Chapter 14: Our Journey Has Just Begun

Halt's POV:

I rotated my now extremely stiff shoulder. Gilan nudged me.

"Look! Over there," he whispered. I looked out of the camp, and saw two figures creeping silently along the ground toward the totally unsuspecting sentry. One rose up, and struck the sentry down. They conversed for a few seconds, then bound him and crept closer to the camp. Once close enough, they settled down and peered through the foliage.

"I think that's Will and Raven," I whispered back. "But they won't try to rescue us; its to risky."

"Do y'think someone saw them?" Gil asked.

"No, only we saw them," I replied. When I looked back at the foliage, Raven and Will had disappeared. I scanned the field, and saw them moving backward to the sentry. Again, they paused to talk, probably about whether or not to take the sentry back with them. Then one, presumably Raven, pointed away from the camp, and the other one, Will, walked in the direction she indicated.

"What's she doing?" Gilan whispered.

"It would seem that she's laying a false trail. After all, you can't kidnap their sentry and have the soldiers not be suspicious." I replied. "So she's got Will laying a false trail; in the wrong direction, too." Gil nodded.

"Nothing much escapes her, does it?" He commented. Then Raven proceeded to carry the sentry, which was rather difficult, because she was so petite. She soon passed out of view, so I switched my gaze to Will. He was making slow progress; he was making sure the trail was perfectly clear. He reached the edge of the forest, disappeared for about fifteen minutes, then dropped out of a tree many meters away from where he had entered the forest. He ran lightly in the direction Raven had gone. Then sudden wave of fatigue engulfed me, and I slipped into a troubled sleep.

Raven's POV:

We had made it back to the inn, with a prisoner too. Now I lay, collapsed on the bed. I slept, until the sun woke me. I sat up in bed. I dressed in a faded, blue tunic with black leggings and my brown boots. I turn ran a quick comb through my long hair an frowned in the mirror. If we were going to Skandia, I needed to disguise myself. I twisted my hair a certain way, then folded it over a certain way. I studied my handiwork. My hair was now very short, ending above my shoulders. Now I could pass for a boy. I trotted downstairs for breakfast and found Seth and Horace eating enthusiastically. Will was shaking his head and grinning. He saw me and motioned for me to sit down with them. I did.

"You cut your hair!" Seth managed between swallows. I shook my head.

"It's s type of twist. It makes my hair seem shorter. So that I can pass as a boy," I explained. Will frowned.

"Why would you need to pass as a boy?" He asked. I shrugged.

"Oberjarl Erak and I have. . . met. . . before," I said, not wanting to give to much away. Will raised an eyebrow.

"You've 'met' before? How so?" He asked in an unbelieving tone.

"It's a long story," I said dismissively. Seth looked up.

"You haven't eaten anything," he said. I grinned.

"Not hungry," I said. In truth, I had already had breakfast, an apple and some coffee. I'd eat later, on the road. Horace shrugged happily.

"More for us!" He said, and Seth agreed. Will shook his head.

"You're going to eat the innkeepers out of house and home! No, I think it's time to go," Will said. I nodded my agreement, and Seth and Horace exchanged crestfallen looks.

"Let's go pack our stuff," Seth said reluctantly. On the way upstairs, Will and I talked.

"Will the Soldiers have left?" Will asked. I nodded.

"They probably left as soon as they noticed that their sentry was missing," I informed him.

"Are you quite sure they're going to Skandia?" Will asked.

"Oh, quite sure. Though what they want from the Skandians, I don't know," I said. We packed our things, then faced a problem.

"What is our prisoner going to ride?" Will asked. We were in the stables, saddling the horses.

"I thought he could ride one of the Ranger horses?" I said. Will shook his head.

"That would never work," he said. "We could borrow a horse."

"It would work better."

"Just asked the innkeeper," that was Horace. "He said we could have that one." Horace pointed to a brown horse.

"Ok. Thanks Horace," I said. I lead the brown horse out of its stall and tacked it up. We all mounted our horses, and Horace hoisted our hostage into his seat. We clip-clopped out of the town. Once outside, I leaned forward in my horses back and nudged him forward into a gallop. My laughter rang out on the wind. Will urged Tug faster, and soon we were galloping flat out across the plain in an unofficial race. We couldn't imagine the dangers and trials that lay in the days ahead. Our plan was to get Halt and Gilan home, but it would be much, much more than that. Our journey has just begun.

Authors note: on time, this time!

Mac Gustah: Don't worry, Erak will make an appearance.

TrustTheCloak: Thank you!

I'd appreciate any ideas anyone might have. I have to find a way to surprise you guys again XD