Chapter 9

It was common knowledge on Mother Base that once you swore your loyalty to Diamond Dogs and Big Boss, there was nothing your adopted "family" wouldn't do for you. Once the period of adjustment passed, and the process was finished and you were officially a Diamond Dog soldier, Mother Base was your home, and everyone on it your dysfunctional little family.

Just like any family, however, there were favorites among the staff from the higher-ups, though that never interfered with the business; because they were still that: a business.

Conversely, there were a few, just a few, albeit more than he would've liked to admit, that Big Boss was…not uncomfortable with - since nothing fazed him - but that he favored less than others.

The man that just walked in was one of those few.

Sadistic Panther was aptly named. Pulled from a Soviet outpost in Africa, the man was absolutely eager to join Diamond Dogs once he learned who his interrogators were. His skills landed him in the Intel Unit and from there became distinguished as one of Diamond Dogs best interrogators; ranking right up there with Ocelot himself.

However, his methods of extracting information from his targets were very…hands-on. Very rarely did he interrogate someone that did not later require a trip to the Medical Platform. Calling him bloodthirsty may be a bit much, but he took far too much pleasure in his job.

With this in mind, Big Boss knew that unleashing Sadistic Panther on this spoiled brat of a man was akin to throwing an eleven-year-old into marine boot camp, but he really couldn't bring himself to care. Not after he had learned what kind of man he was. Once Sadistic Panther had arrived, Big Boss had quickly filled him in on the situation, Dark Wolf contributing when prompted, and then left the room. He announced he was going to find an empty room a couple floors down should they need him.

Eventually he found a room that wasn't too shabby or dusty. Picking up an overturned chair, he set it up by a broken window and sat down. He took a deep breath, held it, and then let it out, enjoying the cold, crisp air. On the rare night when Big Boss found he had nothing to do, he would often find a high perch somewhere on Mother Base and watch the stars, music playing in his ear.

However, right now, he wished for some peace and quiet; forgoing the music in favor of simply leaning back in the chair and staring at the night sky.

He could count on both hands the number of times he's felt this peaceful.

Sadistic Panther knew that breaking a nobleman's son wouldn't be a challenge, but he seriously didn't expect it to go as quickly, or as cleanly, as his "session" with Vaughan Kendells did. Though, perhaps, given what he knew of him, he should've. The man was a gluttonous, lustful, arrogant sadist, never having lived a day in the real world.

It took almost twenty minutes.

Once he had what they needed from Vaughan, as well as instilling the consequences of what should happen to him if he steps out of line, he fired a tranquilizer dart into the man's neck and called in the dispatch team.

"I'm done with him. He's all yours now."

Reading the dismissal, Hissing Harrier cut the unconscious Vaughan from the chair and pulled him over his shoulders and then left the room, followed by the rest of the team.

A few moments after they were leaving, Big Boss walked into the room.

"The team told me where they were going on their way down," he said. "You get what we needed?"

"That," Sadistic Panther answered, "and a little bit more, I think."

The two grabbed some rations from Mother Base from the team's packs and sat down at the table.

The two took a deep breath before digging into the Mother Base "delicacies". An abundance of flavor they were not, they were filling. Taking a swig of water from his canteen, Big Boss passed it to Sadistic Panther then said, "Thanks for coming all the way here. I know it was something minor, but I couldn't take any chances with this."

He shook his head as he passed the canteen back and wiped his mouth of water. "It wasn't a problem, Boss. Just a quick helicopter ride. Besides, I know you can't interrogate for shit."

The two chuckled over that, neither one for outright laughing.

"You have any trouble with Vaughan?" Big Boss asked as he finished his "meal".

Sadistic Panther thought back over the interrogation that took place a little while ago.

Vaughan Kendells was jarred awake from his deep sleep by a freezing cold, stinging sensation. Once his mind managed to process what was happening, he started gasping as the feeling of being soaked in cold water registered.

He instinctively moved to wipe the water from his eyes, but he couldn't move his hands. Panic began to settle in as he discovered it wasn't just his hands that were bound, but also his legs and his neck, tight enough so he couldn't move it very far, but loose enough for him to breathe.

