Chapter 1
Horace shielded Will as he knocked an arrow in his bow, ready to hit one of the Temujai. Horace moved too early and an arrow hit Will square in the chest. He staggered backward. He removed the arrow and shot his own. Arrow after arrow he fired, twice more getting hit by enemy arrows. He dropped to his knees. Horace saw that and kneeled down next to his friend.
'Are you alright?' Horace said concern evident in his voice.
Will didn't answer. He was on all fours, looking at the ground. He coughed and Horace saw, with horror, that Will was coughing up blood. Horace crouched down to get a look at his friends face. Will's face was contorted with pain. Horace panicked.
"Will!" Horace said, lifting his friend up by the shoulders. "Lay on your back."
He did that, in much pain. Horace ran his hands over Will's chest and stomach, trying to find the wound and stop the blood flow. Evenlyn saw the motion and came to stand over Horace.
'What are you doing?' she asked.
'Will's hurt, and I'm trying to find where,' Horace replied.
'Will's hurt?'
Horace and Evenlyn turned to see a Temujai warrior, who had a broad sword and a Saxe knife. Horace got up to defend his wounded friend, unsheathing his sword.
'Now, now. I don't want to have to hurt you,' said the burly warrior.
'Sod off,' replied Horace.
'You hurt my feelings!' said the warrior as he swung his sword at Horace.
Will got up and knocked an arrow in the bow. He pointed it at the Temujai warrior's chest.
Halt had been watching when he saw Will get up from his place on the ground and point an arrow at the large foreigner's chest. Halt ran towards them, salt sweat running down his brow, but all too late. The man had thrown Horace aside and advanced on Will. Halt watched in horror as he saw his apprentice being cut open through the stomach. Ripping through flesh and muscle, Will fell to the ground, blood spilling from his body. With a gash through his abdomen, he was on deaths door steps. Halt stopped wide eyed, looking at what he felt had become his son over the years. Tears filled his eyes, spilling unstoppably down his face. Erak ran up to him, wondering why he had stopped.
'Halt, what's the matter?' he asked.
Halt, unable to speak for the hard lump in his throat, wiped the tears from his face, and pointed out that there was a Temujai warrior standing feet away from killing Princess Cassandra. They ran to stop him and it was Halt who- filled with anger for the loss of his student and, more importantly, his friend- killed the warrior.
Halt walked over to where Will lay dying. Blood stained the trampled snow, seeping out of Will's body all too fast. Halt fell to his knees beside his friend's body, Horace and Erak joining him. Will opened his eyes slightly, tried to sit up but Halt stopped him.
'Stay,' he said softly.
Will was in pretty bad shape and there was no way that he could survive. He closed his eyes. His breathing became slow and shallow, as if he were sleeping. He looked peaceful enough. Halt placed a hand on his head. Horace let out a sob that came from deep down in his soul.
