Ranger's Apprentice: Tales Untold

The Red Hills

HALT WATCHED AS WILL'S form disappeared into the desert, a nagging in the back of his mind. There was something he should tell Will, something that could very well be fatal if he didn't know. But whatever that something was, he couldn't figure it out.

You're just being a worrywart, he told himself. Will was capable of taking care of himself. He'd find Tug, and he would be back within days. There was no reason to worry.

"Come on, Halt. Selethen says it's time we were moving." Gilan stood beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Halt stared in the distance for a moment longer before heeding his former apprentice's words. With surprise, and gratitude, he realized that Gilan had already saddled Abelard.

The little horse tossed his head, a faint rumbling coming from his mouth. Halt patted his nose. "He'll find him, boy. Never fret."

He forced himself to push down the doubts and fears, swinging up into his saddle. His companions watched him with worry and concern for Will, waiting for some sort of reassurance.

"I don't like it any more than you do," he told them. "But let's look at the positive side of things. He's well armed. He's well trained. He's got a good horse. He's an excellent navigator and he has his northseeker and Selethen's map. He'll be fine."

~<>~

IT WAS DAYS LATER when he realized what was wrong.

He woke in the middle of the night, laying a hand on his saxe. Something had woken him; he didn't know what. But instinct was never something to ignore.

Darting his gaze around, he searched until he saw Gilan keeping watch. His former apprentice was good enough to see any incomings...so it wasn't that.

He sat up, sparing another glance before standing to walk over beside Gilan. The young Ranger looked up in surprise. "Halt? What's wrong?"

Halt sighed and shook his head, sitting down beside him. It was a long moment before he spoke. "I'm worried about Will."

Gilan gave a light chuckle. "I'd be a bit concerned if you weren't. Halt." He looked over at his former mentor. "Will is strong, and he's capable. He'll find Tug, and he'll be back."

"I know." Halt looked away. "But I feel like something's wrong. There's something we missed."

"About Will?" Gilan frowned. "What do you mean there's something we missed?"

But Halt wasn't listening. He stared off into the distance, and then his earlier words came back to him. And he has his northseeker.

The northseeker relied on the magnetic field. It was a Ranger's way to help find their direction, and it was something that no one else had.

But Will was headed towards the Red Hills—a name eerily similar to Redmont, or Red Mountains.

"The iron," he breathed, his eyes widening. Redmont's reddish hue was because of the iron. And that mean the Red Hills would be full of iron...iron that could very well bring Will off-course.

"Iron?" Gilan stared at him. "What do you—?" He caught his breath. "Oh, no."

Halt slapped his forehead and cursed. "I should have seen that. I should have told him." He looked over at Gilan. "Will's going to be brought off-course. And he won't know until it's too late."