Sorry about the slightly crowded spacing, but my computer's not working properly. *growls in frustraion* Thank you to all reviewers, except the loonies who decided to use my account and make it look like I reviewed myself. *glares* To the rest of you, REVIEW. Reviews encourage me not to create total chaos and war and evilness and chaos and more chaos. And belive me, all you bloodthirty people out there, blood is better when it is prepared properly. When chaos and war and evilness comes, I'll just make lots of people jump of buildings and cliffs. Now I sound like a vicious, bloodthirsty, evil, creepy, suicidal, homocidal, insane freak.

To TheStarr: Ok, by 'sane' people I meant people WHO DON'T GET ONTO THE WRITER'S ACCOUNT AND POST REVIEWS APPARENTLY BY ME. And thanks for understanding that it's being cowritten. I only fully write every third chapter (like this one). I just edit the others, and add bits like Horace searching for food (chapter 2) and 'Sir Wannabe' which I really like. Forever and a day is one of my favourite sayings. And yes, people look at me funny too.

To anonomous: Trust me, there will be plenty more George action. *laughs like an evil psychopath*

To Hades Krazy Daughter: This is about your review for Chapter 2. If you think that's exciting, well, I hope you're sitting down for the middle and the end. There's *ahem* more 'excitement' there. *another slightly psychotic but mainly evil laugh*

By the way, I might not update as much these next two weeks, because I don't have the book. insert sad face here I might include a few author's notes though, just to tell you a bit about what might happen, just so you don't abandon me completely. And if you think that I am overly grammatical and boring, I'm NOT. *sticks tongue out at people who think I am overly grammatical and boring*

WARNING: THE TWO ODDITIES WHO REVIEWED SEEMINGLY AS ME ARE PLANNING A HARRY POTTER/MAXIMUM RIDE CROSSOVER SOON! BEWARE! And there might be other random bits and pieces around. *glares at the two oddities mentioned above*

And I keep forgetting about these: Disclaimer: Not John Flanagan. Therefore, I don't own Ranger's Apprentice. (If I did, Casca'de would exist, and there would be a few other changes as well *flicks eyes left and right in a very suspicious manner*

Claimer: I have nothing to claim except a bad social science assignment and a bottle of liquid whiteout. Possibly the some of the plot to this story though, and probably most, if not all of the sequel. (Yes, I am planning a sequel. Deal with it.)

Anyway, here's chapter 6.

Chapter 6: Blue Stone

Aaron shook himself angrily, spat out a mouthful of water, sneezed, then headed back to the castle. He promised himself revenge. But for now, he would go and see his sweetheart and lover, Gabriella.

--

'I wish they hadn't gone,' Ailee said again. Bust as concerned as she was, she was still slightly relieved about the dogs' sudden disappearance. She and Gilan had looked for them but they really did seem to have vanished.

'Relax, Ailee. We'll talk to Halt and Will while we're visiting, and they'll help us.

'Well,' Ailee began uncertainly. 'Gilan, I think you might want to have a look at that first.' She pointed to a trail of blood. 'Especially since it looks like it's coming from Will's cabin!'

Gilan urged Blaze to a gallop, following the trail. If anything, Ailee's concern was even greater than Gilan's, so she and Sorcha soon overtook them.

'Look! Gilan, over here!' Ailee called. Gilan and Blaze trotted up to her. For the second time that day, she pointed. This time though, she was pointing at a girl's body slumped either unconscious or dead, in the middle of a pool of blood. Gilan dismounted and knelt beside the figure.

'She's still alive. But unless we can do something, she'll be dead.'

--

'Gabby?' Gabriella looked up. It was her mother, Elspeth.

'Mother? What has happened?'

'Aaron wishes to see you.'

'Admit him.' This was always how things went between Gabriella and her adoptive mother. Noble and servant. Gabriella insisted, because she was sure she was going to be a noble one day.

'Aaron, how lovely to see you,' Gabriella murmured in what she assumed was a rich vibrato. Her voice came out thin and slightly squeaky. 'Mother, you may go.'

Elspeth left.

'Gabby! At last, you have time for me!' Aaron exclaimed.

'Yes, I do. My life is busy, though. I hope you are not just here to be sociable.'

'Oh, no! I need your help. I want to be a knight, like Sir Horace, only I'd be a lot better.'

