The next morning, Blake and Gilan rode back to Gilan's cabin.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave them?" Blake asked as they were preparing to leave.
Gilan shrugged. "I don't think they'll be leaving for a few days, and if they do we can always find them again."
"But what if they kidnap more people? Or kill someone in one of their ceremonies?"
Gilan looked at Blake and raised one eyebrow. "Don't be so dramatic."
"I'm not being dramatic! That's a legitimate concern!"
Gilan snorted. "You and Will should get along; you both worry too much. Not that it's such a terrible thing, but it does get annoying after awhile. Ah well, at least I'll have Horace to back me up."
"You're sending for help? Won't that take even longer?"
"I wouldn't exactly call Will and Horace help. Besides, they were on their way already. Heck, they might be at my cabin right now. I really hope they didn't drink the last of my coffee."
When they arrived back, they found a large, black horse and a much smaller gray one in Gilan's stable. Gilan looked at Blake."See? They're already here."
They entered the cabin to the sight of a certain famous ranger and a certain famous knight standing in the kitchen drinking coffee. They glanced up as the two came in.
"Did you take the last of my coffee?" Gilan asked.
"Hello Gilan, nice to see you too."
Gilan groaned. "You did."
Horace shook his head. "Rangers and their coffee."
Will grinned. "Anyways, what are we dealing with? I'm assuming you've been to scope it out."
Gilan's expression turned grim. "They're a cult. Not a big one, but still…"
Will's eyebrows furrowed. "Well we'll have to attack in daylight then."
Blake spoke up. "Why do they attack better at night? Are they vampires?" He said a bit mockingly.
Will glanced at Gilan, who just shrugged. "It's just a fact. Maybe it's a mental thing—They're certainly crazy enough."
Blake frowned at this answer, but didn't say anything else.
"So we'll attack at midday. But we still don't know where the important places in the camp are." Gilan said.
"Couldn't we just watch them for a few days and see where their leaders' tents are?" Horace said.
Will and Gilan shook their heads. "We'd have to be far away so they wouldn't see us, and from that distance we wouldn't be able to tell."
"But surely the leaders would be obvious?" Blake put in.
"Most cults don't make their leaders obvious. They act like any other members of the cult. The things that set them apart have to be observed close-up. Not from a distance." Gilan explained.
"So we'll have to send someone inside." Will said. "The only trouble is, all three of us run the risk of being recognized."
"Maybe if we sent Gilan, disguised as a farmer? I don't think anyone would notice." Horace said.
"But what if they did?" Will said.
"We just have to take this risk." Gilan stated.
Blake couldn't stand it any longer. "What about me?" He said. He cringed a little at how childish it sounded, but he couldn't change the sentence.
The three looked at him, two out of three eyebrows cocked and the third making a valiant effort.
Blake explained, "No one would recognize me, and I could easily be mistaken for a farmer's son—actually, I am a farmer's son—anyways, the fact that my training isn't complete isn't important, I shouldn't need it. All I need is to know what to look for.
Will grinned. He looked at Horace. "All the amazing things we did when we were apprentices, and here we are, ruling out the only apprentice in the room for the job he's most qualified for."
Gilan stepped in. "Will, it could be dangerous. Blake's parents put his safety in my hands, and I don't want to have to tell them that he's dead."
Will grinned. "That's wonderful, but he won't die. We'll be watching the camp at all times, and we'll step in at the first sign of danger. Besides, he'll only be there for a day or so."
Gilan sighed. "Fine."
Will grinned at Blake and Blake grinned back.
Seeing this, Gilan groaned. "Bringing the two of you together is the dumbest thing I have done."