Ranger's Apprentice: Alex + The Burning Bridge (Discontinued)

The Wargals

They left at sunset and Alex and Will both told Horace their horses code.

They rode as hard as they could that night, held back somewhat by the docile pace that was all the pack pony could manage.

As light came Will looked around for a campsite. Horace noticed him looking around. "Why don't we keep going for a couple more hours?" he asked. "The horses aren't really tired yet."

Will kept looking. Then he found a good campsite. It was bushes no higher than 3 meters at the highest point. It would provide good shelter, from the wind and unfriendly eyes. 

"We'll camp here,"Will decided, indicating the bushes. "That's the first decent-looking campsite we've passed in hours. Who knows when we'll see another?"

Horace shrugged. He trusted Will's judgement. He was a person who listened to people's directions. As long as her trusted that person he would gladly listen to the orders.

As they dismounted and led their horses through the thick bushes into a clearing beyond. Alex gave a small sigh of relief. She was tired and stiff. 

Will helped Evanlyn down from the saddle, mainly because Alex was still too weak to help Evanlyn. Then Evanlyn went and sat down getting herself comfortable on a flat rock.

Will tossed one of the food packs into the sand at her feet. "You can start getting a meal ready," he said. 

Evanlyn glanced down at the pack and flushed angrily.

"I'm not particularly hungry." She said.

 Horace started toward the pack. 

"No," Will said towards Horace. "I'd like you to rig the shelter." 

Then Alex started in the conversation. "Evanlyn, you can't just sit down and do nothing. You need to help." She said. Then she put up her cloak hood and started scouting around the camp. 

Evanlyn reached for the pack. "Is it all right if Horace makes the fire for me? He can do it a lot quicker than I." she asked.

Will considered the question. It didn't seem logical to make a fire. The smoke could be seen and the smell wood not dissipate very quickly.  

"No fire." he said decisively. and Evanlyn tossed the food pack down sulkily. 

"Not cold food again!" she snapped. 

"Not so long ago, you would have happily eaten anything, hot or cold, as long it was food, Evanlyn." Alex called from a bush where she was hiding and being the look out. 

"Look," Will said. "Gilan knows more about these things than any of us and he told us to make sure we aren't spotted. All right?"

Evanlyn muttered something. 

"Alex, come here." Will said. 

Alex stood up from her crouched position from a side of a rock. To Horace and Evanlyn it looked like she came out of the rock. 

She walked toward Will. "Hmmm?" She mumbled. 

"I'm going to keep an eye on the camp. I want you to go farther out and scout all around us. Look for some water on the way." Will said. Alex nodded and slung their water bags over one shoulder and headed off. Will went to the jumble of rocks Alex had just come from.

Alex crouched and scouted farther out from the camp. She found a small stream and filled the water bags, and took a drink herself before scouting, once more, around the camp. 

When she came back Horace and Evanlyn was waiting for her. 

Evanlyn had set out a plate of dried meat and the hard biscuit they had been eating in place of bread for some time. She'd also put a small amount of pickles.