NOTE: I don't own any of the characters from Ranger's Apprentice! I just own Flare, Disk, and the Hunters.

AlexaMarrinDaughterofPoseidon: I'm sorry but they will not meet Halt in this chapter. That is coming soon. Besides your 'hugging Halt' request, I have one more thing to wrap up. You'll understand in the next chapter.

For all who don't know: The first two chapters of Raven's Story are up! Please read and review. I'm trying to practice and improve my writing so I can publish a book one day. I appreciate critique!

Long chapter! That's why this took so long. Many short scenes following Halt, Horace, Gilan and Will, Evanlyn, Flare, Disk. This will set up the next chapter.

Review and Enjoy!

A Shadow and a Warrior Chapter 38

Halt, Horace, Gilan

"That's odd," Halt growled, turning in his saddle.

Gilan spurred Blaze to Halt's side. The young Ranger's eyes began studying the ground, searching for what Halt saw. Horace remained behind. He was more than willing to let the Rangers figure out the mystery. Gilan and Halt exchanged a glance before dismounting. Halt went to one knee beside a set of tracks in the earth. Gilan followed the tracks, looking for other evidence. After several meters, the tall Ranger turned and whistled to Halt. The older man raced over to his first apprentice. Horace also dismounted and joined the two.

"What did you find?" Halt asked gruffly.

Gilan ran his right hand over a set of tracks. Horace frowned, not seeing anything significant. "There was mud here last night. The prints are clearer. One person walking, another riding with something heavy, and a large dog."

"Not a common group…Nor a Temujai group," Halt mused, rubbing his chin.

Horace looked around. Maybe they were missing something. That's when he saw it. "Over here!" he called. When Gilan and Halt joined him, he pointed to a branch higher up. Red fur and a strip of black cloth hung on the branch. Gilan reached up and pulled the pieces off. Halt, meanwhile, studied the ground.

"They got stuck on the branch," Halt said.

Gilan piped up, "The red fur belongs to a dog. It's too course to be human hair. So two dogs and two humans."

"I'll say it again, not a common group," Halt stated, signaling back to the horses.

To him, the group had obviously left Skandia. Therefore, there was no need to worry about a surprise attack from behind. More important things had to be done. The top priority: finding Will and Evanlyn.

Will and Evanlyn

Moaning, Evanlyn rose from her bedroll. Bleary eyed, she looked around at the morning. The sun was rising calmly over the horizon. The leaves were a beautiful green. The sky was alight in pink, purple, red, orange, and gold. A cool breeze came from the mountains behind them. Flare and Disk were rising as well. Behemer was not in sight. Frowning, Evanlyn realized that his saddle was gone as well. Not only that…

But Will should have awoken her up several hours ago for her watch.

A whinny came to their ears. Behemer came through the forest with a small form on his back. Will, dead tired from staying up since an hour before midnight, barely ducked under a tree branch. Flare whimpered as the horse came to a stop. Will dropped to the ground, leaning heavily against the black horse. Behemer let out a low rumble as he looked back at his rider. Worried, Evanlyn raced over and grabbed Will, hauling him to his bedroll.

Evanlyn sat him down and hissed angrily, "You were supposed to wake me several hours ago. Why?"

"You needed sleep," Will sighed. His gloved hand ran over his face, trying to rid himself of the need to sleep. "Besides, I found something of interest."

Evanlyn continued to glare at him as she asked, "And that was?"

"The bridges are blocked. Knights of Gallica trying to make an easy profit," Will growled through clenched teeth. In truth, he had a massive headache. Falling from the saddle once or twice did not help.

Evanlyn brought him a cup of water and asked, "What are we going to do about them?"

"Go around, if we can," Will said, indicating his map.

