I do not own any of the characters except Aaron, and Ike's friends. The rest belong to Nintendo.

The sun just barely peeked above the trees as Sheik walked towards Greil's 'office', which was actually just his cabin but there was a fine mahogany desk in the middle of it. She remembered it well from her first visit here, how could she not? Greil was a large and intimidating man, about six foot five or four, brown hair, green eyes, a very built and broad body, and scars to show how well he knew the blood stained fields. She stopped at the door, looked at it wearily and thought about what Shinon had said. He had told her about how the war had ended and how Greil seemed a lot less stressed. She had almost asked him about Ike but she had hesitated and let it go, Shinon wasn't a big fan of Ike anyway. She took a deep breath and knocked. Heavy footsteps were heard from inside and the door was opened. Greil looked at her for a moment then waved for her to come in, already retreating inside. She entered and closed the door behind her, her confidence still standing outside.

He sat down at his desk and looked at Sheik curiously, silently asking what she was doing here but never directly addressing, yet.

"You can sit down you know," he said, his deep voice echoing in the silence.

She nodded and sat down quickly.

"Ike told me you were here. The war is over as I'm sure Shinon told you, so what are you doing here?" he asked bluntly. Blunt was definitely a good word to describe him, he was always straight to the point, cutting through all the bullshit.

"I came to see Shinon," she said quietly.

Greil nodded, "I see. Is there something you came to ask me then? If you came to see Shinon then you should be on your way."

She took a deep breath and said, "I would like a job here; to be a mercenary."

"Very well. You fought well when you were with us before. I see no reason to test you any further," he said. He told her to pick any cabin she saw fit since there were now a few empty ones. He would let her know if there were any jobs for her in the morning and dismissed her. He didn't bother to explain any of the rules to her or what times they ate, she already knew them. She walked among the cabins and found a small one that was a little run down. She opened the door and a cloud of dust broke free from its prison and danced happily in the sun. She smiled and entered, finding the little cabin to be sufficient for her needs. She had brought with her a small satchel filled with a few changes of clothes and threw it on a cot. There were two other cots in the room, both on the opposite side of the one she had picked but there was nothing else in the room.

Unsatisfied that the cabin had absolutely nothing in it she looked around a little more and found a little mirror under her cot, probably for shaving. She looked under the other cots and found nothing under the first but a little trunk under the second. She went to pull it out but as her hands floated over the trunk she hesitated. This belonged to somebody, she thought. She bit her lower lip and shrugged, her thieving habits were begging for her to open it. She pulled it out and put it on the cot, kicking up some more dust, when it cleared she pulled out a knife, picking at the lock. It was a simple lock and opened with ease. Before she began to look through it she went to her pack and pulled out a candle and some matches. After lighting the candle she returned to the trunk and saw it was full of letters. She sorted through them until they were in order by date and began to read them.

She read one after the other and discovered they were from a mercenary's mother. The date suggested they had been there since the beginning of the war. She became lost in them and wondered what the man's name had been, discovering it only in the last letter, dated a few months before the war had ended, just four months before the end actually. The man's name was, or rather had been, Sebastian. She actually remembered him; he had been good with an ax, tall, black hair and light brown eyes. He was one of the few she had liked at this camp even though he had hung around with Ike a lot. She looked at the last letter and put it in the large pile of letters she had already read. The last letter had meant he had died before he could respond. This surprised her, Sebastian was a skilled fighter.

She put the letters back into a neat pile and was about to put them back into the trunk when something caught her eye. A thin square was vaguely outlined, a secret panel. She grabbed her knife and stuck in the crevasse, bending her hand until it lifted. Inside was a folded piece of paper. Opening it, she discovered it had names on it, they were crossed off including Sebastian's, and all but one remained: Ike. Water, or tears, stained the paper and smeared a little bit of the ink.

