That evening, the Rangers set a few small fires glowing for light in preparation for their meal. Will and Berrigan both cooked along with another older senior Ranger named Jonathan. Earlier in the day, Ranger Jonathan had set several small pigs roasting slowly over hot fires, and now the fat was just starting to drip onto the hot coals. Will had gathered some apples from his pack, cut them up, and put the pieces into a pot full of boiling water. A few minutes later, the pieces had browned and softened, and Will smashed up the pieces until a smooth sauce was created. He put in a few spoonfuls of sugar for sweetness and some cinnamon and nutmeg, and poured the applesauce into large pitchers. He also swept some wilted greens off the flat stone he had been cooking them on into another platter to be eaten with the pork and applesauce. Berrigan was stripping the pigs off the spits and carving the fragrant and juicy meat, setting the slices on large platters to be served. He had also previously set some large rounds of dough into the coals of the fires, and now he pulled them out, revealing warm, golden, freshly-baked bread. He sliced them up as well and put them into large baskets. Jonathan laid out several long tables and arranged the benches around the small fires they had lit earlier for light. By now it had grown completely dark, and a steady stream of hungry Rangers flowed in by the dozen, drawn by the light, warmth, and aroma of food.

Will, Berrigan, and Jonathan waited until all the seats at the benches had been filled. Then they brought out the flasks of wine and water, setting them on the tables. The Rangers cheered heartily, produced their own mugs, and filled them, quickly emptying each jug. Then Crowley stood, raising his hands for quiet. "Welcome, everyone, to another Gathering!" A large cheer rose from the crowd of green and grey, now only an indistinctive blur in the darkness under the trees. Crowley let them cheer for a moment and then called for silence again. "Yes, yes, another year has gone by, I suppose, and for most of you young ones, that's exciting. But for others it means you've lost a few more hairs, maybe gained a bit of belly - "

"Are you sure you're not just describing yourself?" called Halt from one end of the tables.

All the Rangers laughed, as did Crowley, who said, "Quite sure, Halt, quite sure. Sure about myself, that is. I'm not so certain about you though..."

A low rumbling and a few scattered laughs and giggles swelled for a moment, and then silence fell again. Crowley continued, "Just a few housekeeping type things before we get to what we really want: the food." He pulled out a folded paper from his pocket. "Jonathan, my old friend, come on out of the bushes. I know you're back there with Will and Berrigan, but you can't bring out the food just yet." The older Ranger smiled and stepped out and made his way through the tables to the front. Crowley grinned at him and said, "I would like to present to you the gold oak leaf as a symbol of your new status as a retired Ranger. May you regain some of your hair now that you're finally off duty."

Jonathan laughed and walked up to Crowley, grinning. "And may you lose that 'bit of a belly' you gained from my cooking!" The whole assembly laughed and cheered as he exchanged his silver for a gold. Then as he stepped back over towards Will, he muttered to him, "That's the last meal I'll be cooking for this ragged lot. I'm going to go sit down with my friends, and you can serve the meal with Berrigan." And with that succinct and final statement, he turned and walked towards a long bench nearby. He seemed to realize how frankly he had spoken and turned back briefly, saying, "It was nice working with you, Will, and you, Berrigan." Then he turned and sat next to a boisterous and smiling group of older Rangers.

Will glanced at Berrigan. "Well, so much for the three of us."

Berrigan rolled his eyes at Will. "I think we'll do fine on our own. And if we have any sort of trouble, we can always ask Halt."

Will nodded. "True, he's a surprisingly good cook. Although, I think you're right in the fact that we'll be fine. Besides, all we have left to do is serve the meal." But as Will's gaze flicked off into the forest, he froze for a moment. A familiar feeling bubbled up in his stomach. Someone is watching us. Will squinted off into the darkness, trying to sense any movement from the brush. But there was nothing. Only the cool breeze and pale light of the moon. There's nothing there, snap out of it. Maybe you tasted the raw food and are getting sick or something.

Berrigan nudged him, and Will shook his head slightly, turning back toward the clearing. Crowley was saying, "... Preston, I'm moving you to Hackam Fief. You'll do better for the coastal air and the moondarkers, of course. And, last but not least, Clark, you're going to Fairway Fief. Time for a bigger fief with bigger problems. And that leaves the lovely Caraway Fief to Lionel." With that he folded his paper up briskly and tucked it back into his jerkin. "Now I know none of you came here to hear me talk, so let's get down to the real business: Will, Berrigan, bring on the food!" A loud cheer arose from the group and they all turned expectantly towards the cooking fires.

