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Halt smiled inwardly as he took a sip of his coffee, watching his former apprentice over his steaming rim of the mug. From his place at the kitchen table, all Halt could see was a portion of his body shifting around.
“I almost…got it,” was the muffled reply. Halt moved around to the living room to get a better look and his invisible smile threatened to peak out.
The younger Ranger was on his hands and knees under the coffee table, his head close to the ground as he peered under the couch and his arm reaching far back to grab something. When he seemingly caught sight of whatever it was he was looking for, Will looked up and reached further in, his cheek pressed to the side of the couch and his effort showing in his furrowed brows. Then his eyes lit up.
“There!” His voice filled with satisfaction as he pulled out the item.
Halt frowned. “A doll?”
Will stood up and nodded, setting the cloth toy on top of the couch. “Neveah has been looking for this little thing for a couple of days. At first, I thought maybe the dog had taken it...It makes me wonder how it got under there.”
Halt smiled at the mention of Will's daughter. “This cabin has really transformed with children around hasn’t it?”
Will grinned lightly. "Well, it's nothing like it was when I was an apprentice here, that's for sure."
Halt shrugged, taking another sip of his coffee. "I like it. It suits the place. I always felt like it needed some splash of color. Why else do you think I would bring in flowers so often?"
Will snorted. "I always thought it was to keep Baron Arald far away from the cabin because he's allergic to pollen."
Halt shrugged again. "Why can't it be both."
Will couldn't say anything to that, and Halt didn’t expect him to. He watched his apprentice move to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of his own coffee, take a sip of the steaming liquid, and saw the small sigh that escaped his chest. He set his own cup down and leaned forward.
"Something on your mind?"
Will looked up and sighed again. "Hm? I'm just thinking about how I'm going to tell the children." The older Ranger raised his eyebrows, and he shrugged before elaborating. "Tell them that we are about to leave for a mission. You know they never take the news very well."
"Ah," the grizzled Ranger nodded. He had thought about that briefly before he came in less than an hour ago to inform Will on the mission they were assigned to. "Well, it's not a very long one. We shouldn't be gone for more than three of four days."
"Yes, and that's comforting...for me," the young Ranger said meaningfully. "My four-year-old and two-year-old haven't yet wrapped their little minds around the concept of time. Five hours, one day, one week - it's all the same to them, unfortunately."
Halt smiled softly at that and was about to give some words of wisdom, but was interrupted by the sound of feet stepping up the verandah stairs. By the sound of them, they were small and light - children.
"Speak of the little devils," Will said softly, his eyes warming as the door opened and admitted his loved ones, one by one.
First Alyss walked in, smiling a greeting at both of them before looking back to beckon two little ones inside; first their oldest daughter, Neveah and close behind her their son Daniel.
"Come inside, lovies. Go say hello, Neva – Daniel Treaty! Where do you think you are going, young man?" She grabbed her toddler by the shirt before he would run after his sister who was already throwing herself into her father's open arms.
"Where is he going?" Will asked curiously from the crouched position he got into to hug his daughter properly. He watched as Alyss lifted their son and started carrying him across the room towards the back.
"DANNY HAFTA WEE!" Daniel cried out enthusiastically behind his shoulder. "I be wight back!"
"Ahh. That's lovely," Halt grinned. Not only was he amused by the bluntness of his grandson, but he was also pleased to see the young parents' face turn red in embarrassment. The pleasure only rose when he was buffeted by a small body and felt short arms go around him. He hugged back. "Neveah, dear. How are you, little one?"
"I'm good!" She chirped back, big brown eyes smiling widely at him. "I missed you!"
The Ranger pinched her cheek gently. "I missed you too. Tell me, how are your studies going?"
"They are good," she said as she sat beside him. "Mama taught me how to read the word brouhaha yesterday. She said it is a very important professional word that only professionals use."
Halt squinted, then spoke after a moment. "I guess that's what happens when you have two obnoxious apprentices as parents."
"What does obnoshess mean?"
Halt opened his mouth, but Will spoke before he got the chance. "Nothing, my sweet. Halt is just making up words now."
He moved from the kitchen to the living room, sitting on the sofa across them. He smiled at the sight of his daughter sitting beside the man he called father, leaning against him and looking up with childlike innocence while Halt looked down at her with a warmth that he was only starting to get familiar with. It was a special warmth that he seemed to have revealed only for his children, and Will cherished it.
