" ....After my meeting with the Temujai Shan, Berrigan and I never saw anyone else, and rode as fast as we could here." Will swallowed hard, and what was left of his saliva oozed down his throat. He had been talking for a long time now, and had just managed to finish his story. The room was completely silent, all frozen in shock after hearing the horrific and sudden events that he had described. After the long moment of silence, the King gestured, and Will sat back down. Now that he wasn't speaking, he had the chance to really look around at everyone.

Alyss was sitting nearer to the back. Will had seen her the whole time, and her face had been carefully blank for the entire briefing. But even she had winced a few times when he described something particularly terrifying, such as when he described rolling down the river bank under the Temujai's feet.

Cassandra had entered silently sometime halfway through and sat down next to her. Her previously swollen stomach was nearly back to it's normal size. Will remembered back to when he had just returned from an extended mission and received a frantic letter from Horace that described in detail the excitement of his wife's last few weeks of pregnancy and then the birth. They had been blessed with a beautiful healthy baby girl that they had named Madelyn. Both he and Alyss had left immediately to visit them in Araluen. Will smiled slightly to himself as he remembered holding the little girl's hands the first time he met her, kissing her soft spot in the top of her head, gently squeezing her tiny toes. Her hair had been fine and golden like her mother's, but her grip on his finger had both of her parent's strength combined. He felt his smile widen as he remembered the moment Horace and Cassandra had asked him to be her godfather. Then he had held her in his arms, this tiny, pink, sleeping baby wrapped in thick blankets, and nearly cried. After visiting a little longer, reporting to the King, and then saying goodbye, he and Alyss had rode home. "You know," she had said hesitantly, riding next to him, taking his hand, "Maybe you and I should think about doing something like that." Will had laughed. He had said the exact same thing to her when he had first proposed to her as a much younger, less experienced Ranger on the Skandian duty ship Wolfwill on the way back from Nihon-Ja. She had told him off at the time for such a sad attempt at a proposal, but he had suspected later that she had actually loved it. It had been one of those little moments that reminded him just why he had married Alyss and just how much he truly loved her.

Will, lost deep in thought, was suddenly snapped back into reality as he saw Alyss reach out and clutch Cassandra's hand tightly.

Focus. Thinking about things like that and smiling about it isn't appropriate... Not after everything that's happened, and certainly not in front of this many people.

Also sitting in on the briefing was as many of the Rangers that had arrived and could walk, which was quite a large number of them, at least ten or so. And even more Rangers were arriving at Araluen by the minute, as all the individual groups made their way into the castle. Accompanying them was a throng of soldiers, both common infantry stationed at the castle and Horace's battalion of the Royal Guard. In short, the room was jam packed full, but stayed nearly completely silent as Will had described what had happened to him. He had been careful not divulge certain bits of information, such as the location of the Gathering, and the rather important bit about a traitor in the castle. He had also only briefly glossed over what Halt was doing, assuring everyone that he was alive and tracking the Temujai as they spoke. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice his deception, perhaps, except for the King and Horace.

Will sat through the rest of the briefing in a daze of exhaustion and pain. A few other Rangers stood up and told their tales but Will had talked to most of them already and knew what had happened. Nearly every small party had been attacked by varying sizes of Temujai, according to their reports. As soon as everyone had said their piece, the room became so silent it could have been empty.

The King rose. He turned to the huge crowd sitting in shocked silence. "I know you all probably wish to know where this all happened, but the location of the Gathering is a closely guarded secret that even I do not know, and that's why Will was so vague about the distance from the Gathering to here, and so forth. So I'll have to ask you all to refrain from asking about that, because you won't get an answer. I have a few further questions, and then I will open the floor to anyone else who wishes to ask anything, in order of rank." He turned back to Will, who was still sitting in a chair off to the side next to Berrigan, inconspicuously nursing his knee and other various bruises and cuts. "Will? All my questions are for you. You seemed to have had the most exciting experience out of all of you, and by exciting I mean dangerous. I am particularly interested in what happened when you met that Temujai leader. Care to delve into that a bit more?"

Will dutifully described that instance in more detail, explaining how he left Berrigan at the campsite to go and find some water, how he sensed someone nearby, faced off with him, and talked to him. "He was a Temujai officer and Kaijin, a master archer, the son of the Sha'shan, the overall leader and military general of the Temujai. His markings on his sleeve were that of a deputy commander. He said that his name was Or'kan."

"And what kinds of things did you two talk about?"

"Mostly it was him telling me that Rangers were arrogant and destructive. He was extremely angry about what happened between Skandia and the Temujai a few years ago, and he was particularly bitter about Halt's and my involvement in his empire's defeat."

The King stroked his beard. "Interesting. Sounds like the son wants revenge for his father's defeat. His father must not have condoned the attack, otherwise he would be here, too. No, this must be a group of angry rebels gone rogue."

"Rogue indeed, my lord."

The King nodded once to himself, and then turned back to the crowd. "I open the floor. Anyone who has questions, ask them now."

Horace immediately stood, raising his hand. He stood and wrung his hands in front of him, then suddenly dropped them by his side as he hid his emotions behind a thin veil of sole news. He was never able to hide what he was feeling very well, was he? Will thought.

He spoke with quiet confidence, without a single tremor. "I know you really don't want to have to talk about this, but unfortunately we have to, for tactical reasons... Would you mind informing us about your fatalities? I think anywhere on a scale from mild injury to death." Will noticed him tense up at the last word, though he managed not to wince and shot a brief, apologetic glance up at Will.

Will shrugged at him, maintaining his outward show of indifference. I'll have to do it sometime anyway. Best get it over with. "Well, I think first off, I can say that nearly every Ranger has probably a small injury, some good bruises or minor cuts. And we're all completely exhausted to boot. There a few of us who have some more major injuries... Gilan's got broken ribs, Harrison's shoulder is shredded, I know Leander's leg was stabbed. A good number of us have probably got concussions, the Temujai liked to kick, and a lot of them had lances... And, well," Will swallowed hard so his voice wouldn't crack. "Two died. An older, newly retired Ranger named Jonathan, and a young, brand new apprentice named Trevor." A few people in the room gasped, and then fell silent again. Silent as the grave. Will shook himself a little, forcing himself not to think too hard about what he had just said. He spoke softly, " ...In short, we're a little beat up."

Horace seemed to hold back a snort at that comment. "A little?" he whispered to himself. But then he glanced up at Will, and Will was surprised to see immense sorrow gleaming in his best friend's eyes. He kept his voice carefully soft. "Will... I'm sorry about Jonathan and Trevor." He turned to all the Rangers. His voice faltered slightly with the emotions he was holding back for the benefit of the hundreds of people watching. "I'm so sorry, all of you."

The other Rangers there nodded at him, but a mutual understanding passed between them at that moment, and Will found he maybe felt just a little bit better, or at least, better than had felt the last few days. Horace nodded to Will once, and then turned and sat back down. The King stood once more. "Now I'm sure you all are wondering what this all means for us, here in Araluen. All that I have to say on this matter is that this country's most elite fighting and intelligence force was attacked." He gestured to the small clump of Rangers off to the side. "These men answer directly to me. An attack on them is, by extension, an attack on me and this entire country, no matter their reasons or original intentions. I trust my Corps completely and I am sure that they will close this matter quickly and efficiently, as they have done every time in the past. You can all be assured that I will be providing them with any assistance or support required in order to bring these Temujai to justice for what they have done, as well as to mobilize troops to increase security and ensure your safety."

