#i keep hurting gilan

[witchersgoldenbard]

someone stop me from writing ranger’s apprentice fanfic catered to myself and two of my followers please

#ranger’s apprentice #but listen. LISTEN!! hurt comfort gilan/seley el’then fic!!! i cannot stop thinking about this honestlyyy #they’re all in that cell in erak’s ransom and john flanagan said gilan gets the worst of the beatings (and torture?? don’t remember) #because he is BAMF but also just. selethen being gentle with him and distracting him from the pain and rangers don’t feel pain shut up sel #but secretly gilan leans into the touch and he doesn’t want to spend his last night alive in pain and hfjdhsh YALL THE WHUMP #y know me i write good whump 😔😌 hnng. I SHALL NOT #sere16 and kourasmenos this one goes out to you two 🫶 #this is a witcher blog i know but hear me out. they would all sass the ever loving shit out of the witchers so i’m keeping them here #also gil and jaskier PLEASE. halt and vesemir. PLEASE

[forgedroyalseal]

His Worst Nightmare

Chapter 7

“Open this damn door!” Jenny pounded her fist against the heavy wooden door. George stood nervously behind her and Alyss was trying to peek through the drawn curtains.

“I know you guys are in there!” Jenny shouted.

“Jenny, maybe we should come back later.” George offered.

“Not a chance Georgie.”

He winced at the nickname but dropped the matter.

Gilan Davidson I swear-“ The door swung open revealing an exhausted Horace.

“Finally!” Jenny smiled and moved to push her way into the cabin but Horace blocked her.

“Jen, guys, you really shouldn’t be here.” His voice was threadbare and weary. Alyss’ heart ached for her friend and she wished that she could listen to him. Could do what he was asking and walk away. But she couldn’t. Because Will was inside that cabin, hurting and trying to push them, her, away.

“Horace, you know we can’t just pretend everything is fine.” She says gently. He opens his mouth to reply but George beats him to it.

“What if it was you on the other side of this door?” He challenged. “What if you knew Will was hurt and we were trying to keep you from seeing him? Can you honestly say that you’d let anyone, even the king himself stop you?”

Horace’s shoulders dropped and Alyss knew that they got him. Jenny did too apparently, because she ducked under Horace’s arm that was crossing the doorway and entered the cabin. Gilan was passed out on the couch, somehow able to sleep through all of Jenny’s shouting and banging, but Will was no where to be found.

“He’s sleeping, finally, so please be quiet.” Horace requested, moving into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee.

“What’s wrong with him?” Alyss asked.

Horace sighed and set the mug down. He lean on the counter with his back to them. “A lot. He’s pretty roughed up. Ton of bruises, knocked around ribs.”

“That’s not all.” Alyss knew that if Will was just bruised he’d still be around. He hated isolation, especially when he wasn’t feeling well. Alyss couldn’t remember countless flus and summer colds that had Will bundled up in the ward’s common space desperate for company.

“No, it’s not.” Horace look down at his coffee, then somewhat longingly at the bottle of whiskey that was collecting dust on a high shelf in the kitchen.

“Horace, what aren’t you telling us?” Jenny pushed.

Horace finally turned to face them, “His right arm is gone.” Horace’s words were direct and to the point and yet Alyss still felt as though she couldn’t possibly comprehend what he had just said.

“No.” George said, simply refusing to believe Horace was telling the truth.

“Yes.”

“How?”

Another knock on the door interrupted Horace’s answer. Jenny frowned and looked around. “Who could that be? We’re all here?”

Alyss shook her head, “Not all of us. Where’s Halt?”

Another knock. “I’ll tell you where he better not be.” Horace growled and he yanked open the door. On the veranda stood the second trio of the day. Crowley and Pauline stood on either side of a gray and fatigued Halt.

“Get out.” Horace snarled.

“Horace,” Pauline said gently stepping slightly forward, “please let us in. I think it’s high time we all sit down and talk like the mature adults that we are.”

“Speak for yourself. Will and I have never once been considered mature and we certainly aren’t starting today.”

“This was clearly a bad idea.” Halt mutters to Crowley. “I’m sorry Horace, we should-“

“Halt? Crowley?” Gilan’s groggy voice pulled the groups focus to the center of the room where he was stretching and rising from the sofa. “Is it intervention time already?”

Horace scowled at him. “You set this up?”

Gilan shrugged, “I mean, not really. Crowley was gonna do this with or without me. He just gave me a heads up.”

“Glad to know whose side you’re on.” Horace snapped. Suddenly, everyone was talking over each other, all trying to get their opinions heard. In the uproar, no one noticed Alyss slip away and sneak into the bedroom.

“Either there’s a party going on that I wasn’t invited to, or Horace is trying to kill Halt again.”

She smiled to herself. “Well, it would be pretty rude to throw a party in your cabin and not invite-.” Alyss’ words caught in her throat as she turned. Will was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, an abandoned book by his side.

Will sighed, “Yeah, I know. It takes a while to absorb it all.” She didn’t need to ask what he meant. It was obvious. The mask of bruises that covered his body were a palette of yellows, blues, and blacks. Rusty scabs drew grotesque lines across his bare chest. And then there was the true show stopper, the miles of white bandages that swathed the stump that was once Will’s right arm.

“Will.” The name spilled out of her, watery and fragile.

“It’s ok Alyss. It’s ok.” She wanted to laugh. Here was Will, bruised and broken and severed, and he was comforting her.

“Come here.” He extended his left hand, his only hand, Alyss realized with a sick feeling in her stomach, to her. She slowly crossed the room and settled onto the floor in front of him.

“What happened?”

Will’s eyes dropped and he fiddled with the drawstring on his trousers. “It’s kind of a long story. Or” Will laughed sharply, “it’s rather short. I guess it depends on who’s telling it.”

“And if you’re telling it?”

“Very short. A bad man forced a good one to do bad things.”

Alyss turned the words over in her mind and like magic, the pieces all fell into place. “Wait, did Halt-“

“Yes.” Alyss’ heart sunk as he confirmed her suspicions. “But he had too. I’d be dead if he didn’t.” And she knew by the way he lingered on the words that he wasn’t quite convinced he was grateful for the outcome.

A crash interrupted their tender moment. “I’m gonna guess that was Horace.” Will sighed. “I probably can’t hide in here forever.”

She offered him a sympathetic smile. “No. I don’t think you can.”

He stood, and Alyss rose with him, carefully watching him to make sure he didn’t topple over. His hand found hers and he held it tightly. “Stay by my side?”

“You never have to ask Will.” She promised.

He nodded and let out a slow breath. “Alright, let’s go meet the masses.”

#rangers apprentice #ranger's apprentice #will treaty #horace altman #ranger’s apprentice fanfiction #rangers apprentice fanfiction #halt o'carrick #alyss mainwaring #his worst nightmare

[redrose-arrow]

ranger’s apprentice characters as customers i have served

[endearingly, pt. 1/2]

Once I have put HORACE’s order in, my boss signals for me to come to the kitchen. She has questions and I answer them. Yes, I put in the correct order. Yes, there’s more main courses than people. Yes, I checked with the table if that is okay. No, they do not want smaller portions. I have no idea if they will finish it all - but Horace does. 

WILL takes a huge interest in my work and me. Another table kept me for longer than hoped so I apologise for taking so long to get to his table. It’s okay, he says. Is it always so busy? he asks. How long have I been working here? How many evenings a week? Oh, I’m a fulltime uni student? Where? What do I major in? Do I have plans for the future? I love talking to him, but as noted, it is busy. I don’t know how to end the conversation without offending him. Thankfully, there’s ALYSS, who tells Will that I “probably have work to do, dear.” I smile at her, thankful. She makes sure everyone pays attention to me when I come to take orders and confirms when I put the orders on the table. Someone wants to ask a question but Alyss points out that the answer is on the menu, saving me time once again. 

JENNY asks a ton of questions about the food - which I can only barely answer. But it’s okay, she’s excited and ends up ordering my recommendation. Which, she later assures me, was really good. It boosts my confidence and her entire being makes me eager to serve her. 

GEORGE comes on a biweekly basis, usually alone. It’s often a quiet night, so I have time to chat with him. I remember his hobbies and ask how that’s been going and he is so appreciative of the talk. He always orders roughly the same thing, so within a few weeks I remember his order. It makes him very excited and he usually rants for a bit about how much he loves the restaurant and our food. 

GILAN orders coffee for every course. I don’t judge him (but I do). When he orders ice cream for dessert I convince my boss to make him the children’s version with the colours and the candy and the lights. He appreciates it more than half of the kids I serve it to do. 

CASSANDRA orders the most basic dishes and honestly it’s relatable as hell. She tells everyone to shut tf up when I try to get their orders. I quickly get a grasp of the jokes she makes about the others and manage to play into them, we bond over how incapable some men are and it’s just entertaining.

ERAK keeps forgetting my name but I don’t mind, it’s sweet that he wants to address me personally. I tell his table that they have drunk all of the beer I had gotten out for the night. They laugh. I am only partially joking. When another table has a birthday they all sing and clap along. He jokes about working instead of paying but ends up leaving a huge tip. Only downside is that they cut their Asian noodles and I am just culturally hurt in my bosses’ stead. 

