w00t. all of a whole hour and 36 minutes after the last chappie was put up, I update AGAIN! I told you it wouldnt be long! :P also dont ask me why Gil is going for a run instead of taking Blaze which woulda been so much faster, basically because I wanted him to trip and for no other reason so do not criticise that fact please or shall be mean to you in some way somehow... o_O

WARNING: the scene with Gil will make you smile, possibly even SQUEE a little.. ;)

Chapter 25 - I DON'T HAVE A NAME FOR THIS BUT IT WILL HOPEFULLY MAKE YOU SMILE A LITTLE!

Being at war was different to what Horace had expected it to be. Sir Rodney had chosen him to be his shield man, on his left side and so far he hadn't really had to do anything. There had been a few back and forth skirmishes between the front lines of each army over the past two weeks or so and Sir Rodney was not in the front line of the army, but in the second line of the command party. There was a little bit of a difference. Because Horace hadn't really had much to do it left him time to think. And still fresh on his mind was Will. He was worried. It had been so long!

Upon arriving at the Plains Sir Rodney had gone straight into a meeting with King Duncan's war counsellors. After, Sir Rodney and most of the others left to go about their business and Horace was left almost alone with Halt.

'I'm really sorry.' He had said. Halt kind of grunted in return and Horace took it as a grunt of gratitude. They had seen each other since and Halt had seemed less talkative each time, which worried Horace. He knew that Halt cared for Will deeply, and Will reciprocated, but Horace must have misjudged just how much the older Ranger cared for his friend.

Horace hoped so badly that Will was safe, and that he could be found soon, it would be good, for everybody's sake.

It had been over a month since Will had been taken. There had been around two weeks between Will being taken and the mess with Joel, and then a further two weeks since King Duncan's army had fully been set up. And now, over a month from Will being kidnapped in the first place Gilan had news, good, good, good news. Halt. No, Halt wasn't the news, he needed to find Halt to tell him the news. That's why he was running to where Halt was, out keeping an eye on Morgarath's army with some other Rangers. Gilan was running fast because he had news! In all his excitement, Gilan – the best unseen and silent mover in the whole of the Ranger Corp, light and steady on his feet – stumbled. He landed on the ground with a sharp 'huff', but instantly pushed himself back up and continued on his course.

He saw Halt up ahead. By himself, why was he by himself, who cared. He was there, standing as still as stone, looking out towards...something. Gilan really did not care - at all. Gil called out to him. 'Halt!' The young Ranger almost leapt at the sight of his grim former master. His grim former master who had been even more grim for the past few weeks, who had been in so much emotional pain, and who had been carrying out his duty all the while – and Gilan had good, good, good news that would help to lessen a bit of that pain.

'Halt!' he called again.

The senior Ranger spun to face the man pelting towards him with a huge grin plastered on his youthful face.

'What are you so happy about?' Halt asked, as Gilan came to a standstill before him.

'Halt...news...good news...Morgarath...Will...camp...' Gilan said in between gasps for air. Halt couldn't quite tell if Gilan needed to breathe because of the run, or his excitement.

'Get to the point, Gilan, tell me what it is.'

Gilan allowed no more time for breathing before jumping straight into it.

'I've just come from a meeting with the king and we were discussing how many men we've lost just from these small skirmishes and battles between the front lines. Arald mentioned that Morgarath must either have lots of supplies or completely bluffing the thing out for him to have held out for this long, and it looks like longer still-'

Halt sighed, 'Yes, I know all of this, Gil, what's the point?'

'I'm getting to it! So, we then started talking about destroying his supplies, the majority of which would be held at his war camp. The original plan was that a small group of men were going to be sent to destroy them and that was that... But then my father suggested that a larger group go and have get rid of the men there! At the camp there would not only be supplies, but weapons and all of Morgarath's remaining men. Lots of men, with weapons, does not sound the best idea but they would be completely unprepared! So the plan is to draw out the main force here on the Plains, and launch a full scale battle, Morgarath would be focused on the here and now. Then, a group of us would just slip away and launch the attack at the war camp, Morgarath was smart enough to hide it in a forest but it is relatively easy access for us now we know where it is. We go, kill as many as possible, destroy what we can and then come back and join the fight. Without the main supplies and backup men Morgarath would only be able to hold out for a week, maybe two, and then we can defeat him for good!'

'That's great news, Gilan,' Halt didn't sound all too enthused.

