kids.

[redrose-arrow]

Headcanons. Happy ones.

Alyss has mastered one meal: mushroom pasties. The meal always awaits Will’s return. 

Will once crept up on Alyss to surprise her, but instead of an appreciative kiss, he (accidentally) received a rightly placed hit and a well-coordinated kick. 

Duncan’s favourite times are when he has breakfast with Cassandra. On mornings where his daughter sleeps in, he’ll only have a small bite, so that he doesn’t ruin his appetite for when she finally wakes up and gets breakfast. 

A few years below the Redmont wards, there’s a young girl. Arald and Sandra almost literally adopted her and she ends up following in their steps as Redmont’s Baroness. 

One year, the Rangers threw Crowley a surprise birthday party. It was actually Halt’s idea, but he let the other Renegade Rangers carry it out and take all the credit. 

Every country he travels to, Will makes sure to learn one local folksong. 

Alyss’ favourite thing in the world are fireflies. 

Maddie and Horace love baking in the castle’s kitchen at night. 

In a modern AU, Will would ask Halt to officially adopt him. 

Halt’s favourite sound is that of Pauline laughing out loud. She rarely does, so he cherishes each time. 

On a particularly good day, a long long time ago, Jenny and Alyss made themselves and the three other wards grass bracelets. None of them know that the other four still have it. 

Alyss once lied to George to get him to a certain place, to which Will sneaked and caught him off-guard, so that Horace could pick him up and carry him to another room, where Jenny forcefed him cake. It was George’s birthday, and his friends would be damned to let him spend it alone, again. 

George got to travel to Nihon-Ja once more. There was no civil war this time and he got to enjoy his full time there. 

Cassandra used to do Maddie’s hair each morning when she was younger. It was their little routine. Occassionally, Maddie will still let her mother brush and braid her hair. 

[biggestqiblifan]

Copy and Paste of my RA location challenge fic

Rangers Apprentice Challenges!

1/Location- Seacliff

Will looked out at the lush greens of Seacliff. From his stable Tug neighed, alerting him that someone was approaching.

Getting up from his seat by the window, Will left his mandola resting on the chair and walked to the door.

Something felt different today, but he couldn’t place it.

Something was definitely strange because when he opened the door Will could only stare at the person standing there.

It was Halt.

A grin broke out, “Halt! I haven’t seen you in ages! What are you doing here?” Will went to hug him, glad to see his former mentor.

Then, pulling back, he immediately got worried, as a ranger, he was taught to always expect the worst when something different or out of the ordinary happened.

“Did something happen and Redmont, or Castle Araluen?”

Halt looked at his old apprentice, correction, his son’s worried face and smiled, his ranger instincts were sharp as ever, no matter what he was feeling at Halt’s visit, “no, everything’s fine, but can’t I just come and see you every now and then? Speaking of which, are you going to just leave me out here? Or are you going to let me in?”

Will, ever the apprentice, hurriedly apologized and let Halt in.

When Halt stepped into the threshold, he was met with a pleasant surprise.

Around the room in vases of various sizes and colours, were wildflowers.

Will saw Halt looking and said, “old habits die hard, right? It makes me feel more at home.”

Halt shouldn’t have been surprised, but he still kind of was when he noticed that the mix of flowers was the very same that Halt had had around the cabin at Redmont when Will had been an apprentice.

Though he would never admit it, Halt in that moment felt quite emotional.

Pulling his mask of indifference up, Halt hooked up his Rangers cloak on the wall and went to where Will was making coffee for the two of them.

Truth be told, Halt had been feeling kind of lonely. Pauline was there of course, but it wasn’t the same. It never was. Halt felt that things had become so different the day Will left for Seacliff.

So when the opportunity to see him arose, Halt snatched it up, eager to see his son.

Though he’d never let Will know that.

Or admit it aloud.

He had a reputation to keep after all.

______________________________________________________________Just a little fluff. I feel like Halt would've missed Will.

Bro, I literally wrote this in 15 minutes. I never saw this post. Help.

______________________________________________________________ So, I was asked to make this its own separate post. But I never got around to it. :/ SO HERE IT IS 6 DAYS LATER!

[forgedroyalseal]

His Worst Nightmare

Chapter Six

Lady Pauline was not a violent woman. She knew that words held more power than fists and that the pen was mightier than the sword. She truly believed that there was never a problem that couldn’t be avoided with diplomacy if properly addressed.

She was also sixty seconds away from throwing Halt into a moat.

“Tell me what happened O’Carrick or I swear to god I will make you regret ever meeting me!” Pauline’s hands twitched at her side, desperately wanted to run her hand through her hair in frustration. But she resisted. The carefully pin coils had taken the better part of an hour and it was not yet midday. She still had several meetings that she had to look somewhat presentable for.