Halt and Neveah spoke quietly with each other for a few moments, before his daughter slipped down and paused, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“Daddy, can I ask you something?”
Will looked at his daughter with a hint of wariness, setting his coffee cup down. He had a feeling he knew what was coming. The older she gots the more observant Neveah became and the more difficult it was to hide the obvious from her.
“Yes, habibi . What is it?”
She moved from her place beside Halt to lean against him, placing her elbows on his lap and looking at his face. She was smiling at him, but it was less happy and more...hopeful.
“You’re not going away on a mission, are you?”
It was exactly what he feared.
“Hmm?” He pretended not to hear her and glanced away, finding sudden interest in the scenery outside the window.
She tilted her head and spoke louder, “Are you leaving with Grandpa Halt?”
Will winced internally and exchanged glances with Halt, who shrugged back sympathetically. They both knew what was about to happen and knew that there was nothing they could do to stop it. With no help from his former mentor, Will knew he was on his own.
He looked back at her and smiled at her expectant gaze, then lifted her up to sit in his lap and let his arms going around her loosely.
“Daddy?” She placed her hands on his face, forcing him to look at her squarely. He saw the worry in her eyes, juxtaposed with her smile, which was bigger now, but no less strained. “You’re gonna stay home, right? And Grandpa Halt is gonna go home?”
He debated lying to her. He could just deny it and sneak out of the house while she was asleep. She would cry, but she would get over it. It would mean he didn’t have to deal with the painful goodbyes, and it would be up to Alyss to comfort her when she woke up.
But he dismissed the thought as soon as it came. It would not be fair to leave the emotionally draining task of comforting a crying baby to his wife. He also was not the type of person to lie to get out of difficult situations, especially when it came to his family.
And more than anything, he couldn’t lie to his children.
“No, mama,” Will sighed, surrendering. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.” He closed his eyes and braced himself, wrapping his arms tighter around his four-year-old.
Then all hell broke loose.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOO DADDY!”
Her wail was loud and drawn and filled with despair. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed, pressing herself to him. He winced as her cries were close to his ear, and for a moment he was afraid his eardrums would split. He gently tried pulling her away, but her grip on him was like a vice and it only urged her to cry louder. “Please, Daddy! Please don’t go! I don’t want you to go-o-o-o-o !” Her last word was drawn into loud sobs.
“Ohhh,” Will crooned, imitating her wail slightly, so it seemed like they were crying together. He rubbed her back and rocked her, telling her sweet words to comfort her. He knew there was nothing he could really say other than ‘I’m only kidding, I’m staying home!’’ that would make her stop crying, but he tried anyway. “It's alright, Neveah, it’s okay! I won’t be gone long! I’ll come home soon, I promise.”
“NOO! STAY!”
He sighed and exchanged another glance with Halt who was giving him a sad smile.
The older Ranger had learned early on that staying out of the situation was usually the best path to take. Pulling the child away only led to more screams and wails. He watched helplessly as Will continued to try and comfort his daughter as she clung to him and begged him, wiping her tear-stained face gently and kissing the top of her head.
“That’s enough now. There is no need all these tears, mama.” Will was saying softly. She shook her head stubbornly, burying her face in his shoulder.
“No, Daddy,” Her voice was muffled and quieter, but Will could still hear her soft sobs. He could feel her tears start to wet his shirt. “Don’t go away. Please.”
Will felt a lump in his own throat as he tightened his arms around her. He wished he could tell her that he didn’t want to go away. That he wanted to stay just as much she wanted him to. That it hurt him to leave her so often. It hurt him as much as it hurt her. It hurt him more than it hurt her. He wanted to tell her that, if it were up to him, he would never leave her side.
But he couldn’t.
Instead, he kissed her cheek several times, stroked the brown hair that was identical to his, and whispered softly, “I’m sorry, baby.”
“Dada?”
Another smaller, squeaker voice called from a few feet away. Will turned to see Daniel, his two-year-old, walking towards them, his big grey eyes filled with concern.
The Ranger’s heart sank. As if this wasn’t painful enough.