Gilan shook his head, 'No, you don't get it, Halt. You and me, us, we are going to lead the attack on Morgarath's war camp,' he paused for a moment to see if Halt understood, and saw the faintest glimmer of repressed hope in Halt's eyes. He did not think it could be true but Gilan was about to tell him otherwise... 'It'll take a few days, maybe even a week to organise the men and get a plan sorted but we go there, Halt, and we can find Will!' Gilan almost shouted.

Halt didn't smile, barely showed any emotion. Simply and quietly he addressed Gilan, 'Well then, I suppose we should start organising some men.'

Gilan's smile became even wider. Just the simplicity of Halt's reaction was enough to tell him that he was happy, glad, over the moon!

'I heard you last night, m' lovely.' Lukas was sitting on the ground next to the 'immobile' Will, having his daily chat.

Will tried not to panic, tried not to show any emotion. Lukas couldn't mean that he heard Will moving around last night, could he? No. He couldn't! Will was always dead quiet and waited until he was asleep and no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!

'I know what you must be thinking, 'how could he know?' well, m' lovely, I have been aware of your little night routines for quite some time now. And might I say, I think you are much stronger than you were when you started.'

Will could not believe his ears. Nothing. Lukas had said nothing about knowing previously and suddenly he knew everything? It was like he wanted Will to have some hope only so he could have the pleasure of crushing it.

And oh he did crush it.

Still, Will tried not to react. Maybe he could bluff it...

'Got nothing to say, huh? Well, let me just see if this makes you want to talk.' Before Will could even bat an eyelid Lukas lashed out an arm, leaning it on Will's bad leg.

The young Ranger screamed out in complete agony, and tried to sit up and get away from the pain, but Lukas kept hold of his leg and Will had no coice but to stay where he was. He tried to look at Lukas but tears blurred his vision. He knew what expression would be present on Lukas' face anyway; a sadistically, happy smirk, possibly even a grin.

Slowly the pain in Will's leg died down to what he called the 'normal standard' and Will reaslied Lukas was not near him anymore.

'You can try to run away now,' Lukas stated from behind him, 'but with me so close, and you on only one leg I doubt it'll do you much good.'

Even if Will's leg was able to withstand his weight, he was just too exhausted to run. Physically and mentally and emotionally exhausted.

He had completely lost hope that anyone was going to find him, or if they even cared. As strange and wrong as it was Lukas seemed to be the only person who cared about him, not in a loving way, of course, but at least he seemed to take some interest in Will.

And Will knew exactly how bad that was, which meant he knew exactly how mentally unstable he was, and he did not like it at all.

Will lied on the ground, breathin sharply as Lukas worked away behind him doing...something. When he was finished he stood above Will and looked down at him. 'I really don't like it when you lie to me, m' lovely. It is not very nice. And now that you are able to move again, I am afraid I will have to restrain you.'

Lukas bent over and, none to softly, hooked his hands under Will's arms. He half dragged, half carried him over to a tree, a different one to the one he was at when he first arrived, this one was further into the tree line. Lukas dropped Will when they got there, picked up a length of rope and said, 'I know you won't be very helpful to me at the moment, m' lovely, and stand for me while I tie you up, will you?'

Will did not answer the ridiculous question.

'I thought not.' Lukas sighed regrtfully. He grabbed Will's hand and tied them together, very tightly, then he threw the loose end of the rope over a branch and with incredible strength that Will had no idea the man possessed, Lukas yanked down on the rope, suddenly lifting Will's arms over his head, then his body off the ground and up until his toes were so very barely touching the ground.

Will yelped and gasped in pain through the whole process.

Lukas tied the rope off to somwhere behind Will, he wasn't sure where, and then came around to face him.

'There,' he smiled. 'All better, now you won't be able to try and leave me.'

Will could already feel the immense strain on his shoulders and the scabbed welts on the back were burning. Since he had been able to move and feel again Will had no doubts that his back was in terrible shape, most likely infected.

'I think I've had enough today, m' lovely. I will see you tomorrow.' Lukas was, as always, eerily cheerful when he spoke and almost looked like he had a bounce in his step.

Will thought, certainly not for the first time, that Lukas was a one of a kind creep.

so did you all smile a little, maybe just a bit when Gilan told Halt? I hope so, it was meant to be a bit of good in all the darkness of this fic. Im finally making it go somewhere *go me!* so thats cool. it may be a while again before I update, nowhere near as long as the time before last though - I promise!

luv u all..

passion.