Chapter 25

Arrows of flame

part one

Years had past since Halt, Will and Gilan had settled in Hartland. Gilan had decided that he would teach the main classes at the Ranger school and Halt could teach the advanced classes. Will took care of the tracking and targeting practice as well.

So far they had ten new rangers, who could shoot as well or almost as well as a full ranger could. Wolven rangers were the best at tracking, while the bigger animal rangers were more like knights, strength attacks were their best weapons.

Their services were needed, many of the people of Hartland had gone missing without any trace of what had had happened. One night Halt, Will and Gilan were talking only to have Chase join them in their discussion of the events.

"Chase what are you saying that you know what as happened to all the people that have gone missing?"Will asked Chase.

"Yes...I believe it is my sister"he said

"That witch, why would she do this?"Gilan growled, some times being a lion Gilan lost his happy, go lucky attitude.

"I believe that she wants revenge. The demon that you killed might have meant more to her than we know...maybe in her own way she loved him"Halt told the group after seeing where Chase's mind was at.

"Still she is my sister and I want to try and save her. I know it is a long shot, that the best thing might be to kill her but I know in my heart that the girl that my sister was is still in there some where"Chase said staring into the fire.

"You maybe right and that's why when we attack her base, you have to come with us. You might be able to get through to her when we can not"said Gilan.

When Chase didn't say any thing Gilan continued "but you must realize that we will most likely have to kill her"

"I do...I just don't know if I can watch you kill her"Chase said sadly

The plan was a simple one but would take all of the rangers, both new and old to pull it off. The first part was to find out what kind of base she had. The strength of her army, what kind of powers she had now, Halt had told them of what she had before.

"I am on that, Halt. My group is ready"Will said, knowing that this might be the only way Halt would let him help.

"Will I am not sure about your group taking this mission but you are right I suppose they are ready to go"Halt said.

"Halt you just don't want to risk your lover, do you?"Gilan said saying it like a joke but knowing that it was true. Halt rarely let Will out of his sight if he could help it.

"No I don't"he said simply.

The next day Will and his group were off. As they raced over the ground Chase led the way as if he seemed to know where his sister was. As lightning flashed over head the group found the witches castle. Light flared in the darkness as lightning lit the walls of the building. Lightning laced its angry fingers into the sky at the same time showing how big this place really was, and then it was gone, leaving darkness once more.

"Tell Halt that we have found it"Will told one of the wolves "we will scout around and see what else we can find"he told the others.

The wolf just nodded then took off. Will knew that, that wolf would get the message to Halt quickly and then he spilt the rest of his team off so that he could get the best information he could for Halt because he knew he would need it.

Back at the campsite, Halt was pacing. It has to be the biggest mistake, he thought but it had to be done and he could think of no one better for it. As he paced, eerie sounds of the wind bounced off the boulders that surrounded the site.

Then suddenly he heard it a scrambling of stones as a wolf ran into the clearing, "sir a scout has come in from Will's team"said the excited wolf.

"And what did he say?"asked Halt watching the wolf calming down.

"They have found her"said the wolf.

"Fine, wake the others, as soon as we are ready we move"he said then he saw Gilan looking at him. Halt knew that they had to surprise the witch if they were going to have any chance at killing her.

Halt and the rest only took hours to catch up to Will and his group. Halt like Will took in the sight of the castle before the rain came down on them and before his fine hearing caught the sound of fighting. It was Will and Chase, they had found a large bear like animal and were quickly killing it.

From what Halt could see they did not need any help. The only injuries were some bite wounds to the back legs of both wolves and a deep scratch to Will's back but other than that they were good. They soon finished out the animal and then Will turns to Halt to speak to him about what was happening.

"About time you got here. We have been ready to go after her for ages"said the young wolf that Will was right now.

"Yes we you might have been but don't forget your promise to let me talk to her first"said Chase.

Halt just raised his left eyebrow, even in wolf form he could still do this. Halt knew that Chase would never be happy if he did not have a go at freeing her from her pain, but Halt knew that it was highly unlikely to happen. What the monster had done to her was too deeply ingrained in her to ever work but still he was willing to let Chase try to reach his sister.

In the end six rangers went into the castle leaving Will and three others on the outside. Of course Will had protested but Halt had said that he needed to know that Will was safe to make his mind focus on the job at hand and also if they got in trouble there was a ranger to lead the remaining wolves to come and finish the job.

"Chase how do you think you will get through to her?"asked Gilan quietly as the group made its way into the lower levels of the castle.

"I have always been able to talk to her. We meet some times on a different plane of existence. There I have been trying to get through to her but have never been able to convince her before, that was when the monster was alive, now that he is dead I think she will hear me"Chase replied to him.

"I don't think its going to be that simple dear brother"said a voice from the shadows.

Halt's group had been found.

An: more soon