Chapter 3
The effect was instantaneous.
Will snorted out his coffee, Halt choked, Gilan fell out of his chair in fright and Alyss froze, wide eyed.
'What?' Will nearly yelled.
'We are at war.' Crowley repeated and the effect was pretty much the same.
'Why didn't you tell me earlier?' Halt questioned. 'I'm in your high committee!'
'I had no choice in the matter,' Crowley replied, his face screwing up in disgust.
Halt just gave him his best "I hope you suffer before you die" glare.
Crowley, to his merit, just flinched and kept on talking.
'I called you all here today-'
'More like woke us up at an ungodly hour,' Will muttered and Gilan and Halt nodded in agreement.
'-to announce that Araluen is at war again. We are not at war with ourselves this time, we are to fend off the McLouis.'
'This is rather discombobulating,' Gilan said and Halt snorted.
'Look who learned a new word over the weekend,' Halt replied muttered and Will laughed out loud.
'Just because you don't know what it means doesn't mean that you have to tease me about it,' Gilan replied defensively.
'It means confused,' Halt replied and Gilan's mouth dropped open.
'Do you know it as well?' He asked Will who nodded.
'Ages ago,' he said and Crowley coughed to get their attention again.
'Have something in your throat?' Halt questioned.
'No. To overcome this new enemy, we need to find out how they fight.'
'Nah Shit Sherlock!" Will said.
'Who's that?' Gilan asked and Halt banged his head against the table.
'I have chosen you three to go undercover and find out things that will change the tide of the war. You will need to report back with their fighting techniques, weapons and what they wear,' Crowley finished with a nod.
'Why do we need to find out what they wear?' asked Halt.
'Because I'm curious,' replied Crowley and Gilan nodded.
'Fair enough,' he said whilst Halt quietly blew a gasquet in the background.
'Well, Will, isn't going.' Alyss said, deciding that now was the perfect time to join the conversation.
'I'm not,' Will confirmed and then went to fill his cup back up.
'Why not?' Crowley asked but Halt nodded.
'Because when I first told you that Alyss was pregnant, we agreed that I would still do work around Redmont but I wouldn't do any missions.
'This is different. I need you to win this war!' Crowley argued.
'Take Josh!' Will snapped back, he was now getting annoyed.
'He's still an apprentice!' Crowley yelled.
'One that shows a great deal of promise, and hasn't even had a chance of going on a mission yet!' Will replied angrily.
'Personally, I think taking my apprentice, Josh, would be a brilliant idea,' said Gil. 'He needs one last test before he graduates and I think this would be brilliant!'
'I don't care about what you think!' Crowley screamed.
Everyone looked at him like he had gone crazy.
'Are you alright?' Halt asked.
'Stressed,' replied Crowley.
'About this all? You've done it all before!'
'Yes, but, Halt, I don't know what to think. Duncan's considering replacing me.
The whole room went silent. You could hear a pin drop.
'Why?' asked Gilan, speaking for all of them and totally serious now.
'He says that its time for everyone to be replaced with the new younger generation. He wants people Will's age to lead this all. In this fact, just to tell the catch line early, he wants me to retire and for Will to take over!'
Halt looked over to Will. He agreed that Will would be the right choice, but not that the moment. He was just starting a family for crying out loud!
'Say no!' Will cried out interrupting everyone's musings.
'What? Don't want to take over?' Crowley asked sardonically Will winced.
'How am I meant to lead the rangers after someone as great as you guys? Considering when you would both still be there!' Will asked.
'No. you have it wrong. He wants me to retire fully!' Crowley said and Halt started to realise where this was going to go.
'And then he will tell me to retire and we will be carted off to go and become advisors,' Halt said and Crowley nodded.
Gilan had remained silent throughout the whole conversation, only to come in now.
'If you are forced to step up, Will, I will join your side,' he said.
'Who wouldn't?' Will asked with a silent grin, showing his famous courage.
'People who hate you,' Halt said with a shrug and Alyss jumped a mile into the air.
'Sorry, I am still not used to the kicking,' she apologised with a slight smile and Halt and Will reflected it.
'It will cause the whole corps to fall apart,' Alyss muttered finally after her child had stopped trying to expand its walls.
'That's why you need to either go on this mission or leave the cabin every time someone comes,' Crowley reasoned.
'There is no other way,' Will said to Alyss saddened that there was a possibility that he wouldn't be there for the birth of his first born.
'I see that now,' Alyss replied back, just as solomn and then looked up. 'May I suggest that you men come back tomorrow and spend the whole day working it through?'
'Sounds brilliant,' Halt said as he jumped up to put his cup in the sink.
'As long as you bring your own coffee supplies,' she continued and Gilan groaned.
'Can I just pay you for it?' he moaned.
