A/N: Hello everyone! I have strep throat, a headache, and can barely walk, but I'm doing this anyway. It probably won't be the best quality, but I'll try my best. For those who didn't know, I changed the last chapter a little, so go back if you haven't already. Bonus points to anyone who realized that I named the antagonist after myself. Many thanks to all readers, reviewers, favoriters, and followers, etc., etc. And ACTION!

Disclaimer:If I owned Ranger's Apprentice, why in the world would I be writing fanfiction?

"My god, it's so good to see you all again."

Alyss, Will, Halt, and Maddie were sitting around the table Will's cabin. As they waited, Alyss spoke again.

"Though, I'm not entirely sure why you're here, Maddie."

Will suddenly spoke up, "Oh! I forgot you didn't know! Maddie is my apprentice."

Alyss blinked. She hadn't expected that. Sighing, she realized how much she had missed when captured by that- well, whatever Raven was. Of course, the other Arissens wouldn't have been able to escape, but for some reason, Alyss had been resistant to the drugs

"So what happened?" Maddie asked, "How did you survive?"

Alyss shook her head. This was going to sound really weird. "The thing is, I didn't."

Halt frowned. "What do you mean you didn't?"

"I mean, I never lived through that fire. I was brought back to life. I know this sounds strange, but just hear me out, alright?"

They nodded, and she continued, "I woke up in this camp. It was odd, and there were others with me. People who, I'm guessing, were supposed to be dead as well. We were shoved into a line by guards, and each given a small, glass vial. They ordered us to drink up, so we did. A sort of haze came over me,and the next thing I knew, I had an urge to do whatever Raven, the leader, wanted me to. I'm not sure how much time passed, but me and a few others managed to shake off the drug. I don't know where the others went, but I came here."

Will cocked his head,"Raven? Who's Raven?"

"I don't know anything else. I'm guessing I was there for a month or two, but I can't remember much of it."

Halt shook his head sadly, "Alyss, you were there for much longer than a month."

"How long was I?" She asked, frowning.

"A little more than a year."

Alyss gaped in shock. A year?! A whole year?! No wonder she had missed so much! She had been gone for much longer than she had thought.

Halt had an inquisitive look in his eyes, "What were the names of the people with you?"

"Well, there was a young girl named Anna, I think it was, a boy named Andross, and a woman named Sasha. Oh, and there was a man named Ferris. It's strange, but he seemed sort of familiar." She heard Halt's sharp intake of breath and looked at him questioningly, "What?"

"Nothing," Halt said, but she was sure that he had recognized that name somehow, "In any case, why do you think this Raven would want to bring back people from the dead?"

Alyss shrugged, "I have no idea. Will?" He shook his head. Then Maddie spoke up.

"Maybe she wants an army."

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River scrambled across the treetops, unwilling to travel on the ground. She didn't want to make it easy for her sister to follow her. Hell, She thought bitterly Raven probably doesn't even know that I've escaped. If Raven knew, she reasoned, I would've been caught already. River had to warn the Araluens of the upcominng battle, had to tell them of certain people who could be trained to fight fire with fire, so to speak.

People who could be trained in magic.

River knew that she could be recognized as a foreigner. Her black hair and dark complexion made sure of that. But she also knew that this Halt person needed to be warned, lest he be killed before the battle started.

Luckily, River knew exactly where to find him.

A/N: Well, I hope you all enjoyed that. Sorry for the clumsy writing, but this bright screen really isn't good for my headache. Let me know about any mistakes and I'll make sure to change them once I'm feeling better. And remember, any ideas are welcome!

-Raven