AN: Hey sorry for not updating sooner, I got slapped with a ton of homework, Quizzes and Tests. College was not fun this last week. I had no time to write at all, so I apologize for the shortness of this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Ranger Apprentice series. I own nothing but my own characters.

Updated 12/11/12

It was still dark when Mark woke Taryn up. Whispering so as to not wake the other

Rangers near by he said "Hurry and saddle your horses, we'll eat breakfast on the road."

Nodding her understanding Taryn stood up out of her blanket and bent down to roll it up. Finishing with that she walked over to Tonalea and King's Storm to saddle them and get ready to leave. Wondering if Gilan, Will and Halt had left yet she tried to gaze through the darkness to see their campsite.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark morning she could make out where their campsite had been. Seeing that they must have left she turned away and continued her task in getting ready to leave. Leading Tonalea and riding King's Storm she rode over to where she could make out Mark sitting on his horse and talking with someone.

Reaching Mark she heard Crowley's voice say, "They left late last night"

Mark replied with a concerned voice "Will they be able to find them?"

Hearing Taryn approach Crowley didn't answer Mark's question instead turned to address Taryn. "I apologize for the inconvenience it may have caused you, especially with the timing. Seeing as you have ranger horses to train. "

"Thank you for the concern Ranger Crowley, but I have a assistant who took up the slack in the training process."

Nodding in understanding, Crowley then turned again and addressed Mark. "You won't have to blind fold her on the way back, Halt and I talked about it and decided she's trust worthy. After all she does train our horses." He looked at her and winked.

"Does this mean that I'm coming back next year?" Taryn questioned.

"Yes, I would like you to come back next year, hopefully you'll be able to actually do the tests. Halt brought up the idea of you also teaching the other Rangers a more advance class in riding techniques, if at all possible." He turned to her as he was telling.

"Aye, I'd love to work with all the Rangers." Taryn replied willingly.

"Great, then it's settled, I'll have Mark or Halt meet you at the crossroads next year. I will also make sure to send you a letter to let you know the date." Crowley finished saying, then turned to address Mark again, "Be careful on the way back and don't forget what I told you." And with that Crowley seemed to disappear into the darkness of the morning.

"Ready to go?" Mark turned in his saddle to look at Taryn.

"Yup." Taryn smiled and waited for him to lead the way out of the Gathering clearing. Mark moved his horse into a trot and Taryn followed as they made their way into the surrounding forest. The ride was a relaxing one. Mark wasn't very chatty like Will and Gilan had been, he let you decide if you wanted to talk and didn't push you if you weren't willing to start a conversation.

As the sun started to make its appearance to the world, Mark leaned back and asked, "Would you mind if we picked up the pace a little?" Taryn smiled at the older Ranger.

"Sure let's go!" She said as she signaled King's Storm in to the ground-eating canter that all Ranger horses could do. Passing Mark who had a surprised smile on his face, Taryn thought, "At this pace I'll be back before Jackson starts the afternoon training sessions." Smiling to herself she let her body and mind relax.

When the sun had finished rising, Mark called out to her saying, "Let's stop and eat before we continue any farther." Nodding to him she slowed her horses down and reached into her saddle pack only to remember that Halt had told her she didn't need to bring any food.

"Here take this" Mark said from beside her. Glancing up at him she saw a small package in his out stretched hand. Taking it she unwrapped it to see some dried meat and a chunk bread.

"Thank you, how did you know that I wouldn't have any food?" Taryn questioned him as she reached to grab a piece of jerky.

"Halt talked to me after you went to sleep last night." He explained as he ripped into a piece of bread.

"Well thank you again." She smiled at him. Finishing the food that the older Ranger had handed her, she waited for Mark to also finish before setting out on the road at a walk letting the horses and her body have a rest. "It's a beautiful day today. I wonder what Gilan is doing at this moment." Little did she know Gilan was ridding with Halt and Will through the Solitary Plain tracking the Kalkara. Wondering what she was going to do when He came to visit, she was pulled out of her thoughts by Mark's hand on her arm. Looking over at him with a questioning look, he put a finger to his lips telling her to keep quit.

Whispering he said, "We are being followed." Raising her eyebrows in a 'what are we going to do', she went to turn around in her saddle intending to look for the person following them, when Mark cried out in both pain and surprise.

Looking back at him she could just see the point out an arrow sticking out if his chest. Making eye contact with Mark she could see the pain clearly written across his face as he started to slump forward in the saddle. Thinking quickly Taryn grabbed the reins to Marks horse all the while untying the lead to Tonalea and signaling King's Strom into a canter. Knowing that Tonalea would still follow but that King's Storm would no longer be hindered by the lack of space she moved the horses into a faster pace. Praying that Mark could hold on, she looked behind to see a horrible looking man with a wicked looking crossbow stepping out of the forest followed by another man who looked just as worse as the first on, stepping out with a long bow that was ready to be fired again. Glancing over at Mark, Taryn knew he was in no way, shape or form to be fighting, and not knowing where she was going, for this was not a part of the forest she recognized, she let the horses pick their way along the trail as they ran for their lives.

Coming out of the forest Taryn realized that they where near the cross roads that she had met Halt and Will at. Making for the road that lead into town she urged the horses even faster knowing Mark didn't have much time left. All of a sudden she felt a sharp stinging pain in her shoulder. Glancing back to see what it was she saw an arrow just like the one that was sticking out of Mark, sticking about 3 inches out of her right shoulder.

Feeling herself starting to fall into darkness she didn't feel the reins to Mark's horse slide out of her hands or see that they had finally reached the outskirts of town and the horses, sensing that they where in a safe place, had slowed down.

Garret was walking back to his house when he saw three horses trotting down the road with two riders. Not thinking anything of it till he say one of the riders fall from their horse and not get up, he ran up to the three horses. Finally making out the arrows and the blood he started calling for help. Other villagers hearing this cry came to investigate.

Taryn was seeing dark spots in her vision and could hardly hear. She felt someone lifting her from her saddle and being laid down on the ground. People where yelling something about getting someone. Then darkness claimed her.

AN: Well here you guys go, another chapter come and gone, again I apologize for the lateness and shortness of this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it, and please don't hesitate to review. Also if you guys have any ideas on where you would like to see this story go please message me and let me know, and I'll try to work your ideas into the story line.