A sudden gust of wind swoops down from the heights, enjoying messing with any and every object that obstructs it--First, a bird flying low in search of food was battered by the gust and almost lost control, nearly missing a tree trunk. Second, a leaf was rudely yanked from it's dwelling place on the underside of a low branch and stolen away, eventually floating softly into the water as the gust found it's third target; a light brown tussle of messy hair upon the head of a 17-year old mercenary. The lock blew up out of his dark brown eyes, no longer blocking from view the sorrow and apprehension that had plagued him for weeks; nay, years. However, these feelings of woe were revived mere weeks ago when he witnessed the murder.

A merchant, stealthily and cleverly dispatched in an alley of Castle Town. Nobody knew who was responsible; not many people cared, save the merchant's family and friends.

However, Sabertache had seen more. The back of the neck...that same cursed seal, that mark that had haunted him for ten years now, that dreaded shape that set apart the merchant from other victims of homicidal acts. The insignia that had driven Saber over the last decade, his sole desire was to see that mark.

So then, why was he not happy? Instead, he was filled with dread! Why did he fear the future he had worked towards for over half his life? Did he no longer care of his family?

He let out a heavy sigh and let his gaze drift down towards the lake in front of him as the wind-buffeted leaf landed in the liquid mirror. A single ripple spread out from the point of contact.He watched as it spread across the otherwise smooth surface of the lake. "It's amazing..." He began, speaking to his rising and falling reflection, "How such a small, everyday event, such as a leaf's descent, can cause such a large disturbance in the peace.." He watched the ripple bounce off his immersed lower legs and the sides of the pool near him. Eventually the waves multiplied into a mass of rebounding waves, degenerating the beautiful lake's surface into a rippling mayhem.

"...and it's amazing how that one disturbance can cause so much chaos.." The water eventually settled, and he once again saw himself in the reflection. He could barely stand to see himself--He was a wreck, his face sullen and worn, his eyes with multitudes of bags and his hair a complete mess. Next to him was his saber, sticking straight up out of the ground where he had stuck it. He reached over and plucked the blade out, looking at the blade thoughtfully.

Memories of his father training him to use the sword. He had barely begun--he was but a few weeks into lessons when his world was taken from him. He couldn't stand to remember it any more! He squeezed his brimming eyes shut, tossing the blade recklessly to the side. It skidded across the shoreline, making a group of ripples each time it touched the water's edge. His watery eyes opened and observed the disturbances he had caused in the peacefulness of the lake. A single tear dripped from his right eye as his mouth began to quiver.

"Father...you do still talk to me through the sword...and I understand now...I vow to hunt them down...I will not rest until there is not a trace left of that mark...of that damned rabbit foot!" The floodgates behind his eyes opened, and the salty tears flowed out as he bent over the lake and let loose the pent up sorrow he had accrued over all this time. Because from now on, there would be no more time for tears.

OOC: Welcome to my story

At this point, only ZV and HNS can join for story purposes, but more can join soon once I make another thread.

Rose had been playing her flute as she was walking along. Key word "had been." She had learned that it took quite a lot of concentration to focus on both the fingering and where she was going. So the ranger opted to hum instead, placing the flute back into its case slung across her back along with her bow and arrows. Arrows that had taken her some time to get used to; the wood used to make arrows back in her homeland of Tarm had been lighter, but made an arrow just as deadly as the ones in Hyrule.

Rose frowned slightly when she realized she was humming a battle tune instead of the walking tune she had been humming. She shook her head and tried humming the walking tune again, but she couldn't seem to get it back into her head. Her frown deepened and she tried to hum Tarm's national anthem, but that turned into the battle hymn as well. She shrugged her shoulders and just stopped humming, but the notes for the battle was still in her head.

The human let out a little growl. The song I want stuck in my head is never stuck there, she thought to herself.

Luckily for her, Rose had found a distraction. Off in the distance was a slightly familiar figure. As she got closer, she placed a name with the face. "Hello," she called out. "Saber, was it?"

Saber jumped up quickly, startled by the voice behind him. He quickly rubbed his eyes before turning to face the owner of the voice. Gaining his composure, he brushed a bit of his hair into his eyes to cover up the evidence of his crying and glanced over his shoulder. A girl stood behind him, she looked fairly familiar...where had he seen her....Rose, that was it. He turned to face her, giving a wistful half-grin.