The sound of footsteps captured his attention, giving him something to focus on and preventing him from losing himself to panic. Finally, his supposed captor stood before him, dressed in the oddest clothing he'd ever seen. Vaughan didn't have much time for observations when the man hefted up a wooden bucket, unnoticed by Vaughan until then, drew it back and threw it forward, drenching the arl's son again.

"Argh!" Vaughan shouted as he was soaked again. "What the hell is the matter with you?! Do you know who I am?!"

The man did not respond with words. Instead, he drew an intimidating knife and held it up to his exposed throat. "Of course, I do." He replied. Though it was hardly the first thing on his mind, Vaughan couldn't place the man's accent. Not that he was sharp enough to consider it. "Do you think just anyone gets this special treatment?" The man pulled the knife from his throat, allowing him to swallow unconsciously, turned away and stuck the knife in a nearby wooden table.

"Listen stranger, I don't know who you are or how you got me here, but don't do anything stupid. My people will be looking for me soon. If you let me go now, I'll consider telling them to take it easy on you."

"How generous." The man replied. Quicker than Vaughan could follow, his arm whipped back, and a thump was heard, and a swoosh of air was felt. Turning in the direction, his fear skyrocketed when he saw a smaller knife than the first one embedded into the wall an inch from his head.

"Damn," the man said, pulling the knife out of the wall. "I was hoping it would be a few centimeters closer." He backed away again, tossing the knife in the air and caught it by its handle. "Why don't we try that again. I'm pretty sure I can get it to scrape your ear."

"Alright, alright, alright, stop!" Vaughan shouted. "What do you want?"

The man pulled a chair up in front of him and sat down. "The people that broke into your house a few days ago and freed the elven girls you took prisoner from that wedding. You're going to stop your hunt for them. To anyone who asks, that never happened."

A growl emanated from Vaughan, but he said nothing.

"You're going to lift your lockdown of the Denerim Alienage. The elves are going to be allowed to come and go as they please, and you're going to treat them like the citizens of this city they are. You're also not going to look for the girls freed from your little…'party', I believe you called it."

Vaughan couldn't help but start laughing at that. Him? Treat elves like citizens?

But then the man started laughing with him, and, after a moment, slapped him hard enough to snap his neck to the side. The suddenness of it shocked Vaughan. He slowly turned his head back to the stranger only to find the smile and laughing gone and in its place an expression of stone.

"I'm sorry, did I say something funny?"

Vaughan gulped, but didn't have the courage to say anything.

"Finally, I could use a friend like you, someone in power here in Denerim. Someone in who owes me his life. Are you following what I'm saying?"

In the days to come, Vaughan would like to think he lasted longer than he really did. He slowly nodded.

"Excellent, Vaughan. But, just for my own peace of mind, why don't we make sure you understand."

"No trouble at all," Sadistic Panther said with a chuckle.

Understanding the implication, but deciding not to dwell on it, Big Boss nodded and said, "Good," as he stood up. "Take an hour and then radio for a pickup outside Denerim where you were dropped off and return to Mother Base."

"Understood, Boss." He replied, standing up and saluting his superior.

Big Boss returned the salute and then left the room. He arrived back at the room he claimed a couple floors down and retook his seat by the window. Taking a breath, he sat there for a few minutes before the irritating beeping of his iDroid let him know he had a call coming in.

"What?" he answered.

"Well, hello to you to, Boss." Miller replied; his voice laced with sarcasm due to Big Boss' rude answer. "Just calling with an update on Ocelot and the Circle. Ocelot managed to convince the Circle leadership, the First Enchanter we discussed before and a man named Knight-Commander Greagoir, who's the leader of the templars in the Ferelden Circle, we are working for Teyrn Cousland and have need of mages."

"How did he do that? I've never gotten the impression the Templars were ones willing to let mages go."

"You'd be right there. It was a hard sell, and it almost didn't work, but Ocelot's a miracle worker. The best way to sell a lie is to dress it up in truth. We do work for the Couslands, technically, and we are in need of mages, but we are not dealing with an unknown form of illness that seems to be magical in nature.:

Silence…

"What?"