SELETHEN is a tourist (German for this story). He tries to talk to me in English but I can tell it’s hard for him. When he accidentally talks German to me, I talk back in German. After a few back and forths he realises and we talk in German for the rest of the night. It’s not entirely smooth sailing on my side, but he clearly appreciates the effort and tones down his own accent to help me understand him. I end up giving him some recommendations for activities in the area. 

#redrose rants #ranger's apprentice #rangers apprentice #john flanagan #horace altman #will treaty #george carter #alyss mainwaring #jenny dalby #gilan davidson #cassandra #erak starfollower #selethen

[acewithapen]

How Does a Legend Die?

Hi! Welcome to the RA Brainrot!

WARNING: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH. Will Treaty dies.

Big thank you to the RA Discord!

Read on AO3 here!

Will Treaty was dead. Maddie couldn’t believe it. Smoke filled the air, and she could see Him. Jory Ruhl. He spotted her and gave a mocking salute. She choked back a sob and turned away. Uncle Will was gone and it was her fault. 

She forced herself to go quickly up the path and back to where she’d hidden the children. Scared faces peered out at her. 

“I know, it’s going to be okay.” It’s not. “I’ll get you to the closest village so they can take you home, alright?” She smiles, she thinks. It hurt. It all hurts. She called Bumper over, helping one of the littlest ones into the saddle. 

She dropped them off at the village, asking for help to return them. They agreed, and she went on her way. Maddie can’t feel anything. Logically, the best course of action is to go to Castle Araluen. She turns toward Redmont. 

Bumper tossed his mane and she hunched forward. It…it wasn’t standard Ranger procedure. You were supposed to stay alert and watch your surroundings. She can’t do that right now. 

Will Treaty was dead. Cassandra and her husband, Horace, stood in shock. A courier had arrived with a hastily scrawled note from Maddie. She covered her mouth, a sob breaking through. Will…not Will. Not him. He was practically her brother, he couldn’t be dead! 

“I’m afraid it’s true.” Gilan had entered silently, the man looking weary. “Maddie sent me a similar note, but encoded. Here’s the translation.” 

Cassandra took it with shaking hands, unfolding the paper carefully. Commandant, I regret to inform you of my mentor’s, Will Treaty, passing. Jory Ruhl and his men burned him alive during our mission. I’m doing my best to watch Redmont, but would it be possible for you to send someone to help me? I’m afraid I can’t do it alone. 

Maddie

Horace was trembling. She laced their hands together, squeezing hard. “So, he’s really dead?”

Gilan nodded, eyes dark. “I sent them on the mission. It’s—it’s my fault.”

They couldn’t say anything. It wasn’t Gilan’s fault, but at the same time…

Will Treaty was dead. Maddie had ridden to Halt and Pauline’s apartment, telling them the full story through broken sobs. She was on their loveseat, Sable laying on top of her as she slept. Halt dragged a hand down his face, scratching absentmindedly at his beard. His son, and that was what he was truly, had died on a mission. Outsmarted and then burned. 

He sighed. Will…it was too soon. It would always be too soon. First Caitlyn and Ferris (and Halt had long since given up on hiding the grief for his brother), and then Crowley, and then Alyss, and now Will. It was too much. 

“I’m going to make some coffee. Do you want anything?” His voice scratched its way out of his throat. 

Pauline looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes. “No…I just need a moment.” 

He nodded and turned into the kitchen, setting a pot on the stove. Making coffee was a mindless task now, years of habit culminating. He sighed deeply again. Grief had been a constant of his life. His parents, his sister, his brother, his best friend, his son and daughter-in-law. He’d seen so many people die, heard the bad news over and over again. But it had never hit as hard as it had just barely an hour and a half before. Maddie, barely keeping it together on their doorstep, only to break as he hugged her, sobbing into the collar of his tunic. 

She had cried through the story, explaining how they’d set off to take down a ring of illicit child slavery. And how Will had realized Ruhl was the one who had murdered his wife. And then it was Ruhl who killed him. Both of the Treaty’s, dead by a madman’s hands. 

Will Treaty. Allys Manwaring-Treaty. Almost Maddie Altman. So close to death by Jory Ruhl. 

#ranger's apprentice #will treaty #maddie altman #halt o'carrick #pauline

[ace-bookdragon]

ace-bookdragon fanfic masterpost

figured that doing one of these may be helpful (at least for me, because i keep changing my tagging system), so here we are! i'll add more of my short tumblr pieces as i come across them. all ao3 fics have been set so that only registered users can read them.

fandoms: ranger's apprentice and the locked tomb

* denotes a romantic pairing. newest to oldest

ranger's apprentice

a release or respite from the heat and the hurt

The story of how Halt nearly loses his horse. Written for the Autistic!Halt fic fest for the prompt “Abelard helping Halt with sensory issues”.

the woman in the fire *

Months after Alyss's death, Will stands on a hill and watches the sunset.

the girl across the water

Halt is surveying the sea, looking westward not just to see the setting sun. His homeland is in that direction, though to call it homeland is perhaps a wrong bit of wording. Birthland would be better. The place where he was raised. The end of the world is in that direction, and, more importantly, his little sister. The sunset is beautiful, and beautiful things remind him of her.

rainsong (imagery study)

Halt and Abelard ride home. It's a rainy evening.

spring rain

Alyss Mainwaring and Jenny Dalby, Redmont's resident old lady duo, spend some time together.

all the lonely people

Will wakes up one night from a nightmare about what happened in Skandia.

espresso and a storm

Will, Ebony, and Halt get stuck inside a coffee shop during a storm.

a father found and lost

Gilan arrives at Redmont with some devastating news. Written for the prompt "you're truly alone and goddammit it hurts to imagine".

if you died i'd never forgive myself *

Horace and Will separate while trying to capture the Scotti general MacHaddish. When Horace saves Will's life, the unexpected happens.

snapshots *

Halt and Crowley go through some old pictures of them together.

flowers for crowley

Halt visits Crowley's grave after he dies.

and i'm all out of breath

When Halt and Crowley go to take care of some bandits, something happens and Halt must face his past.

i still hear you in the breeze

Halt returns to Clonmel for the first time since he fled, only to find that someone he loved is gone.

let our hearts, like doors, open wide, open wide *

Asexual!Crowley comes out to Halt, his partner. They both struggle to figure out how to make their relationship work despite this.

a RA christmas

The Ward is celebrating Christmas, and it's in free verse.

5 times crowley and halt saw the seasons change and one time they didn't

Seasonal Cralt, follows the 5x1 format. Will probably never be completed.

tumblr short fics (in the order i find them because they are untagged and buried deeply in the chaos that is this blog):

gravesite

the light was taken *

planting seeds in a garden i never get to see

happy mother's day, from alyss

the locked tomb

celestial body

Aboard the Mithraeum, Harrow starts looking at the stars and mapping constellations.

when you fall asleep

Every now and then, Harrowhark dreams of a young woman with red hair and golden eyes. She's oddly familiar, and Harrow feels like she knows her. She never remembers the dreams, but always wakes up to blood coming out of her ears and nose. or: Gideon is getting pissed about Harrow's lobotomy and wants her to know what happened, and she may just haunt her dreams about it.

We Are The Crossroads*

When Covid-19 forces the world to shut down, Harrowhark Nonagesimus is left to spend quarantine alone in her apartment. As loneliness drives her to seek out companionship through her university’s Discord server, she finds herself reconnecting with her old friend Gideon, who she hasn’t heard from in nearly a year after a fight that has left them both deeply hurt. In progress.

Magpie

Camilla talks to Palmedes, reflecting on their relationship. Set during Nona the Ninth, and contains spoilers for it.

arcane: league of legends (cartoon 2021)

light and air find some new deepness there

What do you do when you have spent your whole life doing things, creating, and then come to what feels like a dead stop? What do you do when all your options in one direction are gone, dried up like water beneath a blazing summer sun?

You turn and go in another direction. If one way isn’t working, another surely will.

A little character study of Heimerdinger's visit to the Undercity. Who knows who he'll meet?

#my writing #fanfic masterpost #ranger's apprentice #tlt #arcane league of legends

[trickthecloak]

Whumptober 2020 Day 5

No 5. WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING? On the Run | Failed Escape | Rescue

"C'mon," Will grit out, panting as he readjusted his friend's arm over his shoulders again. "Keeping helping me. C'mon."

Gilan was trying; however, there was only so much one could do when he had a large gash through the back of his thigh, rendering the leg practically useless. Factoring in the blood loss... Gilan was in no state to help anyone, and Will knew it.

Without warning, Gilan buckled. He'd have pulled both of them to the ground had it not been for Will's agility and reaction time. Will ended up on one knee, bracing a hand against Gilan's chest to keep him semi upright. "Gilan. Gil, hey. You're alright. C'mon- up-"

"Will," Gilan gasped out. "This isn't working."

