Ranger's Apprentice: Tales Untold

Last Moments

She'd known her life was forfeit from the moment the two bandits had stepped into her home. She'd known that her son's soul was teetering between that line between life and death, and no matter what she tried, she'd known that his life would tip in the one place that was far too young for a soul such as his.

What she hadn't expected was the dark-haired stranger that had come to her rescue. She hadn't expected anyone to come to be defense, because who would care about a new mother and her son? Her and her husband had been strangers in this fiefdom, and they had little place to speak.

So it came as no surprise when the blood spilled from her side, pooling onto the ground, staining the blue cloth of the shirt that Daniel had just bought her a few days prior. Her life was fading away, and the pain was beginning to recede.

Little solace was found in the thought. Daniel was dead. The boy she'd nearly whacked across the head the first time they'd met, the boy that had been there for her through her darkest days. She still remembered the day he'd gotten down on one new, that tiny emerald bracelet that must have cost a fortune.

And she still remembered seeing those liquid brown eyes for the first time, filled with curiosity and a contagious happiness. She remembered that small, empty part of her when it had been only a neighbor beside her, knowing that Daniel was out there somewhere, fighting for his life to possibly die the next day. Will had been the one thing that had given her new hope, a new purpose. How excited Daniel would have been to see his new son, to see those eyes that mirrored his own.

But Daniel would never get the chance anymore. And she was dying, and he wasn't there.

Instead, those unfamiliar eyes were there with her, with a surprising amount of determination. They were dark and secretive, and yet she found some comfort in that small spark in his eyes.

She reached out a hand, and he held it tight. "Promise me," she whispered.

"I promise." The voice spoke with a strange accent, one that was vaguely familiar. But a warm fuzziness had begun to spread in her mind, and she didn't have the strength to ponder the thought.

But there was one more thing. She struggled to speak, her heart warring between peace and heartbreak. His name is Will, she tried to say, and her eyes stung. But she could barely feel the pain anymore.

The stranger leaned closer, saying something. Everything was distorted, hazy, and she knew she would never see her son grow up, never see his smile, never see those bright eyes again.

But just maybe this stranger might help. Just maybe, he would live a healthy life, and he would grow up to be the man he wanted to be. Just maybe, he wouldn't resent his parents for leaving him too soon.

"His name is Will," she whispered, and the darkness chose that moment to claim her.