Will studied the ground, noticing every ripple of shade, every patch of under growth that seemed to stretch itself out into the dirt road they were traveling. Halt was silent as ever and there had not been any conversation since they left the village they had been in.

A robbery had occurred in one of Wensley's neighboring villages. The village was small and had no constable or law keeper to ensure the safety of its inhabitants so the rangers had to go and find out all the details, and maintain peace while they determined the best plan of action.

It turned out that the owner of the shop that had been robbed had a young son with sticky fingers. Seeing as he was only twelve there was no need to cart him off to prison or perform any drastic measure to solve the problem. Halt told the shop owner that if he needed help reigning in his son that he would be glad to offer his assistance, but he was assured that the matter would be handled without any hesitation.

Now, they were riding through the woods of Redmont fief where the light streamed in through the dappled foliage making ribbons of gold that danced and flitted with the wind.

"Halt, can I ask you a question?" Will started, then sensing the usual response, quickly continued. "You said you had noticed me, or wanted me as an apprentice. How did you notice me when you were rarely around?"

Halt let the question hang in the air for a few seconds to give the boy a chance to realize the obvious answer. Then when he didn't, he shrugged, "How do you know when I was around and when I wasn't?" He let the words sink in before adding, "You weren't exactly looking for me."

Will knew that even if he had been looking for him, which he wasn't, he probably wouldn't have seen him. "I just don't remember anything that was worth noticing. What did I do that made you start watching me in the first place? "

"I already told you that." Halt was a man of few words and didn't understand the need for any further comment on the subject. Of course he knew that he had indeed been observing his young apprentice for the whole of his life at Redmont's ward. He thought back to the little toddler that stole the hearts of all the nurse maids of the ward. With his winning smile and frock of brown hair that still had that soft baby curl. Lost in his thoughts he didn't realize that the smile he felt had actually crept onto his face.

Will noticed and felt disheartened that Halt would make light of his genuine need to know more."I know you said that you saw me steal the cakes, and you saw me climb into the barons office, but why would you want me because of that.." Will dropped his inquiry, not wanting to point out that he had been caught in the act of a crime on both occasions. He just knew that there had to be something more. After all Halt was not the kind of man to condone such activities in his own fief, even by a mere child.

"Oh, I saw more than just that." Halt baited him into asking a different question, hoping that if Will were more specific he wouldn't have to divulge more information than he was inclined to.

" I mean, did I ever do anything good worth noticing?" Now that the thought was out he waited silently for a response.

Halt knew how far self doubt could go to cause one to give up the effort of trying to be better. "On several occasions." Seeing the need to encourage the young ranger he went on, "You were actually quite valiant when the need arose. After all, you did want to be a knight, remember?"

"When was I valiant?" said Will, hoping for some piece of evidence to support the fact that he had been worthy of praise as a child.

Halt searched his memory for an account that represented "valiance". "I recall how you saved Alyss and Jenny from a rather large bees' nest."

Will then remembered himself how the two girls found themselves surrounded by a swarm of angry bees. Jenny had decided that she would like to have wild berries with their picnic lunch one spring afternoon. She and Alyss were busy picking dewberries down by the river when they inadvertently stumbled into a yellow stingers nest. Their cries rang out just as Will was leaving the battle school practice ground where he often sat to secretly study the moves and lessons of being a knight.

Without a second thought he had run full pelt to find his friends being attacked by a seemingly invisible enemy. Realizing what it was, he saw the picnic blanket, and grabbed it as he screamed for the girls to run and jump in the river. He darted to where the source seemed to be and plunged with the blanket outstretched to cover the nest as he himself drew the attention, and most of the stings, of the bees, allowing time for Alyss and Jenny to escape. Aware that he had succeeded in providing a way out for the girls, and enraging an attack on himself, he ran to river . While his friends only suffered a few of the insufferable stings, he had succumbed to hundreds, leaving him in the infirmary for a week.