"Um, yes, yes, I'm Saber. You are Rose, correct?" He tried to clear his throat and choke back the convulsing sobs that had possessed him just seconds ago. "What brings you here? This isn't a very well traveled area, as far as I knew." He bent over and retrieved his saber, sticking it back in it's sheath and strapping it to his belt so it hang loosely off his hip.

The ranger grinned, glad her memory hadn't failed her. "Yes, it is Rose," she replied to his inquiry. "And I'm a ranger. I travel all over Hyrule. So to answer your question of what brings me here, I was just passing by. But what brings you all the way over here? Don't you have some kind of booth over near Tantari?" She hoped for the second time in as many minutes that her memory didn't go against her. Deciding not to take that chance, she quickly changed the subject. She had noticed that seemed to be bothering the Hylian, so with concern in her voice, she asked, "Is something wrong? You look like you've been crying."

"yes, actually, I do own the Tantari booth..." He began before Rose asked more questions. As she finished he turned away again, hiding his face. "Never you mind..." He said lowly, his fist shaking as he stared at his reflection. Crap, the tears are coming back! He looked up at the sun, as if hoping the glowing orb would evaporate the vessels of sadness on the spot.

"I was actually about to leave." He continued, hoping to end this as quickly as possible so he could continue on his way. He realized he had been gripping his saber's hilt rather tightly, and he released the sword, his white knuckles regaining color. "I have...a personal mission to accomplish. I'm going to infiltrate a gang's bunker..." He barely noticed that his grip on the hilt had returned; even so, he didn't care. He finished the sentence through grating teeth. "And tear every man in there apart, limb by limb."

Rose frowned as Saber told her of his plans. She didn't know the Hylian very well, but she wasn't about to let him do something reckless. "Whoa, hold up. You're doing what?" she demanded with concern in her voice. "Whatever your reason, don't just go after a gang by yourself. You'll be the one getting torn limb from limb. Tell me why you're after them, and I'll probably help you." Her voice was sincere. Hopefully Saber would not continue trying to push her away. She would not be able to live with herself if she knew that she could have prevented the death of a fellow adventurer but had done nothing.

He grunted angrily, trying not to snap at the persistent ranger. His right hand was a ghostly white as he nearly smashed the hilt with his intense grip, and his other hand balled into a fist, his nails clawing into the base of the palm. "You sit there and tell me what I can and can't do..." He spun around as the pain welled up inside him again, and he felt his eyes water up even more. "Without even knowing what fuels me?!? You have no idea what kind of situation I've been thrust into! My whole life was taken away, destroyed, picked apart like a doll in the hands of a sadistic child, and now that I have the chance to avenge them, I should refuse it?!?" The tears streamed down his cheek as he looked away. He had lost a lot of his anger after that sentence, but the loss of anger left him with only despair. "You have no idea what this situation is like...I had everybody I knew and loved, my family, toyed with by this gang! That's why...I have to do this...He cast a sorrowful gaze over towards the other shore, and his fist opened.

Rose listened intently to what Saber had to say. She remained calm; yelling at the mercenary wasn't going to help. Instead, when he is done talking, she spoke up in a quiet, but clear, voice, "I'm only trying to make sure you don't get yourself killed. And I do have an idea of what your situation is like." She reached down into her shirt, pulling out a chain with a golden ring on it; it was obviously a wedding band. "Not too long before I came here, I was heading back to Tarm City. I was visiting the Gorons east of the city. There had been a slight dispute between the humans and the rock eaters, and my unit was sent to help resolve it. My husband Baris was there as well, performing at a few inns for a while. We were both leaving Goron Mountain at the same time, so he traveled with us. A couple of days from the city, we were ambushed by Stalfoses. I would call it a battle, but that would be lying. We fought hard, but they overwhelmed us. Baris told me to go back to Tarm City to warn them. I wanted him to come back with me, but he refused. He sacrificed his life so that I could escape. After I had led the inhabitants of Tarm City to safety, I wanted to go back and find out who sent a small squad of Stalfoses after me, but I was sent here before I could." At this point, Rose was fighting back tears herself.

"I'm not going to stop you from going, Saber," she continued, her voice as calm as ever. "Unlike me, you can avenge your family. But don't throw your life away in the process. I ask of you, let me help you. You might be able to come out of this alive if another helps you."

