❝𝘼 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙠𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖❞

Chapter 24: The Battle is Over

"Erak?" Will whispered disbelievingly. "Oh you're finally here! Or am I hallucinating?"

"Oh we're pretty real," Erak replied dryly. "Now don't tell me that's our old Ranger Halt?!" His voice held a note of sarcasm in it, but Will could see the genuine concern in the Oberjarl's eyes.

Yet there was nothing he could say in reply. There was nothing that needed to be said.

"The rest of the Skandian army are out in front of the main gate," Alaric said in a business-like tone, "Give the order and Erak can sound a horn which will have them charging into the city."

Will raised an eyebrow slowly. "I'm sure that as Oberjarl he can judge for himself whether he should sound the horn. This city is literally burning up beneath our feet. Of course we need help."

Erak just scowled before winding up his horn and sounding it.

Will frowned. "Aaaaaaannnnd...that's...it? We can just sit back and relax?"

"Well, there is still Halt." Alaric pointed out. "And there's quite a large congregation of Temujai around us this very moment."

This was very true. As Erak continued to let the sounds of the horn fill the entire area, almost every single Temujai already on the walls have gathered around, many of them with arrows nocked and aimed at the small group around Halt. Which did, in fact, create a very real threat.

"Oh, come on." Will muttered, his voice sounding almost annoyed. Grabbing a random fallen arrow up from the ground, he nocked it to his bow and let it fly. As expected, some dozen arrows flew back at them, but that had been what they anticipated. With calculated ease, the three of them dodged the volley and managed to plow into them and engage in hand-to-hand combat before any of the Temujai could reload their bows. Forming a quick triangle with the back of their shoulders pressed against each other, they pushed against the enemy with vicious energy, a sword, a pair of knives, and a large club weaving a deadly dance together.

Under their feet, or so it would seem, a cry that sounded almost bestial thundered through as thousands of Skandian warriors flooded in through the fallen gates that had been their own. The battlecries of the Skandians and Temujai alike filled the air. Many of those who had been fighting the three on the battlements turned at the sound and rushed down into the city to aid their brethren, soon leaving Will, Erak, and Alaric relatively free.

"Come on!" Erak roared, and ran off down the stairs after them.

"You coming?" Alaric asked Will softly.

"Go. I'll be around."

Without waiting to see if Alaric had indeed left, Will turned and went once more to sit beside Halt. To his surprise, the old Ranger had his eyes open, and when he saw him, cocked an eyebrow up as though startled.

"Will?"

"It's me," Will replied with a slight grin.

"You look terrible." Halt stated matter of factly, yet that simple statement made Will's heart sink. You know when Halt is in a bad condition if he suddenly stops being sarcastic and mean.

"I'm fine," Forcing an encouraging smile on his face, Will started to cut away Halt's leggings where it had been ripped so that he could try to clean the wound itself. "But you do look like you could use some mending up."

"It's not the wound, Will." Halt said softly. "I'm just tired. Maybe sleep is all that I need to cure myself. Don't bother, just let me rest."

"No." Will said firmly, frowning as he felt a wave of panic flood over him at Halt's nonchalance and strong desire for sleep. "We need to get this wound cleaned. Do you have water around you?"