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forgedroyalseal · 3 years

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Happy FanFiction Friday!

Here is chapter three of Suddenly. I hope you all enjoy. You can find chapters one and two on my tumblr, or on AO3 under the username teaspoonbooks27. Let me know what you think, and what you would like to see in the next chapter.

Suddenly, you’re here:

Horace was hungry. It’s was a common feeling for Horace. In all honesty it was the feeling he has felt the most in his life. But this morning he was particularly hungry. He had rode through most of the night in order to make it to Seacliff as fast as he could. There wasn’t a reason to rush the ride. No urgent letter or awaiting mission. His visit wasn’t even in any official capacity. He just genuinely missed his friend. It wasn’t planned. Will didn’t even know he was coming. The idea came to Horace earlier in the week. He had awoken from a nightmare. One that had him shooting up from his bed, hand reaching for his sword. He had been drenched in a cold sweat and had apparently shouted enough to cause alarm. After assuring the men who had rushed into his room that he was fine (they understood that the demons a knight fought in the night were not ones they could vanquish with their swords) Horace reflected back on his dream. He had been in Skandia again. In the middle of the Battle with the Temujai. Everything was moving around him, but he was stuck to the ground. Roots had come up from the earth and wrapped themselves around his legs, coming half way up his thighs. With every struggle against them, they tightened even more. He saw Will next to him. Not the Will he had last seen, the strong Ranger who, despite the fact that he hadn’t grown much taller, was somehow so much larger than the small boy Horace dreamt of. Dream Will was frail. His body showing the clear signs of slave rations and hard labor (Signs 16 year old Horace didn’t know to look for). In the dream, Will was fighting off the Temujai, but he was overpowered and out numbered and Horace couldn’t do anything to help his friend. He tried to shout, tell Will that one of the warriors was coming up behind him, but another root had come up and covered Horace’s mouth. He had no choice but to watch the Temujai impale Will with his sword. Straight through the heart. Will turned to Horace, blood oozing from the gaping wound in his chest. “Help me Horace” he said, before his eyes rolled back and his knees gave out.

That’s when Horace woke. Once he had calmed down, he knew what he had to do.

He had to find Will.

The ride to Seacliff was cold and wet. Horace rode hard against a driving rain for the majority of the journey. By the time he had arrived at the ferry he was soaked through and exhausted. Kicker didn’t seem thrilled with the idea of boarding a boat and crossing the rough sea. Maybe Horace has been spending too much time with Ranger’s but Kicker was giving Horace a look that seemed to say is getting to Will today really worth all this?

“Yes, it is worth it. We’ve come this far, there’s no point in setting up camp now. We will stop at the first inn we find. Even before we find Will.” Horace said to Kicker.

The ride on the ferry was about as fun as Kicker seemed to predict. Unfortunately he was wetter than he was before he boarded, which he didn’t think was possible. But thankfully by the time the ferry hit the shore, the rain had let up and the early morning sun was attempting to come out from behind the clouds. Horace stripped off his riding cloak, choosing to face the cool air in just his thin shirt than keeping the slopping wet garment on. By the time Horace found the inn, the town had started to wake up and those who were out and about took notice of the knight that was riding through. They had no way of knowing that Horace was the Oak leaf Warrior that they had all heard the heroic tales of, but it was obvious that Horace was someone important. There was an inexplicable air of confidence about him that only came from someone who was one hundred percent sure of themselves. It wasn’t a matter of arrogance, though most knights of Horace’s caliber were in fact quite prideful, it was more like he knew exactly where he was going despite the fact that he had never been to Seacliff. He was not second guessing himself, or looking around the way most travelers in a new place do. To the villagers, it look as though Horace was being driven forward by an important mission that had to be accomplished at once. In reality, the only thing driving Horace forward was his stomach.

Horace lead Kicker to the small, unoccupied stable that was next to the inn. He declined the stable boy’s offer to untack and feed Kicker. Another habit Horace had picked up from the Rangers was making sure to take care of the needs of his own horse before taking care of himself. It was a good habit. It created a bond between himself and Kicker, one stronger than any of the other knights he knew. Of course those other knights appreciated their horses, a knight’s horse could be the difference between life and death in certain circumstances, but none of them had the irreplaceable bond and trust that Horace and Kicker shared. Horace knew full well that the reason for that connection was the fact that Kicker knew Horace would take care of him, no matter what. And in return, Kicker would take Horace through whatever battle he asked him to without a second thought. Horace reflected on all of this as he rubbed Kicker down and set out some fresh hay for him. Before he left, Horace produced a shiny red apple from his pack and gave it to his horse.

“You get some rest, you’ve earned it.” Horace whispered, patting Kicker on the neck. The horse’s ear twitched as he continued to munch on his apple, uninterested in whatever Horace had to say. He had his apple and a warm, dry place to rest, there wasn’t much that mattered to Kicker beyond that at the moment.

Satisfied that Kicker was content, Horace went of in search of his own breakfast. He walked into the inn and took a deep breath. The warmth from the fire and the aroma of fresh bread and sizzling bacon encircled him. Horace scanned the room and his gaze fell on a young man with a mottled green and gray cloak draped over one arm, two small children trailing behind him. Horace’s face lit up with a grin. “Will!” He called out to the man across the room.

Will furrowed his brow, “Horace?”

#ranger's apprentice #rangers apprentice #fanfiction Friday #ranger’s apprentice FanFiction #suddenly chapter three

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