"Halt... They're not here."

Halt turned around and glared at Crowley. "I do believe I can see that for myself, thanks." They had come into another clearing, completely empty, without any trace that someone had been there recently. Halt and Crowley had been tracking faint paths for hours now, perhaps even half a day, and they had come up with nothing. They hadn't even managed to come across an abandoned campsite. They were running out of options.

Crowley sighed and swung down from Cropper. He paced across the grass, huffing irritably. Halt watched him from atop Abelard. Finally Crowley spoke up. "Halt... What are we going to do if we don't find them in time? If we don't locate them and track them, and start to lead them off away from the other Rangers' path... "

Halt sighed. "I know, Crowley. I'm doing what I can, but you know we haven't found a solid enough set of tracks yet to lead us to them. So far it's only been faint, old ones they probably used a few weeks ago."

Crowley had wandered off over into a thicket of bushes, collecting some dry wood to store up for later. "If we don't find tracks in the next few hours..." He glanced up, anxiety scrunching up the skin around his eyes.

Halt nodded gravely. "I know, Crowley. I'm worried, too."

Crowley nodded, wetting his lips with a dry tongue. He bent back over and started digging around inside the bushes again. Halt swung down from Abelard and took a drink from his water bottle. The water was old and leathery, as they hadn't run across a stream in some hours. He smacked his lips as the foul tasting water slid down his throat. Better than nothing, I suppose.

"Hey... Halt?" That was Crowley's uncertain voice from the other side of the thicket.

"What?" He called back.

"Speaking of tracks..."

Halt clipped his bottle back on the saddle and walked quickly over to the thicket, shoving through the dense greenery, and he came out the other side, spotting Crowley only a few meters away. "What is it? Have you found something?"

"I'd say it's a lot more than that..."

Halt stood next to him and stared at the ground. His lips parted in a silent 'O'.

It was a set of boot tracks - shaped strangely, not like any Ranger's boot tread, and extremely fresh - not even an hour old. Halt bent down and gently touched the slight imprint into the soft ground. "My God, Crowley... I do believe you just found us our tracks."

"Do you think we'll be able to find them in time?"

Halt paused. "I can't say for certain... "

"Yes, you can." Crowley rolled his eyes.

"Fine." Halt smiled slightly. "I think we might be able to help Will and the others after all."

~~~~~~~~~

Will and Berrigan had set out again after the riverbank incident, moving as quickly as they could out through the forest again, eating up the distance to Araluen. A few more hours of fast travel, and they would arrive. "We'll probably make it around late afternoon without any delays," Will said to Berrigan as they slowed to a stop in the cover of a large grove of trees. They had met up with the rest of their group some minutes before, warned them of the nearby Temujai, and then separated again. They weren't scheduled to meet until they were just a few kilometers out from Castle Araluen itself now, and Will and Berrigan were completely alone again.

The two Rangers dismounted and left Tug and Blake behind the trunks of the trees to shield them from sight. They had sat down for a long moment, both of them wallowing in anxious silence. Then Berrigan started to heave himself to his feet. "I think I'll go see if there's a stream nearby. I thought I heard one, and we could both use with a little cleaning, and maybe some fresh water in our flasks."

But Will held out a hand. "No, stay there, I'll go. You should rest your leg while you can."

Berrigan raised an eyebrow. "If there's anyone who should be resting their leg, it's you. You haven't forgotten about your knee, have you?

Will rolled his eyes. "My knee is fine, stop making excuses. I just need to get up and do something... To take my mind of things."

Berrigan's eyes softened. "Alright... I suppose I'll let you go, just this once."

Will started to walk away, but then turned back. "Listen, I should only be gone for a few minutes. If I'm not back after fifteen minutes, something happened, and if I'm not back in half an hour, go on without me."

Berrigan's eyes widened. "My god, Will, you're just going out to find water! What could possibly happen I should have to expect that?"

Will shrugged. "Remember the Temujai at the riverbank? Ever since that, I've decided it's just safer to assume that they are close all the time. It forces us to expect the unexpected."

Berrigan's eyes were still wide and a little taken aback. "Alright... But I still don't think I'll leave you behind, even it takes you an hour."

Will called over his shoulder, "Thirty minutes, and you leave. No questions asked." Then, without waiting or watching for his reply, he flipped up his cowl and disappeared into the trees.

