NOTE: I don't own any of the characters from Ranger's Apprentice! I just own Will's family and the country of Quarize.

Sorry this took so long but I had to get school work done. I don't know when the next chapter after this will be up.

I broke this chapter up like I did because I thought it flowed better than the first way I tried it. Hope you like it. Sorry if you don't.

Pennydragon: You asked for a viewpoint from Halt. It was such a coincidence that it made me laugh. This chapter involves everyone in Araluen. It also involves someone else…

Review and Enjoy!

Unknown Blood Chapter 14

Halt sighed as he listened to the thief shouting behind him. It had taken a whole month to track this man down and bring him in. He had almost decided to call in Gilan for help. Now the guards were escorting the man, who had a boatload of evidence against him, to a cell while he shouted about how innocent he was. Made Halt furious. Rubbing his tired eyes, Halt headed up towards Arald's office. One last thing to do before he could be done. Then he could home and collapse in bed.

There was not much that Halt had missed while chasing the thief. Just a small fire that erupted near the cavern. With the village chipping in, nothing had been destroyed. Everything else was going well. Nothing else that Halt needed to deal with. That made him happy. Meant he could sleep for several good hours before dinner. On his way down to Abelard, Halt came across young Alyss. The tall, willowy girl smiled and said hello. Her voice, however, told Halt that she was far away. Pauline had confided in Halt that she was worried about the young woman. Of course she missed Will but this was something else. Since Will never seemed to communicate with them, Alyss had been growing restless. Now she seemed to shut herself off. Halt quickly stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure he's alright," Halt whispered to her.

Alyss looked at him closely, seeming to pry deep into his thoughts and see that Halt was putting on a brave face for her. "I'm sure," she whispered back before continuing on with her duties.

Truth be told, Halt was really frightened for his former apprentice. Will was not the type to just ignore his friends. Something else had to be happening. There was something blocking communication. Halt's eyes narrowed as he mounted Abelard. Maybe it was not something but rather someone. It would make sense. Bruce had never liked any of them. But to go this far! Halt could not believe it, did not want to believe it. Maybe bandits or weather had destroyed the letters. That was always possible. It was just that Halt did not believe it that many coincidences. It was just too perfect. No, something more sinister was going on.

He just wished he was not always right…

A guard slumped to the ground after hitting his head on the stone wall. Will growled as another tried to grab ahold of him. Using the other two for support, he lifted up his feet. One foot slammed into the man's stomach. The other met the man's nose. There was a sickening snap followed by scarlet blood. Then Will continued, throwing his feet above and beyond his head. One man, fearing that he would hurt the young lord, loosened his grip. Will twisted his arm free, punched the other man still holding him, then made two quick jabs at the man who had released him.

Bruce and Othon, heading up the stairs, leaped apart as the guard came rolling down. Cursing angrily, Bruce bounded up two steps at a time. His king and brother was right on his heels. They found Will struggling against Render. The huge man was holding Will in a crushing bear hug. That's when Will thrust back his head, slamming it into Render's wounded jaw. Growling in pain, Render was forced to drop the young man. Instantly Will rolled away from him, out of reach. Coming to his feet, Will felt something hard hit the back of his head. Then firm hands stopped him from hitting the floor.

Muttering under his breath, Bruce dragged his son into an old cell. It had not been used in years. Not since the last time this had happened. Not since someone else had turned. The chains were new, replaced every time rust began to grow on the iron. Now they were locked around Will's wrists and ankles. A thick leather strip was wrapped around his waist. There was no escaping this. They had hired some of the best escape artists from around the world to try. All had failed. Certain everything was in working order, Bruce and Othon left. There was still work that had to be done. They would return when Will was awake and aware.

Abelard sensed the intruder before the cabin was even in sight. Approaching on foot, Halt saw a grey stallion munching on grass. It was a sturdy animal, built for traversing rocky mountains. Yet the breed was familiar but not of any country Halt had ever visited. Then the memory struck. Bruce's horses looked very similar. The only difference was that they were majestic and powerful, much like Araluen's battlehorses.

