Chapter One

Will was scared. He wasn't sure if he'd make it back to his mentor this time. They had tortured him to the end of the world, is what it felt like. He seriously regretted not telling Halt. Yet, for some reason, he didn't at the same time.

"Remember," Alan, his most recent torturer, hissed. "Tell anyone and your mentor dies."

Pushing him away, Will fell onto some sharp rocks which hurt him even more. The second he knew Alan was gone, he curled up into a ball and cried. He was dirty and his cloak was torn to shreds. He had multiple wounds, some of which were bleeding. Knowing he'd have to go back to Halt at some point, he went to find Tug.

He found Tug. But the sight of Tug was horrific. He was bleeding and had many stab wounds. Even if he did live, he could never be a Ranger horse again.

"Tug... Tug! No Tug! No! Please don't die on me! Please!" the beaten apprentice cried.

But no matter what he tried, it didn't matter. He knew if he didn't get back soon Halt would be furious, but he couldn't leave his horse. He wouldn't. So he stayed there.

Meanwhile, back at the little cabin Will had grown to call his home, a mentor paced back and forth waiting for his apprentice. But after about an hour, he gave up waiting. He was going to look for him.

Will had left a not-so-obvoius trail. It was clear to Halt that he had token great pains to try cover his path. Yet Halt, being Halt, still could follow the trail, even if the going was slow.

It wasn't long before he found his apprentice, covered in dirt and blood. He wasn't doing so well. Halt slid off Abelard and ran towards the boy. He touched Will's shoulder and saw the boy cower in fear, almost hitting Halt in the face. He turned and saw his mentor there, almost instantly collapsed in his arms, crying.

Halt held the boy tight, swearing he would kill whoever did this. "Shh... It's alright. I'm here. No one's going to get you now."

"They, they killed, Tug! They, they killed, killed him!" Will sobbed into Halt cloak.

Halt rubbed the boys back as he pulled an extra cloak from his saddle bag and wrapped it around Will. Then, putting the boy on Abelard, he walked home, with Will crying all the way.


Thanks for reading. Please review. FYI this will most likely have three to four chapters. Thanks!