A.N. - Ok I am really sorry for how long it has taken me to update this story. Over a year, ouch! This chapter has been a long time coming, i started it pretty quickly after I last updated however life had different plans in store for me at the time. It wasn't until I got a review from one very helpful reviewer, follower and fav that I decide to dust off this chapter and hopefully finish it. So after spending the last 2 hours I finished the chapter and am now posting it for all my followers to enjoy. But before I do that I just want to say thank you to the reviewer who got me thinking about this story again, so thank you Milkytail. Also I wanted to say thank you to everyone else who has reviewed/followed/favorited this story during my leave of absents. And now on to the story.

The forest was full of life that afternoon, you could hear the birds singing, rodents scampering threw the underbrush and squirrels chattering up in the trees, but the sound you couldn't hear was the sound of a well trained ranger making his way silently threw the trees. Staying hidden in the shadows that were cast upon the forest floor. He was silent as a mouse as he made his way to the edge of the forest and staying in the shadows was able to look out without being seen by the inhabitants of the farm that sat not far from the edge of the forest. The ranger silently waited for the better part of an hour before he saw two riders coming down the road that led to the farm.

"Ah, here they come." He though to himself, before making sure he couldn't be seen. If he were seen, it would ruin the whole mission that he and a fellow ranger were on. A mission that revolved around the two riders that were making their way up to the farmhouse, specifically around the young woman who was being helped off of her horse by her companion. Her companion was the focus of why he was currently hiding in the forests shadows verses meeting the young woman again in the farmhouse.

They had heard rumors of a man who was working for their enemy; it wasn't until a recent attack on one of their own that had conformed it. Only four people had known that she was going to be at the Gathering, out of those four people, two knew her true identity. He himself hadn't known when he had first met her. Now, thanks to a leak in they're midst, one of his fellow Rangers was dead. Staying low to the ground he made his way closer to where the man was talking to his horses. The man didn't suspect a thing; neither did his companion who didn't know that this person wasn't who he said he was. The horses, he suspected, would hear him and he hoped wouldn't give away his position, after all they were once in the corps themselves. Trusting in his ability to blend in the shadows and stay invisible and silent the man continued till he was within hearing of the man with the horses.

"What am I doing, I'm not supposed to fall in love with her." The man paused when he heard the other start to speak to himself and the horses.

"He said not to become attached with the target. If only she hadn't run then she would already be in his possession and I wouldn't have to worry about falling for her. Stupid Ranger wasn't supposed to be there. She was suppose be coming home alone, not with an escort." What did he mean by this, the hidden man wondered. Hoping that the other man would continue to speak the man waited patiently and his patience was rewarded.

"I just have to play it cool, and make her feel safe, I'll move tonight, while she's still weak. Then all will be back on track."

What he heard confirmed his suspicions. It was time to tell his old mentor what he had found out.

The man waited till the other had left to make his way to the house before silently fading back into the forest behind him. Leaving no trace of his presence behind, other than the two old Ranger horses that had known he was there the whole time.

Circling around the farmhouse till he was on the backside of the cabin, he quietly walked to the window that had been left open for him to slip into when he had finished his task. Slipping into the room that was dark except for the light coming from the window, he hurriedly changed into the Rangers dress uniform that had been laid out for him.

Taryn suddenly felt the warm atmosphere in the cabin drop. Looking between Halt and Marks parents she felt like she had walked in on an important conversation.

Halt walked over to Taryn and motioned for her to follow him into another room in the cabin.

"Taryn, I need to know everything about the attack." Halt said grimly.

"I wrote to Crowley explaining everything when I woke up. Didn't he give you the letter or at least fill you in?" Taryn asked looking out the window to see Jackson still working on the horses.

"Yes, but I wanted to hear it from you." Halt answered her question.

Taryn started to speak before glancing over at Marks parents. "Maybe we should speak somewhere private?" she said looking back over at Halt. "I don't want to upset Agatha and Warren with the details."

Halt thought for a moment before nodding, then started across to the one of the door's that was along the west wall of the cabin.

Following Halt into the bedroom, for indeed that's what the room was, Taryn waited for Halt to close the door before he motioned for her to sit on the bed before he began to speak.

"Taryn do you know why Crowley picked you to come to the gathering instead of one of our other trainers?" Halt said while he leaned up against the wall across from the bed.

"I thought that is was because I was to supervise and assess the apprentices on their horses skills." Taryn said with a confused tone in her voice.

"Original it was for this purpose that you were pick, however it came to Crowley's attention that something was afoot involving on of our horse trainers. We had heard rumor that someone was selling secrets about how the ranger's horses are breed and trained. We needed to investigate further and you were coming to the gathering it gave us a perfect chance to find out more about you and see if you were the one providing our enemy's with these valuable secrets." Halt explained.

"Wait you think that I was the one telling other people how to train ranger horses!" Taryn said angrily standing up from her sitting position on the bed, "You can't be serious! I would never…"

"We know that now." Halt interrupted before Taryn could speak anymore. "Taryn, the attack on you and Mark was not a random attack against travelers. It was a target and a well thought out attack, you were the target, not Mark. Crowley and I were the only ones who knew the true reason of your coming to the gathering and we also believe that this attack was not just an attack. We believe that it was a botched attempt and kidnapping you."

All the while Halt was talking Taryn had started pacing back and forth. Once Halt was finished she turned back towards him. Whispering while she sunk back down onto the bed behind her, she said. "A kidnapping? Why would they want to kidnap me? I just train horses for a living."

"Exactly, you train horses. There are only a few people that can train a ranger's horse completely and you are one of those chosen few." Halt said right before there was a knock at the door. "Come in Gilan."

Gilan silently entered the bedroom before closing the door behind him just as silently. He didn't say anything as he crossed to the window that was on the wall across from the door. Silently he pulled the shutter that was on the outside of the house to cover the window before facing the two occupants that were looking at him expectantly.

"We need to move her to safety." Gilan finally said. peaking through the slightly covered window.

"Wait, move who?" Taryn said as she once again stood up from the bed.

"You." Halt said simply. "Gilan what did you gather?"

Gilan glanced back his old mentor before looking over at Taryn. "How long have you know your training partner?" he asked sharply.

Taken back by his sharp tone, she answered just as sharply, "Since the middle of my third year as an apprentice, I was 14 and he was 12. I was the one who showed him the ropes as a first year apprentice, we trained under the same mentor for a year and a half before I went to train under Ol'Bob for the rest of my apprenticeship. When I graduated and got the farm Jackson was the first person that I wanted to come work on the farm with me. Why?"

"Because," Gilan stated. "He's one of the ones behind your attempted kidnapping."

Once again I end on a cliff. Sorry guys but it's getting late for me and I have to work in the morning and I would prefer if I wasn't half asleep when I show up to work tomorrow morning. Review and tell me what you think.