Rangers Apprentice: The Hidden Ranger

Chapter Five

The tracks were getting fresher and more signs of them as Will and Tug relentlessly went after the bandits, for the longer they where out and at large, the higher chance that innocent people could get injured or killed.

On the second day after the village attack, Tug let out a low rumble that was felt more than heard and instantly Will pulled out and notched an arrow and was alert. Not that he wasn't before Tugs warning.

"......after we hit it hard, we'll push on and then raid the next one which is only a few hours away."

The bandits. So Will and Tug had finally caught up with them, but how to approach them? He couldn't just walk out and declare them all under arrest....or could he?

Moving Tug farther into the trees to get a better look without being seen, Will looked at the bandits camp and estimated at least thirty men, most of them armed with some sort of weapon.

Working out the angle and distance, Will formed his idea and dismounted Tug, then walked to a thick tree to use as cover when he needed it.

Stepping out Will called to the bandits without raising his voice, but he still could be heard clearly. "Kings Ranger, put down your weapons and surrender now!"

As he had predicted, the bandits closer to him lunged forward, but still with looks of surprise on their faces. Will quickly shot them all down with a small volley of arrows before sending more arrows to the bandits running on the opposite side of the small clearing.

Calling Tug to him, Will mounted and gave chase to the running bandits, picking them off one by one till he ran out of arrows. Pulling Tug to a stop, he went back to the bandits camp sight to look around and see where they were going and what they were up to.

->>>-------->

"I told you! I told you all but you wouldn't listen! I told you the Rangers would come but you were more concerned about rest when we could have been far away from here!"

Charles paced back and forth in front of his remaining five men, none of them daring to interrupt their leader, not when he was in one of his rages.

When he was calm again, Charles turned to his men, "Now, we need a plan to get rid of this Ranger, once and for all."

"Once and for all?" one of his braver and stupider men spoke up, obviously not understanding what his leader was saying to them.

Charles turned to him, a crazed yet calm glint was in his eye and before he spoke, he smiled a cold and feelingless smile. "I mean, that we are going to kill the Ranger before he kills us, and this is how we are going to do it."