After recounting all that had happened he wondered if he had made the right decision to jump on a pile of swarming bees. Surely, there was a better way that he could have solved the problem without putting himself in danger. It just didn't seem to represent any quality that would merit him being called "valiant".

"I remember that.", he finally said. "I thought I'd never be able to wear clothes again!" he gave a rueful grin.

Halt rolled his eyes. Not having a response to that, he decided to change the subject. "We might as well camp here for the night." He said as he reigned in Abelard.

They were nearing home yet still too far to arrive before midnight. The sun that had been shining through the trees now peeked beneath them. Will hadn't felt sleepy until that point. Now he felt that a nice cup of coffee was almost necessary. He swung down from the saddle, patting Tug as he loosened the girth straps. Then he removed the saddle and pack that he would need to set up camp.

Halt had already gotten Abelard into a clearing beneath a good sized maple and started to rub him down when Will brought Tug over and began to do the same. Halt noticed that Will had ceased his questioning. He hoped that he had satiated the hunger for information that he felt uncomfortable giving. He had dozens of stories of course, that he could give his apprentice, but felt that too much would reveal himself as soft and sappy. The truth was that he had thought of Will as a son since he first peered into those deep brown eyes as he carried him gingerly to Redmont's ward.

With the menial tasks of setting camp and making a simple dinner completed there was nothing left to do but enjoy the quiet calm of the night. With the insects and night creatures all around them to sing their sleepy serenade, sleep seemed inevitable. The two rangers reclined, leaning on their saddles, sipping the last of the coffee when Will cleared his throat to speak. "I was thinking," he started.

"Dangerous pastime", the grizzled ranger grated.

Will considered how to continue, "Was there anything else you saw?" It was quite unnerving to think that all his life he had been the object of a rangers attention. Having had no time that was as private as he had always thought. He wanted to discover exactly how much Halt knew about him.

"I wasn't always 'around' as you so keenly pointed out already." Halt sensed that the unknown scrutiny of his past actions was causing unlimited questions in Wills mind. "I will tell you, I know enough to know that you were a very cunning and mischievous child." He looked at Will so that he could see the meaning in his eyes. Then continued, "I was in constant contact with Master Henrick to see that a thorough eye was kept on you."

"But Master Henrick hated me!", Will blurted in surprise. "Why would you want to contact him?"

"Actually, Will, you were his favorite of all the wards." Halt studied the astonished gaze that was plastered on Wills face. "He was very pleased to have a second pair of eyes to see that you didn't get into trouble."

Will couldn't believe what he was hearing. Master Henrick was the ward master who kept the lessons and discipline in the ward. It was his job to oversee the goings on of the nurse maids and mistresses, and other teachers that trained the young minds of the children in his care. He also saw to the chastisement of any deliberate and willful disobedience or infraction of the rules set for the ward. On several occasions, more often than Will thought was fair, he had faced Master Henrick's judicial strap that remained on the wall of his study.

"But, why!" was all that Will could muster.

Halt sat up, leaning on his elbow. "Because, we both liked you, and didn't want you to turn out like that spoiled little thief that we just took care of this morning. By not allowing you to get away with all of the things you did we prevented you from becoming a criminal."

They sat in silence for a second or two when Will finally recovered enough to say, "Well, you could have let me get away at least once!"

Will harrumphed as he lay back down, looking up to the stars that twinkled overhead. All these years he thought that it was Horace who had been the stool pigeon when it was his mentor all along. It made sense, seeing as how Horace wasn't really the type to tattle on someone. He tended to take care of things himself.

"Well no use dwelling on it. I guess I had it coming. I probably owe Horace and Master Henrick an apology or two." He rolled over not wanting to speak of it anymore. "I guess I'll take the first watch." he said solemnly.

Halt had no argument with that. "Wake me in four hours." he said as he threw the dregs of his coffee into the last remaining embers of the fire.