“Leave it be Pauline. I don’t know how many times I have to say it!” Halt shouted. Before this week, he had never shouted at her. Now it seemed as though all he did was yell. Or cry, but he tried to pretend otherwise. The first couple days after Halt had moved into Redmont, he had been a silent shadow of himself. He hadn’t said a word about what prompted the move. Even now, all he ever said was that he wished to be left alone. But Pauline refused. She knew something bad had happened. Something horrific. Something that kept Halt awake each night if the purple bruises below his eyes were any indication. She had tried everything she could think of. She had been gentle. Reassuring. Kind. She had used every tactic to open communication she had been taught. She had been empathetic and supportive and patient. And now, she was being angry and pushy.

“Halt, please. You can’t just bottle this up like you try to do with every other emotion you have. This secret is killing you, and I for one refuse to watch it consume you.”

“Go away.” He growled

“Not happening.” She matched his tone.

There was a knock at the door and a familiar head of flaming hair appeared in the doorway. Pauline sighed in relief. “Finally, my reinforcements have arrived.”

“Lady Pauline, always a pleasure.” Crowley smiled before walking over to Halt. He crouched down in front of him so Halt was forced to look down into his eyes. “So, want to tell me what’s happened?”

“Go back to Castle Araluen Crowley.”

“That’s not happening until we get you sorted out. Now, if you won’t tell me as your friend, then you’ll have to tell me as your Commandant.”

“I resign.”

“I deny your resignation.”

“Crowley-“

“Pauline,” Crowley interrupts without breaking eye contact with Halt, “would you be dear and fetch Will? I’m afraid he’s the only other person who might be able to snake the story out of Halt and get him sorted.”

“No!” Halt leapt to his feet, eyes wide. “Leave him be.” The was a frantic note of panic in his voice and Pauline and Crowley shared a look. They had finally found the pressure point to lean on.

Crowley rose beside him, “Why? According to Gilan you said he’s hurt. Though it can’t be that bad since you’ve locked yourself in this room rather than helping Horace and Gilan take care of it. I’m sure he’s perfectly capable of making his way across town to come visit.”

“He’s not. He needs rest, not you two badgering him.”

“Will’s a sweet boy, he’ll be more than happy to check on you. He wouldn’t want you to be this upset, not if he can help.” Pauline reach out towards the door, but Halt lunged past her, slamming the door shut.

“Please, don’t bother him. Please.”

“Why not Halt? What’s happened to him? Why aren’t you with him?” Crowley’s voice was firm and authoritative.

“It’s my fault.” Halt’s resolve crumbled away with the words, the fight and anger leaving his body, replaced with waves of guilt. “I’m the one who hurt him.”

Pauline took his arm and gently steered them to the sofa. Crowley joined them and placed a hand on Halt’s shoulder. “Start at the beginning Halt. Tell us everything.”

And with a heavy sigh, he did. He spends the next hour describing every gruesome detail, unwilling to leave anything out, to minimize the roll he played in Will’s torture. He finishes with his letter to Horace and Will’s reaction to him once he finally came to. Fat tears ran down Crowley and Pauline’s faces, for Will condition of course, but also for the pain and guilt Halt carried.

“It’s not your fault.” Pauline grasped Halt’s hand in hers.

“Of course it is.” He pulled his hand away from her, clenching it into a fist. “I’m the one who hurt him. I’m the one he’s afraid of.”

Crowley began to protest but Halt cut him off. “And don’t say that it’s not my fault because I was forced. I’m the reason we were in that position to begin with. The man was after me. He wanted me to suffer, Will was just the means that he chose to do so. Time and time again Will has been hurt because of me, or because of the Corps. I should never have gotten involved in his life. Look at where it’s lead him.”

“Halt, Will chose to become a ranger. He put the work in, he fought for it. It’s what he wanted. He wasn’t forced into this life, and he certainly didn’t go in blind. Will is brave and has always wanted a life of adventure, if not with the rangers, then with the knights. Don’t discredit Will by pretending he wasn’t in control of his choices.” Crowley said firmly.

“And as for the matter of him being better off without your involvement,” Pauline added, “don’t forget how you found him. Orphaned, alone and scared. You provided with him sanctuary. You gave him a family. You saved him from a life as a nameless field worker and gave him a purpose. Don’t you dare wish all that away from him.”

“I don’t know how to fix this.” Halt admitted quietly.

“This isn’t something that can just be fixed. What’s done is done, the only thing we can do is support Will in anyway we can.” Pauline says. “And I promise that avoiding Will like he’s a leper isn’t supporting him.”

