Chapter 24

Dawn over the mountains

"Will, I know why you did what you did, but you should know I have never blamed you for what happened. Being rangers, things like this happen a lot" Halt said holding Will to him as they looked over the village. The boy was better after his talk with Gilan but he still needed some thing that Gilan could not give him, a sense of love and freedom that Halt knew he could give him a million times over.

Will and Halt had decided to spend some time alone together after what happened at the award ceremony. So now the two of them sat on a hillside talking together over all their problems that had happened over the past few months. It wasn't just what had happened on the way to the snow country, it was every thing that happened after that the boy was worried about, he did want to say but his biggest fear was that some day he was going to be alone. All alone with out Gilan, with out his friends and with out his love.

"Halt what would have happened if you had found me before he... I mean if I could have stayed human, what would you have done? would you have still changed me?"Will asked, he did what to know, would they have still got together. Will hoped that they would have because a world with out Halt in it was a world that he did not want to even think about, even dream about. Will knew that he just hurt thinking about that.

"Will my first plan before I found you was to get you home to Gilan. At that time I did not know your feelings for me were anymore than friend or maybe father, but now I know that it was always some thing more, even if you did not know it yourself and had you told me of these feelings I have no doubt that I would have changed you no matter what happened next just to keep you with me because I knew that I loved you from the moment you came into my life and I just know now that I could not imagine a life with out you in it "Halt said sincerely.

"So you did not know how I felt? but I would have lost you. The first person that really knew me... even if I did not love you like I do, I would not want that even if you had sent me back to Gilan, I would have found a way to come back to you, my life is nothing, was nothing with out you in it. You mean every thing to me"Will replied curling into Halt more as he thought of a life without Halt.

"Will I would have kept an eye on you, in wolf form or human there would not have been a day when I would not have been there for you"Halt said tightening his hold.

"But I still would not have seen you again, and I know how much that would have hurt"Will said clearly upset.

"Will, that is something you will never have to find out. So all of this is moot point"Halt told him.

The sun passed its zenith and began to descend towards the western horizon. As the two watched the sun set they felt more at peace than they had for a long time. The monster was dead and would not be coming after Will or the others again. The witch was still out there but hopefully she would not come back. Halt knew that possibility was real that she would, so he would have to find a way to make sure that all of them would be prepared for that possibility, which would mean more to teach.

"Will, what do you say to training some of the others in ranger skills?"Halt asked.

"That would be great but I have only had a year of training myself and I know I still have a lot to learn myself, I hope there will be some time of some one on one lessons with you"Will said purring a little.

"So a ranger school then and Will you would be able to help a little at least at the start and as for the one on one lessons...you know the answer to that"Halt said then continued "Will you are a natural horse rider and the way Tug and Blaze have been acting and Abelard has been sniffing around that wild white mare, I think we will soon have plenty of horses for all"

Will knew how Tug felt when it came to love, looking up at Halt he felt the same love well up inside of him and he knew he was starting to grow hard. His breath was coming in short pants as he said "Halt I want you".

Halt knew how Will felt. He brought the boy's face close to his own and started to kiss him with passion. They both felt their bodies responding as their make out became more and more heated by the moment.

Far away over the rise sat the witch. Her heart was in pain because of what that wolf and lion did. They had destroyed the only person she knew that cared about her, she would get her revenge on them.

As she watched in her crystal shard, she started to plan. The wolf men were stripping of their clothes, very obviously going to make love. Some thing that she would not feel again, her love would never touch her like that again, her heart then turned cold and she made a vow day. All animal men no matter the age would die. Never again would she make another, she would kill and torture them all and all in front of their lovers eyes starting with those two.

An: what do you think the witch has planned? more soon.