The crowd buzzed at this impressive speech, some even applauded Will and the rest of the Rangers. But Will's knee chose that very moment to flare up with sudden, excruciating pain, and he forced himself to walk back to his chair without wincing or limping too badly. He barely even heard Duncan's speech as he tried not to fall over. In a moment, the pain suddenly settled back down again to a dull ache, and Will took a few deep breathes. He caught Alyss staring at him, her lips pursed. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged.

Duncan spoke with renewed urgency, though he hadn't seen Will's near breakdown. "Anyone else? Keep it short."

Short? I'm so tired I can barely stand, much less answer all these people's questions for hours on end.

A few other people unfortunately raised their hands, asking more trivial questions, which Will carefully repelled, not quite answering them and leaving them more puzzled than before they had asked the question. Finally, the King realized that Will had had enough and dismissed all the extra people except for Horace, the Rangers, and the Royal Guard. Alyss and Cassandra pushed their way up through the crowd to the front of the room to join the small group. As soon as most people had left, the Rangers all stood and most walked back into the Great Hall, where the rest of the Rangers were settling. A few members of the Royal guard accompanied them. Soon the room was nearly empty, in stark contrast to a few moments ago, when it had been silently bursting at its seams.

Cassandra rushed up to Will as soon as she had the chance and flung her arms around him. Will staggered slightly under her sudden weight, but hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you're alright, Will. I got a message from Horace saying something had happened and I didn't know what to think."

Will smiled faintly at her. "Don't worry, I'm fine." He glanced quickly at the door. "Some others are significantly less fine, though."

Cassandra stepped back, wincing. "I know, I heard about Gilan and Harrison. And like Horace said, I'm so sorry about those two Rangers you lost. It's terrible... Especially the young one."

Will felt himself shrinking away again, guarding himself from the trauma and sadness. "I'm sorry, too," he heard himself say numbly.

He felt someone grasp his hand, and he saw that it was Alyss. She half smiled at him, he nodded back.

The King stepped forward, patting Will on the shoulder apologetically. "Sorry about all the questions, I know all you'd like to do right now is go get some food and rest, but I really need to clear up some things... You were very vague about certain details." Will raised an eyebrow at him. The King continued. "That's not a criticism, I know you did it in purpose; some information is not appropriate or wise to share with the general public. However, there were some holes that I need you to fill in briefly before I let you go." Will nodded. "One thing you never mentioned was how the Temujai knew to attack the Gathering. I mean, the very concept of the Gathering is only known by higher ranking castle lords and such, much less the exact location and schedule. The only ones with that sort of information are a few select people here in Araluen. Care to explain?"

Will sighed and was about to answer when he suddenly realized something, and glanced around. The Royal Guards nearby were carefully trying to look like they were guarding, but Will knew they had to be eavesdropping out of curiosity. At least, that's what he would have done. He murmured to the King, "One moment, my lord." He turned to Horace and whispered, "Horace, do you trust these men?"

Horace looked surprised, and said softly, "Will, this is my best battalion. I hand-selected every one of these men. I would trust them all with my life, and more importantly, the King's life."

Will nodded and turned back to the group again. "Good, because what I'm about to tell you, you can't tell to anyone else. If this gets spread around, we may all be dead by morning." Everyone's eyes widened, but they stayed quiet. Will pushed on, nearly whispering, leaning into them.

"There is a traitor, here at the castle, who betrayed our location and schedule to the Temujai some months before this. It's the only way they could have known."

Cassandra sucked in her breath through her teeth, and Horace actually took a step back, his hand unconsciously gripping the hilt of his sword, his knuckles rapidly turning white. Only the King and Alyss remained still, their brows furrowed in deep thought. "He would have to be of high rank, and talented and clever enough to stay unnoticed and somehow get his information to the Temujai in time," the King muttered to himself.

Will nodded. "Yes, exactly. But I have no idea who it could be, and if this spreads and the traitor hears about it, he could become very dangerous. Considering how many Rangers he intended to kill with the information, I wouldn't put it past him to kill anyone who mentions even the idea of a traitor."

Alyss' brow was so deeply furrowed her eyes had disappeared into her head. "And the sudden appearance of the entire Ranger Corps has probably made him realize his plan didn't quite succeed in killing as many as he had planned. He'll probably attack the Rangers first, to finish what he started. I wouldn't be surprised if he is plotting to kill you right now." Her voice never broke or trembled as she spoke, but Will could sense her underlying worry. She's braver than I ever will be.

Everyone's eyes widened and moved to Will in silence, even the King. Will looked at Alyss solemnly. "I, uh, I hadn't thought of that." He paused. "I suppose you're right. I'll tell all the others to look out for themselves and report anything suspicious."

The King rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm tempted to set more soldiers on you all, perhaps some body guards, or - "

"My lord," Will interrupted. "Setting more bodyguards on us at this point would only slow us down. Besides, you already have an entire battalion of the best Royal Guards here with us along with the regular shift of infantry. Anything more and I think we'll all go crazy."

The King raised an eyebrow at this. "Will, this isn't a matter of how uncomfortable you feel. It's a matter of the Corp's safety - "

Then, one of the few people in the world besides Will who could interrupt the King spoke up:  Horace. "Sir, if there's anyone in this entire kingdom who can protect themselves, it's the Ranger Corps. And if anyone in the Corps can protect himself, it's Will."

Will shot him a grateful glance, and Horace nodded. The King sighed, and relented reluctantly. "Fine. But if anything, anything out of the ordinary happens, I want to be notified immediately. Understand?" Will and Horace both nodded, and the King sighed again. "Alright. I have to go meet with my advisors, Cassie, you had better come, too. Horace, Alyss, do me a favor and make sure Will gets some rest." They both nodded in unison. The King turned to Will and regarded him for a moment. "And please, I know you want to, I can see it in your eyes. Don't go after this traitor. At least, not yet. Do it when you're feeling better, so you can face him on more even terms." Then without waiting for a reply, the King turned briskly on his heel and strode off down the hall. Will found himself nodding to no one as the King disappeared into another corridor. He's right. I'll go get this traitor as soon as I've had a good long nap.

Cassandra touched Will's shoulder one last time, murmuring, "Come by our rooms sometime soon and visit Madelyn. I'm sure that would do you some good."

Will pursed his lips. Do I have time? So much to do, I have to find this traitor before he doesn't anymore damage, I have to go back and find Halt... But then his lips spread into a smile as he thought about his beautiful little goddaughter. Maybe just a quick visit before my nap. "Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world." Cassandra smiled tenderly at him, and then hurried after her father.

Will turned to Alyss. "I'm starved. Can we get some food?"

