Ignoring History - Ranger's Apprentice Fanfiction

Chapter 29

~🌾Will🌾~

Will's life flashed before his eyes. He froze, scared. Terror ran through his body like an electrical shock. His eyes widened, heart hammering, loud. He couldn't breathe. His throat dried up as if there was a drought. His screams were hoarse, croaky. He clawed against his attacker, gagging into the hand that had clamped over his mouth. Every bone in him screamed. Every hair.

And the next thing he knew, he saw red. Will yelled as his face was slammed into dirt for the second time that day. It took him a few seconds to realize that he had been thrown out of the cabin. He groaned. Will pushed himself up, grass in his fists and soil caking his forehead. Blood dribbled onto his lip, and Will reached up to touch his nose. It was bleeding.

Will blinked a few times. He frowned, slowly looking up to find a man towering over him. No—there were two. Three? Will shook his head, vision blurry. He rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. Three, he counted again. There were three men.

Well, men were a stretch. They weren't really men. They were boys just like him. Two redheads and a blond.

Before any confusion could settle in, he was yanked onto his feet by his shirt collar. Will yelped. His feet dangled in the air, toes barely touching the ground. He struggled against the light haired boy, kicking his legs as if he was running from the devil himself.

"Who are you?" the blond asked. "What are you doing here?"

Will didn't answer. He thrashed out against him. His hand managed to land a strike on his cheek, leaving a white scratch against his skin. Will gasped when he was kneed in the stomach. For a split second, the wind was knocked out of him. He fell into a heap, landing on the ground with a thump.

One of the redheads pinned him down. Will shouted as his hands were being fastened behind his back with a piece of rope.

"What are you waiting for?" the other redhead asked. He bent down to meet his eyes. "Answer his question."

Will breathed heavily, sputtering as he struggled to catch his breath. He coughed, wincing at the pain that vibrated through his body. Sweat dripped down his forehead. Or maybe it was more blood.

"Why are you doing this?" he managed. "I did nothing to you."

The blond tossed his head back and laughed. "Did you hear that, guys?" he said. "He didn't do anything to us!"

The redhead that had tied his hands together chuckled. "Boohoo," he mocked. "I'm so dumb. I don't know anything."

All three of them cackled, and Will shrunk down. He curled himself up into a ball. His mind raced for answers. Anything that could help him. Anything that could explain what was going on.

"Well, I'll tell you what you've done!" the blond said. He cracked his knuckles. "You, my friend, have just trespassed onto our territory."

"What?" Will said. "But this place belongs to Redmont, and Redmont belongs to Baron Arald!"

They laughed again. Will's face burned red. He swallowed, tasting the metallic tang of his blood. He spoke again. "Why are you laughing?" he said. "Who are you?"

Will shouted as he was dragged up onto his feet. The two redheads stood on both of his sides, each gripping onto an arm. He tried to wriggle himself out in vain. "Let me go!"