Evanlyn shook her head. Will needed rest. They had traveling for five days straight. More often than not, Will walked rather than rode. Now Evanlyn had proof that he was taking longer watches as well. The young woman appreciated his caring nature but it was getting out of hand. The young man look ready to fall over at any second. No matter how long it took, Evanlyn was going to wait until he was awake enough to continue. Only his skills as a Ranger would be able to get them both home. She needed that right now. She needed his protection at that moment…

Because her spine was tingling again.

Whipping around, Evanlyn glared out into the forest.

Nothing.

Ever since they had left Skandia, Evanlyn believed that they were being followed. She never got a glimpse of the person. Nonetheless, she was certain that someone was out there. Will had already passed out on his bedroll. Nodding, Evanlyn grabbed her sling and saxe knife. Quickly she untacked Behemer and gave the horse water. Then she headed for the forest with Flare and Disk beside her. She was going to find proof that someone was hiding out there, following them.

She returned an hour later. Nothing had been found. However, Evanlyn knew that Flare and Disk could not climb trees. That might be where their follower was hiding. The camp seemed in order. Nothing had been taken. Behemer was still nibbling on grass several meters away. That's when Flare and Disk began to growl, low and threatening. Her eyes darted around but no one was in sight. Then she started noticing the changes…

A small fire was going, one she did not set,

Will was rolled up in his blankets, too neat for a semi-conscious human to do,

And a mark was left in the dirt beside the young man…

A lone hawk feather.

Halt, Horace, Gilan

Gilan gazed up at the man in shock. "You mean Will and Evanlyn helped you to defeat the entire Temujai army?" he cried incredulously.

Erak, now the Oberjarl of Skandia, smiled and nodded calmly, "Did that and so much more. Without them, we would have been crushed by the Temujai and two traitors. We owe them a lot."

"Where are they now?" Halt asked gruffly, stepping forward.

Erak signaled towards Gallica, "Heading home. I'm surprised you didn't run into them. You must have just missed them. They left four days ago through the passes."

Horace and Gilan exchanged an unhappy glance. So much for their daring rescue plans. Halt frowned, rubbing his chin. He now knew why those tracks had been familiar. One set had been uneven, zig-zagging back and forth. That must have been Will's tracks. However, there had been no sign of his bow or a staff. So either he was walking without one or he had managed to hide the extra track.

Erak's words confirmed his suspicions, "The boy figured out how to muffle his bow. A large, thick black cloth wrapped around the bottom. Now he is truly silent." The massive Skandian chuckled.

"Are they alone?" Halt asked.

Erak frowned, "Depends on your definition of 'alone'. If you mean other humans, yes, they were alone. If not, then no. They had one horse, a black one, and two dogs."

Gilan looked at Halt and cried, "They were the ones who made those tracks we found!"

Horace sighed as Halt nodded. They continued their little conversation for a while more. Halt wanted all the information he could get. Erak answered all he could. The Oberjarl explained how Evanlyn was carrying a treaty that he hoped Duncan would accept. Also, he showed them the general route that Will had planned on taking. Once they reached the more southern ports, Will and Evanlyn would search for a ship that would carry them cheaply or for no price at all. Gilan, at that point, muttered about how impossible that was. Erak simply smiled at responded with:

"That young man can be quite persuasive."

With night becoming late, Erak offered them accommodations in the Great Hall. Halt readily accepted. After all, this Skandian was obviously a friend of Will's. That made Halt like him. Not only that but Erak seemed as if he really did want to help them find Will and Evanlyn. Gilan and Horace picked up the bags and headed after Borsa. Halt, meanwhile, was detained by Erak.

"Yes?" Halt queried, raising an eyebrow.

Erak smiled, "Now I know where the boy got that habit."

Halt continued to stare at the Oberjarl, unamused.

Erak cleared his throat then whispered, "I have to warn you about something but you're not going to like it."

Halt made a circular motion with his right hand.

