Halts first apprentice

Part two

A bit later the rangers had found a nice place to set camp, and unpacked the horses.

"I'll go get some water,"  said Halt and got on his feet. "I saw a streem some kilometers away from here."

"Sure! I'll just wait here," said Gilan. He sighed happily,  pleased with himself and sat down, leaning aganst a tree.

Halt raised an eyebrow.  Despite his bitter face he smiled inside.

"You can get a fire going. An apprentice can't just sit  around,  doing nothing."

Gilan sighed again, not so happily.  Yet he was smiling as he got up and started looking for tree brances.

  "You just had too say that, did'nt you?"

He looked up. Halt was gone. Or maybye he was still there, just invisible for gilans eyes. You just could'nt  know with halt.

Gilan smirked to himself and continued to start a fire. It did'nt take long before he were finised,  and he then sat down, leaning against the tree and started fixing some broken arrows from yesterdays shooting. Halt insisted on that Gilan should keep training even while they where on there way to the gathering. He probably  where right. Gilan was, of corse,    an expert with the bow, but there was alyaws room for improvment. He sat there a good while, when he suddenliy saw a movement. Just in the corner of his eye. He frowned.  His instincts told him to turn his head,  but his training told him not to. Instead  he kept his  head still and

continued fixing arrows. But his movements where stiff and he was very tens. At the same time he looked around. There it was again!  A movement. He pretended to study an arrow by holding it in front of his eyes, but his gaze slipped beond the arrow and in to the brink of the forest. And then he saw them. Ten men, dressed in black.  Ten meters away. And they where coming right at him.

Gilan felt his hands get very sweaty all of sudden.

He put down the arrow and got his longbow. Time to stop pretending.

In one movement he nocked an arrow and got on his feet.

"What do you want?"

He was very worried now. Ten agaist one in close combat.  Not very good odds.

With a fast flicker of his hand, he loosened his sword from its hilt, not dropping the bow,  nor the arrow.

The dark men got closer.

"Stay where you are! Or I'll start shooting!"

The men charged.

And Gilan fired. Before they had reatched him, three of them was on the ground,  arrows stuck in there legs. Then one of the men atacked from the side. As a reflecs Gilan trew up his longbow to stop the blow.  And the bowstring broke with a loud snap.

The ranger cursed under his breath, threw the bow at the man ond drew his sword. Before the atacker could charge again,  gilan stabbed him in the right arm.

Then he turned,  ready for battle against the ones who  where left.

And totaly missed the man who came out of the forest behind him. Gilan had just got the first man down when he felt a blinding pain in the back of his head.  It felt like his head was smashed in. And then he turned around and saw the elewenth man. A real giant with a red beard. And a huge  club in his hands. Gilan groaned. Why did'nt he look behind him? Then his legs gave up and he got down on his knees with his hands at the ground.  His wision was blurred and he was worried for that ringing sound in his left ear. I might just trow up, he thougt. Not very nice way to die. Stabbed in the back. And halt would be disapointed. Gilan hated to disapoint Halt.

He felt a blow of a sword at his back and got down on his stomac, grunting in pain. Blood streamed from his head.  Then he heard a soft svishing noise. He knew what that ment. A sword. Aiming for his neck.

Gilan closed his eyes. He was about to die and he knew it. Yet he felt calm.  The only thougt that disturbed him was that he did'nt know how this atackers where. He frowned.  So unsatisfying.  The sword got closer. Then, all of the sudden,  someone yelled something.  It sounded urgent. 

And the sword stopped.

Gilan opened his eyes.  What happend?  Was he saved? Or did they simply want a prisoner?  Then a kick hit his head hard and evtything want black.

*sorry it took so long!*