Halts Peril

by John Flanagan

Halt, Will, and Horace discover that Tennyson, the leader of a religious cult called the Outsiders, and his followers have fled to Picta, home of the Scotti, a country to the north of Araluen. They discover where the Outsiders went from a smuggler named the Black O'Malley. The three follow their trail and discover that Tennyson is heading toward Araluen. Tennyson's plan is to travel to an outlying Araluen village where he has already established influence to reinvigorate his movement. Will and his companions are unaware of this, however, and continue to follow Tennyson through Picta, discovering and foiling some Scotti raiders on the way. As the three catch up to Tennyson they engage with the remaining two of his hired Genovesean assassins. Halt and Will successfully kill one, but the other injures Halt and escapes, with his life.

After a while, the wound is discovered to be poisoned by a hallucinogen which is slowly killing Halt. In desperation Will decides to seek the healer Malcolm and brings him to help. Malcolm explains that the poison has two possible sources with conflicting cures. Administering the wrong cure will kill Halt. Will discovers the remaining assassin and forces the nature of the poison from him by Horace cutting him with his own arrow. The assassin is killed when he later attempts to escape.

With Halt cured, the three along with Malcolm continue to trail Tennyson. Will and his companions discover Tennyson in catacombs near a village where he is preaching to the followers of his religion. Halt successfully discredits him with Malcolm's help. In the chaos that follows, the cave system collapses on top of Tennyson and the Outsiders and all their gold. Halt, Will and Horace and Malcolm escape, and escort Malcolm back to his home in Grimsdell Wood. Once there, Will's friend Trobar gives Will a puppy, Ebony, the daughter of the dog Shadow which Will gave to Trobar in The Siege of Macindaw. After separating from Malcolm, the trio head home, with Will and Halt going to Redmont and reuniting with Pauline and Alyss while Horace heads to Castle Araluen.