The younger Ranger ignored the words, instead taking the time to check the rough field bandage he had thrown on Gilan's injury in a feeble attempt to stem the blood flow. The fabric was soaked through and skewed, and Will bit out a curse. Absently patting Gilan's chest a few times, Will then propped his friend against his shoulder and prepared to readjust the slipped bandage, because Gilan couldn't afford to lose anymore blood to the forest floor-

"Will, you've gotta go."

"Yeah, we're going, just give me a moment to fix this," Will replied distractedly. Gilan hissed in pain as the bandage pulled tight, reaching fingers out to insistently grab Will's sleeve. Their weak grip made Will pause and turn to meet Gilan's bloodless face. "What?"

"You have to go."

Will simply stared for a moment before his face twisted. "Don't be stupid," he snapped. "I'm not leaving you, so just stop."

Wearily wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Gilan doggedly shook his head. "They're going to catch up, and... I can't keep going."

"Yes, you can!"

Gilan gave a faint, sad smile. "No," he answered gently, sounding immensely tired. "I can't."

"Then let them come," Will snarled, drawing his saxe. Gilan's face scrunched in distress.

"No! Just get out of here! Think about Halt - you don't want to that to him, do you?" The older Ranger hissed, locking eyes with Will. For all the pain they were in, they were also alight with defiance.

Will scoffed and pulled the bandage tighter, making Gilan groan. "Don't be stupid. Halt has two apprentices, idiot. Neither of us are dying here, alright? Now, c'mon, time to back get up."

"You didn't see him after you were taken to Skandia," Gilan wheezed, breath hitching as Will yanked him back up. "You didn't see him in Arrida. He lives for you, Will. Please, just go. Better me than you."

Gilan sounded so resigned, so sincere, that for a moment Will just gaped at him. "... Why would you even say that?" he said finally said, tone heated and face horrified.

Gilan was spared from answering by the sound of rough trampling through the underbrush. Both Rangers automatically turned toward the sound, and a long moment later, Horace burst into view.

"There you two are! We couldn't find you, and the blood trail, and we had to take care of the others, and Halt is finishing up with them, and..." The knight gasped for air, eyes frantically roving up and down his two friends, at Will supporting an ashen Gilan. "Gilan. Will, what do we need?"

"Yeah, the horses are nearby, Horace, right?" Will said tightly, and Horace nodded as he moved forward to take Gilan's weight. "Good. I'm going to get them. Horace, stay here and get more compression on the wound. I'll be back soon."

If Horace noticed the tension or the way that Will refused to look at Gilan, instead passing the latter over to Horace and immediately stalking off into the trees, he didn't comment on it. Instead, the warrior pulled out his own handkerchief, and with a quick apology to a quiet Gilan, pulled it tight.

Gilan gave a pained yelp, and it was almost a mercy when he finally passed out into Horace's shoulder.

"You need to stop putting holes in yourself," Halt said, briefly resting a hand on his former apprentice's hair before retreating and settling into one of the chairs. They had tracked down a healer in a small, nearby village, and Gilan shrugged from the cot where he sat propped, the gash underside his thigh looking far more manageable now that it was carefully and neatly wrapped in crisp white bandages. He'd been lucky. "Any deeper," the healer had said in wonder and relief, "And you'd be looking at a limp for the rest of your life. As is it, you should be all right, so long as you let it heal properly."

"You're telling me," the tall Ranger said lightly in response to Halt's complaint, though there was an undercurrent of strain in his tone. Halt flicked his eyes to Will, who sat slumped in his chair with his feet propped on the small table, twirling his throwing knife between his fingers. The tension in the room was practically tangible.

Halt raised his eyebrow. "Is everything all right?"

An awkward silence followed, before Will suddenly slammed his knife flat down on the table. "No, everything's not all right. This one-" he gestured roughly to Gilan, "Tried to make me leave him today because of some stupid notion that his life is worth less than mine. He even went as far as to suggest that only my death would be upsetting to you, Halt - that he would hardly factor in at all in comparison. And as much as I would like to blame it on delirium from blood loss, I need an explanation, for my own sake, at least."

Heaving a breath, Will leaned back again and crossed his arms, eyes trained heavily on Gilan as he waited. Gilan's face had gone practically grey during Will's rant, and he opened his mouth wordlessly for a moment before closing it again, looking very much like a cornered animal under Will and Halt's stares.

It was Halt who broke the silence. "Gilan, is this true?" he asked, his expression and tone carefully blank. Halt knew Gilan would never flat out lie to him, and felt himself sink as his first apprentice withered under the question.

"It's not like that," Gilan answered finally, face hot and throat tight because it wasn't like that and he hated being on the spot like this. Halt and Will had a special relationship, everyone knew that. Gilan knew that. Will had experienced his first taste of family only when Halt had taken him as an apprentice - Halt, the first person who had truly wanted Will for being Will. And with Halt, came the Rangers, a tight knit group that was practically a family in itself... and more specifically, with Halt came Gilan, practically a built in older brother, due to Gilan's former position as Halt's apprentice. Gilan loved Will. Gilan had a family of his own and a plethora of father figures. Gilan and Halt's relationship was different - Gilan simply hadn't needed the older Ranger the way that Will did, a fact that Gilan understood and respected.

However, as much as Gilan understood that, and as much as he convinced himself that being the second favorite didn't hurt... sometimes it did.

"It's not like that," he repeated, then fluttered a hand towards the youngest Ranger. "Will is... Will. You two need each other." You wouldn't need me, hung unspoken in the air.

Halt didn't answer for a long moment, absorbing the words. "When I apprenticed you both," he said finally, "I took an oath to protect you. This oath still stands. I don't mean it lightly when I say that I would die for either of you in an instant." Halt nodded to Gilan. "I need you to understand how important you are to me."

Gilan nodded slowly, his eyes shiny. Halt leaned forward to tightly embrace the younger man. Gilan responded in kind, clinging to his mentor like a small child. Halt whispered something in his ear, and when they pulled away, Gilan was smiling.

Will leaned in for his turn, all anger -no, fear- gone from his being. "Self-sacrificial is a bad look on you," the youngest Ranger said as he firmly hugged his friend, and Gilan gave a wet laugh.

From the doorway, his arms full of food, Horace smiled. He wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but he'd resigned himself a long time ago to the fact that he would always be a half-step behind these Rangers.

The warrior cleared his throat. "I have food. Anyone interested in a cup of coffee?"

A resounding chorus of "Always" answered, and Horace knew everything was fine.

#whumptober2020 #no.5 #on the run #ranger's apprentice #fic #injury #self deprication #i don't really like this one #i keep hurting gilan

[brotherbandchronicles]

Ingvar, for the character ask?

Thank you so much for asking! <3

First impression: My first impression on him was literally ‘awww, what a cinnamon roll’ and i think that sums it up quite nicely.

Impression now: He’s a cinnamon roll! *said confidently cause i am proud of myself that i was right* But... well, you know - he’s the type that definitely gives the best kind of hugs (oh gorlog how i would love to get one) but at the same time he could kill you in like five seconds if he would have wanted to. And still, somehow he doesn’t act like a torn character. I feel like he’s one of the rare ones - one of those who try to fix the world with kindness because they know what being truly hurt means but are not afraid to use their strength and power to protect and fight for what they believe in when everything else fails.

Favorite moment: He has so many of great moments! It’s hard to pick just one but I think it’s in the Scorpion Mountain when Hal shows him how important he is and what kind of person he is. I think it’s a great example of his development because he finally sees a few glimpses of what he means to his brotherband.

Idea for a story: I would love to see a collection of all those moments when Ingvar’s strength surprised someone thanks to his acting or through stories that are told about him. It could start with Herons when they are just getting to know each other, then it could continue with Hallasholm citizens and ideally end up with some funny rangers-included story. (Yes, I do have a particular idea and I can tell you it includes Gilan, Halt, gathering, apprentices, finding the best strategy and lots of chaotic energy.)

Unpopular opinion:  With a clear conscience, I can say that I don’t have one. I think Ingvar is one of the most favourite characters of the whole series and it’s really hard for me to even think of an opinion that does not fit in the canon. Moreover, an unpopular one.

Favorite relationship: For friendship, it’s definitely Hal & Ingvar. I love their dynamics - how Ingvar keeps an eye on Hal (but in a little bit different way than Stig does) and Hal makes sure that Ingvar doesn’t feel left out. I am telling you: you need a friend who always makes sure that you feel like you belong in the group and if you don’t have one, then I suggest you to become that friend - it makes you feel welcome too. For a romantic relationship? That’s a tough one. I can at least say that I am not a big fan of Ingvar/Lydia because I feel like Lydia’s acting makes him kind of go to a background and it makes him more easily overlooked. (Uhm maybe that could be the unpopular opinion?)

Favorite headcanon: This is one of my first ever headcanons but i still love it from the bottom of my heart. Ingvar can make flower crowns and not just some flower crowns. He makes the most beautiful flower crowns in the whole Hallasholm. Every spring, he makes exactly two of them - one for his mother and one for his sister (Hedvig, one of the few BB OCs I have). While he’s creating them, he always has a bunch of kids around him, trying to learn how exactly he makes them and how he’s able to make them so special. And Ingvar? He patiently explains everything to them.

