A/N Oh MY Goodness! I am sosososososososo sorry i haven't updated in forever! Sorry! don't kill me!

Will: You left me hanging!

me: what? *looks incredibly confused*

Will: What is happening to me? there's nothing about me in this entire chapter!

me: not everything's about you

Will: this story is

me: shut up

~Gilan POV~

Castle Araluen loomed ahead. Gilan looked at Halt.

"Tell me again why we're going right past the king's castle?" he asked.

"Yeah! Won't someone wonder what we're doing?" Horace put in.

"Call it a whim. This is the way they'll least expect us to go," Halt said.

"Halt?" Horace said, looking at the old Ranger like he'd grown another head. "We're on a major road. Why wouldn't we go this way?"

"Halt's assuming they'll look for us in the wilds first since we're Rangers and can disappear into the wild places and never be found or tracked. It's pretty brilliant actually. We're hiding in the open." Gilan answered for Halt.

"Exactly." Halt said.

~Halt POV~

"So now What?"

Halt turned to glare at Horace.

"Now we follow the river to the coast," he said irritably. "But first—"

"Lunch?" Horace interrupted. The large warrior turned his horse towards an inn without waiting for a reply.

Halt rolled his eyes and sighed. He followed Horace and Gilan into the crowded inn.

~Gilan POV~

The serving girl had just set down three bowls of stew and a loaf of fresh bread and returned to the kitchen. Gilan was about to tear the loaf into pieces for Halt, Horace, and himself, when Halt was suddenly hauled up out of his chair.

"Well, well. Didn't expect to see you here! What do you say you join us? Plenty of room!" Gilan's jaw dropped as he saw Erak grasping Halt's shoulder and gesturing to a corner of the room where several other Skandians sat. The other guests had given them a wide berth.

"Well, there is something you might be able to help us with..."

"So Erak, what brings you here to Araluen?" Gilan asked.

"Had some trouble with one of them archers stationed in Hallasholm. Talking treason and such, so I brought him here for Duncan to deal with. What brings you three so far north at this time of year?" the big Ober-Jarl inquired.

"A few weeks ago, Will was murdered by a group of Tumujai." Halt said quietly. Every Skandian in the room immediately quieted. They'd obviously heard of the brave young Ranger. "We're setting out to find his killers and avenge him."

"You need a ship. And a fighting force greater than young Horace here. We volunteer our services to you. Will didn't deserve to die so early. He will be avenged." Erak said passionately. "Men, we leave for the Steppes tomorrow as early as we possibly can!"

A/N PLease Review! i want to know if it rocked or completely sucked. Review!