I am so sorry that this took so long, but I seemed to have decided to restart this story at a bad time. My days are filled with schoolwork and assignments, so I've only been able to write about two or three sentences a day. I'll try my best to post chapters sooner, but no promises.

Disclaimer: A man in a green and grey mottled cloak mysteriously appears out of nowhere. "FireRanger101 does not own Ranger's Apprentice or Avengers." He than vanishes from sight.

He couldn't believe this. He was in shock, just looking at the grass under his feet because he felt as if it shouldn't even be there! One moment he was standing in the apartment, and the next he was surrounded by sparkles and ended up here.

Is this really just a dream? He asked himself for the second time that day.

Clint kneeled down to his height, and looked him in the eyes, his own sparkling in the sun.

"Lets start heading for my friend's house, it's a ways away from here. We might as well start now, okay?"

"Okay." The boy replied timidly, still unsure if this was real or not.

Clint stood up and shaded his eyes from the sun with a hand. "Alright, but first we need to go grab some horses over at that village. Its way too far to get there on foot."

He took Jack's hand and they began their trek to the town. They walked through the lush grass for awhile, and then began traveling on the road. A couple of people who looked to be wearing very strange clothes passed them, carrying bundles of grain on their shoulders or crates of vegetables.

When they finally made it, Jack sensed an air of coziness and friendliness about it. A nearby bakery had its doors wide open, inviting customers in with the smell of fresh-made bread and pastries. There were people bargaining for more suitable prices of food and live-stock at small booths, and children were playing in the street with a small dog.

"Come on Jack, over here." Clint motioned his nephew over to small building that had some wooden stables attached to its side.

The horses inside seemed to be worn and over worked. They had patches of hair that was missing, and the bones in there flanks were somewhat sticking out. In front of the stables was a man who was sitting on a stool, leaning on the wall behind him. His arms were crossed and a simple cap was covering his face.

Clint walked over and lightly kicked the bottom of the man's upturned foot. That caused him to jerk awake with a start, groggily looking around until his eyes found the man who was responsible.

"Hey, what did you do that for? I've been sitting here all day long, and than when I finally get some shuteye, you decide to just waltz up and kick me!" The now angered man accused, while he violently gestured around as he talked.

"Well, I'm sorry for startling your nap, but my nephew and I are in a bit of a hurry. We would like to purchase some of your horses." While he placed a hand on his chin, the archer added "But, seeing as you are on a break I suppose that we'll just have to go elsewhere. Come on Jack, on our way in I believe I saw some decent horses being sold over that way." He began to walk out, placing a hand on the confused boy's shoulder as he guided him back to the street.

The man's angered look now left as he took in what he had just been told. His face started to turn pink from embarrassment and he quickly got into business mode. "No, no! That is completely unnecessary; this heat is just giving me a bad temper is all. Come, come right this way!"

He rushed in front of the pair and than lead them back towards the horses, intent on getting some money. "Now then, what types of horses would you good gentlemen be needing? Some reliable pack carriers, or perhaps something more capable to travel quickly?"

"Well, how about those two over there?" Clint said while pointing to some near the back. He made his over, the boy right on his heels.

"An excellent choice, you have quite an eye for steeds!" The owner said with a very obviously forced smile upon his face. He began to lead the grey mare and brown gelding that Clint had pointed out over to them.

Jack slowly walked up to the grey, stroking her muzzle that was a few centimeters above his own head. Her old brown eyes were filled with the wisdom that comes from years of working and a quit gentleness.

He looked her over while his uncle and the owner bargained prices. He noticed that she seemed to calmly stand there while the gelding was prancing against his lead with impatience.

"Jack, are you gonna help me saddle them up?" He perked up the mention of his name, and eagerly bounded over to where Uncle Clint was holding a saddle. The leather was old and worn, it looked as if it was tired of having to keep together and was only barely trying to stay intact.

Clint showed him how to put it and a bridle on the mare, and when he was certain that the boy could do it on his own, he began to prepare the gelding.

When they were finished and Clint paid the man, they led the horses out of the stables by their bridles. They left the town boundaries and than he motioned for them to stop.

Clint went over to the mare's side and crouched down, than intertwined his fingers together. "Alright, I'll give you a leg up. But put down the toy for a minute so you can get on."

Jack placed the appaloosa that he had been carrying the whole time on the ground. He than placed his foot onto the make-shift stool and climbed up and over atop the horse.

The archer straightened up and quickly taught his nephew the basics to riding a horse. He handed him the plushy, which the boy tucked in-between his stomach and the pummel of the saddle. Than the archer went over and swung himself onto his own steed.

He slightly turned in his seat and looked at the boy with a smile. "You ready?"

Jack replied with an excited nod and grin. "Ready!"

"Than let's move out!" The phrase was accompanied with a flick of Clint's reins and the steady sound of hoof beats.

For the first few minutes, Jack sat stiffly in the saddle, trying to make sure he was doing everything completely right. Than after he was positive he was doing a good job, he relaxed and settled in to look at the landscape surrounding him.

On his right was open farmland, the farmers themselves working the land with beads of sweet rolling down their sunburned faces. To his left was a stone structure with an area in the back that was littered with young men and teens with swords and shields, he could hear the sounds of steel against steel coming from it. At the moment, the pair was heading back towards the direction of the forest that they had come from.

As Jack was looking at the forest, all of a sudden a figure clad in a green cloak seemed to magically materialize from the trees themselves. He was astride a black horse, which was shorter and stockier than the one he was on.

The boy nervously looked over to his uncle, both curious and frightened from what he had just observed.

But Clint wasn't paying attention to him. Instead, he looked at the figure with a grin and raised a hand in greeting.

"Ranger Halt! Fancy meeting you today, how have you been?"

Jack looked at the man perplexed. Why did he draw that guy's attention to us? How does he even know him?

When the now dubbed Ranger Halt came closer, the boy could make out some of his features. He had a beard that was gray but was peppered with black; the rest of his face was in shadows because of his deep, upturned hood. Jack also noticed with some fright a wicked long-bow strewn across his back, along with a quiver of arrows.

Ranger Halt flipped his hood back with a quick movement of his hand, revealing a pair of sharp, calculating eyes. A deep-set frown appeared to be plastered on his face, not even budging upwards at the site of someone he supposedly knew.

"Barton, what are you doing here?"

Hoped you liked it! Please review, I love comments.