Chapter Three
(Rikku's POV)
As we entered Tzen, I thought of what happened. Strife was hiding something
from me and I don't like being in the dark. He hadn't said a word since he
killed the guado. I looked up at him, scaning his expression. I was
normally very good at reading people but he was impossible.
"You got quiet." Strife said breaking the silence. "What's wrong?"
"Oh nothing. I am just thinking." I said. He grinned out of the cornor of
his mouth.
"You do have a sullen side then, eh?" He said. "Not always so up and going
huh?"
"Well, normally I am it's just..." I began.
"I'm not going to tell you so don't even try." He said trying to keep a
straight face.
"Oh come on!!!" I protested. "It's not fair!" He burst out laughing. It was
the first time I had heard him laugh since I met him. His laugh reminded me
of my brother's rich and warm. It was nice to hear that sound again. Then
it hit me, I had no idea why he was laughing at me.
"Why are you laughing?" I asked dumbly.
"You looked like a child when you did that." He chuckled. I smiled. " Are
you tired?"
"A little." I said.
"Well I have some where I need to stop so i can get some information. Do
you want me to stop and get you a room at the inn or do you want to come
along."
"I'll come along." I said. He nodded as we continued along down the dusty
road. The sun was now beginning to sink lower in the sky and the air was
cooling off. We walked for another 2 miles and he turned down an alley. We
walked to the back and Strife stopped in front of the old door. He looked
around and then tapped the door three times and then stood back. A few
moments of a very loud silence passed followed by a series of clicking
nosies. The door swung open half way and a man's face appeared.
"Strife?" He asked a bit dumbfounded.
"Yeah Vince its me." He said. The door opened a bit more but stopped when
the man inside saw me.
"Who's the girl?" He asked gruffening his tone.
"She's with me. Now can we come in?" Strife snapped. He was growing impatient. The man nodded and opened the door. Strife looked around and then stepped inside. I followed. When the man shut the door, Strife leaned back and whispered to me. "Stay close." I moved up to his side as we walked through another set of doors. Soon we were in a small room where, the one that let us in grabbed two chairs and pulled them up to the table and sat down in his own chair. "Well, well, well! If it isn't Strife." he said smuggly. "It's been awhile." "Yes it has." He said. I looked from Strife to the man and then back. I could tell there was something between them, a sort of rift but yet a friendship. I decided that it was none of my business and just listened. "Well what do you need? I highly doubt that you're just here to see how I am." The man said. "And who's the girl?" "Her name is Rikku." Strife said. " And I am here because I need your help with some thing." "Figues." The man said. He looked me over and then looked at Strife, smirking. "So this is the little run away Al-Bhed that the guados are looking for? You know what I could do right now?" "Vince, cut the crap. I need to know where the guado's that are looking for Rikku are." Strife said angerly. Vince frowned. "They are all over this area. Searching all the houses and then moving on to the next town." Vince said. "I don't understand what they want with her. She doesn't look very harmful." Strife glared at Vince and sighed. "Well, what else is there? I know you know more then what you just told me." Vince sat there looking at Strife and I for a little while. Then as if he had just decided to speak he sat up straight. "Take her to the Spirt Inn on the north end of town. The guados won't go there. I heard them talking. They say it's cursed. Get her out of the town before sunrise. That's when they start their rounds. They are heading out to the MoonFlow at miday tommorrow." Vince said. Strife smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Vince." He said. He looked at me. "Let's get going." I got up with out a word. As I walked out of the room, Vince grabbed Strife's arm. "Why are you helping her? She's just a girl, and Al-Bhed girl at that.You have no idea what your getting mixed up in." Vince said warningly. "I can't just sit back and let them kill her." Strife said. "There are some things that you have to let go. The Al-Bheds and the guados have been going at it for years. It's nothing we can help, your just going to get yourself killed in the prosess." Vince said. "What makes you feel like she is worth helping?" "Your wrong," Strife said. " and that's my business, not yours." "When are you going to give this little game up? War is every where, death and killing are everywhere. When are you going to realise that?" "When I prove you wrong." Strife said. "Thanks for your help." He walked out of the room and over to me. I had been patiently waiting by the door. He opened the door and looked around. He stepped out and then motioned for me to step out. I lifted the hood on my cloak and followed him out into the cold night air. As we walked the empty streets, I decided I wasn't waiting any more. "Strife," I said. He looked down at me. "Yah?" "I want to know what your other reasons