A/N: Hey Everyone! Thanks so much for the reviews and support. I thought some very good criticisms were brought up, so I'll try to address them in the coming chapters.
The next day came and went. There was no fighting, but a lot of traveling. After an exhaustive day, Wil found himself in his little tent, which for today, he was going to share with Dart. There wasn't any particular order to the tent arrangements. Partners switched up daily depending on who wanted to turn in earlier. The only real order was the gender divide, something Kent and Fiora heavily pushed for in the camps. At the current moment, Wil knew that Rebecca and Sain were together somewhere. He turned in early so he could be away from all that noise. But he still thought about it.
"If I let this continue they could grow serious... what should I do Dan?"
Dart was sound asleep but he still managed to mutter "I'm... not... Dan..." almost by reflex.
Something about being called "Dan" really bothered him.
Wil thought about why they were fighting in the first place.
"and now I work for Lyn."
"Lyn... you mean Lady Lyndis?"
"Yeah, right. I keep forgetting to use her full name and title. You know, I am in her service. I should get her title correct."
And that's when she kicked him in the stomach. Wil lifted up his shirt to see if her footprint was still there.
"Nope, healed... I wonder if it was because I was too familiar with Lyn? She doesn't think I have deeper feelings for Lyn does she?"
"Hey Dart, did you know Rebecca is your sister?"
Dart didn't stir.
"eh... I guess I'll tell you some other time."
Wil fluffed his straw mat in preparation for sleep, when suddenly, in stepped a woman, brandishing a spear. Wil recognized her as one of Florina's sister at once. She looked crossed.
"alright, who's the wise guy named Wil?"
She eyed the room up and down, seeing only two men, one sleeping. Her eyes glanced at Wil.
"Was that him? too scrawny... my sister wouldn't like a guy like that"
She walked over to Dart, who was turned on his side.
"You've got some nerve... sleeping when a woman just entered"
Silence... Dart didn't stir. Wil wasn't sure if he should say anything. The woman gradually lost her patience and started to kick Dart with her foot.
"Hey! wake up."
"huh? w-what's going on? Fargas?"
"No, dolt! Are you Wil?"
"No, I'm Dart!" Suddenly, a realization dawned upon Dart.
"Hey! You're that gold-snagging witch!"
"Oops, my bad. Go back to sleep, wharf-rat."
"Grrr..." Dart quickly caught himself.
"Wait, Wait... Calm down. Let's both just relax... I actually wanted to talk to you. It's about before... I've decided that I will show you the map again"
"that's suprising. Why?"
"If I beat ye to the treasure, it just wouldn't be fair to yah because I have the only copy of the map."
"uh huh..."
"And that wouldn't sit well with pirates."
"Well, as long as you're offering."
With a devilish grin, Dart pulled out a "copy" of the map and handed it to Farina.
"Here it is. Yer map."
Farina immediately unfolded it and started reading.
"How stupid do you think I am"
"pretty stupid."
"ok, I set that one up... but this is NOT the map. For one, it looks like a little kid drew this"
"the legendary pirate Han Gak was no artist..." Dart tried to keep a straight face.
"and it even says in small lettering in the corner, 'by the time you read this, I'll be long gone with the real treasure. Sucker."
Farina saw through Dart's little ploy. He stood there for awhile, thinking for a way to recover. There was none.
"curse my massive hands"
"besides I've got pretty good memory. I remember everything about that little map"
"Curse you! I'll still beat you to that treasure!"
Wil noticed the two had wandered off on some tangent, something he was completely oblivious about. His curiousity got the best of him.
"There's a treasure?"
Farina now remembered what she was originally here for.
"oh yeah! Are you Wil?"
"She might be here about yesterday... I should play it safe."
"Wil is a very common name..." Wil said meekly.
"So yes?" Farina eyed him suspiciously.
Dart didn't know what was going on, but he picked up that Wil would be inconvenienced if Farina knew who he really was.
"You shouldn't have called me Dan... Wil." Dart smiled.
"Aha! Caught you at last, kid!"
"Yes, I'm Wil. Is there a problem?"
"Problem!? Oh ho... you tell me. I heard you sharpened my sister's spear last night."
"I did... stew was served."
"You can't just go around sharpening people's spears! Especially my sister's spear!"
Wil was confused, he looked towards Dart for help. Dart shook his head.
"Did I violate some rule?"
"You're gonna have to pay me... in solid gold pieces. Especially if you want to... continue."
Farina shot Wil a very suggestive glace with that last word... "continue".
"continue? continue what?" Wil thought.
