"Welcome to the third round, ladies and gentlemen!" Gilan said loudly. But he wasn't yelling. It was the first time none of the audience stepped back or that Halt had comments about his way of speaking. He did a fine job. Yet there was one thing...
"Gil," Will hissed, trying to catch his attention. When he was absolutely sure of the fact that his friend was listening, he said: "You can't make it take as long as it did last time - Halt and I are expected by the Baron this afternoon!"
Gilan looked down at him from his chair, grinning. "You don't have time, you say? Or don't you just want to hear the stories about your injuries?"
Will rolled his eyes at him and gestured him to start, or else...
"You all know how everything works, so let's only repeat the voting, shall we? Everyone can assign numbers ONCE. For every one-shot you can give a min of 3 points, and a max of 7 points. And remember that if you vote, you have to assign points to every one-shot, otherwise it doesn't count. You can vote until the competition closes; so you don't have to vote right now. You can assign votes in the comments, or send them privately. Please be fair and don't vote for your friends. Give every one-shot the votes it deserves. Also, if you vote, please vote in every round – that would be great. Is that all clear?"
Everyone nodded, and Halt said quietly, "It better be; I can dream the rules now."
"Me too," Will replied on the same quiet tone, "And I bet Gil can, too. He doesn't even need his papers this time." He was right. The only papers Gilan held in his hands were the once the stories were written on.
"Alright then!" Their commander said, with a huge smile on his face, "Let's get on with it! May I present to you: The stories!"
>>>---------> <----------<<<
LOST
Will felt his shoulder ache with the recent, deep, wound. He looked down to see a small amount of blood seeping through the bandage. He mentally cursed and pressed his cloak tighter to try to stop the flow. The strain of the running was finally getting to him he felt his breath come in gasps and then legs start to hurt, the carriage was just ahead of him and he knew that if he can just get there everything will go fine. "I wish I had Tug for this," Will told himself as he kept running. for the for the extra privacy he'd elected not to use his horse on this pursuit. He grunted with the effort to get even with and eventually jump into the carriage. He remembered a strange popping sensation in his arm and then a lance of pain shoot through his body as he jumped onto it. He thought nothing of it because Will had one job: to stop the carriage. He pulled his saxe and ram it into one of the axles. The wheel dislodged. The carriage sharpley spun, headed toward the canyon. Will jumped off and, having one last glance as the carriage fell into the Great Canyon of Araluen and the fire ball of the carriage that marked the crash and detonation of, had been successful. It was then he noticed a great pain in his shoulder and blood smeared across his body. The world lapsed into blackness.
"He's not back yet," Halt said softly.
"It'll be okay dear," Pauline replied to him.
"It's been three weeks since he left."
"Missions can take a while," she said with a shrug.
"He hasn't sent anything. This is not normal," Halt said clenching blankets in his fists.
Pauline sighed and laid a hand on his tense shoulder, "He's trained by you, Halt. You know for a fact that he'll be okay."
"I want to go up to Castle Araluen. Gilen never told me what his mission was. I want to talk with him."
"He won't see you if the mission is classified"
"I'll say I'm going to check on Maddie"
Pauline sighed again, "How is she doing?"
"Maddie has been really coming into maturity this past year. Ever since she finished her fourth year exams, the fact that she will be queen one day has been one of her top priorities. She spends every other month at the Castle with Cassandra and Horace and Gilen learning how to rule," Halt reflected with a small smile on whom he considered to be a granddaughter.
"Is she going to not earn the Silver Oakleaf then?"
"No, she is. She'll be a co commandant with Gilen. That way she can both fulfill her birthright and be a Ranger. Being stationed at Araluen would have its perks," Halt paused, "Besides, Gilen is pretty busy with the kids these days."
"You can also say that you're going up to see them," Pauline said with a small smile.
Halt returned her conspirator smile and kissed her.
"Will?" It cut through the blackness in Will's brain. A familiar face, an angel looked to him. The blonde hair softly tickled his cheek, "You're okay Will, I love you."
"Aylss?" He wanted to scream but he couldn't, nothing would move.
"Sweetie, you're safe," she told him, "But it's not your time yet, wait, my love."
