#he did say that halt was family enough for anyone in kings of clonmel so

[findingcrow]

I just realized that Will didn’t get the actual gathering experience for so long. His first one was interrupted by the Kalkaras, maybe he went to the second one, but his third? His fourth? The ones where he should have been celebrating, the ones where he should have been making friends and meeting the other rangers that he could have looked up to? He was in Skandia, forgetting everything because of warmweed. He was fighting in wars, battling enemies so much larger than him, and he was doing it almost entirely alone. He didn’t get to sing songs and show the other rangers his mandola, or yell to them Greybeard Halt, for at least 4 years. He barely got the full ranger experience until he was an adult.

[redrose-arrow]

Duncan x Halt anon here!!! this is one of the last coherent hcs i have about these two (the rest are kinda random, just cute little things I think would apply to this ship) ANYWAY IM HAVINF THE TIME OF MY LIFE LETS GOOOO

OKAY SO CAITLYN’S DEATH. I’m imagining this is set sometime after the Early Years series, before Halt takes on Gilan as an apprentice; anyway, Duncan gets a letter one day from Clonmel and he opens it to see that it’s an invitation to the funeral of the Hibernian princess Caitlyn O’Carrick—it’s protocol that whenever someone Royal/generally important dies, a letter is sent to all kingdoms who are on good terms with the deceased/kingdom of the deceased informing them of the death (along with an invite to the funeral). This was only put in place because it’s not great fun to show up at a ball or party and be like “Hey how is [blank] doing?” only to have [blank]’s mother burst into tears and run out of the ballroom—kinda puts a damper on the evening (Duncan has learned this the hard way. He’s not keen on repeating that mistake, so he makes sure to read through all his mail carefully)

So he gets this letter, goes “Clonmel? funny, that’s where Halt is from” and puts it aside for a second to continue rifling through his mail. Then the lightbulb goes off on his head and he‘s like “WAIT, THAT’S WHERE HALT IS FROM” and dives for the invitation. There’s more information regarding the place it’ll be held (a private funeral service in Dun Kilty, which will then be opened to the public so they can pay their respects) and other details like what time, the dress code, etc etc, but all Duncan can think right now is: Caitlyn O’Carrick is gone. Halt’s sister is dead.

Then another thought: does Halt know?

Duncan is pretty sure he doesn’t—Halt doesn’t keep in touch with anyone from his past, not that there were many people he’d want to keep in touch with anyway. But Caitlyn was important to him, the one person who’d actually given a damn about him, and Duncan realizes with a growing sense of dread that he’s gonna have to tell Halt about her passing. Reluctantly he sends a messenger boy to fetch the Ranger (“not extremely urgent, but I’d like to see him by the end of the day”) and excuses himself to his chambers. Halt rolls in sometime around mid-afternoon with a “you wanted to see me?” Duncan, letter in hand, pit in his stomach, tells him to sit. “If this is about the seal that I allegedly carry in my bag,” Halt says as he sits, “then you should know that Crowley is a lying bastard who couldn’t tell a horse from a boat. I don’t know how he manages to hit what he’s aiming at with that eyesight, but—“ he cuts off when Duncan holds the letter out to him. He raises an eyebrow, meeting Duncan’s grim gaze. Without another word he takes the letter, unfolds it, and reads.

There’s no visible change in Halt’s expression; he’s stoic as always, but Duncan knows him now, sees the way his fingers tighten on the paper, knows by the way he stills that his mind is struggling to process the information he’s been given. Neither man speaks until Duncan breaks the heavy silence: “The funeral is in a week’s time. I’ve already written and sent a letter confirming my attendance at the service.” No reaction from Halt, so Duncan takes a breath and says, “I think you should come with me.” He goes on for a little about how he can station Crowley at Redmont in Halt’s absence, how he’ll explain Halt’s seemingly unnecessary company for the trip, precautions they can take so nobody recognizes his similarities to the King Ferris; then he trails off when he realizes that Halt’s not really listening, just staring blankly at the unassuming letter that brought his entire world to a screeching halt. Duncan walks over and rests a hand on the man’s shoulder: “If you decide to come with,” he says quietly, “I’ll be ready and waiting by the front gate at dawn.” He spares one last glance at Halt’s frozen expression, gives his shoulder a gentle squeeze and walks out. When Duncan returns an hour later, Halt is gone, and the letter is resting on the chair where he’d sat.

Three days later and Duncan’s ready and waiting, sitting on his horse with a pack pony shuffling impatiently behind them. It looks like Halt isn’t coming and he’s about to leave when he hears the familiar clop-clop of a Ranger horse, just as Halt rides into view on Abelard. He slows to a stop, and if the shadows under his eyes are a little darker than usual then Duncan doesn’t mention it. The two of them share a look; finally Duncan inclines his head, turns to whisper a few instructions to his chamberlain, and takes off, Halt following closely behind.

The funeral is nice enough; Duncan attends the private service, leaving Halt alone in their shared guest room, and later in the evening Halt slips away to watch the public service from the shadows. When he leaves, there’s a brightly coloured wildflower in his hand that’s gone when he returns. Duncan doesn’t ask. (He doesn’t say all that much, actually; the sight of the grave next to Caitlyn’s, a polished gray slab with intricate patterns and a marking etched into the stone that reads ‘HALT O’CARRICK, CROWN PRINCE’ has him feeling ill for the rest of the trip.)