"there you go again about little chump change." Dart interupted.
"you shut yer trap"
"that's my line."
Suddenly, Fiora peeped her head in.
"Farina, is this our tent for toni-"
Fiora's eyes widened at the site - two men, one half-dressed, and her sister.
"Farina... what's going on?"
"What!? no, this isn't what you're thinking!"
"Oh? Then what is it?"
"Drat! I can't tell her I was thinking of charging Wil for courting Florina"
"This, is a little... slumber party?"
"that was exactly what I was thinking!" Fiora's face contorted in consternation. They were also somewhat teary, from disappointment. Fiora hoped that her sister carried her same moral grounding. And now Kent popped his head in.
"Fiora, I saw you enter a man's tent and... wow, full house."
"doesn't anyone knock?" Dart grumpled.
"of course not, it's a tent." Kent replied.
Kent saw that Fiora was on the verge of tears.
"Fiora, what's wrong!"
"Farina... she's... promiscuous!"
"No, i'm not!"
But Fiora would hear none of it. She sobbed silently, burying her head into Kent's shoulders. Kent seemed shocked, then pleased. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders.
"It's alright... we'll think of something"
Farina ignored their little display. "Anyway, Wil, I hope you know that in Ilian Marriage, the groom has to make the dowry present."
"What? that's backwards!" Dart interupted.
"No, we're forward! Everyone else is backwards"
"Wait, Marriage!? When did I say that I wanted to marry Florina?" Wil was bewildered.
"Oh!! So that's what this is about." Fiora recovered from her previous daze. "Farina, spare the boy. He doesn't know that in Ilian Custom, sharpening a woman's spear is a direct proposal to marraige."
"WHAT!?" Dart's, Wil's, and Kent's jaws all dropped simultaneously.
"but how?"
"In Ilia, women are the warriors. The men stay at home and till the fields. When a man sharpens a woman's spear, the perferred weapon amongst pegasus knights, he's saying he wants to be her sheathe." Fiora said calmly.
Silence.
"you know, like how every ship needs a dock?" Fiora spoke again.
More silence.
"You guys are the docks." Farina added.
"I think I follow," Kent spoke up "when Wil sharpened her spear, he basically said he wanted to be her sanctuary. Where the pegasus knight returns to after a hard day's work."
"yes! that was very nicely worded Kent." Fiora smiled. He returned the smile.
"but, but, Florina let me sharpened her spear... does that mean?" Wil's face turned red at the thought that Florina may have accepted his "proposal" to marriage. He hadn't thought about marriage, but the thought that someone said 'yes' to him filled him with happiness.
"Don't get your hopes up." Farina said cooly.
"What?" Wil asked quizzically.
Farina smiled arrogantly. Now, everyone's attention was on her.
"I talked to her yesterday. I casually asked her if she knew what sharpening someone's spear meant..." Farina paused for a long while to keep everyone in suspense.
"AND!?" Wil finally interrupted. His fate lied on what Farina was about to unviel.
"She has no knowledge of the custom."
"whew..." Everyone in the tent seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Though Wil felt slightly disappointed.
"how casually do you mean?" Fiora glared suspiciously.
"well... er... she doesn't know. But I may have piqued her interest."
And piqued Florina's interest, Farina did. Mere moments away, Florina was searching high and low for her big sister, no doubt to ask about the spear.
"Fiora! Where are you? I need to ask you a question!" she shouted. Everyone in the tent went quiet... a long while passed.
"So neither of them knew..." Farina thought aloud.
"It's a shame... it was really well-sharpened." Fiora shot Wil a glance. Wil embarassingly dodged her gaze. Dart laid back onto his bed, presumably to sleep, but his eyes were wide opened. Kent was unusually quiet.
"So, are you guys going to leave yet?" Dart spoke aloud.
"Alright, I guess we'll go... wharf-rat" Farina had to stick that last bit in. Dart shot her a mean glare.
"Anyway, no harm done... as long as everyone keeps quiet about this..." Fiora said at last.
"right, it'll be our little secret... shared between the five of us." followed Kent.
"what are you guys going to do if she asks?"
"We'll... think of something."
"okay"
"alright"
And with that, Farina, Fiora, and Kent left the tent one by one, as to not cause a scene. Fiora was the last to leave.
"Oh, and Wil... have you not considered my sister?"
"um... I..." Wil was caught off guard by such a direct question.
"because I wouldn't be against it if you did." Fiora smiled and left.
It was now akwardly quiet. Wil had a lot to think about.
"So... Dan, did you know Rebecca is your sister?"
"Shut up."