Hunted

Not so Good News

Halt's P.O.V.

five day's ago.

I heard something coming from not far off the road, turning Abelard that way and going forward a little I saw Johnathan Grey, a man that the Ranger's Corps has been looking for, for almost three years, I knew what I had to do even if I hated it. However, Will was a ranger and I knew that he wouldn't forgive me if I didn't.

I took out my Saxe knife and with a practiced ease I threw it and knocked Grey out, I tied Grey to tug and then climbing onto Abelard I took off back towards Araluen and away from Will.

Present day.

"Halt?" Crowley and Gill said together as I rode into the clearing behind the cabin. "Where's Will?"

"I don't know were Will is Crowley," I told him then I dragged Grey off tugs back and thew him to the ground at Crowley's feet, "I had to bring him back, Will wouldn't have liked it if I let him get away to go after him."

"Are we going after Will again?" Gill asked me as Crowley tied Grey to his horse (A/N I forgot the name of Crowley's horse).

"No," I said and both men looked at me.

"What do you mean you aren't going after Will?" we all turned to see Alyss standing there with a baby in her arms.

"It rained for three days Alyss," I explained "his trails gone cold and we have no idea where he's being taken, even I can't track him in these conditions, we'll just have to wait and pray that he comes home on his own."

I could tell that Crowley and Gill wanted to argue with me but Alyss spoke before they could "You're right, and he's Will, the only thing that will keep him away from his family is if he's dead" then looking at the baby in her arms "Halt this is Halt, he was born seven days ago, Will and I agreed when we were married that if we had any sons they would be named Danial and Halt, to honor his father's."

Alyss handed me the baby and I actually smiled at him "he's going to look just like Will." I said.

We all went inside and sat around the table with Coffee, I was still holding Halt, Alyss went to check on the kids and Crowley and Gill were making bets on when Will would get back and on what they thought Alyss was going to do when he arrived. Just as Alyss came back into the room there was a knock at the door, Alyss opened the door to find a messenger, "I have a letter for Ranger Halt," the messenger said.

I came forward (after giving Halt to Gill) and took the letter from the lad, I nodded showing him that he could leave and he did, then returning back to the table I opened the letter.

"What does it say?" Gill asked.

I hadn't cried since long before I became a Ranger but I cried now as I read the letter to them.

Ranger Halt

I'm the man that took Ranger Treaty, I took him for revenge, Ranger Treaty killed my brother and before he died I promised him that I would kill Treaty.

My men didn't return so I know that you killed them and took the girl home but Treaty doesn't, he died thinking that his daughter was dead.

I tortured and killed Ranger Treaty before burning his body till it was ash and dumping the ash's in the river.

I only have one regret, and that is that I couldn't make you watch as I tortured and killed him.

His oak leaf symbol in enclosed in this letter

I turned the envelope over and the oak-leaf symbol came out, it was covered in dried blood, I looked up and saw that the others were all crying.

WILL TREATY WAS DEAD.