A/N: Things are still a little wonky on my end, but it seems to be partially working, so I'll run with it.

The prompt for this one is "debris/pinned down".


The first sunny day after a week of rain was supposed to be a good day. Halt and Gilan were patrolling, as much to enjoy the good weather and exercise Blaze and Abelard as to ensure peace and safety.

Their route had taken them through several of the fief's hamlets. No issues had arisen, and Gilan had convinced Halt to stop for lunch at a cave he had spotted on the map. Halt had agreed to stop in the area, but he flat-out refused to explore the cave.

"It'll be fun!" Gilan said.

Halt shook his head. "You can go into the dark, damp cave, but I will not."

Gilan huffed, but he knew how to pick his battles. "Alright then, but don't blame me when you regret not exploring the cave."

Halt raised an eyebrow, but let the comment slide. "You've got fifteen minutes. Then we're heading out." He settled at the base of a nearby tree, letting the warmth of the sun bathe his face.

He had slipped into a light doze when Gilan's call of: "Look at this!" broke through the quiet sounds of the forest. Gilan was crouched several feet into the cave, pointing at something near the base of the rock wall.

"This better not be a ploy to get me into the cave," Halt warned.

Gilan gestured with his other hand. "No, don't worry. I wouldn't do that."

A low rumble made Halt freeze. Come to think of it, the cluster of rocks poised over the entrance of the cave didn't look structurally safe. The week of rain probably hadn't done any favours in that regard either.

"Gilan," Halt said, but Gilan either ignored or didn't notice the shift in his tone.

"Come on, Halt!"

"Gilan!" Halt said, more forcefully. He succeeded in getting his apprentice's attention, and Gilan turned towards him. There was another, louder rumble and Halt had just enough time to make eye contact with Gilan before the cave roof collapsed. Gilan's startled cry was lost in the crash of the rocks.

Halt ran the last few steps to the pile of debris. "Gilan!" he shouted, panic and disbelief lending his voice a frantic edge. "Gilan, can you hear me?"

He paused, heart pounding in the silence. His patience was rewarded when he heard Gilan, muffled but alive. "Halt?"

The relief that flooded through his veins made him sag against the rocks. "Are you okay?"

"I—" Gilan paused. "I'm stuck."

"Can you move at all?"

There was another pause, then Gilan's voice came through, coloured by a distinct note of panic. "I'm pinned down. I can't move at all."

"Stay calm," Halt instructed, forcing a calm he didn't feel into his words. "I'll work on moving the rocks from my side. Are you hurt?"

"Something happened to my leg. I don't know how bad it is and I can't check."

Halt cursed under his breath, then spoke louder. "I'll get you out. Just stay still."

"Alright."

Halt stepped back to survey the rock pile and cursed again. All of the rocks were too large to be moved by hand. Nevertheless, he tried. As expected, the rocks didn't budge.

"Gilan, I can't move these rocks on my own." Halt hesitated before speaking, not liking what he was going to say next. "I need to go to Redmont and get help."


Gilan didn't want Halt to go. Even though he couldn't see Halt, knowing that his mentor was there, on the other side of the rocks, kept the roiling panic at bay. As long as Halt was there, Gilan wasn't alone, trapped beneath the rocks and unable to move. He was trapped and unable to move, yes, but he wasn't alone.

His breathing sped up; the deep, even breaths he had been forcing himself to take turned shallow and rapid. He was stuck and he couldn't move and

"Gilan?" Halt's voice cut through his spiraling thoughts.

Get a grip, Gilan berated himself. You're not a child. Halt wasn't abandoning him, he was going to get help. If Halt didn't go, Gilan truly would be stuck.

Gilan tried to force a grin. "I'll be fine here. It's not like I'm going anywhere." He hoped Halt didn't hear the tremor in his voice.

Halt didn't miss much, though. When he spoke again, his voice was gentler, yet with the underlying steel of a promise. "I am coming back for you, Gilan. Nothing is going to stop that."

"I know you will," Gilan said, then repeated it more quietly. "I know you will."

Left on his own, the darkness pressed even closer than before. It was a tangible presence and Gilan swallowed roughly. Visually, it made no difference whether his eyes were closed or not, so Gilan closed his eyes. At least it was meant to be dark with his eyes closed.