I’m still not 100% decided on the details—I’d like to think that Duncan wanders around the castle a little bit, stopping to stare at the portraits of the O’Carrick family hanging from the walls and trying not to do a double-take every time he sees and/or hears Ferris talk. And how would Halt react to seeing Ferris again? I am ALSO not sure about this but in general I think it would just be a lot of Halt grieving quietly with Duncan standing by him in a silent show of support. (after all, it’s not like anyone else can be there—nobody else can know that Halt’s sister has died, and even if he did tell anyone the abridged version without the gruesome details, they wouldn’t fully understand how much she meant to him. Duncan doesn’t say “I’m sorry for your loss”, because he knows Halt well enough to know that the man despises empty platitudes. So he just...stays with him, and watches over him, and reminds him that he’s not alone.)

if I hadn’t already shipped Halt and Duncan because of your previous headcanon, I would now. It is absolute b e a u t i f u l.

I love Duncan’s conflicted emotions, Halt’s silenced anger - Halt’s supposed gravestone?? I never even thought of that but it’s an amazing detail. The dialogue is spot on, too.

You too, anon, THANK YOU for dropping this in my inbox. I TOO AM HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE

[thelastranger]

From Exile to King pt 2

Or alternatively, from exile to king to prankster. This is a follow up to this story https://archiveofourown.org/works/22155574/chapters/52888537 and takes place in an au where Halt was permanently banished. Again, thanks to @vilewile for coming up with this au!

The king of Araluen stood there, gaping. Duncan was still in shock. Of course he missed Halt, but he wasn't thinking clearly. All he could think about was how the friend he had exiled and essentially left for dead was sitting in front of him. His flight or fight instincts took over and unfortunately for the both of them, Duncan had fight instincts. 

"Of course not, you dummy!" Duncan shouted. "Not now when I know you became the king of Clonmel! I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere." 

Halt put on a faux hurt expression on his face. "You thought someone could kill me?" 

"I've got half a mind to try myself." If Duncan hadn't thought that shaking his fist at the shorter man would have been overkill and comical, he would have. 

Halt laughed and strode forward. He really was in a good mood. 

"I'm never going to let you live this down." 

Duncan grumbled but accepted his punishment. "I deserve it, I suppose." This surly response was lessened by the smile on Duncan's face. Neither of the two kings were truly mad at each other. It was just like old times

"Now that the entertainment is over," said Halt, stealing a glance at Duncan who muttered "I'm glad that was entertaining for one of us." 

"Ahem," Halt glared at Duncan. "As I was saying, now we can get to work." 

"I'd like nothing more." 

Duncan was mentally composing letters to Crowley and Pauline in his head as Halt led him toward the royal meeting room. They must have known; what else could reasonably explain their reactions? He was going to strangle Crowley. And how could Pauline not tell him? She was his closest advisor. 

Halt magnanimously opened the door to the meeting room and Duncan groaned out loud, unbefitting of a king. Sitting in the middle of the room was a stately blonde and a grinning ginger. Pauline and Crowley. 

Like Halt had done, somehow Crowley must have seen the meeting, Crowley spread his arms wide. He let Duncan get a good look at him and Pauline. 

"Duncan! How was the meeting with King Ferris?" 

Halt actually snorted at that and even Pauline let out a chuckle. How many betrayals would he face in one day, wondered Duncan. Out loud he said, “If Anthony comes through that door next, I’ll fight him. I don’t even care at this point.”

Crowley leaned over to Halt and whispered in his ear. “I guess we should tell Arald not to come in then.”

Duncan nearly burst a blood vessel at those words. Pauline took one look at his red face and went to Duncan. 

“Duncan, they’re just joking. Arald is not coming and he doesn’t know either.”

That reassured Duncan only slightly. At least he wasn’t the only one who didn’t know. 

“Can I get an explanation for all of his?” Duncan was tired and he meant what he said. Halt took pity on the king and decided to take him out of his misery. 

“After you exiled me and I rescued Will, I couldn’t come back to my new home so I decided to go back to my old home– Clonmel. Will followed me and when we came back to Dun Kilty, Ferris was still the king. That didn’t last long and here we are.”

It blew Duncan’s mind and he absently traced the lines in the wooden table. Had he known that Halt was a king, would he still have exiled him? The answer was yes, Duncan had to admit. He had done what he thought was best for Araluen at the moment. Still, he had regretted it every night since and Duncan felt he had to say something. 

Duncan stared straight into Halt’s dark eyes and found the eyes of the ranger he had known for half his life staring back at him. Halt may be in fine robes now, but he had not changed who he was. 

“I’m sorry.”

Pauline and Crowley looked pleased and Halt stood up, his face inscrutable. Duncan half thought Halt might take a swing at him. Instead, Halt walked over and firmly shook Duncan’s hand. Turning to his best friends, Halt gestured to the handshake.

“And so the formal Araluen-Clonmel relations begin!”

Pauline clapped politely and as Duncan swept Halt into a hug, Crowley whistled. 

When they broke apart, Duncan grinned at the man who had saved his daughter a few years ago.

“I take it you don’t want to discuss trade policies with me?”

Halt scowled and shook his head. “I try not to discuss trade policies if at all possible.”

From the way Pauline rolled her eyes, Duncan figured that Halt was a little more involved in his courts policies than he claimed to be. Halt wasn’t the type of man to let someone else do important work for him. Halt rolled his eyes back at Pauline and she smirked; she knew she was right. 

“Actually, instead of discussing policies, we’re having a little get together tonight, just a few of us. Nothing formal, wear whatever you want. I’ll certainly be changing into something more comfortable.” If Duncan heard the glimmer of teasing in Halt’s voice, he chose to ignore it. Halt was probably going to show up in ranger’s garb just to mess with Duncan. Nonetheless, Duncan had packed one of his favorite sweaters and if it was casual wear, he was going to wear it. He so rarely got a chance to dress down and he knew how hideous it was, so hopefully Halt would absolutely hate the sweater. 

Duncan smiled, his mind made up. He would wear the tacky sweater and try to enjoy his night. 

“Alright, what time is this get together?”

Oddly enough, Crowley answered and a little too quickly, not that Duncan noticed. “Come down to the throne room around seven. It’ll have just started then.”

