I really need to learn to let cliffies be cliffies instead just updating again so you don't have to wait. Fail.

I felt extremely well-rested. Halt must've decided to let me sleep in after the battle. Hmm, the battle… Wait!

The battle had ended with me getting stabbed, so why was I in a warm bed and feeling better than I had in months?

The was a quiet rustle of fabric and a chair being moved. "When do you think he'll wake up?" Rose asked quietly.

"Oh, any minute now. He probably came to a few moments ago, but it'll take a little while longer before his brain decides he's ready to fully awaken." Malcolm replied.

A small, soft hand squeezed mine. "Will, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear." I muttered, opening my eyes. "When did you get here?"

Alyss shrugged. "I was on my way to Redmont when Rosabel's messenger caught up to me."

I looked up at Rosabel. She was scrutinizing the label on a vial of some red liquid and was utterly absorbed in her examination of it. When it became obvious she was just trying to look busy, she set it down and listened to Beth asking Malcolm something about dosages and preparation.

"Can I speak to Rosabel?" I asked.

Alyss nodded.

"Um, alone."

She stood up and walked out, looking slightly annoyed. Malcolm and Beth followed. As Beth closed the door, she glared meaningfully at me. Don't break her heart, Will, the look said. Or else.

"Where's Halt?" I asked casually.

"He's, um, making you coffee. He's been really worried. He fell asleep in the chair last night. Gilan was worried, not that he'd say anything."

"What happened to Judchory?"

"The wargals got to him."

"The wargals?"

"I inadvertently sent them after him." She responded. "He's dead. Very, very dead."

"Oh. Um, thanks for bringing Alyss here."

"You're welcome." She replied, turning away. I was struck by the inane sincerity of that response. She was literally saying "You are perfectly welcome to break my heart."

"I shouldn't be."

"But you are."

The words escaped me before I could even consider them. "Rosabel, I want to make things work between us. I wanted to call you back when you walked away. I want you, not Alyss."

"I believe you. But let's say we were together again: the next time we fought, wouldn't you wonder if you'd be fighting with Alyss if you'd chosen her instead?"

I didn't know what to say to that.

"Figure out your feelings for Alyss before you even try to figure out your feelings for me. I won't lie to you, I'm still in love with you and I want to say I will fight to make you mine no matter what, but I love you enough to want you to be happy. And that means with or without me.

"I'll be your best friend and even Alyss's because I love you. I'm sorry for how I acted before and I'll tell Alyss that too. If you come back to me, whether it's tomorrow or twenty years from now, I'm yours. No contest. If you never come back, well, you'll have a friend right here."

"What about if I marry her?"

"I'll be your groomswoman."

I sighed. "That sucks."

"It's kind of like life, then isn't it?"

She turned back to face me. "How's the scratch?" She asked.

"I can't feel it."

"You bled all over my boots." She accused. "All for a tiny little nick. It's already scabbing over. Malcolm's been applying a poultice to it that uses a warmweed alternative so it won't bother you. I asked him about it when I remembered it from your file, and he agreed that it would be unwise to risk it."

"I… Thanks."

"That's what friends are for, Will." Rosabel replied, only slightly bitterly. She walked away from me, not for the first or last time, and closed the door behind her.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x Rose's POV x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Alyss, may I speak to in private for a moment?" I asked. The blonde beauty stood up and came with me to the girls' bunkroom. I checked under the beds and on the rafters before I spoke. "I've been a bitch."

"Not really." She said, ever the diplomat.

"You and I both know that's bull. I've been a bitch to you even more than I was to the others. I acted like a child, and for that I'm sorry. I'll leave Will to you. I promise."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. So, can we be friends?"

"Sure. Why don't we just… wipe the slate completely clean?"

"Alright."

She stuck her hand out. "I'm Alyss Mainwaring, Will's fiancee."

"I'm Rosabel Stalon, Will's friend."

Friend. What the heck does that mean, anyway? Friend. I've heard that if you repeat one word often enough it stops meaning anything. Friend, friend, friend, friend, friend, friend, friend…

x-x-x-x-x Beth's POV x-x-x-x-x

Things were getting way to boring. Alyss and Will and Rosabel were all best friends now, it seemed, and there'd be no more outbursts. Heck, Halt and Rose had even apologized to each other awkwardly at breakfast.

"Decided to join the living, Will?" I asked casually as Will walked into the kitchen.

Halt walked up behind me, obviously trying to sneak up on me. He failed. "Feet off the table!" He roared.

I didn't jump or move my feet. I leaned back in my chair and laced my fingers together behind my head. "Three… Two… One."

Adrianne tugged the string and the bucket of freezing cold water fell off the rafter and dumped itself out on Halt. We'd rigged it for the purpose of getting Kory, but things worked out well enough.

"Oops." I said lazily.

"This. Means. War." Halt said, putting all sorts of threats behind each syllable.

Rosabel jumped up. "PRANK WAR!"

Ooh, this was going to be so much fun. Hmm…

Gilan looked at Crowley, asking for permission. "Let the games begin." Crowley said, grinning.

Many, many thanks to Dodo.123 for allowing me to steal his idea of a prank war. He has the funniest fanfiction ever, featuring a younger Gilan, and I order EVERYONE to read it if you haven't already. He puts Rosabel to shame many times over. Toads, pfft.