Once Gilan had trudged out to his desired corner, Halt sunk down to his chair with a sigh. He ran his fingers through his hair a few times, staring at nothing in particular.

Morgarath was back. Again. And he had the Kalkara. Why life had to be such a bitch so as to bring him back with those monsters, Halt hadn't a clue.

"Gilan, get back in here," Halt grumbled.

"Don't forget that you're the one who cast me away like garbage," Gilan proclaimed, dramatically 'fainting' onto the couch, hand cast over his forehead. Halt glared and Gilan sighed and sat up.

"So what can you possibly need me for so badly that you'll swallow your pride and call me back from exile?"

"First off, I could've just called Crowley, so don't forget that I could just 'exile' you to a tree outside for the next week," Halt said coldly.

"Ouch," Gilan muttered.

"Second off, what's this with Morgarath coming back? Any details?"

"What, Crowley didn't give you a report?" Gilan asked, genuinely surprised. Halt was one of the most senior Rangers and Crowley's best friend. To say that Halt was denied a report was unheard of.

"Said he didn't want me running off to get myself killed, not that I would. I'm not a fool," Halt shot back, eyes daring Gilan to go farther.

"Well, all I know is that Morgarath forces are shifting and growing impatient, or so it seems. There are rumours about Morgarath going into smaller villages but-"

"Never trust rumours," Halt finished under his breath. Gilan huffed and was about to say something along the lines of, 'and you get mad at me for finishing your sentences,' but stopped himself. No doubt he'd just rebuke him for 'making fun of authority figures' and nonsense like that.

"Will!" Halt bellowed. "Get in here! It's about time you learn about to shoot a gun."

"But Halt," Will protested, "I only have one arm!"

"That's why you make use of what's around you," Halt said annoyedly.

Halt had taken Will into the woods to show him how to shoot a gun, a necessary part of Ranger training.

"Just use your legs - Gilan, stop laughing - and press the safety that way. Then just hold it, aim, and pull the trigger," Halt explained.

"Kay," Will mumbled, struggling to keep it balanced on his leg while fumbling with the safety while perched precariously on one leg. Finally he got it and aimed, pulling the trigger.

"You forgot something," Gilan snickered. "You have to pull this thingy right here-" he pointed to the trigger on the back of the gun "-to fire a bullet. It pulls them into the chamber which is where they're shot from."

Will glared darkly at the weapon while struggling a bit longer to get it balanced on his leg, actually falling once.

When he pulled the trigger, a muted crack rang out and a bullet hurtled away, striking the target.

"Much better than my first try," Gilan congratulated Will. "Now find the shell, for a keepsake."

"A what?"

"A keepsake. You know, your first ever bullet shot? I still have mine. I'm sure Halt has his. Heck, even Crowley probably has his, locked away in a box in the corner," Gilan explained. Will sniggered and stooped down after a few seconds of scanning the ground, swiping up something golden. He slipped it into his pocket.

"Ok, now what?"

"Now you practice," Halt said before turning on his heel and walking towards the cabin. "Finish five magazines, the cartridges bullets are stored in, before you come in."

"I'll stay to amuse you," Gilan offered, though Will suspected that he'd stay even if Will ordered him back to the house. He didn't mind anyways, he'd be glad for the company of the amusing Ranger.

"So what do you think about Scarface returning to try and take over Araluen?" Gilan asked.

"Well, I think that, depending on how bad he is-"

"He's bad," Gilan interrupted.

""-that he'd be a very bad ruler. Is he into stuff like slavery?" Will asked.

"That and more," Gilan murmured. "That and more."

"What's the more?" Will asked innocently.

"How much do you know about the world?"

"I know that it's not a fairytale with fairy godmothers and happy endings around every corner?" Will tried.

"I'll leave it as 'more.' I'll allow Halt to explain everything to you," Gilan said. If he hadn't been talking about such a serious topic, such as Morgarath taking over, he might've laughed and teased Will about his innocence.

Will fumbled with the trigger and fired a few times, each time pausing to painstakingly correct his aim.

Gilan sighed and whipped out his own gun. Will was surprised as he hadn't seen it on him, but shrugged and kept going. He was a Ranger, so it made sense that he always had it.

Gilan fired several rounds, spinning around and hitting different targets at random, not even pausing to aim. Will paused in his own meticulous aiming and shooting to watch in awe as bullet after bullet slammed into the bull's eye of the target. When Gilan finally ran out of the flying missiles he put the gun back into it's sheathe.

"Well, that was fun. You done?" he asked.

"Nah, only on my second magazine," Will said.

The two sat in silence, broken only by near-silent cracks when Will shot his gun. When he was finally done with his five rounds, they walked back, Gilan giving tips and Will hanging onto every word of advice Gilan fed to him.

When they got back to the cabin, through the wooden door, both could hear Halt shouting something unintelligible. Gilan warned Will to be quiet and to stay back before creeping up to the door, lightly touching his ear to the wood.

After several seconds, he pulled away, then whispered to Will; "Crowley is trying to get him to go on a mission to spy on Morgarath. Halt is refusing, saying there's something important here to take care of. Knowing him, that's you."

Will blinked, surprised. "How do we know it's not something else, like keeping an eye on Redmont? The creatures that were on the news the other night are supposedly roaming these woods," he pointed out.

"First off, they're called Kalkara. Second, Morgarath would never be so careless as to leave them roaming the woods where they'd get spotted and hunted. It's you, trust me," Gilan assured him.

"Dammit, Crowley, I can't go!" Halt shouted, clearly audible, even from where they were squatting.

"Aannnd now we walk in and ask what the hell is going on," Gilan muttered, standing and brushing off his knees. Will did the same and followed the young Ranger into the cabin.

I haven't shot a gun in quite a while so that one scene where Will is introduced to the handgun is bound to have error after error, like the trigger on the back and the sheathe. If anyone knows what that stuff is actually called and how to describe it and such, I'd value your input greatly, whether it be in the form of a review or PM. Thanks!