Gilan just came back from a mission when Halt approached him. He looked a bit weird, like he had to tell something bad. "Gilan...", he said, "something's happened." Halt put his hand on Gilan's shoulder. Gilan wondered what he could mean. Halt continued: "Your father and mother, they've died." Gilan couldn't belief what Halt just had said. "How?", he managed to get out. "There was an ambush, Gilan. Nobody could have prevented it." Gilan tried to say something, but his troat was so dry he couldn't speak. Eventually, he was able to say something: "How are my sisters?" Halt gave him an intense look. "It's hard news, but they're holding on. Though Mireille really needs you, I think." Just for a moment, Gilan became overwhelmed by grief, but he swallowed his tears away and ran back to Blaze. His horse and loyal friend felt that he was grieving. She bent her head towards him and she whinnied short. He barried his head in her manes and felt how hot-burning tears streamed over his face.
He arrived at his parents' house – thinking of them almost made him cry again - and saw the black flag hanging out of the window of his parents' bedroom. He was glad that Halt was with him, because he probably wasn't able to organise the funeral; He didn't know who he should invite, he mostly avoided his family and they avoided him. He was a ranger, after all.
He couldn't stop thinking about the day dad came home from the battle of Hackham Heath, alone, without his brother, Samuel. Samuel had been a knight, he was 9 years older then Gilan. And he had joined his father in the battle against Morgarath. And he never made it back. Since that day, Gilan didn't want to become a knight anymore. And he hated wars. He hated to lose people, his brother... his parents. May they all be together in heaven and rest in peace, he thought.
Julia, his older sister had red eyes and puffy cheeks. She hugged him tightly and didn't let him go.
"I can't believe it," she whispered, "I just can't believe it...". "Me neither", Gilan whispered back. "How's Myreille?" he asked. "She's very upset, Gil... I wished I could make it easier for her, but I can't." "This isn't your responsibility, Jules. I know she can't remember the time we lost Sam, she was so little. She doesn't know what to do. I'll go talk to her, I guess."
"I'd be careful, Gil. She's has always been very upset about you being away so much and exposed to all those dangers, and now this happens." Gilan looked in her eyes and whispered that he was sorry.
Then he walked away to his little sister.
Halt had seen the exchange between brother and sister and thought about when David became his friend. The day after Hackham Heath, Halt needed to heal but he wanted to grieve about Daniel. In the healer's tent he found David, crying over his dead son. It broke his heart to see someone loose his son, because he had caused the dead of a father, who only could think about his unborn son.
It was weird, to not have strong, smart David anymore. He never showed weaknesses, except the first day they met. He had been there, when David told his other children about the lost of their brother. Gilan had just turned nine that year and he acted so brave by not showing how he felt when his mother was with him. Then Halt had already known Gilan had it in him to become a ranger. His apprentice. He'd never tell them, but he was so proud of both of them.
Gilan knocked on the door of his sister's chamber. "Go away!", she screamed. "Myreille, it's me, Gil." he answered. He heard she was crying and it broke his heart. She opened the door, but didn't look at his bright green eyes filled with grief. "You can come in if you want", she said.