for protecting me are." I said. He drew in a long breath and let it out slowly, scrating the back of his head. "Rikku, I don't really know how to explain it." He said. "Give me some time ok?" "Oh all right." I said softly. We walked more of the way in silence. "How much further is the Inn?" "Not much fur...stop." He said stopping and holing his hand up. His eyes got wide and he looked at me. "GET OUT OF HERE!" he cried. Three guados jumped out of the brush. Strife drew his sword right before the first one ran at him. It knocked him off balance and he fell back, dropping his sword. It fell 5 ft. in front of me. "Rikku, run!" He yelled as another one began walking towards me. I dashed ahead and grabed Strife's sword and tossed it too him. He grabbed it, spun around and shoved the sword right through the nearest guado's eye. I pulled out my dagger as the guado advanced on me. Strife turned around and was caught by another one. It pulled a knife on him and cut Strife's arm. He made a noise in pain and stabbed it in the chest. The guado reached out and grabbed my wrist. "Let me go!" I yelled. "No, I think not. You are going to pay dearly for all the trouble you caused us and Maester Seymour. You little piece of Al-Bhed trash." It laughed. It raised it's knife and was about to bring it down into my chest when it gasped and dropped the knife and my arm. When it fell over, I saw Strife pulling his blade out of the back of it's head. "Are you alright?" he asked. "I..I think so." I said. He looked around and then bent down. "Get on my back. The inn is up ahead." He said. I did as I was told and he ran quickly down the road to the inn door. He let me down opened the door and rushed in. The clerk at the desk appered to be half alive and half dead. "Excuse me we need a room for the night." Strife said. The man looked at him and handed him a key. "Room 17." The guy rasped. Strife walked down the hall and unlocked the door, locking it again when we were both inside. There was a fire burning in the fire place and the drapes were drawn on the window. I laied my cloak on the chair and looked back at Strife. He was gripping his arm. "Strife, are you ok? What happened?" I asked walking over to him. "It's nothing, just a little scratch that's all." He said. There was blood on his fingers. "Move your hand." I commanded. He slowly moved it down to reveal a deep cut about 5 inches long. "My god!" I gasped. I went over to the wash basin on the table and wet a cloth. I wiped the blood away and pulled the ribbon from my hair. "Don't waste that on me." He said. "Nonesense." I said. I wrapped it around his forearm and held it there for a moment."Thanks for saving me again out there." I replied. He looked at me. "I'm sorry I got you hurt." "Don't apologise. You didn't give me this." He said. I nodded "There. It should stop bleeding soon." I said letting go. "Thanks." He said smiling. "I didn't know you were a nurse." I smiled and looked around the room. When I caught sight of the bed, I suddenly felt tired and yawned. When i turned around i saw that Strife was yawning also. "We should get some sleep." I said. "Yah you take the bed. Ill take the floor." He said. "Strife, that's not fair to you. The floor is cold and hard. The bed is huge and I don't take up much room anyways. You can sleep in the bed with me, I don't bite." I smiled. "You sure?" He asked. I nodded "Ok then." I got into the bed and he got in on the other side. We laied ther for about a half hour. "Rikku," He whispered. "Ya?" I asked, still fully awake. "I can't sleep." He said.
"She's with me. Now can we come in?" Strife snapped. He was growing impatient. The man nodded and opened the door. Strife looked around and then stepped inside. I followed. When the man shut the door, Strife leaned back and whispered to me. "Stay close." I moved up to his side as we walked through another set of doors. Soon we were in a small room where, the one that let us in grabbed two chairs and pulled them up to the table and sat down in his own chair. "Well, well, well! If it isn't Strife." he said smuggly. "It's been awhile." "Yes it has." He said. I looked from Strife to the man and then back. I could tell there was something between them, a sort of rift but yet a friendship. I decided that it was none of my business and just listened. "Well what do you need? I highly doubt that you're just here to see how I am." The man said. "And who's the girl?" "Her name is Rikku." Strife said. " And I am here because I need your help with some thing." "Figues." The man said. He looked me over and then looked at Strife, smirking. "So this is the little run away Al-Bhed that the guados are looking for? You know what I could do right now?" "Vince, cut the crap. I need to know where the guado's that are looking for Rikku are." Strife said angerly. Vince frowned. "They are all over this area. Searching all the houses and then moving on to the next town." Vince said. "I don't understand what they want with her. She doesn't look very harmful." Strife glared at Vince and sighed. "Well, what else is there? I know you know more then what you just told me." Vince sat there looking at Strife and I for a little while. Then as if he