Rangers Apprentice: Something Missing

Chapter 1

Halt had left early that morning, so that he would get there around nightfall. Halt had stopped for lunch a couple hours ago, and now his stomach told him it was time to stop and for diner. As Halt sat on the grass eating his food he heard a cry come from somewhere behind him. Halt stood up an arrow nocked in his bow, as Halt moved slowly forward. Halt whispered for Abelard to stay put, and Halt went on moving like a shadow in the dark forest. Halt walked about half a mile from were he was camped and he saw a small village in a clearing in the forest. Halt, keeping his bow up ready to shoot anyone who challenged him. Halt walked a couple feet before he started smelling smoke. As he turned behind one of the houses he saw to body's lying on the ground. One male the other female both looked to be in their mid thirty's. They had both had their throats slit. As Halt looked up from the dead body's he saw that the source of the smoke was coming from what he assumed was their home. The inside was burning and it looked like it would collapse at any moment. Halt got up and turned to go see if their was anyone still in the village, when he heard a little girl crying. To his hoarer the girls cry's were coming from inside the burning building. Without hesitation Halt dropped is bow and ran into the home to get the child. Halt franticly searched the home, but the smoke was so thick he could barley see anything. Then just as Halt was beginning to lose hope he heard soft sobbing right in front of him. The smoke had become so thick that he could no longer keep his eyes open. In a last effort Halt blindly reached out his hand. For a second there was nothing then he felt a small hand clench his. Halt tightened his grip around the little hand and poled the small child into his arms. With the child in his arms Halt ran out of the burning building. As he opened his eyes and got adjusted to the light he looked down to see the small figure of a girl clutching him tightly.
"It's ok, your safe now." Halt said in a soothing tone and the girl lifted her head her beautiful dark brown eyes seeming to bore into his soul. The girl lifted her hand and laid in on Halts beard for a moment and then started sobbing into halts shirt. Halt just stood their for a moment cradling the girl as she cried, until she fell asleep. With the little girl asleep in his arms Halt picked up his bow and started walking back towards his camp. As he was walking back Halt started thinking about the two dead people and he thought that they must have been the little girls parents. At that moment Halt swore he would make whoever took this little girls parents from her pay.