~~~~~~~~~~

Will ghosted silently through the underbrush, staying well within the cover of trunks and bushes, totally invisible to anyone standing nearby. Not even Halt could see me at this rate. Will smiled to himself at the memories of his mentor's cryptic comments as he struggled to move invisibly through the tall grass in the fields outside the little cabin in Redmont. Is that a bony backside I see sticking up out of the grass by that black rock? I think it is. Perhaps I should put an arrow in it if its owner doesn't GET IT DOWN! He remembered the drowned forest ambush with the Genovesians, where he had recalled much the same thing. Some things never change.

He rounded a bend in the trail he was creating and ducked behind a tree, listening for the sound of water. There was a slight gurgling sound coming from just a few meters away. A spring, Will thought. He started to stand, taking a step forward, and then he froze.

It wasn't even for a plausible reason. His eyes skimmed the forest around him, and he saw nothing. Not even a branch twitched. There was nothing there, and it was obvious. But Will knew better. His stomach had twisted in on itself, like he had swallowed a stone and was trying to be digested. His abdomen clenched, and his arms trembled slightly at the familiar feeling. The back of his scalp, though hidden beneath the cowl, tingled and burned.

There's someone nearby.

Someone dangerous.

Will flattened himself slowly against the tree, wishing he could just melt right into the trunk. It can't be Berrigan. He was taking off his leg as I left, and he can't get it back on fast enough. The others are all several kilometers apart from here, so it can't be them either. That leaves only one other possibility.

A Temujai.

Will cowered away, his spine sinking even deeper into the tree, his shoulders pressed hard up against the rough bark, the sticky sap gumming up against his cheek. His breathing was shallow, but silent, and his heartbeats thudded in his eardrums.

Crunch.

A misplaced footstep. Definitely not a Ranger, probably a Temujai. Couldn't be more than one, it's too quiet for even two. He moved his hand slowly to the hilt of his saxe knife, squeezing his hand against the cool leather grip. No. If I get a good angle, I can shoot him more easily, with more chance of hitting him. He released the hilt of the knife and shrugged off his bow, grabbing three arrows at the same time. He notched the arrows, and pulled them back to half draw.

Then he froze again.

Instinct, carefully trained and sensitized by years in the field, was something that marked a good Ranger from an average Ranger. And here was a moment where the best were set apart from the average... And Will's instinct saved his life.

He's behind me.

Will moved in one, quick, smooth jerk as he whirled around, coming up from his crouch, and pulling the bowstring to full draw, focusing down the tips of his arrows at...

A figure. Far off, a hundred meters away, hidden carefully by thick bushes, but it was there. The tip of a recurve bow was unmistakeable, sticking up above the shadowy figure, pulled back at full draw. As the light changed, a ray of sunlight fell across his face. It was the Shan, Or'kan, who he had just narrowly avoided a few hours ago at the river bank. The Shan's bright black eyes burned into him, and Will's brow furrowed and his eyes thinned to slits of concentration. Neither man moved, knowing that if one shot, the other would as well.

"It seems... That we are at an impasse, are we not?" His voice was soft, so soft Will could barely hear it. He spoke quietly, but the weight and confidence in his tone was unmistakable. This was definitely a leader, and a powerful and dangerous one.

He spoke in the common tongue, so Will answered in the same language. "We are."

The Sham spoke again, just as softly as before. Will had to strain to hear him, even though the trees around them seemed to have fallen into complete silence, as if they too sensed the tension between the two men.

"I know your kind well enough to know that since you haven't shot me already, you must want to talk to me. Have I assumed correctly?"

His language is perfect. He could have only learned the common tongue that well if he was highly educated. This is definitely some high ranking officer's son. "I wouldn't assume anything, if I were you. Perhaps I want to talk to you, and then shoot you. Or perhaps I don't want to talk at all, and will just shoot you." Will carefully relaxed his grip on the arrows, the string touching the corner of his lips, ready to release.