Will and Berrigan both grabbed as many platters and pitchers as they could carry and started distributing them among the tables. As they both served the food, Will forced himself not to glance out into the forest, trying unsuccessfully to hold back the feeling in his gut. Soon they had everything out, and Will moved over to where Halt and Gilan were and sat down next to them, swiping a light sheen of sweat from his brow and swallowing a particularly strong surge of unexplainable uneasiness. "Why do I do that to myself every year?"

"Because you enjoy it," Halt said matter-a-factly as he piled pork onto his plate.

"Because it's fun. And you're good at it," Gilan added as he spooned the applesauce next to the pork, dipping a finger in and tasting it. "This is really good. You made this, right?" Will nodded. "It's very good." He sliced off a large piece of pork, dunked it into his puddle of applesauce, and ate the whole thing in one bite, chewing noisily. "Vurr gud. Vurr gud in-een."

Will grinned as Halt rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Gil. I learned it from Master Chubb." See, they aren't worried. This is all for nothing, stop worrying and start eating.

Halt was now raising an eyebrow at Gilan. "I thought I taught you better table manners."

Gilan gulped down the huge bite and smirked. "You never taught me table manners."

Halt shrugged. "True. Then I suppose it's not my fault you eat like your horse."

Gilan put his fork down indignantly. "I'll have you know, Blaze eats quite neatly compared to most horses."

Halt fired back, drawling in a voice so familiar to Will from his years as an apprentice, "And how neat could that possibly be?"

"Alright, alright, let's just settle on the fact that the food is good and leave it at that." Crowley came up behind them next to Will and Halt across from Gilan. He leaned down next to Will and spoke into his ear so that the others couldn't hear. "Did he tell you?" Will met Crowley's eyes and nodded. Crowley gestured, and he got up from the bench and moved to one side of the clearing. Crowley leaned in and said softly, "So you know he's retiring? What else did he tell you?"

Will glanced quickly over at their table, and saw that Gilan was unsuccessfully trying not to look at them. He looked back at Crowley and said in the same soft tone, "Not much. He was mostly worried I would be upset..."

Crowley looked at him somberly. "And were you? Are you?"

Will thought for a moment, then shrugged. "At first I was... Rattled. I wasn't upset, exactly, but I certainly wasn't expecting it. But after I thought about it... I think it's good. He should settle down with Pauline."

Crowley was nodding, smiling slightly. "My thoughts exactly when he first told me a few months ago. He's been working for a while. It's about time he took a rest."

Will nodded and smiled. "I can't explain how, but I think I've been expecting it for sometime now. I mean, well, I wasn't really expecting it this afternoon, but it's not like I haven't noticed how old he is. Most other Rangers his age retired ages ago."

Crowley nodded again. "Same with me. Although, most Rangers aren't Halt." Will nodded, thinking hard. Crowley continued, "Did he tell you when he planned to leave for good?" Will shook his head. "He was thinking about taking the gold in a few months. Not right away, still enough time for a few more jobs and for him to tie up some loose ends, but he's aiming for the end of this year."

Will chewed his lip thoughtfully. "That makes sense. I was just wondering... Was there a specific reason he's just decided to retire?"

Crowley shifted his stance. "Well... He didn't give me any specific reasons, but I have my suspicions..."

"Really? What do you think it is?"

"Well..." He shifted uncomfortably again, and Will narrowed his eyes slightly. "He told me shortly around the time he found out that you and Alyss were trying to... You know..."

Will sighed and rolled his eyes. "That was supposed to be private. We only told a few people."

Crowley smirked. "Unfortunately, the people you told may have also told it to some other people..."

Will huffed. So much for privacy. I bet everyone knows and Crowley's just trying to be nice. "Well, to get rid of any rumors, yes, it's true that Alyss and I are trying to have a child. Trying, and so far, not succeeding."

Crowley grinned widely and clapped Will on the shoulder. "Don't worry. It's only been a few months."

Will rolled his eyes again, trying to hide his embarrassment and red-tinged face. "True..." Time to switch topics. "So what does that have to do with Halt's retirement?"

"I think, or at least my current theory is, that when he heard about that, he realized that you weren't that same boy he took in as his apprentice all those years ago." Crowley leaned in closer, whispering softly as if it would be a crime for Halt to hear it. "I think he finally came to terms with the fact that he is getting very old. He realized that he should be with Pauline more, since she's starting to take more time off from the Diplomatic Service."

Will's eyebrows scrunched together. "That... Makes sense." He glanced back over at the table. Now Gilan was openly looking at them as they talked, and Halt's head was turned slightly so that he could hear better. He looked back at Crowley. "Just one more thing... How many people know about me and Alyss?"

Crowley chuckled. "More than you think. Now let's get back to the food before it all goes cold, shall we?"

