I'm soooo sorry it took me so long to update but I've had tests and assignments and heaps of other stuff going on..but now it's all done soooooo the next chappie will be quicker..

Notice this chapter is longer...

ENJOY!!..

Chapter 6 – The Crew

Will's blood froze. "Morgarath's camp?" he whispered.

"Yep." Erak said, more or less uncaring.

Will swallowed thickly. Get over the fear, he told himself, think about the important things.

"How long have I been out?" he asked slowly.

Erak squinted, thinking. "Hard to be sure. I was away at another camp for a few days, checking on some stuff and when I came back, you were here. You've been out for at least a day, I only just got back."

Will's mind was racing. From what they knew Morgarath's main camp was at least two days ride from Redmont so that meant he'd been unconscious for at least three days. Then Will snapped to attention as he thought of something.

"Erak," he said urgently. "Was there anyone else here with me? A man?"

"No," he shook his head. "Not that I know."

Will relaxed a bit. At least Halt's ok, he thought, unless he's dead. No! Do not think like that. Halt is fine.

"Why are you here anyway?"

Will looked at Erak and shook his head. "Honestly, I have no idea. Some guys came to Halt, he's my mentor, and me's house and started beating me up. Then Halt came out and tried to stop them and he got beat up too." He finished.

Erak did not say anything and then Will added quietly, "I hope he's alright, it's my fault if he's badly hurt."

"Why?" Erak asked, more to make conversation than anything else.

"Because I shouldn't have let them get so close. I let my guard down for a second while I was practising and they got me."

Erak studied the boy closely. He must be pretty important if Morgarath went to the trouble of beating two guys just to get one of them. And if he dumped him in the Skandians part of the camp he must want him looked after fairly well for what he was going to do, after all it was either Skandians, Wargals or the disgusting men that supported Morgarath. Then Erak noticed the boy's clothing, the cloak that seemed to fade into the surroundings and the Oakleaf necklace.

"You're one of them Rangers aren't you?" he asked.

"I'm only an apprentice." Will replied. (A/N In that TOTALLY annoying way he does..DAMMIT WILL...YOU ARE A RANGER...APPRENTICE OR NOT..U R RANGER!! LEARN IT LOVE IT SAY IT!!!) "Why do you want to know?"

Erak shrugged, "Just wondering."

This kid is definitely important to Morgarath, especially being a Ranger. Erak shuddered to think of the hell Will was going to go through here. And there was not a thing Erak would be able to do about it.

"You must be hungry," it wasn't a question. Erak knew how hungry one could be after being unconscious for a while and he saw at the mention of food Will's eyes lit up slightly.

"Starving," he replied.

Erak stood up. "I'd better go get something to eat before the rest of my crew arrives. Otherwise there will be nothing left. You wait here and don't go wandering off anywhere. You might not come back."

Will watched Erak's burly form march purposefully from one firelight to the next until he was mixed up with all the other people and Will couldn't tell which one he was.

Now Will was alone with no one to distract him, he looked around at his surroundings. Considering that the Skandians part of the camp was not on the edge and Will lost sight of Erak so easily, it was safe to say that Morgarath's camp was massive. There were Wargals and men all around him, except for the close circumference which was empty, it was obviously for the other Skandians when they arrived from doing "stuff" as Erak so nicely put it.

Then Will saw a bunch of just-as-burly-as-Erak men making their way towards Will. "Speak of the devil," he said quietly to himself.

As they walked closer he heard a few of them say things like, "Who's that?" and, "What's he doing?"

It must be Erak's crew, Will thought. Surely enough, he was right.

"Who are you and what are you doing?" one of them asked him, almost viciously.

They must think that I'm one of Morgarath's traitors. Then he realised they were still waiting for his answer he quickly said, "I'm Will. I was brought here by...well, I don't actually know but I'm a friend, he said hurriedly. "I was tlking to Erak before but he's gone to go get food."

At the mention of Erak the entire crew seemed to soften up. The one who talked to Will sat down, sighing contently as he did so. "He'd better bring some back for us," he said and the rest of the Skandians grunted in agreement as they to placed themselves in various spots around the fire. "Name's Svengal," said the Skandian.

Just after everyone else introduced themselves Erak came back with food. Only enough for him and Will.

"I see you've met everyone then," he said to Will, handing him a bowl. Then to Svengal he asked, "How'd it go?"

Will didn't hear Svengal's reply. He didn't realise how hungry he was until Erak handed him the bowl. Without bothering to even see what was in it, he devoured it. After he had finished he looked up. Erak had finished talking with Svengal and now the two were arguing.

"I didn't know you were coming!" Erak said innocently.

"Doesn't matter. You knew we were coming sometime tonight."

"I can't carry that much though."

"You could've made two trips, or gotten the moy to help you."

"He's hurt and there's no way he could carry that much either, I'd need at least three people."

Will wondered what they were arguing about. It was obvious they were only arguing in fun, but they were arguing all the same. It wasn't until Svengal said something about being so hungry after all the work he'd done today that Will realised they were talking about food. And then he laughed.

"What's so funny?" Svengal rounded in him.

Will regained himself, still chuckling slightly he said. "You remind me of a friend of mine. He's always so hungry, and always complaining about it. Anyway, if you're that hungry, why don't you get food yourself?"

"You see?" Erak said. "The boy has brains. He agrees with me."

The argument continued until slowly the other Skandians got up and went away, then coming back with their own food. It kept on going until Svengal was the only one with nothing to eat. Will was about to mention this when Erak and Svengal stopped arguing suddenly.

The messenger reached Gilan two days after Rodney sent it. It took another two days for him to reach Redmont and find out what was going on. All he knew was that it was urgent and Halt was injured.

He rushed Blaze through the gate, not bothering to stop because the gaurds recognised him from his apprenticeship.

"What's going on?" he asked Arald, bursting through the door once he reached it.

The Baron jumped slightly. "You scared the living daylights out of me Gilan."

"Where's Halt?" he asked, the concern clear in his eyes.

"In there." Arald gestured to where Halt was resting. "But be quiet, he's resting."

Gilan went into the room and saw the bruised and battered form of Halt sleeping.

After a while he went back out to the Baron.

"What happened?" he asked.

Arald studied him for a moment, then he told Gilan all he knew.

The Ranger was silent for a time and then, "I have to find Will."

"Yes," the Baron agreed. "I've organised a Unit to help you. Leave as soon as you can. Once Halt is better he can follow you and catch up."

"Ok."

And with that, Gilan left.

Ok...so that's the next chappie..

I'll try and update soonish..please review :D

luv u all..

passion.