The end...? (Ranger's apprentice/ Brotherband fan-fiction)

Chapter 22

After waiting on the beach for more than an hour, Karina knew something was terribly wrong. Simply the way the ship had clumsily made its way into the harbour and how it had been lying there, unmoving, was more than enough to make that clear to her. That, along with her instinct as a mother, resulted in worries. Worries and fear. She was so tense that she didn't register that she was getting numb because of the cold. The weather had been rainy and cold for quite a while; a storm must be coming up soon. She honestly didn't care. It could storm day after day, year after year for all she cared, as long as her little boy came home safely to her. He wasn't all that little anymore, she knew that, but he would always be her son. And she refused to lose him.

Her heart made a leap of joy as soon as she saw movement on the little ship; the crewmembers were starting to jump off board, one by one. She recognized Jesper, Stefan, the twins, Lydia carrying a child, Ingvar... Wait what? Lydia carrying a child?! A scream of happiness sounded a little farther along in the crowd.
"Evanlyn!" the person she now recognized as Cassandra exclaimed. She and Horace rushed forward. Lydia lowered the little girl, who had to be Evanlyn, to the ground, laughing, to then watch how her little legs carried her towards her parents.
"Mommy! Daddy!" she exclaimed happily to then jump into her mother's arms. Horace wrapped his arms around the both of them and for a moment this family's happy little reunion was all that seemed to exist.
Karina felt a jolt of pain in her heart: she would never have a reunion like that again, not really. Mikkel would never come back.
"But where is Will?" she heard Horace ask the little girl, who pointed vaguely towards the ship as an answer.
"Willie is with Hallie," she said solemnly. Karina couldn't help but smile, but then felt the need to turn her gaze back to the ship, as Stig and Edvin jumped onto the beach as well. Their looks terrified her: they were covered in a red substance. Blood. The harbour turned dead silent once again, as everyone collectively held their breath. Thorn joined the small group next to the ship now as well, with the same red stains on his not all too clean clothes. Karina's heart was pounding in her chest. What was going on?! Why was 'Willie' with 'Hallie'?!
Thorn turned back to the ship, to then help someone else off board. A vague silhouette helped them from aboard the ship. As soon as the three of them were standing side by side on the beach, the crowd gasped as one: the person who had to be carried off board was nobody less than Hal. He was weakly hanging in between Thorn and the young man on his other side. Karina screamed. Hal's clothes were covered in blood. His blood.

Will, with his arms wrapped around the skirl, ready to seek professional help, looked up as he heard the scream. A woman came running towards them with a look of terror on her face. Hal was still floating on the edge between consciousness and unconsciousness; the woman's appearance went unnoticed by him. Thorn on the other hand mumbled something vague, sounding like: "That's Hal's mother." Will critically looked at her and did indeed see the family resemblance. He swallowed. How could he explain to her what had happened to Hal?
He remembered the moment, not long ago, but already so far away. Not long after Edvin had sent everybody away, he had called Will and Thorn back. He had looked at them with a look of exasperation, and Will had known that the end was near for the skirl. He'd barely had a chance. But then... He sighed. There had been nothing they could do. It made him sad. But in their desperation an idea had come to him. A crazy idea, but they'd had to do something.
"Do you think it'll work?" Thorn had asked tensely. Will had shrugged.
"I don't know!" he had exclaimed frustratedly, his voice breaking. He hated feeling powerless.

"Do we even have a choice?" Edvin had quietly asked, which had been answered with questioning looks from the other two. Will had been the one to make the decision.
"Do it," he'd said, trying to suppress his own memories of it.
Edvin had started the complicated process and Thorn and Will, who couldn't really help him, turned away from him. Not much later Edvin had shouted in bewilderment, attracting the attention once again. "It's working!" he continued coarsely. Thorn had been besides him in a flash.
"Unbelievable," he had mumbled in awe. Will dared to smile shakily. This would make everything okay.