Abigail

Trevor

Zane

Amelia

Geoffrey

Dawn

Sebastian

Ike

Godiva

She had known these people at one time and now they were gone, all of them but Ike. She guessed hundreds of others had died and it made her wonder about the others she had known. How many had died while she was gone? They had suffered few casualties when they had fought, how had so many of them died in the six months she had been absent? To her knowledge all of them had pulled their weight and had fought excellently. She shook her head and put everything back where she had found it. Her stomach growled and interrupted her thoughts. She opened the door and looked outside, the half moon was well over head and she had missed dinner. She shrugged it off though, it was nothing to be worried about, she hardly ate anything anyways. She knew Shinon wouldn't bother her, he trusted that she wanted time alone, but Greil would send someone to check on her, like Shinon.

She went back inside her cabin and dusted off her cot, shaking the blanket out and then sitting on it. She brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin. All of Ike's closest friends were gone. No wonder he was so different. She wondered how he had taken it all in. Then another thought came to mind: Why did she care? Lots of people had lost close friends and even family members in the war. Before the more sensitive side could say its piece, there was a knock on the door. She looked up and rolled her eyes. Why hadn't Shinon just come in? She shouted for him to come in and to her surprise Ike entered.

(Ike)

Out of all the people it had to be me, Ike thought. He gave Sheik a grim smile but stayed close to the open door. She looked at him with clear annoyance in her eyes, her glare burning into him. He explained as quickly as he could,

"My father wanted me to check on you, Shinon said you were fine and refused to check on you but my father wouldn't take his word for it. Sorry to bother you."

He quickly turned and left, closing the door behind him. His vision blurred as tears welled up. Out of all the cabins she had chosen Sebastian's. He had noticed that his trunk was still in there, untouched since the day he had died. Ike should have taken it out but for certain reasons he hadn't. It just felt wrong to take something that contained nothing but letters from Sebastian's mother and a list of the dead. It would be a painful reminder that he would have to see if he took it. For those reasons it stayed in the cabin but now it was occupied by one who didn't know the former owners and probably didn't care. It was too late to take it, the cabin belonged to Sheik now. He entered his own cabin and blinked the tears away.

He undressed and lay in his cot, already planning for tomorrow. He would take whatever job he could and if he had time he would head into town with Oscar and Rolf. They weren't going for anything specific but Oscar insisted that Ike needed some down time and needed to 'socialize'. Rolf was going because he had completed his first job and wanted to buy a new bow with the money he had earned, or at least find one he liked so he could save up for it. Ike was just grateful Boyd wasn't going. Out of the three brothers Boyd was the worst, he was obnoxious and arrogant as hell. Oscar was the oldest and the most sensible, he was calm and relaxed unless Boyd got too obnoxious, then it went downhill. Rolf was the youngest by a large margin and was already talented with a bow. No one is quite sure how it happened but it might have something to do with the fact that Rolf calls Shinon 'Uncle Shinon'.

Thinking of young Rolf reminded him of his sister, Mist. She had grown up all these years without a mother but yet she still managed to be a calming aspect in his life. She was training under Rhys but refused to make it a light matter, she studied hard and was becoming more skilled with each passing day. He remembered when the war started, she was only eleven and was alarmed and frightened. Ike had calmed her then, telling her that Father and he weren't going to die, not yet or any time soon. Of course he had felt bad for possibly giving her false hopes but all that mattered was that Mist be stable and able to help. She had helped, she had helped Ike more than she knew, even at the young age of eleven. Now she was fifteen, almost sixteen. He himself had only been seventeen when the war started, now he was at the age of twenty-one. He sighed and closed his eyes, hoping he would get some sleep.

It felt like he had only slept for a few seconds when Ike was awakened by a hard slap to the face. His hand quickly moved to his sword that hung from his cot when a voice stopped him.

"Calm down, Greil told me to get you. He wants to talk to you," Shinon said.

Ike sat up and just nodded, his shock slowly turning into anger. Shinon left before Ike could say anything, leaving him to dress and build onto his mounting anger. As soon as he stepped outside he shook his head, being angry with Shinon would do nothing. He walked to his father's cabin where he found Greil and Sheik waiting. He casted her a curious glance but she kept a stone cold demeanor towards him. He looked at his father and raised an eyebrow.