had just decided to speak he sat up straight. "Take her to the Spirt Inn on the north end of town. The guados won't go there. I heard them talking. They say it's cursed. Get her out of the town before sunrise. That's when they start their rounds. They are heading out to the MoonFlow at miday tommorrow." Vince said. Strife smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Vince." He said. He looked at me. "Let's get going." I got up with out a word. As I walked out of the room, Vince grabbed Strife's arm. "Why are you helping her? She's just a girl, and Al-Bhed girl at that.You have no idea what your getting mixed up in." Vince said warningly. "I can't just sit back and let them kill her." Strife said. "There are some things that you have to let go. The Al-Bheds and the guados have been going at it for years. It's nothing we can help, your just going to get yourself killed in the prosess." Vince said. "What makes you feel like she is worth helping?" "Your wrong," Strife said. " and that's my business, not yours." "When are you going to give this little game up? War is every where, death and killing are everywhere. When are you going to realise that?" "When I prove you wrong." Strife said. "Thanks for your help." He walked out of the room and over to me. I had been patiently waiting by the door. He opened the door and looked around. He stepped out and then motioned for me to step out. I lifted the hood on my cloak and followed him out into the cold night air. As we walked the empty streets, I decided I wasn't waiting any more. "Strife," I said. He looked down at me. "Yah?" "I want to know what your other reasons for protecting me are." I said. He drew in a long breath and let it out slowly, scrating the back of his head. "Rikku, I don't really know how to explain it." He said. "Give me some time ok?" "Oh all right." I said softly. We walked more of the way in silence. "How much further is the Inn?" "Not much fur...stop." He said stopping and holing his hand up. His eyes got wide and he looked at me. "GET OUT OF HERE!" he cried. Three guados jumped out of the brush. Strife drew his sword right before the first one ran at him. It knocked him off balance and he fell back, dropping his sword. It fell 5 ft. in front of me. "Rikku, run!" He yelled as another one began walking towards me. I dashed ahead and grabed Strife's sword and tossed it too him. He grabbed it, spun around and shoved the sword right through the nearest guado's eye. I pulled out my dagger as the guado advanced on me. Strife turned around and was caught by another one. It pulled a knife on him and cut Strife's arm. He made a noise in pain and stabbed it in the chest. The guado reached out and grabbed my wrist. "Let me go!" I yelled. "No, I think not. You are going to pay dearly for all the trouble you caused us and Maester Seymour. You little piece of Al-Bhed trash." It laughed. It raised it's knife and was about to bring it down into my chest when it gasped and dropped the knife and my arm. When it fell over, I saw Strife pulling his blade out of the back of it's head. "Are you alright?" he asked. "I..I think so." I said. He looked around and then bent down. "Get on my back. The inn is up ahead." He said. I did as I was told and he ran quickly down the road to the inn door. He let me down opened the door and rushed in. The clerk at the desk appered to be half alive and half dead. "Excuse me we need a room for the night." Strife said. The man looked at him and handed him a key. "Room 17." The guy rasped. Strife walked down the hall and unlocked the door, locking it again when we were both inside. There was a fire burning in the fire place and the drapes were drawn on the window. I laied my cloak on the chair and looked back at Strife. He was gripping his arm. "Strife, are you ok? What happened?" I asked walking over to him. "It's nothing, just a little scratch that's all." He said. There was blood on his fingers. "Move your hand." I commanded. He slowly moved it down to reveal a deep cut about 5 inches long. "My god!" I gasped. I went over to the wash basin on the table and wet a cloth. I wiped the blood away and pulled the ribbon from my hair. "Don't waste that on me." He said. "Nonesense." I said. I wrapped it around his forearm and held it there for a moment."Thanks for saving me again out there." I replied. He looked at me. "I'm sorry I got you hurt." "Don't apologise. You didn't give me this." He said. I nodded "There. It should stop bleeding soon." I said letting go. "Thanks." He said smiling. "I didn't know you were a nurse." I smiled and looked around the room. When I caught sight of the bed, I suddenly felt tired and yawned. When i turned around i saw that Strife was yawning also. "We should get some sleep." I said. "Yah you take the bed. Ill take the floor." He said. "Strife, that's not fair to you. The floor is cold and hard. The bed is huge and I don't take up much room anyways. You can sleep in the bed with me, I don't bite." I smiled. "You sure?" He asked. I nodded "Ok then." I got into the bed and he got in on the other side. We laied ther for about a half hour. "Rikku," He whispered. "Ya?" I asked, still fully awake. "I can't sleep." He said.