Erak frowned, his eyes showing his worry, "When Will and Evanlyn returned from the mountains, I knew something was wrong." Seeing Halt about to speak, he whispered hurriedly, "I mean with Will." Now that had Halt's attention. Erak swallowed then continued, "Evanlyn told me they ran into some people while in the mountains. That experience changed Will. After the battle, when I saw Will, he was exhausted and distant. It seemed as if he fought for a year straight without rest. However, his exhaustion was not physical. As a warrior, I know what physical exhaustion is. No, this was mental."

"What are you saying?" Halt asked quietly, a lump in his throat, as Erak paused.

The Oberjarl shook his head, "I wish I knew the whole story. All I know is that Will is fighting a mental battle. Every now and again, Evanlyn would whisper to him 'Will, fight him off. Don't let him control you.' One time I think I heard them mention something about a shadow and a raven." The big man shrugged.

"Thank you, Erak. I'll look into it when I catch up to them," Halt said, laying a hand on Erak's shoulder.

That night, Halt got every little sleep. His heart twisted deep in his chest. Something had happened to Will and Evanlyn, something that was effecting Will. Whatever it was, it meant pain and suffering for his apprentice. With a sigh, Halt rose from bed and headed outside. The night was cold but spring brought a warm breeze. Looking up the mountains, however, Halt felt no warmth. Something was happening to his apprentice and he could do nothing.

That's when he heard soft footsteps behind him.

Spinning around, Halt faced a man completely clothed in black. A long, black cloak rested around the man's shoulder with the hood up. A piece of cloth covered everything below his mouth. Two sabers rested on his hips. In all, Halt knew that he was taller than most men, most Skandian men. The silent figure made no move towards him. Green eyes seemed to glow beneath the hood, staring Halt down, analyzing him. Then, with a shake of the head, he turned and walked towards the shadows.

Before he vanished, a cold, purring voice growled to Halt, "The battle rages within. He won't win. No one has."

Then he was gone.

Will and Evanlyn

The innkeeper jerked up his head as the door opened. Two cloaked figures stepped in along with two dogs. One figure was short, carrying a thick bow with power and authority. The other was taller, a little over medium height. A single saxe knife could be seen but no other weapons. The dogs, however, were fierce looking. One was a medium-sized, fiery red and white dog with green eyes. The other was a huge, muscular grey, black, and white dog with knowing deep, blue eyes and tips of brown on his ears and tail.

Most people in the bar went back to their drinks. Though the strangers seemed confident and deadly, they did not seem aggressive. Instead, they seemed tired. The innkeeper could see mud splattered across their black clothes. These two had obviously been traveling a long way for some time. This made the innkeeper curious. They all had heard of the astonishing victory up in Skandia. Maybe these two would share some of the information.

"Greetings, sir. We need a room for tonight," said the smaller figure, a young man by the sound of his voice. The innkeeper saw brown eyes cast around nervously, "Cheaply if you can. We don't have much."

The innkeeper's smile faded a little. Right off the bat, he liked these two and he hated seeing nice people being taken advantage of, "These times are tough, especially with knights waiting at every bridge in Gallica. How much can you spare, friend"

"Ten (whatever the currency is)," the young man replied. That made the innkeeper wince. He had no rooms available for that low of an amount. The man seemed to sense the reason and spoke quickly, "We are willing to work for the rest of the amount. My friend here is Evanlyn and I'm Will. I can keep of your tavern, kicking anyone you don't want around. Evanlyn can help in the kitchen. She's a great cook."

The innkeeper frowned thoughtfully, "You sure, young lad?" Though he seemed confident, Will was young. His skill might not be everything he is making it out to be.

"Definitely," Will replied with a warm smile. "We were slaves in Halasholm not long back. Joined the war and got our freedom back. Now we just want to get home but the Skandians didn't give us much to start with. A little work here and there won't hurt us."