#lydia is comming next! #brotherband #brotherband chronicles #ingvar #ask

[the-thursday]

After Halt's funeral, Will takes his mandola and heads to the meadow where Halt used to teach him how to shoot from a bow.

--

He sits down, blank face caressed soft spring breeze bringing the promise of a rain. The sun is hidden behind steely heavy clouds and the leaves sway in the wind.

Closing his eyes, his hand clasps the head of the mandala. His fingers dance across the strings like hollow ghosts, sad rythm echoing through the instrument.

Melody of 'Graybeard Halt' flows around the meadow in soft sad tunes, like a silky back veil of a shadowy ballerine.

Will's lips move yet nothing sounds past them but for a broken whisper. Water splatters on the strings, making them slippery for his fingers, nevertheless he continues.

Strange it is though... it hasn't started to rain yet.

-

As the last chord hangs in the air, Will thinks he may have heard some noise amongst the trees.

With dull blurry eyes he glances towards the trees. After few seconds, he can discern green cloaked figure of Gilan as it separates from the cover and staggers towards him.

Gilan sinks to his knees next to him and stares ahead. Will notices the bags under Gilan's eyes as well as the tears gathering in their corners.

"I am sorry..." Gilan starts, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I didn't mean to pry. I-I-I was just..."

Will waits patiently, aware of the lump in his own throat, not believing himself to speak.

"I-I was just afraid that you might hurt yourself or do something stupid, so I followed you."

Will nods and another few tears slide down his cheek. It is a little dispiriting, to see his big brother like this, but he knows Gilan has every right. And after all, it was him who had to keep stony face when arranging all the things around the funeral.

He knows there's nothing either can do for the other to bring Halt back.

He's gone.

He shuffles a little closer to Gilan and opens his arms in embrace.

Gilan doesn't hesitate and hugs his younger brother back. He finally allows himself to relax his body and let the bottled up emotions to flow. The sobs make his body tremble under Will's hands.

"I still can't believe it... They're both gone now."

@ranger-melany

#rangers apprentice #too short for a fic #it's just a whim of a moment #gilan davidson #will treaty #halt o’carrick

[aseikh]

Ranger’s Apprentice Quarantine Exchange Party Revealed!

Hi again friends! Thank you so much to those who supported this event and especially to those who participated! The amount of effort and dedication that went into these fics was astounding, and I’m so excited to be able to reveal these to y’all. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns relating to this event–I’m always looking for feedback and look forward to hosting another one!

Without further ado, here are the fics our wonderful writers posted for this event! Don’t forget to support them on AO3--leave kudos & comments for our lovely writers!!

You want me to do what? by @ranger-melany

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Crowley Meratyn & Gilan Davidson (Ranger's Apprentice) Characters: Crowley Meratyn, Gilan (Ranger's Apprentice) Additional Tags: Crowley's getting old, a new Commandant is needed, but who needs to take over the Corps?, Nice story, Friendship, Trust, RA Fanfic Exchange Summary:

Crowley is getting older and has to come to terms that, sooner or later, he should find a new Commandant. But who should he choose?

A Mouthful of Cake by @solarishashernoseinabook

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Horace Altman & Will Treaty, Horace Altman & Cassandra | Evanlyn, Cassandra | Evanlyn & Will Treaty Characters: Horace Altman, Will Treaty, Cassandra | Evanlyn, Alyss Mainwaring, George Carter, Jennifer "Jenny" Dalby Additional Tags: Comedy, Drunkenness, Underage Drinking, embarassing moments, Reminiscing Summary:

Based on the following prompt: Will, Horace and Evanlyn have a nice get together when they all remember something embarrasing they did in the past. Let’s hope the others do not...

Path of the sling by @araluenrangerdanger

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Cassandra | Evanlyn, Queen Deborah, Evanlyn Wheeler Additional Tags: Fluff, Friendship, Canon Compliant, (mostly), Deborah is a badass queen and you can't change my mind, it's mostly fluff, the end turned out a bit angsty, but don't worry!, there's not enough Cassie & Evanlyn content, or Deborah & Cassie, basically Cassandra deserves a full loving family just like all the other characters Summary:

Deborah has many useful things to teach to her granddaughter. Especially if they might end up saving her life one day.

High School Could Go Many Ways by @lifeofroos

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Horace Altman/Cassandra | Evanlyn, Will Treaty/Alyss Mainwaring, Halt O'Carrick & Will Treaty, Horace Altman & Will Treaty Characters: Horace Altman, Will Treaty, Alyss Mainwaring, Cassandra | Evanlyn, Halt O'Carrick, Sir Rodney, Crowley Meratyn, Gilan (Ranger's Apprentice), Jennifer "Jenny" Dalby Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - High School, Theatre Kids, Jocks, High school love, high school friends - Freeform Summary:

For a group of five orphans, the time for high school has come. Will is determined to get onto a sports team. Yet, is that truly what he wants, or has he been putting up an act for himself?

Birthday Blues by @aseikh (me!)

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Halt O'Carrick & Will Treaty, Will Treaty & Wardmates Characters: Will Treaty, Halt O'Carrick, Alyss Mainwaring, Jennifer "Jenny" Dalby, George Carter (Ranger's Apprentice), Horace Altman, Gilan (Ranger's Apprentice), Pauline duLacy Additional Tags: Birthday, Hurt/Comfort, Birthday Party, Surprises, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Childhood Friends Summary:

After attending George's birthday party, Will arrives back at Halt's cabin with some complicated feelings.

Slipping Through the Cracks by @rangerpippin

Chapters: 1/? Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Horace Altman & Will Treaty, Gilan & Halt O'Carrick Characters: Will Treaty, Horace Altman, Gilan (Ranger's Apprentice), Halt O'Carrick Additional Tags: Will and Horace being dysfunctional siblings, set five years before Choosing Day, bandits being bandits, featuring Gilan apprenticeship Summary:

A bold and fearless troupe of robbers have been sweeping through Redmont Fief, attacking villages left and right. The Ward staff are busy moving the children to one of the towers to make room on the ground floor in case Castle Redmont needs to shelter the villagers within its walls. If two ten-year-old children slip out in the midst of the confusion, who’s to stop them? Meanwhile, Halt and his second-year apprentice Gilan have caught wind of the robber band’s plans and are determined to put a stop to them.

We’re all in this together by @huff-le-punk

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Will Treaty/Alyss Mainwaring, Pauline duLacy/Halt O'Carrick Characters: Will Treaty, Alyss Mainwaring, Pauline duLacy, Halt O'Carrick Additional Tags: Fluff, Pregnancy Summary:

Will and Alyss find out they're pregnant and can't wait to tell their parents and mentors about the new addition to their little family.

Dont you ever forget by @rangerthursday11

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Horace Altman & Will Treaty Characters: Horace Altman, Will Treaty, Halt O'Carrick Additional Tags: I tried to do fluff, i didn't end up like fluff, and i am mad at myself, it's not angst though, just take it as some sorta perspective on the friendship between Will and Horace Summary:

After not seeing Will for a year since the return from Skandia, Horace finally gets the opportunity to visit Redmont and his friends. However, things don't go exactly as planned.

Quarantine, Brownies, & Belonging by @araluen-arrows

Chapters: 1/? Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Horace Altman/Will Treaty, Cassandra | Evanlyn/Alyss Mainwaring, Halt O'Carrick & Will Treaty, Will Treaty & Alyss Mainwaring Characters: Will Treaty, Horace Altman, Alyss Mainwaring, Halt O'Carrick, Cassandra | Evanlyn, Crowley Meratyn Additional Tags: i wrote 21k in eleven days for this, Quarantine, Slow Romance, Eventual Romance, Hurt/Comfort Summary:

Will Treaty doesn’t have friends. He hates talking to people, content to keep his head down and stay in the background. But that means when COVID-19 strikes and his university closes its dorms, he doesn’t have anywhere to go.

When a teammate offers to let Will use his spare room, Will should be ecstatic. Except for one thing: they hate each other’s guts. And now, they’re stuck together in the same tiny apartment for two months.

If COVID doesn’t get them first, they might just end up killing one another.

5 Times Crowley Asked Halt to Stay With Him and 1 Time Halt Asked Him by @bonana-split

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Crowley Meratyn/Halt O'Carrick Characters: Halt O'Carrick, Crowley Meratyn Additional Tags: Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Summary:

exactly what the title says. lots of pining!

An Unstoppable Force & An Immoveable Object by @drowned-in-books

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Cassandra | Evanlyn/Alyss Mainwaring Characters: Cassandra | Evanlyn, Alyss Mainwaring, Will Treaty, Halt O'Carrick Additional Tags: Seley El'then, Fluff, it's cute, alyssandra - Freeform, evanlyss, Pining, Yearning, There Can Be Only One Summary:

it's gay, it's pining. Special thanks to elizathehumancarrot for beta-ing!!!!