"Ike, I have a job for you and Sheik," he said.

"Just her and I?" Ike asked.

"Yes, it requires stealth and strength," he answered.

Ike almost argued that Gatrie should go but stopped himself when he remembered what happened last time Sheik and Gatrie met and just nodded.

"Good, now, there's been some pirates raiding a small town. I want you two to board the ship and take back what was stolen. Understood?"

"Just the two of us to recover dozens of stolen items?" Ike asked.

"Yes, it's a small band and they haven't left the town, they'll still be there if you hurry and stop questioning me that is. Now go," he ordered.

Ike turned and stormed out. What was Greil thinking sending just the two of them out? Sure they could do the job but it wasn't like they were going to get along. If this was to force them to get along or a test of teamwork, he didn't care. He knew Sheik would rather take another drunken kiss than ever take orders from him or even work together. Their ideas of plans were so different from each other he had a bad feeling they were about to get into a giant mess. He headed towards the stable to retrieve his horse, Aaron. He had only had Aaron for two years or so but would rather have him over a wyvern any day. He took the pure black Clydesdale out of his stall and began to saddle the horse.

"What do you expect me to do? Sit behind you?" Sheik said irritably behind him.

"Just take Oscar's horse, he won't mind," Ike said without looking behind him.

She didn't answer but instead heard her begin to whistle a tune. It was a pleasant tune, happy but unfitting to Sheik's mood. He wondered what she was doing but not enough to turn around. Suddenly there was a beating of hooves and Aaron raised his head higher, curious. Ike finished and turned to see Sheik standing next to a fully tacked horse, a palomino Clydesdale. Sheik couldn't have been any taller than five foot five or six but still managed to mount the large horse. Ike shook his head but just mounted his own horse.

Both of them remained inconspicuous by wearing a black and gray cloak, Ike with the gray and Sheik with the black. The cloak covered his sword from the prying eyes of thieves and pirates, his sword would make him a target. They both headed to the dock, keeping their horses at a slow pace. The boat wasn't hard to miss; the pirates had stolen a rather extravagant ship that made them easy to spot. As they slowly made their way to the harbor they finally spoke.

"Look, they're heading to the bar," Sheik said.

"Yeah, the ship will be empty except a few guards, if they're smart."

"We'll both board and get what was stolen."

"No, only one of us. The other will keep guard and distract the pirates if they come back."

"If they don't come back it will be longer than it needs to be."

"If we both go aboard then we'll be quickly outnumbered and over whelmed."

Sheik came to a stop, making Ike have to back Aaron up. She gave him a hard look and he returned her gaze.

"Well, what do we do then?" She challenged.

"We devise a plan. You're stealthy. You sneak aboard the ship and find their loot, if there's a lot then we both go aboard. If there isn't much then just bring back what's left. I'll scout the bar and make a head count. If we can take them on then we'll both go. If not then we do it one at a time. What do you think?"

"Fine."

They split up, Ike to the bar and Sheik to the ship.

(Sheik)

Sheik went pale as soon as she saw the ship's sails. They were from Hyrule. Or, at least, the ship was. She prayed that these were pirates that just stole the ship but she knew her luck wasn't that good. This was most likely one of her father's raids for money, he wouldn't do it himself though, he would make Link do his dirty work. She gritted her teeth and dismounted Epona. She hoped Link wouldn't see or recognize the horse. She then crept up the board walk and was aboard. She looked around and saw no one outside. She knew where the loot would be kept and casually strolled towards a door that led below deck, knowing where each guard was supposed to be. She made her way carefully through the lower deck, using pressure points to rid herself of the guards. When she found where the 'loot' was kept there was only a few small sacks of precious jewels. She grabbed them and tied them together, throwing them over her shoulder and easily making her way out.