That made the innkeeper's heart break for the two before him. They had suffered in the worst possible way: slavery. Despite this, however, they were kind and friendly. Even the dogs, fierce looking nonetheless, were looking up at him with happy, gentle eyes. He signaled for Will and Evanlyn to wait at the bar. Entering the kitchen, he found his plump wife and told her about the two. Instantly the brown haired woman exited the kitchen and ushered the four into the very back where the innkeeper and his wife lived. There she gave them all warm soup and gave them clean clothing. Both winced as they saw the scars Will carried on his face, assuming they were from his Skandian masters. Will was far too tired to correct them, nor did he want to scare them in any way.

With that, Evanlyn started cleaning and cooking with the wife. Will, meanwhile, took a cup of coffee and the two dogs into the tavern. He sat in the shadows of a corner table. Both dogs plopped themselves at his feet. There the boy studied the layout and every customer. The innkeeper made sure he was comfortable, refilling his coffee cup as much as possible. He really did like the young man. Smart, kind, inviting, respectful. Will made a wonderful guest…

And a wonderful guard too.

The innkeeper always had one issue in his tavern. That issue was the only village guard (a knight if you believed he ever passed) and the drunk around the area. This man was Thomas, a man of medium height, black hair and mustache, and an enormous belly. He would always come in, demand food and drink, start a fight, then leave while everyone was fighting with each other. The innkeeper, being quite strong himself, would have punched the man out of his inn on several occasions. However, Thomas always had a crew with him made up of known criminals.

And tonight, he was back.

Striding through the door with three of his "friends", Thomas shouted at the top of his lungs, "EDWARD! WE WANT FOOD AND LOTS OF BEER!"

His men instantly sniggered behind him. Several of the other residents, all locals, groaned as he came in. Those sitting at his table scrammed in a heartbeat. The men sat down and placed their muddy boots on the table. They continued to shout and yell at the innkeeper (Edward) and his wife (Marlene) to bring them food and drink. Scowling, Edward picked up four glasses of beer. That's when he saw that Will was no longer at his table in the corner. Instead, the young man was leaning against the pole right behind Thomas.

"Shouting is not polite," Will said in calm, reasonable tone.

Thomas whirled his seat around, tipping it over as he did so. Several other residents chuckled as he went sprawling. Will stepped forward and kindly offered a hand to the man. Thomas growled then spat at Will. The young man stepped back, returning to his previous position. Those brown eyes continued to study Thomas as the "knight" got up. Hearing movement, Edward glanced behind him to see Marlene, face pale with fright, and Evanlyn, a small, knowing smile on her mouth, standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

Thomas rose to his full height and faced Will, his face red with anger (granted, he was already drunk), "Think you're so clever do ya boy?"

"No," Will replied quietly.

Thomas, mind instantly thinking that Will was mocking him, swung a wild punch at the boy. Will stepped around the pole and stuck out his left foot. The punch sailed through empty space, taking Thomas after it. His right leg tripped over Will's foot and he hit the floor. At that moment, all of his group rose to their feet. Will stepped calmly away from the pole, drawing and nocking an arrow in the process, and aimed at the farthest man from him. Smiling, the other two advanced. Then, with yelps of fright, backed away as Flare and Disk appeared from under some tables. All eyes had been focused on Will so no one saw their advance. Now they stalked forward, heads lowered, teeth bared, and ears flat. Low, rumbling growls echoed from their throats.

"Beat it," Will hissed, his voice becoming alarmingly cold.

Afraid of the dogs and the small figure, the three men turned and ran. Replacing his arrow, Will approached Thomas. The man had risen to his knees. However, disoriented from being already drunk made him wobbly and weak. With no sign of effort, Will grabbed his collar, hauled him to his feet, and dragged him to the door. He pushed the man, right leg tripped him, out the door and into the muddy street. Then he shut the door softly. He turned and raised an eyebrow at the innkeeper.

"That all," he asked, a smiling spreading across the left side of his face.

Halt, Horace, and Gilan

Seven days later (from last you saw them)

The three wearily marched into the inn of the small village. The innkeeper looked up and smiled in welcome. "What can I do for you folks?"

"A room for tonight. And maybe some information," Halt replied.

