The Amethyst Order - Ranger's Apprentice Fanfiction

Chapter 32

The clearing was dark, the sun not even up. Sweat ran down Humphrey's face as he worked. He pushed down the shovel he found into the soil, tears forming in his eyes. The dirt was strong, and Humphrey had to use all his strength to dig it up.

A scorching pain seared every time he pushed the shovel down. A bandage was wrapped around his torso, but blood was seeping through it with the work he was doing.

His throat was parched, and his breath uneven. Entering a coughing fit, Humphrey clutched onto the shovel tighter, bringing it onto his heart. His tears started running down as he quietly wept, but he did not stop. He continued to dig.

"Humphrey?" The familiar voice seemed distant, but at the same time, it echoed in his head loudly.

Faltering from his steady motion of digging, Humphrey turned to face Gilan, who bit his lip. Milo, who was behind him, looked away at the sorrow he saw.

Gilan strode forward and placed a hand on Humphrey's shoulder, Milo soon following. They glanced down at the hole that was being dug up, and their eyes trailed over to the body next to it.

"She's dead," Milo softly murmured, disbelief evident in his voice and eyes.

"Yes," Humphrey whispered in response, hugging the shovel he held.

The three boys stood quietly and looked at each other before silently getting to work. No words were spoken as they worked on expanding the hole Humphrey had started on. They worked until the sun peeked out, until dawn came.

Humphrey stifled a sob as Milo closed his eyes and Gilan looked down, muttering incoherently. A minute passed before Humphrey kneeled down and picked up Elaine's limp body. He gently set it down in the shallow hole they had dug. Gilan reached down and closed her eyes before gently undoing her ponytail, arranging her hair in a beautiful style. After Gilan finished, Milo tucked in some yellow flowers in her hair and hands.

Humphrey, Gilan, and Milo stepped back to look down at Elaine one last time before starting to cover her up with soil. Before long, Elaine's grave was complete with a stone with her name etched on it on top. Tears were coming down thickly and rapidly all three of the friends' faces, sorrow and regret in them.

Humphrey screamed in pain, falling on his knees. Gilan and Milo glanced at each other before kneeling down and embracing him. The three stayed in the embrace for a long while, lamenting for their dead friend, never to see her or return to the grave ever again.

>>>------------->

Aldren sat outside of Crow Man's former tent, watching Gilan, Humphrey, and Milo. Tears were in his eyes as he thought about Alyssa, and how she was the first to die.

He treasured every memory of her, and longed to see her one last time. But he couldn't. She was gone. He was late, terribly late.

But the fact that she was dead wasn't what was bothering Aldren the most. Death was inescapable. It happens to everyone at one point. It was the fact that she couldn't receive a proper burial that killed him.

The sound of the tent opening startled Aldren out of his thoughts. He quickly wiped his tears before turning to look at who had came out. His gaze hardened as he saw who it was. Kyli.

"You aren't suppose to be out here," he said, not bothering to move.

Kyli looked him and growled. "You're not keeping me here," she replied. "I'm leaving."

"Go ahead," Aldren muttered, not bothering to argue. "It doesn't matter anymore anyways."

Kyli opened her mouth to retort something back, but dumbfounded, she closed it. She stared at Aldren for a moment. "What?"

"I said it doesn't matter," Aldren repeated. "Go."

Kyli blinked and gazed at Aldren with wonder. "Whatever you are going through, I wish you the best." She paused, her words surprising her. "Goodbye Aldren," she said before turning to leave, having already gathered her weapons, but a voice stopped her.

"Kyli!" The voice gasped, breaking Gilan, Humphrey, and Milo's lament and Aldren's thinking. Kyli turned and her eyes glared daggers at the owner of the voice. It was Crow Man, finally awake from his unconsciousness.

Kyli raised both of her eyebrows in surprise, having thought that he was dead. "William," she nodded. "I didn't think you'd be paying me after all this."

Crow Man pushed himself up. "No," he grunted. "I'm not paying you."

Kyli rolled her eyes. "Then I have no business with you, old man."

Crow Man opened his mouth to speak, but Gilan came upon him. Pushing him back down to the ground, Gilan shouted. "Halt!" he called. "Crow Man's alive."

Halt burst out of the tent, Genevieve and Bloise following. "Crow Man?" Genevieve echoed, eyebrows furrowed.

Gilan nodded. "Crow Man," he paused. "Or William, the leader of the cult."

"I can speak for myself!" Crow Man snarled before calling out. "Kyli!" he cried. "Aren't you going to help?"

"She's gone," Milo muttered as he was the only one that noticed that she had slipped off. "She slipped away and is probably on her way home by now."

Crow Man growled as he weakly stood up, Gilan backing up to stand next to Humphrey and Milo, rather having Halt take care of him than himself. "Go back to Araluen!" he hissed at the gathered company around him. "Leave me!"

"To let you start another cult?" Bloise snorted. "No."

"You're coming with us," Aldren growled. "You have kidnapped Araluen citizens."

Humphrey nodded in agreement with Aldren. "And along with that, I do believe you are also going to be charged with murder."

"Oh, there is a much longer list than that," Genevieve muttered to herself, cringing at the thought of how much work the scribes at Araluen were going to have.

Halt nodded. "The point is," he said, "that you will be coming with us sir, and I will allow no 'buts.'"

Crow Man glared at everyone in the clearing. "Fine," he hissed. "But I will not like it."

A/N:

Back to Araluen we go! William AKA Crow Man is going to have a rough time in the court.

Thoughts?

And surprise chapter! I updated early because I have finished all the chapters of this book except for two, so I'm going to publish two chapters a day starting from tomorrow because I'm going on Wednesday. Enjoy!