Ranger's Apprentice- Revenge

Chapter 6

  Halt and Gilan thanked Larrin and practically ran out the door. From Gilan's face, Halt knew that Gilan had come to the same conclusion. "Ride back to Baron Arald, tell him what happened and bring reenforcements to Forest Land!" Halt ordered.

  Gilan swung on Blaze's saddle. "But what are you going to do? You can't fight that many on your own!" He exclaimed.

  "And that is why you need to get there as quickly as possible. I wasn't there for Will last time, that is not going to happen again! Now go, Gilan!" Halt practically shouted the words.

  Gilan gave him one last worried look and galloped back to Castle Redmont.
Halt urged Abelard forward, toward Forest Land.

  Corek was after Will the entire time!How could he have been so blind?! Halt mentally berated himself. The signs were there! And now he pushed Will away from him, away from his protection. Halt shook his head. So much for the great Ranger Halt. He couldn't even see what was right in front of him. At least Terrin is there with him, he tried to console himself, but it didn't work much.

  Both Gilan and Halt came to the same educated conclusion. Corek was after Will and he learned from his past mistake of taking on rangers alone. He hired Farick and his gang, who also had a big grudge on rangers, to help him get revenge on Halt. Corek wasn't the type of man to just kill out of revenge, no, he wanted to break his target first. Halt killed Corek's son, so Corek would kill Halt's. Since Halt had no blood son of his own, he would go to the person who was closest to him.

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~•~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Will and Terrin arrived at Forest Land and immediately started to track down Corek's hideout.

  "Corek sure knows how to hide a camp." Said Will when a few hours of searching had passed. "You sure he wasn't a Ranger before he turned?"

  The corner of Terrin's mouth turned up a bit. "Definitely not, I would have remembered." He looked at the young apprentice who was dutifully watching the ground for any signs. "So how is life apprenticed to Halt? I know that he isn't the most cheerful to be mentored under."

  Will grinned at that. "Honestly, I wouldn't want to be apprenticed to anyone else. Halt really isn't as grim and dark as everyone thinks, you just have to get to know him. But don't tell him I said that, he likes his reputation the way it is, makes things alot easier he says."

  Terrin walked away and crouched to look at something. "I was trying to do just that. I don't know Halt very well and only see him at the meetings, plus all the rumors about him, but I know how they get blown way out of proportion. And- hang on, I think I found something." Will walked over and looked at to where Terrin was gazing intently. "You see it?" Terrin questioned.

  "Yeah, that mud print on that rock." Will answered then something else caught his eye; he pointed. "There. A twig has been snapped in the same direction that the footprint is headed."

  Terrin nodded, "Good eye. Come, let's follow."

  They followed the trail of snapped twigs and trampled greenery. The strange thing that Will noticed was that it was getting easier to follow. Either Corek was getting sloppy and confident, or-

  Terrin held up a hand then whispered in Will's ear. "This isn't right. It is getting far too easy, we should-"

  Just then both Tug and Whinnifer whinnied quietly and raised their heads; alert. Then Tug and Whinnifer turned their head in the direction that they sensed someone's presence. What really worried Will was that while Tug turned his head to the right, Whinnifer turned her head to the left.
The realization dawned on Will.

  "Will, get-!" Terrin started to say.

  Men poured out of the forest. Will and Terrin fired their arrows, rapidly downing five men, but there were too many. The men quickly surrounded the Rangers, their bows, crossbows, and swords pointed at them before the Rangers could let loose anymore deadly projectiles. "Drop your bows!" Rasped one of the men.

  Will looked at Terrin and saw him drop his weapon, Will followed suit. The men dragged the Rangers off their horses and searched them, taking their quiver of arrows, saxe and throwing knives. Tug and Whinnifer tried to protect their masters, but both Will and Terrin ordered them to stop when they threatened to kill them. One man took the ponies to the side of the clearing and tied them both securely to a thick tree branch. Then the men backed off, remaking the circle that surrounded them. Two men walked through, Corek was one of them, but the other Will didn't recognize, he had close shaven black hair, dark grey eyes and a wide scar across his left eye.

  "Farick!" Terrin spat.

  Farick's dark eyes glittered menacingly. "Terrin, I didn't realize you would be here." He glanced at Corek.

>>>---->

  Halt urged Abelard into Forest Land. They had barely stopped at all, only when it was absolutely necessary. Abelard could sense his master's frantic worry and didn't complain. Halt reined in, swung off of Abelard and looked at the ground for hidden clues. "The one time I wish that rangers weren't so good at concealing their footprints." Halt muttered furiously.

>>>----->

  Corek shrugged. "Look on the bright side, now you can get revenge as well as I."

  "Well you can't!" Will said bravely. "Halt isn't here as you can see!"

  Corek laughed sinisterly at this. "Foolish child! And here I thought that ranger's were smart! Halt took my boy away from me! You see, I don't want to get my revenge by killing Halt... yet."

  Terrin's eyes widened and put a protective arm out in front of Will.

  "Ahh, I can see you finally figured it out. Took you long enough." The assassin snarled.

>>>----->

  There! Halt could see a faint hoofprint among the dirt. If you weren't a ranger or an expert tracker, you would never have noticed. Thankfully, Halt was both. Soon, Halt saw more signs and followed. They were far too easy and it worried Halt greatly. He slowed down as he heard voices.

>>>----->

  Corek pointed a crossbow at Will's chest. The bolt shining menacingly in the sunlight. "I shall bring your dead body to Halt myself!" Corek said wildly. Only then did Will realize that the loss of his son and the years in prison truly broke and made Corek mad. Terrin jumped in front of Will. "Ready to die so soon Ranger? Don't worry, your time will come soon enough. But right now it is the boy's turn. Someone get him out of my way!"

  Two men grabbed Terrin and dragged him away from Will. "No! Will!" Terrin shouted, his accent more obvious than ever. His eyes burned with anger, he twisted his arm out of the first man's grasp and side handed him in the throat, knocking the air out of him. Then he turned on the second man, he grabbed his arm and threw him over his shoulder; slamming him on the ground. He twisted and kicked the legs from under the first man; effectively downing both in less than three seconds.

  The other bandits got their wits about them and three other men jumped on Terrin, pinning him to the ground. Terrin, unable to move, watched helplessly as the events unfolded before him.

  Will stared wide eyed at the bolt aimed at his heart; frozen in place.

  Corek grinned. "Goodbye, Ranger Will. I'll make sure to tell Halt that you died standing up."

>>>----->

  Halt reached the clearing to see Terrin and Will surrounded by twenty men and five on the ground with arrows protruding out of them. Both Tug and Whinnifer tied to the side out of the ring of men, making the rangers' escape impossible. In the center he saw Corek's crossbow aimed at Will's chest and Terrin immobile on the ground. Corek said something then fired, releasing the deadly bolt aimed Will. Halt fired an arrow a millisecond too late. He could already see it wouldn't hit the crossbow bolt. Halt reached out a hand.

"WILL!"