Why? He wanted to scream, he could see her height and her beauty and hear her voice, her beautiful voice that he loved with all his heart. He didn't want to leave her. Not now, not ever, did it even matter if it wasn't his time?
Halt giggled at the sight when he first opened the door to his rooms. An opinionated not yet twenty year old stood with her arms crossed over her small body that was laced with thick muscles. Her blonde hair was in an intricate braid and her green eyes flashed with annoyance. A small bronze oakleaf sat at the base of her throat. Her simple clothes gave no hint to her status and the only thing that would have even suggested she was royalty was a small gold circlet in her hair. On the other side was a man that was starting the mid thirties and his hair had flecks of gray. He was slightly taller than the girl, but built with the same muscles. His eyes had dark circles under them and one might notice a large mug of coffee and a honey pot that sat on his desk. A bundle of a multi colored robe was in his bouncing hands and a tiny hand went to grab the silver oakleaf he wore. "Maddie, Gilen, Celeste, good to see you all!" Halt greeted.
"A pleasure," Maddie grumbled in a tone that clearly thought otherwise.
"How's the Crown Princess?" Halt said trying to keep out any of the knowledge that an argument was going on out of his tone.
"Oh save it for my left foot," Maddie snapped. Halt raised an eyebrow at her. "Sorry Halt," she grumbled at him.
"I should think so."
"What is it Halt?" Gilen added in much the same tone.
"I wanted to see how Maddie and Celeste were"
"She's peachy," Maddie said laying on the sarcasm, "The other is sleeping, crying, and soiling diapers preventing SOMEBODY," she shot a glare at Gilen, "from helping me figure out what the," She used a word Halt had never heard a lady use before, "I'm supposed to do when my birthright calls me to it."
"Oh really?" Gilen began, handing off a blonde baby to Halt, "You really want to go there? Well, I-"
"Maddie. Go to your room," Halt said in a dead whisper. She knew better than to argue, "Gilen I'd send you to yours but this is your room."
"Fine," Gilen snapped.
"Now, will you please tell me where the heaven's Will is?"
"Will?" Gilens tired eyes flashed, he slumped into a chair and chugged the mug of coffee, "I sent him on an assignment, simple stuff, taxes were late in Fief Canyon, had him go check it all out. He probably got back two weeks ago."
"Gilen, he's been gone three weeks. He's still not back."
Gilen's eyes flashed with worry, "How? Baron George is young and the young Ranger there was making him test his new found authority. We sent Will purely because we knew that he'd be listened to."
"Well, apparently something happened," Halt said dismissively, "Maybe being a parent overrode your duty to your country." He saw Gilen's eyes drop to the desk, he knew he'd struck a chord. Good, he thought, let that sink in as he went to talk to Maddie. Idly as he walked out he smiled to the infant he had sleeping against his chest. He should give her back to Gilen, but Halt had a soft spot for babies.
"Oh don't start with me Halt!" she exclaimed, "It's bad enough Will's gone. Worse even that I just feel so out of control!"
"You noticed that he's been gone?"
"Of course! I've been badgering Gilen about it for a month. But no, it's all paperwork this and paperwork that and taking care of the kids and all this stuff that shouldn't be a priority when Will might be injured for all we know somewhere half a world away!" Maddie felt a tear roll down her cheek and she leaned against a pillow on her bed, "Who said growing up was so hard?" Halt sat down next to her, listening to her sobs of worry. Without realizing it, he was crying too, wishing for Will to be here.
Will awoke to Tug's frantic whinnies. "What's going on?" He asked slurring his words. "Where am I?" Tug nudged his shoulder. A sharp lance of pain ran through his body. A wound, semi clotted was seeping blood across his chest. He hobbled to his feet and managed, painful as it was to get on Tug. "Can you take me to our last camp?" Will asked.
Anytime, Tug replied.
The past events of the last three months returned to Will's mind. The tax mission that seemed to not matter. The random question that the Baron had asked him. The one word that he had to stop from coming. The two weeks of figuring out what had was going on that would have killed the entire kingdom. The chase and then the pain as he passed out. And Aylss. She seemed so real. Will missed her. So much.