He rested his cheek against the stone, hating the way he was pinned down, unable to do anything except lie there helplessly. It wasn't in his nature. He shifted experimentally and groaned as the movement aggravated the throbbing in his leg. The pain washed over his senses and several long minutes passed before it faded to a manageable level.

"Right then," he gritted out. "Staying still it is."

To distract himself, Gilan tried to calculate how long it would take for Halt to return. The ride to Redmont, the time to explain the situation and gather people, and the return ride—which would be longer because a group of people traveled slower than a solitary Ranger. And by Gilan's estimate, Halt wouldn't even be at Redmont yet.

His breath caught, hitching in his chest as he inhaled.

Get ahold of yourself, he thought, but it was far less effective when Halt wasn't nearby to quell the rising panic. His next breath turned into a choked sob and a tear slipped from his eye. It trailed down his nose, and the simple fact that he couldn't move his arm to wipe it away caused more to fall.


The guards were startled at the sight of Halt and Abelard galloping towards the castle, cloak streaming out behind him, but Halt couldn't find it in him to care what they thought. He swung to the ground even before Abelard came to a full stop in the courtyard.

"Stay here," he instructed, giving Abelard a quick pat. "We'll be leaving shortly."

Spotting the castle seneschal crossing the courtyard, Halt approached. "Where is Battlemaster Rodney?"

To the man's credit, he didn't falter in the face of Halt's intensity. His eyes widened, but he only took a moment to respond. "He's meeting with the Baron, in the Baron's office."

Halt strode through the castle, the various occupants dodging out of his way once they saw him coming. He ignored the whispers that followed in his wake.

"Ranger Halt!" Martin, the Baron's secretary, scrambled to his feet. "The Baron is in a meeting. Can I take—"

Halt brushed past him into the office. Arald and Rodney turned as Halt burst through the door. Seeing the expression on the Ranger's face, Arald rose. "Halt? What's wrong?"

Halt directed his words to Rodney. "I need a half dozen of your strongest men. There was a rockfall at the caves south of here. Gilan is stuck."

Rodney stood and glanced at Arald.

"We'll finish our meeting later." Arald nodded. "Go."


Gilan didn't know how long it had been. His tears had dried, leaving his face heated and itchy. The overwhelming panic had faded, replaced by a dull resignation. His eyes were closed and his mind drifted.

"Gilan." Halt's voice brought him back to reality. The sudden shock made him all too aware of the stone pressing down on him, and he gasped. His pulse pounded in his ears and he struggled to draw a full breath. He shifted, and the pain in his leg flared up.

He was stuck and he couldn't breathe

"Gilan!" Halt spoke again, but Gilan didn't have enough air to form a response.

"Breathe with me," Halt instructed. "Deep breath in—" A pause, then— "Deep breath out."

Halt continued to repeat the simple instructions and Gilan latched on to them. His heart rate slowed gradually as he brought his breathing under control.

"I have some knights with me," Halt said. "We're going to start moving the stones. Let us know if the rocks around you shift."

The ensuing silence brought a wave of panic. It was irrational, Gilan knew that, but he couldn't help it.

"Halt!" he called, then he bit his lip because he was being childish.

"What do you need, Gilan?"

"Will you—" Gilan paused, then decided he might as well just go for it. "Will you keep talking?"

The pause was just long enough for Gilan to regret asking. He knew Halt wasn't a big talker. He should have just dealt with the discomfort in silence.

"I guess I haven't told you about my first meeting with Abelard," Halt said. "I had a horse when I arrived in Araluen, but Declan couldn't keep up with the other Ranger horses…"

The panic and fear faded as Gilan focused on the sound of his mentor's voice. Halt was there and Gilan wasn't alone.

Halt didn't stop talking until the knights had cleared enough rocks for Gilan to wriggle out. Evening had come and Gilan blinked in the torchlight. A cheer arose from the men as hands reached out to help him stand.

Then Halt was there, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug. Gilan returned it with equal fervour. Relief swept over him and his knees buckled. He was out and Halt was here.

Halt guided him into a sitting position, then began to examine his leg. Gilan winced when Halt prodded the sore area and had him move his leg this way and that. Halt looked up at him, a hand still resting on his knee.

"I think it's just deeply bruised, not broken. Either way, we'll have the castle physician check it out tomorrow. For now, let's head home."

Halt helped him to his feet and Gilan pulled him into another hug. "Thank you for coming back for me."

"I always will," Halt promised.