The Ranger whirled, prepared to shout at the boy, but he was gone. In his distracted thinking, he hadnâ€™t noticed as the boy packed up and left. He began to dash along the familiar walk ways, searching for him, when a thought struck him.<br/>This boy had happened into town, the very morning of the siege. He had given the ranger something that kept him out of action for an extra hour at a crucial time, when he might have been able to stop the spreading of the poison. How could he know for sure that the pain wouldnâ€™t have gone away on its own? How could he know for sure that the boy wasnâ€™t the one who had poisoned him in the first place? After all, he certainly seemed to know his herbs and remedies. It seemed an obvious ploy, and one he should have thought of long ago. He couldnâ€™t allow the boy to wander the streets. Not until he was sure he could trust him.<br/><br/>Cursing himself for being so slow witted on such a crucial day, he raced through the streets, doing so while keeping up his effort on moving unseen. He moved through the shadows, cast by trees, flitting from corner to corner. After a minute of searching, he gave up and scaled the wall of a building. From this vantage point he would be able to search more easily.<br/><br/>There. Finally, he found the boy. He was moving through the now crowded and chaotic streets, searching for something. He seemed utterly relaxed for a lone boy amid a raging riot. His fingers itched to reach for an arrow from the quiver slung across his back, but he couldnâ€™t do that just yet. Not until he proved his suspicions.<br/><br/>****<br/><br/>Crowley noticed the boy wandering alone through the street as he was occupied with shouting at a group of crazed lunatics. Giving up on reasoning with them, he hurled the vial to the stones at his feet. The vial shattered, and the sleeping potion it had contained began evaporating in the summer heat.  The idiot around him laughed and danced, tearing flower pots from a near by porch and shattering them as heâ€™d just done to the vial. He knew they would stick around for long enough to inhale enough of the potion. Leaving them to their destruction, he chased after the kid.<br/><br/>As he reached the boy, he shouted out to be heard over the commotion, â€œSir!... SIR!! Where is Ranger Jorman?! I left him with you!!â€<br/><br/>Before the boy could answer, however, Crowley noticed a flickering of shadow over the boyâ€™s shoulder. He was used to seeing that, as heâ€™d spent so much time with his Ranger commander. The shadowâ€™s melted away to reveal the Ranger himself. The ranger snuck up behind the boy, and with a lightning-fast motion, clamped a hand over his mouth, his arm flexing tight to pull the boy backward, using his own body as a clamp to hold the boy in place.  He knew a caster did not need words to inflict intense damage, so at the same time that his hand covered the ladâ€™s mouth, he brought the pommel of his heavy hunting knife down onto the boyâ€™s temple, hard enough that he felt certain the blow would render him unconscious. It caused him remourse to do so, but he was certain the boy would be able to heal himself of any wound he might suffer, after they had made sure he was trustworthy.<br/><br/>Crowley simply gaped in shock. However, this was his commanding officer. He got ahold of himself and swallowed down his surprise. Instead, he simply gave a questioning glance.<br/><br/>â€œSir. Youâ€™re awakeâ€¦. Uhâ€¦ what are your orders?â€