7

A Mother's Duty

"Will!" Lady Pauline tried not to act too astonished, "What on earth are you wearing?"

Will glanced innocently down at his green and grey attire. "Well… Clothes, of course. And my cloak."

"No, I meant, what are you- But, what's that on your chin?"

Will frowned. "My chin? I'm sorry Lady Pauline, I'm not sure what you're talking about." He looked uncomfortable.

Pauline sighed. "Oh, never mind. Where did Halt go?"

"He said he was headed to see the Baron, Lady Pauline. Just left a moment ago."

"Alright. Thank you, Will." She left without further comment, but sent a few skeptic glances back at the young ranger's apprentice as she walked away. She soon came upon Halt, and instead of greeting him or addressing the matters she had come to see him about, she said what was presently on your mind.

"Halt, how on earth could you let your apprentice out into public, dressed as he is? Much less in the castle!"

Halt turned toward her, not at all surprised by her sudden arrival, but rather taken aback by her unusual question.

"What on earth do you mean, 'dressed as he is'?"

"Halt, those clothes have to be three sizes too small, and that cloak is much too short on him! Are rangers so poor that they can't pay for properly tailored clothing?"

Halt shrugged. "Well, there is coffee that has to be bought. The stuff's not cheap, you know."

She glared at him

Halt sighed. "Honestly, Pauline, I hadn't noticed. He didn't complain, so I didn't think he was uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable! Halt, the boy would sooner be strangled by his own collar than complain to you about his clothes. Of course he's uncomfortable – he can hardly move in that shirt of his! And to make matters worse, you've gone and let his hair grow completely out of hand – and a beard, too!"

"What?" Halt was genuinely surprised. "That's preposterous. Will doesn't have a beard. I think I would have noticed."

"Well, he'll have one soon if he doesn't shave the stubble off his cheeks. It's as dark as that brown mop he calls hair. You know Halt, with the way you've been neglecting your apprentice's hygiene and welfare, sooner or later, he'll turn out looking just like you."

Halt chose to ignore the insult and instead countered against her logic.

"Well, it's not called 'personal hygiene' for nothing – I'm not responsible for Will's shaving routine, or his choice in dress."

"Halt," Pauline said slowly, "Do you honestly think the boy knows how to shave? He's sixteen – he's never picked up a razor in his life. And as for clothes, how much do you think Ranger apprentices get paid?"

Halt paused, looking pensive. He couldn't say anything to that, so he studiously trained his eyes away from her face, walking along with a mustered air of dignity.

"Ugh!" Pauline gave vent to a rare show of frustration. "Men! So thoughtless. I'll take the boy out to the shops later and pick him up some new clothes, and order him a new cloak. I'll need your coinpurse."

Begrudgingly, Halt produced the jingling sack and handed it to her with a sigh.

She took it. "And I'll also see if Horace can't teach his friend how to shave properly without cutting himself to bits."

Halt started to protest, but she intercepted whatever he was going to say.

"Halt, you aren't one to teach that particular skill; he needs to learn how to use a razor, not a saxe knife."

And again, Halt couldn't say anything to that.

She shook her head at him. "I'll have him back before dinner."

When Will walked back in the door that evening, He was wearing a fashionably loose shirt, nicely fitting boots, and a new leather jerkin. All were clean and new, all in muted tones of green, grey and brown. His hair was freshly cut and cleaned, though it had stayed resolutely untidy, and his cheeks were now clean-shaven, with a few cleverly disguised nicks from the razor. He carried a satchel with him bulging with extra sets of clothes.

Looking at him now, Halt had to admit that he looked a great deal more comfortable than he had before, and that his face looked a little less dark after he'd shaved.

Honestly, Halt was very glad that he hadn't been the one carting Will all over the Redmont markets looking for clothing. Will was very easy to please and lived a naturally minimalistic lifestyle, but still – dragging an apprentice to and fro under the cover of the ever-distinguishing ranger cloaks all over the open spaces of the marketplace to be ogled at and fretted over was a large source of annoyance for Halt. It was a huge relief to have it over and done with relatively little pain involved.

Halt made a mental note to thank Pauline later.

A few nights later, when Halt next went up to Castle Redmont, he got his opportunity as he and Pauline were convening to walk to the Baron's office with their respective reports. As they walked through the dusk, Halt awkwardly cleared his throat next to her, (Pauline was, after all, the only human being on the face of the earth whose very presence could make him flustered) and turned slightly towards her as they walked.

"Thank you, by the way." He said.

Pauline looked confused. "Whatever for?"

"For taking Will to get new clothes and all… The other day. I don't remember if I got to thank you for that." He explained.

She smiled sweetly at him. "No, you didn't."

"Oh. Well, um… I am now. Thanks." He looked away in an almost shy manner.

She smiled more broadly. "Oh, that's very sweet of you, Halt. You're welcome." And then she leaned in to give him a kind peck on the cheek. Despite his age, experience, wisdom and very, decidedly secure dignity, Halt couldn't help it when he blushed scarlet.

Pauline only smiled at him some more when she saw it. "I suppose I did it because I felt sorry for the boy. I mean, he's already got a father, it seems, but sometimes, he needs a mother to look after him." She winked at Halt.

Halt just shook his head. "You know very well that I'm not his father, and you're definitely not his mother."

"He thinks of you that way. He admires your very much, you know. As for me being his mother, well, I told him that that's what I'd be for him, if he needed it."

"And I suppose he was alright with that?"

"Of course he was. He quite liked the idea. In fact, I seem to remember that he said you and I made a rather lovely couple."

The statement stopped Halt in his tracks, and he opened his mouth several times in an attempt to answer, but after a while, he gave up. After he thought about it, he found he couldn't say anything to that, either.