Disclaimer- I do not own RA.

You're going to hate me after this chapter

Horace rode on in silence, ignoring the occasional glance that Halt threw his way. Tug rode slowly, obeying his masters mood. They stayed farther back than the other two rangers.

Horace drew his sword, and watched the sunlight reflect off its bright metal. He couldn't see the borders of Celtica. They were back in Araluen soil. Just being there made Horace feel whole again. Something was wrong, and Halt noticed it.

"Something's wrong." The Senior Ranger said repeating Horace's thoughts.

"Why aren't there guards patrolling the border?"

Horace kicked Tug with his knees, and the horse went galloping off in pursuit of the other horses.

"I don't know, but it would be best if we get back to Redmont quickly." After saying that, Halt pulled lightly on Abelard's reins.

He pulled a map out of one of the packs. His apprentice and his former apprentice stopped their horses and came over to him.

"We went through the Solitary Plains, and the Western Woods. There were no guards anywhere. We're going to reach the river soon. If we pass the ford and there are no guards, we race to Redmont at the quickest speed our horses can get."

"What's going on Halt?" Horace groaned on the inside. It wasn't enough that every ranger was dead. No, now there was something.

"It's just a precaution. Always expect the unexpected. There are no guards at any Araluen borders. Something's wrong." Halt repeated for his apprentice.

Horace frowned. Halt watched him. He had thought that the boy would be a good ranger, but it appeared that he had been wrong. He would have been better as a knight. For once Halt had made a bad decision.

"Look to the ground Horace. We've been following those tracks for hours. What are they?" Halt an Gilan climbed off their horses saddles. It was late, and Halt didn't want to risk anything. Horace was already on the ground taking a look at the tracks.

"Dog?"

"Are you asking me, or are you telling me?"

"Dog."

"Horace pay closer attention to it. That's a horse."

"But, I just thought…"

"You're an apprentice, and apprentice's aren't allowed to think." Gilan said. He glanced at Halt, surprised that his former mentor hadn't said it himself.

Halt glanced at Gilan. He pointed to the woods and nodded. "Boy?" Halt said. "Practice your shooting skills."

Horace pulled an arrow from his quiver and set it on his arrow. Halt turned away as he did, and led Gilan away from the boy. "He's not cut out to be a ranger. His shooting isn't quite up to the level it should be at. He can't manage to get a farmer not to see him. All he's good at are his sword and his knives."

"You're being picky now Halt? All of them are dead. Horace just needs a little more training than the average ranger, but this is not the time to be picky. We have to get the ranger population back to 50. Even if it means having swordsman like Horace!"

"Gilan, it's impossible to train someone who wasn't meant to be a ranger. He's a knight. Not one of us. It's impossible to train someone who wasn't meant to be a ranger. He's a knight. Not one of us. We can't have a knight pretending that he can be a ranger!"

"I know, but we can't have no rangers."

"I've thought about this for weeks. Horace shows no sign of improvement in everything but his knives and sword. He is not made to be a ranger. In fact, the only person that I know who is meant to be a ranger is a certain assassin."

"No. Not. Not him."

"He's the one who's meant to be a ranger. If only we could trust him."

"We can't. He helped your sworn enemy destroy every ranger apart from us, and you want him to join us?"

"No, I'm just saying he'd be a good ranger. I'm not saying that I want him anywhere near us. I'd be happy if he was charged with treason against the king. But about Horace, I have to break the news to him."

"Halt, we could use a knight with us."

"Just not as a ranger. He doesn't even have the bronze oak leaf yet, and he's been my apprentice for two years."

"I just don't want to cast him away. We could always use a good sword."

"But we can't use a bad ranger. We can give him to Rodney when we get back."

"You're right Halt. Go break it to him."

"Not yet. He's on edge. He's already depressed about the corps demise, we are not going to be helping him like this."

"We have to stop his training. He's lucky that nothing happened in Skandia. He would have been no help long distance wise."

"Exactly. Maybe I should just have him train with those knives and his sword."

"I'm going to give him the bronze necklace."

"Why?"

"He was trained as a ranger, born as a knight. He is the oak leaf knight."

"Horace, I'm giving you the bronze oak leaf. It symbolizes the hard work you have put into being a ranger." Halt explained.

"Halt, I don't like being a ranger."

"What?"

"I don't like being a ranger. I'm not good at it. If anything Gilan should be my mentor.I'm not worthy of being your apprentice Halt. You know that I just used three quivers full of arrows, and missed every shot?"

"I was wrong. You weren't meant to be a ranger. You were born to be a knight."

"I know Halt. When we get to Redmont I'm gonna quit."

"Horace when we get to Redmont I'm going to take you to Sir Rodney. He'll teach you how to be a knight."

"What if I don't want to be a knight?"

"You're a natural. You're meant to be a knight."

"I am?"

"Yes, Gilan told me that. I'm sorry Horace, but I have to do this."

"I don't want to be a Ranger. I didn't want to say it, but I never did. I knew that I'm not cut out for it."

"Good boy. Now let's get back to Redmont for your first day." He said, pleasure in his voice. He liked when an apprentice succeeded, and although he would never succeed in being a Ranger he would in being a knight. Halt was proud of him.

A week later Halt entered the castle doors. The Baron didn't greet him as he normally did. Whenever Halt came in Arald would immediately welcome him. This time is was different. Two guards came to him, and the taller guard nodded towards him.

"One of the prisoners wants to see you."

"Who?"

"He says that Morgarath used to call him Will."

"As if he doesn't have that name anymore?" Halt mused.

"He doesn't think himself human enough to have any name."

"Take me to him."

"Yes sir." The shorter guard said, and walked through the corridor. He didn't even check to see if Halt was following him.

The boy had dry blood on his face. His hair was grimy and thrown every which way. It was also coated in blood. He was as thin as Halt had ever seen a man. His eyes were the worst part. They seemed about twenty years older than the sixteen year old that inhabited them.

The eyes that had once held joy, held bitter hatred. Morgarath had changed that happy five year old face. He had seen too much to be that boy. His hands were stained with the blood of so many. Halt couldn't help but feel bad for him.

Lady Alyss stood next to him, gripping the bars. "I knew him." She said to Halt. "He was a ward like me."

"I knew him. I brought him to the ward." Halt answered.

"What did Morgarath do to him?"

"Made him a monster. Like himself." Then Halt turned his back on the boy, who might have been his apprentice if Morgarath never took him. Turned his back on the boy who would have looked at him like a fire. Turned his back on Will Treaty. Turned his back on Daniel.

You probably all hate me now. I actually didn't plan it this way, but i decided that it would be best. The way that i portrayed Will left him no choice. How could Halt do it? Thanks for all the reviews, and readers. After i finish up the other stories that i'm working on i might write another one.