But the Tem'uj only laughed lightly. It was a deep, humourless laugh, thin and airy, and his eyes flashed dangerously. "Oh, I admire your courage, atabi, but it will do you no good. Now, since we both have managed to disarm each other so effectively, why don't we both lower our bows at the same time, nice and slowly."

Will felt his fingers tightening again and tried to relax them. "And how do I know you won't just shoot me the minute I lower my bow?"

The Sham grinned faintly. "How about this:  I put my bow down first, and I swear not to shoot you, so long as you swear on your life you'll put yours down after me. Deal?"

Will sighed. His arms were getting tired of pulling the bowstring so tightly for so long without any release, and his hands were starting to shake. It's not like holding it any longer will do either of us any good. "Deal. I swear on my life."

Will struggled to hold his arm steady as the Tem'uj slowly loosened the string until he unnotched his arrow and slipped it back into a quiver at his hip. Then he slowly slung the bow up between his shoulder blades until it was stuck securely. Then he put his hands up to show that he was done, and said, "Now you."

Will grudgingly lowered his bow, replaced his arrows, and slung his bow onto his shoulders as well, putting his hands up. All was quiet again as both men stood, unmoving, staring each other down.

Then the Sham spoke again. "If we are going to have a civilized conversation like the gentlemen we are, then I suppose we might take a few steps closer to one another, what do you think?"

Will arched an eyebrow under his cowl. "How can you know anything about me without knowing me at all? Making assumptions is dangerous in situations such as these, you know."

The Sham nodded slightly, but then smirked. "True, but I was only assuming that we wanted to talk like gentlemen, not that we are both necessarily gentlemen. I don't know about you, but I'm not even close. I've killed a few too many to be considered something like that."

What? The hell does that even mean? Will blinked under his cowl as he struggled to keep his face emotionless. "I think that the number of people you've murdered doesn't decide if you are a gentleman or not, rather it decides the weight of the guilt you live with everyday, wearing you down from someone gentle and empathetic into someone insane and feral."

The Sham raised his eyebrows, showing mild surprise. "I was not expecting such eloquence from the likes of you." He took a few slow steps forward, and Will followed suit. "I had always heard that Rangers were quiet, unspoken, and cowardly, hiding in the trees, killing from afar, and leaving others to clean up the mess they leave behind." They both stopped in the middle of the small clearing, both standing a few meters apart in the short, lush grass underfoot, tree roots snaking through the green, digging into the soles of their boots. The trees loomed down on them, closing them in, blocking out the sunlight so that an artificial dusk was created within the small grove. Through the dim and willowy lights, Will could now clearly see the Tem'uj's face. He had olive toned skin, like the rest of his race, dark, thick hair on his head, and a thin, short beard. His eyes glimmered black, and his skin was ruddy and weathered looking, his muscles toned, like a warrior.

"You should learn to expect the unexpected. Not all Rangers are alike, you will see. We do what must be done in order to keep the peace and protect our country and our King. If something threatens that, then we must take action. Whether that means keeping quiet or speaking out, shooting someone from a tree or fighting them up close, making a mess or cleaning up one, we will do it for the sake of peace and rightness in this world."

The Sham frowned slightly at this, but shook his head slightly and his lips settled back into that little smile again. "You are most certainly unexpected. And your loyalty does you credit. Before I say what I wish to say, may I ask your name, atabi?"

Atabi. Halt said something about that word way back in Skandia. Must be the Temujai word for Ranger. "Will."

The Tem'uj raised an eyebrow at this. "You are not... Will Treaty, by any chance?"

Will narrowed his eyes a little. "And why does that matter?"