“We are all going to visit him first thing tomorrow. And I’m going to see if Rodney has any advice. He’s got more experience dealing with these type of injuries than I do.” Crowley stood, grateful to have a clear course of action.

Halt gives voice to his greatest fear. “What if he doesn’t want to see me? If he’s scared of me?”

“Then we try again the next day. And every day, until he’s ready to start mending the bond between you.” Pauline kisses Halt on the cheek. “Try to get some rest dear. We’ll be by in the morning.”

Once he was alone again, Halt moved towards the window and stared out to the forest’s edge, where he knew his little cabin stood, containing the most valuable thing in his life. Please give me chance Will. Please let me make this right.

[alex-v2-jor]

So I have RA head canon

So Halt used to look for Will when he bus Redmont castle but he couldn’t find him between age 7 and 14 that’s because he got adopted by a like a duke and his wife or something because they needed a heir and they on had two daughters 4 and 6 years old and it was fine till he was 9 and then the abuse started physically and emotionally and mentally some times he would not get food all day and he developed ED and then one extremely traumatic thing later his sisters died in a fire and he ran away And when he got back to the ward he haven’t let anyone touch him except Alyss because she reminded him of his sister

And Halt have noticed it as he went through something similar and helped him heal from it

But he never overcame his fear of fire and the Alyss death remained him of that but he haven’t cried as he haven’t cried last time someone close to him died in a fire as his parents would punish him for it

[the-invested-ranger]

Ranger Gathering 2023

Prompt 5: Complicated (I'm late but it's fine, time isnt real anyway)

“Will.” A voice cut through Will’s thoughts and he looked up. “Are you going to stare at that paper all night?” Halt stood at the other side of the table and he set a cup of coffee down in front of Will. The two had gotten back from a mission earlier that evening. Due to the late hour, Halt suggested Will stay with him in Redmont until morning since he had such a long ride back to Seacliff.

“Maybe.” Will replied after a second. He wasn’t sure why this was so hard. Halt pulled up a chair across from his former apprentice.

“Will,” Halt repeated, “It ain’t too late to go see her. No need to leave a letter tellin’ her why you couldn’t stay.” Will pushed the sheet of paper aside and grabbed the cup, taking a generous sip.

“It’s complicated.” Will avoided eye contact with his mentor. “I’m sure she’s busy, even this late at night. She’s a courier, she’s got important work to do. I can’t just sneak into the castle and interrupt her.” Halt raised an eyebrow at him, taking a similarly generous sip. “What would Arald even say if he found out I was distracting his couriers? Pauline?”

“They would say ‘It’s about time,’” Halt set his cup down. “I would bet money on it.” Will contemplates his coffee for a moment.

“I’m thinking about this too hard, aren’t I?” Halt nods, and jerks his thumb towards the door. Will takes his mug and quickly downs the contents before standing and crossing the room to grab his cloak. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“No you won’t.” Halt watches his young companion grab his bow and quiver and strap them on with practiced ease as he slipped on his boots. “Tell Alyss I said hello.” Will nods and bids Halt a quick goodnight.

Will closes the door behind him and Halt leans back in his chair, shaking his head and grabbing his cup of coffee. “What am I going to do with that boy?”

[an1d10t]

I need more headcanons (Gilan or Crowley hehe). Yours are good.

I have a few,

First one is a bit sad, but you know that one head cannon of Crowley having a whole rock family on his desk? I feel like when Gilan took over, he kept the rock family in memory of Crowley.

I think that Gilan is not really the best at math. Just for no reason at all.

Pauline and Crowley have had little fashionshows whenever Pauline comes over to castle Araluen or Crowley visits Halt and Pauline in Redmont. (They obviously tried to force Halt to do it with them but he kept on falling in the heels)

Gilan and Crowley gossip. A LOT.

Gilan/Crowley (can’t really decide) has once tried to pet a wasp. It stung him and now he’s afraid of them.

(I might add more tomorrow but this is all I could think of now)

[araluen-arrows]

underrated scenes from the siege of macindaw

...it’s been a solid week since i’ve read this book so let’s see what i still remember

- Will meets the Skandians again!! fuckin ICONIC

- Will and Alyss figuring out a way to signal each other with the lights. Will has to use a chart for the courier code, but Alyss transcribes as she goes. (idk why i love that little detail but i do)

- Will dragging Xander by the ear and throwing him into the mere. Halt’s apprentice through and through

- Will meeting Horace in the Cracked Flagon and they freak out the patrons and innkeeper because Armed Men Facing Off before bursting out into giggles

- Will asking Horace how many men it takes to besiege a castle and he’s like “110? maybe we could squeeze by with 100, if it’s skandians... why, how many do we have?” and Will’s like “thirty.” 

