A/N Hello there, I'm back from the dead! No not really, but still. I've got good news! Everything that was messed up in my knee fixed itself, due to me not walking much. Further recovery will take a couple of months, but I can keep dancing! If everything is alright, I can start after the summer's over! Now a few more things. I'll be in southern France next week because of spring break (I think it's called like that. Anyway one week no school.) and the week after that I'm going to go to Barcelona with school. (Great 20 hours in a bus.) I'll try to update, but I've got little wifi there, so it won't be easy.
Something like me: Haha a hunger games reference XD. Thank you the odds where in my favor! I finally sort of caught up with my schoolwork! Now here's another chapter!
ScbaStv: Yeah she is! I didn't really know how to end the last chapter, so I was like... TICKLE HER! hehe, yeah, okay. In her fox form, she can talk to any animal, but as a human not. It's just a ranger trait. I didn't mention it before. Oops. Thank you for your kind review.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranger's apprentice. I wish I did, but I don't.
Chapter 10.
May.
I eventually manage to get away from them. This is going to come back at me no matter what. I sit down and braid my hair. It's nice and out of the way like that. When I'm done I get back to the fireplace, with caution.
"Can I join you, or will I be attacked again?" I ask them. They smile at me, and I sit down. Horace hands me a cup of coffee. I mutter a thanks and drink it.
Gilan, Horace and Will are discussing what to do with Bart and Carney. There aren't enough horses to take them with us, especially when Morgarath is taking over the country. Gilan motions Will to follow him, and I'm left alone with Horace and Evanlyn. I sigh and lie on my back. The cowl of my hood shades my eyes from the sun. I could really use some more coffee.
"So, how come you're in ranger clothes? You are a girl right?" Evanlyn asks. I mentally sigh. Why can't people just once assume I'm a normal apprentice.
"That's because I am an apprentice to the ranger corps." I say to her. She nods.
"I thought girls couldn't join." Hm I never knew.
"Special case I guess." I shrug and sit up. "How long have you known your mistress?" I ask Evanlyn. She shrugs.
"A while." Vague, like she doesn't exactly know what to say. She hesitated a few times before. Like she's the mistress and not the servant. Now why would she do that? I get myself another cup of coffee when Will and Gilan return.
"So here's what we're going to do." Gilan starts. "I am going to scout around Gwyntaleth. someone there who can shed a little more light on what Morgarath is up to. I should be back about sunset, make sure you have something hot to eat. Now what to do with you two." He turns to face Bart and Carney. "First, Horace, take that fancy sword of his and break it in half. May get the club and throw it as far as you can into the ravine." I smile and do so. You can hear it clattering down for several seconds. When I turn around Bart and Carney are undressing.
"I did not need to see that." I say when I turn away my gaze. I can see Gilan say something to Will. When he's done he walks to me. He hugs me and wispers something in my ear.
"You'll leave at sunset. I'm going back to Auraluen and you're going to follow. I'll see you soon." With that he goes to Blaze and rides away.
We rode as fast as we could that night. With the package pony and Evanlyn with us. To make everything better. It started raining again. Normally I wouldn't mind, but with Evanlyn with us, I can't risk it. An hour before dawn we stop. We're in a small forest a few metres from the path we where following.
"Why not go on for a few more hours?" Horace asks.
"No, this is the first good camping spot we've come across for hours. Who knows how far the next one is." Will says. I shrug, at least I don't have to say it anymore. I dismount Hunter and pat him on his neck. I unsaddle him and unroll my tent. To my surprize Evanlyn just sits down on a rock and watches us set up camp.
"You can get a meal ready." I hear Will tell Evanyn.
"I'm not particularly hungry." Is her reply. Before I can say something about it Harace offers that he would make some.
"No you help May with the shelter. Evanlyn can get us some food." Will stops Horace.
"Fine, if it means that much to you." She replies curtly. "Can Horace at least make a fire. I'm not good at that."
"No fire." I say from my spot, which is with my back turned to them. "We'll be too visible like that."
"Not cold food again." Evanlyn snaps.
"Who are you? The princess? Not just one day ago you where happy with any kind of food. Hot or not. Stop acting so vain and do something to help." I snap back. I turn around and glare at her. She glares back
"I can make a small one, one you can't see from the road." Horace offers.
"Won't work. Gil said wargals have a great sense of smell. Tey'd be able to smell it miles away." Will says. "I'm going to find some water, and see if we're realy alone here." With that he vanishes. He's gotten better at it since the last time we met. When camp's set up I sit down and look up to the sky. I pull up my cowl and close my eyes.
