| Halt's Ranger Apprentices | This is War | Volume 2 |

CHAPTER THREE:

It didn't take long for Devon to return. The three prisoners gratfully slipped on the warm and comfy clothes, which was a big difference from the ripped and worn-out clothes, but Belle made sure to bring along her brown leather jacket, since it was her new favourite one, ever since the wild boar incident. They, then all wrapped a belt around their hips, holding a sword and dagger on their left side. Once they were ready, they all started to check the weight and feel of their new weapons.

Next, came the tricky part. Escaping.

They all agreed that they would leave one at a time to not make it look suspicious.

Alex went first, Logan refusing to leave his brother behind. Then Logan left after counting to 5 minutes. Then, Devon and Belle were the only ones left. They sat silently, waiting for 5 minutes to pass. Devon glanced over at Belle, seeing her light brown eyes gaze upon the monotonous cage. She had dirt on her face and scares as well. Her hair was knotty and frizzy and she looked rundown and weak. But, Devon seemed to see underneath all that, to realise how beautiful this girl really was.

Without warning. Belle averted her gaze and caught Devon's eye watching her. Belle couldn't stop a small smile touch her lips. "Were you watching me?" Belle asked and by the bright pink colour that shaded Devon's face, she had been right. "Why were you watching me?" she asked, not needing to wait for an answer. Devon shrugged, knowing he had been caught red-handed.

"You're beauti-" Devon began, but stopped himself in in mid-sentence realising what he was about to say. It was a problem for Devon, he had a big mouth and always managed to let things slip out of his mouth sub-conciously. He cleared his throat nervously, as he felt Belle's amused gaze burn into him. "nothing..." he mumbled, not knowing how to cover up his stupid slip of the tongue.

Belle let her small smile grow bigger as he tried to shake off his comment. And, with nothing else to amuse her, decided to press the subject.

"You weren't going to say, beautiful, were you?" Belle asked, watching as his face started to grow into the colour of a betroot.

"No! Of course not!" he rushed to say.But, when he saw Belle put on a slightly hurt look, he then started to speak incoherently, unable to think of a way of covering his mistake up without hurting her feelings. "um..I mean you are, ugh ermm well you know..I didn't-" Devon kept mumbling on, but Belle interrupted, finally deciding that Devon had suffered enough.

"Devon, I'm messing with you." Belle said, unable to stop a small laugh escaping her lips. Devon was now a violent red, realising how stupid he must of looked. Then, the place went silent again. He checked how long they had, from an old watch that he managed to knick from his father's treasures of what he brought back from his raids. 3 minutes to go. He sighed , his voice slightly echoing off of the small enclosed walls of the cage.

"So, how are you doing?" Belle asked, "With the news of your father." Belle added, after Devon gave her a confused look. After she added that last sentence, his facial expression lost any sign of happiness.

"I just hope he's okay." Devon sighed depressingly. Belle nodded in understanding.

"I'm really sorry for them taking them. I really am. No one should deserve having their father taken away from them." Belle said, moving toward Devon as she sawtears at the surface of his eyelids, fighting to roll down his freckled cheeks. She found a nice spot right next him and put an arm around his shoulders. Devon's breath was cut shot as he realised how much proximity was between him and the beautiful girl.

His heart beating 100 miles an hour, and he started to wonder if the girl, whose name was aledgedly, Annalise, could hear the loud thump of his heart beat, as it banged against his ribcage.