Link didn't say a word as Tetra helped him into the bed and changed his bandages. She could see the blood bleeding red as she cleaned the wound once more. "You know, I could have gotten the meeting here and you wouldn't have to go through this," she muttered.
Link grumbled a little, a small part of him admitting she was right.
Tetra looked at the wound one more time and sighed, "Link..." She was about to say something when she noticed that he was asleep with his head tilted to the side a little. He was more tired than he let on.
She kissed his temple and then his lips before preparing to leave so she could let the rebellion know that he wouldn't be coming tonight. It was for the best.
As Tetra left the room, a faint smile formed on Link's face as he slept.
Through the fog a pirate ship approached the crestfallen island that was Windfall. The crew anxiously watched for patrol ships as they got ready to make landfall. Among them, a cloaked figure stared pensively at the island, worried about what they would find there. An uneasy tension filled the air as the ship got to a spot where they would least likely to be spotted. As soon as the pirate ship made landfall, the crew, along with cloaked figure, quietly stepped off and began their search. The cloaked figure examined the island with dismay, seeing how desolate and heartbroken it looked. She sighed heavily, willing herself to move on with the rest of the crew.
"Search everywhere." She said to a member of the crew.
"Yes, Miss!" The pirate in question hurried off, and the rest of the crew went in different directions in search of their missing captain. The cloaked figure soon joined the search, hoping to find what she was looking for.
Tetra peeked out of the entrance to the cafe that served as the new secret base, checking to see if anyone was around. Even though she knew the Svain Army had left for Dragon Roost, she still had to be cautious. Relieved that no one was around, Tetra quickly left the base with a sack in hand. It was her turn to make a weekly supply run for the rebels, a usually risky business that was a little easier without the patrolling troops. Still, there were a few pick pockets, but nothing she couldn't handle. As she made her way to the supply depot, Tetra suddenly had a feeling she was being watched. She looked around, trying to find her stalker, but all she could see were a few run-down buildings and shadows. She resumed her journey, but kept a cautious eye out; she didn't want any possible spies following her back to the base.
It didn't take long to get the needed supplies, some perishables and medical stuff. Tetra had just left the supply depot and was about to make her way back to base when she realized someone was watching her again. She quickly drew her weapon, her eyes alert and darting around. "I know you're here," Tetra growled, about ready to either fight or flee, "Just quit hiding and come out of shadows."
A cloaked figure emerged from the darkness, her hands up to show that she was unarmed. "It's alright," she said, "I'm not here to harm you. I'm just looking for you." Before Tetra could reply, she drew back the hood of her cloak, showing her face for the first time in a while.
A gasp escaped from Tetra's lips as she saw who had been watching her. "Aryll?" she said, half confused and half happy to see a familiar face, "What are you doing here?" She put her sword away, ran to her sister-in-law, and hugged her.
"I was worried about you," Aryll replied as she returned the hug, "When your crew and I didn't hear from you and Link for a month, we got worried. We decided right away to search for the two of you!"
"It was good that you waited, Svain was here for a long time and now it's just us." Tetra looked around, still in the process of hugging a cloaked Aryll. "I was out gathering supplies, you should come with me to the base."
"Is Link there?"
"No, he has been... recovering for a while. I think he will want to come out today though. His wound should be healing just fine."
"What wound? What happened?" Aryll looked shocked and perplexed. Her blue eyes were wide with a mixture of horror and confusion.
"It's a long story, Aryll, we'll talk about it when we get there."
"She was supposed to be back by now," Jin murmured with concern as he kept watch at the entrance to the base, "It's not like her." He wondered if he should go out and investigate when he heard a commotion outside. Quietly, he peered out from the crack on the wall and saw a group of people he didn't recognize. They didn't look like Svain troops, but they didn't seem like the usual small-time pickpockets the rebels had dealt with from time to time.
Whoever those people were, Jin didn't want to take any chances. He quickly and quietly went deeper into the base to warn the others of possible intruders.
Ivan was making plans for the meeting that would occur later on when Jin rushed into the room, panting. "What's going on?" Ivan asked, concerned.
"We have intruders," Jin replied as he caught his breath, "Not Svain, thankfully, but I'm not sure who they are and what they want."
