A/N: This fic is rated T for blood and violence. It's not nightmarishly graphic, but there is some stuff that may be distressing for some. Warning, Will suffers an irreparable and severe injury during this story, so don't say I didn't warn you if you don't like that sort of thing. LOTS of Will!Whump and CaringHalt - because the books absolutely DID NOT have enough of those things to satisfy my evil needs. Also, this will be a chapter story, but I have no idea how long it'll go for. That will depend on whether or not people read it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story! If you want me to continue or have something you'd like to see happen, let me know!

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Autumn had always been Will's absolute favorite time of the year. The smells, the way the world seemed to burst with vibrant colors, the crisp, clean quality of the air…it brought a certain peace to his soul and made him feel happy to be alive.

Today was particularly beautiful, though, with the season currently at its peak. And it was for that reason that Will had decided to study his maps outside on the veranda that morning while Halt was inside the cabin making coffee and breakfast.

Resting his chin on his hand, he sighed as he stared distractedly at the maps, wishing idly that he had been able to ride with Gilan on his mission.

The lanky young ranger had arrived a couple days prior and had departed yesterday morning, borrowing both Tug and Abelard for the ride north. Will had been envious when Gilan told them that he had been tasked with tracking down and apprehending a killer who was currently plaguing Redmont and the surrounding fiefs.

He had even begged Halt to let him tag along with Gilan, but predictably, Halt had refused. Instead, his mentor had told him that he needed to do his studying, otherwise he would never be a successful ranger who was sent out on "cool" missions like Gilan.

So here he was - trying to study, but failing miserably. His mind miles away, daydreaming about his future adventures as a full-fledged ranger. Soon enough, he would be the one out there hunting down bandits and murderers...

And that's when his musings were disrupted by a quiet rustling sound coming from inside the barn.

His eyebrows narrowed and his head shot up attentively. He knew that both horses were far away with Gilan…so what, or who, was making that noise…

He sat perfectly still, straining to hear, and then he heard it again - the faint sound of something heavy shifting within the depths of the furthest stall. Whatever it was was living - and it was trying not to be heard.

Will glanced back at the cabin, wondering if he should alert Halt, but ultimately he decided against it - at least for the time being.

He knew he had better make sure it was actually a threat before calling Halt…because he knew he would never hear the end of it if he called Halt outside for a cat or stray dog. And frankly, Will would rather deal with whatever monster was lurking in the barn than Halt if the man's coffee got messed up.

So, as quietly as he could, he made sure his bow and quiver of arrows were readily accessible, and then he picked up his throwing knife. His intent was to throw the knife and startle whatever was inside, hopefully the sudden noise would cause it to dash out, or at the very least make noise that would tell him what he was dealing with.

It worked like a charm.

With a loud WHACK the knife struck the back wall, blade burying itself deep within the wood of the shelter. And that's when Will heard a low chuckle. The sound sent a shiver up his spine.

That was all the proof he needed, with eyes locked on the barn, he thudded his foot against the deck in a rhythm that Halt would be able to hear and feel - its beat meaningless to anyone but his mentor; It meant there was danger nearby.

Will's eyes never looked away from the barn, but he didn't need to glance behind himself to know that Halt had come. He could feel the presence of the old ranger, and his heart stilled a little knowing he was there with him.

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Halt had dropped what he was doing when he heard Will's message drummed across the floor. The boy knew better than to play games like that, so he knew full well that something was wrong. He grabbed his longbow and his quiver of arrows as he ghosted out onto the porch to stand beside his apprentice. The younger man was staring with his eyes locked on the barn.

It took a moment, but after straining his ears, he too heard the faint sound of movement from within the furthest stall.

He placed a hand on Will's shoulder and his apprentice turned to look sidelong at him momentarily, mouthing the words 'It's a man' to him.

Halt scowled at the information and removed his hand from Will's shoulder, using it to nock an arrow and take aim at the doorway.

Will jumped slightly when Halt called out to the intruder, "We know you're in there! Step out so we can see you!"

Nothing.

