Rico and Private led Iczalie to their small cave. There were a few items from the general, but most of the cave was bare and simple. Iczalie looked around, her expression neutral. Private did catch the small nod of approval before she sat down and stared at her brother. Rico smiled at her and plopped down, gesturing for Private to do the same. The younger penguin sat down, and there was silence for a few moments.
"Don't cry, sister," Rico said in his native tongue.
Startled, Private looked at Iczalie to see tears flowing down her white feathers. In the strange half-light that was typical for that time of year, they shone like orange crystals in the orangish glow. She didn't turn away or look embarrassed. Instead, she crawled over and placed her flippers on either side of Rico's face, staring at it like she wanted to absorb it into her memory.
"I've missed you, Ree-ko," Iczalie said softly. "Why did you leave? Why did you not come back? Why did you fall in with those strangers? Surely you would have been more comfortable at home with me and our brothers and sisters?"
Rico's beak twitched up on the left side, and her dark blue eyes landed on the scar that marred her brother's face. With tender care, she rubbed the scar, a mix of fear and anger in her eyes. Rico didn't move, but Private saw that every muscle was locked tight. It was the first time that Private had seen anybody touch Rico's scar without the gruff penguin snapping his beak and spasming in pain. Even Kowalski was only allowed to touch it when Rico was in danger of dying. The young penguin let out a breath of relief as Iczalie pulled her flipper back. Rico sat rigidly, his eyes unfocused.
"What happened, Ree-ko?" Iczalie asked.
"You suspect already," Rico said, his voice tight.
"I want the tale. The full tale. I have brought something to help you tell the story."
She pulled a pouch off of her belt and dumped it out, smoothing out the black surface on the white floor of the cave. Rico blinked at it, and Private leaned down.
"That's gunpowder!" he gasped, drawing back and looking up at the female penguin.
"Gun…powder?" Iczalie asked.
"It's flammable," Private explained. "It explodes when fire touches it. You carry a sack of gunpowder on you? Why?"
Iczalie stared at him. "It contrasts the snow and ice. It is good to tell stories on."
"No, it isn't," Rico said. He coughed once then pushed up a pack of matches. Private took them, and Rico pulled his sister back. The younger penguin stepped back and struck a match. Iczalie's eyes widened as flames flickered for a moment before Private threw it down. With a loud pop, the gunpowder went up in flames, leaving a puff of smoke and melted ice that immediately began to freeze again. Iczalie gasped and stood up.
"Magic?" she asked fearfully.
Rico laughed. "Not magic. Gunpowder. It's explosive."
"I wouldn't carry it at your hip anymore," Private said, tossing the matches back to Rico.
Rico tossed them back with one small swallow then pulled his sister down again. "I don't need to use the story knife, Iczalie. I'd rather just tell you."
Iczalie nodded. "Then speak, Ree-ko. I am most curious."
They sat in silence as Rico reached up and began to stroke his scar, his eyes far away again. Neither Private nor Iczalie said anything, watching the older penguin for several long minutes.
"What I'm about to tell you," he finally said, "even Skipper and Kowalski don't know. They don't know because they couldn't understand me, and I was in too much pain to use my English. This is the story of why I left home and how you, Private, were hatched and saved after your parents were murdered. This will be hard for you."
Private took a deep breath. "I can take it."
"I know you can. You are a warrior now. Skipper will never be able to keep things from you again," Rico said tenderly. He leaned over and nipped Private's cheek before settling back. "This is a long story. And it is hard for me to tell. But I shall try."
Rico took a breath then began. "It all began when I was asked to go fishing with my father. It was the first time since I was a boy that he'd taken me, the first time since I'd become a warrior in my own right. I should have known something was wrong when we didn't take anybody else. My father and I were not friendly. I thought it might be a chance to make amends, to renew our relationship the way it had been when Mother was alive. I was wrong."
Rico's expression pinched, and he reached up to rub his scar again. "I won't lie, sister. As soon as we were in leopard seal territory, he showed his true intentions. He told me that I was to grovel and beg for his forgiveness for denying his orders. I refused, and I told him what I thought of the way he had been running the tribe since Mother died. You know Father. It enraged him. And I did what he had done countless times. I turned my back on him. He was no threat to me anymore. And he snapped. And I remember pain and blood staining the snow red. I heard movement and Father ran away. And Skipper found me.
"Well, Kowalski was there; he stopped the bleeding and doctored me with supplies in their packs. I couldn't understand them, but when I realized they were leaving Antarctica, I decided to go with them. Father had threatened to hurt you and our siblings, Iczalie, if I ever came back. It was the one thing that would keep me away, keep him in charge and free of public ridicule for attacking his own son. And it worked. I left with them. I don't know what story he told when he got home, but I didn't care. As long as you were all safe, I was happy. Lonely, but happy."
"He told us that those who found you, that Skipper and Aleks attacked you and threw you to the seals."
