It was Will's turn to remain silent. His pensive state was infectious, and his companions could feel the heaviness in the air. He knew he should be relieved, but a new concern was plaguing him. If he was to continue this path to being a ranger, would he ever be able to find happiness in it. He couldn't imagine a life that was always this dark and surrounded by death. He was beginning to understand why Halt was always so quiet and serious. He could even feel himself aging. It was like a shadow that was slowly creeping over him.

Halt could tell that the troop needed a brief respite from the looming depression. "Let's head back to the inn. I could use a good cup of coffee and full nights sleep." He stated plainly.

He got no objection to the idea, and so led the way. They rode, deliberately avoiding any large pools of water that may be deeper than they appeared. Liam was riding ahead of Halt, in the saddle, and would periodically jerk, as his head lolled to the side. Halt was concerned that the boys concussion may be a little worse than he had thought, and made it a point to keep him from falling asleep.

In the distance Will could make out the flat image of Windomere. The steam that rose from the suddenly cooled sand, made the village look as if it were rising from a sea of foam.

Will, who had been following at a close distance, brought Tug up to walk beside his mentor. "Halt, do you..." He paused, unsure of whether he should ask his question.

Halt raised an eyebrow at the young ranger. "Do I what?" he asked.

Taking a deep breath, Will continued, knowing that Halt wouldn't let it drop. "Do you ever regret becoming a ranger?"

It was a poignant question. Halt struggled with the correct response. If he said no, it might make his apprentice feel guilty for the doubts he was feeling; if he said yes, he may solidify them. The non-response drug on a little longer than was comfortable, and Will reigned Tug in to stop and stare at Halt in expectancy.

Halt looked up to the sky, pursed his lips, then drew an exaggerated breath. "In a way, I regret it everyday. But," he continued, "on the other hand, I would never go back." He gave Will a pitying glance.

These were questions every ranger pondered when the difficult choices had to be made. His apprentice would have to work this out for himself. Halt wouldn't influence him one way or the other, but he sensed that these questions were coming from something deeper than just self doubt.

"You have to forgive yourself, Will." Halt watched the young man draw his brows together in attention. "This man had to die. You know it, I know it, even Liam knows it. It's ok to hate him. It doesn't mean that that's what made you kill him. You killed him to protect other people from his evil. The fact that you regret doing it is what makes you a good ranger."

How did Halt always know what to say to make him feel better? Now that he thought about it, he could understand why he'd felt so distressed.

"Thanks, Halt." He felt tears in the corners of his eyes, but now they were tears of relief. Now that he could stop punishing himself, he realized how hungry he was. The last meal he'd had was earlier that morning. This quite possibly could be the longest day of his life. He felt as though morning had been a lifetime ago.

In the inn, the three sat at a table in the corner, as was Halt's custom. As they waited for their meal Halt unobtrusively studied Liams injury and looked at his eyes and gauged his breathing. All seemed to be fine. It wasn't until the meal came that he saw what had made the child act so strangely.

Liam grabbed handfuls of bread and fish, hardly taking a breath between swallows. Will gaped at the volume that the little boy was consuming. It didn't seem possible, but this child could eat more than his former ward mate, Horrace.

Will and Halt chose to savor their meal. It was simple fare, but rivaled anything to come out of Master Chubb's kitchen. There was fresh bread that crunched when it was broken, yet was soft and fluffy inside. The main course was oven roasted cod that had been smothered in garlic and salt, then coated with sheep's cheese and toasted until it was lightly browned and bubbly. To eat such a meal without tasting every bite would have been shameful.

"I don't think I could eat another bite!" Will sighed contentedly. There was a pleasure to eating a meal that he didn't have to cook himself. Halt was even unconsciously rubbing his stomach, as he pushed away from the table.

"I don't think there would have been another bite left to eat, thanks to our little friend here." As he spoke he glanced down, noticing that Liam had fallen asleep with bread in his hand, and his head on the table.

Halt started to gather Liam, to take him to their room when Will took his arm. "I'll get him. I feel like I owe it to him. He did save my life." Will scooped up the small figure and shuffled down the long hallway that lead to their room. Inside, it was lit dimly by a glowing candle set on a side table, giving enough light to make out two beds and a small cot where he placed the boy. He then collapsed on the nearest of the beds without undressing, and fell asleep blissfully, as he thought of returning home to Halt's little cottage in the woods.

Morning came with it's warmth filtering in through the open window, and Halt allowed himself to turn over once before coming completely awake. He was relishing the softness of the bed, knowing that he would be sleeping on the ground again as they journeyed home. When he rose,he found that Will was already waiting to see what their next step would be.

"What are you doing so bushy tailed?" Halt said, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. It never ceased to amaze him how spending the night in a foreign bed could make him feel more tired than rested. He guessed that a good nights rest had put his apprentice right with the world once again. "Why don't you get the boy up and moving, and I'll go order breakfast. I'm ready to be home. We can cut some time off our trip if we head straight for castle Redmont. I'll need to speak with Baron Arold about our friend here." He gestured toward the still sleeping boy.

"Do you think the Baron will let him stay in the ward?" Will asked hopefully. He would like it if he could come visit him from time to time.

"I'm not sure. There are rules about that. We will have to wait and see." With that, he finished donning his boots and scabbard, then swung his cloak over his shoulders as he left the room.