The end...? (Ranger's apprentice/ Brotherband fan-fiction)

Chapter 3

Hi there, dear readers! Thank you for having patience with me. I've been quite busy lately, but I managed to translate the next chapter for you :) Your comments gave me the motivation to take on this task again. And I can tell you this part is longer than the original Dutch version! :) Please enjoy! :D

Will slowly lowered his bow. He noticed how the swordfighter whose life he had just saved looked around to search for him, but of course he couldn’t see Will. The guy, who had to be around sixteen years old, Will guessed, joined the rest of his group. There was no doubt that they were Skandians. Will put his arm back around Evanlyn and jumped of off the boulder. He saw the same guy raise his sword is a reflex, and decided he had to let them know he was trustworthy. The Skandians obviously weren’t prepared for the attack from the Scoti, and quite possibly even thought they were Araluans. If a ranger like Will approached them from out of nothing right after like that…
              The guy lowered his sword again. He clearly didn’t seem to think Will was a threat. However, the other attendees looked at him, hostility all over the place. They got their weapons ready, so Will decided to start showing his friendliness, by pushing back his cap. He could only hope they’d trust him.
“And who do you think you are?” the only adult amongst the group of teenagers asked threateningly. Evanlyn, scared by the sounds of battle, let out a barely audible whimper hearing this harsh voice. Will softly patted her arm, trying to ease her. He resisted the urge to look at her: he had been keeping her hidden underneath his cloak, and he preferred to keep it like that for a little while longer.
“My name is Will,” he answered as calm as he possibly could at that moment. Sadly, that wasn’t nearly as calm as he usually was: first being pursued by Scoti, and then having to leave his friends behind and flee with Evanlyn, had affected him. Most of the Skandians looked utterly stunned when he explained he was a ranger. “You should get away from here immediately,” he warned. “A large group of Scoti is on my heels.” All of them had put their weapons away and they seemed to trust him. All, that was, except for one: the man still had a hostile look in his eyes.
“So, you’ve led them directly at us?!” he roared furiously. Will himself was starting to get angry as well. He was trying to save their lives for goodness sake! The guy whose life Will had saved whispered something in the man’s ears, inaudible for Will. After that, the man still looked cross, but he didn’t say another word. The guy now turned to Will.
“My name is Hal,” he said. “Why did those Scoti people attack us?” Will laughed bitterly.
“Because you are in Araluen. Everybody is being attacked,” he certified. 
                He thought of earlier that day, of Cassandra begging him to take her daughter away with him. He would do anything to secure the little girl’s safety, but he didn’t have a clue on how to actually do it. The Scoti turned out to be everywhere and they didn’t seem to have any trouble with following his trails. He certainly wasn’t used to that: who on earth could possibly follow ranger tracks without effort?! They barely even existed!
“But why?” Hal asked frowning. “You’d think they’d have a reason for doing what they’re doing.” Will sighed.
“The Scoti have declared war to Araluen and they already conquered most of the country. Our soldiers are losing hope and our defenses grow weaker as we speak. Why they have declared us war? Nobody knows,” he said. “That’s why I told you to leave while you still can. If you stay, you’re doomed to die.” 
               A short silence stretched out between them, as the young Skandians let Will’s words sink in.
“Then what about you?” the only girl amongst the group asked. “We are with many; we are able to protect one another. You are alone, and on top of that, you seem to have run out of arrows.” Will looked at her with new interest. She had a sharp eye.
“A ranger doesn’t just rely on his bow,” Will answered simply. “And I’ve got materials to create new arrows. But besides that, you’re right. I’m on my own.” His voice quivered for a split second, while he thought of Evanlyn, clutching onto his arm as though it was her only lifeline underneath his cloak. “But I’ll be fine. I have escaped from the Scoti earlier today. I’m quite certain I can manage a second time as well.” The adult huffed, apparently thinking Will was bragging about his abilities. 
                Will decided to ignore him, for there was a more serious matter at hand. He looked away from the group of Skandians for a moment, scanning their surroundings. There were no Scoti to be seen, but that was the least of a reassurance he could get: he hadn’t spotted any Scoti beforehand, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there.
“You could join us,” Hal suggested, to the man’s obvious disapproval. Will looked Hal in the eyes, raising an eyebrow in the process.
“Are you sure about that?” he asked. “I mean: if you leave now, immediately, you still have a chance the Scoti will let you go. If you take me – an Araluan – with you, on the other hand, they will most likely haunt you down until they’re able to kill you.” Will sent Hal a penetrating look. Hal withstood his gaze easily and Will’s respect for the young man grew with the second. He obviously had guts.
“With me being half-Araluan, that chance will be long gone already,” he answered at last, calmly putting his hands in his pockets. Will smiled ever so slightly.
“In that case, I would like to accept your offer and join you,” he said.
                Hal simple nodded, and gestured to his companions to prepare their ship to sail out again. The Skandians certainly knew what they were doing, as they cleared the ship professionally. The all boarded, and soon they were ready to take off. After a moment of hesitation, Will approached Hal.
“Could I talk to you for a moment?” he asked quietly. Hal looked surprised, but nodded nonetheless. They positioned themselves at the tiller, while the crew finished taking out the sail and lifting the anchor. 
“What’s the matter?” Hal asked, also in a soft voice. In a manner of answering, he slightly pulled open his cloak, revealing Evanlyn. Hal’s eyes grew wide of surprise, but he quickly recovered himself.