His little boy came up against the sofa, his tiny hand coming up hesitant to touch his sister’s leg. “What's wong? Neva ? Why you cwying? ”
Before Will could speak, Neveah snapped her head up and blurted forcefully, “Daddy, is going away on a mission!”
Will watched helplessly as his son’s face fell and tears filled his big grey eyes. Danny’s bottom lip jutted out in a pout and quivered as he looked back and forth between his father and his sister’s faces, before dropping his head onto Will’s lap and whimpering in the smallest voice, “No, Dada. Don’t go.”
Will heard a break in the tiny voice and felt his heart crack with it. Unable to find words of comfort, he reached down with one arm and lifted his son into the sofa, drawing him close to his side and holding him tightly. Neveah felt another wave of sadness at seeing her baby brother so upset and started to weep loudly once again. This caused Danny, who was frightened of his sister’s sudden wails, to bawl even louder.
Will’s eyes widened in horrified disbelief as he was suddenly being suffocated by the loud, sorrowful, keening sound of his crying children.
He couldn’t do anything to stop it. His words were drowned out by their cries, which had reached an alarmingly high level. He tried moving to pick them both up, then realized that they were squeezing him too tightly. He was stuck.
“Help...me.”
Halt was up and by his side, prepared to pull one of his grandchildren away to distract at a safe distance, then hesitated. He noticed the way the children clung to Will, their fists white from clutching his clothes so tightly; there was no doubt in his mind that the moment he laid a hand on either one of them their screams would reach an octave unbearable to the human ear.
And suddenly, he felt just as stuck as Will. He attempted to reason with them, “Okay, Danny, why don’t we-” He wasn’t even given a chance.
“NO!” And the sobs continued on.
When all hope seemed lost, Alyss appeared; stepping out of the washroom and into the living room, her forehead wrinkled with concern.
“Oh, babe, thank god,” Halt heard Will’s relieved voice through the crying. He stepped back, realizing that he would no longer be needed as the young courier swept in, sitting herself on the couch beside her husband and reaching for her babies.
“Hey, hey, hey,” her soothing voice seemed to calm the children instantly. Daniel easily relented when he felt her pull, and fell into his mother’s arms, his sobs muffling in her chest. “That’s enough now. It’s okay! Hush now, and listen to me. Neva, listen to mama, darling.” She patted her daughters back, rubbing it soothingly.
Neveah looked up, red tearstained eyes now looking to Alyss in pleading expression. She was sure that if anyone was going to convince her father to stay, it would be her mother. If she told him not to go, there is no way he could leave. Her face fell when Alyss’s next words didn’t make that outcome seem very likely.
“Daddy is only going away for a little bit. Three days?” She looked to Will for confirmation, and he nodded. “Only three days! That’s one - two - three. That's it!” She demonstrated on her hand, lifting three fingers to show the little ones how small of a number “three” really was. “Meanwhile we can do so many fun things, like play in the castle garden, or visit Auntie Jenny, or go swimming in the pool. Doesn’t that sound nice, Danny?”
She squeezed his little frame against her, shaking him playfully. She kept her tone excited and lively, in hopes of inciting the same feeling in the children. The tactic usually worked, but it didn’t seem like one of those times.
Her son didn’t even crack a smile and Neveah seemed to be even more upset than before, wrapping her arms back around her father’s neck and pressing her cheek against his.
“But I wanna do all of those things with Daddy,” she whined, pouting.
“Oh, baby, ” Will crooned, but couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at her drama. She was overplaying it, he knew, but it didn’t make her any less effective in melting his heart. “I will be back, don’t you see? And we can do all of those things and more, I promise.”
But Neveah wasn’t hearing it. She was hyper-focused on the present, as little children often were, and buried her face back into her father’s shoulder neck.
Alyss sighed, realizing that the situation would be a little more difficult to tackle than she thought. Perhaps, she thought, glancing down at the toddler in her arms, I’ll take it one at a time.
“Hey, bub,” she nudged him to look up. “Why don’t you tell Daddy how you whistled to Tug today and he came to you. Remember how you were practicing your whistle?”
For the toddler, distraction was the key. Danny’s bright gray eyes instantly lit up and he nodded solemnly.
Will knew the game well and he played along smoothly, gasping in mock awe. “Did you? My little boy whistled today? No way.” He shook his head in disbelief, then smiled when he got the exact reaction he expected.