I must have fallen asleep, because I wake up with a start. My breath is ragged, and three faces are staring at me.
"Nightmare. Don't worry about it." I say with a fake smile. "I'll take the first watch." I look at Will and Horace, hoping they'd get the message. I get up and dissappear into the bushes. Before I'm out of earshot I can hear Evanlyn say.
"Is she always like that?" I grin. Once I'm far enough, I shift and start running. As a fox I don't have to worry about not being seen. Anyone who does see me will just see an ordinairy fox. I keep running untill I find a spot where I can see the road. Not much happens untill I hear a noise. It's not much, and if I was in human form I wouldn't have heard it. It's a deep rythmic sound. Chanting maybe, but I've only once heard this before. When… In the corner of my eye I see a small group of wargals coming our way. I've got to warn the others. As fast as I can run I run back to camp. In my hurry I completely forget to shift back, and I run into sight in full fox form. I'm about to shift back when I notice Evanlyn, fast asleep. I completely forgot about her. I run back into the forest, wait a little, shift back and run back to camp. I wake them all up.
"No time to explain, just follow me." I say before walking to some shrubs. They follow and I make them hide. It's not long before they notice the humming too.
"What is that?" Horace says.
"Shh. They're wargals." I say in a hushed voice. "Now Shut up before they hear us." Soon we can see them too. I have to surpress a shiver, and keep perfectly still. Now I've just got to make sure the others do too. In the middle of the group of wargals there's a group of Celts. One of them looks awefully familiar. He falls and stops the entire group. One of the wargals lashes out on him with a whip. When there's no response, another comes with a spear. After several nodges and no response. He realizes it's dead. The wargal picks the man up and throws him to us. I mentally groan when I hear Evanlyn let out a small cry. I immediatly shut her up, and stay still again.
The leader must have heard it, because he sends one of his men to check if the Celt really is dead. The wargal pokes the Celt for a couple of times, and turns around. He makes a few noises. The leader answers and stares right at us. He can't see us. He can't see us. I think to myself. It seems to work, because the wargal turns around. He barks a few commands and the small group is on their way again.
When they're gone I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I get up and help the others up aswell. I walk to the dead Celt and roll him on his back. When I see his face I stumble back and fall. It can't be. They only take miners. Why would he be amoung them?
"May?" Will carefully asks. "Do you know him?" I nod, my eyes never leave the fallen Celt.
"His name is Dylan, he was my only friend when I lived in Portdellath." I manage to say. "It doesn't make any sense. He was going to Gwyntaleth to be a physician. The wargals only took miners untill now."
"Maybe they need someone to take care of their sick." Horace proclaims.
"Maybe." I say still not convinced. I get up and sit next to Dylan. I close his eyes, and put his hands on his chest. We don't really have time for a proper funeral, but I can make his resting place a bit less wild. I put him in a more natural position, while humming a celtic song.
I get up once I'm done.
"I am going to follow them. Will, Horace, take Evanlyn back to Auraluen. Tell Gilan I'm sorry." I turn around and start packing things.
"You're not going alone." Will says to my back. "We're coming with you."
"I am not going to play nice once we catch up with these guys." I turn around to face them. "I will not hesitate to give them what they deserve. You'll only slow me down."
"What have you got to gain by following them?" Hrace asks.
"Justice." I reply, and I keep packing.
"No this is just revenge." Will states.
"So what if it is! You didn't know him. He wasn't your friend. Will what would you do if wargals killed Halt? And Horace what if they killed Will? What would you do?" I meet an uncomfortable silence. "Exactly! I can't just stay here and do nothing."
"But taking someones life is not the answer." Evanlyn states.
"Then what is the answer, Oh dear little lady? What would you know. You're used to a life in a castle. Servant or not. I am going after them, there's no stopping me."
"That's why we're coming with you." She says. "To help. I can only hope you'll see cold blooded murder is not the answer to everything. We'll follow them, find out where they're taking all those Celts and stop whatever they're doing there." She places her hands on her hips and glares at me. I nod, letting go of my anger a little.
"Fine then. Let's go." With that I turn around and walk to the horses.
A/N Here we go, chapter 10. I've got to go back to my exam project. I have to finish it before the end of the next year, and it's kind of important if I want to graduate. Together wit a friend I'm redesigning one of Da Vinci's flying machine to actually make it fly on it's own. AND PUT FLAMES ON THE DESIGN!
As always, reviews are appreciated! See you next time.