First, this is loooonnngg. I know. Horrifyingly long. It was either it be long or have hundreds of chapters. I wrote this a long time ago, maybe two-ish years, so it's bad. Lots of stuff happens. Read on, if you dare. Mwhahaha! Also, please be aware that orginially I wrote this as a whole book, rather than just chapters, so I had to edit a LOT to get it to the point of readable.
*Imma line break*
A lone rider rode along the trail, his horse silently plodding along. He had been riding a while and was looking forward to a nice warm bed. Suddenly the horse pawed the ground.
The rider said one word. "Where?" The horse flipped it's head to the left. "I see him." he murmured, quieting his horse. Appearing casual he dismounted and pretended to check his horse's hoof for a stone. Though his head remained still, his eyes searched for the man his animals had warned him of. Then a man burst out of the bracken, swinging a sword at him. It was intercepted by a saxe knife.
"So Will Treaty, we meet at last." the attacker spat.
"Pleasure's all mine, Jason Howler." Will spat back.
Jason threw his sword into an overhead cut, Will blocking it just in time. Will recovered quick as a cat and flicked his saxe knife out in a side cut. It slit Jason's side and he howled, glaring at Will. He growled viciously and drew a dagger and cut at Will, landing a lucky shot in his side. Will grunted in pain and Jason flung a fistful of dirt into Will's face. Will cried out and fell to the ground. Jason laughed maniacally and clambered onto Tug. The little horse eyed him for a second or two, then twisted into a wild bucking rage. Jason managed to get a grip just before Tug started and yelled a string of curses at the little bucking horse. Tug reared up then immediately went into a buck. Jason flew from the saddle, crashing head first into a tree. He groaned, slumping to the ground unconscious.
Will lay slumped over, his face held in his hands.
*Imma line break*
Malcolm paced nervously. His messenger had brought grave news of a battle between Will and a bandit. Remembering the messenger he turned to him. "Thank you Girt, you have brought important news. Tobar! Will needs us."
*Imma line break*
Will woke with a start. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud. He was aware of a burning in his side.
"Ahh, Will. Good to see you're awake."
That voice. Will thought. It's so familiar... yet I can't quite place it. I wish that this thing weren't covering my eyes. He thought. He felt it and discovered that they were rags.
He started to pull them off but the speaker put their hand over them, stopping Will. Then it clicked into place.
"Is that you Malcolm?" he asked.
"Yes Will, it's me."
"Why are these rags covering my eyes?" Will asked.
"Time for that later. For now, eat." Malcolm said, laying down a platter of broth, bread, and coffee. He knew how much Will liked coffee. Then he left Will to eat in peace.
When Will was sure Malcolm was gone, he took of the rags. He sat there for a second or two, and then sobbed, the tears shaking him.
He couldn't see.
*Imma line break*
Halt's world fell apart. Everyone who knew Halt and Will well knew that they had come to think of Will as the son he never had, so he felt Will's injury as if his own.
He mounted Abelard and rode off to Mackinaw.
*Imma line break*
"How did it happen?" Will asked.
"Girt, one of my people, saw you fighting that man. He threw dirt at you and you fell down. Girt said you were holding your face in your hands, as if you were hurt. I'm sorry I wasn't able to save your eyes. I tried. I really did." Malcolm said.
"Thank you for trying, but I would like to go now. I have to report to Crowley." Will said. "He's the Ranger Corps Commandment." he added, guessing the old healer's confusion.
"No. For now you stay here."
"Fine." Will said, clearly annoyed at the prospect of waiting.
*Imma line break*
Halt arrived at Healer's Clearing just as Malcolm was leading Will out of the cabin. Will was favoring his left side, the side that Jason had wounded. Halt ran over to him and teared up, just a little.
"Halt, is that you?" Will asked.
"Yes Will, I'm here." Halt choked out.
"Halt, I didn't get Jason." Will said; mad at himself for not getting the bandit.