“I did!” Danny cried out, sitting up fully and nodding vehemently. “I did, Dada. Danny is big boy and can wissel ! See?” He closed his mouth in a tight circle and let out a high pitched “ooo” sound.
“Would you look at that!” Will laughed softly, reaching out to ruffle his son’s hair. “You have done it. Good job, big boy.”
The toddler beamed and giggled at his praise, and his expression showed that he had forgotten all about the previous five minutes. Even Neveah couldn’t help the smile that played on her lips at her brother’s accomplishment. Alyss was pleased with her success.
Halt took that moment to come back into the picture. He had moved away from the living room and into the kitchen to wash his coffee cup, giving space to his former apprentice and his small family. He had watched warmly as the two young parents worked to soothe their children, admiring Alyss’s seemingly infinite patience and Will’s unconditional gentleness.
It was utterly heartwarming, and he didn’t want to interrupt, but a part of him thought it would be helpful to both Will and Alyss to be alone with Neveah who seemed to be a little harder to console. He slipped back in when he got the chance.
“Come, big man,” He nodded to Daniel, opening his arms and smiling invitingly. “Why don’t we go outside and you show me your new whistling skills on good ol’ Abelard and Tug? How does that sound?”
Daniel only hesitated for a second, glancing up at his mother who nodded encouragement, then grinned and jumped down to run into his arms. “Okay! I’m show you!
Halt acknowledged the grateful looks that both parents gave him and winked at Neveah as he lifted the boy up. He opened the cabin door and stepped out, and just before he closed the door he could be heard saying: “We’ll make a Ranger out of you yet, Danny boy. An even better one than your father.”
“Now then,” Alyss said, turning her attention back to her daughter. Neveah had got caught up in the moment, amused by her brother’s adorable excitement. But the moment the door closed she had deflated back into Will’s arms, mopey and miserable once again. “Let’s turn that frown up, love. I hate seeing you like this.”
"So do I,” Will echoed, pulling her away to hold her face. He wiped the tears from her eyes gently with his thumbs, shaking his head slowly. “Neveah, habiba , that’s enough now. All these tears are making me wanna cry.”
“I’m sorry,” she said softly, and Will mentally kicked himself. He didn’t want her to feel guilty.
“No, don’t be sorry,” he hugged her to him once and then pulled back to face her once more. He spoke gently, looking into her eyes sincerely. “I’ll be here tonight and I want you to be happy. Because when I leave, I want your lovely smile - “ He tickled her gently, making her giggle. “ - and your laugh to be the last thing I remember. But if you are crying and upset with all these tears, then that's all I'm going to remember and I’m going to be sad the entire time.”
For the first time, it seemed like Neveah was listening to reason. She sighed shakily, allowing herself to come to terms with the inevitable.
It was Alyss that gave the last push, stroking her daughter’s hair gently. “Let’s make happy memories. Those are so much nicer, don’t you think?”
“Yes,” the four-year-old whispered, rubbing her eyes roughly. Will poked her cheek gently, and she smiled weakly. “Okay. Happy memories.”
Alyss felt a glow of pride. My strong girl , she thought, ruffling her hair gently. Will smiled softly, and she knew he felt the same way. After placing a quick kiss on her cheek and then another one on Will’s, the courier stood. “I think my work here is done. I’m going to check on what the children outside.”
Will spoke to her directly for the first time, taking her hand before she walked away. “Thank you, love.”
He didn’t have to say anything else; she understood the deeper meaning behind those simple words. She smiled, leaned back down to kiss him, waved the peaceful Neveah goodbye, and then walked away.
When they were alone, their daughter asked, “You are gonna be here tonight, Daddy?”
Will leaned back, allowing her to comfortably sit on his lap. “Mhm. I don’t leave until tomorrow.”
“Then maybe tonight you can…” she hesitated before asking the question, suddenly afraid of the answer. “Sleep in my bed with me?”
Will raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Yes. Please?”
He hid a smile. It was a strange request, but he knew why she enjoyed it when he slept in her room. He sang to her before bed and singing along with him was one of her favorite things to do. She cuddled close and would fall asleep to the sound of his voice. He didn’t get to do it as often as he would have liked to; often only having time to tell her one quick story, tuck her in, give her a kiss goodnight and then leave, and it was clear to him that she missed that.