Will now raised his own bow, training it on the door where Halt's was pointed. Something was certainly not right.

They heard the chuckle again, it was a sinister sound that set them both on edge. But Halt was growing tired of the games, and he was a little harder to scare than Will. After giving Will the signal to stay put and watch the door, Halt slipped off the porch and moved across the yard without making a sound.

Will could feel his heart thudding hard in his chest, he could see it causing his bow arm to waver ever so slightly with each beat...And then something occurred to him…could this be the person Gilan had gone on the mission to find? The thought made his blood run cold as he watched Halt's cloak disappear around the corner of the barn.

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Halt was a master in the art of unseen and silent movement, and it didn't take him long to cover the ground behind the barn without alerting their visitor.

His plan had been simple: sneak up from the opposite direction while the man thought they were both near the house, then he could use the element of surprise to gain the upper hand on the intruder. Additionally, considering the sounds he had heard and what he had seen from the veranda, he had deduced the person was hiding just inside the stall door and around the corner - which, given the angle of the barn, eliminated the possibility of them being seen from any vantage point around the cabin...but not from the woods. They would be visible enough.

Almost there…just a few more paces and he knew the trespasser would be in his sights.

His bow was drawn, and time was beginning to slow as he moved into position. He had to be fast -

But as it happened, he wasn't fast enough.

For as he was about to round the corner, he heard the man in the barn move, followed by a sound that made his heart drop into his boots…

It was the simultaneous thrumming of two bows; one the deep-thrum of a full-sized longbow, and the other, the lighter thrum of his apprentice's recurve…

And then he heard the loud thud, followed by the sound that every archer associated with death…the sound of an animal jerking and writhing in its final moments after being run through with an arrow. Without lowering his weapon, Halt ceased trying to be stealthy and ran the last few paces before stopping in shock at the scene before him.

The intruder was lying on the ground in a pool of bright pink, bubbling blood, one of Will's grey arrows buried halfway to the fletching inside the man's chest. A lung shot.

However, his attention only remained on the man long enough to ascertain that he was dead, then his eyes shot to the porch...Just in time to see Will collapse.

The young man landed hard on his back and knocked his head into the wall…But Halt hadn't seen where the arrow had hit him.

All Halt knew for certain was that Will was hurt and that he needed him.

In a matter of seconds, he found himself beside his apprentice, kneeling down to pull him into his arms. He saw now that the arrow had struck Will in the lower portion of his leg, about mid-shin. And he knew from the placement that it had struck and shattered bone…

The implications of Will's injury caused a lightning strike of panic to tear through his heart, but he shook his head, he couldn't afford to think like that - they could cross that bridge when, or IF, they came to it, but right now Will needed immediate medical care.

He looked around helplessly, tears of desperation and fear burning in his eyes. With both horses gone and Gilan not due back until later in the evening at the earliest…he had no good options for getting Will the treatment he needed. He didn't want to leave him home alone, injured and defenseless, but he couldn't carry him the distance to Redmont Castle, either.

It was rare for Halt to show emotion, but with no one around, he allowed himself to scream in frustration.

There was nothing he could do at this point but try his best, and Will's best hope would be for Halt to bring a healer here. He would just have to run to the castle for help. Hell, he would run to the ends of the earth for the boy he held in his arms…

So Halt lifted Will up and carried him into the house. As quickly and as gently as he could, he laid the boy on his own bed and then looked once more at the injury. To see that weapon buried inside of his beloved apprentice offended him. He could scarcely stand the sight of it, but even as he wanted to remove it, he left it alone. Knowing Will would bleed out even faster if the object was removed before the physician arrived.

There was already too much blood bubbling out already...he had to do something about it before he left to fetch the physician.

He spoke quiet reassurances to Will as he pulled his belt off and wrapped it around the young man's leg, then he cinched it down tight. After assessing that the tourniquet was doing its job, Halt unbuckled his cloak and draped it over Will.

And now he had to run - run like he had never run before. Each stride that carried him closer to the castle was filled with a prayer - God, help us make it back in time…God, help us...