(Meanwhile)

Ike dismounted Aaron and pulled his hood up. His blue hair wasn't exactly discrete. He put a hand on his sword and walked into the bar, no one even turned to look at him. He sat down at a table in the corner, scanning the large group that laughed and jeered at each other. Some flirted with the few women that were in the bar, only to be slapped and turned away. There couldn't have been more than thirty, maybe forty of them. Enough that he and Sheik would have a hard time coming out on top if a fight were to ensue. He found the leader easily as none of them dared to jeer at him. He stood a few inches below Ike with blonde shaggy hair, sharp blue eyes and was dressed in a manner that suggested he was above most people in skill. His ears suggest he was Hyrulean. Suddenly the leader turned his attention to Ike, they made eye contact for a moment before Ike looked away and put his head down. He tried his best to remain low, the man seemed to buy it and let him be. After a few more minutes Ike stood and left, knowing Sheik was probably done scouting the ship.

He had barely reached the dock when Sheik walked calmly down the board walk with the 'loot'. She seemed calm, like it was nothing but a causal stroll through town. She glanced his way for all but a moment when her face went pale and she froze, her calm demeanor suddenly blown away by the ocean breeze. He pulled his hood down to let her know it was just him, which seemed foolish considering there were few people who rode a horse like his. There was a chuckle from behind him.

"Hey Sheik. I've been looking for you. You have Father and I worried sick, not knowing if you're dead or alive. Why would matter though? You've died several times and come back each time. I suppose it would be better if I told you that you've had us worried because if we don't know your whereabouts, how do we know if you're safe from Ganon?"

Sheik didn't respond, her eyes were full of fear. Ike turned Aaron around to face the man.

"Leave her be," Ike said, distaste for the man evident.

"Leave her be? Stay out of this, peasant. This is a family matter and it does not concern you," the man retorted.

Ike's eyes flashed with anger. Peasant? As if ranking in blood mattered. Ike glanced at Sheik, she still hadn't moved. Ike looked at Epona then back at Sheik, she got the message. Ike dismounted and looked the man in the eye, and just as he had predicted he stood a good couple of inches above the man.

"Peasant? Is that the best you could think of, you weak, pathetic excuse of a man? I don't care if the matter does not concern me, you would have to be blind not to see the fear in her eyes when you speak, you swine who stands on two feet. You must be delusional if you think you're going to take her back home," Ike spat.

The man's eyes burned with hatred as he looked at Ike. There was a sudden pounding of hooves as Sheik made her getaway. The man whipped around just in time to see Epona's tail disappear into the woods. Ike gave the man a smirk.

"You're going to be sorry for that you son of a bitch," the man yelled at him before punching him in the jaw.

Ike had underestimated him as a loud crunch sounded and extricating pain emanated from the left side of his jaw. Ike grunted and returned with an uppercut. The man stumbled back, giving Ike time to mount Aaron and follow Sheik back to camp. As he galloped off he heard the man screaming oaths and curses on Ike. It didn't take him long to catch up with Sheik, who had slowed into a walk to wait for him. She turned to him with a questioning look but just shook her head.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

Ike nodded and managed, "Any time."

His jaw throbbed and he knew it was dislocated, it wouldn't have been the first time. Rhys might be upset with him but it wasn't a hard fix. The rest of the ride was spent in silence, just like before. When they reached camp they headed straight for Greil's cabin. Dismounting and entering, they found Rhys talking to Greil, about what was a mystery, Rhys stopped midsentence when they entered. Sheik put the bags on Greil's desk and stepped back. Rhys looked both of them over, grumbling something when he noticed Ike's jaw. He reset it and waited patiently with Greil for an explanation. When the sharp pain ebbed into a dull throb Ike told them what had happened, leaving out details about Sheik's supposed brother.

"Sheik went to check out the ship and found the loot, it was a small enough amount that she took it all. I went to scout out the bar for the pirates, in case we had to fight I wanted to make sure we could handle them. The captain noticed me and followed me out. I met up with Sheik and the captain got aggressive, I told her to leave and she got away. The captain became angry and we got into a fight," he said simply.

He wasn't sure why he had left out such a crucial detail but it just seemed… right. Greil sighed and looked at the bags on his desk.

