AN: so here is the next one. A little longer, but it's worth it. I do not own Ranger's Apprentice. I also know nothing about bear traps.
CHAPTER 6
Daniel Treaty sat on his front porch once again, playing with his dog, Kindle. He had just turned 7 and already had his own bow and a single arrow, not very sharp, but still, it was a bow. Kindle had put on weight, and his fur had started to grow back in full. He was a large border shepherd with light brown fur and a white underbelly. He had a greyish snout and his paws were black. Kindle's tail was light brown with a black tip.
The boy and his dog were play wrestling on the porch when Daniel's father, Will Treaty, came out and laughed at he position his son and dog were in. Kindle was sitting on top of a pouting Daniel. Kindle had managed to wrestle Daniel under him and was now smiling and panting happily.
"Here son," Will said and coaxed the dog off of Daniel. Daniel stood up and frowned playfully at Kindle.
"Daddy, can we go riding now?" Daniel asked. Will had promised a riding trip that morning and it was now just after lunch.
"Yes, we can. Go say good bye to your mother." Will said and headed off to saddle Tug while Daniel kissed his very pregnant mother good bye.
"Have fun." Alyss said rubbing her back.
Daniel headed out to find Will standing by Tug in front of their house. Will helped Daniel mount and climbed on behind him. Will steered Tug in the direction opposite of the castle. Daniel was chattering away and Will was just listening. Will felt Tug send him a warning signal and Will was instantly on the alert. He saw a figure move in the bushes to their right.
"Daddy, who's that?" Daniel asked as a person stepped onto the path in front of them. Will hushed him.
"Will Treaty?" The person said. Will nodded and wrapped a protective arm around his son. The person looked relieved and came forwards. "Thank goodness. I need your help." The stranger said. He was tall and had shaggy blonde hair and mud brown eyes. He was quite unkept and he didn't have any shoes on.
"What is it?" Will asked concerned. If it was a bandit problem, Will would have to hide Daniel.
"My daughter's been missing since yesterday." The man said his face full of worry, "my wife is back at our house. She left to go to a friends house and no one has seen her." The man led the ranger and his son through the woods to his house.
"We'll find her." Will said as he dismounted with Daniel. Will followed the man into the house with a tight grip on Daniel's hand. "What does she look like and how old is she?" Will asked.
"She's 14 years old, with curly blonde hair and green eyes. She's about the same size as the young one." The farmer's wife described, "her name is Marie."
"Where is her friends house?" Will asked. He would start looking on the most likely path between the two places.
"Near the river, next to a huge oak tree." The farmer said. Will nodded and started to leave with Daniel close behind him.
"I will find your daughter." Will said. He and Daniel headed off in the direction of the place that the farmer described. They hadn't been walking for more than two seconds when Daniel said,
"Daddy, why don't we split up. It will be easier to find Marie." Daniel suggested. Will stopped and looked down at his son. He was worried about letting him go off on his own, but he knew the faster they found Marie, the faster they could get home.
"Alright, just be careful. She's probably scared and there's no telling what happened." Will said warningly. Daniel nodded and moved off to Will's right. Will said a silent prayer of protection over his son, then kept going.
Daniel was looking under rocks and in hollow trees. But no Marie. He was almost at the river, and still hadn't found anything. 'Boy, some tracker I am.' He said to himself and sat down on the ground. Suddenly he tipped backwards and into a giant hole. It was a trapping hole used by poachers, but this one had been abandoned for a long time.
Daniel landed with a yelp and stood up again, rubbing his behind. He looked around and saw that the hole had a huge metal bear trap in it, but what he noticed first was the person in the bear trap. It was a girl with curly blonde hair and she looked to be about 14. Her foot was caught in the bear trap and was swollen and bloody. It was Marie. Daniel immediately went to her.
"Marie?" He said checking her over for other injuries just like his father taught him, "Marie." Daniel said louder. Marie opened her eyes and stared weakly at him.
"I must be dreaming," she said, "there can't be a boy in here. I'm dead."
"No, I'm real. My dad and I were looking for you." Daniel said. Marie tried to sit up but fell back down when pain went searing through her leg. Marie went unconscious again.
"Don't move. Your foot is caught." Daniel said, "DAD! DAD, OVER HERE!" Daniel began shouting hoping his father was nearby. They waited for a few tense moments before,
"Daniel!? Call out again!" Will shouted. He was fairly close too.
"Dad!" Daniel responded. Just then Will's head peered over the edge of the hole.
"Daniel, are you alright?" Will asked, then noticed Marie, "is that Marie?"
"Yeah. I'm fine dad. But Marie isn't. Her foot is caught in a bear trap." Daniel explained. He was just slightly frightened and nervous.
"Don't worry. I'm going back to get some rope then we'll get you both out." Will said.
"Dad, she can't move. How will we get her out?" Daniel asked. Will though for a moment then decided on something,
"Son, you're going to have to get her foot out of the trap." Will said. Daniel went pale.
"How?" Daniel asked. He wasn't afraid of blood, he was afraid of hurting Marie.
"I taught you how to disarm a bear trap right?" Daniel nodded, "then just disarm it but be more careful." Will explained, "I'll be right back." Will disappeared and Daniel heard him running off.
'Okay, disarm the trap, easy right?' Daniel thought to himself as he inspected the trap.
It was your standard bear trap with a spring loaded trigger. The trap had sprung when Marie had fallen into the hole. Daniel tried to pry the two ends apart but only succeeded in tightening their grip on Marie's foot. He lifted the trap gently, looking for the special spring that holds the trap open. He saw it and started twisting it.
Slowly and surely, the trap began to open up and Marie's foot came loose. When her foot was completely clear of the trap, Daniel flung it away and it snapped shut making a loud clanging sound. Will suddenly appeared.
"Are you alright?" He asked Daniel nodded and Will saw the trap on the other side of the hole with Marie's foot fully clear. Will grinned. "Alright, I'm going to pass the rope down. You tie it around Marie's shoulders like the harness you made for Kindle." Will instructed referring to the rope harness Daniel had made for their dog.
Daniel nodded and caught the rope as Will lowered it. He passed it under Marie's arms and behind her back and around again, criss-crossing her chest. He gave Will the thumbs up and Will began to haul the girl up. When Marie was clear, and Will had gotten her free, he lowered the rope to Daniel, who repeated the harness on himself.
"Daniel!" Will exclaimed when he was clear. Will embraced his son, who hugged back. When the embrace was over, Will picked Marie up and carried her back to her house. Daniel followed and soon they reached the farmhouse where Marie's parents were waiting anxiously.
"Marie!" The farmer and his wife said and they swooned over their daughter. Will gently placed her on a bed and went to work on her foot.
"There's no infection, and the wound is surprisingly clean." Will stated, "I'll just clean it and bandage it." Will did just that. When he was done, Marie woke up and saw her parents. She smiled then looked around. She saw Daniel and held out a hand to him.
"Thank you, for saving my life." She said holding his hand. Daniel blushed. Will looked on at his son and the girl and was completely at a loss for words.
AN: there it is. Please review and if you send me ideas, I will add them.
