The Rogue Tribe - Ranger's Apprentice

Chapter 16: Fallout

Halt could do nothing but watch helplessly as Will was dragged over to him. As he got closer and the firelight illuminated his face, Halt was able to properly see him. Deep lines furrowed his face from exhaustion, and several raw cuts were stark red against his pale skin. His eyes still lit up with that familiar determination, but a dull sheen of pain had clouded them a little. His clothes were disheveled from being manhandled by the Temujai, and his wrists were cuffed tightly behind his back.

At first sight, Halt couldn't help but flash back to his dreams. The small boy, the Gathering grounds, the cabin in the woods, Alyss, the children... He had to force himself to focus. Those dreams weren't real. What's real is right in front of me.

Will was shoved mercilessly down onto his knees a few feet across from Halt next to the fire. Halt winced when Will's face screwed up in pain as his knees hit the dirt, and the Temujai didn't even have to push anymore as he collapsed onto the ground, clenching his teeth in pain. "Will, are you - " he tried to start, but the minute he drew breath to speak, a heavy boot nailed him in the lower back and he sprawled forward, unable to stop himself with his hands restrained.

Next thing Halt knew, his face was pressed to the dirt and his injured body screamed. He bit his tongue furiously to keep from crying out, and he tasted blood. Through the haze of pain he heard, "I'll be back in a few minutes. Shan just left a moment ago and I have to go get him back. Watch them carefully. They're Rangers, after all."

He vaguely registered footsteps headed away from him and Halt forced himself to roll over, and eventually ease himself up. Will was crouching on the ground a few feet away, seemingly completely oblivious to Halt's pain. He was wrenching at his arms furiously, which seemed useless to Halt. Can't break rope just by pulling on it, Will knows that. But Will suddenly let out a soft groan of relief as his bound wrists finally squeezed under the soles of his boots and his hands slipped out in front of him. He rolled his shoulders briefly, regaining circulation and easing his cramps, his eyes shut tight. He opened them, and met Halt's eyes in a single moment.

For Halt, there was simply no words. No words to describe the pure relief of seeing him alive and, for the most part, well. He had spent the last two days and nights compounding the stress of his retirement and the ambush, and then forcing it all under a lid to allow him to focus on what was going on. That stress had grown so much that it had bled into his dreams, and finally, his reality. But seeing him, just seeing him again, released most of that stress in a single moment.

Will had just said something to him. "Halt? Halt, are you alright?"

Halt's head jerked painfully as he snapped himself back into reality. "W - What?"

Will's voice was as reassuring as ever, but a bit ragged around the edges. "I said, are you alright? You look really awful."

Halt almost smiled. "One could say the same about you. When was the last time you slept properly?"

Will shrugged. "When was the last time you slept properly?"

"Fair enough." Halt sighed. "I had a falling out with a tree. Literally. What about you?"

Normally, a wise crack like that would earn a wide grin from Will, but not even a ghost of a smile flickered across his face. In fact, Will's eyes seemed to harden even more. "It's a rather long list. I'll save it for later."

"That's probably wise," Halt muttered, distraught at Will's reaction. He looks so guarded, so jaded. Something happened to him, and I need to find out what.

Will had risen to his knees again and was crawling over to him, limping along on one knee and his bound hands. The other knee he kept up in the air and winced whenever his weight shifted to that side. He finally managed to seat himself down next to Halt.
"You look really hurt. What happened to you?" His hands gently touched the huge tears in his jerkin and cloak, the leaves still stuck in his hair, and the cuts from the branches on his face and hands.