"You only did half the job. You still need to return these. Ask around for a man named Damien, give him what you found and he'll return them to the rightful owners. Now go," he ordered.

Ike grabbed the bags and left, leaving Rhys and Greil alone again. Sheik was behind him, quiet as ever. He tied the bags to Aaron's saddle and turned to Sheik, "I'm going back."

It was a simple statement but a clear question. Was she daring to go back with him or would she stay where she was safe? She gave him a weary look, unsure how to answer. He mounted but waited for an answer.

(Sheik)

Sheik looked up at him. Why had he saved her? Was it because, at that moment, she had been his partner and they were forced to look after each other or was it because he was a natural leader, someone who looked out for others? She decided she would go with Ike, she felt the need to complete the job, it was her first job and she didn't want to seem unreliable. She mounted Epona, turned to Ike and nodded. Ike returned the nod and they headed back to the city.

"Ike," she said when they were only a few minutes into the woods, "the man, my brother, his name is Link. He isn't the most pleasant of company—"

"I noticed," Ike said.

"Yeah, but he's cunning. You injured his pride, no doubt, and he doesn't let things like that go."

"Prideful too, eh? That's a surprise," he said sarcastically.

"Just watch out, okay?"

Ike looked at her quizzically but nodded.

When they entered the city again the ship no longer towered over. A sigh of relief escaped Sheik as she felt her muscles relax. Damien was easy to find, he was well known around town as a do-gooder. She waited irritably in silence as he thanked them dozens of time for what they had done, even Ike seemed a bit overwhelmed by the man's never ending thanks. He gave them a generous amount of pay and bid them safe travels. Then, just as quickly as they came, they left. As they made their way through the forest she looked over at Ike, he kept his head high, his gaze forward. Why had he stuck up for her? The question kept repeating itself in her head. She wanted to ask him but not now. It would seem rude, ungrateful. He glanced over at her, catching her looking at him.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"No, well, yeah but it's nothing," she answered.

He raised an eyebrow but didn't pry. He wasn't a bad guy, but still not one of her favorite people. She hoped Link wouldn't try anything too crazy to get his revenge on Ike, she hadn't told him the real reason Link would seek revenge. It wasn't because he was prideful, well he was but not to that extent. He would seek revenge for interfering in his sick game of cat and mouse with Sheik. Ike had proved to be the dog that would eat the cat if he pushed his luck. Link was probably seething with anger and hate at this moment, plotting a scheme to either kill or injure Ike. She prayed it was the latter; too many deaths were already on her hands for defending her. She was glad her scarf covered her lower face, Ike wouldn't be able to see her biting her lip nervously.

(Ike)

Ike methodically brushed Aaron's black coat. He thought of the day's events in silence, unsure what to do. He was a man of action, not really someone who could sit back as another suffered. The sun had dipped below the trees long ago, leaving him in the dim light of the many lanterns that decorated the stable. Ike sighed. What could he do for Sheik anyway? She was too stubborn to accept any help. It had only been when she was paralyzed with fear that he was able to interfere. He looked over at Aaron's knotted tail and patted the horse. He walked over to the brushes and threw in the one he currently had, looking for a comb for Aaron's tail. He had just found one when Aaron let out an alarmed whinny, reared and smacked Ike square in the back, launching him forward into the wall.

Aaron will crush me if I don't move, he thought as the world grew hazy and dark.

(Sheik)

Sheik walked to Shinon's cabin slowly, enjoying the darkness; the silver light of the moon guiding her step for step. The early spring night was chilly but it didn't faze her, she would rather take a chilly night over a chilly day. She looked up from her feet as she heard heavy footsteps crunch the slightly frozen grass and saw Greil walking back to his cabin. He smiled and nodded politely at her before his smile disappeared and she heard the galloping of a horse behind her. She rolled to the right as Aaron passed by her, nearly crushing her. He let out several whinnies and paced back and forth, his head moving up and down. She slowly approached him and stretched a hand out. She heard Greil give her a warning but she put a finger where her lips were behind the scarf. He quieted and she turned her attention to the frantic horse. He watched her wearily until her hand was rested on his snout. She soothed him with kind words then looked at him curiously.

