ureshiitamago: *sings a nonsense song about Rangers*

acacia626: *tries to greet you* *glares at ureshiitamago* CUT IT OUT!

ureshiitamago: *pauses* no. *goes back to singing even louder*

acacia626: *facepalm* WELL, I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO SHOUT. HELLO READERS! WELCOME BACK TO OUR FABULOUS STORY. HOPEFULLY YOU DON'T WANT TO KILL US FOR THAT RATHER LONG BREAK, BUT SOMEHOW I DOUBT THAT.

ureshiitamago: You know, I stopped singing when you said Hello readers.

acacia626: …..You could've told me.

ureshiitamago: yada, mendokusai. Omoshirokatta dakedo na.

acacia626: English?

ureshiitamago: Gomen! Eigo, wakarimasen.

acacia626: I give up.

ureshiitamago: *whispers to dear readers* I said, no, it's a pain, but it was interesting. Then I said, sorry, I don't speak English.

acacia626: Anyways, we managed to get a lot of stuff done!

ureshiitamago: (u.u) zzzzzzzzzz

acacia626: ….*irk mark* WAKE UP!

ureshiitamago: _ NUUUUUUUU! (u.u) zzzzzzzzzzzzz

acacia626: I give up. Anyways, here's the story.

"Well done my young protégé! There's hope for you yet!" Evan shouted as she disposed of more enemies. Will sputtered indignantly and went back to firing his longbow as fast as he saw enemies. In the distance, he could hear the sound of approaching hoof beats, and hoped that it was Halt and Horace.

Chapter 6: The Journey, part 1

By the time that Halt and Horace did show up, the enemies were completely decimated, except for one, who was being held captive by Tug and Dipsy, who had gotten over their differences and bonded over love of action. Evan and Will were sitting on the ground, back to back.

Horace looked around, shocked that Evan and Will had managed to defeat so many adversaries. Halt looked around in mild shock as well, but he wasn't as surprised since he knew the extent of Evan's battle prowess.

"That is a weird sword." Horace remarked, indicating Evan's sword as he dismounted from Kicker. Evan grinned from her spot on the ground and waved her sword.

"I picked up the design from my travels, whippersnapper. It's called a Khopesh. I named it Sting."

"Sting?"

"The first thing I fought with it was a big brown bear. Normally I wrestle those, but I wanted to try this sword out. It only made a dent, but it was enough to weaken the bear. It made a delicious soup." Evan said cheerily. Horace's jaw dropped open.

"You wrestle bears?" He nearly shouted in shock. Will looked up at him disbelievingly.

"You doubt Evan could even after you've seen her strength?" Horace shifted uncomfortably. "Well…"

Halt stepped in, his face grim. "Enough. We need to keep going to the coast to see if we can catch the slavers. But," here Halt smirked slightly, "let's ask our new friend to see what he can tell us." They all turned towards the captive, who started sweating slightly under the weight of the stares. Evan grinned savagely.

"I would've killed him, but my little protégé here told me we should leave the interrogating to you, Halt. Said something about how you would be great at it." She said. Dipsy snorted and stomped her foot in agreement. Halt smiled a thin-bladed smile that sent shivers down their captives' spine.

"Why, yes. I do enjoy talking with people who have tried to kill people." He walked over to the captive and grabbed his arm, dragged him over to a tree stump, and sat him against it. Halt took a seat in front of him and leaned forwards.

"Now. Why were you here?" He asked in a low tone, trying to unnerve the man. It worked, for sweat beaded on the man's brow and upper lip. He swallowed nervously.

"I-I was on my way to the nearest town to buy bread."

Minutes later, Halt returned to the group with a stoic face.

"He was recruited by a hooded man to attack us, but he doesn't know what the man looked like."

Will scowled. "So we have nothing to go on?" Evan stood up and rolled her shoulders, sheathing her sword as she did so.

"Sounds like," she admitted, walking over to Dipsy and jumping back onto her back.

"I just hope that when all is said and done, there are the same amount of living creatures as left Redmount," said Evan dryly, crossing her legs and arms.

Horace gaped at her, his expression so totally horrified that Evan just had to laugh.

"How could you say something like that? That just ruins team morale!" Horace gasped. Evan chortled and slapped the back of Dipsy's neck.

"How is it ruining the team morale? I thought Halt would be just as pessimistic!" Horace opened his mouth, about to respond, and then stopped, thinking what she said over, and nodded in agreement.

Will grinned "That is true," and glanced over at Halt to see a rather grumpy looking Ranger. Was he...pouting? No...Halt doesn't pout...right?

"I get pessimistic one day and it's held over my head for all eternity…" the older Ranger grumbled. Evan smirked down at Halt, secretly enjoying being taller than him for a bit.

"Well of course," she simpered, "it's not as though you accidently made Pauline cry over a ghost story or anything, no sir. I'm not trying to exact revenge or anything…" Will and Horace's heads swung back and forth as Halt and Evan enacted a ping pong of comebacks.

"I wouldn't have told that ghost story in the first place if you'd have told me she was scared of ghosts at the time!"

"Oh? Well you didn't ask. So much for caring about others feelings, Mr. Cold-hearted Ranger." Halt sputtered for a second.

"Cold-hearted? I'll have you know, that time you snuck frogs into my bed was pretty cold-hearted!"

"Yeah, about that...aren't Ranger's supposed to notice if someone's been in their cabin? That was a test...you failed...miserably…" More sputtering from Halt.

"You two were friends huh," Horace commented idly, watching the banter and seeing the similarities between that and what he and Will would do.

"NO!" The two definitely-not-friends shouted, swinging their heads to glare at Horace. Halt was gripping the hilt of one of his Saxe knives, and Evan had half-drawn her knitting needle of doom from her belt. Horace blinked, and then raised his hands in self-defense and glanced over at Will with pleading eyes. Will raised an eyebrow, and then sighed, stepping forwards a little, effectively drawing attention away from Horace, who sighed in relief.

"What he meant to say was that the two of you bicker like an old couple, or at least really good friends," Will said in a monotone. Evan's nose wrinkled immediately, and she snarled in disgust.

"Like I would ever be that one's," she poked her unsheathed knitting needle in Halts' direction, "friend!"

"Likewise," said Halt coolly, tapping the handle of his Saxe with his pointer finger.

"Ummm…" The group blinked and looked over at the prisoner, who looked nervous about having interrupted. "I-I don't mean to b-be a bother, but, it s-sounds to me like the tall Knight and the short Ranger are right…" he trailed off as twin glares of pure ice were leveled at him, promising death after lengthy dismemberment and removal of the insides.

"We should get going," snapped Evan, tapping Dipsy on the head. Dipsy snorted and nickered at the other horses, who trotted over to their respective owners and stood still, waiting to be mounted.

Soon, the group was trotting along in silence, the tension ever mounting as they reached nearer to their goal. There was only one thought going through Horace and Will's heads as they stared at the older Knight and Ranger's backs.

'Are we going to get there before they kill each other?'