Authors Note: Geeze it's been a long time! –sigh-, school and exams, got to love 'em both. Anyways….
XxXx
Gilan urged the stubborn plow horse forward, cursing under his breath. If he didn't know that the horse had more stamina than him, even though it was going a lot slower than he could easily run, he would have gotten off and sprinted all the way to the ruins. He kicked the horse in the ribs desperately. It only turned its head around and looked at him lazily.
"Come on, you slow animal!" Gilan said heatedly, wishing desperately that he had Blaze. "Blaze could have been there and back twice by now!"
The animal tossed its head and whinnied softly, coming to a dead stop. Gilan sighed, irritated that the animal had a mind of its own, and after a minutes pause, he was able to get the horse moving again, this time slightly faster than before.
Gilan kicked the horse again, this time it turned around and bit angrily at its rider's leg. Gilan wince and glared at the creature. It was obvious that the horse was going to go the pace it wanted to go, and no faster.
"You're lucky I have to return you to the farmer." Gilan said in a threatening tone, the horse shook its head and continued at its own pace.
It was well into the afternoon when they reached the plains. The horse fidgeted and kept trying to go back, but Gilan was more persistent. By now Gilan's heart was starting to race, if his former master, Will, the Baron, and Sir Rodney had beaten the Kalkara and started back, than they should have seen each other by now. Could something have happened? Were they hurt?
Gilan squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth together, 'Don't think about that.' He told himself sternly, 'they're fine.' Despite his efforts to try and convince himself that they were all right, a cold feeling of dread gripped his heart.
"Please be okay." He whispered, griping the reins tighter in his hands as he righted the horse as it tried to turn around. "Please, be okay."
XxXx
Will had collapsed face down and out of breath in the tall grass. His legs could go no farther despite what his mind told them. Abelard, Blaze, and Tug stopped the moment he did, and Tug nosed him softly with his snout when his master didn't move.
Will rolled helplessly to his side and looked up at the three horses, Blaze and Abelard had moved away to graze, but Tug just stood above him, watching with large, sad, eyes.
"What did I do?" Will choked, tears started forming in his eyes again. " I let three legendary people die-." His voice cut off as a retching sob came up from his chest. "What is going to happen now, Tug?" Pictures of Crowley and Gilan popped into his head. What were they going to do to him? Expel him from the corps? Send him away in a disgrace?
Will curled himself into a ball and before he could think of anything else, was fast asleep. But his sleep wasn't peaceful, oh no. Dreams of the Kalkara attack replayed over and over. He could clearly see Sir Rodney fall and Halt turn back to look at him, with an accusing look on his face.
In one of the reoccurring dreams, Halt even raised a arm for help. Will fought in his dream to help his master, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not move closer. Eventually Halts arm fell to the ground and a shameful look crossed his face as he stared at his apprentice for the last time. The Kalkara let out an earsplitting scream, and Will sat bolt up right, wide awake and shaking violently.
He rolled on to his back and stared up at the stars, biting back the tears that threatened to break loose, he had cried enough for less than two days. He could hear the Kalkara's screams in his head. Shivers and chills ran freely down his skin as the night grew colder, he pulled his cloak around him and shut his eyes.
Some time during the night a soft sound woke the horses, nothing loud enough to wake Will, a fully trained Ranger perhaps, not an apprentice. All three horses tensed as the figure approached, they were confused. The figure that came fast towards them smelt familiar, but at the same time was strange.
It was Blaze who discovered who the figure was first, with a loud cry the horse took off at a dead run across the short distance that lay between him and his master.
Gilan was deeply confused, even at the distance he was when Blaze took off towards him, he could only see three horses and one person. Fear raced through out his body as he drew closer. Where were the others? Blaze danced happily around him until Gilan ordered the horse to silence, but no sooner had Blaze gotten quiet than the other two horses let out happy whinnies to their friend.
Will sat up, looking around quickly for the reason why the horses were acting this way, and the moment he saw Gilan he jumped to his feet and ran to the older Ranger. Gilan jumped off of the workhorse and wrapped Will in a tight hug.
The Ranger could feel the boy's body trembling and he held the boy an arms length a way for a second as he asked the question feared by both of them.
"Where are the others?"
