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

Chapter 8

Hello dear readers! Here is chapter 8! This is one of my favourite chapters, to be honest, so I hope you like it too! :D Dedicated to @Evening-Rose for making me continue :D Enjoy!

Will sat leaning against the mast, his arm around Evanlyn and the hood of his cloak covering his face. They had just had dinner and Stig was at the tiller. The other Herons were busy talking about various subjects, but Will didn't listen. He needed some time for himself. It was very handy he could tag along on the ship and he surely appreciated it, but he didn't feel completely comfortable: he didn't know anybody and nobody knew him.
                              Will missed the time before the war had broken out. He missed his friends, he missed Alyss and he missed his home. He sighed silently. He didn't understand why the Scoti had attacked Araluen, nor how they'd been able to trick the rangers over and over again. It was supposed to be practically impossible. Maybe Crowley needed to raise the admission standard of the Corps, or maybe he should provide everyone with a new training programme; maybe the rangers just weren't what they used to be. Evanlyn stirred in her sleep and crawled closer to Will. Will thought it was all a little ironic: together with Evanlyn, on a Skandian ship, sitting against the mast... It was as though history was repeating itself. The only difference was that they weren't tied up now. Neither was he abducted this time, though that didn't mean he was here of his free will: he'd much rather stayed with his friends.
                              Will got himself back together. At least now Evanlyn was safe from whatever the Scoti were doing and he could go and ask Erak's help. He slumped down a little. He fervently hoped Halt and Horace had gotten the others to safety. Unconsciously he started to picture a slaughter at the foot of that cliff. He quickly cleared his head, but he couldn't help the goose bumps forming all over his body and tears welling up in his eyes. He angrily blinked them away, but he nonetheless felt as if he wouldn't see his friends ever again.
                              He wrapped his free arm around Evanlyn, seeking comfort in hugging the little sleeping creature. Will just stared at a perfectly rolled up piece of rope, lying near the railing in front of him. It just lay there, tied to a special hook. After some time had passed, he had no idea how much, his eyes started to shut. He didn't fight the sleep.  He saw Alyss, and Halt and Horace, everyone was there. They were at a small clearing in the woods behind his little cottage. The magic of the evening equalled that of his wedding day. Music played, the air was buzzing with the sounds of insects and the sun shone down on them from the western horizon. Smiling he looked around, seeing Cassandra play a game with Evanlyn, Horace and Gilan engaging in some swordplay and Halt dancing with Pauline. Will himself was sitting on his cloak in the grass, as though he was a bystander looking at a play.
                              The music changed and Will frowned slightly. This new music interrupted everything: Halt let go of Pauline and nervously sent her to the cottage; Cassandra worriedly looked around her and pulled Evanlyn closer to her; Horace and Gilan stopped their swordplay and positioned themselves in front of the trees, ready to charge. Will couldn't see what happened; they were blocking his view. The music had changed to a lugubrious rasping sound, from time to time interrupted by high-pitched screeching. Horace turned around and ran towards Will. Will got to his feet, afraid of what was going on.
"Will!" Horace called, panicking, and he started tugging on his sleeve. Evanlyn started to cry. Will tried to ask what was going on, but his voice didn't seem to work. "Will, they're attacking! Will, wake up!" Suddenly Horace changed into Hal and Will opened his eyes, groaning.
"Finally! Will, the Scoti, they've sent more ships after us! We're under attack!" Hal exclaimed. Bewildered, Will sat up straight. It had all been a dream! Hal ran off again to take the lead for his crew. Will looked around and noticed the ship was like a beehive: the crew was running everywhere, trying to get ready for the attackers as quickly as possible. He was startled to hear Evanlyn crying, but she wasn't sitting next to him any longer. He jumped up, getting his bow ready in the same movement. He hastily checked his surroundings to make an estimation of the situation, meanwhile grabbing an arrow from his quiver and putting it in position.
                              The Scoti emerged from the west, which meant the Herons had the disadvantage of the setting sun in their eyes. Two ships headed towards them, both larger than the previous one. Evanlyn sat with Lydia, next to Hal's giant crossbow. They locked eyes for a moment and Lydia nodded at him. Will nodded back; he knew Lydia would not let any harm come to the little princess. For a moment, he just stood there, lingering; he didn't know where he would be of any help. He couldn't shoot yet, that was one thing that was certain. The ships were far out of his reach. His moment of indecision was roughly ended by Thorn, who nearly knocked him over. Thorn didn't bother to apologize, he ran straight towards Hal. Will hadn't expected an apology anyway. He understood that Thorn didn't trust alright, and he'd already thought Thorn wasn't someone to keep his initial impressions to himself.
                              Will followed the old seawolf a little more slowly. He found Hal panicking slightly.
"I know there are two ships!" he said annoyed.
"We can't use our manoeuvrability, because when we go around one of the ships, the other one will still be able to cut us off," Lydia stated.
"I know!" Hal exclaimed, frustrated. "Just let me think for a minute, please!" Thorn and Lydia did as he asked and kept their mouths shut, though their expectant glare remained fixed on the young skirl. Will could relate to him. He knew exactly what it was like when your friends assume you'll come up with an amazing plan while under time pressure. He tried of some sort of a solution himself, but he was far from an expert when it came to fighting at sea.
                              They were still coursing away from the other two ships. If they turned around to charge, that would cost them precious time. The Heron was still accelerating. It was clear they had stopped when he lay asleep. He was annoyed with himself. He shouldn't have fallen asleep, then he wouldn't have been so confused in the situation they were in, then he wouldn't have had that awful dream. Well, dream. More of a nightmare, that is. Will studied the ships that had appeared over the horizon. There had to be at least forty men aboard each one of them. That would mean it would come down to ten to one if it came to a fight. Even on the Heron, with Hal's crew, that would be suicide.
"I suggest we get the hell out of here," Will suggested calmly. Hal locked eyes with him for a moment and then regarded the ships for a few seconds. He nodded and started giving out orders.
                              Will worriedly gazed at the hostile ships. How many more would follow? He felt something tugging on his cloak, about the height of his knees. He looked down to find that the something was Evanlyn. She looked up at him with big teary eyes.
"Hey, there, little one," Will mumbled, lifting her into his arms. "What is happening all the time?" Evanlyn pressed her head into his shoulder. He hugged her, staring at the horizon, wishing they were at home.