The cowl of Gilan's cloak was up as he reached Castle Redmont. The guards had let him in since he had the cloak, weapons, and horse of a ranger.

He reluctantly left Blaze with the stable boys before entering the castle. "Alright," Gilan muttered. "There's no turning back now."

He slipped into a shadow and slowly moved forward, wanting to avoid any servants or guards. Gilan had successfully made it to a stairway when he froze.

"What are you doing?"

Gilan's eyes widened as he frantically looked around and dived behind a decorative plant. He slowed his breathing as Halt told him to do in his lesson.

The guard who had spotted him walked towards Gilan. He looked around with a puzzled expression, and his eyes landed on the plant.

"Trust the cloak," Halt's voice echoed through his head.

Gilan scrunched up his face. The desire to jump up and run was getting stronger, but if he did it, the guard would definitely see him.

The guard continued looking for a couple of minutes before scurrying off. Gilan stayed in his position for a couple of minutes longer before stumbling out of the uncomfortable position.

Finding Baron Arald and Halt wasn't too difficult to Gilan. He easily found the correct room since the Baron spoke loudly at times.

Now to find the best position to be in, when they came out. Gilan decided that the best position there is was to be above the door, but there was no way he could go up without being noticed.

Gilan then realized that if he wanted to show Halt that his skill in unseen movement wasn't luck, he had to follow Halt around without him knowing. On that note, Gilan slid under a table, that was somewhat near the door to the room Halt and the Baron was in. And with nothing better to do, he pressed his ear against the wall and listened in.

"My lord, I am telling you that you must take action!" Gilan heard Halt's frustrated voice.

"And I am telling you," the Baron responded, "that you have no proof."

Halt sighed. "Every report shows that this cult is headed this way."

Gilan's eyes widened. A cult! Was that what Halt was worrying about?

"What about this?" Gilan heard Arald suggest. "We'll have more guards out, but I won't take action, until we're sure."

"That is all I could ask for, milord," Halt hesitantly surrendered.

The door to the room opened, and Gilan almost jumped and revealed himself.

"Would you join us for dinner?" Baron Arald asked Halt as he headed for the stairs.

"No thank you, Arald," Halt muttered, following the Baron. "I have an apprentice to tend to."

"An apprentice?!" the Baron exclaimed. "How can the most grumpiest ranger have an apprentice? I feel bad for the poor fella!"

Gilan crawled out from under the table and pressed his back against a wall and peeked around the corner, Halt and Baron Arald had passed.

"Don't," Halt grumbled as he followed Arald down the stairs. "Gilan doesn't deserve any pity. He is the most annoying person I have ever met and the most talkative."

Gilan grinned at Halt's comment. Now was the perfect time.

"Gilan?" Arald echoed. "You don't mean the Gilan, who gui-" The Baron was suddenly drenched, and so was Halt.

Gilan smiled and looked down at the two with his waterskin facing down at them, not acknowledging that he had also hit the Baron.

Halt growled and looked up at his grinning apprentice. "GILAN!" He yelled.

Gilan winced as he slowly walked down the stair to meet him, but he still wore his smile. "Yes Halt?"

"You. Will. Be. Sleeping. In. The. Tree. Tonight." Halt growled.

"Take a joke Halt," Baron Arald laughed as the droplets of water ran down from his wet hair. "It was just a harmless prank." Gilan nodded, agreeing with Arald.

"What were you doing in the first place boy?" Halt ignored the Baron. "You were suppose to be practicing."

"I was practicing," Gilan protested. "Practicing unseen movement!"

"He's got a point there," Arald muttered to Halt.

Halt raised an eyebrow. "No matter. You will still be in that tree."

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

It was a cold night, and Gilan was sitting in the tree closest to the cabin. His eyes sparkled as he watched the stars. Even if there was the punishment of sleeping in the tree, carrying out his small prank was worth it.

He turned his head to watch the cabin. The candle light in Halt's room went out as soon as he looked, and Gilan sighed. The day Halt could take a joke, was the day his life would be completed.

As Gilan began to drift to sleep, Abelard and Blaze were getting uncomfortable. They neighed softly, waking Gilan, who bolted up. "Huh?" He murmured. "What's going on?"

Suddenly, an arrow was shot and it pierced Gilan's sword hand. He gasped in pain and fell out of the tree.

Blaze neighed loudly and started for his master, but the man, who was clad in black reached him first.

Halt burst out of the cabin, and took in the scene around him. He fixed his eyes on Gilan's captor. "Let him go."

"No," a menacing whisper sounded.

Halt released an arrow, that he had been preparing. "Release him!"

More dark figures stepped forward into Halt's view and attacked him. He was forced to draw his saxe, but there was too many. Halt was outnumbered.

Gilan struggled against his captor, and tried to reach for his sword. But his captor noticed and took the sword for himself, and started to tie Gilan's wrists together. Gilan tensed, in hopes that when the rope was tied, it would be loose when he relaxed. But as soon as he did it, a piercing pain shot through his head and the world turned black.

Halt was soon overpowered, and had a huge gash on his forehead. He fell on his knees, and the figures slowly left, with Gilan in their hands.

A/N:

I would guess that some of you are really angry at me for doing this, but I'm not really sorry. The story would be only completed now if there wasn't any conflict! There needed to be some action, so I decided to create a little plot-scratch that, a big plot that's going to take up the remainder of the story.

Hope y'all aren't to angry. Leave a vote, comment, do whatever! Just don't be angry.