Chapter Ten

"These things better be worth it," Flak huffed, his chest piece rising and falling rapidly, a satchel of dead Ghosts at his belt.

"We'll see soon enough," Rorick said, stepping over the bodies of Fallen who had been guarding the control panel. Brix floated along and Kiran appeared over Wren's shoulder. His shell rotated quickly around him and he was focused on Brix. Somehow Wren could tell he was anxious. He wanted to be useful.

Wren tapped him and he turned to her, blinked, then vanished. He would have plenty of chances to decode things once they were allowed to go on missions alone.

"Would'ya look at that," Sisre breathed, moving closer to the entrance where a massive Array was lifting free of its housing. "It actually worked."

Her amusement was short lived. The sky split open in a flash of green and a Hive ship moved through the rift. She backed up again, closer to the team, scout rifle at the ready.

"Brix isn't finished," Rorick said. "Defend him."

Hive dropped from the ship and rushed the hanger without a shred of fear.

"Grenades!" Rorick shouted and the team flung their grenades toward the wall of Thrall, turning them to ash to be trampled by the second line.

They came so quickly and in so many numbers that fireteam Cerulean was forced back toward the control panel. Rorick ran in front of the team, his body pulsing with Void energy moments before a bubble formed over the group.

Wren gasped in awe, too quiet for the others to hear as energy rounds splashed across the surface of the bubble.

"You'll learn how to use your light soon," Kiran said in her helmet.

Behind the Hive ships the Array continued to unfold into an enormous dish, but the ships didn't bother to fire at it. Instead bolts of Void energy were shot into the bay where the Guardians were defending Brix.

"It won't hold forever," Flak said before rushing out toward a Wizard, grenade at the ready. He flung the Arc grenade but as he drew back he opened up the perfect spot on his chest and was struck by a Void shot from one of the ships. His body dropped to the ground, unmoving, and although Wren despised him, her heart dropped into her stomach.

"Idiot!" Sisre yelled.

Rorick and Sisre concentrated fire on the Wizard until she screeched and burst into flame. The bubble around them faded and they scattered before the next shots hit the floor near where Flak's Ghost hovered in a wall of light and rotating shell.

"Wren, the Darkness is too strong here. Go lend him your light. Fool as he is, we'll need him alive," Rorick said. Sisre whipped her head around to the other Titan but he didn't seem to notice. "We'll cover you. Just go put your hand in his Ghosts' Light. He'll take care of the rest."

Wren hesitated. Why did she always have to help Flak? But she didn't want to argue about it; doing so would create more problems than it would solve. Hands shaking she ran out from the relative shelter of the hanger and put her hand within the Ghosts' Light. She could feel her own Light draining, ever so slightly, and within seconds Flak materialized, his boots hitting the floor with a thud as Knights fired on them with Arc Boomers.

Wren didn't wait for him to get his bearings. As soon as he was up, she ran for cover, turning inside the door to shoot at the Knight, who was smart enough to keep his distance. She dropped to one knee, steadying her aim for a headshot. The rounds landed, ripping their way through the insect-like skin of the Knight, but still it kept firing. She was getting frustrated when the thundering sound of a sniper round made her jump. The Knight's head jerked back and it faded to ash.

"That's it," Brix said at last. "It's being controlled by Rasputin. He won't let me in, but the Array is connected to defense constructs all across the solar system."

"Rasuptin?" Wren asked.

"He was—Is a Warmind," Sisre said. "Before the Collapse, the military designed the Warminds for defense. I didn't think any of them survived."

"But he has," Rorick said. "If we can find Rasputin, maybe we can use him to defend ourselves against the Darkness. Zavala and the Speaker need to know about this. It's about time we go home."

Home.

A warm bed, a decent meal, and a shower. Oh how Wren was ready for it. Running was all fun and games, but no one could run forever. Cerulean trudged through the hanger toward the courtyard where other Guardians were coming and going from missions, packing their things away in the Vault, getting weapons repaired, or simply loitering around in their free time.