Duncan made a note to arrive a few minutes early. Something in Crowley’s tone made him think that something was planned for when he walked in and Duncan wanted to avoid any more surprises for the next year. He didn’t know how right and how wrong he was

~

While Halt had pulled a dumbstruck Duncan out of the throne room, Horace and Will were still standing there. Will went to speak first, but Horace beat him to it. 

"YOU TOLD ME HALT MOVED INTO HIS PARENT'S HOUSE WITH HIS SISTER AND NEPHEW. AND THAT THE HOUSE NEEDED RENOVATIONS." 

"It does, there's so many loose tiles around like you wouldn't believe." 

"You live in a castle. You're the prince of Clonmel!" 

Will grinned, he knew Horace wasn't that torn up about the misinformation. "I'm still the same man I was before." 

Horace punched him on the shoulder. “Yeah, but you’re a prince now. This changes things.”

Rubbing his shoulder, Will looked at Horace, the grin sliding off his face. “First off, ow. And secondly, I’m still a ranger, just not for Araluen.”

As if summoned by his cries of pain, Caitlyn appeared by Will. She smiled sympathetically at Horace before turning to Will. 

“Are you all right?”  

Will nodded, he wasn’t really hurt by Horace’s punch. It had been light and Will probably would have done the same thing if the positions had been reversed. “I’m fine Auntie Cait.”

Horace wasn’t sure what the protocol was for meeting your best friend’s adopted aunt who also happens to be a princess, but he figured bowing again wouldn’t hurt. Caitlyn smiled gently as Horace nearly scraped the floor and she lifted him up with a purple garbed arm. 

“Come now, you’re practically family, Horace. Family doesn’t bow to each other.”

This was confusing to say the least, but it felt nice so Horace didn’t question it. 

“Aunt Cait coordinates all my missions. She’s like Crowley and Pauline mixed into one person. She’s amazing.”

Caitlyn laughed and so did Horace, though it was more out of an effort to be polite than anything else. Caitlyn looked shrewdly at the young man. The knight had spunk to him, she could see why Will liked Horace.

“I’m no ranger,” She gestured vaguely to herself. “My illnesses made sure of that, but I can help my nephew whenever possible.”

“You would’ve made a great ranger.” Will immediately piped up and even though Horace had known Caitlyn for only a few minutes, he could tell that she would’ve made a great ranger. Caitlyn had an air around her, something that said she had been through the worst life had thrown at her and come out with nerves of steel.

“Let’s not talk of what could have happened. It rarely does anyone any good to dwell on possibilities. Will,” Caitlyn turned to her nephew. “Have you invited Horace to the get together yet?”

Will shook his head. “I was about to!”

He turned to Horace. “Halt is throwing a small get together and dinner tonight. I figured we would explore this afternoon, but it’ll be nice to relax.”

He didn’t have to tell Horace twice; Horace was convinced. Will leaned in conspiratorially and whispered to Horace. “Plus, Halt has a light prank planned for Duncan at the feast. Don’t worry, you won’t be breaking your knightly duties by not warning him.”

The was another light punch to Will’s shoulder, but Will dodged with ease and a grin. 

As the boys ran down the hallway, Caitlyn called out to them. “Don’t forget the dress code for tonight!”

It was sure to be a night to remember.

[lattereadsra]

Faengers AU

A collection of ideas and headcanons about the Rangers as a fae court compiled from the RA Discord server

(It’s real long, so I’m putting it under a read more)

General stuff:

-King Herbert made a deal with a fae court to form the Ranger Corps

-The common folk know the Rangers are fae; it’s obvious

-The nobility know they’re not fae; that’s ridiculous

-The Crown family knows; they have to

-The Deal is automatically renewed with each new coronation. Should someone not part of the family take the throne, they would have to renew it personally. “Family” is not defined, though, so marriage/found family counts

-To this day, all the Rangers are fae

-Like, all of them

-Instead of abducting children, they take them as apprentices. These kids all already have a bit of fae blood in them, even if it’s distant. “Graduation” is when they are turned into full fae

-The Gathering is where their court is held. That’s why no one can find it

-They can’t tell anyone they’re fae unless they are asked first which causes a lot of frustration. Apprentices have to put together the clues and ask the question for themselves, and if they don’t, it’s a good sign they ought not to be a Ranger

-Rangers brag to each other about their apprentices by saying how long it took them to ask. Too long and it’s perceived as unobservant; too soon and it’s considered hasty/surreptitious

The fun stuff (aka character specific):

-Will knows the rangers aren't actually magic. He thinks Halt is just being polite when he pointedly invites him in when they first get to the cabin. He thinks he's just personifying Tug. He assumes Halt replaces the wildflowers in the vase every day. It takes him a while to start putting together the clues

-When Will awkwardly asks if Halt is actually a fairy or something, Halt responds with a sardonic "Took you long enough. I thought I taught you to ask questions, boy."

-And so the training shifts

-Halt believes the apprentices should learn to be as skilled as they can using human abilities before learning to use their fae skills, which is why he didn't tell Will about becoming fully fae until his graduation

-Halt is obviously Hibernian fae

-The inheritance is a funny thing because Ferris is entirely human (he repressed his fae), and Caitlyn only got the Uncanny stuff, not the Wild Skills

-Crowley is full-blooded fae. Will calls him “long in the tooth” because he literally has fangs

-Will’s fae ancestry is on his mother’s side

-Aka desert/sun nymph

-It’s how he was able to survive in the desert in book seven. A normal human would have died out there, but he managed to hold out because the sun has a hard time killing him

-It’s also why that snake tried to attack the kid, and how he was able to win the race; nature was giving him a chance to prove himself

-Will is lucky he was mostly mortal while he was in Skandia. As a sun nymph, he does not do well in the cold. His fae blood saved him in Arrida, but had Halt fully released the boy from his mortality as soon as he was able, had he not been prudent enough to wait, Will likely would not have made it to the desert at all

-They go the first Gathering and Gilan is asking Will sort of cryptic questions that Will is so confused by, and Halt has to interrupt to tell his former apprentice that Will has already asked The Question, so he can speak freely

-There's also another first year (possibly at a later Gathering) who hadn't asked yet, and it's the first time Will is really affected by the third clause of the deal

-His words change to things he doesn't mean to say, eventually becoming twisted tongue-tied noises, and eventually he just stops being able to talk when he tries to explain to the poor kid

-Getting Horace to ask is a hell of a thing

-During Kings of Clonmel:

“Honestly,” said Horace, “I think I kind of – assumed Halt just sprang out of a hill or something.”