"Get anyone who can still fight," Ivan ordered as he got up, "We're going to drive them off."
Link was resting on the bed, when he heard the rebels running hurriedly in the halls. "What's going on?" he mumbled as he got out of bed. The first thought that came into mind was that the Svain Army had returned and found the base. He hoped it wasn't the case.
One of the men stopped for a moment and replied, "We got intruders close to the base! We're on full alert and need every able-bodied member we can get!"
As the rebel raced off, Link thought about Tetra and hoped she was alright out there. He went to get his sword, hoping to help out whenever he could.
Tetra led the way to the base with Aryll in tow. Outside the base they heard a ruckus and rushed forward without hesitation. When they arrived, three pirates and a few of the rebels were arguing loudly.
"Now look, yeah?" said one pirate whom Tetra recognized as Gonzo, "We're just looking for Miss Tetra. If you just let us through-"
"We're not letting you through!" one of the rebels shouted, "And how do you know Tetra? Are you a spy or something?"
"Oh lovely…" Tetra groaned, hiding her face behind her palms as Aryll stared in confusion, "Excuse me for a moment…" She walked over to where the confrontation was taking place, put her two fingers in her mouth, and let out a loud whistle. Everyone snapped to attention, the pirates relieved when they caught sight of their captain. "Can anyone explain to me what is going on here?" Tetra asked, rather annoyed.
"Miss Tetra!" Gonzo cried, happy to see her, "We've been looking for you!"
"Wait," one rebel said, confused, "Tetra, you know those people?"
"Yes," Tetra replied, fighting the urge to sigh in exasperation, "And I can tell you they're not here to hurt us." She couldn't blame the rebels for being just a little paranoid in the light of their current situation, but she was still annoyed that they jumped to conclusions without observing them first. "I'll explain when we get inside, but first…" She turned to Gonzo and said, "Get the crew together and tell them to meet us here."
The pirates dispersed to go find the others and the boys, yes, boys, of the rebellion stood looking embarrassed, especially Jin.
"Let's go back inside, I have to get Link." Tetra grabbed Aryll by the hand and took her into the cell. A door had been formed and long hallways had been dug out, from where it once was a crawl space that Link himself had crawled through as a child. A door had been installed at the end of the corridors and Tetra opened the door, ducking through with Aryll still following.
"You're back!" Link exclaimed in surprise, but then his face dropped the happy expression, turning immediately confused. "Aryll?"
Aryll smiled, "Brother!" She scooted past Tetra and right into her brother's arms. "I came with the pirates!"
"But it's not safe... Aryll-"
"I'm fine, I wanted to come and get you! You have no way off this island now, right? We're here to help!"
Link could see the hopeful and excited expression on his little sister's face. Her eyes were just begging him to be accepting of her presence there, accepting of her help.
"She's right, Link." Tetra put her hands on her hips and tilted her head, gesturing to the door. "We all have to get out of here soon, they could be leaving Dragon Roost at any given time, so we have to be on their tails. My crew couldn't have shown up at a better time."
Link reached for his tunic, he had been sitting there half dressed for most of the conversation, and caught Aryll staring at the scar he'd developed from his wound.
"How did it happen?" Aryll asked.
"We'll talk about it later, I'm sorry. Right now we have to have a meeting with the rebellion and the crew." Link stood up, a couple heads taller than Aryll. He reached out a hand with a serious expression upon his normally cheerful face. "Welcome to the rebellion, Sister."
Aryll stared at his hand for a long moment, but she ignored the handshake and hugged him around his waist. "I'll be the best rebel you'll ever have, Brother!"
Link hugged her back with a light chuckle, "I believe you already are."
Tetra smiled warmly and cleared her throat to interrupt them, "I believe we have to get to a meeting, I hear a lot of voices out in the cell."
"Of course," Link said as he nodded in reply. They went into the cell where the rebels and pirates were assembled. Ivan sat in the middle as he got ready to start the meeting.
"I'm glad all of you have come," Ivan began before glancing at the direction of the pirates, "Especially our unexpected guests, sorry about the misunderstanding." Tetra heard one of the pirates reply, "S'alright," before Ivan continued.