Will nodded numbly, still lost in thought and trying to cool his red cheeks as they both walked back over to the table. Halt raised an eyebrow as they sat down next to him again. "Are you two done? Because the food's going cold, and I think you would hate to miss this." He pushed a plate over towards Will, loaded with pork smothered in applesauce, wilted greens, and thick warm slices of bread with berry preserves spread lavishly on top. Will shrugged at Crowley and plopped down next to Halt, digging into the pork. He nodded across the table to Gilan, mumbling, "You're right 'bout the 'pple sauce, it's vurry good, I'll ha' to tell Mast' Chubb."

Halt rolled his eyes at Will. "Now I thought for sure I had at least taught you some manners."

Crowley laughed and leaned down next to Halt. "It seems that your teaching methods lacked in the table manner department, considering that you have none of your own. Aren't you going to make me a plate?"

Halt narrowed his eyes at him. "Why would I make you food when you could go back to your own plate over there?" He gestured vaguely at another table across the way.

Crowley shrugged with mock sadness. "I suppose I'll just go then. If you don't want me..."

As he walked off, Halt leaned across the bench next to Will and murmured, "So what did he have to ask you about my retirement?"

Will raised an eyebrow. "Not much for privacy, are you? In more ways than one..."

Now it was Halt's turn to raise an eyebrow. "What? What other way?"

Will now raised both eyebrows. "Wait, you didn't tell anyone else about me and Alyss?"

Halt lowered both brows into a puzzled frown. "No... What does my retirement have to do with you and Alyss? And what about you and Alyss?"

"Nothing... I'll explain later - "

"When did you find out about Halt's retirement?" Gilan asked Will.

"Just today."

"Today? Why - "

"Later, Gilan." Halt rubbed his face with his fist, taking a deep breath. "You never answered my question."

Will glanced at Gilan and shrugged. "He just wanted to make sure that you had told me everything. And apparently you hadn't, because he gave me some other information about it - "

"What other information?" Halt leaned forward.

"Ask Crowley if you really want to know."

"Why can't you tell me?"

"Because this is between Crowley and you... For the most part."

"For the most part? What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I can't tell you - "

"Will! Come join me?" Will whirled around, coming face-to-face with Berrigan again. He was holding his large guitarra in his left hand and extending another case out to Will with his right. It was his mandola case.

"O-of course. Thanks." Will reached out and took the case, popping it open on his lap and pulling out the beautiful mandola. After all these years he still used the very same one Lord Orman had given to him so long ago in Mackindaw. Will smiled slightly as he ran his hand along the smooth wood.

Halt leaned in. "We will finish this discussion later, it seems, with Crowley."

Will glanced up. "What's to finish?"

"What's going on with you and Alyss, that's what's to finish."

Will shrugged at him. "I'm surprised you don't know, considering nearly everyone else does, according to Crowley, anyway." He glared at Gilan as he giggled.

"Oh, you mean - " Halt's eyebrows shot up as he suddenly understood, and Will glared at him until he fell silent again.

Will rose from the table and was about to go with Berrigan, but Halt also rose and put a hand on Will's shoulder. He said to Berrigan, "If you don't mind waiting, just give us a moment, please." He nodded and stepped back a few paces, and started strumming and tuning his guitarra. Halt pulled Will a few steps from the table and then whispered, "I've been meaning to ask you this all evening. This might sound a little strange, but have you been feeling alright?"

Will's eyes widened in surprise. "Feeling alright? Me?" Halt nodded. "Well... No actually. I've been feeling... strange."

Halt nodded again, and whispered even more quietly, "Good, I was hoping I wasn't getting sick. So you've been feeling it too?"

"Yes. I feel like this whole evening something or someone has been..."

"Watching us. Exactly." Halt glanced furtively around the camp again. Now. All the Rangers were finishing up their meals, setting their empty plates back and talking. The dull murmur of voices now rose a little louder, and no one else seemed to feel nervous. Halt turned back to Will. "I don't know why we feel like this, so I supposed we just have to wait for now. If you see anything, tell me."

Will nodded. "Of course. It's good to know I'm not just paranoid, because for a while there..." He made a helpless gesture with his hands.

Halt showed the ghost of a smile. "Me too," he whispered briefly. He quickly glanced at Berrigan, who was still standing there waiting, and shooed Will off. "Go on. I'll fill Gilan in."

Will nodded, and picked his mandola up off the bench. Then he started to walk over to Berrigan, turning back towards Halt for one moment.

That's when the arrow hit.