Will looked up at him sharply.  Say it.  Ask it.

-Horace gets frustratingly close to some version of a question that would count, and Will gets so annoyed that he can't really prompt him further

-"Wow, Will, it's like you were born in the woods"

-“Why don't you come visit the castle more often?"

-“How are you so good at sneaking up on me like that?"

-“Do you believe there are spirits in the woods here?"

-After many many close calls, Will eventually snaps and tells Horace to just say what is on his mind instead of hemming and hawing about it and Horace says he sometimes wonders if the rangers made a deal with the Fair Folk. Will just stops, tries to say something and gets tongue-tied and very carefully tells Horace that if he wants to know so bad, maybe he should ask

Horace: Uh, okay... Did you make a deal with the fae?

Will: I fubctva hv

Will: sigh

Will: Something like that

-Eventually:

Will: Horace, I need to tell you something important

Horace: Of course, go ahead

Will: I love you

Will: No wait, that's not--well, I do, but I meant to say that I olikarcbacsvberq

Horace: Are you okay?

Will: No, I onialevbunpi;erawvn

Horace: What's going on?

Will: LOJSRNVILHILUABUAV

Horace: What's your deal?

Will: DOES THAT COUNT?

Horace: Does what count?

Will: Say it again

Horace: Uh, what's your deal?

Will: I'M A FAIRY

Will, to the sky: HA IT DOES COUNT

Will: Can't wait to tell Halt that that worked

-Will plays his mandola and low key charms everyone listening

-Except other fae

-Aka Halt

-Alyss' helper in book five copies all of Will's technical mistakes but he can't copy the feel of the music because the diplomatic corps don't know about the deal. Thus, he doesn't know about Will's music being literally magical to listen to (and wouldn't be able to copy it anyway)

-Berrigan is noted for his very strong musical magic. Rumor has it he once talked a warlord into never picking up another weapon in his life, just by singing, but truthfully his gitarra is his tool

-Sir David was In The Know and flat-out forbade Gilan to "cheat" at his swordcraft, charisma, &c

-And fae are nothing but fair, so Will got the same treatment

-Malcom made a deal with a fae for knowledge of medicine and good luck in his work, and in return, he can't leave his glade. He's able to get away with it in book nine because it's to help another fae, but it’s thin ice

Most of this was copy/pasted from the Discord. Special thanks to @stxrduste for helping to come up with a lot of this. I think they’re working on writing a fic version of this, so keep an eye out

BONUS: 

The Contract of the Rangers

Declared by King Herbert of Araluen, 493 CE

Composed with the help of Conor Porter, Head of Diplomatic Services

*Historian’s note: The contract was likely prewritten and read aloud word for word to minimize the ability of the Rangers to find loopholes.*

The contracted fae agree to thus, so long as I and my descendants rule the country we call Araluen;

The contracted fae will be referred to as Rangers;

The Rangers will serve primarily as an intelligence force and, as needed, a specialized force of uniquely trained warriors and tacticians for the Crown of Araluen;

The Rangers shall not tell those outside the Crown of their nature unless they are asked.

The Crown agrees to thus, so long as I and my family rule the country we call Araluen;

The Crown will not allow for the destruction of the natural landscape in which the Rangers live;

The Rangers will be allowed to take willing children as apprentices to train as new Rangers, one per Ranger at any given time;

The Rangers will be given the authority to self govern within the laws of Araluen, whatever they be, and as an organization, they shall hold equal weight as a Crown Prince or Princess.

So long as neither side of the contract is broken, both parties will be bound to follow it. Unless the Crown or the Rangers wish it otherwise, the contract shall be renewed with the coronation of each of my descendants. I, King Herbert of Araluen, agree to this contract.

*Historian’s note: We have no record of the name of the first Ranger to agree to this contract, nor do we have a record of what was said, but given the current existence and state of operation of the Ranger Corps, it would seem they agreed to the contract as declared.*

*Unofficial historian’s note: I think it was Meratyn*

[thelastranger]

Au where Ferris kills Halt, Caitlyn becomes a ranger, and Sean can see ghosts

This is my take on it, but @rangerpippin had a SPECTACULAR take on the idea in the discord so check that out if you haven't already

(It sounds angsty but it is wholesome, I promise)

Au where Ferris manages to kill Halt in the river, but Halt comes back as a ghost and haunts Ferris. Ferris is the only one who can see and hear Halt (that they know of). Halt can't interact with the world but he can talk and float around. He really wishes he could move things, but he'll work with what he's got.

In this universe, Caitlyn fears for her life and flees to Araluen with the help of her boyfriend, Michael. She and Michael meet Crowley and the three of them hit it off instantly. Caitlyn and Pauline become best friends. Caitlyn at first feels bittersweet about being friends with Crowley because he's exactly the type of person who Halt would get along famously with.

Ferris never tried to kill Caitlyn but she felt threatened by him and she couldn't stand to be in the palace with him.

While Caitlyn didn't do as much training as her brothers in the royal court yard, she was expertly trained in archery and had more freedom to sneak around in the woods. Ferris and Halt were trained in swordplay.