"That's what he told them. Somehow, Ocelot convinced the two men in charge of the Circle that a 'close friend of the Teyrn of Highever' was sick with some sort of unknown magic disease and the Teyrn was 'requesting' one of the Circles finest mages to deal with it."

"And what did the Circle have to say?" Big Boss asked.

"They were not onboard at first, of course. That is until Ocelot stressed the importance of the survival of the Teyrn's 'acquaintance' and that it wasn't a great idea to ignore the request of one of the most influential people in Ferelden."

"So, 'hand over the mage or else', basically?"

"He put it a bit more…gracefully, but yes. A Teyrn is just below the King in Ferelden. It's not a great idea to be an enemy of one, even if you're a Templar. Ocelot called me an hour ago saying he was on his way back to Mother Base, with one Daniel Amell in tow. The surveillance team is still there maintaining their cover as owners of the inn."

"How's the kid doing?"

"He's shocked, obviously, but also relieved. The helicopter was a surprise, but I think most of it has to do with him barely escaping punishment and then being sent away with an unknown stranger. I'll have one of the counselors speak with him after his standard physical once he arrives."

"Good." Big Boss said. "Sadistic Panther successfully persuaded Vaughan Kendells to work with us and he should be on his way back to Mother Base within the next two hours. Debrief him when he gets back and give me the highlights."

"Understood, Boss."

"Also, the dispatch team is returning Vaughan to his residence. He may be cooperating for now, but who knows how long that will last before he gets cocky again?"

"Makes sense," Miller said. "Guy's a noble who's just been strong-armed into cooperating with a bunch of complete strangers. He may be docile now, but he's definitely not happy about it. What do you want to do about it?"

Big Boss paused to think about it. "I think it's time we deploy a larger force into the field, Miller. "

"Oh?" Miller responded, sounding interested. Very interested. "What did you have in mind?"

"Denerim isn't only a target of interest now because of our influence on its leadership, it's also the capital of Ferelden. The dispatch team did a good job starting with building a network there. Now we capitalize on it; get more of our people into key positions and start moving out through Ferelden."

Miller listened intently. "Yes, we won't have much of an information network without information. And to get information we need people out there, living their 'lives', gathering it. I'll ask for volunteers from the Intel team to resume their long-term field duties. While we're on the subject, there might be some other benefits from the capital we might take advantage of."

"Like what?"

"The benefits of Denerim isn't limited to its information. As the capital of Ferelden, it's also a major center for trade and commerce. Who knows? Until we finish construction of our first FOB, we might be able to trade for much of what we need, and have it airlifted back to Mother Base. If it works, we might be able to take the strain off the Base Development Unit."

"It's an idea. Iron out the details and I'll green-light it."

He disconnected the call then, knowing the conversation was over, and leaned back in his chair. Within a minute, he was asleep.

Seated around a campfire in the middle of a clearing were two men, exhausted of the events of the last few days. Poking the fire with a stick, Duncan glanced across the fire at his newest recruit. Half a week of travel now, and barely a word from the younger man. Which wasn't unusual, really.

Duncan was no stranger to hardship and loss. Grey Wardens were well-acquainted with it, more than most; with their relatively short lifespans and lifelong devotion to their never-ending cause.

But he was still young. And while he was doing an admirable job keeping it together on the outside, on the inside he knew he was falling apart. Losing one's family and home would do that to anyone. In the short time he knew him, Duncan judged Aedan to have the markings of a great warrior, but compared to the grizzled Warden veteran, the former noble's son was still a child.

Tossing aside the stick he was using to prod the fire, Duncan adjusted himself to lie down on his bedroll. "Get some sleep," he said as he moved. "We're up at first light and we still have at least two weeks travel ahead of us."

But as he laid down on the cold, hard ground, a blanket of wool between him and the dirt, his head supported by his pack as an improvised pillow, Duncan knew his advice likely went in one ear and out the other.

His last thought before drifting off to sleep: Where are you going with this shit?