“This is my two best friends’ daughter,” Will explained. “I was forced to leave them and some other close friends of mine behind this afternoon, because of the Scoti.” 
                Again, Hal looked surprised. He took his time to think about this news. 
“And you would like to keep her hidden?” He asked seriously, when he had took it all in. Will looked at Hal with a closer eye. This was someone he could trust.
“Exactly,” he answered. “At least until we are miles away from here, if possible.” Hal nodded.
“I understand,” he said. “I’ll try my best to help you.”
              He then focused on navigating his ship onto the river. Will stepped behind, wondering whether he was in someone way or not. It was hard to say, as the ship was as busy as a bee hive, and everybody was constantly moving around. He had only been on a ship to Skandia a couple of times before, but those times he had been told where he could stay, without troubling anyone. He secretly hoped someone would tell him this time as well.
                Will curiously witnessed how two boys, most likely twins, concertedly raised one of the sails. Within two minutes, the big white piece of fabric changed from a loose scroll, into an enormous triangle. He braced himself against the railing, still with one arm put around Evanlyn, when the ship took the bend onto the river. The currents hit it with a jolt, and for a split second it seemed like they would take the ship into an uncontrolled drift. Luckily, Hal got a hold on the tiller, and tamed the treacherous waters. 
                Will slowly lowered himself onto the deck, so that he couldn’t accidentally drop Evanlyn overboard. The girl seemed to be asleep, as quiet as she was. Will hoped she wasn’t as frightened as he had been, though he was fairly certain she was even more scared. Happy to be safe from all of the tense and dangerous events for a moment, he observed the Skandian teenagers, as they navigated their ship through the storm easily.
                After a while, when they reached water that was somewhat calmer, Hal called for someone named Stig. Stig, a large, muscled guy of around Hal’s age, came walking up to the tiller, and took it from the skirl. He cast a curious look at Will, but he didn’t question Hal’s actions. Hal thanked him and walked towards the ranger and then lowered himself on the deck next to him.
“Have you ever been to Skandia before?” he asked casually, after a moment of silence. Will laughed shortly.
“Yes, I have indeed,” he answered. “The first time was when I was of your age – Gorlog’s beard, that makes me sound old! –, when my friend Evanlyn and I were being abducted by oberjarl Ragnak.” Hal looked astonished.
“So you’re that ranger?” he asked, his eyes open wide. Will nodded, a broad grin to be seen on his face. He soon returned to being serious, though, and he changed the subject.
“Why does that guy over there,” he gestured to the rough man, who had been accusing him of putting their lives to danger, “have a problem with me, actually?” Hal didn’t even have to turn around to know whom Will was talking about.
“That’s Thorn. He is… quite suspicious,” Hal answered, sighing wearily. “Especially to people who seem to appear out of the blue, right after we’ve been attacked, without reason.” Will nodded. He could understand that. He still wondered why Thorn didn’t let go of his doubts after Will showed them he was trustworthy. He shrugged. If Thorn wants to have a problem, let him have it, he thought. 
              As though Thorn had heard his thoughts, he came strolling towards them. He positioned himself in front of the two on the deck, threateningly towering above them. Or actually, he only did threatening to Will. He left Hal alone. Will sighed softly. This was going to give trouble. And he was right. Thorn started firing questions at him furiously, an almost mad look in his eyes. Other crewmembers turned around, startled by the sudden noise. Hal jumped to his feet and tried to persuade Thorn into calming down, but it wouldn’t last; Thorn kept on raging against Will. Will on the other hand, was sitting peacefully on his piece of the deck, not even bothering to listen to the older man. If Thorn didn’t trust him, who was he to try and change his mind? He was, of course, a mysterious ranger, veiled in secrets. 
                Will noticed something shiny out of the corner of his eye, and in a split second, he reacted by literally pulling Thorn’s legs. The sea wolf landed on the deck with a loud thud. This all did nothing in Will’s favour, for Thorn was now really furious. But Will had stopped paying attention and had already grabbed the arrow that had nearly pierced through Thorn, to put it on his bow and shoot it away to the unidentified archer on one of the banks. 
“Scoti,” Will mumbled darkly. Sadly, for doing what he had just done, he needed to let go of Evanlyn. The little girl, still startled by all of the events of that day, started to cry again. Will didn’t have time to reassure her, though, for arrows were now falling on the deck from all sides. The astonished crew grabbed its weaponry and shields, as Will leaped around the ship, gathering the arrows.
               He fired arrow after arrow away, and saw Scoti after Scoti fall down. But it was no use: there were too many of them, and they also had the advantage of being able to hide behind trees.
                The rain of arrows ended as abruptly as it had begun. Will slowly lowered his bow, scanning the banks for Scoti. He then walked back to where he had left Hal and Thorn, lost in thought. An admiring whispering started amongst the crew, and Thorn looked downright shocked. Will hung his bow across his shoulders and went to scoop up Evanlyn. She immediately went back to clinging onto him for dear life. It was no use hiding her again. Everyone who hadn’t seen her yet, had at least heard her. Slowly but steadily her sobbing ended, until she fell asleep in Will’s arms. 
               Meanwhile Hal had taken the tiller from Stig again, and he was busy steering the ship onto open sea. The Scoti seemed to have disappeared, but Will prepared himself for the worst; the Scoti had done incredible things in the past and he didn’t doubt their ability to do it again in the future.
              They reached the sea without further ado, though, thinking they had reached safety.