- Alyss almost managing to talk Keren out of turning traitor before Lord Syron dies and cements Keren’s murderer status, leaving him no way out.

- McHaddish about to drive his dagger into Will’s chest just as Horace turns up and pulls him off Will

- Malcolm forcing him to give up the date of the Scotti invasion by invoking the legend of Serthrek’nish

- Will shooting the arrow with the stelitite pebble into Alyss’s window, a distance of *two hundred meters with wind*

- The Cart Scene

- the fact that the siege plan boils down to one ladder and a fireworks display. will, you absolute fuckin madlad.

- Trobar going after John Buttle for his treatment of Shadow

- Gundar taking down Buttle with an axe throw that makes him fall off the battlements, and when he leans over to see the aftermath, Will’s like “don’t worry about him” and Gundar goes “him? I’m worried about my favorite axe!” 

- Will facing off with Keren and Alyss, who’s been hypnotized into killing him, and Will breaking the trance by saying “I love you. I always have.” 

- Alyss throwing acid into Keren’s face, and him falling out the window

- Will and Alyss tiptoeing around each other because they can’t tell if the “I love you” was real, and Horace wanting to bash their heads together

_ Will gets The Letter from Alyss and rides through the night to Redmont to see her :,)

[solarishashernoseinabook]

For the Trick or Treat fest, I'd like a treat with Halt and Pauline preparing for Hallowe'en if that's possible.

Thank you for hosting it again <3

I sliiiiightly stretched the definition of "preparing for Hallowe'en" here methinks, but i hope you like it anyway :D

~

Halt had been Redmont’s Ranger for a little over five years at this point, and for the first time since he took the position, he found himself with nothing to do on Hallowed Eve and with Gilan away visiting his family. It was a strange situation to be in, with everyone around him preparing for the festivities, and him not even sure what to do. He sat on his porch, coffee in hand, watching the fall leaves flutter down.

A plump pigeon landed on the porch railing. It eyed Halt, very pointedly.

Halt raised an eyebrow at it. ‘Unless you’ve come to suggest what I do for dinner tonight, you can go.’

The pigeon cooed and ruffled its feathers. That was when Halt noticed the message canister tied to its leg, and he scooped the bird up and drew it close. The canister turned out to contain a thin scroll of parchment, bearing a brief message:

Halt – I notice you’re alone tonight as well. Would you like to join me for dinner? – Pauline

For a moment, Halt found himself paralysed by indecision. He couldn’t deny that he had been quite attracted to Pauline when they first met, and that attraction lingered between them still. They had been too busy with their careers for a long time to pursue any kind of relationship, and Halt wasn’t sure if he was prepared to open up to someone yet. Life was…stable right now.

But Pauline wasn’t asking him for much, was she? Just dinner. And he needed to eat anyway.

Halt grabbed some charcoal, scribbled yes on the back of the note, and tied the canister back on the pigeon’s leg. He released it with a gentle toss, then went inside as it flew back to the castle.

If he was going to be having dinner with someone tonight, he would have to trim his beard.

*

Pauline opened the door for him that evening. She was wearing a new dress today, brown trimmed with reds and golds, and she wore her hair in a long braid instead of its customary bun. For a moment, Halt – who hadn’t thought to change out of his work clothes – felt underdressed; then Pauline smiled at him and stepped back to invite him in, and Halt felt all his worries melt away.

‘I’m sorry to invite you on such short notice,’ Pauline said, ‘but I know Gilan’s back with his family at the moment, and I figured you wouldn’t have many other plans. Normally I would be visiting family as well, but…’

She trailed off awkwardly. Halt raised an eyebrow.

‘Well, anyway, come and sit,’ Pauline said, bustling over to her fireplace, where a pot of coffee stayed warm amongst the coals. ‘Dinner should be delivered in about half an hour.’

Halt was sure she had cancelled plans that night in the interest of inviting him to dinner. He thought of saying something, but instead he hung his cloak by the door and took a seat in an armchair. A small jar of candies sat on the table, next to a note, which Halt read.

Ma chère Pauline – en espérant te revoir bientôt. En attendant, prends des bonbons au miel. – Ta mamie

‘Honey sweets from your grandmother?’ Halt said, as Pauline came over with two steaming mugs of coffee.

‘Yes – you speak Gallican?’

Halt shrugged. ‘I’m not terrible at it. Though my old tutor might say otherwise.’

Pauline chuckled. ‘My father is Gallican. Every year Mamie sends something to all of us.’