A few hours later, the next morning, Big Boss stood on the roof of a building near one of the bridges leading into the Alienage with the dispatch team. They stood side-by-side on the roof, looking down on the crowd of elves celebrating. The lockdown on the Alienage was lifted and everyone was once again allowed to come and go as they pleased. The guards that once formed a wall preventing anyone from entering or leaving the Alienage were gone, leaving only the usual amount of guards.

"Looks like it worked," Dark Wolf said, obviously relieved their efforts weren't for nothing.

"For now," Glacier Mongoose said. "But our work's still not done. We'll have to make sure Vaughan doesn't conveniently 'forget' anything and try to make problems for us again, while keeping up with our other objectives. It's a big city."

Hearing the unsaid request, Big Boss said, "Miller and I have plans to dispatch more people into the field; start building up our information network again. I'll make sure a few of them are assigned here."

"Thank you, Boss," Dark Wolf said. "One city is a lot for only five people."

Big Boss' radio rang then.

"Excuse me," he said, moving away a bit to get some privacy. "Yes?" he said, accepting the call.

"Boss," Miller's voice said over the radio, "we need you elsewhere. Something's come up."

Feeling irritated at another crisis coming up right when one was just solved, Big Boss couldn't help a groan of annoyance. "What now?"

"It's a, um, I'm not entirely sure how to describe it."

"What, Miller?"

"There's um, a woman asking to see you, Boss."

That practically stalled his mind. "…What?"

"Let me explain." Miller said, almost pleadingly.

"Please do." Big Boss "requested".

"A few hours ago, a woman went into the inn we 'appropriated' by the Circle Tower docks, asking to meet the man in charge. The leading field agent tried speaking to her, but she kept insisting. Eventually, she said she wanted to speak to 'the one-eyed horned man'. That was a shot in the arm for them all, to say the least."

"What did they do?" Big Boss asked.

"They took her into custody and shut the inn down, temporarily. Well, I say 'took', but she really volunteered to wait. Once they collected themselves, they called me, requesting orders. And then I called you."

Big Boss thought for a few moments. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, everyone's fine. The old lady's expressed distaste at being treated like a prisoner, which is fair, considering she hasn't actually done anything, but her appearance is completely out of the blue. They didn't recognize her, I didn't recognize her from the pictures they sent, and it sounds like you weren't expecting anyone. Are you?"

"Can you send me a picture?" Big Boss asked.

"Sure. Just take a minute."

After a minute passed, Big Boss' iDroid alert spoke into his earpiece that he had an incoming file message. After activating the iDroid's holographic interface, he opened it and a picture of the woman in question appeared.

To put it plainly, he had absolutely no idea who this woman was.

The woman he was looking at was old, very old, unreasonably old. Her cheeks were sunken, her skin almost seemed to be hanging off her bones, she had dark rings around her eyes, and her long gray hair looked greasy and unkept. Like her, her clothes were old and dirty and looked like they would fall apart with a casual jog.

But there was something about her, something in her eyes, that unsettled him.

"No," he finally said, "I don't recognize her."

"Thought not." Miller replied. "What do you want to do, Boss?"

Big Boss sighed, thinking. "Send Pequod to pick me up outside the city. I'll go to the inn and meet this lady in person. See what she has to say."

"You sure, Boss?"

"No, but I have a nagging feeling that this lady won't appreciate being spurned. I'll meet her, see what she has to say, try to figure out how she knew me."

"Alright, Boss. Pequod was just on his way back to Denerim after bringing Sadistic Panther back home and a quick refuel and resupply. He should be there soon. I'll radio him to expect you at the designated landing zone outside the city."

Big Boss ended the call without another word and turned back to the dispatch team.

Roughly an hour later, Big Boss was waiting at the designated landing zone for Pequod. As he waited, he continued to stare at the picture Miller had sent him. Never before had Big Boss ever even seen a woman that remotely resembled the one in the picture; still, he could not shake the unsettling feeling he got when he looked at her.

But as he was studying the picture, his senses suddenly warned him of another presence nearby. A presence that hadn't yet revealed itself, but he knew was there.

Keeping half his focus on his iDroid, he casually brought his other hand down to rest on his pistol holder. Though he still had his tranquilizer gun equipped, many would argue that pistol is more dangerous in his hands than an RPG in someone else's. Releasing the clasp, he said out loud, "Whoever is out there, I'm going to give you one warning to come out." The authority in his voice was palpable.