I'm taking you to Araluen, it's a half a day away, Tug told him.
The only reason Will knew that he was going there was a flash of red flags and the cry of Maddie as he fell onto the cold stone flagons.
"What happened?" Halt asked in a voice that was a little over a whisper. Celeste was still in his hands and he had yet to see Gilen after going to see Maddie. Maddie was a little over a wreck and was pacing the floor outside of the room the healers had taken Will to immediately after he passed out onto the tiles.
Maddie gave him a look of pain, the healer shrugged, Horace who had just returned from an unimportant embassy gave him a look of regret for not being there for his old companion.
"We don't know," The healer finally said meeting the elder Ranger's gaze with a look of caution.
"We don't know?" Horace repeated in a tone that was dangerous.
"Majesty, forgive me," he bumbled.
Horace waved it aside, "Just tell us what happened"
"Well, Majesty, Rangers, we don't know. He has a large gash across his chest, old, poorly treated burns on his hands and arms and a dislocated shoulder. We have no idea how or why these things came along."
"I'm guessing this wasn't from tax collecting," Maddie said. Halt would guess that she wanted Gilen to glare at when this was said.
"Madelyn," Horace said warningly.
"Oh don't side with him!" She snapped.
"Both of you, not the time or the place," Halt interjected before another spat could begin, "You!" he called to a page, "Take Celeste and give her to Jenny the Cook." He handed off Celeste, she was a beautiful baby and one day she'd make a lovely Ranger but Halt needed both his hands free right now.
"Can we go in to see him?" Maddie asked quickly. The healer nodded.
"He's not conscious," he began to warn but couldn't finish because all three of them were rushing in to see Will.
"I wish Cassandra was here," Horace mused. She was away at business for a time. Halt nodded once and then went to the bedside of the man that was all his son but in name.
Maddie had let out a strangled cry, Horace suppressed a sob, Halt could do nothing to ease the pain that flew across his face. Will's chest was cut from one side to the other and his shoulder was in a sling. His arms were filled with blisters. It was one of the worst sights.
"This was definitely not tax collecting, " Halt breathed. Horace didn't even have the chance to argue with him. His hand was lock around the scabbard of sword and his teeth were clenched in anger. Maddie had tears going down her cheeks and as mucha s she would agree with him, she was also in so much anger she couldn't speak. Anger at whoever did this, and anger that Will faced it alone.
It wouldn't have been so bad if the first words Will spoke weren't, "I'm sorry." That was when Halt's vision was blurred with tears for sometime, "I can explain," he said a little while later, "the mission was simple it wasn't Gilen's fault. But I found something that had to be taken care of as soon as I could. I didn't have time it get help."
"We don't blame you, son," Halt said gently.
Maddie grumbled a bit.
"I'm sorry Maddie," Will told her, "But it's not my fault." Maddie quite grumbling.
"Will, can you please explain a bit more?" Horace pleaded.
"I wake up from serious injury and a minute later everyone asks me fifty thousand questions," Will said smiling. Maddie sat on the foot of the bed, drawing her legs to her chest and hugging them. Halt and Horace pulled up chairs.
"It was three weeks ago. I had arrived at the castle to go talk to Baron George because he wasn't responding to the Ranger there because Jermay is a young Ranger. The chat was brief and he understood that I would not being dragged out there every single time. Then he asked me a question.
"Ranger, if you don't mean me asking what's a Kalkara?" Baron George said.
"What?" Will responded with venom thinking of those awful beasts.
"It's just one of my closer workers had said something about a minor landowner in the country near here finding a Kalkara baby in the Mountains of Rain and Night."
Will shuddered with the thought as he realized that Kalkara and even Morgarath was naught but a legend. They didn't realize the monstrosity that it could induce. "Who? Where? What? When?" He shot the questions rapid fire, giving no time to respond.
"This John Cerna that lives but east of here. I don't know someone just said that he was going to fetch these... Kalkara soon."
Will let out a string of curses and, bowing to the Baron as he ran out of the room. The kalkara. The evil creatures that had almost killed him, almost killed Halt. A slice of fear went through him. It took him a day, a day where a beast would come closer to kill his friends, his loved ones. Halt, Pauline, Maddie, Horace, Evanlyn. All those he loved.