#ranger's apprentice #rangers apprentice #ranger's apprentice quaratine exchange party #ra fanfic

[araluen-arrows]

crowley’s apprentice

**some creds to the RA discord for helping snowball this idea along

it makes no sense that crowley, as one of the bright young rangers taught by pritchard (one of the most respected figures in the corps) to not have an apprentice. like, yes, he was busy with being commandant and rebuilding, but it’s also only logical for the commandant to have an apprentice skilled at administrating and ready to take over for them if anything were to happen.

so, using the fandom’s Override Canon at Any Oppurtunity function, we have collectively decided to give Crowley an apprentice:

Gideon joins the Corps after the Battle of Hackham Heath. He participated in the battle as a squire, and he saw what difference a Ranger made in turning the tide of the battle. He decides to apply to the newly-reforming Corps after Araluen was secured once again.

At sixteen, already a renowned swordsman, he has spent four years under MacNeil, two in the Battleschool of Caraway, and he has been riding and shooting since he could walk. 

As a plus, he is the oldest son of Sir David, the King’s cavalry commander. He is charismatic, brilliant, inquisitive, thorough, and talented, the person his brother yearns to be, the pride of his father’s life and the joy of Crowley’s. 

Two years later, Gilan is thrown into a creek by the Ranger Halt and begins his apprenticeship in earnest as well. And for a while, everything is happy. Halt and crowley are closer than brothers, and now their apprentices are siblings as well. Gideon was one of the only warriors who could defeat Gilan at the sword. At Gil’s first Gathering, Gideon sees him and slings him over his shoulders despite the protests, carrying him the rest of the way to the Gathering Ground. 

He is overconfident to the point of recklessness as his only fault. but Crowley smiles fondly and lets it pass. He remembers when he was the same during his apprenticeship: bright with the optimism of youth, swaggering and sure of himself. He will temper with age, he tells Halt. Let the boy be a child. 

Gideon would never grow out of boyhood. 

<>~<>~<>

There is a lot of administrative work these days for Crowley to handle. There are rumors to investigate, treaties to rewrite, rangers to commission. But, as always, there are also enemies of Araluen to track and kill, bandits to clear from the roads, and smugglers to flush from their dens. One man, even if that man is a Ranger Commandant, can’t keep track of it all.

So Gid volunteers to. He takes up residence in the cabin near Castle Araluen, spending time there in two-week chunks. He represents Crowley in his dealings with criminals, and through him, the King. 

It isn’t like the power gets to his head or anything. but when you are a teenager (a kid, really), there is always a certain amount of arrogance involved. It is always you against the world, and there is no chance you will not emerge the victor. The world is painted gold with the promise of a bright future, and it is your oyster. 

but there is no time to be a child in the aftermath of war.

Morgarath learns of this development through his network of spies. He has spent four years now nursing his wounds, letting his bitter hatred for the ranger corps fester. and before Halt is famous and immortalized in the songs of bards, it is Crowley, the young Commandant, that is the face of the Corps. 

But Crowley is difficult to get to. He’s one of the best and brightest Rangers, and he’s based within Castle Araluen itself, the impenetrable fortress that Morgarath didn’t dare take even when he was strong. Halt is just as difficult to attack, because he’s located in Redmont, a large and populous fief. So who does he target?

Reports leak into Castle Araluen about bears, large, shambling, killing livestock and farmers in the countryside. It seems like a routine enough job: Crowley dispatches his apprentice to take care of them.

They were not bears.

These were the days where Morgarath had at his disposal the darkest creatures of myth and legend, and among them were the three Kalkara. and one apprentice, no matter how talented or bright, has no chance against the hunting Kalkara. Especially if he is caught unawares.

Gideon tracks the creatures into the forest. The paws seem too large, half again as wide as a man’s hand, and he thinks that there might be an extra toe, but the path is muddy and it’s difficult to tell. Suddenly, his horse shies underneath him and skips backward, but then she freezes altogether and collapses. Her heart has stopped of sheer terror. As she falls, Gideon just manages to kick himself free of the saddle. He goes for his sword, then realizes it will not be enough. 

Facing him is one of the ape-like beasts, standing nine feet tall with scaly skin and luminous yellow eyes. They draw him like a moth to flame, and it takes all his willpower to drop his gaze. His brain is working well enough to recognize that if a creature wants you to look it in the eyes, it is probably not a good idea to look it in the eyes. 

Faster than thought, he draws his throwing knife and hurls it at the creature’s face. It sinks nearly hilt-deep into its cheek: Gideon is just mere inches off-target, but mere inches could cost him his life. The Kalkara bellows in pain and he feels a moment of satisfaction, but his heart freezes as he hears an answering bellow.

Two answering bellows.

Gideon darts for the river, just a hundred meters away, wades across it, and dives behind a boulder. He can practically feel the Kalkara’s hypnotizing eyes on him, daring him to look up. He still doesn’t know what these things are, but his instincts are sound. His horse looked at those eyes, and his horse is now dead. Bottom line: do not look at the eyes. 

He hears a splash and realizes the first Kalkara has followed him all the way to the river. Gideon closes his eyes. He cannot outrun. He can cower and hide, or he can stand and fight.

As the monster bears down on him, he fires arrow after arrow at its face, hoping to blind those terrible eyes. It is halfway across the river. Three-quarters. 

His third arrow takes it in the right eye, and his fifth the left. It screams, an unearthly, undulating sound, and leaps for the bank, intent only on punishing the one that caused it such agony. 

The first blow shatters Gid’s longbow and numbs his right arm all the way up to the shoulder. He claws his sword out of its sheath with his left hand, and metal meets flesh as the Kalkara strikes at him again. He scores a long cut along his forearm, but the force of the blow nearly knocks the weapon from his fingers. 

Before he has time to rally, the third hit drives him to his knees, cracking ribs and setting his lungs on fire. He can barely roll out of the way as the Kalkara stumbles and collapses next to him, having finally vanquished its archenemy. 

Briefly, he wonders if the sun is setting early, but then realizes his eyesight is dimming; there is no coming back from this. Crowley, he thinks as his vision goes black. Crowley, I failed. 

<>~<>~<>

Three days later, when a panic-stricken Crowley finally receives the report from the search parties, he thinks the same thing. It should have been him out there. It should have been him facing the Kalkara.

He can practically see Morgarath sneering at him. A child has died because of you. You couldn’t protect one apprentice—how will you ever protect forty-nine Rangers? 

A hot rage rises in his chest. Morgarath had taken Pritchard from him, nearly taken Halt, and now he had taken Gideon as collateral damage with one goal in mind: to hurt Crowley as much as possible. 

In a way, it does work. Crowley never takes another apprentice. He no longer trusts himself to bring up another promising young Ranger and see so much potential squandered because of him. He does not want to bury another child.   

But Crowley does not let Morgarath win. He does not rest until Morgarath is well and truly dead. For three decades, he serves as the Corps Commandant, longer than any before him and any after him. 

“Married to his job”, the people joke, but they are actually not far from the truth. 

Crowley is guarding Gideon’s legacy. 

#ranger's apprentice #crowley meratyn #ra headcanon #ra fanfic #rangers apprentice #morgarath #gilan davidson

[forgedroyalseal]

I’ve got a lot to live without

Will stood in a shadowed corner of the room, grateful for the support the walls provided. He wasn’t sure he’d manage standing upright on his own for very long. He felt Gilan’s presence before he saw him.

“Something is wrong.” It wasn’t a question, but Will still tried to play it off.

“Everything is fine Gil. I’m just not I’m the mood to social right now.”

“Bull. You love socializing. What’s wrong Will?” Gilan asked again, pressing for an honest response.

The worried look on his friends face finally did him in and Will let out a shaky sigh, “Alyss isn’t away on an assignment.”

“I figured as much. Is she alright?”

Will pressed his fist the his mouth, trying to hold back a sob and shook his head.

“Is she ill?”

“She- she miscarried earlier this week. I tried to convince her to let me stay home with her, but she refused. She wanted at least one of us to be here for Horace and Cassandra.”

Gilan’s face fell. “Will, I, I don’t know what to say. Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

“Today is about Horace and Cassandra. It’s about introducing their daughter to the kingdom. How could I take any of that joy away from them?” Will nodded to the center of the room where family and friends were crowded around the happy family.

“How far along was she?”

“Nearly half way.”

Gilan swore. “I didn’t even know you two were expecting.”

“We kept it quiet. We um, we weren’t sure it was going to happen. And now I’m grateful I don’t have to tell everyone.”

“Why did you think it wouldn’t-“

“Because none of the others did.” Will cut him off with a whisper.

The words sent an icy chill down Gilan’s spine. “How many?”

“This was the fourth.”

“Will.” Gilan’s voice broke on the name and he felt as though all of the air had been sucked out of his lungs. Four. His baby brother had gone through this four times, and had never once said a thing about it to him.

“Alyss didn’t even know she was pregnant with the first one until it was too late. This one was the farthest we ever got. We actually started to imagine that-“ Will swallowed hard and cleared his throat, “Well. It doesn’t matter. We were wrong.”

“You should have told us.” Gilan says gently.