'Why, of course I'll help,' Gabriella giggled flirtatiously. 'My Aaron. Sir Aaron of the Order if the Fluttery Flower Fairies. How lovely, isn't it?'

'Well, maybe not that, exactly...'

--

Slagor II wobbled, then fell off his horse, Foldar snorted, then collapsed in helpless pearls of laughter. Slagor II glared indignantly at Foldar, which made him laugh so hard that he fell off his gorse. Then both men were sitting on the ground, quite unaware that someone was watching them, Someone named Will.

Will's shoulders shook as he suppressed his laughter.'

'What? What is it? I want a look!' Horace complained.

'Okay, but keep quiet.'

'Ahem. Have you forgotten who you're talking to? This is me. Quiet is not in my vocabulary.'

'Just look, Horace.'

'Fine.' Horace got up from his crouch, and went to look out of the small hole in the bush. He assessed the situation then snorted. Will let out a giggle, followed by another, and soon both of them were laughing.

'What's that roaring noise?' Slagor II asked Foldar. Foldar shrugged.

'Well, I'll have a look,' he continued.

'Anything to get off that horse, Slagor?' Foldar muttered under his breath as Slagor II walked towards the bushes where Will and Horace were 'roaring'.

--

'Ailee!' Gilan gasped for breath. 'I found out who the girl is!'

'Oh, who?'

They had taken the girl with them, mainly out if curiosity. When they had reached Gilan's cabin, Ailee had found the stab wound on the girl's back and treated it.

'Have you heard of the war lord Deparnieux?'

'Yes. He's dead, right?'

'That;s right, Halt killed him. And this is his daughter, Casca'de.'

Ailee's eyes widened. 'Of course. I should have known.'

'But now we have to do something before she wakes up.'

Casca'de's eyelids fluttered.

--

Casca'de opened her eyes and found a knife at her throat. Her eyes flicked left and right taking in her surroundings. The last thing she remembered doing was finding a pack of war dogs, then sending them off to find the way out of the forest, and kill anyone in the way.

The young man holding the knife held up a blue stone.

'Look at the blue. Give in to the wonderful blue,' he said, spinning the stone slowly. 'Give in to the blue... What's your name?'

'Casca'de Veratis.' Blue filled Casca'de's mind.

'Who is you mother?'

'Her name was Kyrinene Gradi.'

'What happened to her?'

'I don't know. She vanished.'

'When?'

'Seven years ago.'

'Tell me about your life so far.'

'I don't remember exactly. But I remember that I was a secret. They pretended that I was Kyrinene's niece. My name was Cassy, and I was a farmer's daughter. Then when I was ten, Kyrinene disappeared and Deparnieux decided that I should disappear too. But he didn't want to kill me, just in case Kyrinene came back. She didn't like me, but I suppose she thought that I was a part of her, sort of. So Deparnieux shut me in a tower room, without a handle on the inside, and told only the chef, the housekeeper amd Philemon, the captain of the soldiers, about me. Then I never saw him again. Five years later Philemon came and told me that Deparnieux was dead, and that he was now in charge. He gave me two days to pack my things and leave. After a year of wandering, I decided to avenge my father. A few days after I turned seventeen, I found Halt.'

Gilan had been listening in growing astonishment to Casca'de's past, and then he dropped the blue stone when she was done. As soon as he did Casca'de's senses returned. She hated blue. Hated it with a passion.

'Who are you, exactly?' she asked.

'My name's Gilan, and this is Ailee,' the man said. 'When I mesmerised you, you never referred to Deparnieux as your father or Kyrelene as your mother.. Why?'

Casca'de's s eyes hardened. 'I prefer not to think of them that way. They hated me. I hated them.'

'Yet you're trying to avenge Deparnieux?' Ailee questioned suspicously.

'As I said, I was needing something to do. If you have an alternative, I'd welcome it. I mean, an alternative to avenging Deparnieux, because I'd rather not.'

'What a happy family,' Gilan muttered to Ailee.

I iz back! Slightly less grammaticalised than before! Anyways, just in case you've read the 5th and 6th book, the blue rock Gilan used is the very same as what he used on Alyss!! And don't worry, it will get to his hands before the end of the book. And if there are any typos, sorry, had to get the Gilan-obsessor to email it to me. pfft.