'Sure,' came the reply.
Will snorted out his coffee, Halt choked, Gilan fell out of his chair in fright and Alyss froze, wide eyed.
'What?' Will nearly yelled.
'We are at war.' Crowley repeated and the effect was pretty much the same.
'Why didn't you tell me earlier?' Halt questioned. 'I'm in your high committee!'
'I had no choice in the matter,' Crowley replied, his face screwing up in disgust.
Halt just gave him his best "I hope you suffer before you die" glare.
Crowley, to his merit, just flinched and kept on talking.
'I called you all here today-'
'More like woke us up at an ungodly hour,' Will muttered and Gilan and Halt nodded in agreement.
'-to announce that Araluen is at war again. We are not at war with ourselves this time, we are to fend off the McLouis.'
'This is rather discombobulating,' Gilan said and Halt snorted.
'Look who learned a new word over the weekend,' Halt replied muttered and Will laughed out loud.
'Just because you don't know what it means doesn't mean that you have to tease me about it,' Gilan replied defensively.
'It means confused,' Halt replied and Gilan's mouth dropped open.
'Do you know it as well?' He asked Will who nodded.
'Ages ago,' he said and Crowley coughed to get their attention again.
'Have something in your throat?' Halt questioned.
'No. To overcome this new enemy, we need to find out how they fight.'
'Nah Shit Sherlock!" Will said.
'Who's that?' Gilan asked and Halt banged his head against the table.
'I have chosen you three to go undercover and find out things that will change the tide of the war. You will need to report back with their fighting techniques, weapons and what they wear,' Crowley finished with a nod.
'Why do we need to find out what they wear?' asked Halt.
'Because I'm curious,' replied Crowley and Gilan nodded.
'Fair enough,' he said whilst Halt quietly blew a gasquet in the background.
'Well, Will, isn't going.' Alyss said, deciding that now was the perfect time to join the conversation.
'I'm not,' Will confirmed and then went to fill his cup back up.
'Why not?' Crowley asked but Halt nodded.
'Because when I first told you that Alyss was pregnant, we agreed that I would still do work around Redmont but I wouldn't do any missions.
'This is different. I need you to win this war!' Crowley argued.
'Take Josh!' Will snapped back, he was now getting annoyed.
'He's still an apprentice!' Crowley yelled.
'One that shows a great deal of promise, and hasn't even had a chance of going on a mission yet!' Will replied angrily.
'Personally, I think taking my apprentice, Josh, would be a brilliant idea,' said Gil. 'He needs one last test before he graduates and I think this would be brilliant!'
'I don't care about what you think!' Crowley screamed.
Everyone looked at him like he had gone crazy.
'Are you alright?' Halt asked.
'Stressed,' replied Crowley.
'About this all? You've done it all before!'
'Yes, but, Halt, I don't know what to think. Duncan's considering replacing me.
The whole room went silent. You could hear a pin drop.
'Why?' asked Gilan, speaking for all of them and totally serious now.
'He says that its time for everyone to be replaced with the new younger generation. He wants people Will's age to lead this all. In this fact, just to tell the catch line early, he wants me to retire and for Will to take over!'
Halt looked over to Will. He agreed that Will would be the right choice, but not that the moment. He was just starting a family for crying out loud!
'Say no!' Will cried out interrupting everyone's musings.
'What? Don't want to take over?' Crowley asked sardonically Will winced.
'How am I meant to lead the rangers after someone as great as you guys? Considering when you would both still be there!' Will asked.
'No. you have it wrong. He wants me to retire fully!' Crowley said and Halt started to realise where this was going to go.
'And then he will tell me to retire and we will be carted off to go and become advisors,' Halt said and Crowley nodded.
Gilan had remained silent throughout the whole conversation, only to come in now.
'If you are forced to step up, Will, I will join your side,' he said.
'Who wouldn't?' Will asked with a silent grin, showing his famous courage.
'People who hate you,' Halt said with a shrug and Alyss jumped a mile into the air.
'Sorry, I am still not used to the kicking,' she apologised with a slight smile and Halt and Will reflected it.
'It will cause the whole corps to fall apart,' Alyss muttered finally after her child had stopped trying to expand its walls.
'That's why you need to either go on this mission or leave the cabin every time someone comes,' Crowley reasoned.
'There is no other way,' Will said to Alyss saddened that there was a possibility that he wouldn't be there for the birth of his first born.
'I see that now,' Alyss replied back, just as solomn and then looked up. 'May I suggest that you men come back tomorrow and spend the whole day working it through?'
'Sounds brilliant,' Halt said as he jumped up to put his cup in the sink.
'As long as you bring your own coffee supplies,' she continued and Gilan groaned.
'Can I just pay you for it?' he moaned.
'Sure,' came the reply.