Alyss nodded. "You're not the only one. Let's go."

~~~~~~~~~~~

After eating the poor cooks out of house and home and having the doctors carefully check and wrap up his leg, Will and Alyss made their way slowly down the hall towards Horace and Cassandra's chambers. Will's body was stiff and sore, especially his knee, which was so tightly wrapped he could barely bend it, so he tried not to limp too heavily as he hobbled down the hall, Alyss holding his arm. She hadn't said much to him since their first conversation outside in the courtyard, so Will took advantage of the silence to gather his thoughts. Being with her had helped distract him from the things that had happened, but now that he had a moment to himself, it was as if the dam broke and all of those thoughts he had bottled came tumbling out, filling up his mind to the brim, about to flow over.

No matter how hard he tried, his mind kept flashing back to the scene in the woods, Trevor's trembling, bloody hand clutching his, then suddenly dropping back onto his chest, limp and dead, as he used his last exhale to whisper don't loose hope. Will felt his lips tug upward in a grim smile. Those last words had come to define his entire life at this very moment , it seemed. A little boy and his old cooking friend were dead, brutally murdered before their time right before his eyes, leaving him helpless. His beautiful mandola, one of his most loved and prized possessions, had been shattered and abandoned, tried deep into the ground of the Gathering. The Corps were severely wounded physically and morally, and they were being hunted by the same rogue tribe that had attacked them in the first place. And that wasn't even the worst of it. Halt, the closest thing he had ever had to a father, his mentor, and his most trusted mission companion, unbreakable, unbeatable, someone he had always relied on to be there for him, wasn't here. He had left him to fend for the rest of the Corps by himself, and was now on a dangerous tracking mission to find these Temujai. And even if he did manage to do all that, Halt was... Well, he was retiring. He wouldn't be there to help Will after this, not anymore. And while Will knew he could handle himself, he knew that very well, he couldn't help but feel a deep sadness and apprehension at the thought of Halt not being on active duty. It would leave a huge hole in the Corps that could never be filled.

Don't loose hope.

I know you can do it... Without me.

Another scene flashed across his eyelids. Or'kan stood before him in the dimly lit forest, an arrow leveled coldly between his eyes. If I am deciding my own fate, then can I not choose to decide another's as well? Like yours?

So long as I am alive and of good mind, I will decide when I die, not for my sake, but for Alyss. And Halt. And everyone else whom I know loves and cares about me. No one will ever take that away from me. Not even Or'kam.

Will shook himself a little as Trevor again flashed before his eyes and the weight of what he had yet to do settled firmly on his shoulders. It was like a physical force, as if someone had laid a yoke across his shoulders and then shoved him from behind. He nearly staggered into Alyss, but he managed to regain his composure, and Alyss only had to grip his arm a little tighter. She didn't even seem to hardly notice. Will supposed she was probably buried up to her eyes in deep thoughts of her own.

He squeezed her hand lightly. "Hey... You alright?"

She looked at him, her eyes clearing up as she pulled herself together. "Yes, yes, of course. I'm just sorting things out for myself, you know? Things have been crazy these last few hours, well, days, for you..." She trailed off. "Just thinking things through, is all."

Will smiled at her. "Me, too. I have quite a lot left to sort through still."

She grinned back. "If only our minds could be as organized as Lady Pauline's filing cabinets. That would make things a lot easier when things like this come up." She glanced up at the hallway. "We're almost there. Horace should be expecting us. When was the last time you visited Madelyn?"

Will scratched his beard. "I'd say, three weeks ago?"

"Right. I haven't seen her since either. I'm curious to see how she's grown."

"Me, too." They had reached the end of the corridor, where two large double doors stood, closed tightly shut. They were unlabelled, but Alyss knocked smartly on the wood, and within moments, Horace opened the door and let them both in.

"Hullo, Will, Alyss, come right in. I have a chair for you right over there by the cradle, Will, go help yourself. Alyss, do you want one, too?"

She grinned at him. "No, thanks, Horace. Now, where's little Maddie?" Her voice grew hopeful and soft in excitement.

Horace grinned a huge, toothy smile. "She's in the cradle. Come over, both of you."

Will made his way to the chair, and Alyss stood next to him. They both leaned over the sides to peer in. Beneath a mountain of little pink and white blankets and small stuffed animals lay a small baby, her big green eyes wide open, staring at them. Her hair had grown in the last few weeks, already curling into a single shock of honey blonde hair, a few shades lighter than her mother's. Her face had become more defined, and she was definitely bigger than when he had first held her the day she was born. Horace smiled widely, lovingly down at her and whispered to her in a high pitched, tender tone, "How's my Maddie? How's my girl?" He reached into the cradle and gently lifted her out from under the blankets. She was small, and he had to support her head as he carried her , but she already seemed much stronger than before. Horace arranged her gently in his arms, the turned to Alyss and triumphantly presented her the baby.

Her face lit up. "Oh my goodness, well aren't you just the most adorable thing? Aren't you? Aren't you? Yes, you are, yes, you are..." Alyss crooned tenderly as she took the tiny girl in her arms, handling her expertly, holding her head just as Horace had, cradling the baby to her chest.

Will felt his lips spread into a wide smile, perhaps the widest smile he had bestowed upon anyone since the attack. He found it momentarily humorous that he chose to give that to a tiny little baby, who didn't even understand it. But his smile grew even wider as he took in the stunning sight of his amazing, beautiful, capable wife, cradling the tiny girl in her arms. He could see it from the way that she looked at Maddie... she wants a baby just as much as I do. I want to be able to see my wife hold our own child like that. We both really do want that. After giving her a minute more, he pushed himself to his feet, his knee holding steady, and he held his arms out to his wife. "My turn." She smiled at him and gently eased the little baby into his arms, helping him hold her head. Finally, she took her hands away, and Will was left with the small, warm bundle curled up against his chest. Her eyes peered up at him, huge, unblinking, her lashes long and thick. Her cheeks were round and chubby, and so soft looking that Will reached out with his free hand and gently ran a thumb across her cheek. It was one of the softest things he had ever felt, and he smiled down at her. "Hello, little Maddie. You're so small, do you know that? You're so tiny, and pink, and cute. Your cheeks are so soft, too!" He spoke softly, and oh-so-tenderly, as he let her grasp his pinky tightly in her little fingers.

Horace had been grinning at them both for some time. He glanced into the next room, then turned back around and murmured to Alyss, "I've got to go into the other room for something. I'll be back in a moment, alright?"

She had nodded at him. "Of course." She watched him duck into the connecting room. Then she turned her attention back on Will.

Will had walked off toward the window along the wall, where he was gently tilting her so that she could see the balcony beyond, which was filled with potted plants. He was softly telling her about the flowers in them. "...Ooh, look at that one, Maddie, that one's blue, and that one next to it there has a little bee on it. Do you see the little bee? It's almost as small as you. Oh, there it goes, now it's flying to the next one, that orange one over there. I wonder, can you fly like that little bee can? I bet you can..."

