A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! I cannot stress enough how much you guys mean to me. Every review you guys send makes my day! So, because I want to get this show on the road, here's the disclaimer- Crowley: No. Me: Excuse me?! Crowley: I said no. I have no patience for this, and you might as well go ahead and, as you said, get this show on the road. Me: huh. I guess. John Flanagan owns Ranger's Apprentice, not me…read!

-CHAPTER NINE-

He had been waiting for days in the storeroom. It was damp, and dirty, crawling with rodents; completely unfitting for a man of his stature. But for now, he didn't care. All he wanted was revenge, and it was in sight. Days ago, maybe weeks, he had sent one of his servants away in a ship, to hide in a nearby cove and throw his enemies off track. Just as anticipated, they could not find his ship, and continued on home. They were idiots. Idiots he hated.

Worst of all, he could hear them. Up on deck, the four idiots and their stupid horses were laughing. Laughing! And talking. He wanted to run upstairs and strangle them, but no. Not yet. The time was not right. Soon, though…soon, he would have his revenge.

*Will's P.O.V.*

"There it is." Will whispered, relief washing over him. It had been weeks since he had been captured. He had been through so much: torture, hypnotism, a battle, and a long and restless voyage home. But now, Araluen had burst into view over the grey tide. It was all over.

Halt, Horace and Gilan were right behind him, watching as he smiled a real smile for the first time in days. "We're home." He whispered.

Sunbeams poured in from gaps in the trees, making patches of light on the forest ground. A particularly plump rabbit was basking in the warmth, when a sudden noise alerted him. Quickly, it dashed into the brush nearby, seconds away from being shot by King Duncan's arrow. "Blast!" He whispered angrily. "If only I could shoot like one of those Rangers!"

"Now why on earth would you want be like us?" A voice came from behind him. His guards were instantly, up and ready, to the amusement of the grizzled Ranger. "Halt!" Duncan cried, a smile spreading across his face. "And Will! I am trusting that you are well?"

Will bowed his head. "To say the truth, King, I have felt much better." Again, the king of Araluen smiled widely. "That is to be expected." Halt nodded briefly. "There is a matter that must be addressed, however. It is no longer safe for you outside the castle walls, and possibly not within either." King Duncan raised his brow. "Meaning…."

"There's somebody after you, a very dangerous somebody." Gilan said in a rushed tone, eager to get the king to safety. "You see, he happens to be-"

Will knew what was about to happen. Vasanistis hade made no sound, no movement at all, but somehow, Will knew. "MOVE!" Will screeched, shoving King Duncan to the ground, an arrow already slipping from the bowstring as they fell to the forest floor.

A cry of pain sounded from the darkness, then a thud. Vasanistis was dead. The king was saved. But the arrow intended for Duncan had continued in its path after he had fallen. Will just happened to be directly in that path.

*Halt's P.O.V.*

"WILL!" Horace and Gilan rushed forward to assist the king and Ranger. Halt, however, stood for a moment, completely dumbfounded. "How?" He thought, then quickly recovered, rushing to his former apprentice's side and began to block the wound with his cloak.

"Halt," Gilan muttered, "Now may be a bad time, but Vasanistis wasn't alone." Halt cursed, noticing the dozens of hypnotized servants. "We'll take care of them! Go!" Horace instantly commanded. Hesitantly, he glanced at the king. As much as he wanted to take off and save Will, he knew it was his duty to protect King Duncan first. To his great relief, the shocked king nodded, and he was off.

"Come on, Will, just a little longer…" A voice rasped from behind the hood. It was an odd sight to see, a grizzled figure draped in a cloak, riding frantically through a dense forest, holding a bleeding boy in one arm, his horse's reins in the other. Behind him was another horse, a gray pony, with no rider. The pony whinnied frantically, desperately trying to keep up with the man and the boy.

Each time the boy took a shaky, rasping breath, the man kicked his horse, urging him to go faster. It was horrible, seeing the boy he loved in such a state. Just when it seemed his steed could carry on no longer, familiar signs sprung up in the woods surrounding. A little cobblestone path, a large, knotted tree; they were nearing Redmont. "We're going to make it, Will." The cloaked figure said, relief flooding his voice.

Just at that moment, everything went wrong. Abruptly, the uneasy rising and falling of the dying boy's chest ceased. He was no longer breathing. "No." The man whispered, refusing to believe it was over. "Will, wake up!" For the first time in years, tears began to form in the old Ranger's eyes. "Will…"

A/N: Back to the beginning! So after this, I think I'll be posting one more chapter, then maybe an epilogue. After that, Broken will be over. *sigh…I've really enjoyed this! But whatevs. Not the time to get all emotional on you. Oh, yeah, this chapter was even shorter than the last one, so pfftftsft. Don't know what that was. I should probably stop now.-FLY