"Jason doesn't matter, Will. But you do. How, how are you?" Halt asked.
"Halt... I can't be a Ranger anymore! How can I be a Ranger if I can't shoot an arrow, throw a knife, conceal myself?" cried Will.
"You may still be able to be a Ranger." Halt said, thinking carefully about his next words. "You could be an undercover Ranger, gathering information, or you could be a regular Ranger, just using your other senses such as hearing. You just may not be able to shoot a bow…"
"Really? When can I start? Who will teach me?" Will said, the questions tumbling out of his mouth.
"So you still ask multiple questions at once." Halt muttered. "I can teach you some of what you have to know, and then Turk can teach you the rest."
"Who's Turk?" asked Will.
"Turk is a Ranger, but he's blind. He works as an undercover Ranger, though he can still fight." explained Halt.
"Can we start training now?" Will asked excitedly. He had thought that he would have to give up the one thing he loved most; being a Ranger. Now Halt had given him hope that he could continue doing what he loved most. Will wasn't about to pass that up.
"No you can't! You'll break that wound in your side right open, and you'll have to wait even longer." Malcolm put in.
*Imma line break*
Alyss paced nervously. Will should've been back four days ago! Her mind raced, her imagination making up horrible thoughts.
What if he had gotten injured, and was lying somewhere in the woods dying? What if he was already dead? What if he had gotten lost?
No, he's a fully trained Ranger. He's fully capable of taking care of himself. She told herself. But what if…?
Alyss pushed the thoughts out of her mind. He would be fine.
*Imma line break*
Several weeks later Halt had Will up and training.
"Ok Will, I'm the enemy and pretend that this stick is your saxe knife." Halt said, handing Will a stick about the same size and weight of his real knife. "I have a similar one."
"Ok Halt."
"Try to defeat me." Halt said.
Will waited, testing the size and weight of the stick by feeling it. As he felt the top and bottom, and felt something round and cold, metal maybe? "Halt, what are these?"
"Metal weighters. They make the stick more like your saxe knife so that way you don't get used to a fighting with a stick."
"Oh."
"Now go." Halt said impatiently.
Will paused, listening keenly for Halt to move. He heard a rustle, and then a light thud thud thud as Halt ran towards him. Will ducked to the side and Halt redirected himself. He brought his stick down, stopping just before he hit Will and tapped him in the side.
"A deadly slash to the side." Halt said.
They kept at this for a few hours. Finally, Halt called a break.
"You're getting better." Halt said.
"No, Halt. I'm not. Every time you beat me! I'm worthless now. All I can see is black, black, black. Nothing else! I can't do it Halt." Will shouted, stomping away. The effect was ruined by Will walking right into a tree. Halt couldn't suppress a snicker and Will sat back down, angrily glaring at the world around him, though he couldn't see it.
Malcolm choose that minute to walk in, finding Will glaring at a tree that was just off to the side of Halt, and Halt just barely hiding a smile. 'What's up?' the old healer mouthed.
Halt shook his head, putting a look on his face that said not to ask.
Malcolm nodded, thinking. "Well Will, it's time for you to go back to your bed."
"No, I don't need to! I've been in that bed for the past 3 weeks! At this rate, I'm going to spend my whole life in that damned bed." But he went back with Malcolm anyways.
*Imma line break*
"Ok Will, you can go home." said Malcolm. "And just in time too, because I'm out of coffee." Between Halt and Will, they drank about 6 or 7 cups a day.
"Thank goodness! You're driving me crazy!" Will said.
"And you, I." Malcolm shot back. Will's wound had been opened multiple times throughout his stay at Healer's Clearing, and Malcolm was always having to tell Will to get back into his bed. Halt didn't help much either, always saying that he needs fresh air, and that exercise would help the most.
Will would be sad to leave Shadow though. That had been one of the best parts of his life recently. Shadow even often left Tobar's side to sleep with Will. To Will it seemed that Shadow knew he needed her.
