After this chapter, everything gets really exciting!

Even though she was well enough to be wandering around the castle, with a guard, it didn't mean that the journey to the Ranger cabin was comfortable for Alyss. The healing areas were sore and each and every bump her horse found it ached. She knew later that she would feel it, but the trip was for a good cause. Her poor children were spending the day with Baron Arald's wife (which begins with s… I think), and weren't going to see their father until she was certain he would be able to cope with them.

After the guards had arrived with Will, he was taken to a room in the infirmary for a few days, to make sure that he was stable. Arald was willing to give him a room near there where one of the healers would be able to watch him constantly, but still be comfortable. Instead the soldiers insisted that he be taken to the Ranger's cabin. So in full view of Alyss, Will was led back onto the random horse, blindfolded, even though he obviously knew where he was, and taken away.

"Where are they taking him?" she had asked Pauline at the time.

"To the cabin. It was one of the conditions of him coming here. Crowley was worried that he would affect someone else," Pauline replied from where she was watching the events beside her. "We will visit in two days time."

Alyss let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Will. Having not seen him for a long time, she wasn't able to describe how good it was to see him in a good condition. She knew he had been on a mission, and each and every time she worried about how he would be coming home.

"Why is the cabin so dark?" she asked Pauline who was beside her. So far Will hadn't said anything, just looked at them silently.

"He was blindfolded the whole way here. To help his eyes each day we are going to make this place slightly brighter," Pauline responded. For the sake of decency, and the fact that both young people still needed a decent amount of attention from healers, she was remaining in the room off to one side, working on paperwork.

"Will," Alyss said softly. He watched her with the bright eyes she always loved. "I remember."

At these words he wasn't able to hold himself back any longer and threw himself out of the seat. His arms flew around Alyss and he pulled her tight to him. He didn't say anything yet, just buried his face in her shoulder. Alyss smiled sadly at the wall in front of her and didn't comment when her shoulder was suddenly damp with tears. Eventually he pulled back and looked at her, still without speaking.

"Please, say something," she begged back. Normally she knew of him as a happy, bubbly person, but this was such a contrast, she didn't know how to react. He smiled sadly at her before looking away again.

"What happened?" she asked. "All I know is that one day I was going about everything as normal and the next I knew nothing. Then I get thrown down some stairs and I remember everything again." Will snapped out of his trance hearing this. Being locked away and shut up from the rest of the world as he was, he hadn't known that Alyss had been thrown down stairs and the knowledge shocked him.

"Are you alright?" Will asked.

"I'm fine now that you're here," she admitted. The fact that the first thing he said was concerning her safety really hit home. "And the children are fine as well." Will breathed in with relief and nodded. The small moment where they connected ended abruptly here as he walked away from her to sit on a chair.

"Please, tell me how I can help!" she cried.

"I can't," Will admitted. "There isn't anything for anyone to do anymore. There isn't a point."

"But you are still a Ranger, you can sneak out of here, and if anyone asks you can show them your silver oakleaf!" she desperately cried. Will felt his eyes close painfully at this. He might have his silver one on him, but if he were to reveal that fact, it would be considered treason within the corps. In the uncertainty of his times, he felt it best to leave Alyss out of things. She was being hunted enough as it was.

Making sure he had her whole attention, not that he had ever lost it, he reached inside his clothes and pulled out the gold oakleaf. Taking it off he threw it at her. She tried to catch it and dropped it instead, causing a small, slight, smile to appear on his face.

"It's gold," she said confused. At this news Pauline's head snapped up. She spotted the pendant in the younger woman's hands and got up to look at it closer. Alyss looked up at her and passed it over.

"You're out of the corps?" Pauline asked with astonishment.

"Medically discharged," Will spat.

"What's happened to you?" Alyss asked softly.

"There is no reason for me to be anymore, love. I don't have a purpose. It's not as though I spend all of my time locked in a dark room not allowed to do anything, watched over by two guards and a healer." The last sentence here was said with great sarcasm and Alyss stood up.

"Pauline, can we have a few moments to ourselves?" she asked. Pauline handed the oakleaf back to Will and left to it on the verandah to complete her paperwork for the time being.

"Come here," Alyss ordered Will. He walked over to her until he was right in front looking up at her.

The next thing he knew was the floor beneath him and a stinging sensation on his cheek.

"Ow," he commented.

"You need to get over whatever issues you have right now! You have two children who are dependant on you! I can't look after them by myself and they obviously miss you greatly by the way they ask for you constantly."

Will didn't bother getting up from the ground. He deserved this, he knew and nothing was going to change his perspective of that.

"Useless piece of shit!" Alyss screamed at him then walk out of the door.

The moment of sun when the door was opened hurt his eyes, but it wasn't what caused them to be leaking tears.

I have been having a few bad days which is probably why this writing is:

1: Poorly written
2: Shorter than I would have liked
3: Against the happy tone it had in my plot notes
4: Poorly written

I just realised that Tug appears in two different castles at the same time.

Have to love those plot holes ;)

This chapter was meant to begin after the first page break thing but then I realised yet another plot hole thing.

Don't take as long updating as me people! I always have holes because of this!

What I have noticed is that recently my chapters for everything, have gotten longer with less effort, so I guess it's good for you then.

Aly