“And what could you have done that the physicians couldn’t?”

“We would have been there for you.” Gilan paused then said, “I know this is a stupid question, but I still have to ask, how are you holding up?”

Will ran his hands over his face and through his hair. “I’ve wanted a child for as long as I can remember. I wanted family of my own. To have the chance to be there for my children. But now, I just want this to stop. I can’t go through this again, I don’t think Alyss can either. But she is already talking about when we are going to start trying again. I’ve tried to tell her that we don’t need to, that I am happy with just her, that she is all the family I need. But she can’t let this dream go. And I’m so terrified that if we keep trying, eventually I’ll lose her too. And that’s not something I’ll survive.”

“I wish I had the words to make everything ok again for you. But I don’t, and I doubt those words even exist. But need to know that I’m here for you. And if you tell the others, they’d all feel the same. You two can’t keep all this hurt bottled up.” Gilan wrapped his arms around him. Will turned into Gilan and pressed his face into his shoulder, muffling sobs that had started. “It’s ok. I’m here. It’s alright.”

“Can you come back to Redmont with me? I know how busy you must be but-“

“Of course I’m coming back with you Will. The king himself couldn’t stop me. You and Alyss will get through this. And you won’t be alone.”

“Thank you.” Will whispered.

“You never need to thank me for being there for you Will. You’re like the little brother I never knew I needed, and it’s my job to take care of you.”

#rangers apprentice #ranger's apprentice #will treaty #ranger’s apprentice fanfiction #rangers apprentice fanfiction #one shot #I’ve got a lot to live without #gilan davidson

[redrose-arrow]

today in “fanfic ideas that I have but will never write because it’s too emotionally wrecking and I cannot do that to my favourite characters”:

Maddie, a full fledged Ranger with a fief of her own, uncovers a dangerous plot designed to bring the Kingdom of Araluen down. Determined to stop it, she entangles herself in a web of mystery and treason, until there is no way back:

to save her country, Maddie must betray everything and everyone she has ever stood for. Her family and her friends soon realise that there is a traitor amidst them, but when Maddie is discovered, innocent lives depend on her to keep her cover intact. So, instead of coming clean, the young Ranger and heir to the throne is forced to lie, to hurt, to threaten and to upset, permanently damaging relations that took years to build.

When the danger has finally passed and her friends, family, and kingdom, are safe at last, only then can Maddie reveal the truth. Question is, can she ever go back to her old life? Or has the betrayal ruined everything she’s ever worked for?

Not being able to return to any of the homes she’s ever known, Maddie seeks refuge with Jenny. The cook welcomes her, and, when Gilan visits, even defends her. But Gilan is in his good right when he states that what Maddie did was “even more of a betrayal to her oakleaf than Halt ever dared”. Will slowly attempts to improve his bond with Maddie, because does she really think he cares “so little that even betrayal would make him abandon his duties as godfather?”. Horace and Cassandra are torn between welcoming back their daughter and heir, and upholding the laws of the country that they swore to protect.

Maddie has, after all, betrayed everything they ever stood for, and though her aim was true, can they truly justify that the ends justify the means?

#it’s ironic that i cannot write this #nor can i get myself to continue with the fic in which cassandra died #but i will happily elaborate on the fic in which horace died #or duncan died #or will died #let’s not talk about it #rangers apprentice #ranger's apprentice #john flanagan

[uncanny-accuracy]

Do you have any headcanons for Will and Halt during his apprenticeship after Skandia? I feel like in those years between book 4 and book 7 are so precious, but not talked about much

Will definitely had nightmares. Extreme ones. "Night terrors" would be more appropriate, actually. I'm talking shaking, gasping and coughing like he's choking on something, screaming, crying, extreme panic attacks. That boy did not walk out of there unharmed.

The first few weeks, he didn't dream at all. It was nothingness every time he closed his eyes. He was still quite numb to emotions, which he lazily blamed on the warmweed. But after those first few weeks, when reality set in and he slowly regained memories of his time drugged, the night terrors started.

The first time it happened, he'd been dosing off alone, curled up on the couch in the cabin. Halt was outside, but he rushed inside as soon as he heard the coughing. It was loud, like Will was choking. Hell, Halt thought he was choking, and was ready to help the kid out. When Halt saw that Will was, in fact, not choking and instead panicking, alarm bells rung in his head. Will's coughs quickly grew into a panic attack, second only to one Crowley had years before. Halt just held Will silently, cradling him and softly rocking back and forth.

This became routine. If the night terrors were extremely bad, Halt would whisper that it was okay, that he was there and that he wasn't going to let anyone hurt Will ever again. Sometimes, Halt would sing softly. Little Hiberian tunes his mother used to sing to him when he was upset.

Will's apprenticeship stopped for awhile. Three months, to be exact. Will tried to keep up on working out, but weapons training was too much. Map reading and making he could handle, mental stuff was fine. But the physical stuff reminded him of the yard, though his memories were more remembering emotions like fear and desperation, not seeing the other slaves in the yard.

Once Will's training fully started up again, his night terrors were only slightly better. Halt expertly avoided all talk of Skandia for awhile, as did Will's friends, Gilan and Crowley included. The Commandant offered to talk to Will about his time as a slave, but Will originally refused.

Will's final exam for that year of training was pushed back three months, and during it he had a mental breakdown. Halt, according to procedure, was unable to interfere with Will while testing was in progress, so Gilan jumped in and helped. Crowley offered kind words from the sidelines. Will's tests, when all said and done, took two hours longer than the other apprentices.

Eventually, after about a year and a half, Will's night terrors became manageable, though they never completely faded. Two out of five nights, he'd wake in a cold sweat. Panic attacks often ensued. He did talk to Crowley, in the end, however.

Will learned to cope. Halt offered advice based on traumatic experiences from his past. Gilan offered a silent shoulder to cry on, knowing nothing he'd been through would ever be close to what Will experienced. Crowley helped guide Will through the trauma, being quite used to such events himself. Will's other friends offered support, namely Horace. He felt as if Will's capture was partially his fault.

Alyss was much like Gilan - she offered a silent shoulder. She knew Will well enough to know that talking to him would make things worse. He had to work it out, at least somewhat, on his own before he could open up. She let him do that, and then when he was ready, she was there to actually walk him through it.

During Halt's poison misadventure, after Will's training had been completed and he'd been coping for some years now, it all came flooding back. His feelings were manic - fear for Halt's life, the man who had saved him countless times, physically and emotionally and mentally. Fear that he, Will, was powerless to help Halt, much like Will felt in Skandia when he and Evanlyn were in that hut in the mountains. He was angry, with himself mostly. For both shooting the wrong target and not realizing Halt was poisoned sooner.

Memories of his slave months, memories of being drugged, memories of Halt's soft singing and comforting hugs, memories of Will spewing hateful words as he went through an episode. Everything came back, and that's why he nearly killed that Genovansan. He wouldn't be able to apologise to Halt, wouldn't be able to say he was sorry for stressing him so much, wouldn't be able to make it up to him. What we saw in the book - that was the begin of a PTSD episode. Not triggered by a night terror, not triggered by a panic attack. It was triggered by the fear and familiarity of the situation.

And when Halt figured out, later, that Will had temporarily lost it? He wrapped his arms around Will and sang, again, softly. He wasn't a good singer, but he knew Will loved music, so he sang. Gilan and Alyss would hum. Crowley would whistle. Jenny would sing, and George would stay quiet, rubbing circles on Will's back. No one ever judged him, not for a moment.

Will's first months after the events of The Icebound Land and The Battle For Skandia were awful. And even years later, after graduating, they still affected him. They continue to affect him in The Royal Ranger. He didn't walk out of there unharmed. Hell, he didn't even walk out of there in one piece. He left everything behind. What walked out was a husk of a person, focused on a task in order to avoid realizing that fact. Being a slave under those conditions... It would destroy anyone. And destroy it did.

#ask uncanny #ranger backstories

[timewormbloom]

22 - Jenny and Gilan

     “Don’t think about what the food’s for… just keep cooking,” Jenny whispered softly to herself. She was bent over her kitchen counter with her head thrown back in an attempt to not get tears in the dough. At some point she had forgone trying to look at it and just stared at the ceiling as her hands mechanically went through the motions.

      Knead, flip, don’t think.

      Knead, flip, add more flour.

      Knead, flip, ignore the knocking.

     Over and over.

      She could be mistaken for content when she was like this. She wasn’t okay by any means, but she was doing a great job at hiding it if you weren’t looking very hard. The untrained eye might be fooled. But Gilan prided himself on being neither untrained or fooled. He was also good at knowing when his girlfriend needed someone, especially when the someone was him.

      Going against years of training, he deliberately walked a bit more forcefully than he needed to. The sound of footsteps seemed to knock Jenny out of the daze she had lulled herself into, as her head suddenly snapped in his direction. Gilan barely had a moment to process the destroyed look on her face before his arms were full.

      They stood there for a moment, Jenny’s tears soaking through his cloak as Gilan murmured soft, almost inaudible words. Gilan balanced on one leg as he used his other foot to draw a nearby chair over. He prodded her slightly before she collapsed into it. He knelt down to her height and cradled her face. He instinctively wiped his thumb under her eye to catch a stray tear.