He smiled. "I think you are Will Treaty. That matters because I know Treaty, well, I know of him. He was the apprentice of Halt, and went on to become as, if not more, famous as his master before him." The Tem'uj took one step closer, but Will held his ground. "His master was the one who beat us back in Skandia all those years ago. His mentor both fought mine, and he and I both looked on as they tore a country apart. You see, I was just a child, like Treaty was, watching my father, in all his glory, be torn apart by some atabi strategist and his apprentice from the west. I think you are Will Treaty, and I think you know of what I speak." His face was deadpan now, but his anger boiled in his eyes, the black liquid of his pupils bubbling and steaming with rage. "You, Will Treaty, watched my world shatter as yours was fixed. And then, when you and your master had finished with us, you left us in the middle of a ruined country, with nothing left but to limp home to our small empire and try to pull ourselves together."

He was breathing heavily now, his cheeks burning red with a bright spot of color, his lips pursed and his eyes practically steaming. He glowed with such a deep anger that made Will want to shiver, not with fear, but with horror and pity. Something terrible happened to this man to make him hate so deeply and wholly. No one sane has anger like this. He must be insane... If not worse.

"My name is Or'kan, son of the Sha'shan, heir to the empire, leader of a rebellion, and sworn enemy of the Ranger Corps. I will tell you now, when we meet again, it will not be so peaceful."

Will spoke softly, taking a few purposeful steps away from the man. "And I am Will Treaty, apprentice to Halt, and keeper of peace. No more, no less. When we meet again, you shall be the one to decide your fate, not me, Halt, my King, your father, or anyone else. You and you alone shall decide whether you live or die, whether you tear your country apart or fix the cracks your father made so long ago." He took a few more steps back, until he was nearly out of the clearing.

The Tem'uj stood his ground, his eyes burning into Will's. "If I am deciding my own fate, then can I not choose to decide another's as well? Like yours?"

Will turned back, glancing at him through his cowl. "I've been a Ranger for a long time. I think by now I've earned the skill and the right to chose my own fate."

"We'll see." Or'kan turned and crunched away into the forest, in the opposite direction, and his footsteps soon faded into the sounds of the forest.

The trees above seemed to lean back a little, and the morning sunlight broke through the leaves again, as a relieved silence fell upon the clearing. Will sighed and broke into a silent jog making his way back through the trees to the little camp he and Berrigan had set up. His run morphed steadily into a limp as his knee buckled from the tension and stress of the last few hours. After a few more minutes of running and limping and checking to make certain he wasn't being followed, he burst into the little clearing to find Berrigan sitting on the same log he had left him. He jumped up as Will came running in, and said, "Whoa, Will, slow down! What happened? Where's the water?"

Will turned this way and that, his hands shaking, his knee buckling heavily as the stress of the situation finally hit him. He stuttered, "Uh - the water? Oh - oh, the water, right. We can't worry about that right now, we have to go, we have to go right now!"

Berrigan loaded his pack back onto Blake and swung up into the saddle without asking questions, but as Will swing up onto Tug, he asked, "Why? What happened?"

"I'll tell you on the way. How long was I gone?"

"Only ten minutes."

"T - ten minutes? It felt like hours..." Will rubbed his eyes with his palms to try to calm himself down as they kicked their horses into a brisk trot. "How close to Araluen are we?"

"We'll be there in a couple hours."

Or'kan could be there in a couple hours, too. Him and the rest of his pack. We need to hurry.

"Will?" Berrigan said tentatively from behind him. "Are you alright? Will you tell me what happened? You look like... Well, like you've seen a ghost."

Will glanced back at him for a long moment before turning back around again. The he muttered to himself, not really to anyone.

"I suppose I did."

*********

Hello everyone.

I know I've been gone for ages and ages, so I'll just say it right up front: I am so sorry. I am so sorry that this was so long in coming, sorry that I didn't have much contact with you all, and sorry that you all had to wait. I really didn't mean for it to take this long, I really didn't. I've just been doing so much recently, there just wasn't any time for writing. I unfortunately cannot promise that I won't be late with my updates, but I can promise you this: you will never have to wait almost two months for an update again. Never again. And to try to start to make it up to you, over my winter break this next week I will finish up the next chapter and post it as quickly as I can to give you all more to read.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for hanging in there while I figured out how to balance my time, and thank you so, so much for reading. Please go ahead and vote and comment if you enjoyed it.

I look forward to catching up with all of you again and giving you another chapter by next week. See you soon. ;)