Author's Notes~
I know I'm currently in the middle of Dance of the Crimson Knives, but I decided I'd try some mild angst practice, which I'll be doing from time to time since my story will be including plenty of angst. This oneshot is more mild with it, but I'll probably do more in other oneshots plus in my story~ ;)
There's not much flow with Erak's Ransom, it was adjusted to fit this little oneshot. Nothing major though~ ;)
Fate's Tragic Turn
One of the worse things in life for anybody, Gilan felt, was watching helplessly as somebody close to you was braced for death. Halt, his mentor and friend, was about to die and Gilan will stand by and watch. Frustration took control of him and he gritted his teeth, his hands tightening into fists against the tight bounds of rope. Nothing! He could do nothing! Already Halt was kneeling before his executioner, all signs of a fight drained from him.
Gilan didn't recall many moments, if any, where Halt was so beaten. It showed just how hopeless they now were. Now Gilan hung his head in defeat, shutting his eyes tight as tears slid down his cheeks.
He opened them again, however, as if something stirred inside him. There, over in the far end on a watchtower. Most wouldn't take much notice, but Gilan's trained eye caught it well: the familiar shapes of the gray and green cloak of a Ranger's.
Will!
Halt had been right all along. Will had indeed survived, and he had pulled through for all of them. His hopes, however, were dashed when he saw the sword come down all too quickly at Halt. He heard the hiss of Will's arrow being shot from its bow, but it was far too close of a call.
What made him act so quickly in a short frame of time, Gilan wasn't sure. Perhaps he had started running long before, absently shoving past those who stood in his way.
Whatever the reason, Gilan didn't care. All he knew now was that he was upon Halt, shoving his former mentor roughly aside before the blood spilled over his eyes.
He had accepted that he was on death's doorstep. But Halt was never one to fear death; he had been close to it many times in his life to fear it. The Ranger had seen the arrow coming, and he couldn't help but smile to himself as the sword came down. Will had survived and he had come back. Even if his apprentice was too late to save him, at least he came and saved everybody else. He still came.
Halt had shut his eyes tightly as he waited for the killing blow.
It never came.
` Instead, he felt his body shoved roughly aside, just before the sword came down on his exposed neck, and there was a brief cry of pain that didn't belong to Halt, and that scared him more than anything. It was enough to chill the Ranger's blood ice cold.
The other pained howl came from Mussaun, but Halt could care less what kind of pain the large man was in. His eyes fell in utter disbelief and grief at the collapsed figure of Gilan, blood forming a pool around him.
There was a stunned silence at what had just happened. Suddenly a new force had appeared, one that Will had brought himself to his friends' rescue. A brief clash of weapons had occurred and the townspeople had scattered in fright.
Yusal was screeching in a fit of fury. "Don't just stand there, Blue Veil Riders!" he yelled. "Get them! Kill them! We outnumber them!"
They weren't outnumbered through. Somewhere somehow, Halt couldn't tell, more men came to their aid with battle ready weapons at their side. In the blinding mess of fierce warriors, Gilan's form had vanished from his sight.
Will had a difficult time seeing what was going on down in the execution area. He knew better than to leave his post up on the watchtower, and he figured his friends will be fine taking care of themselves. Even Evanlyn was handy with her sling.
Besides, he told himself as he fired another arrow from his bow, they've got Halt and Gilan, two of the best Rangers Will knew. Nothing could ever-
The apprentice Ranger paused in his thoughts, his eyes squinting down ahead at the execution area. There was a rather frightening amount of red, and slowly Will lowered his bow. It was difficult to see among the mass of fighters who pushed back the Riders of the Blue Veil.
There was, indeed, a limp form among them. The sight made Will's eyes widen in complete horror. "Gilan!"
Will thought little of remaining at his post. He bolted from the watchtower, taking the quickest route he could. Aloom was still struggling to fend off his own attackers when Will came by. The Ranger quickly drew an arrow and came to his aid, shooting them down before rushing past a startled Aloom towards the midst of the fight.
It was nearly impossible, Will saw, to possibly get and remain by Gilan in this brawling cloud. This was indeed a stupid move, a very dumb move. Even a Ranger works best with distance on their side to use the bow and arrow, and Will's skill with the knife didn't even come close to his shot with his longbow.
He could see Halt caught up in the fight too. Just by the flared look to his mentor's dark eyes Will could tell that Halt too was attempting to reach Gilan. Their luck, however, was quick to change. Numbers were on their side and their enemy began to flee and their allies gave chase. Not that the Rangers cared much at the moment.
Gilan lay sprawled on the ground in an ungraceful fashion where blood spilled slowly now from his neck area.
"Damn it!" Halt scowled in frustration as they quickly knelt at Gilan's side, gently turning him over to his back. The glossy gaze of the senior Ranger was unwavering on his former apprentice, who was still barely clinging to life.
"Gil…?" Will asked softly, feeling his slow, fading pulse.
Halt threw his Ranger's cloak from his shoulders and pressed it against the bleeding wound, which stretched from Gilan's neck to his upper chest area where the sword had sliced him.
Gently Will swept away the hair in Gilan's face. "Hey Gil, you there?" he asked helplessly as Halt pressed against the wound, soaking his cloak in the blood. There was no immediate response from the limp Ranger.
"Where's a damn healer?" Halt demanded as he looked up and around at everybody else with a dangerous glint to his dark eyes.
"You're so loud…"
Both Halt and Will looked down in surprise at Gilan, who groaned softly. He hardly had his eyes open. His voice was just a little above a weak mumble and blood poured from the corners of his mouth.
"Fine! I'll be quiet for your delicate ears while you bleed away!" Halt snapped. He was fearful.
Will managed a small smile despite the situation. In the highlight of it all, it was rather relieving to hear his light-hearted voice, no matter how battered it sounded. "You…alright, Gil?" he asked uncertainly.
"Fine…for what's happening…" Gilan responded, choking somewhat on his blood as he did so. Halt was still desperately shouting out for a healer, among the people, but Gilan gave a weak scoff. "Don't waste your time…"
Halt glared down at his former apprentice. "You expect to foolishly put your life on the line and now you're telling me to not waste my time? You need a healer!" Deep down, Halt knew he was fighting a losing battle, which was the reason behind the threatening tears in his eyes.
There was a short laugh from Gilan. "C'mon Halt…I know you're smarter than that…"
"But Gil…" Will said hopelessly, his face already tear-stained. "We know you're stronger than that…"
This made Gilan frown just slightly, taking in a few staggering breaths. "Well…" he fell silent, as if unsure of how to say what was on his mind. But he didn't have to say it aloud.
"Just shut up and let us heal you," Halt said sternly with a sharp glare at his apprentice. Even with the evidence out before him, Halt refused to acknowledge it. "You're such a fool! Risking your life for an older man!" he scolded.
"For a friend," Gilan corrected him with a knowing, small grin.
Halt's expression softened, allowing a single tear to slip from his watery eyes. "A friend…" he agreed.
Then he was gone. It wasn't anything climatic or dramatic, his eyes had just slipped shut from their partially opened position, and then he was gone. The faint breathing that was in his chest was now still.
For a long moment, Will and Halt just stared there in mourning silence. Gilan was gone, while letting Halt live. In Halt's mind, it was unfair that someone younger should die in place of their senior.
Together the two Rangers knelt by their friend in mourning, neither saying anything to the other.
Author's Notes~
Reviews are appreciated~! :) I'll likely be getting more oneshots out while I work on Dance of the Crimson Knives.