Author: Thanks for the reviews! I was very pleased that someone actually took a liking to it within a day after being written! Sorry it took so long to update, I've had a lot on my mind. I probably won't update for another two weeks at least, I'm stuck with my bastard of a father. Anyway, please, enjoy chapter 2.
Chapter 2
Frantic Family Search
As the entire force of the Crimean Liberation Army was lined up outside of Ike's tent, he began to pace as he gave instructions. "Alright, everyone! Listen up! Most of you joined after this journey started, after we lost my father. But one of his most heartwarming sayings was that we are family, whatever blood differences we have, we are a family. He would also say not to cause your family grief, and to do this by surviving the fight you would enter! I'm not my father, I am not the man this company is named after, but I assure you that all of you are my family now! We have grown close in our time together, made closer bonds than if we knew each other all of our lives, which is why I ask this of you. One of our own has gone missing, completely vanished. Now I know it's early, and I know you're tired, as we have been fighting for our lives every day, be it the Daein soldiers, or the bitter cold. But it is the responsibility of all of us to bring him home unharmed. Together we fight as one, together we shall remain! Now then, let's bring him home!"
Ike stepped away as Soren moved forward to give instructions of placement for the teams. "Alright. We are splitting into four separate teams; each will cover a different direction. Ulki! West. Janaff! No, I...hold still! No I said stop...will anyone stop so I can give instructions?!" Jill stepped out of line and shoved Soren aside. "ALL RIGHT ALL OF YOU! THIS IS HOW IT'S GONNA WORK! SOREN TELLS YOU WHERE TO GO, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU GO! UNDERSTOOD?! GOOD! NOW HURRY UP! WE'RE WASTING TIME HERE WHERE IT COULD BE USED TO FIND CAPTAIN HAAR!" Her booming voice silenced and froze everyone. She stepped away, and Ike saw tears running down her face. Soren stepped back up and started again. "Alright then. Janaff! North. Stefan..."
Jill began to walk away, and Ike chased close behind. "Jill!" She stopped short, as her commander came up to her and turned her around. He face was crimson red and saturated with continual tears. "Hey..." "I'm (Sniff) I'm sorry, Ike. I know it's my fault!" She began to sob again, but was stopped as she tried to run by Ulki. "No, little one. It isn't your fault the beorc left us. He had his own personal reasons for leaving, and from what I heard, you are more familiar with one of them than you realize." Jill looked into Ulki's eyes, puzzled. "What is it?" Ulki took a finger, and pointed it at Jill's heart. "You, young one. He left for you." Jill's heart began to race, and Ulki could hear it quite clearly. "M-me?" "Yes. I am quite sure he would have told you, had he been given the chance, but we don't have time to sit and talk about this, do we?" Jill's back straightened and she cleared her face of lingering tears. "R-right!"
Jill ran off toward the center of camp, to help Soren make preparations, and as Ike turned back, Ulki stopped him. "Ike." "Yes? What is it, we don't have a lot of time." "We will bring him back, your heart can rest easy from the fear it knows." "..." "I hear your heart race, you stomach churn, as the thoughts of possibility of yet another friend's death enter your mind. Rest assured, we will find him." "...Thanks, Ulki." As Ike walked away, Lethe and Janaff walked up to Ulki. "How can you say these words of hope with such assurance? You know that beorc bodies are fragile, and when they want to, they can be as stubborn as us." "...Call it hope, Janaff. Call it hope."
Finally, once the groups were set up, they set out. Ike, Jill, and Soren leading the West team, Titania leading the East team, Tanith leading the South team, and the rivals Oscar and Kieran leading the North team. As the West team headed out, and Ike tried to keep Jill calm, Soren interrupted Ike's moment of peace and quiet. "I realize that this is your decision and all I can do is follow it, but you do realize that most likely he just returned to Daein's forces. After all, we're a sorry excuse for a mismatched army." At this, Jill's temperament snapped. She started to silently sob and she walked away from Ike and over to Soren. She grabbed him by the collar of his robe and lifted him to her eye level. "Listen, black-boy. I know Captain Haar better than anyone else here. I also know that he would never return to Daein, when I found him, he was ready to betray them! So listen and listen good." Her temper started to flare. "Never, EVER, disrespect Captain Haar! Understood?" Jill asked quietly. Her calm and cute tone betrayed her devilish grin as she layered her comments with threats to Soren. Soren calmly kept his poise and just stared at her. "It doesn't matter how much you know someone, past knowledge is trivial depending on the motivation behind it, now let me go, your getting my robes dirty." Jill growled at this, but listened to his request. She fiercely dropped Soren to the ground and walked away. "This is going to be a long search..."
Haar looked into the sunlight and saw three encampments, quizzically looking at each one. He patted his wyvern on its neck, and began to talk to it. "Which one do you think it is?" The wyvern just grumbled. Haar looked off into the sky. "Commander Shihiram, show me the way..."
Author: Well? Please review! Remember, your comments are important to me! Later!