The whole time the little girl kept switching her gaze from the flowers to Will's smiling face, her green eyes wide. Occasionally she would open her mouth and make a little gurgling or whimpering sound, and Will would act as if she was answering him, saying, "Yes, yes, that's right, Maddie, that one's yellow..." Soon it seemed as though they were having a conversation, and Alyss smiled at how truly adorable it was. But she also smiled because of Will's face. In the last few hours she had seen him, his eyes had been dark and dead, his usual sparkle dimmed. His face had gained more wrinkles from the stress and worry, and the many partially healed cuts on his face didn't help him look any better. His brows had been locked in a furrowed position, as if he was constantly thinking and worrying, and his lips pressed in a thin, unforgiving line. She had even caught him a few times with tears glimmering along his lash line before he blinked them away. She knew he would never shed them in front of so many people, but it worried her. She knew he had gone through a lot, so he had every right to look like that, but it still made her feel so sad to see the cheerful, grinning, easy-going young Ranger she had married shrouded in this darker side that was both saddening and terrifying. But when he held Maddie in his arms, when he looked at her, all those things melted away. His eyes sparkled again in the sunlight, his face relaxed, and he was truly beautiful. Now that's the man I know. Loving, tender, gentle. That's my Will. He'll make such a good father. She knew she loved him whether he was happy or sad, whether she could find happiness in him or not, but she always felt sad when he was like that, and seeing him with Maddie made her feel truly happy.

She realized that she had been pursing her lips up and blinking furiously at Will throughout her long train of thoughts, and now Will had noticed and had turned to her curiously. His face remained lit up, his eyes still sparkling, and a little, tender smile curving his lips. "What is it? You've been looking at me funny for three minutes now."

Alyss smiled wistfully at him. "I'm trying to 'paint a mental picture' of this moment, as George likes to say, so I can remember it forever."

Will raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because it's beautiful. And happy. You're beautiful."

Will smiled at her, raising one eyebrow. "Uhm, thanks? I don't know, if anyone's beautiful here, it's definitely you. I'm all cut up and bruised."

She laughed and shook her head, stepping up close to him. "No, no, you're beautiful whether you're cut up or not. No, it's when you look at that little baby, you give her such a tender and loving look... it's truly beautiful." She gently reached out and took Maddie from him, cradling her in one arm.

She smiled as Will wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close so that Maddie was supported by both of them. "I could say the same for you. You're beautiful whether you're holding a baby or not." And then he leaned in and kissed her.

Horace stepped across the doorway only to see Alyss and Will kissing passionately, with little Maddie snuggled safely between their two chests. He grinned at them both. Excellent. They both needed a good long kiss, I think. After a long moment, he cleared his throat, softly. Will broke off and glanced over sheepishly, and seeing it was him, gave him an awkward little wave. Alyss also glanced over and smiled warmly at him. She let go of Will and stepped over to Horace, handing Maddie over to him. He took his baby girl in his arms and then went to go lay her back in her crib.

Will reached out for Alyss as she came back toward him and he took her in his arms again, hugging her tightly for a long moment before finally letting her go. They both gave each other knowing looks, then stepped apart as Horace came over to see them out.

"Thanks for coming. I think you both really needed a little baby love. Hopefully Maddie did the trick."

Will grinned at him widely, and clapped him on the back. "I think she did just that. She's beautiful, and you're a great father."

"Thanks. I don't think I've quite gotten used to the fact that I'm a 'father' yet."

Alyss gave him a tight hug. "Well, better get used to it quickly. Just wait until she's older, that's when the real fun begins." She stepped back from him, towards the door. "Thank you for having us, it was such a pleasure. I'm sure we'll come around again soon, we might need another dose of her adorableness."

"Well, feel free to come back any time. Now Will, go take that nap, I saw that yawn."

Will grinned at him. He had unsuccessfully stifled a yawn some moments before. "Don't worry about that, Horace, I might fall asleep before I even make it to my bed, it's just a question as to if I'll actually get there before passing out."

Horace slapped him on the back as they stepped out the door. "Better get going then, or else you'll fall asleep in here."

"Goodbye!" They both called one last time as Horace closed the doors. Alyss took Will's elbow again to help him along, and they began to make their way back to the Great Hall. Will felt himself begin to sink deep into his thoughts again as they walked in silence. His knee was starting to loosen up; he suspected the painkillers were starting to set in, and his eyelids sank lower as he threatened to doze off.

His eyes were nearly closed when a flash of metal whooshed through the air, narrowly missing his ear, and impaled itself into the wooden beam behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Will should have died right then and there. Only sheer luck saved his face from being impaled by the flying knife. His knee happened to ache right at that exact moment and it buckled slightly, causing him to sink a little lower in his stride than normal. Had he not sank down that tiny bit, the knife would planted itself firmly into his right eye. But no, he swerved down enough that it only brushed past his ear, leaving a hairline cut that he didn't even feel. Alyss gasped as the knife clunked into the wood behind her and pulled Will down towards the floor. Will immediately hit the ground and rolled to one side of hall, ducking under the banister, while it took Alyss a bit longer to scramble across the stones to the other side of the hall. Will's hand instinctively felt for his bow and quiver, but he cursed silently as he realized he had left them in the Great Hall. He drew both knives, squeezing their hilts tightly, and he stared intensely at the curving hallway from where the knife had appeared. He heard a quiet shhhiiink and he glanced across the landing to see Alyss draw her saber, which she had been wearing on her belt. "Who was that?" Alyss hissed.

Will glanced back at the knife stuck deep into the wood pillar. "I have no idea. Apparently he's good at throwing knives," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.

"Can you see anything?"

Will strained to see around the curved hallway, but his view was blocked. "No, nothing. Not even a shadow."

"What are we going to do?"

"We sure as hell aren't going to wait for them to show themselves. That's giving them the advantage they want. Are you ready?"

She hefted her saber, her face set in hard lines. "Ready when you are."

Will rose to one knee. "On the count of three, we are going to burst around that curve. Be ready for more knives to come flying, and fight to incapacitate. We can't take any chances here." He held up his hand. He held up three fingers, then two, then one.

In one sudden movement, they both flung themselves forward, Will in the lead, and he burst around the corner, his saxe and throwing knife already crossed. A single knife flew past his head again, but Will saw it coming and ducked to one side. Without warning, a huge figure dressed in all black brandishing a broadsword was hammering down on him. Will raised his knives in a cross shape, and the blade stopped dead. Will shoved back triumphantly, but then the sword twisted violently and the saxe was snapped out of his hand. It went spinning off down the hall, clattering down the stairs, and out of sight. The swordsman staggered back, off balance. Will swore, then flung himself back to take stock of the situation. There were three men in the hallway, all in black with masks over their faces. Alyss was fighting one with her saber and holding her own quite well, while the other two had advanced on Will. I need another knife, I can't hold off two swordsmen with this tiny throwing knife. "Alyss! You still have that knife on you?" He backed slowly into a corner as the men began to slowly advance on him again.

Alyss shoved her attacker back with the flat of her blade. "Of course! Do you need it?"

"Yes! Toss it to me!" He grunted as the second man came running at him and he ducked under the sword and slashed his throwing knife across his side, cutting shallowly into his flesh. The man hissed and stepped away, causing another momentary lull in the fighting, as the other, larger man had stayed back. Alyss had reached into the fold of her dress and pulled out a thin bladed knife, which she now tossed end over end to Will. He caught it deftly in his free hand only to bring up in another cross as the big swordsman advanced and swung down on him yet again. This time Will expected the twist and held his own, but he couldn't help but wince as the massive broadsword sank deeply into the thin knife, leaving a huge nick in the blade.  The throwing knife held its own, but he knew the other knife was going to be wrecked. "Who are you? What do you want?" He shouted at them.