As she and Michael are fleeing, they meet Pritchard who helps them across the ocean and teaches Caitlyn everything she needs to know. Michael watches in awe and practices his sword fighting. He hopes that someone will hire him as a knight in Araluen. What he doesn't know is that he will become one of the most respected knights in Araluen and help teach the next generation of knights, including a young ward from Redmont.

Ferris killed Halt before he could start training with Pritchard. A month and a half later, Caitlyn leaves. Ferris doesn't send out large search parties to find her but Halt searches tirelessly, trying to find Caitlyn or even a hint of where she went. This is hindered by the fact he can't really go to many places.

Ghost powers develop slowly and they gain more powers over time. So Halt is initially only able to be around Ferris, but as the years go by he can move throughout the castle, Dun Kilty, Clonmel, and Hibernia. It’s only after a decade that Halt tries to cross the ocean to Araluen.

Halt doesn't appear as a ghost immediately. He spends a few days in the dark and sees some visions, the best including a red headed man laughing with a stunning blonde woman, his friend Michael with the red haired man and someone who looked like... Caitlyn shooting arrows against horrible bear monsters. He’s not sure what to make of these scenes. More importantly, Halt meets a kindly old man before Halt realizes he's a ghost. Halt thinks that he is still alive. They chat and Halt is comforted. As they part, the man expresses his regret that he never got to teach Halt. At this moment Halt realizes that he didn't ask the man his name and the man smiles in a bittersweet way and says "Pritchard." Pritchard isn't a ghost but he's always been able to seem certain ghosts and sort of guide them. Halt realizes that he is a ghost and decides to haunt Ferris.

Ghost Halt generally bugs Ferris and drags him all while commenting on his murderous tendencies and how he doesn't have anyone to support him in the family. Ferris gets so upset during meetings but sometimes Halt genuinely has good ideas so Ferris starts to begrudgingly listen to Halt occasionally. Halt also tries to pull a bunch of prank but it stinks that he can't move anything.

Halt finds it darkly funny that Ferris killed him to become king but Halt is still making decisions.

Eventually the brothers get fed up with each other and they have a screaming match that dissolves into an actual conversation. This is the first real conversation the brothers have had without copious amounts of insults. Ferris deeply regrets his actions and Halt kind of forgives him. To a certain extent though. His brother did kill him after all.

Some people low key think Ferris is crazy after this because he sometimes would be caught talking to the air. Halt finds it hilarious.

Early on in his rule, there was an attempt to get Ferris off the throne. Halt finds out about it and tells Ferris who stops it. When Ferris asks why Halt stopped it, Halt goes "You're the only person who talks to me dummy. And despite the fact that you murdered me, I don't mind it." It may be short and brusque but it's the nicest thing someone's told Ferris in a while and it marks a real turning point in the brothers relationship.

Years go by and Halt still can't interact with anyone besides Ferris and he's never tried to leave the general bounds of Clonmel. Caitlyn never contacts Ferris and both brothers want to know where she is because they are curious and Ferris wants to apologize to her and Michael. They have no idea they have a nephew.

Halt leaves Clonmel for the first time and drifts across the ocean much faster than he expected. Something is drawing him to Araluen. He lands in a part of Araluen, about a few days ride from Redmont, where Crowley just happens to be visiting. Halt recognizes Crowley as the red headed man from his visions. He also feels a connection to the man. He follows Crowley and eventually ends up finding Caitlyn and her family. Caitlyn and Michael can't see him but it seems like Caitlyn's son, Sean, can. Halt is shocked to find out that he has a nephew and saddened that he will never get to meet him. But Sean can see him.

Ghost Halt visits when Sean is 8 and Sean sees a man who kind of looks like his mother in the cabin and he figures that the man is there for the fabled ranger Caitlyn. Caitlyn isn't home right now and Michael is in the house and the man seems kind of overwhelmed with emotion. The strange man doesn't wait for Sean's mama but instead tells Sean to tell his mom to visit her brother in Clonmel. There were things that needed to be said. Halt sees Caitlyn coming back to the house, laughing with Gilan, and knows he has to leave before Sean asks why he isn’t talking to his mother. Halt bids Sean goodbye and floats away when he isn’t looking. Watching from a tree, Halt sees his sister and misses her deeply.

Sean tells Caitlyn this and she is shocked. She hasn't told anyone that she had a brother. Michael knows and that's it. Sean didn't even know he had an uncle. She's suspicious and even more so when Sean says the man kind of looked like her. Caitlyn thinks Ferris is tracking her down and she has no intention of talking to him ever again. She warns Sean not to talk to strangers and tries to put the incident behind her.

Ferris and Halt are disappointed when Caitlyn doesn't come to Clonmel and so a year or two later, Halt goes back to visit.

Sean is feeling conflicted about the new apprentice because Will is cool but he also spends a lot of time with their family and Sean isn't sure if he likes that or not. Halt talks to him about it and Sean feels better.

Ferris and Halt really want Caitlyn to visit them and to bring Sean so Ferris tries to subtly get Araluen to send a ranger or a knight with diplomatic ties to Clonmel. He hopes that Caitlyn wouldn't disobey a royal order. He greatly misjudged Caitlyn's character.

It's the first, but not the last, time Caitlyn has a shouting match with King Duncan. He knows she is from Hibernia but she refuses to go back. In the end, after much fighting and compromises, Michael ends up going back. Caitlyn has a lot of conditions like he has to grow a beard and dye his hair and play up his Araluen accent. He honestly looks ridiculous. She's pretty sure that Ferris wouldn't remember her boyfriend from over a decade ago. And normally, she would be right. But thanks to Halt, Ferris knows who Michael is.

Ferris really wants to befriend Michael enough to get him to bring Sean and Caitlyn over or possibly slip Michael a note to take to Caitlyn, but Halt cautions against it.