Two seconds later, his attention was drawn to the rustling of a bush to his left. Moving into a defensive posture, but keeping his gun holstered, he prepared himself for whatever it was.

He was still taken off guard.

"Amethyne?" he said, surprised.

Hearing her name, the young elf girl pushed her way through the bush she was hiding behind. She was dressed in a nicer dress than he had seen her in when they first met, her hair still in their ponytails, and she had a small knapsack clutched in her arms. She stared at him with a look all children adopted at least once in their lives; a look that said they were caught doing something they knew they shouldn't.

"What are you doing here, Amethyne?" Big Boss asked, doing his best to not scare her off. "Why aren't you back at the Alienage?"

After a second, Amethyne stepped closer. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't've…I just…I don't want to stay in the Alienage anymore! I want to come with you!"

That…was unexpected. But rather than go with his knee-jerk rejection, he reminded himself he was dealing with a child.

"Why?" he asked. "What about your family? Your friends?"

Amethyne's head lowered, her eyes suddenly finding the ground very fascinating. Her hands clutched her knapsack tighter. "I'm all alone."

Big Boss stepped closer, knelt so they were at eye-level, and said, "What do you mean?"

"My mom is dead, ser."

Big Boss' heart breaks when he hears the pain in her voice. He knew, of course, but he'd hoped she would be spared that news for a little longer. It was unrealistic to assume she would never get the news, but he hoped…well, he wasn't sure what he hoped.

"What about your father?"

She shook her head, sniffling and trying to keep her tears from falling. "I never knew him, ser. Mom never talked about him."

The implications and likely reasons ran though his mind, but he didn't voice any of them. He was too busy grasping at straws.

"What about friends? Do you have any friends in the Alienage? Anyone who could take care of you?"

Her answer was more hesitant. "…Well, I guess. But…I don't like it at the Alienage. I hate it!"

She continued before he could say anything. "I hate the Alienage! It's so small and crowded and dirty! There's nothing to do there! And it's not safe! The humans and the guards are always mean to us. My mom always said she wanted to get us out of the Alienage and get somewhere safe."

And then she hit him with every child's secret weapon: the dreaded puppy eyes.

"Please?" she begged. "Can I come with you? I promise I won't be a burden! I can clean and cook. My mom made sure I knew how to! Please?"

There were so many reasons for Big Boss to turn her down. And it would be so easy too. Simply refuse her, escort her back to the Alienage, and return. Though he would make sure he wasn't followed. With an afterthought, he remembered the blow to his pride she unknowingly caused by not only following him all the way outside the city without anyone and him knowing, but also sneaking through the forest.

Any professional would tell you, including Big Boss himself, that sneaking around in a city and a jungle were two radically different things.

Which impressed his professional side, her seemingly raw talent at making herself unnoticed when she wanted to.

He shook those thoughts from his head. Whatever her impressive potential might be, she was still a child. Not only that, an elf child, and completely unprepared for the world she would become part of were he to allow her to come with him.

Unfortunately, for better or for worse, the decision was taken out of his hands.

In the distance, he could hear the familiar whooshing noise of a helicopter's propellers.

Damn, he thought to himself.

"What's that noise?" Amethyne asked, turning in place and her eyes darting back and forth, looking for the source.

"That" Big Boss said, making his decision, "is our ride Amethyne."

It seemed that, despite being a child, Amethyne was cleverer than he gave her credit for. His use of the word "our" would fly over most children's heads.

Not Amethyne.

"Our?" she asked, her eyes locked onto his, desperately searching his for confirmation.

Giving what he hoped was a reassuring smile, Big Boss nodded. "Ours." He stepped closer to Amethyne and said, "We haven't been formally introduced, have we?" He held his right hand out and said, "Call me Ahab."

Amethyne quickly put her knapsack on the ground by her feet before wiping her hands on her drew and putting her right hand in his much larger one. "My name is Amethyne," she said, playing along with a childish smile on her face. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ahab."

Hearing Pequod's imminent arrival, Ahab said, "Don't be afraid, Amethyne. I promise that what's coming isn't going to hurt you."