*Imma line break*
Tug and Abelard plodded silently along, and only Will heard them clearly, as his sense of hearing had been heightened considerably throughout the past month or so.
Finally, Redmount peaked over the trees, and Halt nudged Will, telling him.
Then a bush rustled, and both Ranger's perked mentally.
"Hear it?" Will asked.
"Yep." Halt replied. The exchange had been almost inaudible.
Will listened, straining his ears for the sound. There, it happened again! Too much too be the wind.
Then, the person burst out of the bushes.
"So, Will Treaty," Jason spat, "we meet again." Will started, surprised that Jason of all people, would show up once again.
Halt touched Will's arm and slid his finger in the direction of Jason. Will nodded, turning that way. "Fate must say that you must die by a Ranger's hand."
"Or, that you must die by my hand!" Jason shouted, hurling himself at Will. Tug tensed, then reared up and spun, then bucking Jason back. He flew back 5 or 6 meters, the wind knocked out of him. Then Will dismounted clumsily trying to find the stirrup, and drew his saxe. Jason then recovered, and turned to face Will.
"Can't even face your attacker with your eyes open, huh Will?" Jason sneered.
"Oh, I can, it just serves no purpose." Will replied easily. Jason, being not too quick on the uptake thought this through.
"So you disappeared because you were at home in bed because of your eyes?" Jason sneered once more.
"You know, sometimes-" he cut off as he lunged for Jason, who was slow to react as he was waiting for the rest of the sentence. Will nicked Jason's arm before he recovered. Jason threw a savage cut with his sword at Will's chest, but missed, as Halt jumped in blocking it. Halt had been watching with interest, but of course had his saxe knife ready to go if Will needed help.
"Can't even fight your own fights, huh Will Treaty? I don't even see how you got so popular." Jason said. Then he cut, again and again at Will, forcing Will back as he didn't even know where the sword was coming from. Then a tree at his back.
He was oddly accepting of his fate. He tensed as he waited for Jason to deal the final blow.
Then Jason fell to the side. Will's expression turned confused, until he remembered Halt.
"You forgot about me." he said. Will was unsure whether halt was talking to Jason or him. Will felt weak with relief.
*Imma line break*
Alyss heard a knock on the door. She got up to open it, dodging Ebony who was asleep. She opened the door. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she rushed out and hugged him. Then she held him out. There was Will, all in one piece. Except... his eyes were shut. Halt guided Will in once Alyss was done, and showed Will to a seat.
"So, what happened? And why are your-" Alyss couldn't finish her sentence.
"Alyss," Will began awkwardly "Jason, blinded me."
Alyss sat, shocked for a moment, then fell into unstoppable tears. They shook her body and when she couldn't cry anymore she looked up. "Is it true?" she asked, just barely managing to choke to words out through her sadness.
"Yes, it is." Halt confirmed.
So Will told her the whole story, with Halt putting in little comments like the 'walking into a tree' incident.
When the story was told, Alyss looked up at Will with a whole new respect in her eyes.
"So, you can still be a Ranger?" Alyss asked, still not quite believing it.
"If Turk is willing to help me." Will replied, even though he knew that he would help him.
Alyss nodded, then remembering that Will couldn't see her, said "Ok."
*Imma line break*
Halt guided Will out to Tug and tried to help him up. Will waved him away, and mounted.
About time we're on the road again.
Will started, because he hadn't heard Tug talk to him since he was blinded. Then he shook his head. Of course Tug would still talk, he was Tug!
He signaled for Tug to go, and they were off again, to see Turk.
*Imma line break*
Sooo...how was it? *Asks nervously* I know, I was really obsesed with blindness, and was almost always thinking about it sooo I made Will blind. Wowww. Talk about making your wishes come true for your characters. :L
Hope you liked, review what you thought please? Also, if you find any typos please POLITELY tell me, and I'll fix them as soon as I can.
~Wisper Ranger 26