"Where's Ike? He didn't let you loose, did he?" She mumbled. The horses nostrils flared at the sound of Ike's name and he tore his head from her reach and began to pace again. She felt the meal she had eaten a few hours ago settle like a stone. She looked at towards the stable and felt her blood begin to pound in her head. She looked at Greil and shook her head.

"I'm sorry," she said before sprinting to the stables. Greil shouted for her to come back but to no avail. He ran after her, unsure what else to do.

(Ike)

Ike let out a groan. The dim lights seemed brighter than the sun itself at the moment as he squinted through them. His head throbbed but it was a minimal pain compared to the pain he felt coursing through his back. His eyes began to adjust as he gathered his bearings. He was in the stables still, Aaron had panicked and kicked him. Ike would have stood from where he was if he hadn't already been in a standing position. As he cracked open his eyes more and found himself face to face with one of the beams. His hands were tied to around it and he noticed for the first time that he didn't have his shirt on. He felt unbalanced as the usual weight of his sword was absent. Ike began to shuffle to one side, trying to survey the area behind but as soon as he began to move one leg a pain shot up his back. Aaron had done a number on him.

Ike thought of the people he had angered and remembered Sheik's brother. Would he really have gone this far because of an injured pride? Just then a voice echoed through the stable, a couple of horses let out low whinnies.

"You're up, you lazy bastard. I was wondering how long I was going to have to wait," the voice said. It didn't belong to Sheik's brother.

"Yeah, getting kicked by a horse isn't exactly like waking up from a nap. Now, tell me, who are you?" Ike said causally.

"You ran into my son today, I'm sure you remember that. You seem to have forgotten your place in society," he spat.

"What's wrong with your son? Can't he fight his own battles without the help of his daddy?" Ike retorted. Ike grunted as pain flared anew throw his back, the man was applying pressure to the wound.

"This isn't his battle to fight. I'm here for my daughter. She has become rather rebellious over the years and it's time for her to come home," the man hissed in his ear, "Now, if you would be so kind as to tell me where she is," he said, backing away from Ike.

"After demonstrating what kind of people you and your son are, I'm more than happy to tell you that you're a selfish prick that needs to find someone else to pick on besides his own daughter," Ike said calmly. He heard something fall to the ground behind him.

"Link was right, you are a bastard with no restraint," the man said. Ike only had time to note the name Link when a fresh pain ignited on his back. The horses hear the crack of the whip and began to panic; Aaron began tugging at his lead rope, trying to break free. Ike was familiar with sound of leather against skin as he had seen many public whippings in different towns but he had never thought he would be in their place. His jaw clenched and he took a sharp breath in.

"Where is she?" the man asked again.

"Gone. She needed some money, we helped her and when she received her pay she left," he answered.

Another crack sounded and a new pain flared.

"You're a terrible liar. I'll give you three more chances before I slit your throat like the pig you are," he threatened.

"Why don't you do it now and save both of us the time?"

Another crack. Aaron lifted his front legs, snapping the rope, and rushed past them, through the open doors. The man cursed and ran to the door. He was bright enough to close and bar the door, knowing people would come to investigate the runaway horse. Ike could feel the blood run down his back in streams. He knew five lashings was a small feat but the man had made an effort to aim his blows, each lash landed on the large bruise that had formed on his back.

"Change of mind?" The man questioned.

"Just because I'm animalistic in your eyes doesn't mean you can break me like a horse," Ike said.

Another lash, another opportunity of freedom vanished into thin air.

"Last chance."

"What do you accomplish by killing me in the end? It would bring you no closer to finding your daughter."

"Why would I keep around a stubborn ass when there are more willing to do the work?"

"Fair enough, but you don't know the people out there. They won't give you what you want,"

"Then I'll burn this whole camp to the ground," he said simply.

Another crack and it was over. Ike sighed and waited for the cool metal to slice through his flesh. The man cut the ropes from his hands then grabbed him by the hair, pushing him down onto his knees. Cool metal rested just under his left ear. Ike closed his eyes.