An adorable look of confusion appeared on her face, which was mingled with a hint of fear at the loud noise that was getting closer. But she nodded her head…and then widened her eyes and practically ran into him when Pequod arrived. Big Boss put his left arm around her, gently squeezing her in reassurance, and leaning down so he wouldn't shout, "It's alright, Amethyne. Trust me. Everything's going to be alright."

Amethyne's fear-filled eyes looked up at the man she knew as Ahab before looking back at the monstrous new arrival. "What is that…thing, Ahab?"

"It's called a helicopter, Amethyne. Don't worry, it's not alive."

Once the helicopter had been lowered enough to the ground, Big Boss started moving toward it, only to feel some resistance. Looking back, he saw Amethyne practically frozen in place but still gripping his leg. Turning back, Big Boss knelt in front of Amethyne, making sure her attention was on him, and asked her, "Amethyne?"

"Yes, ser?" she said, a noticeable tremble in her voice.

"Do you trust me?"

That caused her to blink.

In Big Boss' analytical mind, it was an odd question for someone in her position. After all, she practically uprooted her entire life to come with him with absolutely no knowledge of who he was nor where he was going. Of everyone in her entire elf community she could've turned to, she decided to leave everything behind and run off with a strange human.

But this was a child. Children were infamous for making impulsive decisions without thinking too deeply first. One of the reasons why adult parental figures were needed for guidance.

This also wasn't the first child Big Boss had ever encountered, nor would she be the first child he had ever felt enough sympathy for that he would bring them back home to Mother Base. Memories of Eli and his little band of "soldiers" had left a bitter taste in his mouth, tainting his view of children and even considering refusal of allowing children onto Mother Base from that day forward. But he refused to allow those memories to enter his mind.

Amethyne was not associated with Eli, and she wasn't a combatant, like the others were.

She was a scared little girl, alone and without family, who, for better or worse, chose him to attach herself to.

But, for the sake of his conscious, as well as the fragment of a soul he had left, he needed to know if this girl was ready and willing to trust him.

This analysis took place in Big Boss' head over the course of roughly two seconds. In the time it took him to think this, Amethyne was likely doing her own mental debate. However, she was clearly more confident than Big Boss was.

"I do." She said. "I trust you."

For better or worse, Big Boss couldn't help thinking to himself. Cracking a smile, he stood up and held his hand out for her to take. "Call me Ahab, Amethyne."

As if those were the magic healing words, Amethyne's whole demeanor changed. The fear was gone from her, replaced with guarded trust. She believed him when he assured her that she would be fine, but everyone was wary of the unknown.

Especially an elf from a fantasy setting seeing an attack helicopter for the first time.

Assured in the knowledge she was confident in her decision, even if neither of them knew of the potential ramifications of it, Big Boss led his new charge forward.

Pequod had long lowered the helicopter to a manageable height for Big Boss to climb on, as he usually did, but he did not see that Big Boss had a tagalong. It wasn't an issue, however. Once they were close enough, Big Boss had to let go of Amethyne's hand to pull open the door. Turning back, he saw Amethyne had started clutching her knapsack in a death grip again after she lost his hand, but he still saw the resolved look in her eye. It was wavering though, but all things considered, Big Boss was amazed she hadn't simply run off.

"May I help you?" he asked, gesturing toward the open helicopter door.

It took Amethyne a few seconds to understand what he meant, but eventually she nodded. Big Boss took her knapsack from her and gently placed it inside the helicopter, ensuring it was far enough it wouldn't slide out. With no warning, Big Boss picked up Amethyne, ignoring the adorable squeak of surprise, and placed her in the helicopter.

"Sit over there," he said, pointing to the row of seats on the far side of the helicopter. Amethyne shakily rose to her feet, he eyes darting back and forth, examining everything around her as she hesitantly moved to the seats. Once sure she was secure, Big Boss hauled himself onto the helicopter and banged on the door twice, letting Pequod know they were ready to leave.