The big man only stabbed at him. He growled in a deep voice, "You were supposed to die. We're here to finish the job." I don't believe it. It's the traitor. Will glanced across at Alyss, but she hadn't heard what he had said. He exchanged a few more blows with both swordsmen, alternating between the two men, managing to kick one in the gut and slash the other's upper arm. Alyss' knife grew more nicked and bent every time a sword clashed against it. What kind of swords are they using? He caught a slight bluish glow coming from one of the blades, the bigger sword, and he recognized it immediately. Nihon-Jan steel. Where could they have possibly gotten that? He winced again, this time in pain as one of the swords scored a shallow cut across his upper arm. Time to end this. I might not be able to beat them, but we can sure outrun them. With all the strength he had left, he slammed the smaller swordsman back with the hilt of his blade and then thrust, hard, with the crooked and chipped knife as hard as he could into the torso of the larger swordsman. The enemy managed to deflect the knife up away from his stomach and heart, but Will had put enough power behind it that he was unable to fully deflelt it, and Will felt the strangely satisfying resistance as the knife sliced through his skin and sank deep into the flesh of his shoulder, cutting through muscle and tendon. The man screamed, his arm hanging limp, and Will ripped the crooked knife back out, causing more damage, and kicked him in the knee, sending the man staggering backward, moaning. Will shoved past both men and sprinted for the stairs, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Run, Alyss!" She had stabbed the man she was fighting in the thigh. He had collapsed against the side of the hallway moaning, and she had been coming to help him. Hearing his shout, she ran after him, her saber still drawn. As Will and Alyss jumped down the steps at top speed, the huge swordsman shouted something unintelligible, and Will could hear the heavy tread of boots on the floor close behind them. As he hit the last stair, he saw his saxe laying under the table nearby. He leaned down and scooped it up. "Follow me," he hissed to Alyss as he ducked through more corridors, making random turns with her close on his heels. The tread of boots behind them became softer as the wounded men failed to keep up with Will and Alyss' quick pace, and all that could be heard was their heavy breathing as they ran full tilt up the stairs. Soon, Will found a linen closet and they both hurled themselves inside, shutting the door behind them, and then clapping their hands over their mouths to hide their breathing. There was no sound from behind the door, only fading and slowing footsteps, and after two long minutes, Will glanced at Alyss, and they both sighed at once, gasping and heaving as they tried to catch their breath.

"I think... They're gone." Will's chest heaved.

"Yeah. We hurt them enough that they... Probably had to give up chase." Alyss leaned her head back against a stack of sheets, gasping. She had a thin cut on her cheek, but it didn't look too bad. She seems alright.

They waited a few more moments in silence as they both finally managed to breath. Alyss spoke first. "Who was that? What was that?"

Will swiped a hand across his brow. "That was the traitor. I'm sure of it."

Alyss' eyebrows rose. "How do you know?"

"He told me. He said, 'You were supposed to die. I'm here to finish the job." Who else could possibly know about any of that except for the traitor himself?"

Alyss nodded, her brow furrowed. "You're right, I suppose. But isn't it just a little too good to be true? I mean, we only just decided the traitor must be here. And who were those other two men?"

Will nodded. "Those other men, I don't know. But that big one, he was using a sword made with Nihon-Jan steel. Remember, like that one Horace owns?"

"Yes. Is that why it shredded my knife? I mean, look at it. It's destroyed beyond use." She gestured to the thin knife in Will's fist. What had once been a smooth, thin, well crafted blade was now bent totally crooked in three different places, with huge triangular chunks missing from both sides. "May as well melt it down, the way it looks now."

It looked so preposterous that Will almost laughed. "Thanks for letting me use it. Do you want it back?"

Alyss's lips slowly spread into a smile. "Of course not, you idiot. That thing is beyond help. For all I care you could drop it in the moat."

Will finally did laugh. "Alright, moat it is. But we should probably keep it a bit longer to show the others what happened. Speaking of the others, we should also probably get back to the Hall. They'll be wondering where we are. We'll have to run again to avoid those men. They're probably still nearby."

Alyss rolled her eyes. "More running. Just what I was hoping for."

But Will only smiled at her. "Race you there."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Berrigan lay on a cot in the corner of the Great Hall as the last of the Rangers made their way in. It was now late evening, the sun was setting, and every group of Rangers had made it back to the castle. Miraculously, there had been little to no other injuries during their journeys, and by dividing up most had been able to avoid contact with the Temujai. Now 47 Rangers filled the Hall, along with a few straggling apprentices and retirees. Only Will, Halt, and Crowley were missing. It was quite a rare sight, seeing that much gray and green in one room. Thankfully, the Royal Guard had been carefully stationed at every entrance to the hall, keeping unwanted people from coming in to gawk at the sight of the entire Ranger Corps in one single room. In fact, as far as Berrigan was concerned, he didn't think that this many Rangers had ever been in a single room together ever before. I mean, sure, they all met at Gatherings, but this was different. But, he also supposed this was the first time they had ever been attacked like this either. It was a lot of firsts for the Corps.

He rolled restlessly off the side of his cot and picked his way to the front of the room, where the King was standing with members of the Royal Guard and Gilan, who had bandages wrapped around his ribs. They were all conversing intensely, murmuring over one another. As Berrigan came up to them, the King whirled on him almost aggressively and asked, "Where's Will? Is he still napping? We need to talk to him immediately."

Berrigan shrugged. "I haven't seen him for a half hour, my lord. He went off to the doctor and the kitchen, and then he said something about visiting Princess Cassandra's new baby. I assume he's probably making his way back from that?"

The King turned away and began to pace back and forth. "Well, he'd better get here soon. We need to find this traitor quickly before he comes after any of you or gives away anymore information."

Right as he finished speaking, not even twenty meters away, one of the side doors leading to the Hall burst open with a distinctive bang, nearly coming off its hinges. Will came charging through in a full on sprint with Alyss close on his heels, both brandishing bloody blades. As soon as Alyss had crossed the threshold, Will slammed the door shut behind him, and they both slid down the door posts, gasping for air. Alyss had a thin, bloody cut across her cheek, and Will's arm seemed to be bleeding slightly as well. Both Alyss' saber and Will's knives were covered in thick black blood, and Will held a third, thin bladed knife that had been bent and nicked so heavily it barely even resembled a knife anymore. They both lay across the floor, breathing heavily as Berrigan and the King raced over. "Will? What the hell happened?" Berrigan called as he reached them.

Will glanced wearily up at him, his eyes bloodshot. He cleaned off his knives on his cloak and sheathed them. "Well... Some lovely fellow and his friends decided to surprise us in a back hallway. Alyss and I were not expecting it and it didn't end up the way it had been planned: with both us of dead."

Berrigan gaped at him. "So... You got attacked?"

Will sighed and nodded. "We got attacked."

Berrigan felt his eyes nearly pop out of his head. Gilan stepped up from behind them all and asked incredulously, "Why didn't you just say that?"

Will looked hard at both of them. "I did."