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

It was the mandola that saved his life. The arrow that came hissing through the air smacked straight into the round, smooth wood of the back of the instrument, throwing it from Will's grip. He had turned just enough that the mandola shielded his lower torso for that split second, and next thing he knew the mandola snapped with a loud crack and hit the ground next to him. Next thing Will knew, Halt had flung himself from the bench and thrown himself on top of Will, both of them hitting the ground as yet another arrow slammed into the benches above them with a hiss crack! "Don't move," he heard Halt hiss into his ear. His face was pressed into the dirt, but he managed to turn his head just slightly to be able to see. In the split second after he had been shot at, the other Rangers had flung themselves to the ground. Now they were all scrabbling around in the dirt, their cowls flipped up, finding cover under tables and benches. Halt slid off Will silently and rose to his hands and knees, peering around the tables. His cowl shadowed his face and Will couldn't make out his expression. "Will, are you alright?" he murmured softly, still peering off into the forest.

Will pushed himself into a sitting position, his hands still shaking slightly. "Yes, I think so. What happened? Who's shooting at us?"

Halt turned toward him. "I don't know." Will shrugged his bow off his shoulder and notched a couple arrows in one single movement, and then glanced around the camp properly. All the Rangers were huddled under tables and behind trees and shrubs, dead silent except for the occasional whisper of furious conversation. Will's mandola lay in a heap of shattered wood and strings on the ground just a few feet from where Will and Halt sat. The lone dark-shafted arrow stood straight up out of the carnage of the beautiful instrument like a flag of victory. Berrigan, who had been standing next to Will, had flung himself under a nearby table. He now crouched under that same table, his knives at the ready. He was looking at Will with an urgent expression on his face. Will nodded at him, to reassure him he was alright. Berrigan nodded back, and flipped up his cowl.

Will turned back to Halt. "Why've they stopped shooting?"

Halt pulled his cowl back a little so that Will could see his face. His eyes were narrowed into slits of concentration. "Will, I don't know."

If Halt doesn't know, then no one knows. Will couldn't stop the sudden surge of fear as it welled up in his stomach, and he clenched his jaw against the urge to run. "So someone was watching us."

Halt nodded. "This whole time. We have to get out of here. We're sitting ducks, all bunched up under these tables. If we don't get out soon..." He never finished his sentence, but Will understood. If we don't get out soon, most of us will die.

Will squinted around at the rest of the tables, spotting Harrison crushed under one not too far from him. Trevor was tucked back further under the table, and had his saxe knife out in a shaking hand and his throwing knife in the other. He was trying to look brave, but it was apparent by how vigorously he was shaking that he was actually terrified. And rightly so, thought Will. Crowley was also under a bench with several other older Rangers nearer to the front of the clearing. Everyone seems alright... For now. Will swung his gaze across to a table a few feet from theirs. It was the one he, Halt, and Gilan, had been sitting at along with a few other Rangers. Gilan was now crouched under the same table, whispering to a few of the Rangers. Good thing Gilan's alright still. He wasn't hit... The arrow. "Hey, Halt?"

Halt murmured, "What?" his eyes still trained on the forest.

"If I got one of their arrows, could you identify it?"

Halt turned suddenly, looking straight at Will. "No. You aren't going out there."

"That's right, I'm not. I'm just going to reach around the bench and pull the arrow out of the wood, that one that almost hit me. Oh, and thanks for saving me back there."

Halt glared at him. "You're welcome, at that will be for nothing if you get shot trying to retrieve a bloody arrow. Besides, I believe it was mostly your lute that saved your skin - "

But Will didn't even wait for him to finish. In one quick movement, he reached around the side of the bench and his hand closed on the thick shaft of the arrow. He wrenched with all his might, and the arrow head came loose. Then Halt reached over and yanked him back further under the table. They both froze, waiting for the arrows to come splitting over their heads. But none came.

"You're damn lucky you didn't just lose your hand, and with the accuracy of their shooting, you could have," Halt hissed angrily. But his eyes widened as they focus on the black shaft of an arrow clutched in Will's fist. He eased the arrow out of his grip and stared with wide eyes at the familiar black shaft, the black fletching, and the razor sharp arrow head.

"That's... That looks like your arrow, Halt."

Halt nodded, still gazing at the arrow. But now his eyes had narrowed into slits of anger. "It is my arrow. Or at least, it's the type of arrow I model my own after."

Will gaped at him. "What?"

"I know who's shooting at us. And you're not going to be happy when I tell you."

Halt looked straight into Will's eyes with his own intense, dark gaze.

"It's the Temujai."

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

Sorry about that cliff hanger... 😈

Hello my Ranger friends. It's good to be back. First off, thanks so very much for your generous patience as I took forever to write this next part. I was a few days late with my deadline of two weeks, and I promise I'll be on time next chapter. I published this chapter a bit faster than normal; most of the time I hang onto it for a few days and edit. This time I really wanted to get the content out to you, so please bear with me over the next few days as I edit a few small (or not so small) things. If you spotted any typos, please let me know so I can fix them. (Don't hate me too much for that cliff hanger. I promise the next part will explain it all.)

Thanks so much for reading, and please vote and comment! Next part will be out soon! ;)