The noise of the helicopter's engines intensified and there was a jarring sensation as they started to rise. "Gaining altitude. Plotting course to target area." Pequod said over the radio. Big Boss waited for him to comment on their "passenger", but he said nothing. No doubt he'd seen Amethyne, but he was likely used too used to him picking up strays to comment. At least while on duty.

Within seconds they had risen above the trees and Pequod started flying in earnest towards their next destination. In the distance, Big Boss could see the wall of Denerim. "Departing area."

Hearing that, Big Boss pulled himself fully into the helicopter and slid the door shut, double-checking the lock was in place for safety. "How long to the Inn?" Big Boss asked Pequod.

"Just about two hours, Boss."

"Good." He said with a nod. "Let me know when we're close."

"Yes, Boss."

Big Boss then turned his attention back toward Amethyne, who now sat in the middle of the helicopter's left row of seats, her hands clutching the seat in a vice grip and her knapsack on the seat next to her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, not for the first time worrying that this was a mistake.

Her gaze turned to him and she said, "What is this…thing, Ahab?"

Sighing, Big Boss decided now would be as good a time as any to start filling his new charge in on some things she would need to know. Rather than sitting at his usual spot at the back of the cabin, Big Boss sat in the row of seats across from her.

"There are some things you need to know, Amethyne, if you truly want to stay with me. Some things you may understand, some you may not. Do you think you're up to it?"

Amethyne's eyes blinked, wordlessly conveying her confusion at his question, but she nodded regardless.

"I don't know what you think you know about me, Amethyne, nor do I know what you've heard, but I'd like you to try and keep an open mind and listen to what I have to say." He waited for her nod before continuing. "I told you my name is Ahab, and that is true, but I also go by another name; Big Boss. I'm the leader of a mercenary company called Diamond Dogs."

And so he told her.

Not the whole story, as no one outside of Diamond Dogs knew the whole story; but instead the cover story that they had settled on and told the Couslands. Before they were betrayed by Howe and chased out of their home, at least. Now they knew far more than Diamond Dogs was ready to reveal to the world this early.

He told her he came from an island in the middle of the ocean to the east. He told her the reason they were here in Ferelden was because of creature thy learned was called a darkspawn washed on their shores. That brought a gasp from her; even children such as her knew of the nightmare that haunted the world. He continued by telling her about their contact with the Teyrn of Highever and the time they spent there. He was hesitant to include knowing her mother, for as brief a period of time as it was, but felt she deserved the truth.

Seeing her eyes water and her head lower as he told her of Arl Howe's betrayal and invasion of the Cousland's castle broke his heart, but he didn't let that deter him. He finished by telling her of him rescuing the Teyrn and the Teyrna, bringing them somewhere safe, and them hiring Diamond Dogs deal with Howe and get them their home back. There were many details he glossed over in his retelling, of course, but he hoped he'd managed to sufficiently distract her from asking the question he didn't want to answer.

His wasn't that lucky.

"And my mother?" she asked, looking into his eyes. "What happened to my mother?"

Big Boss sighed as he tried to come up with a gentle answer, but Amethyne was having none of it.

"I know she's dead, Ahab," she said, her voice wavering but firm. "But…what happened to her?"

Big Boss said nothing for a few seconds before he spoke. "Your mother was meeting with one of the Couslands when the attack happened. I wasn't there when she died, but I'm told it was quick." He sighed. "I'm positive she was thinking of you, Amethyne."

"Really?" she asked, tears streaking down her face.

Big Boss merely nodded.

Nothing was said between the two for the next few minutes. "Why don't you try getting some sleep, Amethyne? It'll be a while until we reach our destination."

"Okay," was all she said.

She laid down ono the row of seat and turned over to face the wall. Big Boss grabbed a spare blanket from one of the helicopter's compartments and draped it on her, making sure to cover her whole body but leave her head free. Her hands grabbed the blanket from beneath and pulled it closer, tucking herself in.

As he watched her drift off to sleep, Big Boss couldn't help but loathe himself for lying to her. Based on Ocelot's report after he rescued the Couslands, it was clear to him Amethyne's mother was…consorting with Aedan. He didn't judge the young man, but that wasn't a detail that Amethyne needed to know. No sense tainting her memory of her mother.

Not on his watch.