It's been awhile, but here you go. Another chapter, coming up! ~~~~

It was difficult to come up with something that would work for the two of them, and, unfortunately, Aaron wasn't in the mood to agree despite the fact that their lives might depend on it. Halt made a mental note to smack Aaron and his idiot of a Master who decided this kind of behavior in a fight was actually acceptable. It was absolutely ridiculous to try and get the boy to agree.

Still, a plan was figured out (after a great deal of moaning, groaning,etc). Both will fully satisfied with the plan laid, but it was at least mildly good with the both of them, so it would have to do. Although, Aaron was far less pleased with it then Halt was, but that was to be suspected because somehow, Halt's stubbornness exceeded even Aaron's own bull headed actions.

Tensions were high, but that might have just been because they were trying to come up with said plan while riding at stallion at a cantor with shouting and weapons raining down on them all at once. ( to say coming up with this plan was hard doesn't even begin to describe the half of it, btw)

It started, however, quite roughly, right from the start. Halt directing the stallion, Aaron carefully tried to balance himself behind Halt, shooting two arrows before suddenly disappearing from the view of those riders that were behind them. These ones became instantly baffled, but took to following after Halt rather then asking questions.

The ones in the middle, of coarse, had seen what Aaron's little trick. These ones began to surround the tree that Aaron was climbing up, sending less then half a dozen off after their others that continued pursuing Halt.

The stragglers, obviously, followed the lead the middle riders had set for them, except the one they sent back to tell their leader, Urosia, and his two follow upper officers. Aaron seemed all but caught, except the whole "getting him out of the tree" thing. That would be easy, or so they thought.

At first, no one attempted to get up the tree. After all, Aaron would give up if they simply kept the tree surrounded long enough. No need to put themselves in unnecessary danger if it could be avoided.

All the while, Aaron climbed up and out ward until the branch under his foot made a gruesome cracking sound.

This made the cavalrymen uneasy. They were instructed to take Aaron alive, no matter what. After all, Aaron had the message, if he were to die the message was lost to them unless they got it from the Master himself, which was unlikely. In fact, Urosia had emphasized keeping the troublesome boy alive. Even if the boy died by an accident, they would be punished for it.

Such as the cliff jump off incident. These men shuddered just thinking about the pain they'd been dealt for not being able to grab the boy as he jumped off the cliff with Gilan. They dare not make such a mistake again.

Then all of them nearly died of shock. After backing up a few paces, Aaron yelled, and leaped from the branch of this tree to the next!!

Shouts and exclamations of shock entered the air from the men.

Aaron hit hard into a thick lower branch of the tree next door, but quickly got to climbing and heading for the trunk of this tree. His eyes searched around for another good branch to use for another leap. Well, this had all attention on him if it hadn't been already before that.

The horsemen had to move to the next tree over, beginning to surround this tree like they'd done the first,
this time trying to coax Aaron into coming down to them.

" Come on, Aaron! You won't get out of here alive like that!!" one shouted out, once Aaron had finally gotten firm grip on the truck of this tree. Turning towards the voice, a smirk curled across his face, and he stuck out his tongue.

" I'd rather go down trying!!" he howled to the sky, grabbing at another branch as he aimed to climb upwards again. Carefully, he edged out onto another branch from this tree, clinging to another above himself to keep balance. Then the branch under him cracked with protest.

Aaron frowned. This just wouldn't do. So, he let his feet dangle, using his arms to move himself forwards. Then, swinging once, Aaron flung off the branch of this tree and reached for the next! His arm reached out, grabbing hold of one branch that snapped instantly when Aaron's weight fell on his. Then, desperately, he reached for another, grabbing hold of a small branch that bent under his weight, but didn't break. Aaron let out a shaky breath, glancing around, feeling himself shaking.

" That was close . . ." his voice trembled like his body, making a mental note to be more careful. Quaking from head to toe, Aaron swung his legs up and proceeded to crawl like a sloth for the tree trunk once again.

Now the men below were really scared. A hand full of them swung off their horses, and started climbing up the tree Aaron was in, yelling and threatening him as they tried to catch up with him.

Once Aaron made it to this tree trunk, several were starting to get pretty close to him. However, he ignored them, heading up another set of branches before setting outwards again. A few inches out from the tree trunk, Aaron hoisted himself up another two sets of branches before going outwards.

Aaron was very lucky in the sense that he was a lithe, nimble young man in the peak of his physical condition from long days of riding and running. The men below were, for the most part, a bit older with muscle aches and stiffness from long days in the saddle. There inability to keep up with Aaron was due to the fact that Aaron was young and flexible.

So, he reached for the next tree over, cringing in horror when the tree made creaking and crackling noises, but still held his weight. This was, however, where his luck ran out.

Now, the men below were not fools, and so, had been able to predict the next tree Aaron was heading for from the direction he went out from the trunk of the tree before. Now they had several others among them already headed up the tree before Aaron had even leaped into it's branches. He couldn't go back however, or he would be caught by the men behind him.

Thus his former advantages began to fade quickly before his very eyes. Even more so, as this proved to be a more strenuous activity then Aaron and Halt had first thought it would be. Struggling for his breath as he was, Aaron knew that this plan was failing, and failing very, very quickly.

Before he even reached the trunk of the tree, one man came towards him on the same level and branch that he was one. The man held himself well enough, as someone who might have in his youth, taken to the trees as well. Carefully, he reached out a hand, offering it to Aaron so that the boy might take it.

" Come on kid, play times over. You're coming with me." he said, evenly, careful with everything but his words, it seemed. Aaron didn't take kindly to being called a kid, or being belittled by someone older then him.

That was this man's mistake.

With the thicker branches and tree trunk around the center part of the tree, Aaron felt at ease enough to hurry towards the man and stab him with one of his throwing knives that he still had with him. Caught off guard, the man grunted in pain, and fell right down out of the tree.

Those below moved out of the way and the man hit the ground with an eerie cracking sound. It made Aaron cringe even from the tree tops. He, however, didn't have much time to think about this. There were more horsemen on the way up, and they would be ready for his attacks. The really hard part was just about to start.~~~~~~

Well, was that interesting? Don't ask me exactly what Will and Halt were thinking with this plan. Seemed to be a lot of miscalculations if you ask me, but, hey, can't always get it right, can we? Anyways, read and review!! PLEASE!! PRETTY PLEASE?!!