My god, but he sounds like Halt. Wonder how that could be...

The King leaned over Will, speaking quickly and firmly. "By whom? What happened?"

Will only shook his head. "I'll explain in a moment. In the meantime, we need to seal the castle and get everyone gathered up. And I mean everyone, servants, soldiers, guards... everyone." Alyss, who hadn't yet spoken, whipped her head around to raise her eyebrows at Will in a silent question.

The King stared at him, bewildered. "What? Why?" Alyss asked the same thing with her eyes, still staring at him, bewildered.

Will's eyes shone with fresh determination, and a small, satisfied, grim smile spread across his lips. "Because I know how to find the traitor."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In twenty minutes, the castle had been sealed by carefully selected men and the conference room was filled with as many people as they could cram into the space. Nearly every single Ranger had arrived, and were crowded together in a group behind the raised platform in the center of the room. The Royal Guard stood in their formal ranks near them, and then anyone from nobility and military command to a common peasant or servant had filled the room to the brim. Will and Alyss had filled in the King and Gilan, Berrigan, Horace, and a few other select people on exactly what had happened, and Will explained exactly how he was going to find the traitor. Now Will, Alyss, Duncan, Horace, Berrigan, Gilan, and a few others stood on the platform. A few guards had been sent out to make sure that nearly everyone in the castle was in attendance, but Will was certain that the traitor should already be there. The temperature had gone up in the room, and now sweat trickled down Will's neck from the humidity. There wasn't much noise, only a dull murmur, the rattle of chairs, and bang of wood on stone. He turned to the King as the soldiers herded in the last of the stragglers. "My lord, it's no use waiting any more. He's already here."

The King raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

Will just looked at him. "I can feel it." He turned away and then stepped forward, raising a hand to the crowd, and the silence that fell almost immediately was deafening.

He cleared his throat once. "I know you are all wondering why you are here. I will let you all know in just one moment. But, considering the circumstances, I'll just get right to the point. What I'm about to ask of you is a very strange request, but I need all of you to do it. Every single one of you. Do you understand?" Most people in the room nodded. "Alright, I need everyone to raise their left arms, please, straight up into the air, and keep your other arm at your side."

The room let out a low murmur of question, but most did what Will asked. Hundreds of left arms rose up into the air, until the room looked like a classroom of puzzled students all trying to ask the same question. Will made a subtle gesture behind him, and a few of the Rangers standing behind the platform began to make their way through the crowds looking carefully at each and every person to see if their arms were raised all the way. Will also scanned the crowd from above them, looking carefully for anyone who might not have done so. He managed to work his way through the entire crowd of people in front of him, and he sighed in frustration, feeling his brow furrow. This was supposed to work! Why can't I see anyone? They have to be here, else they would draw attention by trying to leave. What am I missing?

"Will." That was Gilan. He had come up to the side of the platform, and Will leaned down to hear him. "I got him. Royal Guard, last row, back corner. Arm is barely raised past his chest, seems to be in pain, and he's sweating like crazy."

Royal Guard? Is Gilan joking? Will looked. Royal Guard, last row, back corner.... Sure enough. The man that stood there had his helmet on him just like all the others, so he wasn't immediately distinguishable from the rest. But just as Gilan said, his arm was barely raised past his chest, and it was shaking as he struggled through great pain to hold it higher. "Everyone can put their hands down, thank you," Will told the crowd as he jumped off the platform and made his way through the guards to the last row in the corner. The crowd erupted into chaos, shouting and pushing at each other as they tried to see what Will was doing. The man never flinched as the noise swelled and Will came closer, but Will immediately recognized the build, his sword, even his eyes, which he could see through both the mask he had worn and the helmet he wore now. Alyss had followed him, and she stepped up beside him and nodded to him. She thinks it's him, too. Will stepped up close to him. "What's your name, soldier?"

The guard didn't flinch, his arm had collapsed back to his side, where it hung limply. A large bulge, characteristic of a bandage, swelled through his clothes on his left shoulder. "McAffry, sir."

Will leaned in as if he was telling a secret, but he spoke loud enough people around could hear. "I don't think I was quite clear. What's your real name, 'McAffry'?"

The guard never broke eye contact, but he growled in a familiar deep voice, "I don't know what you're talking about, Ranger."

The guard's eyes glittered at Will, and lines of sweat trickled down his face. They were the same dark black ones Will had seen in the hallway. It's him, alright. "Oh, I think you know exactly what I'm talking about." Will peered around his side, at his sword. "Mind if I look at your sword there?" He didn't answer, but he also didn't resist as Will grabbed the hilt and pulled it out of the sheath with a shhhhhing. "Horace? Could you come here for a moment?"

The knight stepped up, peering intently at the soldier. But he didn't say a word, only looked at Will. He twisted the blade in his hand, showing Horace the blue-ish gleam that reflected off the blade. "If I'm not mistaken, I do believe this blade is yours."

Horace stared at it, dumbfounded. "But - it was supposed to be at the tanners? They were rewrapping the hilt with fresh leather - "

"Well, it seems that he is most definitely not a tanner. I know you want it back, but is it alright if I keep it for just a bit longer?" Horace nodded once, then shot another strange look at the soldier.

Will nodded to the men on either side of the soldier, and they took him by the arms and took him up the the staircase and onto the platform, followed closely by Horace and Will. The King stepped to one side as the soldier came near him, and murmured to Will, "Are you sure it's him?"

Will looked him dead in the eye. "Completely. I have enough proof to put him away for life."

The King nodded once, and then reached out and shook Will's hand. "I trust you enough to believe you, for now. Later, though, I would like to hear all about this proof, but I suppose that can wait, if you're completely sure." The King paused for a moment, and then met Will's eyes. "Once again, I am blown away. I am truly curious as to how you managed to figure it out in such short time."

Will smiled a little. "A story for another time, my lord. I'll give you the proof, and that should be enough for now."

Suddenly, there was an uproar in the crowd in front of the platform. One of the Royal Guard had broken out of their formation and pushed their way to the base of the stand. He was now yelling up at the soldiers, breaking through the din of the rest of the crowd. "One moment, my lord." Will broke away from the King and pushed to the front to see what was going on.

"Why are you arresting my friend? What did he do? Borrow the Commander's sword? Why did you have us raise our hands? What the hell - "

"If you quiet down for a moment, I'll tell you," Will said firmly. The room quickly fell silent, the other soldier silently fuming down below. "Now, what's your name?"

"Edwin, sir."

"Edwin, your friend, McAffry, is a traitor. He is the one who betrayed the location and schedule of the Gathering to the Temujai in order to get me and the rest of the Corps killed in cold blood. Thankfully the attack was not quite as successful as he had hoped, and I am still here to tell you all this."

The room was dead silent. Will spoke quietly. "Does that answer your question?"

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and was about to leave when another voice rose up from the crowd, some random person near the back. "How did he do it? How do you know?"

Will turned back to the crowd, a little bewildered. "Do you really want to know?"