"Ranger business!" He yelled to the large houses front entrance. He was responded with silence. The entire house was entirely empty. The door to a bedroom was locked tight. The house was eerily quiet and the stress of the situation was getting to Will in the worst way. He hacked at the door with his saxe to get it open. Once it was open, he wished that he hadn't opened it. The diary that was left open. The plans that were in it. They had found a Kalkara infant in the Mountains and the owner, a former Morgarath supporter who'd hidden from them at the time. He planned to use it to kill all the people who'd help take down Morgarath. And he'd already left to go fetch the infant. "That leaves me just enough time," Will muttered looking at their travel plans and how they were going to go there and back. He had a little over two weeks he thought to intercept them at the Great Canyon on their way back with the baby. "I'll push it into the Canyon," he thought, "And somehow ignite it, to make sure the baby doesn't survive."
His next thought was that he wanted nothing more than to have his friends by his side as he finished this mission that he didn't know he was going to have. A week to get them out here, he thought quickly. Not enough time. Not enough time when the lives of half a hundred people that were instrumental in shaping is young life and in saving the entire kingdom more than one time. Will sighed, "Maddie will be upset, "He told Tug as rode him to the point where he'd be able to push the carriage into the Canyon. "Maddie would have loved to be here." He paused and reflected on his apprentice that was about ready to graduate, "I would love her to be here," Wil corrected himself.
In that coming week, Will thanked his lucky stars for Malcolm again and again and again. So much of this depended upon being able to ignite the carriage to ensure that the Kalkara would die. The small bit of pyrotechnics that h'd been taught served him well as he began to make a substance that would burn slowly and then eventually, as he would have time to jump away, explode. It'd cause the planks to catch fire. Will thought briefly that he'd have to invade a campsite the night before to plant it and to soak the planks in oil so that way it'd light quickly as possible. He didn't figure this out before his entire arm on both sides were scorched with burns. He didn't notice them though. Will just thought about how horrible it would be to lose more people that mean his world. And he thought about Aylss. He thought about how devastating it was to lose her. How the Kalkara started everything. It started their romance. Will still remembered that first kiss. A tear popped into his eye. She was everything and no matter what he would never be the same as he was when she was alive. Alyss was his world and nothing could ever change that. But Will could change if his friends, if his family were still alive. He could save them as much as one person could. As much as one person would.
Sneaking into the enemy's camp, Will sensed an element of fear a little over a week later. It was different from anything he'd felt before. Maybe it was the fact that he knew how dangerous it would be if the Kalkara go loose. He poured oil all over the planks surrounding his device. Will lit it too, knowing full well that it wouldn't explode for at least twelve hours. Right next to the Canyon.
Out of nowhere a sharp pain slashed him from shoulder to hip. The little monster noticed him! Will cursed at him and melted into the shadows. The wound was deep, so deep. But the next day as he chased the cart and eventually dislocated his shoulder jumping into it, Will didn't notice it at all.
Anyway, the plan went off with no hitches," Will finished sleepily as he looked at the horrified faces around him.
"He needs to sleep," the healer interjected.
"Little late for that," Halt said mildly. Will was already asleep.
"Halt I'm sorry!" Maddie said a little later over a cup of coffee, "I don't mean to be rude or be a brat! I just....Just being a Queen one day has really been getting to me."
"Is it because of Duncan...?" Halt trailed off. Duncan had passed away a little over a year ago.
"Yes," Maddie nodded, "I just, I want to take my duty seriously and it is so hard because Gilan doesn't always help me as much I want him to."
"I suppose that is my fault," Gilan said walking up out of the shadows, "Being a Dad has screwed up my priorities but I think Will was a wake up call for us all. We need to both honor our duties and our personal lives."
"Does a certain Tim need to know that?" Halt asked Maddie.
Maddie blushed deep red, "How do you know about that?"
Halt, being delighted to use it, tapped the side of his nose.
Gilan and Maddie went into a discussion of duty versus personal lives and Halt walked off to see Will.