Heart in his throat, Halt approached his own cabin slowly. He figured whoever was here had brought a message. No killer would be so stupid as to leave his horse in plain sight. Inside was the newcomer. He was sitting in one of the chairs, playing with the bronze oakleaf that had once been Will's. Halt and Crowley could not pluck up the courage to get rid of it. Now it was in the hands of this unknown person. Seeing Halt enter, the figure rose from the chair. Halt estimated him to be of medium height. He was dressed in a black cloak and hood, gray shirt, and brown pants. Black, leather boots gleamed in the sunlight from the windows. As he pushed back the hood, Halt could not hide his surprise. Brown eyes and black hair. Almost an identical copy of Bruce! Then Halt noticed this man was younger and had more Araluen lines to his body. Similar but very different. There was no question they were related.

A soft voice came from his lips, "Greetings, Ranger Halt. My name is Tyler. As you can see, I'm the son of Bruce and Will's older brother."

"Bruce never mentioned having another son," Halt growled.

Tyler nodded, a fire burning deep in his eyes. It was fire that unsettled Halt's stomach, "That's because he thinks I'm dead. I would like to keep it that way. However, I can't ignore what is going to happen." He took a step forward, holding his hands out wide to show he was unarmed. "Please, Halt, for the sake of my brother, listen to me."

"What's happened to Will?" Halt asked, heart leaping into his throat.

Tyler's eyes gleamed with pain, "He tried to escape in order to warn you but failed. Bruce has him locked away where I can't free him. His army is ready for blood. His eyes are set on these shores. In a month's time, Quarize will attack Araluen."

Will glared at his father as he entered the cell. He had trusted this man. He had loved this man. Now he was treating Will like a bad dog. Bruce's brown eyes gleamed with a hard light. He was not happy with the situation either, albeit for different reasons. He could not understand why his son loved them as much as he did. It angered Bruce that Will chose them over his own family. Now, seeing his son's glare, that anger boiled over. His right hand landed a powerful slap on his son's left cheek.

"I hope you're happy," Will hissed through clenched teeth.

Bruce knelt before him, holding his son's face in one hand, "You'll understand, given time. In this world, you won't survive otherwise."

"You had my love, my loyalty, my heart," Will snapped. "Why wasn't that good enough? Because of you, rivers will run red with blood that doesn't need to be split!"

Those brown eyes hardened to an alarming degree, "Us or them. It's that simple. Your heart must be pure, Will. Love only your blood. Hate everyone else. That's the only way to survive."

"Is it?" Will whispered, making his father strain to hear his words, "I seemed to survive just fine my way, the way Araluen taught me."

Bruce shook his head slowly, "Araluen is weak. They taught you wrong. We must be stronger than everyone else if we are to survive. We must be willing to sacrifice everything for our own. Without our family, Quarize would have been swept away by our enemies, both within and without. Nothing but family matters."

"Life without friends is a lonely life," Will snapped angrily.

With a sigh, Bruce rose, "I'm sorry you feel that way. I was willing to let it go but you have left me no choice. Starting today, we will purge you everything that will make you weak."

His fist pounded against the wooden door.

"This is serious," Duncan said, pacing back and forth.

Baron Arald, Sir Rodney, and Sir David exchanged worried looks. Cassandra laid a comforting hand on Alyss' shoulder as the young Courier began to cry, tears in her own. Sir Horace and Gilan looked down at their feet, faces downcast. Crowley played with his cloak, mind racing. Halt alone was inscrutable. He was like a silent, dark statue in the middle of them all. Tyler sat in a chair, legs folded neatly under him. Those burning brown eyes kept jumping from one person to another. He had never met any of these people before. He was curious to see how they would all react. So far he was not impressed.

Reminding himself why he was here, Tyler returned to the conversation that had started.

"Crowley," Duncan said firmly, "Send out a Ranger or two to confirm what Tyler has shown us. Their numbers may have changed or their plans. We need to know for certain." Turning to Arald, Rodney, David, and Horace, he continued, "Send word to every fief. We need to prepare for war. With numbers stacked against us, we will need every knight, every archer, all men-at-arms, and all our cavalry in order to even stand a chance. Use the Ranger and Courier message systems. Better that way." Then he turned to Halt and Gilan, "I want the two of you to go and find this army. Infiltrate it if you can. Find Will. I'm certain he has nothing to do with this attack. However, if he had tried to escape to warn us then he may need help. He knows and trusts both of you."