Ferris gives Michael a note anyway and Caitlyn finds it. She sees that it's from Ferris and she is about to burn it when she sees a phrase that Halt only said to her. Ferris had no idea what it was. This gives her pause but not enough that she doesn't burn the note.

Ferris and Halt keep trying for several more years. Halt at this point has slightly grown into his ghostly powers or whatever they really are and can move certain objects like an inch at a time. Halt also keeps visiting Sean who has grown into a fine young man who is very interested in the diplomatic arts much to the chagrin of his mother and father. They support him anyway. Plus, he has his father's last name so there's that added protection. He seems like any other Araluen citizens except for there's a twinge of Hibernian in his words.

All four of them ride into Dun Kilty and Sean presents his diplomatic papers and Caitlyn is emanating anger. They go to the throne room and find it devoid of people except for King Ferris. He looks at them and smiles... until Caitlyn comes up and give him a punch to the face. She's tired of hiding and all the constant attempts at futile contact. She wants peace and for Ferris to stop being such an idiot. She honestly hadn't expected him to last so long in power.

Ferris accepts the punch, a bit confused because he assumed that Caitlyn was ready to talk. She really isn't and he starts babbling about how he was so sorry and how he has changed and how Halt had forgiven him until he realizes that there are other people in the room and that Caitlyn is so confused.

Ferris clears his throat and asks if they could clear the room. Caitlyn refuses and says something like so you can kill me without any witnesses? Ferris winces but he kinda deserved that one. "Whatever you have to say can be said to these men as well. By the way, Sean is your nephew you scumbag." Caitlyn figured that Ferris would be a little more shocked but he seems to take it in stride.

Sean, by the way, is freaking out because the mysterious man who visited frequently over the years who called himself Arratay is right there on the throne (Halt isn't in the room yet) but King Ferris, who is apparently his uncle, could not have been the man.

Ferris starts to tell everyone about how Halt is a ghost and Caitlyn scoffs and tries to leave until the door to the throne room opens an inch and Sean sees his old friend walk in, looking exactly like King Ferris. The door scares everyone, but Caitlyn is not convinced. She thinks it's a trick.

Ferris explains the best he can and Sean to the surprise of everyone also jumps in with an explanation. Caitlyn is still skeptical until Halt pushes a piece of paper to Sean and tells him to write down what he says. Halt tells Caitlyn everything that happened and tells her the last words they ever spoke to each other, something Sean would never know.

Caitlyn bursts into tears and scans the room. She swears she can feel Halt when he goes to hug her. Ferris apologizes for killing Halt and forcing her away and she forgives him (but fully reserves the right to roast him mercilessly)

Will and Horace are flabbergasted that there was so much drama with the O'Carrick family and the fact that Sean and apparently Ferris can see ghosts.

Ferris can really only see Halt and for that he is grateful. He doesn't think he could deal with more than one ghost haunting him and roasting him over his fashion choices. That's one of the few things he and Halt don't agree on. Sean, on the other hand, is different. Sean can see Halt clearly and can sometimes see other ghosts fairly clearly but he doesn't know that they are ghosts and often they don't either.

Caitlyn does fall sick with turberculosis several years before meeting up with Ferris for the first time in decades and it almost kills her. Luckily, thanks to the work of Malcolm and several other healers, she was able to pull through. Michael is still hyper concerned whenever she gets so as much as a cold.

Caitlyn in this universe is fiercely protective of herself and her family. She would like to leave almost every part of her past behind except for when she tells Sean about the beauty of Hibernia and his smile lights up his face. Unlike Halt, Caitlyn never snuck into Clonmel to check up on things. She wants to put everything about Hibernia (except for Halt) in a tiny portion of her brain where she never has to think about Ferris again. Caitlyn is very blunt and tells things like it is. She suffers no fools and has a bit of a temper. Almost too competent.

Michael is the milder of the pair. Which, compared to Caitlyn, is not saying much. Despite this, Michael is normally a very mild mannered man who is down for an adventure at any time just as much as he is willing to stay home and rest. Close friends with Sir Rodney and Baron Arald, Michael is first a very willing student at Battleschool and then an enthusiastic teacher. Super devoted to Caitlyn. He is surprisingly petty, but will deny it to his last breath. If Ferris gets a lot of mail that just so happens to insult him in lots of different languages, well, Michael has no idea about that. (His apprentices at battle school are more than willing to write down the worst insults they know in all their languages for their kind instructor)

For the first year or so, Ferris is a horrible king and person. He starts to feel very guilty for killing Halt and for driving Caitlyn away. Halt’s constant comments on these topics help drive these feelings and Ferris changes. He isn’t well loved but people agree that there have been worse kings than him and he does a fair job all things considered. By the time Caitlyn comes back to Clonmel, it’s been twenty five years and he’s been trying to get in touch with her for seventeen years. Ferris just wants reconciliation with his sister and to give Halt some closure. Ferris steadily ignored Halt for the first month since Halt hadn’t gotten a hold of talking yet and Ferris did not tell Caitlyn about how he was seeing Halt’s ghost constantly.

Halt is still the sarcastic, witty, and grumpy man we all know and love. He’s just not a ranger and is a ghost. Halt sticks around Ferris to both roast him constantly (this is a recurring theme) and to guide him because honestly, Ferris needed some guidance. Really wants Caitlyn to come back so he can actually talk to her and for Ferris to get over everything. He wishes that he could live his own life but he makes do with what he has. Pesters Ferris to go into the woods more during the first few years so he can be in nature more.

Sean: Caitlyn and Michael’s son, five years younger than Will. Sean was raised by both a ranger and a knight so while he has a very strict moral code and a strong sense of ethics, he’s willing to break just about any rule or code in order to do good. One of the reasons he became a diplomat (and studied intensively with the couriers) was he wanted to feel more connected to Hibernia where both of his parents are from, but rarely talk about. Preferring to talk things out, Sean can still pack a punch and swing a sword. He's the future king of Clonmel. Feels a connection to Halt even though he doesn't know who he really is. Full time diplomat, part time ghost whisperer.

