kk...so Im watching a repeat of JET live on [V] and Im sick..probably got pig flu..so Im at home....and sooo...Im hoping that I can update everything pretty soon...hopefully..so YAY!!

Just a little note to the people who read Love You To Death, thanks a heap to my loverrlii reviewers on that fic. :D

ENJOY!!..

Chapter 16 – The Fight and After

The men of the half-Unit looked to Gilan for instruction. Slowly he nodded.

"Ok," he said to Joel. "Let's go."

Joel smirked. "Too easy," he said yet again. He pulled himself onto a spare horse and led the way. Gilan and the Unit were surrounded by his men, front, back, left and right.

There was no way they could escape but that didn't stop Gilan from racking his brains for any possible solution. They hadn't taken his knives from him which meant he still had weapons. They were outnumbered, the half-Unit had no weapons and if they were to have any chance of escaping they needed a distraction.

They rode for half an hour, then Gilan sensed something, or someone. Cautious, not wanting to alert Joel or any of the other men, he turned his head and looked into the trees. There! Something moved. Then in the shadows he saw a figure. Halt, he thought. Suddenly Gilan didn't think escaping was so hopeless.

The older Ranger was hidden in the shadows, his mottled cloak blending in with the trees surrounding him. He caught Gilan's eye briefly and they immediately came to an understanding.

Until now Gilan had been riding relatively alone but slowly he came up next to one of the men of the Unit. He caught the other man's eye. The man looked at him intently then nodded slightly.

Gilan watched as the message was silently passed throughout the group, he only hoped that Joel wasn't. The men of the half-Unit were smart enough to know not to show any sign of readiness because that would immediately alert Joel and their other capturers.

They rode on for a good fifteen minutes and nothing happened. Just when Gilan was beginning to wonder if he had imagined Halt, he heard a yell. No, many yells. And then men streamed out of the trees around them, instantly attacking.

Joel and his men, completely caught by surprise, all wore an expression of panic then began fighting back. Gilan's half of the Unit had nothing to fight with but seeing as there were now more of them than the enemy, they joined in the fight using only their feet and fists. They were going to win this fight, Gilan knew it.

Out of the corner of his eye, through the movements of the battle, he saw Joel. He was slowly trying to sneak away unnoticed. Swiftly, with that one famous movement, Gilan turned, drew his knife, pulled back his arm and then propelled it forward. Obviously, Gilan did not miss what he was aiming for. Joel fell to the ground, clutching his bleeding leg in pain. He looked up and instantly his eyes fell on Gilan and they became dripping with hate. But, Gilan saw, the hate was fuelled by something else.

Fear?

He couldn't let the Ranger take him. He had to get back to his Lord Morgarath to tell him of their failed attempt to capture Halt's other friend. He had to be informed of this, even if it did mean...punishment for the messenger.

Painfully he stood up and ran.

Gilan, not thinking the boy would actually continue trying to escape, was caught slightly off guard. But it was no matter. Gilan would easily catch up. It was then he noticed that he hadn't actually seen his former master. Gilan shrugged it off, he was sure wherever he was he had a right to be there.

Then Gilan turned his attention back to Joel. He began taking a couple of steps in his direction when the younger man stopped and Gilan saw why.

Seemingly out of nowhere a figure stepped in front of him, arrow drawn full and aimed at his chest. That fixed two of Gilan's problems.

He didn't have to go after Joel, he could help the Unit fight the other men.

And he knew where Halt was.

Knowing Halt had it under control Gilan turned and just in time for walking up behind him was one of Joel's men.

Drawing his saxe, his remaining weapon, Gilan readied himself.

The man lunged, sword aiming towards Gilan's heart.

With the reflexes he was famous for Gilan darted to the side. The man, expecting to meet some resistance, stumbled forward. Gilan stepped behind him and knocked him over, he fell sprawling. Before the man was able to react Gilan stabbed him dead.

Quickly he turned around to meet another sword swinging at his head. Dodging, again, he spun, stood, swung and stabbed. His opponent fell with a knife in his back.

Gilan looked up. The fight was over. There were over half the whole Unit standing still, a few on the ground with injuries and others, dead. The only person remaining from Joel's people was Joel himself, still being held by Halt. The young Ranger looked at his former master and Joel, hands now tied behind his back and Halt's iron grip and unwavering eyes plastered on him. Convinced it was under control Gilan walked to the nearest fallen man.

He knelt beside him to see what was wrong.

"Where are you hurt?" he asked quietly, studying the man.

The man, Gilan now saw, had been stabbed in the stomach and he already had lost too much blood too survive.

"Am I...going to die?" the man gasped out.

Gilan saw the fear in his eyes but didn't want to lie to the man. Slowly he nodded his head.

"D-don't...leave me," he pleaded.

Gilan nodded again. "I'll stay." He took out his water and poured some into the dying man's mouth to soothe the throat that he knew would feel impossibly dry. Then he took his hand and held it firmly.

In the following minutes the only sound Gilan heard was his ragged breathing.

"Do you have a family?"

The man did as much as he could to shake his head. "No. M-my wife died...in child birth...my daughter f-fell...a river...drowned......only seven..."

Gilan felt for the man. There would be no-one left to remember the man after he passed away. Then Gilan thought, I will remember him. But he realised he didn't know his name. As he drew breath to ask, the man drew his last.

ooooohhhh..that last bit...deep. :D

thanks again to all my loverrlii reviewers :D

luv u all..

passion.