The crowd roared a hearty 'yes', and Will had to raise his hands again to get silence. "Alright, alright." He turned to the soldier. "Do you want to enlighten them? Because there are a few things I don't quite know about you yet." The man stared back, unmoving, a harsh glare pinching his features. Will shrugged. "If you won't tell the story, I suppose I'll have to. But do correct me, I'm bound to get a few things wrong." Then he turned to the crowd, and then to McAffry. "I'll start at the beginning. You were born in Celtica, yes? Or at least, you grew up there. I can tell because of your accent, when you spoke to me. Now, you probably had a bad run in with a Ranger somewhere down the line, perhaps even something to do with our interactions with Morgarath in relation to Celtica a few years ago. In any case, you hate Rangers with a burning passion. And when you heard about the Temujai invasion, you sensed an ally. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.' You got in contact with the Temujai rebel groups and found one to your liking, one planning revenge on the Corps. You probably offered to spy for them here in Araluen. And so you began burrowing your way into the system here, taking months to solidify your position in as a high a rank as you could manage. Now, I know for a fact that even high ranking Royal Guards don't get access to sensitive information like the Gathering, so I'll wager you probably snuck into some sort of meeting where this information was discussed. As soon as you had everything you needed, you sent it off to the Eastern Steppes by black market mail or some other shadowy messenger, where the rebels used it to plan their attack, staying in contact with you all the while.

"Skipping ahead to after the ambush on the Gathering, as soon as we all started arriving here, you realized that the attack hadn't gone as planned. You overheard me and the King talking all about it, and you realized just how much I suspected. So you got a few goonies to come and hide out in a back hallway with you and attack me when I was least expecting it, to finish the job your rebel friends couldn't. You even stole your commander's sword to beat us down. But you made one fatal mistake: you allowed yourself to be heavily wounded. I stabbed you deep in the left shoulder with my shredded knife, which probably cut a lot of muscles that shouldn't have been cut. So all I had to do to find you was to see who had a freshly injured shoulder. And if I just pull the neck of your shirt aside - " Will reached up and pulled on the collar of the tunic to reveal a large lump of bandages. Will lost his patience and tore the seam on the clothes, opening up the shoulder for all to see. The large amount of bandages were already starting to dampen with fresh dark red blood, and the soldier winced and looked away. "A fresh wound. The accent. The sword. Did I miss anything?"

The room was silent for a long time, everyone in the audience gaping at Will and the accused soldier alike.

"Ainsley."

Will glanced sharply at the soldier. It was the second time he had spoken in the meeting. He stared at him, hard, but didn't reply.

The soldier's shoulders seemed to slump down and a little sigh escaped through his lips. "Ainsley," he said, softly. "That's my real name. Erik Ainsley. And everything you said was true."

The audience gasped. Will folded his arms. "Really? Care to fill in the blanks?"

Ainsley sighed again, and then murmured, "I suppose so, considering you figured out everything important. Yes, I'm from Celtica. One of you Rangers, you - you shut down a smuggling ring in my town, sinking one of the ships that my father was on. My mother died of the plague soon after, and then my sister. The Ranger Corps took away everything I loved before I was fifteen years old." The crowd gasped again, and Will held back some biting remarks about how his father being a smuggler was his own fault. The man continued on, a slight tone of resignation softening his voice. "A few years later, I heard all about you and the older Ranger in Skandia. I travelled to the Eastern Steppes to meet with them, and I joined them. They sent me back here because I could speak Araluen, and I quickly enrolled in Battleschool. In a few years I made it to the Guard, and I came under the command of, well, Commander Horace." He nodded to Horace, who was openly scowling off to one side. "I knew that he was close to you all, so I... Got friendly with him." He seemed to hold back a wince. Horace's glare darkened further. "Soon enough I knew about everyone important in the castle. It was almost a joke to simply hide myself in a closet and listen in to a meeting between the Corps Commandant and the Battlemaster. I sent everything off to the east, hired a couple men to help me, and the rest... Well, you all know what happened."

Horace had gone from very red to very pale, and he was almost as angry as Will had ever seen him. In the silence that followed Ainsley's speech, he marched up to the front and snatched his sword out of Will's hand, the ripped the belt and scabbard off of Ainsley's waist. "You were my best new recruit," he hissed in his face. "You've done great things for this country in my service... While all the time you were gunning for the death of my best friend and the rest of the Corps, sending sensitive information off to some dangerous foreigners." Ainsley tried to keep a straight face, but Horace's anger was so potent that he couldn't help but flinch as spit flew in his face. "I thought you were going to be the next  Commander, that's how good you were. But now... The only thing you're destined for is a cell."

Now Ainsley actually winced, but he remained silent. His eyes flashed to Will, and he looked almost... Remorseful. But then his eyes iced over again, and he stood in emotionless silence as Horace chained his hands behind his back and ripped the Royal Guard uniform insignia off him. "You don't deserve to wear one of these. Not when you betrayed the very country that welcomed you with open arms after your family tragedy. On top of that, you tried to assassinate my friend, not once, but twice."

The crowd settled into a low murmur, penetrated by occasional shouts of hatred and mocking at the traitor. Horace moved to escort Ainsley roughly off the platform, the rest of the Guard forming up behind him, grim expressions on all their faces. Will stopped them for a moment, standing directly in front of Ainsley. "I want you to know something, before they put you away for good. Your plan... I'll admit it was a good one. But you do realize that the only ones you managed to actually kill were a little boy... And an old man newly retired. And even they didn't go out without a fight." He leaned in close to the man, a sudden wave of unbridled anger swelling. He didn't even try to suppress it. "Me and another Ranger, we carried that little boy with an arrow in his chest for miles through the middle of the night, with a hellish band of assassins on our heels. He didn't even make it halfway." Will clenched his fists. Ainsley cowered a little. "He died in my arms. And do you know who was directly responsible for that? You."

Emotion flickered across the traitor's face. Will's nose nearly touched his cheek his he leaned as far as he could while maintaining eye contact. "Yes, your plan was good. But guess what? It didn't work. There are still 49 other Rangers left perfectly alive who are gunning for your blood, me being one of them." Will whispered into his ear, so that only he could hear him. "The urge to kill you right now is very strong. But I won't, because I'm not like you. But make no mistake, if hear about anything, from resistance of capture of attempted escape, I will visit you in your cell and make you wish you had died with your father on that boat."

Will leaned back, out of his face, and took a large step away, taking a deep breath. Ainsley was trying not to tremble, to pull himself together, but his eyes kept flickering between Will and the large group of Rangers who had now gathered at the base of the platform, staring at him with varying degrees of contempt.

He noticed Horace staring at him, hard, and he nodded at him. Horace ordered his men away, and they dragged Ainsley out of the room and down into the depths of the castle. As soon as the traitor was gone, the King vaguely dismissed everyone. The crowd, still murmuring and yelling, began to slowly trickle out of the room, the last few stragglers escorted out by the last few soldiers. Soon, all the civilians had been cleared out, leaving the Rangers, the King, and few others. A few moments later, all the Rangers began to trickle back into the Great Hall, leaving only Gilan, Berrigan, and Harrison.

Alyss, Horace, Will, the King, and the other three Rangers all met on the floor. The King leaned into Will, grasping his hand, murmuring, "Well done, Will. I do believe that's a new record - catching a criminal in, what, two hours?"