"As you all know, the Svain Army had left for Dragon Roost a month ago. We don't know their current activities or if they have already left the island. Until now, we had no way of traveling there to find out." He looked in the direction of the pirates and said, "Thanks to the pirates, we now have the means to travel to Dragon Roost and, if need be, follow the Svain Army."
The rebels murmured amongst themselves, excited at the first good news in a while. Some of them even expressed some hope that they could get to where the Svain Army came from and stop it at the source!
Ivan frowned and said, "Now, I know some of you want to go straight to the source and end it once and for all, but the army is more organized and as we are right now, we won't even stand a chance!" He collected himself and resumed speaking, "We have to take this one step at the time."
"Easy for you to say!" one of the rebels shouted, "We have been sitting on our rears while the Great Sea is being taken over and now that we have the means to attack them, you're saying we should wait some more?" He gestured to the other rebels around him. "Ever since the Svain Army appeared and took over, our lives are a wreck! We hide underground just to survive! The Windfall we knew is gone, and this rotten city is in its place! How much more can we take?" Everyone started to argue loudly.
"Hey! Knock it off!" Link called suddenly. The normally quiet one was standing next to Ivan, his arms folded across his chest. "This isn't his fault, it's not my fault, it's not anyone's fault!" Link began to pace, "He is just thinking with logic, we have to, or we'll all be taken captive or even worse, killed!"
Tetra was surprised, Link had taken charge now and again, but he was being so blunt.
"We can go to Dragon Roost, but we have to think of a plan!" Link finished, glancing at his wife who was standing in the doorway.
"Link is right." Tetra agreed, "It's not Ivan's fault. You can't blame him for being cautious, we've all been through a lot this last month, and we're all extremely weary. However, we can't just give up because we're tired or we've let them win."
The room grew silent, only the pirates hadn't really argued, they all immediately agreed with their captain.
"We have to go." Tetra concluded. "Only we can't go until we have a plan so we can survive."
"She's right," Ivan said, relieved that things have settled down, "We do need to have a plan thought out before we leave. Which brings us to the main reason for this meeting. Now that the transportation issues have been sorted out, we will discuss the matter of acquiring supplies. As it stands, we have enough for a month or two. We also need the means to resupply without getting caught."
"Well, the supply depot is chock-full of supplies," Tetra stated as she recalled her trip, "And since the Svain Army is letting it all go to waste, I say we make good use of it." She smiled and winked as she said that.
"That sounds like a plan," Jin said, "We just need to gather enough to last the voyage or at least until we find another supply depot."
"Then it is decided," Ivan said, nodding in agreement, "Sometime tomorrow, we will raid the supply depots as well as the warehouses on the island to get supplies. It might take some planning, but I think we will pull it off if all goes well." He sounded confident though he did his best not to let his nerves betray him. Truth be told, he wasn't sure if they could do this. Still, this was a great chance to get off the island and take on a more active role in liberating the Great Sea.
Besides, they have a secret weapon on their side.
On the way back to their quarters, Tetra followed Link and Aryll as they were talking. She couldn't really focus on them, however, her eyes were downcast and she was deep in thought. Link turned into the room and Aryll stopped and glanced back at Tetra.
"You're awfully quiet." Aryll commented with a sympathetic smile. "Is something the matter?"
"Nothing at all, I just have so much to think about..." Tetra stopped, she suddenly leaned against the corridor wall and put her hands over her eyes, dizziness hitting her like a brick. She gasped, still feeling the room spin even though she couldn't see it.
"Tetra?" Aryll squeaked, approaching her quickly before she put her hands on Tetra's shoulders. "What's the matter? Are you ill?"
"I... I think I'm just dizzy." Tetra uncovered her eyes to see a very concerned Aryll standing directly in front of her. The petite girl pressed the back of her hand to Tetra's temple and sighed in relief.
"You aren't running a fever. You must be so stressed out."
I suppose that is part of it. Tetra thought to herself, blinking the tired expression off of her face. She sighed heavily, her shoulders began to droop which only added to the weary look she was trying not to wear. "Aryll, there is something I must confess."
Aryll tilted her head in concern, and a slight mix of confusion. "What is it?"