Caitlyn trains Will and Gilan. The pair lived with the O'Carrick-Reid family. Sean takes the last name Reid and his middle name is O’Carrick. Caitlyn will occasionally give Alyss tips on diplomacy and Alyss is always curious about how the Hibernian ranger knows so much about diplomacy concerning royalty.

Pauline definitely knows about the O’Carrick secret.

(I thought it was only fair that Caitlyn got to be a ranger too in an au)

[thelastranger]

A Different Brother

What if Ferris wasn't the brother who wanted the Clonmel throne?

Enjoy!

Ferris and Halt have always had a strained relationship. Sure, it had taken a while to build up to attempted fratricide, but Ferris liked to think that their shared childhood wasn't too terrible to spend together. Maybe chaotic and uneven in the amount of affection received, but not terrible. Definitely not terrible enough to justify Halt whacking Ferris on the shoulder with a paddle and leaving his younger brother for dead in a river. Or maybe that was just Ferris kidding himself.

Their parents had always secretly and sometimes not so secretly thought Ferris would make a better king. He was less prone to rash outbursts and insulting people than Halt was. But Halt was the first born and the King and Queen had to work with what they had. When he was young, Halt didn't want the throne. He wanted to run around and play like Ferris did, but his parents squashed that thought. Halt was piled with court work and eventually any thought of throwing away his kingly responsibilities vanished. His resentment of Ferris remained and festered like a bad wound. Ferris didn’t pick up on this tension until one day he offhandedly mentioned that he wouldn’t mind being king to Halt. The immediate narrowing of Halt’s dark eyes and the barely contained suspicion in them alerted Ferris to his mistake. He immediately back pedalled and it seemed to placate Halt, but the tension between the brothers was now out in the open.

Over the years, Ferris and Halt grew apart. Ferris found himself being ignored more and more at court while Halt assumed more and more duties as the crown prince. More often than not, Ferris could be found training outside with an older man named Pritchard. He didn’t start training Ferris in the ranger skillsets, but first established a friendship with the young prince and helped him understand that one didn’t need to be part of the royal family to change the world. Ferris is apprehensive at first, however, he comes to the realization that he would be trapped by court life and his brother. Halt always had eyes on him, there was no way he would have been able to sneak out of the castle and train outside, not that he wanted to. (Who was he kidding? Of course he wanted to.)

Three years after he first meets Pritchard is when the first attempt happens. Ferris is eating some delicious shrimp at a family dinner when he starts to feel sick to his stomach. It’s the most painful feeling Ferris has ever experienced, but maybe not as painful as seeing Halt’s smug face as he is rushed by him at the dinner table amidst the concerned faces. Several hours later, Ferris is fine. The physicians assure him that it was a mild case of food poisoning, deep down in his heart, Ferris knows better.

His training increases and soon it’s rare to see Ferris in the castle at all. The brothers almost never see each other anymore and maybe it’s for the best thinks Ferris. It’s been so long since the shrimp incident that Ferris has almost convinced himself that it really was an accident. This thought is banished when several tiles nearly hit his head while he was out on a walk in the courtyard. Not too suspicious considering that Dun Kily castle was very old, but out of the corner of his eye, Ferris saw a figure dart behind a tower and he just knows. He knows it was Halt.

His prized bow and arrows are placed inside a hollow tree near the river. It used to be the place where he would meet Pritchard for training before Pritchard went back to Araluen to see his apprentice Crowley, who Ferris should meet if he was ever in Araluen. A small survival pack is added. Just in case something happens. Ferris doesn’t think anything will happen per say, but Pritchard drilled into him the importance of being prepared for anything.

A year later, this pack comes in handy. Halt overhears, eavesdrops really, his parents talking about how Ferris would have made a great king and he gets scared. There’s been talk by the servants that the king might break tradition and appoint Ferris as king despite not having the proper training for it. Nothing might have come of these conversations, the king never would break tradition, but it’s another reason for Halt to doubt himself. He knows people don’t like him as much as they like Ferris. He doesn’t care. Kings don’t have to be liked, but the idea of losing the seat that had been forced down his throat for the past eight years was too much for Halt to deal with. Halt wanders aimlessly around the castle grounds, stopping when he sees Ferris standing still on the riverbank. His perfect younger brother who doesn’t want the throne but is still the favorite no matter what Halt did.

Fire burns in Halt’s dark eyes and he doesn’t think, just acts. A wooden paddle is swung and Ferris falls to the ground, not moving. Halt panics and throws his brother into the rushing river to his death. This starts a habit that Halt will never shake, throwing people into water. The first time he grabs a particularly irritating courtsian and throws him into the water, Halt is seized by this memory and throws up.

Ferris wakes up as soon as he hits the icy water, startling him awake along with the realization that his brother threw him into the river. He can’t go back to Dun Kilty, he’ll lose his life. The course of action is to follow Pritchard and go to Araluen, maybe find this Crowley fellow and become a ranger while there. Anyplace except back home with his parents and brother. Ferris grabs his pack, his bow and arrows, and his speckled cloak and heads off. He’s only eighteen.

One long journey to Araluen later, Ferris meets Crowley in the midst of a bar fight. Crowley reminds Ferris of Halt a little too much with his impulse and temper, so they don’t become quite as fast friends as Halt and Crowley would become, but Ferris learns that Crowley was defending a barmaid and warms up to him. By the time they meet Morgarath, the two young men are like brothers except in Ferris’s case, better than his actual brother.