(Sheik)

Sheik looked around, trying to find an opening to squeeze through. Both doors had been barred; it would take at least half an hour to ram them open. It took her only a few minutes to find a small ventilation window. She looked at Greil and pointed to it. He nodded and picked her up as if she weighed no more than a sack of flour and just like that she was inside. She quietly landed next one of the panicked horses, wasting no time to exit the stall. She climbed over the stall door and lowered herself. She was at the back of both Ike and… and her father. She forced herself to steel her nerves and quickly made her way to the large barn doors. She looked at the bar gently wrapped her fingers around it. She stopped short when she heard a sharp snap and turned her head in time to see blood stream down Ike's already bruised back.

This is what happens to the people who try to help you, she thought to herself. She lifted the bar slowly, Greil had warned her that is squeaked. She flinched as another crack sounded and another chance was offered. At last she heard the ropes be cut but she had heard her father's threat. Ike was going to die. She couldn't let it happen. Not this time. She threw the bar to the side, an ear piercing squeal echoed through the now silent barn. She turned to face her father and kicked backwards to open the door for Greil and the others who had gathered to see what was happening.

Sheik looked at Ike. His eyes were closed, his face relaxed. He was ready to meet his end. She glared at him. How could he be so weak to give in so easily? She looked up and met her father's gaze. His anger faded and he smiled at her but it was unnatural, his lips curled and his eyes pierced her like a thousand knives. She had expected him to be angry, she had counted on it but this was far from what she had expected. She heard Greil enter behind her, Shinon, Gatrie, and Titania followed. A stunned silence filled the room as they looked at the scene before them. Sensing a change or noticing his prolonged death, Ike opened his eyes and looked at the people before him. He looked at Sheik, he looked her over, making sure she was okay again. She noticed he did the same with each person who had entered. Sheik turned her attention to her father again, he was no longer looking at her but Greil. The knife still against Ike's throat as he said, "Gawain? Where have you been all these years? Ah, my apologies, you go by Greil now, am I right?"

Greil tightened his grip on his axe and stepped forward.

"King Malum, what are you doing?" Greil demanded. Though he was formal his voice suggested he was far from it.

"One of your mercenaries," he tugged on Ike's hair before continuing, "has interfered with some personal business."

"Then you can take the matter up with me. No one punishes one of my men besides me. Especially not my own son," Greil said. His voice was uneven, he was trying to constrain himself from beating her father into a unrecognizable heap of flesh. As she watched she saw her father's face pale.

"This, this is your son?" He stuttered. He glared at Sheik for a second before returning to Greil.

"Perhaps we can make a trade then. Your son, for my daughter."

Sheik felt her hands shake. A mixture of fear and anger surged through her. Greil cocked his head to the side.

"Your daughter?"

"Yes, the one to your left."

Greil turned to Sheik. His gaze questioning. She looked back at him, she steadied her voice.

"You need Ike. It's okay."

She saw Shinon push past the others, he grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Don't. You can't, you know just as well as I what will happen. You promised me you would stay."

"Yeah and let him kill Ike? Shinon, I'll be fine," she said, but they both knew she was bluffing. Before they could say anymore someone broke in.

"Listen to Shinon, Sheik. Like I told Link, you would have to be blind not to see the fear they bring to you," Ike said.

"Malum, if you kill him I will wage war on you. Take her and I'll wage war. She works for me now, she is one of my men and no one just takes them away. Walk away now and we can leave this behind us. Pick one," Greil demanded.

Her father looked at them, his eyes settling on Shinon and Sheik. His glare burning into them. He smirked and moved the knife away from Ike.

(Ike)

Ike allowed himself to swallow as the knife moved away from his throat. He barely had time to get it down before Malum's foot came full force into Ike's back. Ike fell to the ground, pain pulling every muscle tight, making him mute. Ike heard Malum spit the words they had nightmares about, "You'll be receiving my official deceleration of war in the morning."

Then, just as simply as he said it, he was gone.