      “She’s gone. I know she died a hero, but...” Jenny was staring at a small spot on the wall as her voice trailed off.

     “It still hurts.” Gilan didn’t bother phrasing it like a question, since the emotions flickering through her eyes answered it long ago. She sniffled again as another round of waterworks began. Gilan didn’t know what to do other than rock her gently as she sobbed.

      His mind wandered to Alyss. He never really met her, aside from their wedding, but Will gushed about her so often he probably knew her as well as he knew his own siblings.

      The thought of Will sent him down another rabbit hole of thought. Alyss was his everything. Even thinking about what losing a partner might be like made his throat close up.

       “Oh… don’t cry.” Jenny’s soft words brought his attention back to her. She grabbed a napkin from her apron and dabbed at his cheeks, where tears had started to fall without him noticing.

     “If I ever lost you…” Gilan whispered, before suddenly embracing Jenny even harder than before. Calloused hands from years of working in the kitchen threaded through his hair. Eventually, he pulled back and tried to compose himself. His eyes landed on the now ruined blob of dough that had dropped on the floor at some point after his arrival.

     “Do you want some help making more dough?” Jenny seemed a little surprised at the question, but gave him one of her increasingly rare smiles and pulled him over to the counter.

      “It’s one of Will’s favorites. He’s locked himself in the cabin, and I’m worried about him,” she explained as she pulled out more ingredients. She latched onto the momentary feeling of joy that cooking for others brought her as Gilan moved to put his chin on her head. She melted back into him as she threw things together into a bowl.

     Neither of them were alright, but at least they could put that aside for a moment.

#ranger's apprentice #rangers apprentice

[trickthecloak]

Whumptober 2020 Day 2

No 2. IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY "Pick Who Dies" | Collars | Kidnapped

Using alternate prompt 4: Shot.

Halt frowned from where he crouched by the body that was sprawled on the forest floor. The body had a puncture through the left calf - Halt himself had fired the guilty arrow. However, that wasn't the wound that had killed the man; rather, it was the rather gruesome crossbow bolt embedded in his chest that had done the man in.

"Did the others... kill him?" Gilan asked, uncomfortably wrapping his arms around himself from where he stood several meters away. Gilan had taken only one glance at the body before feeling decidedly ill, choosing to keep to his distance and more than content to let Halt do the inspecting. "I thought they were working together."

Halt shrugged and stood. "He was injured, and as such, a liability."

Gilan paled and shook his head with disgust. "That's terrible," the boy declared, absolutely sickened by the idea.

"They're efficient. No one said they were decent." Halt's brow furrowed in thought for a moment before he continued, "I'm going to follow tracks. I want you to stay here and look around. Make sure there's no second trail or sign of them splitting up."

Gilan's eyebrows shot up. "What if they come back?!" he squawked, alarm flashing across his young face as his eyes darted back to the body on the ground.

"They've killed a man and are inclined to put distance between themselves and any followers - us, in this case. If you've committed a crime, people are unlikely to return to the scene."

Gilan gnawed his lip for a moment. "I suppose," he reluctantly agreed.

"Be vigilant," Halt called before melting into the brush. Gilan watched him leave before sighing and moving to look for the tracks he knew he wouldn't find. If there had been a second set of tracks, Halt would have already found it in his inspection of the scene. His mentor had given him the assignment in order to keep him away from the more immediate threats. While the young apprentice understood the reasoning, being left alone with only a corpse for company was not the scenario he'd have chosen.

A rustle in the brush had Gilan freezing before hastily melting backwards into the cover of the nearest tree. Four men stomped into the clearing, heading towards the body in clear agitation... the body that Gilan's tree was uncomfortably close to.

"Can't believe no one remembered to grab the map to the rendezvous house," one grumbled and he roughly started feeling the pockets on the dead man. The second man rolled his eyes.

"Shut your trap. You didn't remember either."

The first man grumbled something unintelligible, but Gilan barely heard, his pulse quickening.

Rendezvous map. If Gilan could get it, he and Halt could potentially clear out a crime circle larger than they had originally accounted for.

A moment later, Gilan shook himself. He was sixteen, and map or not, pitting himself against a dangerous criminal group was a stupid idea at best. Halt would return soon enough after seeing the tracks double back, and then his teacher would form one of his brilliant strategies that usually had Gilan beaming in admiration.

Coming to this conclusion, Gilan carefully turned and stepped, intending to put more distance between himself and the men.

A mistake.

Pressed up against the tree as he'd been, Gilan's cloak had snagged on a rough, loose section of bark. As he'd pulled away, the bark had torn off with a sharp crack, his cloak becoming a ripple of movement.

The reaction was instantaneous. With a burst of shouts, the men became a flurry of movement.

Gilan bolted. Scrambling through the brush, over logs, around trees - all thought of hiding forgotten, instead fueled simply by the primal instinct to get away. A hard jab impacted his lower thigh, and his cheek was welted from a pine bough. In the young Ranger's urgent flight, these things barely registered until the voices faded. Once he was certain he was out of sight and direct line of approach to his pursuers, Gilan paused, reaching a hand down to his leg to rub the sore, bruised muscle where he had been jabbed from what must have been a tree branch.

His hand met warm and wet, and for a moment, Gilan stared in confusion as he inspected his blood covered fingers.

The adrenaline that had fueled his flight was beginning to wear off, and with a groan, Gilan attempted another step. He staggered, and the next step, his leg buckled altogether.

He hadn't run into a tree branch, Gilan realized with disbelief. He'd been shot.

The trail was doubling back, Halt realized, his gut tightening as he realized the tracks were heading back to where they had found the body.

Where he had left Gilan.

Gilan was fine, the Ranger reasoned to himself as he immediately headed back to where he had left his apprentice. The boy's talent at unseen movement was something to behold - should the men return, Gilan certainly was more than capable of keeping himself out of sight.

His anxiety lessening, Halt continued towards the scene, keeping his senses perked and searching in case his apprentice had parked himself nearby. Halt didn't find him, but the Ranger brushed it off. It was a big forest. Gilan would be around somewhere, waiting for Halt to get him.

Voices caught his attention, and Halt moved closer to where the men had gathered around the body again. They were red faced and breathing hard, and Halt raised an eyebrow. He was curious about why the men had returned, but it didn't make sense for all of them to have pushed themselves to such an extent.

That is, until Halt was able to make out their conversation. The Ranger's stomach dropped.

"That was a Ranger, I saw the cloak!"

"It was the kid. The apprentice."

"Either way, I hit him. I've got to have hit him."

Halt took a shuddering breath, forcing himself to think. They had found Gilan, and potentially injured him. However, Gilan wasn't in the hands of the men, which meant he had gotten away. Their ability with a crossbow was likely mediocre at best, and with the thick wood and Gilan's cloak working for him, there was little reason to think that his apprentice had been injured, especially with no sign of the boy having gone down.

The Ranger nodded to himself. Gilan was likely positioned some ways away, having thrown the men's scent and waiting for Halt to show and provide further instruction. The men were still conversing, most likely putting together a plan to find the apprentice who had slipped from their grasp.

It was as he skirted the perimeter that Halt saw it: a blood splatter, that continued into a dripped trail.

The Ranger set his jaw. So Gilan had been hit. Halt's only reassurance was the his apprentice had still been moving - physically able to, and mentally with it enough to have the sense to keep putting distance between himself and his pursuers.

A glance back revealed the men scattering in several directions, the hunt for their prey now in the works. Halt's face darkened. He would deal with them later.

First, he had an apprentice to find.

The blood drips lightened somewhat shortly into the trail, as if Gilan had thrown some form of compression on the offending wound; likely the field handkerchief that Halt insisted was always carried. However, other things bore testament to his apprentice's deteriorating condition. In some areas, the blood drips were smeared and streaky, as if Gilan had unsuccessfully attempted to wipe them off. The tracks themselves were growing clumsy, at one point seeming like one leg was practically dragging.

Halt stopped for a moment and leaned against the side of a large fallen log. He was desperately trying to combat the sinking feeling in his chest when he heard the quiet, breathy whisper.

"Halt?"

Halt froze, then dropped, sweet relief flooding him as his eyes met Gilan's a moment later. Careful not to jostle the boy, Halt moved in deeper to the small recess under the fallen log that his apprentice had wedged himself into. Gilan's face was pale, and when Halt touched a hand to his cheek, the skin was cool and clammy. Halt set his jaw before lightly skimming his hands over his apprentice, searching for the injury. It didn't take long to find the roughly bandaged handkerchief, and the Ranger raised his eyebrow questioningly.

Gilan closed his eyes, his face tight with pain. "Just a deep graze... but it hurts."

Halt exhaled, thankful for that small mercy. Had the crossbow bolt hit straight on... Digging into his pocket, Halt pulled out his own handkerchief. At the sight, Gilan whimpered, his face somehow managing to go a shade paler. Halt winced and ran a hand through Gilan's sweaty hair. "I have to. I'm sorry, but I have to."

