| Halt's Ranger Apprentices | This is War | Volume 2 |

CHAPTER SEVEN

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go find your friend! We can then head back to Araluen and get Scar and-" Logan's voice filled with excitement after Annalise explained the situation, 'accidently' leaving out the part about Will being her first love and simply said that he was her friend. But, as Logan began sentence, Annalise quickly stepped forward and cut him.

"No." All three boys turned to look at her, their features crinkled from curiosity. It was silent for a moment, as Devon motioned for her to explain. "We still have to find the contruction Morgarath is building. We can't waste our time on looking for friendswhile Araluen's existence is at stake." The curious faces soon turned to shocked expressions as the words Annalise said sunk in.

"So let me get this straight," Logan spoke once again, "you're choosing your friend over wargals that we can hunt down any day. You're choosing to runaway from our saviours and get closer toward the enemy for something that's probably nothing." Logan stared at Annalise like she was a monster from a nightmare. Annalise simply shrugged.

"Yes. I value the lives of the Araluen people and I'm not going to risk missing a chance to see an old friend. This isn't running away, it's not like we're not doing it for nothing and  we all know that it isn't nothing so stop making this sound worse than it actually is." Logan, wide eyed watching as Annalise took a long irritated breath as her nostrils flared in anger. Annalise hated the fact that Logan was going against her in what she was saying. Her idea was completely reasonable and he wasn't giving up.

Annalise watched as Logan stepped closer toward Annalise trying to gain more power by his height and extra muscles that he had against Annalise. Annalise had seen it all before when she got in a fight with a boy. They size her up, showing who was boss and try to make her feel helpless, but it never worked on her. That was the great thing about being a girl with a little hidden muscle, the opponent never expects the girl to take the first hit, or any hit, and so when she did, their once strong and masculine manner was knocked down to he ground, their confidence smashed to pieces.

And so, Annalise now watched Logan closely waiting for the right moment to strike. She waited for him to open that big mouth of his babbling on, defying Annalise's words. "How do we know that the construction that Morgarath is building is just a trap?" Annalise nodded in satisfaction of his way of thinking.

"It could be. But we'll never find out unless we go. If it is a trap, we can always have a back up plan which puts us 2 steps infront of Morgarath's plans. But, if it isn't then it makes our job very easy." Logan scrunched his eyebrows in frustration.

"What job? I don't remember enrolling to do this! I never wanted any of this!" Annalise slowly bunched her fingers up in a fist. She didn't know if she wanted to hit him anymore, but the infuriation was bubbling to boiling point and it was becoming harder and harder for Annalise to keep her annoyance from overflowing. She was sick of the whining from the boys, she was sick of listening to all their problems. All she wanted was to let out all the secrets that she was keeping on the inside about her identity. She wanted to release all the emotions and feelings of how much she wanted to see Halt and Horace. she wanted to see Will's face again, even though it might break her heart. But she knew she had to keep it all inside. locked up deep inside where no one can find it.

And so instead, she turned all that longing for everything to be out in the open into anger pointed toward Logan.

"Well you know what, Logan? Everyone doesn't always get what they want. Life is cruel! I know the feeling of hitting rock bottom and it's something that I never want to feel again, but sometimes I do and I never want it, but i go through the pain! I never wanted to get captured by the Wargals, I never wanted to get tortured by Morgarath, I never wanted to be away from the ones I love! But, I go through with it, because life isn't about living inside a bubble that will keep us away from monsters and reality, it's about learning from your mistakes and going thourgh pain so you can get to where you want to go!" Annalise made sure to keep a steady gaze into Logan's eyes as she felt her entire body tremble with anger. She hadn't felt thins angry and upset ever since the fight with Will. "So go, be a coward for running away becasue it wasn't what you wanted. I'm not going to force you stay." Annalise let her voice lower to speaking normal volume speaking, still feeling her hands shaking a bit.

Logan stared into Annalise's brown eyes, seeing the usual spark of happiness lost in rage that made her suddenly more powerful than I ever thought for her to be. Logan knew that there was more to Annalise's story to being a simple courier who works at a fruitshop with her family.

Annalise gestured with her hands to the direction that Beauty had come from before. "Go." she said before turning away and leading Beauty to the lake not far from where they were camped.  Logan watched as she walked away, feeling a strange feeling of emptiness as he was left to stare at the cold shoulder of Annalise's feeling a loss of friendship. Something he had done or said had really set her off.

Logan let his eyes gaze upon Annalise, before she disappeared behind a bend. He only then managed to look somewhere different and found himself staring into the eyes of his brother and Devon. They bith seemed to be frozen in shock, still trying to process what just happened.

"Wow..." Alex said, trying to think of something else to say. Logan nodded his head.

"That was... Surprising..." Devon said, his eyes wide as he stared at the dirt infont of him, envisioning the scene in his head repeatedly. Logan shook his head.

"Surprising is an understatment." he said, running his fingers through his dark hair, messing it up more than it was before. So many things were rushing thorugh Logan's head at that moment. It was troubling to see Annalise, the one that had always seemed like the strong one out of their group snap like a twig and explode in anger.

Alex watched his brother, inspecting him. Alex saw the concern swallowing his features as he stared back at where Annalise had disappeared behind at the bend. Alex had watched Annalise ball her hands up in a fist and he was ready to protect his brother from the hit, but something had stopped her. As he watched her fists begin to loosen, he realised that something had triggered Annalise.

Logan abruptly looked away from the gaze he had on the bend, feeling eyes on him, and soon locked gazes with Alex. They didn't have to speak, they didn't have to make a sound or even move a muscle. All it took was a look. They both were thinking along the same lines.

Something was defenitely not right, and Alex and Logan were willing to stop at nothing to figure out what that was.

A/N: hey guys! I'm alive and breathing! And writing.

I know I've pretty much disappeared suddenly, seeming to die but I've been so worked up with a lot of crap that I didnt have time to go on Wattpad and do anything. But, it's okay!!

Thankyou so, so, so, so, so much for all the support from you guys. I know I have been a little poo bum and writing randomly and not on the days I've been saying I would, but hopefully in the next week or so I'll be back on track, and updating frequently on this book and maybe my other 'RANDOM BEYOND RANDOM BOOK' if you havent read that yet, feel free to.

I'm personally happy with this chapter, I'm really proud of it and i'm in a really snazzy mood right now so that probably explains why. haha

Vote if you like, but I really look forward to all the comments!! I dont mind if they're good or bad. I love heaing what you have to stay. And guys please dont be afraid to put you're own opinion of what you think in the comments!! I don't necessarily want you to be rude about it, but constructive criticism and areas for improvement are %100 welcome!!

Hope you guys really enjoyed this chapter and do you think Logan and Alex have figured out that Annalise is actually Princess Annabelle of Araluen!?

Oh mah gawd! Has anyone seen mah berries!? (If you've seen the video i'm quoting you would be laughing)

Happy reading with potatoes and onion flavoured berries. I'll see you virtually by profile pic later my fuzzy bubble machines!!

-Jess