Tetra stood up straight, no longer leaning against the cold stone of the wall. The lighting in the corridor was dim, making it hard to see the real expression on Aryll's face. Although Tetra assumed it was curiosity.
"I'm pregnant."
Aryll's mouth opened as if she were about to make an exclamation, but Tetra covered her mouth instantly and then hushed her. "You can't tell a soul, only Link knows and no one else!"
"But... how are you going to handle the rebellion?"
"I've handled a lot of really terrible things the last several years." Tetra replied, "Carrying a baby shouldn't make it any different... I wouldn't think." Tetra folded her hands over her belly, glancing down while thinking about it.
"I won't stop you." Aryll dragged Tetra out of her thoughts. "Link isn't stopping you, so why should I? I'm here to be a support, so if you need anything, do not be afraid to ask me."
Tetra smiled, although it looked more like a smirk. "Thank you." She replied, then the two of them shared a quick hug. Then Aryll began to talk of her excitement as they walked into the quarters.
The black ship that belonged to Svain had been docked at Dragon Roost island for some time now. They had been guarding the island since day one when the residents had decided it was a good idea to fight back. Valoo was nowhere to be found, and the island was in a quiet uproar.
"I already told you, I'm not joining your ranks." Komali said in a stiff, serious voice. Behind him stood his wife, Medli, and their young daughter, Hali.
"You're making a huge mistake." Markada hissed, her eyes scanning the pitiful island. It had once been so full of fire and might, but once they stomped out all hope, it turned out to be no different than any other island they had visited.
"You have no hope, don't you realize?" Markada continued with a heavy sigh. "Link is dead, besides, he was on our side and he's not coming to your aid."
Komali refused to believe a word she was saying. Link could not be dead, let alone on her side. "You're lying," he retorted, "He will come to our aid, he helped us before. I know he's not the sort to join the likes of you. And even if he did, he wouldn't have done it without a good reason!" Medli nodded in agreement as she remembered braving the Earth Temple with Link in years past.
"You know," Markada said in a bored tone, "This is getting tiresome. I extend my hand out to you to join the glorious Svain Army and you turn it down repeatedly." She could feel her facial muscles twitch and her teeth grind in agitation. She needed to get those Rito on her side, but they had resisted her every attempt. Except…
Markada's predatory eyes shifted over to Hali, making the little Rito cling to her mother's leg, and got an idea. "You know," she said as she stepped aside Komali and faced Medli, "You two have a very cute daughter."
Medli didn't like where this was going, though she did manage not to show her fear. "Yes, she is," she said, "You wouldn't dare…"
"So protective," Markada purred, ignoring Medli's protest, "And for a good reason. It would be a shame if something bad happened to her."
Both Komali and Medli quickly realized what she was implying. "You leave our daughter out of this!" Komali shouted as his wife wrapped her wings around their daughter. Hali's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, wondering what that scary woman was going to do to her.
"You should have thought of that before you refused," Markada said, a wolfish grin spreading on her face as she eyed the Rito child, "If there is one thing people have learned the hard way, it's that I always get what I want." Her fist shot out and punched Medli in her stomach before she could react, forcing her to let go of her daughter. Hali was so terrified at the sight of her mother getting hurt that she didn't run before Markada grabbed her by the collar of her tunic. The little Rito screamed and struggled in her captor's iron grasp, trying to escape.
"No!" Komali rushed to Medli's side, hoping she wasn't hurt. "Are you alright?"
"I'll be fine," Medli said breathlessly as she got up, furious at the woman who snatched her daughter. She was about ready to fly at her and take Hali back. "Give her back!"
Markada must have anticipated this as she took out her knife and held the edge close to the girl's throat. "I wouldn't try anything stupid if I were you," she said coolly, "Not if this child's life is at stake!"
Komali and Medli could only watch in helpless fury as the sadistic woman held their daughter hostage. "Quite a dilemma you two landed yourselves in," Markada chuckled, "You know, we could have avoided all of this had you accepted my offer. I wouldn't have to resort to desperate measures like this." She grinned as she gazed at the Rito parents. "And don't expect some miracle or even last-minute heroics to save you all. I'm giving you one last chance: Join the Svain Army or your daughter dies."