Everyone watched horrified as Halt and Will struggled with their bonds. "Surrender!" Morograth called. "Or both of them are dead!"
Duncan looked around. The Rangers began to lower their bows and the soldiers began to lower their swords and shields.
"If you let those swords touch the ground, so help me God, I'll kill you myself!"
Everyone was taken aback by Wills outburst, but it worked. The Rangers rearmed their bows, and the soldiers lifted back up their swords and shields.
A hard blow landed across Will's jaw.
Groaning, Will spit out blood at Morograth, and Halt couldn't stop the chuckle that ensued. "You find that funny?" Morograth demanded. "Yeah. Yeah I do" Halt admitted.
"Find then. I'll bet you'll find this funny. I give these men a chance to live!" Morograth called, lifting his voice for all to hear. "If they can an arena battle against a portion of my Army, then they are allowed to Live. If not, well, obviously, they die"
Everyone called out for them not to accept it. It was suicide! It was crazy!
Will looked to his mentor, a grim look in his normally life filled eyes. Nodding, both men simply said "We accept."
"This is insane. This is Insane!" Cassandra said, pacing. They were all placed on one side of the arena, Morograth and his army on the other "Cassie, we can't do anything" Duncan said sadly "They accepted. It's their choice. All we can do now is sit and pray."
"But there's no way they'll survive! Even if they kill everyone they face, their injuries will be to much! They'll die!" "I know that, Cassandra" Duncan said, his voice tight "But there is literally nothing I can do!"
Cassandra plopped down, her short hair blowly lightly in the wind "I know daddy. I just wish it wasn't this way." She whispered.
Two hours later, Will and Halt were going strong. They'd started about an hour minutes ago, but Morograth wanted a show. He'd provided almost a thousand arrows for each Ranger. They fired arrow after arrow. And everyone was on the edge of their seats. With every Wargle that fell, either Halt or Will would take a blow. There seemed to be an endless number of Wargles. They just kept streaming in. Amidst all of the killings, Will and Halt were separated. Not even the ones observing the battle could see Will. It was terrifying. Halt was surrounded, but he wasn't going to last long.
A cry rent the air. the silence the followed it sank into every Ranger, soldier and knight.
It was a cry of pain.
A cry of surprise.
A cry of fear.
A cry of death.
And it was Will's cry.
Cassandra buried her face into Horace's chest, whom was crying himself. His body shook as the wargles moved from his friend, whom they could now all see. He was lying in a pool of his own blood, a dagger deep in his chest.
Halt had frozen when he'd heard Will cry. As soon as the Wargles moved again, everyone cried out for him to move, to fight, to live.
But when he didn't, they realized why.
Gilan had a father. A family. Someone to really look after him. Halt was a home away from home for him. A best friend and a mentor.
But Will. Will had no home, no family, all he had was the ward, and not even that was like a true home to him.
And Halt when Halt had accepted him as an Apprentice, they realized he'd also accepted him as a son. A family.
And now he was gone.
Halt had barely any friends because of the Rangers way of life, and he'd accepted that. He'd run away from his old home and come into a new one.
And now the only thing still anchoring him to said home,
Is dead not five feet away.
Halt didn't give up fully though. He'd seem what they hadn't seen. He'd seen who'd killed Will. It was a Wargle that he could identify by the single fang on his lower jaw.
Halt planted an arrow deep into the wargles chest, and didn't try to dodge when another came at him with a knife. He simply took it. He fell to his knees, and was dead before he hit the ground. As the Wargles left the arena, everyone noticed one last thing.
Right after Will's death, Halt had gone closer to Will. Now, in the center of the arena field, lay the two bodies. Halt facing one way, Will facing the other, back to back, blood with blood.
"Together till the bitter end, the father and son shall be. Be it by war, be it by life, together till the bitter end, the father and shall shall see." Duncan whispered.
Morograth assumed that when Will and Halt died, everyone would break and surrender.
He was dead wrong.
As soon as the two Rangers were dead. Duncan stood and yelled "The Battlefield is empty, I say we fill it. Know this is our land, Morograth. Halt and Will knew that. That is why they weren't afraid to die."
Everyone cheered their names and demanded for blood for their friends. Morograth accepted with glee. Thinking This time, Duncan. I win.
And the battle began not five minutes later. Morograth had watched in awe and horror as his army was ripped through like a stick of melted butter. Horace had held the sword high when he said "Will was young, but you are old. You deserve no such life like that you'd taken from him. Halt was old, but his life had just begun. You deserve no such life that you'd taken from him."
And with that, Morograth was ended.
No one partied, no one celebrated. When Alyss heard, she was so devastated, she refused to eat for weeks. Only taking small bits of food. It was a miracle she didn't starve.
Their funeral was placed behind Halt's Cabin. Tug and Abelard had died in the struggle of Will and Halt's capture, they had been determined to protect their best friends. They were buried next to their masters, faithful till the end.
As everyone began to leave, Alyss and Pauline stayed behind. Pauline took a deep breath as she touched she silverleaf around her neck. Crowley had given it to her, telling her Halt had told him, should he ever die in battle, to give it to her. As she stared at his grave, she whispered "You wear the gold, I wear the silver. I love you, Halt"
As Pauline left, Alyss still stayed behind. Her tears fell to the fresh earth on Will grave as she whispered.
"The darkest night, the brightest day, will not bring you back to life.
Goodbye, my love, goodbye, my friend, I hope to see eachother again.
May it be whilst by the sea, may it be just in my dreams.
Goodbye my love. Goodbye my friend, I hope to see eachother again.
Be it by the eternal sleep, be it by the forgotten road.
Goodbye my love. Goodbye my friend.
I know we will see eachother again."
Will sighed as he watched Alyss get up and leave. "So what now, Halt?" He asked. "Really think I have the answer to that?" Halt asked, raising an eyebrow. Will shrugged "You are the mentor."
Halt shrugged back and wrapped an arm around his Apprentice and sons shoulders. "Be that as it may, I think this one, we get to learn together."
Will shook his head at his mentor and father. Tug and Abelard nudged them both. They gasped as a white light surrounded them all.
"You know…I think this adventures gonna be a good one" Will smiled.
Halt hugged him tightly and smiled as well "I believe it is, Will. I believe it is…."