AN: Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy and thanks to all the reviews and the ideas on the story, Please keep them coming!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Rangers Apprentice. I only own the figures of my imaginations and delusions. :) And now one to the story!
Darkness. Voices speaking but no words could be heard. It was warm, and muggy, she felt overheated. Taryn could feel hands moving and touching her face and arms, a cool cloth being placed on her brow, trying to open her eyes to take in what was happening, she couldn't. "What is wrong? Why won't my eyes open? Did something happen? Why am I so warm, and yet I'm also cold. " Thought Taryn, as she struggled to pry open her eyes. Nothing, she couldn't make anything work, she felt this heavy weight on her chest like she couldn't breath and her legs and arms felt like lead. Then she heard a voice that cut through all the darkness. "Let me see her! Taryn? Please wake up." A hand grabbed hers. "Jackson! I am awake! I just can't open my eyes." The words where in her mouth, but like her eyes she couldn't make it work. "What's wrong with her? Why isn't she waking up?" She heard Jackson ask someone. "It's a poison, we've given her the antidote but her body is taking too long to respond to it. She may not recover. The arrow pierced her shoulder but it wasn't just the arrowhead that was poisoned the shaft was as well." Someone had answered Jackson. "Taryn, you have to get better, you just have to. I don't know what I'd do without you. You're my training buddy and my best friend, please don't die." Jackson whispered into her hair.
"Jackson, its time you left, she needs to rest if she is going to get better. I'll send someone out to the farm to let you know if there's been any change." That person spoke again. Taryn could feel herself drifting again, fighting to stay 'awake' her breathing got heavier. "What's wrong why is she breathing heavier?" She could hear Jackson start to panic. "Get him out of here." Someone ordered, she could hear a struggle and someone grunting as Jackson was wrestled out of the room. Someone was holding her head and opening her mouth, she was being made to drink something, and it tasted horrible! Her body made to spit it out, but it just kept going back down her throat. "Come on please drink it. It will help you." That same someone whispered to her has the drink was still being poured into her mouth.
Finally it stopped and the cool hands left her face, only to return with a new cool rag.
Taryn felt her body relaxing, and her mind drifting. The haze was coming back, and the darkness was creeping in on her, the voices that she had been able to make out slowly turned to silence as she drifted into a deeper sleep.
Gilan was cantering down the road that lead from Halt's Cabin to Redmont Castle. He was thinking of a young pretty red head with striking blue eyes. This red head happened to be Taryn, the female horse trainer that he had met at the gathering. Slowing down from a canter to an easy walk, Gilan entered Redmont castle. He was here to let the Baron know that he was leaving to go back to his own fief and to drop off a report for Halt. Thinking about Halt as he made his way up the stairs to the Barons office, Gilan was very relived when he had finally gotten to the ruins of Gorlan to find that the Kalkara had been killed and that his mentor had managed to come out alive and for the most part unharmed. Knocking on the Baron's door he heard a gruff 'come in' before he pushed the door open. Gilan stopped in surprise when he saw the person sitting across from Baron Arald. It was Crowley. "Well are you just going to stand there like a stuck pig or are you going to come in and close the door." Crowley said as he sipped from a cup that could only contain one thing, coffee. Deciding that he wanted to know why the Ranger commandant was sitting in an office at Redmont verse on his way back to Castle Araluen, Gilan finished entering the office and closed the door. Waiting for Crowley to start speaking, Gilan walked over to the other empty chair and sat down. "Mark is dead." Three words, those three simple words shattered whatever good mood Gilan had. "What?" Gilan questioned "How is he dead? When? Wasn't he taking Taryn how? Is she ok?" The questioned seemed the flow right out of his mouth with no control.
"From what I can gather from the village reports she came riding into town like a mad women leading Mark's horse, when they where able to setting the horses down to were they could get to her and Mark, he was already to far gone and she had an arrow through her shoulder." Crowley explained to the Baron and Gilan. "I would like for you and Halt to go investigate what happened, we need to know how one of our own ended up dead and another is laying in the town infirmary close to dead." "What do you mean 'close to dead'?" Gilan again questioned. "Apparently the arrow was poisoned, the same poison was also found on the arrow that killed Mark. The healers are not sure if Taryn will make it or even wake up. I'm sorry Gilan, I know you and she had become friends. You will need to go and let Halt know so you too can leave as soon as possible, and take Will with you, he needs the practice." With that Crowley stood up and drained the last of the coffee that was in the cup and ghosted out of the office.
"Baron Arald this was a report that Halt had asked me to drop off before I left, now it seems as if it will be dropped off before I head back to Halts. I take my leave." "Of course Ranger Gilan, I hope you find out what happened to you two friends and my condolences." The Baron stood to take the offered report and shake Gilans hand in goodbye. "Thank you." With that Gilan made his was back down the stairs and into the courtyard where Blaze was waiting. "Well Blaze it's back to Halt's and then on to find out what happened to Mark, and Taryn." Turning and trotting out of the Castle he made his way down the same road that he had ridden earlier in such a good mood, now his mood was ominous and slightly worried.
AN: I know it's short but I have a ton of homework that I have to get done, so I'm sorry and Hopefully I will be able to update later in the week. If not then the next chapter won't be up till the weekend. R&R!