"Of course," Halt and Gilan replied.

Tyler noticed the determination glowing within each person. A small smile touched his lips. He did not need their skill. He did not need their knowledge. He did not need their weapons or horses or men. What he needed was that very determination they now showed. By the time Bruce and Othon arrived on these shores, Araluen would be ready. As he followed the men out of the castle, he allowed himself a soft chuckle.

"Rivers will run red indeed," he whispered to himself as each group split off to do their duties. "I hope you are ready, brother. The choice will be yours to make."

Grayson was thrown to the ground. His hands and ankles were bound tightly with thick rope. Rising to his knees, he coughed up blood. Tears pricked the corners of Will's eyes. His servant, his friend, had been tortured badly. One eye was black and swollen shut. His nose had been broken by a large fist, probably Render's. His lips were cut and bleeding in several different places. Countless whiplashes could be seen on his back, arms, and legs. Those warm eyes were dull with pain. His entire body quivered weakly from loss of blood but he held himself tall. Seeing this, Bruce struck him hard on the side of the face.

"No!" Will cried as Grayson hit the stone floor.

Chains rattled loudly as Will tried to go forward. His brown eyes were locked on Grayson's battered face. Slowly Grayson's good eye, the left, opened. That blue eye seemed to spark with life as he looked upon his master. A weak smile reopened the cuts on his lips. The servant coughed up more blood. Bruce circled him, watching with narrowed eyes.

Finally Bruce spoke, his voice eerily distant and soft, "Anything other than family is a weakness. Friends don't matter. Loved ones don't matter. Enemies must drown in their own blood. That is the only way to stay alive."

"So you keep saying," Will hissed, his eyes still locked on Grayson. Then they glared up at Bruce, "All I see coming out of such loyalty is pain and death."

Bruce sighed weakly, "This cell holds a lot of memories for me. I've used it several times. Only two were distinctly memorable, though. Do you know who they were? Of course not. You weren't even born then."
"I've heard whispers," Will said, cutting his father off. "I never believed them. I never listened. I guess I should have." A snarl appeared on his face, his voice dropping to low growl, "Believe me, that's a mistake I won't make again. I may not know for certain but I can guess. Mother and my brother."

A small smile touched Bruce's face, "Correct on both. I fell in love with your mother on a mission in Celtica, where she had moved with her parents. Her older brother, Daniel, had stayed behind on the farm. We had a wonderful time together. I thought she was perfect. I brought her here to show her my home. She was happy, willing to marry me. That was until Daniel told her about their father." Bruce's fists clenched and his teeth gritted. "I knew someone would try to kill her. She wouldn't listen so I had to lock her up here. I had to teach her that nothing mattered beyond our bloodline. She learned, just as Tyler did years later. Now it's your turn to learn. So make your choice:

Family or Friend."

Will felt his stomach twist. This was not the man he loved. This was not the father he cared for, was loyal to, and loved above all. Standing before him, standing over Grayson, was a monster. Yet for all his anger, Will could not hate him. There was a good side to Bruce. There was something more human inside of him. Will just needed to dig it out. Those tears began to fall down Will's cheeks. Could he save his father?

"Father…" he coughed. "Father, please…don't make me choose. Don't make me decide one life over another."

A slight frown touched Bruce's lips, "Your mother begged me with those same words when I challenged her over Daniel's life. I let him go. My mistake."

"NO!" Will screamed.

It was in vain. The sword pierced Grayson's stomach. A ringing sound echoed through the cell as it struck stone on the other side. Grayson coughed, blood splattering onto Will's knee. That one blue eye looked at Will with an expression of sorrow. Will watched as his friend's body convulsed. Blood seeped from the wound, drenching the floor. That last bit of light slowly faded from Grayson's eye. Then he was still, gone, dead.

That's when Will learned to hate.

(Sniffle) I made myself cry. Can anyone guess what Tyler is up to?

I'll be going on a vacation this weekend and won't have easy access to the Internet. The rest of the week will be dedicated to schoolwork. I promise to post a chapter when I get back!