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

What Happens to Horace?

She stood back up and swayed slightly. Halt and Gilan each grabbed one of her arms. Even though she had healed herself and stopped the bleeding in her arm and stomach, the slash on her face had kept bleeding for a little bit. It wouldn't scar, the one on her arm would though. 

She had lost too much blood and was dizzy. She was breathing heavily. Gilan looked at her concerned and so did Halt. Her vision went hazy and her eyes drooped. 

"Alex?" Gilan asked although it sounded as if it had come from down a very long tunnel. 

"Gilan," She breathed. She tried to keep her eyes open, but they kept drooping. The adrenaline had kept her awake for this long, but it was wearing off. 

Her eyes closed and jerked open again. Halt let Horace grab Alex's hand and then he stepped forward.

He was angry that Morgarath had Will and had hurt Alex. "Then, let's get to it, Morgarath!" he said. "I acc,"

"Don't," Alex whispered at the same time King Duncan said, "Halt! I command you to stop!" 

Horace let go of Alex's arm and Gilan held on tighter to stop her from falling to the ground. 

"No Horace, don't." Alex reached out and tried to grab Horace but instead got all dizzy and fell to the ground. 

Horace got on his horse and rode forward. 

Morgarath reached for his sword then noticed that the Horace's sword was sheathed.

Horace's right arm drew back and he hurled his gauntlet into Morgarath's thin face.

"Morgarath!" He yelled, his young voice cracking. "I challenge you to single combat!"

Then, wheeling his horse a few paces away, Horace waited for Morgarath's reply. 

"No..." Alex yelled and tried to stand but fell back down, then got up again and tried to take a step, but again fell to the ground. "No." Her eyes closed and jerked open again.

She turned to King Duncan. "Stop him, please." she said. She shook her head trying to stay awake. She started crawling toward Horace, but Halt showed up behind her. He reached down and picked her up so her back was against her chest and his arms were around her stomach holding her off the ground, so she couldn't move.

At first she struggled then fell still and her eyes closed. Halt could barely feel the rise and fall of her chest. He wasn't sure if she was unconscious or not. 

He set her down by Abelard and she layed against Abelard's front legs, right under his head. 

"Protect." Halt told Abelard. Abelard neighed softly. Alex had her back to the horse's front legs and if someone came at her, Abelard was in a position to protect her. Alex's eyes opened. She still had her bow in her hand and her knives were at her waist. All her arrows had fallen out of her quiver when she was held upside down. The Skandians had never unarmed her, and she never thought of hurting anyone while Will was still there. 

Now she watched the proceedings. The King had looked at her to make sure she was fine, that was when he noticed the she was still awake and watching. He still wondered how she had used her magic and if she could use it on other people.

Will and Evanlyn never learned what it was that caused the wave of uncertainty in the Wargals who surrounded their small group. They had no way of knowing that it had happened at the moment when Morgarath realized he had been tricked into expressing his army to Duncan's cavalry. 

Will and Evanlyn were both sad and wondering what had happened to Alex.

The two captives and four Skandians all noticed the sudden uneasiness and hesitancy in the twenty or so Wargal warriors who had been left to guard them. Erak glanced quickly at his men, sensing an opportunity. So far, they had not been disarmed. The odds of four against twenty were too much, even for Skandians and the Wargals had only been told to detain them, not disarm them.