Morgarath doesn’t remind Ferris of Halt, but Ferris knows how deep corruption goes and how it can be masked. He knows what the reign would be like if Morgarath would be in charge. Morgarath interrogates Ferris, asking for his last name and Ferris has a name prepared for him. If Morgarath is as influential as Ferris has heard he is, there’s a chance he’s heard about the death of the Hibernian prince of Clonmel and Ferris wants to make sure no one can ever find him. Morgarath meets Ferris Roush, a fake last name derived from the Ferris’s butchered pronunciation of the Gallican word for rock. That same night, Ferris Roush declines a job offer from Morgarath and Ferris and Crowley have to ride away that next morning.

Crowley and Ferris end up saving Araluen and become close friends with a friendly baron named Arald and the Crown Prince Duncan. Crowley becomes the commandment of the Rangers Corps and Ferris becomes his right hand man and top notch ranger. Crowley constantly calls on Ferris to finish his paperwork for him. (Ferris always begrudgingly does the extra paperwork. It’s more interesting than royal paperwork about harvest crops)

Less grim and grumpy than Halt is as a ranger, Ferris is guarded and pensive, talking only to people when he has to. He quietly commands attention and can sneak around the best of them. Ferris is excellent at shooting, but he has to practice constantly to keep his skills at their best. His eyes flit around constantly, looking for threats everywhere, though this habit has lessened over the years, all but disappearing once he takes Will as his apprentice.

Ferris is able to connect with Will by telling him how to deal with Horace’s bullying, drawing from his personal experience with Halt. There’s also more emphasis in Will’s training on strategy and planning. Ferris still gets drunk and gets himself exiled in order to rescue Will from Skandia. It might be the most reckless thing he has ever done, which is saying something considering his track record.

In this universe, Halt is the infamous king of Clonmel. A grim and ruthless king, he is known for his unwillingness to suffer fools and his temper. This temper stems from not being able to properly express his frustration at the world and its injustices. Despite this somewhat good sentiment, Halt is not a great ruler. He isn’t fair and acts quickly over slights, leading several courtsians to be thrown into the moat personally by the king himself despite the protests of his advisors. Halt’s quality of rule declined severely after his beloved younger sister, Caitlyn, died from a prolonged illness. It’s a volatile time in Clonmel for Halt and in his desperation, he makes a deal with a con man named Tennyson to distract Dun Kilty citizens. This deal quickly spins out of control and Halt finds himself wallowing in trouble. This is where Ferris comes back into the picture.

Ferris has an awkward time telling everyone that his older brother is the king that allowed Tennyson to gain so much influence. Ferris never told anyone about his secret, though Crowley, Pauline, and Duncan knew or suspected to varying degrees. Duncan had seen King Halt at a diplomatic session from a distance and wondered why the King of Clonmel looks so much like his best ranger. Crowley suspected Ferris was the dead prince since Ferris was all Pritchard talked about and how could the sudden appearance of a mysterious Hibernian and the disappearance of the Hibernian prince not be connected? Ferris all but told Pauline his entire backstory, omitting the part where he mentioned he was royalty but keeping the other details. In this universe, Ferris and Pauline are more emotionally similar and Ferris opens up to Pauline a tad more. He, Will, and Horace travel to Dun Kilty to stop Tennyson. Ferris has his hood drawn deep over his face as he and Horace enter the castle, but the hood comes down as soon as they enter into the private room with Sean O’Carrick and King Halt.

Halt’s face goes white before he shakes off his remorse and surprise. Ferris and Horace try to negotiate with Halt to stop Tennyson, but there’s a reason Halt has stayed in power all these years: he’s a stubborn and powerful man. He refuses to help them. Halt doesn’t want money, he wants to keep his throne and to see his little brother beg for his help. Ferris is not too proud to beg and asks Halt if they can continue the conversation in the adjoining cloak room so Horace doesn’t see Ferris beg. Halt agrees, but when the brothers move to the cloak room, Horace stops Halt. He asks if he can come with them because he wants to see Ferris get taken down a peg. Halt is delighted at this mean streak and Ferris just look even more downcast but resigned. Right as Ferris starts to sink down to his knees, Horace bops Halt on the head, knocking the smile off his face and knocking him out. Ferris gets up and smiles at the young knight, their plan working exactly as they had predicted. Sean O’Carrick walks out with his uncle and Horace behind them, leaving Halt tied up in the cloak room.

Halt isn’t assassinated by assassins like King Ferris was in a different universe. Ferris comes back after beating Tennyson and increasing Halt’s popularity with the common people. The brothers talk with each other and Halt starts to realize that Ferris never really wanted the throne, he never meant to undermine Halt. Halt also realizes that he never really wanted to be king, it was always forced upon him so he felt like he had to accept it. Ferris softens and forgives his brother who embraces him. The brothers part, not close, but closer to understanding each other.

Halt cleans up his act and starts to properly groom his nephew Sean to become king. Sean, in the future, will become one of the best kings Clonmel and Hibernia has ever seen. Halt, after he retires, goes on a trip to Araluen. Relations between Ferris and Halt have improved in the years since Tennyson’s uprising and the brothers are confident enough in their abilties to not murder each other when Halt comes on a visit.

It’s always an eventful time when Halt, the former king of Clonmel, comes to visit Ferris. There’s shouting matches and fights, but genuine reconciliations and apologies. Pauline meets Halt and sees what Ferris might have turned out to be like if he stayed in the royal life. There’s a spark between Halt and Pauline, but neither one act on that spark. Ferris and Pauline never become officially romantically involved despite the abundance of rumors surrounding the couple. Ferris, the first time Halt comes to visit him in Araluen, offers to let Halt ride his horse, Sunny, in a seemingly innocent offer. Of course, Halt doesn’t ask the code word and is thrown off of Sunny in an instant. Ferris isn’t above poking some fun at his formerly estranged brother.

Halt and Ferris in this universe are able to hash out their problems with each other and find some measure of forgiveness. All is good.