"I'll meet with the Vanguard. The rest of you rest up," Rorick said and Flak immediately left without a word. Sisre chose to stick with Rorick, and Wren felt perhaps she should do the same. She wanted to see the look on Cayde's face when they walked in victorious.

She wasn't disappointed. He stood a little straighter when they approached, blue eyes glancing at the hole in Wren's armor where she'd been shot. The wound was long healed but her skin was exposed and blood had caked and dried along the chest piece and the upper part of her grips. The armor might be beyond repair, but she was no worse for wear; standing with her head held high. She was proud of her team. Proud of herself.

The Vanguard were surprised at the news of Rasputin and promised to discuss what to be done next before dismissing them. It was a short meeting and Wren hadn't been required to speak, but as far as she was concerned, her presence spoke volumes. Little by little, she would prove that's he was worthy of being a Guardian, even if she didn't know what that meant for her as an individual yet.

Out in the courtyard Rorick and Sisre said their goodbyes to Wren and made their way toward their own rooms, leaving her alone at the top of the stairs. All around her Guardians walked, talked, laughed with their friends and teammates. She rubbed her elbow with one hand and looked around, trying to decide what to do when she heard Cayde behind her.

"Hey, Gull! Got a minute?"

"It's Wren."

"Ya know, you sure do say your own name a lot. Look, I know you're new so I'll give ya the run down. All that loot your team collected'll be sorted out and left in the Vault for you. For now, here's your Glimmer. Go buy yourself somethin' nice."

He dropped a bag of Glimmer in her hand and she thanked him, not missing his gaze shift to her damaged armor before going back to her eyes with a smirk.

"Your're doin' great kid. Oh, one more thing before you go."

"Yeah?"

"How's Flak?"

Wren hesitated. Did Cayde know what had happened? She didn't want to believe that Sisre had said anything, and when would she have had the time? She would have had to talk to Rorick… no, not Sisre. "Uh, he's fine I guess."

Cayde stared her down but nodded after a time. "Alright. Well, he's not really fit in anywhere else. Cerulean was the last ditch effort to get him into a team."

"Oh… I see."

"Well, if you have any trouble out of him, you let me know."

"Sure," Wren agreed, knowing it was already a lie.

"Alright well, the night is young and you, my friend, are still free to roam around. Use that freedom wisely and whatever you do, never take a dare."

"A what?"

"Forget it kid. Go enjoy yourself. And don't do anything I wouldn't do. Or… you know, anything I would do."

Wren returned hours later, repaired armor in a bag slung over her shoulder. It felt good to breath and move without the weight of it. She'd picked up a black dress while in the city, needing something to wear while her armor was being fixed. She loved it. The woman who owned the stall said it was her interpretation of an ancient dress called a qipao. She had said that someone long ago had brought back engrams with instructions on making clothing from before the Collapse, but the data was damaged and she only got so much from it. Wren had listened to the old woman's story and for a willing ear, the woman had fit the dress for Wren without charging her for it.

It was simple enough in design; solid black cotton with white water lily pattern around the shoulders and neck. There was a cut out across her chest and a slit halfway up her thigh, the whole thing trimmed in white with matching black flat soled shoes. It made Wren feel more comfortable than she had since Kiran had brought her back to life.

The Moon was high overhead and most of the Guardians had left for the night. Shops were closed up, with the exception of Banshee who was cleaning the same gun he'd been fussing over since before Wren left. She heard that as an Exo his mind had been wiped so much that he couldn't remember things sometimes. Had he forgotten how long he'd been cleaning the same gun?

She considered going over to him to see but couldn't think of any benefit for it. She didn't want to make things awkward and he looked relaxed. Maybe he just enjoyed it.

Someone else caught her attention though, standing alone at the edge of the balcony overlooking the city below. His cloak swayed with the breeze, but he remained stone still.

Cayde.

She walked over to him and set her bag down by the railing. The City sprawled out below them in a sea of lights. Even in the night the glow reflected from the underside of the Traveler. It was beautiful but it was missing something.

"It's pretty," she said, suddenly realizing she had nothing to say to him.

"Yeah," he glanced over at her. "Nice dress."