"I saw her." Will told him "I was passed out. She was my angel and she told me that it wasn't my time yet."
Halt squeezed his hand, "Maddie needs you still, I need you still."
"I know, I just can't help but wishing that I could still be with her. I wish I could still kiss her goodnight and be with her very waking and non waking moment."
"She's always in your heart"
Will smiled, "She is. And do you know why I managed to do all that? All that pain and everything? I realized that I couldn't control that she died but I could control that you guys didn't die."
"How very thoughtful of you," Halt told him dryly, "I'm glad that you do not want us to all die. That means so much to me."
"I mean it. I love you Halt," Will said before he drifted off to sleep. A sleep that could be filled with dreams of Aylss and all the memories that he had of his lost love. His first love. His only love.
"I love you too," Halt said quietly as he watched Will sleep. And of all the emotions that had overcame Halt in the past few days the emotion of pride and the emotions of respect and care he felt for Will was the most striking.
Someone was laughing. That person had started laughing halfway the story and still did. Gilan glanced at the person dangerously, but it had no effect. She only started laughing harder. Slowly, other people started laughing too. It started small, but after a few seconds the whole audience was laughing. The three Rangers just stood there, not moving, all three with a raised eyebrow.
"I feel so attacked right now," Halt muttered. Will shrugged.
"What's so funny about me being so terribly wounded?" he asked quietly.
"What's so funny about a baby Kalkara?" Gilan wondered. The three of them didn't see why everyone was laughing. Or maybe they didn't want to see it.
Halt's soft spot for babies. Halt's sarcasm. Gilan with babies. Will getting in trouble once again. So many emotions in so little words. Sometimes it just makes you laugh.
Halt gestured something at Gilan. "Why don't you get on with the next story?" he said. Will sighed, but admitted that he'd rather hear the next story. Gilan cleared his throat, nervously.
"Well, uhm... There is no next story," he said reluctantly. Halt raised an eyebrow, questionably.
"How do you mean 'there is no next story'?" he asked. Gilan waved with the papers in his hands. "Well, you yourself," he looked at Will, "just said it was very busy at the moment. I know, due to the increased amount of paperwork. But apparently the Diplomatic Service is having the same problem, so our author didn't have sufficient time to write everything down."
"Then get on with the third story!" Halt exclaimed, but once again did Gilan nervously clear his throat.
"Yeah, you see... I lost it."
"You lost it?!" Halt exclaimed, and the chatter of the audience instantly died down. "How can you have lost it?!" Gilan shrugged.
"I don't know!" he replied, "It got lost. She sent it, but I never received it!"
Halt muttered something under his breath, and Gilan looked hopelessly at Will. His younger friend shrugged. Personally, he wasn't too sad about the missing of two stories. He actually was kinda happy that two of his secrets were yet to be revealed - or not.
"What are you still standing here? Tell them!" Halt said, when he saw that Gilan still didn't know what to do. Quickly he stepped onto his chair again, while Will suppressed a grin.
"Er, ladies and gentlemen!" Gilan yelled, "Can I have your attention please?" He waited until everyone was absolutely quiet, then resumed. "As you may know, there should be two other stories. Yet luck hasn't been with us past weeks - one never had sufficient time to be written and the other one got lost. That means there's only one story this round." He looked at the people in front of them, some shocked, some confused, others deadpan.
"My proposal as solution is the following: The two stories that have not been handed in, will receive the minimum amount of points, since the authors surely did what they could. The story that has been handed in, will receive at least a few extra points, since it's great she did finish. My colleagues and I will work it out later this week."
Halt grunted. Will grinned. This was a very strange day, he thought.
"Last but not least, I want to thank all authors for their hard work," Gilan went on, "and I want to thank the audience for reading and voting. I'm sorry that this round got along late and that it was fairly short, but the results won't take that long. Next week everything will be released, so see you then!"
When he got off his chair, Will patted his friend on the shoulder. "You did what you could," he said, grinning. Gilan glanced at him.
"Shut up," he replied. Will shrugged and looked at his former mentor.
"Hey, do we have to leave right now or do you think there's still time for coffee?" This time Halt glanced at him.
"There's always time for coffee," he replied.