Wow, I'm not sure I like this chapter at all! It's just kind of a filler, I guess. RnR, please!
"What do you mean, he's been taken?" Evanlyn shrieked as Alyss calmly related the events to her, Halt, and Gilan.
"I mean, a man, who seemed vaguely familiar somehow, rode beside us, and surprised Will by grabbing me and pressing a knife to my throat. Will of course, did the noble thing and followed through with the man's demands, which included laying down all of his weapons and his cloak, putting handcuffs on himself, and letting the man lead him away. That's basically it," Alyss's voice was smooth, but behind the diplomatic front, Halt could tell she was feeling stressed, to say the least.
Evanlyn was openly displaying her anxiety. "Did they say where they were taking him? Did the man ask for ransom?"
Alyss opened her mouth to say no, and then she remembered something. She rushed over to the bundle of Will's stuff, which she had picked up. A white note fell out of the cloak when she shook it. Evanlyn snatched it up and began to read.
"By the time you find this, and I hope you find it soon for the sake of your young companion, we will be in Castle Araluen. You are all banished, but an exception will be made for the Ranger Halt, if he comes alone, and unarmed, besides a bow and one arrow. One arrow. Every day you wait, Will will find himself in more and more pain. –Horace," She dropped the note and no one watched as it fluttered to the dirt floor.
Halt jumped up. "It's settled then. I go to Araluen," And on that note, he walked out.
XxXx
Horace was pacing back in forth in his throne room when Alda showed up again. He made as if to sit on the throne, and Horace let him. He didn't care about being King anymore.
"Why so glum, Horace? I've brought a friend to see you…" Alda mocked. Horace paid him no attention. And then Will was shoved into the room, bound and gagged. With the speed of the deadly warrior he was, Horace rushed over to Will.
"Will! Are you okay? They didn't hurt they did you?" Horace blurted, gently removing the gag from Will's mouth. Will looked up at him (He always had to look up at Horace), and spat on his chest.
"Traitor," he mumbled, and waited for Horace to hit him. Instead, Horace just recoiled, as if Will had bitten him. Alda laughed.
"Well, that's quite funny! I do something nice for you two, and you take it for granted! Maybe that calls for a little punishment, to get your little, no, tiny, friend to see sense!" Horace let out a startled yelp.
"No, don't! Please don't, Alda!" Alda just shrugged.
Will was looking a little confused, and glanced back and forth between Alda and Horace. Finally, he spoke. "Blackmail?"
Horace nodded and then froze up, as if he had done something he wasn't supposed to. "That settles it!" proclaimed Alda. "Now we have to beat it out of him!" He waved his hand and the man from Celtica, whom Will now realized to be Jerome, came and grabbed Will, dragging him out the door. The last words spoken were from Will.
"It's okay, Horace, I understand now. It's okay!"And then, he was pulled to the dungeons, were he would get a little taste of what was to come.