I apologize for how poorly written this chapter is. I just wanted to make sure I updated like I said I would. As a matter of fact, I apologize for how poorly written this story is. If you've managed to keep up so far, I applaud you.
Will's goal was simple. Make it very clear that his disappearance was because the Temujai had stolen his body, when in truth they had not.
He thrust out his foot and knocked over the kitchen table, and quickly followed with the upturning of the two chairs next to it. Next was the wooden couch. He broke off one arm with another kick just for good measure. The cutlery and plates soon joined everything else (smashed on the floor), although he was careful not to break the coffee pot. He simply could not bring himself down to that level. To top it all off, he took large handfuls of dead ash from the fireplace and spread it over the mess.
Once he was finished, Will only stopped for a brief moment to observe the destruction. Halt could get back any moment, and whatever he'd been able to do was enough. The important part was him getting out. He went out the back door, and closed it behind him. He had only gone a few steps along the porch before he realized that Halt had been bolting the doors lately, so invaders would have a hard time just waltzing in. He spun around and grabbed the deck chair next to the door. A quick thrust at the door had splintered it just enough that a round-house kick broke it off the top hinge. Satisfied, he continued down the steps and into the bright afternoon sunlight of the clearing.
The strange boots on his feet sounded like a blundering grizzly bear in a forest full of small dry sticks. He sighed and wished he could use his old, familiar ones. Since Halt was a master at reading footprints and evidence, Will's obviously ranger boots would do him no good. He had needed regular boots, but they also needed to be close to what the Temujai wear, also for Halt's benefit. When he had first come up with the grim plan, he had thought through all the details, and had secured a pair of relatively foreign styled boots in the village. He'd stashed them in his room, and the first thing he had done, before trashing anything, was change his boots. They'd left his boots and cloak on, and had even strapped his knives on his belt. Will supposed it was out of respect, and he guessed he would have been buried with them on. That at least, he was thankful for. He wasn't sure what he would do if he had to leave the cabin with no weapons.
Will grimaced, and stopped in the middle of the clearing. He looked back at the cabin, and had to fight the urge to run back inside. There were so many things that could have gone wrong, and he should have been thankful that nothing did. However, this next part was the part he had dreaded most. He had to leave it all behind, and he couldn't even take Tug. That was way too suspicious. Everything he had grown up with, all his possessions and everyone he knew all had to be left behind. He might not ever be able to see them again. If the Temujai continued their deathly campaign and Araluen collapsed, he would have to flee and never return. Even now he was a serious danger to his friends. That was he had to fake his death in the first place. If he was dead, he was no use to them as a way of getting what they wanted. The ransom couldn't be fulfilled, and it left the remaining inhabitants of the village (1) and woods with some opportunity to negotiate and give the troops from surrounding fiefs time to arrive.
In the meantime, he had other things to do. Even if he couldn't help directly, he still intended to help from the sidelines, or even from within the enemy. It would be difficult, but at least would take his mind away from Halt and Alyss and Tug.
Will forced his legs to move again. He looked away from the cabin, and instead focused on his new goal. He plunged into the woods. It was now or never.
He did not look back again.
(1) (Yeah, I fail at this.) The Temujai took over the castle, but left the village mostly to its own devices. They have soldiers all over, but the village must go on.