Chapter Text
A calm tune drifted lazily throughout a small cabin which sat deep in the woods. It was late afternoon, and the sun was already slinking low in the sky, but the low hums of a woman persisted.
Alyss Mainwaring-Treaty sat draped across her comfortable chair, a special one that Pauline had gifted her once she finished her apprenticeship. Usually, the woman used to chair to complete those excruciatingly long reports, but today it had been pulled into the fading sunlight, sifting through the window.
Alyss had decided to move completely into Will’s cabin after they married, creating a space for the both of them. Though, not too much changed in the physical appearance of the cabin, only the inside where Alyss moved a few more pieces of furniture in. It still stayed sparklingly clean, mostly because of Will’s deep-rooted nature to keep it so, and Alyss laughed every time the Ranger came home, specifically after they had both been gone from the cabin, and picked up a broom before resting.
As the sun drifted lower, Alyss relaxed further into the cushions beneath her. She found it difficult to do much of anything this late in the day, and decided instead to wait on her husband. Will had left two days before, which left the woman to work and rest efore her own assignments arrived.
Just as her eyes drifted shut, Ebony let out a sharp, but quiet bark.
It was a familiar alert, one that showed someone was coming down the narrow path to the cabin.
Alyss snapped awake, and pushed into a straight sitting position. She blinked a few times to clear the drowsiness from her mind, and then stood up and walked around the sitting room to the cabin door.
Ebony who was sniffing at the air, tentatively following Alyss to the door.
She looked questionably at the dog, her curious nature confusing the woman a bit.
“That should be Will, Eb.” Alyss told the dog.
Before unlatching the door, she crept along the wall into the kitchen, and peeked out the window. It was plenty light enough for her to make out a familiar figure on the path to the cabin, just now trotting into the clearing. Alyss sighed a small breath of relief, and smiled at the small horse and rider. With peace of mind, she joyfully went to greet her husband on the porch.
Unfortunately, Alyss felt concern pool in her stomach as she took the form of her husband. As Will drew close, Alyss could see obvious bags under his eyes, and mud coated his clothes, along with another darker substance. He slumped, but still met Alyss’s eyes with a small, tired smile.
“Will?” Alyss asked tentatively, “Wh- Are you alright?”
He sighed deeply.
“I’m fine… ” Will rubbed his face and cringed, looking at his wife again. Then, with a sudden, tired realization, he looked at himself.
“Sorry hon, I was- I was going to clean up before I got home but… I just wanted-“ another sigh “to get home.” He blinked a couple of times.
Alyss was concerned now, “It’s fine, it’s fine, Will. Come on, I’ll unsaddle Tug, and you can go around back to get clean.”
Will’s eyes shone slightly, but that was the only emotion she received as he drowsily mumbled an ok.
She watched as he shuffled around the back of the cabin to the wash house. Quickly, Alyss unsaddled Tug and led him into the pen. Even Tug looked concerned about the situation.
After she was finished, Alyss ran inside to grab clean trousers for Will.
“Is there enough water?” She loudly asked as she approached the back of the cabin.
The only answer she received was the quick receding of splashing water.
As Will finished washing the grime from his skin and dried, Alyss approached him.
“Here, put these on and come tell me what’s wrong.”
He complied quietly to his wife’s wishes.
He looked more relaxed now, but exhaustion was still evident on his face. He hesitated, but got the words out quickly enough.
“It was that farmer...” He paused, and waited for her to confirm her understanding.
Alyss looked at him carefully.
“The farmer who’s livestock was disappearing?”
“Mhm” Will nodded with a deep dip of his head.
“I don’t really know what happened” Will mumbled, looking down at his now shaking hands, “I mean, I do, but it all happened so fast. It was…” He drifted off into silence, staring at the ground.
Then, Will blinked. And then he blinked again. He looked like he was going to be sick.
Alyss watched her husband, concern rising in her voice.
“Will… are you alright ?” She asked, searching for his eyes.
After a long moment, Will looked up.
They held an unnatural glaze, calm, too calm considering his demeanor just a few seconds ago.
Without warning, Will’s legs crumpled beneath him, Alyss only just managing to catch his head before it hit the ground.