The innkeeper nodded and pulled out his record book, "What name should I put down?"

"Arratay," Halt growled, his temper easily picked up by his lack of sleep.

The innkeeper nodded, recognizing the word for what it truly was. He was used to having people mispronounce the Galician language. That the man even tried was a nice gesture. He was about to close his book when one of the young men, one dressed in a green and gray mottled cloak, stopped him.

Gilan signaled to a name on the list, "Am I reading correctly? Does that say "Will'?"

Smiling, Edward nodded, "Indeed. A nice lad. Then again, so was that female friend of his and those two dogs."

Horace stepped forward, "When did they leave?"

Edward looked at them suspiciously. He liked Will and Evanlyn. He would not let any harm come to them whatsoever. These three men did not give him a comfortable feeling. At least, not in the way that Will had. Then again, these three so downright exhausted while Will and Evanlyn just needed a good night's sleep.

"Please," Halt began patiently, sensing the man's reservations and the reason behind them, "They are our friends. We have been looking for them since they were taken by the Skandians three years ago. We just learned that they had helped in the war against the Temujai and were heading down the coast to the ports. We're trying to catch up to them."

That did it for Edward. Halt had been truly sincere and Edward had a "six sense" for detecting liars. Maybe it came from the fact that he ran an inn and people were always trying to cheat him. "They left about two days ago. Helped me rid my inn of a nuisance. The whole village in fact. Thomas, that fake knight, didn't want to mess with Will after the boy humiliated him in here. I wish they could have stayed longer. Looked as if they needed the rest."

Gilan nodded tiredly, "Thank you, sir. Do you what port they were heading to?"

Edward nodded and signaled them closer, "They were heading for one of the smaller trading posts. Will said they were hoping that someone would take them on cheaply. They would work for the rest of the fee. And I've seen their money pouch. Not much in it so I can understand their need to conserve. Evanlyn said they still had a long way to go."

"Thank you very much," Halt said, heading to a decent bed.

Edward made a note to send food up their way in an hour.

Will and Evanlyn

The trading post may be small but it was hopping. Men ran in every direction. None seemed to register each other's presence. That was a bad thing, meant they kept running into each other. However, it meant that they ignore the two cloaked figures with the horse and two dogs. Flare whimpered as she pulled closer to Evanlyn. The young woman gently scratched her ears. The dogs were pressing extremely close to their masters for the sake of not getting separated. Will grimaced as they caught the scent of rotting fish pieces.

"Stay low," he whispered to Evanlyn.

The woman simply nodded, trying to hold her breath to ward off the smell. Throughout the day they would stop by a boat and ask for a lift. However, the moment Will made it clear that they were poor, men turned away. Even after Will and Evanlyn profusely promised to work on the ship until their stop. The whole thing seemed hopeless.

That's until Flare and Disk found a nice sailor who loved dogs.

It was Will who first noticed they were missing. Evanlyn and Will shared a worried glance. They turned and headed back, retracing their steps. Then they heard the laughter. Barks and yips also came from that direction. Instantly the two raced for the sound. Behemer followed at a trot. By a shop they found a short, well-muscled man pinned down by Flare and Disk. His unkept sandy hair was already covered with dog slobber. His large hands were petting the dogs on top of him.

Evanlyn stepped forward and grabbed the rope collars. "We're so sorry, sir," she gasped as the dogs backed up.

The man laughed, "No need to apologize, young lady. I love dogs. Wish I could have one on the seas with me always. Yes, sir."

"Thank you for not being mad," Will said as he helped the man to his feet.

Instantly the man thumped Will hard on the shoulder, shaking his hand vigorously, "Call me Wilks. That's my name. Wilks Everest. What be your name, son?"

"Will," the Ranger apprentice replied, pulling his hand and shoulder free. "My friend is Evanlyn. You've already met Flare and Disk. Our horse is Behemer."

