(A/N: Contrary to what MAJORMATT1234 thought in their review, I am not stopping this series XD I was going to make this chapter much longer, but I thought that after about 8 months of waiting, you guys might like an update. There'll probably be only a couple more chapters before the end of Clint's story.)
"Holy shit." Gilan's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his sockets as he stared at the three men across the well-worn tavern table. "So you're..." He pointed at Clint, his mouth slightly open in such a shocked expression that Clint almost expected smoke to start coming out of his ears.
"Yes, I'm from the very, very distant future." Clint said with a smirk, keeping his voice low. "Almost 14 centuries from now, to be exact."
When they'd first told Gilan about Clint's unique situation, the man had doubled over the table, laughing so hard that he'd almost made their empty stew bowls go clattering off the table. After he'd finally calmed down, it had taken nearly 20 minutes of convincing before he finally believed them.
Gilan sat back in his chair and huffed out a breath as he scrubbed his hand over his face. "But that just isn't-"
"Possible, I know," Clint finished with a chuckle. "Believe me, I've lived the impossible more times than I can count, although this might make my top ten." Gilan's expression turned even more bug-eyed and it took all of Clint's concentration not to snort.
Halt rolled his eyes as Will laughed and nudged Gilan. "So, what brings you to Redmont?" Will asked. "We're quite a long ways from Norgate Fief."
Gilan face turned somber and his eyes darted to the other patrons in the room, all of whom were pretending not to stare at the three Rangers and the stranger in the corner.
"Let's move this conversation upstairs," he said in a low tone as he stood from the table and headed towards the stairs in the corner that led to the rooms for rent on the upper floor.
The four of them crowded into Gilan's small room, which was now also Clint's. Will and Halt had opted for the room next door and since the rooms were only suited for two people at most, the Rangers had agreed that renting two rooms would be much more financially prudent than renting three.
"I'm tracking a kidnapper," Gilan said as he took a seat on the bed. Will joined him while Clint leaned against the wall and Halt remained standing, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyebrows furrowed. "A knight passed through my fief a few weeks ago. While he was there, he was seen talking with a young woman named Elissa Gray who then went missing the next day. Her husband reported her missing, although I don't think that I'm too eager to get her back to him," Gilan said with a deep, angry scowl. "The guy was at least twice her age and I really didn't like the bruises on his knuckles."
Clint and Halt glanced at each other, their expressions troubled. This story was sounding all too familiar. Will reached over to put his hand on Gilan's forearm. He gave the man a resolute nod and Gilan returned it with a tight smile.
"This knight…" Halt said, regaining Gilan's attention. "Did his coat of arms happen to be a red tree?"
Gilan frowned up at his mentor. "No, it was a crescent moon. Why?"
"Because another knight did the exact same thing in a small village west of here," Halt sighed as he scrubbed a hand over his beard. "I was hoping that we were tracking the same knight, but it seems that we're looking for several. I'm assuming yours passed through here?"
Gilan nodded, his expression grim. "Yes, a few days ago. I managed to find someone that saw him traveling through with a woman that matched Elissa's description, along with two other women. The man said that all of the women looked happy and well taken care of, but the knight himself looked way too shifty for the guy's taste."
Will glanced between the two other Rangers. "Do you think they're heading for the Narrow Sea?"
Clint watched in bemusement as Halt and Gilan nodded at the exact same time.
"It's more than possible," Gilan conceded. "Both of our knights were heading east and now that their paths have converged, it's safe to say that they're heading for the same location." He grinned at Halt. "I feel like it's been forever since we've teamed up."
Halt nodded thoughtfully, his face impassive as he stared off into the distance. "I think the last time you tried to join me on a mission was when I insulted the king. We're long overdue." He focused on Gilan again and Clint had a sneaking suspicion that Halt's slightly raised eyebrow was his equivalent of a hearty chuckle. Gilan and Will stared at the other man for a second before breaking out into full-body laughter. Clint shook his head in amazement as he huffed out a breath. He'd definitely have to ask Halt about that misadventure one of these days.
The four of them left the next morning, each of them on their respective horse as they headed toward the next village over. The road that they were on was too well-traveled for any of the Rangers to be able to track the traveling knights, so they would just have to trust that the men and their female companions would continue their eastward journey. When they finally arrived, several villagers told them that they'd seen the two knights pass through a few days ago with six young women, none of whom looked to be in distress. From the descriptions that they were given, Elissa, Anthea, Leah, and Sarah all seemed to be among them, but Clint and the Rangers still didn't know who the last two women were, let alone what fief they were from or why they were there. Elissa and the three Herring sisters all seemed to all have a reason to leave home and Clint couldn't help but wonder about these other girls' reasons.
The following days passed quickly as they followed the men through the countryside, passing from fief to fief. Each village reported seeing the knights and their charges, but what really worried them was when the numbers started to grow. When they reached the third village, a small collection of buildings called Rocky Ford, the owner of the inn there told them that he'd seen seven women with the two knights.
"Are you sure?" Gilan asked the white-haired man, his brow drawn down in a troubled expression. "In the last village that we visited, witnesses saw only six."
The man shook his head, his face pensive and his lips slightly pursed. "Naw, I'm sure I saw seven. One red-head, three blondes, and three brunettes that could've easily been sisters."
"Thank you for your time." Halt nodded to the man and signaled for Abelard to continue along the road that led out of tiny village.
"The red-head's new," Gilan said as he turned to look at Halt.
Halt merely grunted in reply, keeping his eyes fix firmly on the road ahead of him, his brow furrowed with concern.
"What could they possibly want with all of them?" Will asked, his face scrunching into a less-weathered mirror of Halt's. "Every single person that we've talked to has agreed that the women all looked like they were fine. They're always clean and even smiling." His fingers twitch on the reins.
"And they aren't taking them for," he glances over at Will, "indecent reasons." He grimaced. "The women definitely wouldn't look happy with each other if that were the case."
Gilan shook his head. "Or with the knights, for that matter. They also aren't afraid to take them through populated areas." He frowns. "They aren't afraid of the women escaping."
Will huffs out a breath. "Are we even looking at a kidnapping? These women are obviously better off away from where they were before." He visibly shudders, making Tug toss his head in sympathy. "Elissa's situation alone is enough to make my stomach sick."
Halt's lips draw into a thin line as he glances to his apprentice. "I agree. But we still have an obligation to find these women and ensure that they're with these knights willingly, no matter how their situation appears to be."
The rest of them nod, falling silent.
(A/N: Please please PLEASE, if any of you notice any major mistakes or errors, feel free to message me and tell me. :) I really enjoy reading reviews, so I'd greatly appreciate those as well.)
(To Mala: I'm really sorry, but I already had the full story line of this fic planned out when I started writing it. :( I really wish that I'd found some way to include Alyss and Pauline when I first started planning out the plot, but I'm just too far along to add them now. :( )