8

Saab


"WHY ARE YOU HERE, CROWLEY?" HALT ASKED A COUPLE HOURS later as we were all sitting on the verandah, them drinking coffee and me whittling a stick.

Crowley looked up at the heavens, as if asking, 'Why me?'

"Since when do I need a reason to visit you, Halt?"

"Let me think about this. Every time you show your face around my home."

Frowning, Crowley looked over at me. "He's such a downer, huh?"

"Maybe he's just tired?" I offered, not wanting to choose sides because I knew both men were equally dangerous in their own ways.

"Well then he's tired an awfully lot. Maybe you should think of an early retirement, old friend." He was digging himself a deeper hole each minute he spoke.

"Alright," Halt said, "with your consent, I'd like to retire right here and now."

"Okay, fine. But I was trying to enjoy myself before I brought the news up."

"News?"

"Bad news, unfortunately. It seems Baron Morgarath is missing a servant boy." I stiffened, sitting up straighter, hands faltering. This couldn't be happening, not after all these weeks of life being so…perfect, for lack of a better word. My life hadn't been like this in years…and there was no way I was going to give it up without a fight.

"Is he, now? Are you sure he didn't just off the poor kid because he breathed too loud?"

"No, not this time, I'm afraid. Apparently he was taken by a lone, dark figure. At least, that's what he said in the letter he sent me."

"Really? And did he actually see this happen?"

"No, but he assumes it's the young man he exchanged some unpleasant words just hours before he was found missing."

"Good. Maybe somebody finally put him in his place." Halt seemed so calm, bored even. "What has this got to do with me?"

"Oh, nothing. I just thought you'd want to know since his fief's not too far away from here. And since you have a young boy of your own, you might want to watch out for this kidnapper." Crowley shrugged, then leaned back in his chair casually. "You've been awfully quiet, Saab. Do you not have an opinion that's dying to be heard?"

I stared down at the stick I was holding. "Not this time sir—I mean, Crowley."

He nodded. "Odd. Because just five minutes ago we could get you to shut the hell up. Look, my ears are about talked off!" He tugged on his ears for emphasis.

"I'm focusing, that's all."

"Yes, I can see that and the fact that you haven't moved for awhile now."

I looked up at him, becoming angry. There was no way in hell I was going back to Gorlan Fief. "Yeah, well, did you know there are Wargals wandering around out there? They come out at night; they used to stay hidden, but they've become braver and are in large groups, stalking the land."

Crowley sat up straight. "What?" His voice was sharper than I'd ever heard it, and his friendly face melted into a scarier, emotionless one. Halt gave me a look that told me to shut-up.

"Don't worry about it," Halt told his friend. "I'm keeping an eye out."

"You knew about them, yet you didn't tell me?" Crowley demanded. "Halt, you can't do that anymore! Anything like that you've got to report in! We have rules, and even though you might be responsible for some of the rules, you aren't an exception from them. It can't look like I pick and choose favorites."

"I, umm, I'm gonna go for a run," I said, wanting to get away before things got ugly. "I'll see you guys later."

"Sit," Crowley barked, so I did, cursing my luck. "I want you to tell me about the Wargals, and how you found out about them." I sighed and looked at Halt, who was sitting sullenly. He didn't say anything against it, so I told Crowley,

"I was banished out to the forest for a couple days, so naturally I had to stay the nights out there, too. On my first night, as soon as the moon rose into the sky, I heard this strange, chanting sound. As it got closer, I panicked and climbed a tree, deciding I'd be safer there.

"These strange creatures, probably about five of them, marched into view. They were terrifying at first, but then I just got used to them, I guess, imagining they could be strange and twisted teddy bears from a horror story. Anyways, they moved right on past me, not even knowing I was there. That was the smallest group; they grew progressively larger after that. The next night the group that came through was triple the size of the last.

"I think they're gathering, but I don't know what they're up to. Ever since then, up until I met Halt, I'd been searching for their camp, but I never found it."

"Why would you go searching for them? Are you mad? That's stupid!" Crowley said. "Why didn't you contact Ranger Cael? It's his job to investigate situations like that."

"I did!" I said defensively. "But he didn't believe me and brushed me off because everyone thinks I'm such a horrible, bad, lying boy. How is that my fault?"

"Really? Well if that's the case I guess you aren't entirely stupid. I'll have to have a talk with Cael. But I do want to know what you'd hoped to gain out of finding the Wargals camp."

"Once I found it I would have dragged Ranger Cael out there to prove to him we really did have a problem."

"Ah…I see." Crowley nodded his head, approvingly, I think. "Why were you banished to the woods in the first place?"

I shrugged like it was no big deal, because really, it wasn't. It'd happened all the time. "Morgarath was in a real pissed off mood and, as usual, took it out on me."

I realized by the silence that followed that I'd made a mistake.

"Way to go, kid," Halt muttered.

"I really wish you hadn't told me that," Crowley said sadly. "Because now that I know that Baron Morgarath was telling the truth, you have to go back."

"Why did you ask me, then?" I demanded, anger flaring up. "You tricked me!"

"I'm required to, Saab. But just because Halt and I have to does not mean you do, yet, which was why I was asking you."

"Can we go back in time and try that again?"

"I'm afraid not, though I wish we could."

"You gotta learn from your mistakes," Halt added gruffly.

"Damnit," I hissed.

"Yes indeed," Crowley said, shaking his head. "I promise you that I'll try and see if we can work something out between your apprenticeship and Morgarath, but I have to take you back."

"If all else fails can I run away and change my name?"

"That's the spirit, boy!" Crowley exclaimed, clapping me on the back. "Never lose your sense of humor!"

"I think I'll lose more than my sense of humor if I have to go back," I muttered darkly.


A/N: I'm SOOO sorry this is really overdue, you guys! I'm just having such a hard time getting to the main part that is playing over and over again in my head. Please forgive me and don't give up on me yet, I beg you.

My thank-you's:

Tessi: Thank you so much for understanding! You don't know how much I appreciate it. Yes, I cannot wait til that chapter either! But it won't be what exactly you think it is, I'm sure. Heh, yeah…not sure where that came from! :) But, yes, there will be people falling in love soon, but it's not Saab! Sadly, I can't use your idea about the Ranger horse yet, because this is the time where the Rangers' don't have their own special breed yet. But…this story will go into detail about getting the Rangers' horses…read prologue again, for a hint. ;)

Alrighty, so thank you guys for reading and still having faith in me! R&R please! And, as always, if any of you have ideas, any at all, I would LOVE to hear 'em!

Nike