50

"What's for breakfast?" Asked Horace.

"Is now really the time?" Will asked.

"Well… um… hu…" Horace staggered as w\Will shook his head laughing.

"It's ok Horace, I'm just kidding, I know how important it is for the knight of the oak leaf to have his almighty breakfast." Will said jokingly and with a hint of sarcasm. Horace shook his head and went inside to grab a bite to eat. As Horace went in Will saw something move in the bushes. Will went to investigate. To his surprise he saw nothing.

"Must be imagining things" he said as he was about to go back. Before he did, he heard a wheezy voice saying

"You… ruined…me." Said the voice. Immediately he turned around and pulled out his saxe knife, surprised to see an old man.

"What do you say sir?" Will said, lowering his guard

"I said…" he started before he started wheezing and coughing. Right after that Will carried him to the hut.

"Horace whip up some food quick!" Will yelled.

"Why do I…" He started with his mouthful before he saw the man and ran to cook a meal. He gave it to the man and pulled will in the corner.

"Will, who is this man?" he asked Will.

"I don't know but clearly he needs help" he replied while pointing at the shivering and eating slowly. After he finished his meal he said

"Can I sleep here, I have no home?" the feeble old man sayed.

"Sorry but you have to go." Horace said.

"Oh no he doesn't Horace, he stays if he needs to." He replied harshly.

"Thank you!" said the old man, and went to the bedrooms.

"What's your problem?!" Will hissed at Horace.

"I don't know… when he's around I get an uneasy feeling." Horace replied.

"Just... leave him alone, and no, let him sleep in the morning, I knew you were going to ask." said Will bitterly. Horace was walking home when he heard a noise.

"Whose there?" he asked. Then the old man walked up to him.

"I believe you were responsible for this." He said showing him a huge stab scar in his ribs.

"Morgarth, how did you get so old?!" he yelled in surprise. He reached for his sword which wasn't there because he was at Will's Ranger Graduation ceremony.

"Turns out living in the Mountains Of Rain rapidly increase aging after inju-"was all he said before he lunged at Horace with his broad sword mid sentence to catch him off guard, using it with the strength and speed of a man in thirty's or forty's. Horace jumped back just in time with only a minor scar. Horace pulled out his waist dagger and barely blocked the next stroke. Morgarth did an overhand strike which Horace dodged. Morgarth then did a series of lightning fast sword strokes where Horace got cut once and his dagger broke. Horace ran for Will's house for help. Morgarth then threw his sword like a javelin at Horace's leg and Horace got lucky his leg didn't get speared but only got only a gash in his leg. He screamed, unable to run, he waited for Morgarth to kill him on the spot, instead he smuggled him to unconscious. After half an hour later Will got bored so he checked on the old man. He opened the door and saw him snoring heavingly. He left to the stable to care for Tug, his horse. When Morgarth heard him leave. He immediately got up and took his broad sword. He Tried to go into the forest and attack him from the closest edge of the clearing he was. He went all the way around the edge of the forest. He was about to jump out when Tug sensed him and neighed. Will left his long bow and cloak, so he couldn't shot or sneak away then attack, this was risky because archery and stealth are the rangers' primary skills. He pulled out his saxe and throwing knife. He saw a rustle and threw the throwing knife, unknowingly grazing some white hair off Morgarth. He ran out to the clearing preparing to cleave Will in two. Without his throwing knife he couldn't do the ranger double knife sword parry technique. So he clumsily blocked the broad sword, causing the saxe knife to fly out of his grasp. He raised his sword to deliver the fatal blow when Tug ran out of the stables and kicked Morgarth with his front legs. Morgarth went flying, letting go of his broad sword. Will couldn't use it so he jumped on top if Tug while he ran towards the rising man. He jumped off the horse hoping to land on his neck and kill him, instead Morgarth t\rolled over and pulled out his waist knife. Will kicked him in the boot before he could use the dagger; while his shoe flew off he noticed he kept a dirge in his boot. Running to the boot he picked up the dirge and barely parried Morgarth's knife thrust. They both took a fighter's stance and lunged. The swinged at each other and jumped back to a fighter's stance. They repeated this until Will signaled his horse. Morgath's eyes went wide and he ran only to be trampled under Tugs feet. Will went to expect the body. He saw his back and spine were completely broken and his neck was tuned at an unnatural angle. He went back to the hut after burning the body and found Horace unconscious in a bag. He woke up, saw Will and yelled

"Old man, he's" was all he got to say before Will interrupted him and sayed

"I took care of him." Will sayed while thinking about how ironic it was that the Lord Of Rain, was burning.