Halt opened his eyes.

The sky was starting to dim over the trees, which were smothered in white. White? Oh, it was snow. It was caked along the branches, piled next to trunks, and smoothed in huge drifts along the ridge. He picked his way over a frozen river, bubbles frozen into the slick black ice under Abelard's hooves. It was snowing heavily, but there was no wind, so it fell peacefully and thickly, like the usual overcast clouds had decided to come down and visit. A mute silence settled over everything, only the occasional gentle creaking of the trees broke it. He fingered Abelard's reins between his gloved thumbs, then dropped them, directing with his knees. He breathed in the cold crisp air and felt the light breeze on his face. Abelard's hoof beats made muted thump thump thump sound on the snow covered ground, and Halt closed his eyes again as he allowed himself to settle down in the chilly silence.

A child's laughter rang through the trees.

It was brief, and faint, but definitely there. Halt squinted through the white haze, blinking as thick, fat snowflakes clung to his lashes. Halt felt his hand go to the hilt of his saxe as Abelard turned a corner on the little path and came upon a rather strange sight. A small figure was kneeling in the snow just about fifty meters away. As Halt rounded the bend, the little child turned its head to see who was coming. It was a young boy, not much more than a baby, maybe two or three. He had light skin and thick brown curls of hair on his head, and his eyes were large and dark. They sparkled with innocence and joy of being young, and one of his tiny, fisty hands was squeezing a handful of fresh powder between his fingers. His little mouth was open in an 'O' of surprise, and he knelt, frozen, in the snow.

Halt had stopped moving, and he moved to get off Abelard when he heard the little boy say something.

Ranger

The boy's tiny lips formed the word, and it escaped in a visible breath through the air. It was soft, but just loud enough for Halt to catch it. He nodded, smiling at the little one. The boy stood up on his stubby little legs, a few inches shorter than Halt's hip.

Halt walked slowly over to the young boy, who watched him warily. Halt came within a few feet, and knelt down to the boy's height. "Hello there, young sir. What are you doing out here all alone?"

The boy still didn't smile, but his lips twitched. "Just playing."

Halt raised an eyebrow, but smiled gently. "Just playing? All by yourself?"

"With my friend." Then the boy's face broke into a wide smile, his dark, brooding eyes lit up, and his little teeth flashed white. It hit Halt all at once, but the smile confirmed it. Those eyes, that smile, even the laugh, though it was young, he could recognize it anywhere by now.

"Will?..." Halt trailed off as the little boy suddenly turned, looking off into the trees to his left, and another little voice called from a little ways away.

"Hey, where'd you go?" This voice was more high pitched, and was followed by an unmistakable giggle. This had to be a young girl.

"Coming,'Lyss!"

The boy turned back to Halt, and by now, he was certain that this had to be Will. His smile was so achingly familiar from all the years he had spent with him, from the moment he had first seen him as a baby till just the other day when Will had smiled at him. "Will? Is that you?"

But the boy's smile just grew wider, his eyes sparkling in the way that only Will's could. "I'll see you again, right?" His voice was so cheerful and light, so… Will

Halt felt his throat starting to close up, and he cleared it, croaking out, "Wait, Will…"

But the boy turned and ran off in the direction of the girl, laughing and calling out to her. He soon disappeared into the trees, and suddenly everything was eerily silent again. Halt stood alone in the forest, staring at the footprints left in the snow by the tiny little boots of the boy.

Without any warning, all the snow around him melted before his very eyes, changing from white fluff to clear liquid that just as soon sunk into the now green grass, and fresh saplings and greenery rose from the soil in seconds. Trees collapsed silently and fell to the ground, instantly blooming with moss, the wood rotting and collapsing until old logs covered in years of moss remained. Years of change in the forest compressed down to mere silent moments before Halt's very eyes.

Halt blinked a few times as the sun moved backwards in the sky, settling itself in the early afternoon so that new, yellow light came down through the new green leaves.

"So how big is it supposed to be?"

The voice startled Halt, and he whirled around to see Will. Now he was older, around fifteen. His Ranger uniform was just a little too big around his small frame, but he would soon grow into it, Halt knew. That same sparkle and smile remained. Halt stuttered, "Uh… Weren't you just here? How old are you?"

But Will just smiled. "Of course I was just here. I never left. And since when do you not know how old I am?" Halt could only blink at this. Will just laughed. "Now, how big is it?"

Halt shook his head a little. "How big is.. What?"

Will rolled his eyes as if Halt should have known. "The boar. How big is it?"

Halt glanced left and right, scanning the dappled brush for any signs of movement. "A boar?"

Will laughed again, still rolling his eyes. "Yes, Halt, a boar." He flipped the flap in his cloak over the reveal a quiver.