"Thanks."

He leaned on the railing, his Ghost hanging over his shoulder, silently watching the world below. He wasn't as talkative as he'd been the past few times she'd encountered him and his silence was heavy on her shoulders. Maybe she'd overstepped her bounds and it was time to retreat.

"If you're not in the mood to talk that's alright. I didn't mean to intrude. I'll see you around," Wren said, picking her bag up.

"No, it's okay, really. You're still new but sleep can be kinda hard to come by for Hunters and being an Exo… well, let's say, I don't have an off switch."

Wren watched him carefully. He wasn't looking at her, but out to the sea of lights. Maybe he was missing something. Staring out at the clustered buildings, narrow alleys, crowded stalls, she realized what was missing from her own view of it; freedom. The space needed to run. She remembered something Sisre had told her, a secret spot to get away from it all if she ever needed a break. Behind them the top of the Tower stretched higher into the sky and Sisre told her that she could look out over the forest and mountains beyond the wall. But was it safe to show Cayde? He wasn't like the other Vanguard.

She chewed her lip. "I think I know what you need."

He cocked his head to the side. "Bet a hundred Glimmer you don't."

Wren rolled her eyes. "Can't you leave Glimmer out of it for a minute? Follow me."

Whether he did or not she was going to check it out herself, but when she heard his footsteps behind her she knew he was curious enough to follow. She set her bag down behind some stairs, hidden from view and scrambled up some boxes to put herself closer to a ledge overhead. On her toes she could barely reach it but with a good jump she managed to hook her elbows over the top, legs dangling. The slit in the dress allowed for movement, but still she struggled, afraid the skirt might ride up too high.

Wren cursed under her breath, wondering how she would get herself up when Cayde grabbed the soles of her feet and launched her up. She gasped and fell to her side on the ledge, then scoot out of the way while Cayde hopped up with ease.

"Oh, shut up," she grumbled, shuffling sideways across the ledge until she found an old service door. Sisre had told her it only looked like it was still bolted into place but the bolts had rusted and only the heads were still attached to the outside of the door.

Someone moved below them and Wren froze. The Ghosts disappeared but not fast enough, their light catching the Warlock's attention. He turned and looked up at the pair of Hunters, standing on a ledge high above him.

"Move along. Nothing to see here, Warlock." Cayde put a hand on one hip and waved the Warlock on with one hand. Wren hid her face.

"Hunters," the Warlock huffed, shook his head, and went about his business.

Wren looked over at Cayde, who was grinning widely, his eyes a brighter blue than they had been before.

"Think you're so smooth, don't you?"

"Aww, thanks for noticing."

Stifling a giggle, she pushed the door out of the way, crouched, and moved through.

Behind the door was a narrow stairwell, littered with papers, browned with age, scraps of boxes, and some broken lanterns. Wren stepped over a coil of cables and ascended the stairs, Kiran and Cayde's Ghosts' lights illuminating the path. At the top was a hatch that looked to be welded shut but one swift hit with her shoulder and it popped open.

The wind was much harsher on the roof of the tower, whipping Wren's dress around her legs. She held the slit together on the side and walked toward the edge. The sky opened up before her, leaving the glow of the city behind in favor of stars and a silver moon. A dark forest stretched far below toward mountains in the distance. Wren looked over the edge of the Tower, the sheer back dropping so far below it made her dizzy. Wind rushed up the side and she felt she couldn't breathe, but there was something exhilarating about it.

Cayde let out a long, low whistle as he came up beside her.

"I don't know much about being a Hunter yet," Wren said. "But I do know that feeling that I want to run. I always want to run. Not like, literally, but a need to move on to the next thing. I can look out over the city and admire its beauty. I can walk in the streets and appreciate the stalls and the smells and the people, but I don't feel any sense of being home there. I don't have any sense of being home anywhere yet; not other than just a word. This," she said, sweeping and hand toward the wilds, "this is what draws me. I'm terrified of what's out there. Of what's lurking in the shadows of the trees but I can't stop myself wanting to face it."