"Coward," Private snarled. He paused, unsure if he had spoken right, but there was no argument from either of the native-borns.
"Coward," Rico agreed, and Private relaxed. "Anyway, they went back to London, that's a human settlement way across the ocean, and I went with them. After a while, Private's egg was laid by a female called Lita. She and her mate Pol were good friends of mine. Little did I know that would lead to their deaths. Two others were with Skipper and Kowalski when they found me, Manfredi and Johnson, and they betrayed us, killed Lita and Pol, and stole Private's egg. I determined with the others to rescue him, and I would do anything to do it. And I proved that when we set out."
Rico paused, breathing heavily as tears welled in his eyes, but he pressed on. "We went in the dead of night, breaking into Blowhole's base. He was using an old cave system in the States, like the ones he's using here, only it was less elaborate, less maze-like. And we went down. During a fight with some crabs, Skipper and Kowalski were separated from me, and I continued on alone. I had to find you, Private, for Lita and Pol." Tears slipped down his face, and he shuddered, turning to face Private.
"It was Manfredi and Johnson who got me. Blowhole went for Skipper, but Manfredi and Johnson wanted my blood. I had never trusted them. I watched their every move, sensing their dishonesty and rage, and they hated me. So when I walked in to see them studying your egg, they saw the perfect opportunity to get revenge."
Rico's breath whistled in and out, fast and shallow. Private saw his flippers and claws twitching just like they had before his last seizure. Private lunged over and embraced his friend, crooning low in his throat; and Rico stilled, wrapping a flipper around his shoulders and holding him tight as he fought to regain control. Private sat there for several minutes before he realized that Rico was no longer gasping and shaking, but instead was laughing.
"You don't remember doing that before, but you did," Rico said softly, pushing Private back to smile at him. "You did it right after you hatched. I saw you hatch, you know. You were so little, so fluffy and cute." He laughed again, his features relaxing into kindness. "I won't tell you what they did. Mostly because I've repressed it. All I'll say is that they tortured me. For three days, they tortured me, and then they left. I needed to get you out, but I was so tired and weak that I couldn't move. And then you started to hatch."
Private felt his face warm at the loving expression on Rico's face. "Rico…"
Rico continued as if Private hadn't spoken. "You popped right out of that egg, a ball of grey fluff with the biggest eyes I'd ever seen on a hatchling. You cheeped for your parents, but they couldn't come to you. You kept making a little noise, and I couldn't stand it. So I moved. It took me forever to get to you, but you lit up like the stars when you saw me. You cuddled right up to me and hugged me like you just did, cheeping and churring. And that gave me the strength to stand up, pick you up, and get out of there."
Private shifted, his cheeks hot, and Rico laughed before the humor faded and he grew serious again. He was stroking his scar again, massaging the mangled flesh. He studied Private then sighed.
"Skipper and Kowalski had managed to derail Blowhole's plan. When I showed up in the main hall with you in my arms, Kowalski set off a charge and we blew the cave system. Blowhole got away, and so did Manfredi and Johnson. But so did we. And we stood there while you chewed on your flipper, staring at the orange flames that poured from the cave entrance. And then we went back to London.
Rico paused again then sat straight. "Skipper and Kowalski didn't know what to do about you at first, Private. Neither of them had ever even thought of having a family. And suddenly a hatchling was in our midst, demanding regurgitated fish, water, playtime, love. They had no clue what to do. You saw what they did with Eggy. Thankfully, you'd already hatched, or that would have been interesting."
He chuckled. "And so you lived with us while Skipper waited to hear from his superiors about any families who would take a hatchling. They didn't get back to him for weeks, and by that time, you'd wormed your way into their hearts. Skipper and Kowalski loved teaching you new things, and they both saw benefits from raising a soldier of their own. And through their efforts, you became a soldier, and you became our brother. And that's all."
There was a long silence for a few minutes then Private leaned forward. "No. Then we came here to save Skipper and Kowalski. And you helped me become a warrior. That's all."
Rico let out a booming laugh then nipped affectionately at Private's cheek. He then turned to his sister, who had been silent the whole time. She stared at him, her expression unreadable. After several minutes, she took a deep breath and stood.
"So Father is dishonorable," she growled.
"You knew already," Rico said matter-of-factly. "But sometimes it takes a good reason to see through family bonds."
"And this dolphin, Blowhole," she hissed. "He is evil? And those two traitors, Manfredi and Johnson? Evil?"
"Yes."
Iczalie snapped her beak in anger. "We must do something about this."
"We must," Rico said. "We need to take on Blowhole."
"And Father," she said.
"No, Snowdrop," he said fiercely. "I will take on Father. It is my right as firstborn. And I will. He has to stop."
"So what are we supposed to do?" Private asked.
"We go to Buzz and Olek," Rico said, standing up. "And we make a plan."
"Icza bless our steps," Iczalie said, shaking her head.
"We need more than that with Blowhole," Private said, popping to his feet. "Let's go make a plan."