Wilks smiled, revealing that he had lost several teeth over his life. "I always say that when someone names an animal and grooms it, they genuinely care for that animal. You've obviously taken good care of all three. Their coats are simply beautiful!"

Evanlyn smiled wryly, "Thank you. We put time and effort into it."

Wilks nodded as he petted Behemer's soft nose, "I can see that, young lady. They look better than the two of you."

"I can believe that," Will said, a warm smile touching his face. "We need them in order to get home. Can't have anything happen to them. I also owe them my life."

Wilks cocked his head to left as he studied Will. Finally he asked, "Where are you headed?"

"Araluen," Evanlyn replied instantly. She was starting to like this man. Judging Will's face, she knew he was feeling the same way. "However, just getting on the island as a whole is good enough. We can walk the rest of the way."

Wilks beamed, "You're in luck! My brother's ship is heading for Celtica. We can give you a lift."

"Thank you," Will said, "But we don't have much money. We can't pay for the journey."

Wilks frowned and smiled, "Can you work on a ship?"

Evanlyn nodded, "We were slaves for the Skandians for three years. I think we know ships well enough to work on them."

Wilks linked his arms around theirs and headed for his brother's ship, saying happily, "That's great! My brother needs two hard working people. He's a fair man. I'm sure good animal lovers like you can strike a deal with him."

It was true. Wilks's brother, Mark, was indeed a fair man. Hearing their past and Will's proposal to work for the rest of the fee, he accepted willingly. By dawn the next day, Flare, Disk, and Behemer were bedded down on the ship. At high tide, the Yellow Jacket was skimming its way towards Celtica.

Onboard, Will and Evanlyn were exchanging a smile.

Halt, Horace, and Gilan

Halt tied the letter to the messenger pigeon and sent it off. Then he turned and headed towards where Horace and Gilan were waiting for him. Now all that was left was to find a ship, sail to Araluen, and meet at the rendezvous point.

A day later, Crowley received the letter and read its contents. Halfway through the letter he leaped to his feet, knocking over his chair, and raced through the halls of Castle Araluen. Soon he reached Duncan's office. He bounded loudly on the door, making sure that whoever was inside could hear him.

"Come in," Duncan called, the surprise evident in his voice.

Entering Crowley saw Lord Anthony, Baron Arald, Sir Rodney, and Sir David. Good. They would love to hear this. Reaching Duncan after closing the door, Crowley handed him the letter. Duncan raised an eyebrow, took it, and read aloud:

Crowley,

Even I have been surprised by the turn of events. The Skandians defeated the Temujai, using new tactics and calling upon their own slaves to fight as archers and a mounted cavalry. However, none of this would have happened had the new Oberjarl, Erak, helped two slaves escape into the mountains. They returned bringing news of the Temujai attack and had strategies to defeat them. These two were the first promised freedom by Ragnak:

Will and Evanlyn.

Now they headed your way. We just missed by a two days. From what I learned, they got jobs on a trading ship bound for Celtica. I know the Ranger Gathering is coming up. Call upon everyone to form a string along the Celtica border. We might have a chance of catching them. Gilan, Horace, and I will meet you at Castle Redmont within a few days.

Hurry!

Halt

P.S. Tell Duncan. I'm sure he would like to know his daughter is safe. Exhausted but safe and almost home.

Duncan laid the letter down and breathed deeply. Slowly he let it out. Everyone stared at him, waiting for a command. Slowly, carefully, he rose from his chair. Then blue eyes gained a hard, determined tint.

"Mount up. We ride for Castle Redmont then for the Celtica border. It's time to find my daughter…

And the one who saved her."

Hehe! Got it done finally. Next chapter will hopefully be up soon. Maybe Monday if I can get all my schoolwork done.

For those who made it this far, congratulations! This was a long chapter, exhausting to write.

Next chapter involves a reunion between Will and someone he cares about deeply. Almost to the end. Two more chapters after the next one (so three more total that haven't been posted). See you soon!

And PLEASE read Raven's Story and review!