The Burning Bridge- Character Reaction

18

"Halt!" Will put a hand on his former mentor's shoulder, holding him back as the rest of the group filed back in. Gilan gave him a curious look, but he shook his head, motioning for the other Ranger to go ahead.

Halt turned an inquiring look on him. "Yes?"

Will shuffled his feet, hesitating before he plunged in. "Just...with this whole thing...and the capture coming up...and then Skandia..." Halt raised an eyebrow, and he tried again. "We never told Gil about the warmweed," he said in a hushed voice. "What are we going to do when...?"

Halt sighed and shook his head. "There's nothing we can do, right now. I guess...when the time comes, we can only hope he'll understand."

Will facepalmed. "Great."

They entered a moment later, and Will was more than a little surprised at the new arrangements. He glanced over at Halt, who shook his head. Will shrugged and took the seat beside Alyss, and Halt sat next to him so as to be beside both Will and Gilan. When the two finally settled in, Horace grabbed the book and began reading. 

FOLLOWING THE WARGALS WAS EASIER THAN THEY EXPECTED. The creatures were single-minded, concentrating only on the task in hand, which was to take the Celt miners to their end destination. They feared no attack in these parts, having already driven the occupants out, so they posted no forward scouts or sweepers. Their constant chanting, ominous as it might sound at first, also served to mask any sounds that might have been made by their pursuers.

Will shook his head. "If I ever hear that droning again, I think I'll go mad." Horace nodded agreement.

At night, they simply camped wherever they might find themselves to be. The miners remained chained together and sentries were posted to keep watch over them while the rest of the group slept.

"That sounds hospitable," Crowley said sarcastically.

By the beginning of the second day, Will began to have an idea of the direction the Wargals were heading. He had been riding some thirty meters in the lead, relying on Tug to sense any danger ahead. Now he dropped back a little, waiting for Horace and Evanlyn to come level with him.

"We seem to be heading for the Fissure," he said, more than a little puzzled.

"What's new?" Halt asked. Will rolled his eyes.

Already, in the distance, they could make out the high, brooding cliffs that towered over the other side of the massive split in the earth. Celtica itself was a mountainous country, but Morgarath's domain reared hundreds of meters above it.

"Morgarath's domain," Gilan mused. "Don't give him a bigger head by giving him even more titles." Will grinned.

"I wouldn't care to come down those cliffs on ropes and scaling ladders," Horace said, nodding toward them.

"Even if you did, you'd have to find a level space on the other side to cross from," Will agreed. "And apparently, there are precious few of them. For the most part, the cliffs go right down to the bottom."

Halt snorted. "Apparently?" Will shrugged.

Evanlyn looked from one to the other. "Yet Morgarath has done it once," she said. "Maybe he's planning to attack Araluen the same way."

Duncan frowned, while Rodney snorted. "Right arrogant, isn't he, to think we wouldn't expect that."

"If it hadn't been for them, his plan would have worked," Duncan said, motioning to Will, Horace and Evanlyn. Rodney grunted, but he couldn't exactly veto the words.