Hullo citizens of Araluen!

Well in this chapter we have the first fight scene I have ever written! So please I want to hear back! I have a new, and amazing beta; Savannah Silverstone (love your pen name by the way) So thank you very much!

Chapter 5- Commandant -Seriya Silvermist

Previously: At that instant my dagger seemingly appeared into my hand, and in a robotic, but fluid motion came back to just above my shoulder, and release. My knife missed, and my oldest friend was doomed.

Gilan's POV

I saw the blow before it happened.

Years of training with a sword prepared me but this was no wooden sword. This was real. My mentor was going to die. This fact took a little while to set in. The ginger who had been talking with Halt before threw a knife in one fluid and practiced motion.

He was skilled. You could tell that by the way he handled himself. The knife missed by hairsbreadth, an inch that could spell the difference between life and death.

A ragged scream tore at my throat, and tears blinded my eyes. It all seemed so unrealistic. I was so used to training fields, but nothing could compare nor prepare me for this. As thought I was someone else; I jumped forward, and tackled the man with the broad sword to the floor.

He reacted quickly, swinging a right punch to the side of my head. It landed on my left temple; my vision momentarily blurred, and colors danced in my vision. I could barely see. The punch had been so hard it split his knuckles, and his scarlet blood ended up dripping over me.

I kneed him in the stomach, my training from Halt kicking in. The man fell back and doubled over, giving me the chance to slam my knuckles into his jaw, jerking his head back. The man skidded back across the floor.

I pinned him to the wooden floor of the dank inn; hands pushing on his shoulders, and knees on the man's thighs. I didn't realize that I forgot to pin his lower legs until he kicked in between mine. My grasp on the man faltered, and he used this to his advantage by pinning me.

"So you're the apprentic…" The strange man started before his face turned into one of pain then surprise. That was when I saw the arrow protruding through his chest. He was shot.

The limp dead body fell on top of mine, but all I could think about was how much my head hurt. The headache was like none I had ever experienced. My hand found my left temple. It was warm and sticky with my own blood. My hand came back bright red, and the blood I had felt on my head was my own not his. My vision started blurring, and I knew no more.

Halt POV

Curse my damn apprentice's stupidity. That was all I could think at that moment. Because he had to interfere, he was sitting half dead on the dirty floor of Harin's inn. I could have handled the strange man by myself.

"Halt!" a voice snapped at me "If you don't stop pacing you're going to wear a hole in the floor. Help me with your apprentice"

I snapped back to reality when I saw Crowley on the floor with my apprentice who was bleeding out.

"He needs bandages" Crowley looked up at me.

What was that inn girl's name? I wondered.

For once I actually welcomed one of Gilan's flirts in the room with me. "Mira Erinsdaughter, get me bandages quickly" I snapped. I had listened in on Gilan and Mira's whole conversation, and was fully aware of Gilan eavesdropping on me and Crowley earlier. Now he was almost dead because of me. I was his guardian; I was supposed to watch over him, and right when I was actually semi fond of him, I realize he might die.

What would his father say?

I knew the man, and I realized his son was his pride and joy. I knew the kingdom's finest battle master would break, if that were to happen. I couldn't let that happen, not now, not ever.

General POV

Crowley knelt on the floor next to the apprentice's limp body, wrapping the bandages the serving girl had brought him on Gilan's still bleeding head. He had tried to staunch the blood, but no matter what Crowley did it still wouldn't stop.

"Halt!" he snapped "Write a dispatch, and send it to all the Rangers and the Barons including the king. Have it say….. Something along the lines of Halt was attacked in the middle of an inn; Crowley says keep vigilant; this might not be an accident."

"Crowley is this really necessary?" Halt said as monotone as usual

"Halt, you can't say this was accident."

"And why not?" He retorted sarcastically

"Well a man walks into an inn, and proceeds to attack a ranger in disguise. Halt this isn't an accident!"

"What do you say it is?" Halt asked as he studied the dirty interior of the tavern

"I don't know!" Crowley yelled; frustrated with Halt's pig headedness. The other people in the inn looked at the two rangers.

"Halt" Crowley muttered "Go and grab my cloak, it's on Picad." He knelt again before the apprentice, and fastened the bandages on his head. Halt returned with Crowley's cloak; his cowl already covering his face.

Without bothering to look up from his work, Crowley said "I'm going to take him to my cabin; you take the dispatches to Caraway. David will want the news in person."

"Crowley, he is my apprentice shouldn't I stay?" Halt tried to reason

"You wanted to get rid of him only an hour before this all happened."

With that Halt left the dingy inn and rode towards Caraway fief.

There was a good point brought up to me by my beta; Gilan probably would have been knocked out when the man first punched him, but that would have ruined the whole fight scene. I decided to leave it in there. So I apologize forthe unlikeliness of the scene.

Thanks for reading!

please review! They encourage me to write!

-Silvermist