Halt squinted at Will. "...What day is it?"

Will now squinted at him, raising an eyebrow. "What's the matter with you? Now come on, I guess I'll have to find out just how big this one is myself." He turned away, his recurve bow unslung and a few arrows ready. Halt followed uncertainly. They walked for just a few moments when Will suddenly whispered, "I think it's close. We'd better split up." Without waiting for a reply, he turned sharply and disappeared behind a bush.

"Wait, Will - " Halt hissed as he dashed after him, shoving the branches aside. But there was no sign of his apprentice, just leaves, forest, and light. Halt squinted as he tried to sense any movement, but all was still.

All at once, a flurry of thundering hooves and a startled cry from Will echoed through the trees. Halt jumped, shouting, "Will! Where are you?" He sprinted in a mad dash through the trees. He came upon a clearing, and saw Will kneeling on the ground, his saxe held out in front of him like a spear, with a massive boar charging at him headlong. Halt couldn't stop to think, he slung his bow off, notched an arrow, drew, aimed, and shot in a breath. The arrow flickered through the air and plunged into the boar's side with a meaty smack. The great beast groaned and fell, dead before impact. Then he ran to Will, ripping the saxe out his small, shaking hands, and pulling the boy's trembling body to his own in a hug. He felt Will's breaths heave as he cried, and Halt held him tighter.

Just as Will seemed to calm down, he disappeared, and Halt was left with his arms wrapped around nothing. He felt his heartbeat in his eardrums, and he tried to go for his weapons, but they were gone too.

All at once the dead boar in front of him melted away, and he was left standing on the shore, staring after the boat as it peeled away from the dock, heading out to sea. "Halt!" A breath of cry reached his pounding ears, but the Skandians had already pulled away, and he could do nothing but watch as he was taken away.

Now Will was at the bridge with Evanlyn, shooting at the Skandians as they came closer and closer. Evanlyn was sawing at the ropes, having thrown her flint and steel aside. The beams were on fire, the tar igniting quickly, and the Skandians ducked into cover as Will managed to stick one of them in the arm. But one of the larger ones stood, hefting a rock, and threw it at Will. Just as the rock was about to hit him, it all melted away again.

Now Halt squinted as the Arridi desert rose up around him, the sun beating him down onto the rust colored soil. He took a few steps forward and stopped. There lay Will, flat on his back, his eyes squeezed shut, unmoving. His skin was blistered and burned, and his horse was dead beside him. Vultures were swooping down, picking at the fresh carcass. "Will!" Halt tried to shout, the word was crushed, obliterated by the heat. He started running toward him, and it all froze. The world turned black.

"Halt, you have to… Save me." Halt whirled around and saw Will lying on his cloak, his arm bandaged heavily. He was sweaty and pale, trembling with weakness. His eyes were bloodshot as he repeated, "Save me."

Halt nodded, turning again to find Malcolm. He was bending over a pack, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Halt, but there are two types of poisons, and I need to know which one."

"I can.. Go get Bacari…"

But Malcolm just shook his head. "Halt… Bacari's dead. I'm afraid there's nothing that can be done to save Will."

"No… No there has to be something. Something…" Halt staggered toward where Will was lying, but another figure was bending over his prone body.

"I'll never be dead," Bacari hissed, smiling, and raised his knife to stab Will.

"No!" Halt shouted, and he threw himself under the knife. The blade glimmered beautifully as it plunged downward, and Halt closed his eyes, bracing for the end.

Halt! Wake up!"

"No… Will.."

"Halt! You're dreaming, wake up!"

Halt opened his eyes. His vision blurred for a minute, and he was finally able to focus on the face of Crowley bending over him, his eyebrows furrowed with worry. "Finally, you woke up. The hell were you dreaming about?"

Halt rose to his elbows, blinking. "I… It was nothing."

"Sure wasn't nothing. You were rolling around on the ground, muttering and talking. What about Will?"

Halt ran his hand through his hair sitting up fully. "It was nothing. Just dreaming, is all," he said more confidently.

Crowley raised an eyebrow. "What about Will?" he repeated.

Halt sighed. I can't tell him all the details. He'll think I'm crazy. "I'm just… Worried about him, I suppose."

Crowley was nodding. "Me too. I'm worried about all of them."

Worried enough to dream up something like that? I don't think so. Halt tried to change the subject. "What time is it?"

"Breakfast. I was thinking we should head out pretty soon, if that's alright with you. We need to get the horses and find these Temujai before it gets dark if Will's going to have any chance. Unless… You want to sleep some more?"

Halt pushed himself to his feet. "No, I'm fine. Let's get going."

They kicked dust over their fire and set out.