‘Not all the way from Gallica, surely?’ Halt knew the cost of such an endeavour would be far beyond most people’s means.

Pauline favoured him with another smile. ‘Yes. My uncle is a sailor, so he just brings it along with his personal things. Would you like one?’ She took the lid off the jar and offered it to Halt.

Halt was just taking one when he paused. Someone was whispering outside the door; then came a timid knock. Pauline, looking baffled, called, ‘Who is it?’

More frantic whispers; then—

‘Baron Arnold!’ said what was clearly a child’s voice pretending to be an adult’s. ‘I mean, Baron Arald!’

Halt and Pauline exchanged glances; then Pauline stood and went to the door. Halt, who had been taught by his etiquette tutors that a lady didn’t answer her own door if there was a man present to do it for her, stood as well and followed. Pauline reached the door first and opened it to reveal three kids. Halt recognised one of them instantly, though he hadn’t seen him in five years.

It was Will.

Will’s large brown eyes peered up at him from under a shock of curling brown hair, just like they had when Halt first held him in his arms. He was noticeably shorter than the other two kids with him – Alyss and Horace, Halt remembered after a moment. Horace had only been in the Ward a few months.

‘Um,’ Horace said, suddenly nervous, ‘uh, um…’

‘You said there was a thing we had to say!’ Alyss said, in what she probably thought was a whisper.

‘Um,’ Horace said again. ‘Um, I don’t remember what I have to say, but it’s a rhyme and the second bit is “give us sweets,” so we need some sweets now.’

‘Horace told us about it,’ Will said. ‘It’s something people do on Hallowed Eve.’

Halt glanced out into the hallway. Nobody else was visible, but the children were young enough that they were still supervised when they were out of the Ward. ‘Does anyone know you’re here?’

All three kids exchanged glances. ‘No,’ Will said, before the others could speak up.

Halt was tempted to smile, but maintained his stoic demeanour. He looked to Pauline. ‘Well, Pauline, they’re your sweets – what do you want to do?’

‘Well, they are breaking rules,’ Pauline said, also carefully controlling her expression. ‘Most people would say that sort of thing shouldn’t be rewarded.’

‘Most would, yes,’ Halt said. ‘But Will is showing remarkable honesty. Honesty is something that should be rewarded, wouldn’t you say?’

‘They’re also being rather demanding,’ Pauline said, a light of amusement in her eyes. ‘They haven’t even said please.’

‘Please!’ chorused three small voices.

‘They just did,’ Halt said, inclining his head towards them. ‘Furthermore, they’re taking initiative by identifying what they want and trying to get it. Such independence is certainly commendable, wouldn’t you say?’

Pauline almost smiled at that, and bit her lip to keep it contained at the last moment. ‘They might ruin their dinner if they have too many sweets.’

‘Hmm.’ Halt stroked his beard, then looked at the kids. ‘Have you gotten sweets anywhere else?’

Once again, Will was the one to answer. ‘No. This is the first room we’ve been to.’

‘Then surely it’s our obligation to give them one sweet each,’ Halt said. ‘After all, if we give them something and send them right back to the Ward, their dinner won’t be spoiled. On the other hand, if we say no, they’ll have to ask at other rooms in the castle, and who knows how many sweets they’ll accumulate that way?’

Pauline only just managed to turn her laugh into a discreet cough. ‘Well. Then in the interest of these children’s health, I suppose they should each get one sweet.’

‘And we’ll be watching to make sure you go directly back to the Ward after,’ Halt said, as Pauline retrieved the jar. She put one candy into each child’s hand, then put the lid back firmly and adopted a firm expression. ‘Now all of you run along.’

Emboldened by their success, Will, Alyss, and Horace ran off. The Ward building was visible from Pauline’s window, and momentarily Halt saw them crossing the open lawn and slip in the main door.

Pauline came to stand at his shoulder, no longer bothering to hide her amusement. ‘Well, well, well, Halt, who knew you were so soft-hearted?’

Halt raised an eyebrow. ‘Whoever said it was soft-heartedness? I just wanted to cause trouble for their caretakers.’

Pauline chuckled and rested her hand on his arm. ‘Yes, of course. You Rangers all seem to have a legendary disregard for rules, after all.’

‘A bit of rule-breaking never hurt anyone,’ Halt said, with deliberate gruffness. He took Pauline’s hand gently and turned back to the chairs.

Pauline scooped up the jar of sweets in her free hand as they passed it. ‘Does that extend to having a sweet before dinner?’

Halt pretended to consider for a moment. ‘We’re adults,’ he said. ‘We can probably have two.’