“Alright then,” he let the smile out. “That’s a fair enough request.”
“And we can sing Greybread Halt song?”
His eyes widened, and he glanced fearfully at the window for any sign of his old mentor. “Yes, alright, but you can’t tell Halt!” He leaned close and put a finger to his lips. “It’s a secret song between you and me.”
His daughter nodded and mirrored him, putting her own finger to her lips. “A secret. Ssssh.”
He winked. “Exactly.”
She gave a cheer, bouncing excitedly. “Yay! We can make happy memories!”
Will chuckled. “Yes, you’re right. We have a lifetime for that.” He gave her a quick kiss and set her down as he stood. He took her hand and smiled down at her. “Come then, let’s go outside and see what the rest of the family is up to. Let’s hope they didn’t set fire to anything.”
“Let’s hope so!” Neveah chirped, fully back to her cheerful self. When he opened the door, she bounded away, headed towards the field where the figures of Alyss, Halt, Daniel, and Tug could be seen.
Will followed slowly behind, keeping a watchful eye on his daughter as she sprinted far ahead of him.
He wondered if it would get any easier leaving his children, or if he would get used to the hollow feeling when they were not around him.
Life as a Ranger was never supposed to be easy, he had been told the contrary constantly from the moment he accepted the job. But no one could have prepared him for the almost physical pain of having to turn his back to his family every so often and step out of his home with the very real possibility of never coming back.
No, he thought as he watched his daughter reach the others, collide into her little brother, and give him a big hug. It would never get easier.
That morning Alyss woke up to the sound of feet pattering on the floorboards in the room next to hers. A quick glance beside her revealed a sleeping Daniel, curled up peacefully in the spot that Will usually slept, his hands tucked under his chin adorably. She listened for the sound again, and when she heard it she called, “Neveah?”
The pattering stopped for a moment, then came closer and the little girl walked into the bedroom. She stopped at the entrance and Alyss could see from the way she was dressed in her oversized sleeping shirt and her curly brown hair was hopelessly tousled, and her cheeks were red and lines that her daughter had just woken up.
She silently watched as the four-year-old stepped around the bed, peeking up to the place where her father usually slept, then wordlessly walked around the room. She listened as the padding feet sound went into the living room, stopped, and then into the kitchen, stopped again, then to the window by the door, and then stopped once more, this time for a longer pause. And when the pattering sound came towards her – running and paired with sniffles – she had her arms out to catch little body that barreled into her.
“It’s okay, love,” she soothed, pulling her tightly into her embrace. She rolled onto her back in bed and let her daughter rest on her chest, rubbing back as it shook from the sobs. “He will be back soon. Just like he promised.” She didn’t try stopping her from crying, and let her baby let out the last of her sorrows in her arms.
“It just makes me so sad, Mama.” Neveah sat up suddenly, her red, swollen eyes, widening. She spoke through quivering lips. "I don't like it when Daddy goes away.”
“Neither do I, baby,” Alyss said gently, wiping the tears from her face. “But do you know something, Neva?” She held her daughter’s face as she spoke gently, “I’ve known your father for a very long time. A very very long time. And he has had to leave me more times than I can count.”
“More than ten?” Neveah’s eyes were wide and disbelieving. Alyss nodded sagely.
“More than ten. And every time, I get so sad and cry just like you do. I wish he wouldn’t leave and miss him so much, just like you. But do you know what?”
“What?”
“Every time he had to go, he promised me that he would come back. Just like he promised you, baby girl.” She bopped her nose gently. “And every single time, he kept his promise and came back home to me.”
“Every single time?” The four-year-old breathed wistfully.
“Every time. He always comes back - to me, to you, to your little brother.” Alyss kissed her forehead gently. “Don’t worry yourself anymore, lovie. He will come back in three days, just as he promised, and we will be waiting for him, okay?”
“Okay, Mama.” The courier was happy to see the smile that now spread her daughter’s face. “Daddy will be back soon.”
“That’s right,” she kissed her little nose, before letting her rest back on her chest. She patted her little one soothingly, letting her hand go up and down her spine until she heard her breathing steady and was sure she had fallen asleep.
“He will be back,” she said to herself softly as she felt the sleep drifting back over her, lulled by the comforting sounds of her two babies breathing softly beside her. “He is Will Treaty, after all.”