As Halt pulled the handkerchief tight over the soaked one already covering the wound, Gilan bit his lip so hard it bled. Even still, he was unable to contain the gasping sobs that tore out of his throat. Tears stained the boy's cheeks, and as Halt finished, he leaned forward and drew Gilan's head against his shoulder, letting the pain ride out... wishing more than anything that he could take it and bear it himself.

Slowly, Gilan's breathing evened out, hitching only every now again, and Halt gently propped him back again. "Better?"

"I'm great," Gilan croaked, and Halt scoffed.

"Forgive me if I don't believe you. Right now, let's stick with 'better'." Halt frowned again, then continued, "I have to go take care of our ugly friends. They're out on their own little hunt, and I do believe that they have earned themselves a discussion with me. I'll be back soon. Stay put and don't die." Halt gave Gilan's shoulder a squeeze before rising out of the recess.

"Halt," Gilan said suddenly, and Halt stopped, turning a questioning look to his apprentice. "Shoot them in the left thigh."

Despite himself, the barest corner of Halt's mouth twitched.

"Of course."

#whumptober2020 #no.2 #altno.4 #shot #rangers apprentice #fic #blood

[alvacchi]

SCENARIO: Norman’s Rage

IT’S SCENARIO TIME! Gosh finally! I’ve been meaning and wanting to write this one since a few days ago :’D. This is inspired by @vobomon’s Demon!Norman AU!

(Note: This could be seen as a continuation from the SCENARIO: Masquerade but doesn’t need to be. It can be a stand alone.)

Aaa anyways, enjoy!

[Spoilers up to Ch 132]

---

Norman: We will strike 8 days from now. While the Tifari is taking place, we’ll assassinate the queen and the nobles.

[It’s now been eight days since Norman started making his move. Now the Tifari ceremonies have begun and Norman’s army along with Giran’s army heads out towards the Royal Capital.]

Norman: ‘Today is the day. We will change everything. The full moon should be out on this day... I will be at maximum strength if I need them.’

[A chill goes down Norman’s spine but he keeps his serious face on. He can’t stop his plan now. It’ll be okay. It’ll all work out.]

[Meanwhile, Ray and Emma have infiltrated into the Royal Capital in their demon disguises after their trip to the Seven Walls. However, they have been caught by one of the demon nobles at the Tifari.]

Demon noble: You guys don’t look familiar...you must be the ones destroying our plantations! INTRUDERS!!

Ray: RUN EMMA!

Emma: RAY!

[The demon nobles gather around them to prevent them from escaping. Emma and Ray stand against each other back to back, trying to get out of their tough situation.]

Queen Legravalima: That’s enough. I will deal with the intruders myself.

[The Queen shows herself to the crowd and the demons withdraw, kneeling before her. Ray and Emma stand there astonished as they looked at her.]

Demon noble: [to Ray and Emma] Such insolence! Kneel before your Queen!

Emma: ‘Wait... that’s the Queen? That’s perfect then!’

Emma: Your Majesty! We didn’t come here seeking for a fight! We simply want to negotiate for peace!

[Emma removes her mask to reveal her face to the Queen.]

Ray: Hey! Emma!

[The demon nobles starts talking amongst themselves.]

Demon noble 1: !!! That’s a cattle child!

Demon noble 2: If it is a cattle child, then the other one with it must be one too!

Demon noble 3: Does that mean it wasn’t the work of demons but cattle? Ridiculous!

Duke Ivelk: SILENCE!

[They all shut up. The Queen then begins to speak.]

Queen: Negotiation? From mere cattle? How absurd! What makes you think I will listen? My dear brother Lewis has gone missing.

[In the middle of their conversation unknown to them, Norman’s army heads their way, already having infiltrated the Royal Capital. Norman leads the way as they head towards the room where Ray, Emma, and the other nobles are, killing any demons standing the way.]

Emma: We already have a plan to remake the Promise with HIM! We know what you Royals have been doing!

Queen: [feigning innocence] I do not know what you are talking about.

Emma: The girl with cursed blood. She’s still alive.

[As Norman sees the nobles and approaches the room, he spots a familiar orange haired person with an ahoge.]

Norman: ‘Is that Emma?! Oh no why is she here?! She’s being reckless again!’

[He quickens his pace from worry. The demon nobles made gasps in the room from Emma’s words.]

Queen: ….Am I supposed to be frightened? Rendered powerless before you cattle?

Emma: ! That’s not--

THWACK

[Emma’s hit hard by the Queen’s hand, falling to the ground with a thud. She lays there, silent and still.]

Ray: EMMA!!!

[Norman watched and heard it all happen right before his eyes as he finally makes it to the entrance. The slap. The fall. Ray’s scream. He starts hyperventilating, his breathing becoming ragged. His mind flashes back to when Emma’s leg got broken and the times when he seen the experiments as he walked on by in Lambda. He had been enduring it all for so long and now.

He snapped.]

Norman: YOU LOW LIFE DEMONS WHO DON'T DESERVE THE RANKS OF NOBILITY! HOW DARE YOU! LOOK AT HER! SHE’S NOT MOVING!!!

[A burst of wind started coming from him as a dark aura also consumed him. The glass cups on the table and the windows were breaking from the wind force. Clothes were flapping and the demons shielded their faces from wind contact. Norman was transforming, beginning to form demonic characteristics. Feathers were sprouting from his skin and his hands slowly became claws. The rest of Norman’s army arrives to the scene and sees the chaos. Ray watches him in horror.]

Ray: THE FUCK IS HAPPENING TO HIM?!

Vincent: This is bad! He’s turning into a demon!

Ray: WHAT?!

[The Gilan look on, in shock of what was happening.]

Gilan: ‘Shit I can’t imagine what would happen if the clan turned traitor…’

[Norman’s transformation completes itself. The demon nobles stood there surprised and filled with fear. Norman then starts his killing spree, moving to kill the nobles with incredible speed. They started fighting back against him in vain.]

Ray: Can’t you do anything?!

Vincent: He won’t recognize us anymore! He’s lost it! Everyone’s an enemy to him now! We have no choice but to get out of here! Last time he transformed like this, he destroyed Lambda!

Ray: Seriously?!

Barbara: Aw! But I wanted to kill all of them!

Ray: We better hurry out of here then!

[Ray makes a move to carry Emma but then Emma regains consciousness.]

Emma: Mmm…

Ray: Emma?!

[Emma tries to get up and Ray ends up helping her, putting her arm around his shoulder as they stand.]

Ray: Are you okay?

Emma: [Sees the fighting between the demons and spots a white one in the middle] Is that...Norman?

Ray: How did you recognize him? Nevermind that! We got to leave!

Emma: No! We can’t leave him behind! We got to help Norman!

Ray: Are you crazy?!

[Norman finishes his battles with the demons. All of them are scattered on the floor before him, and now the Queen was the only other demon left alive. He slowly walks towards her, his feathers tainted with demon blood.]

Emma: I can’t let him kill her!

[Emma breaks off from Ray’s hold and runs over to Norman.]

Ray: Emma! DON’T GO NEAR HIM! EMMA!

[Norman was now staring down at the Queen in contempt, his demon eyes filled with hatred. The Queen felt a chill as she stares back at him.]

Queen: ‘I’ve never seen anything like it. That’s not a demon nor a cattle child. What exactly is it?!’

[He was about to strike her when Emma goes in front of him and hugs him in attempt to keep him from doing so.]

Emma: NORMAN! COME BACK TO ME NORMAN! IT’S ME EMMA! I’M ALRIGHT! I’M OKAY SO STOP!

[He hesitates but doesn’t recognize her in his rage. She was in the way. He growls and digs his claws into her, trying to get her off of him. Emma winces from the pain in her sides as blood seeps out.]

Ray: EMMA!

Emma: [still holding on] ‘What do I do?! How do I get him to calm down?!’

Emma: Please Norman, come back....I love you. [She starts humming a certain lullaby] ♪ ♪ ♪ ~

Ray: ‘That is…!’

[Norman listens to Emma’s singing for a while and gradually he starts to calm down. His transformation becomes undone, reverting back to his human form as she finishes.]

Norman: Emma…[hugs her back]

Vincent: Huh...it worked out.

[Ray and the others stood there relieved.]

[Norman and Emma separate from each other. Norman looks at her with worrying eyes.]

Norman: Are you crazy? I could have seriously hurt you…[He realizes his hands were covered in her blood. He panics.] Oh no...I already have.

Emma: Norman, it’s okay. I know you didn’t mean it.

[They turn to face the Queen who had been silent and frozen in fear the entire time.]

Emma: Your Majesty. As I was saying, we are not trying to cause a war.

Queen: How could you say that when you’ve killed my own kind?

Emma: And ours suffered as well. Please. Let us start over.

#the promised neverland #tpn #tpn spoilers #noremma #yakusoku no neverland #ynn #anime #manga #tpn scenario #scenario #writing #fanfic #tpn emma #tpn norman #tpn ray #tpn vincent #tpn queen #tpn gilan #tpn barbara #tw blood