Her face flushed when she realized she'd been rambling and he was staring her down without saying a word. She looked away toward the woods and he took a seat, hanging his legs over the edge of the Tower, leaning against the railing.

"C'mon, kid," he said, patting the roof beside him.

Wren smoothed her dress under her legs and sat down, tucking it under her thighs to keep the wind from blowing it up. She too leaned onto the railing, sneaking a glance at him but he had his eyes turned toward the mountains.

"So. How'd you like the Sparrow?"

"Well, you weren't lying when you said it was ugly," she smirked. "But it ran great."

"Didn't I tell ya she runs like a dream? Let me tell you about the first time I rode a Sparrow. It was just some old junked out thing; a hand me down. But I scraped the paint off it and put some sweet flames across the front. I remember being told, I don't remember by who, to take it slow in the corners."

"Kiran told me that," Wren said.

"Did you listen?"

"Yeah, it was that first dismount that got me," she admitted.

"Then you've already got one more brain cell than me. Well… brain cell… you get what I mean. Anyway, I didn't listen and we were heading out for a cache we'd heard about on Earth. So we're racin' long in these narrow canyons, flyin' over the water, and someone said they bet they could make it there first… can't remember who…"

"Probably you."

"Fair. But whoever it was called it out and the race began! I was whippin' that thing around like I stole it. In one part, the canyon sloped up real sharp like this," he said, curving his hand upward. "You could tell a lot of Sparrows had been up on that wall cuz it was smoother than the rest of the cliff. So this guy, think his name was Rack or Rock… or Stone… I don't remember. Well, Stone was low in the river, takin' up almost the whole thing where it got narrow and I decided that I was going to drift up the side of that slope and ride over him."

"Sounds like a well thought out plan," Wren giggled.

"Very well thought out."

"And the execution?" she asked, leaning forward on her arms to watch his expressions.

"That's where it got sloppy. I gunned it right? All was smooth until I shifted my weight a little too far. I rolled so hard it flung the Sparrow right at Stone, took em' both out; him and his Sparrow I mean. I almost lost my arm, fell in the river, got run over by two more Sparrows, and when I got back the Shipwright 'bout had my head for those two Sparrows I wrecked. If it would have been Holliday I wouldn't be sitting here," he chuckled.

A look of happy nostalgia washed over his face while he told his story but as soon as it was done, the smile faded, no longer reaching his eyes, which adjusted their focus in minute movements.

"You really like to ride."

"That's one way of putting it. See, a Sparrow is important for any Guardian. Fastest way from point A to point B. But for a Hunter… it's somethin' else. It's freedom when you're alone and the intense feeling of runnin' with the wolves when you're in a group."

Wren propped her chin on her arms to look out over the moonlit wilds. "When was the last time you rode?"

"It's been awhile. A long while. Being Vanguard means I don't get out much these days. I stay here at the Tower or down in the City most of the time."

"Well, why don't we go? You're not busy now, right? I mean, you're just sitting here telling old stories. Why

not go out there, beyond the wall."

He didn't reply at first, but seemed to be mulling it over until at last he nodded and they both stood. "I'll grab my Sparrow and meet you at the gate in twenty," he said, turning to leave when he stopped in his tracks.

Sisre had the hatch pushed over her head, a sly smirk on her face. Chartreuse eyes glittered mischievously.

"Thought I might find you up here, Wren," her gaze slid over to Cayde and she raised a brow. "You, however, are a surprise."

"And the best kind of surprise," he said, side stepping toward the hatch, stuck between Sisre and Wren.

"Sorry, Wren, but we're headed out again. Grab your stuff and stock up. We leave in a half an hour."

"So soon?"

"Yup. You'll have to sleep in your ship on the way."

"Ok, I'll be down in a minute."

Sisre locked eyes with Cayde as she sank back into the stairwell and disappeared.

"I guess I'll have to take a rain check on the Sparrow ride," Wren said. "Well, I mean, I guess you could go by yourself."

"I could," he shrugged, "I am pretty great company. I think I'll hold off though. Oh, and Duck? You were right. I needed this."