Will grinned faintly at him and shook his hand. "All in a day's work, my lord."

The King just laughed a little and shook his head, but then his face turned serious again. He pulled Will away from the group, and spoke to him softly, almost urgently. "Listen, Will, now that you've caught this bastard, I know that all you want to do right now is to go off and find Halt. Am I wrong?" Will grudgingly shook his head, but he suspected what was coming. The King's next words confirmed it. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you go, at least, not yet. For all we know, the Temujai could be reverting their attack to this very castle, and you know them the best. I need you here to help with the defence. Halt can work from his side, and us from ours, and we can meet in the middle."

Will tried to keep his tone neutral, but failed miserably as a tinge of anger colored his voice. He's telling me not go help him? How could he? "My lord, I have to disagree - "

"No, I don't want to hear it." The King held up a hand, interrupting Will. He clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I need you, right here. Going to find Halt will only get you killed faster, and considering how lucky you've been already, we wouldn't want that luck to somehow have run out."

Will's brow furrowed, and he felt himself clench up with anger. Halt is like family. I can't leave him out there alone. "My lord, we've already lost two! You can't expect me to leave Halt and Crowley out there alone! If I don't go, two is going to increase to four - "

"I'm sorry, Will, I didn't want to have to do this, but it looks like I have to." He stood tall, and stared hard at Will, meeting his gaze squarely.  "I order you to stay. You are not allowed off the castle grounds, and you will not leave here unless expressly allowed by me, and me alone."

Will felt his lips set into a firm line, and he hid his anger, seeing as it had done him no good. He felt his blank mask cover up his face, but his hands still clenched and unclenched as he fumed. He has no right. No right to do this. He doesn't even understand what he just a got himself into.

The King seemed to sense what he was thinking. He quickly spoke up. "And if you try to leave without my permission, I guarantee there will be consequences. Do you understand me?"

What kind of consequence could be worse than Halt and Crowley dying because I wasn't there to help them? "Yes, my lord," Will said tightly. He gave a small bow, never breaking eye contact with Duncan.

The King observed Will for a long moment in silence, then turned on his heel and strode off across the hall. Before leaving he quickly leaned into Horace's ear and murmured something into his ear. Horace seemed to nod reluctantly, and the King nodded to him. Before striding out the door, he called to Will, "Meeting. My office, tomorrow morning, as early as you can get there after breakfast. Don't be late." And then he was gone.

Will walked slowly back over to the small group. Gilan, Berrigan, and Harrison all glanced away quickly, suddenly finding something very interesting on the ceiling. Alyss was wringing her hands, and Horace was scowling. Will glared at all of them. "Oh, give it up, all of you, I know you heard all of that."

Gilan glanced sheepishly at him, his arm wrapped around his broken ribs. "Will... I'm sorry. I would try to convince him otherwise, but... Well, then I would just get the same treatment as you."

Will raised an eyebrow at him. "Treatment?"

Gilan pursed his lips at him, glancing at Horace, who also scowled sheepishly. A couple members of his Guard were advancing behind him, and Will groaned. "No! Horace? Bodyguards? Really?"

"I'm sorry, Will. I wish I didn't have to, but... The King ordered me, too. If I don't do it, I could loose my job. And well, think about it rationally. He needs you, Will. He needs you here, where you can help him, not somewhere off in Araluen where no one can find you with angry tribesmen hunting you down for bloodly revenge!"

Will sighed as the two guards came up to him. "I know that, Horace, I know that very well. But all the same, I can't just leave them out there, all alone. They'll die."

Horace shook his sadly. "I'm sorry. I don't have a choice." Then he turned and walked away, leaving the room, his shoulders slumped.

Gilan slapped Will on the back once, and gave him a meaningful glance, then followed the rest of the Rangers back into the Hall. Berrigan followed him after murmuring, "Sorry, Will, I wish I could go, too."

Harrison grabbed Will's shoulder. His eyes were still painfully sad and empty. I suppose my eyes must look like that, too. "Will, I wish we could go. The King had no right to do that. He doesn't understand what we went through, what it means to us - "

Will clapped his good shoulder. "I know, Harrison, I'm so sorry, I tried to fight it."

Harrison leaned in close. "I don't care how you do it, but I'm too hurt to go out and help Halt. I'll just be dead weight. But you - "

"I know, Harrison, I know. I'm not just going to leave them. I promise you that. Not after what happened." They both shared a moment of sad silence, and then Harrison left without a word. The two guards assigned to Will looked at him for a long moment, and taking in Will's pointed glare, they too left the room, closing the door behind them. Will knew they would be waiting on the other side for him, but they were smart enough to give him a little privacy.

Now Alyss and Will were alone in the Hall. She stepped up to him and silently took his hand, leading him to the platform, where they both sat down, dangling their legs off the side. She leaned against him, pulling him to her comfortingly. "As much as I hate to admit it, Will, but the King is right. About you, I mean. You're more useful here, you know more about the Temujai than anyone here." Then she sighed. "But I also know that it's not a matter of how important you are, it's what you think is important. Especially in situations like this."

Will wrapped his arms around her. "I know... It's just, it's so hard."

Alyss narrowed her eyes slightly at him. "Why?"

"Well..." Will stuttered, "it's just... Everything that's happened. The whole Gathering, the ambush, Trevor, the escape... After all that, it's been really tough to put it all behind me. And everyone is leaning on me so heavily, sometimes I feel like... I can't take the weight." He choked up on the last words.

Alyss took him tenderly in her arms and held him tightly, murmuring, "Oh, Will, you can take it, I know you can. But that weight gets pretty heavy if you don't let some of it go. Some of that weight is what you put on yourself. So you have to let some of it go. You have to let some of it go..." She trailed off.

She held him for a long time after that. She held him through the silence. She held him as he talked about something, nothing, everything. She held him tighter as he cried, great, racking sobs that shook his whole body, as he shed the first tears for Trevor, for Jonathan, for Halt. She held him as he cried for himself. She held him as he dried his cheeks. She held him as he kissed her, long, and hard. And she held him as they walked back into the Hall and laid down on some blankets in a corner. She held him as he slept. And she only let go once she had fallen asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later, Will slowly opened his eyes. Alyss had rolled over under the blankets next to him, and he slowly crawled out of bed, tucking her in tighter. He got to his feet and slipped on his boots, belt, cloak, and quiver. He looked at Alyss one last time, then turned away, ghosting silently across the hall. None of the other exhausted Rangers woke, and only a few stirred. The guards standing on duty never even saw him leave. He made it to the stable and saddled up Tug. Then he rode off, across the drawbridge, into the dark forest, the early morning sun just barely starting to touch the hills.

Time to go find Halt.

*****************

Bonjour! I really hope you got your fix from this chapter, because it took me nearly two whole extra weeks to write almost 13,000 words! This is the longest chapter I have ever posted - ever! I could have split it up... But I really didn't want to. It all seemed to fit together so nicely. And also, I know you all hate cliffhangers. Anyway, I really hope it tides you over, cause I have finals coming up next week, so I won't show up here for a little while.

But anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you thought about it by voting and commenting, and please point out any typos you saw. Always looking to get rid of those.

Have an awesome week! Hope most of you are out of school and enjoying summer. See you soon.
;)