At first, Saber was disgruntled. Who was she, to come out of nowhere and start caring all of a sudden? He was nothing to her, barely an acquaintance even! He whirled upon her, about to start yelling again, when his gaze landed on a golden item. A wedding band...He was taken aback, and internally scolded himself. I'm such a fool...I knew nothing of her situation, yet I assumed so much...He listened to her story, each sentence making him feel more and more foolish. She knows exactly what it's like...he thought, looking back up at her and reading her eyes. Everything she says is true...her care is genuine...can...can I trust her?He felt his saber hilt--he could usually pick up some aura off of it. He liked to think it was his father's spirit staying in touch. Yes....I think I can...

He cleared his throat as she finished. His anger was subsided completely, leaving nothing but regret and shame. "I beg your forgiveness..." He started, looking down and shaking his head. "I may have offended you in my fury...I apologize...and if you wish to accompany me, you may. What you said is true--where I am going, it's too dangerous for more than one man...I must warn you though." He lifted his head again; the tears had subsided. "I'm planning on infiltrating a bunker full of ruthless and bloodthirsty thieves. There is no way we can fight them off. This is practically a suicide mission, with our only way of surviving is to be able to take them out systematically through stealth and skill. If we are caught prematurely, we could be eliminated incredibly easily." He sighed. There was no way she would want to go after hearing this. "If you still wish to go, I would appreciate your help greatly."

Rose nodded her head. "You're forgiven." And then Saber mentioned that stealth was needed. She let out a small chuckle. "Stealth isn't my forte, but I can certainly try. Although, I do have a rather unique ability, so if need be, I could use it to become quieter. However, if any doors need opening, you'd have to do it." She then paused, thinking that the merc would have no clue what she was talking about. Well, apparently he was placing trust in her, so she would have to do the same. "My unique ability? You're probably wondering about it. A great deal of scholars would wonder about it as well, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell any that you come across." Rose took a deep breath and scanned the area. "When I came to Hyrule, I was gifted with the ability to shape shift. Undoubtedly, it'll be a huge asset to your mission. And maybe it won't seem like such a suicidal run then, especially if you have a dragon on your side." She let out a small smile, hoping she didn't give the Hylian too much of a shock.

OOC: Um, wasn't ZV going to be posting here as well?

OOC: You know, he was. I was talking to him when I posted it two nights ago and he said he was on his way, but he never has. I sent him a PM though, he should take care of it sometime soon.

IC:Saber was puzzled as to the identity of this unique ability. Could she cast Fairy? She didn't seem the scholarly type...Then she revealed the big secret, and his mouth dropped open. "Shape...shifting...? Wow...that's...really unique..." His mouth clamped shut and he saluted. "Don't worry though, the secret's safe with me."A dragon would be immensely helpful for fighting, for stealth I doubt it though...do you have anything for stealth purposes?" He queried, raising an eyebrow. Just how much was she capable of...?

"More than you would think." A new voice sailed the airwaves. Dogura has had the nasty habit of reading people's minds, when they weren't his to raid. He'd been trying to fix it, but he's failed miserably. The samurai seemed to pop up out of nowhere. In fact, he probably had. "Hello there Saber, Rose." The vagabond would have been here earlier, but he was... otherwise distracted from his course.

OOC: Sorry for the post! Short and late! Can we move this along now?

Saber jumped back in surprise at the samurai's appearance, and swiftly raised his hand; partly to block the sun, but mostly to hide the effects of his weeping from the samurai. He had already broken down in front of him a month ago; no need to do it again. "Umm...hi Dogura, we were just.." He started fumbling with the words, trying to come up with a viable excuse.

Suddenly his face lit up. Dogura was one of his closest friends. Maybe, just maybe...No. He wouldn't put the samurai in the line of danger like that...He glanced at Rose. Hopefully she'll stay quiet about it as well...

"A few, such as a wolf, a variant of the wolfos," Rose replied. And then Dogura came along. His comment confused her until the ranger remembered that her fellow ranger was a telepath. "Hello, Dogura," she said. "Glad to see you. And you two already know each other? Good." And then she remembered the rest of the samurai's skills. She looked at Saber, unaware of Saber's silent wish, and said, "We should bring Dogura with us. He can help us."

The samurai cocked his head. "Help you with what?" He stopped, and glanced around nervously. Oh man... another adventure... I hope I don't get suckered into something hard.. Tonight is the night that I sleep... I'm exhasted. And it was true. Dogura was to sleep on this night. Just as Dogura was about to sneak away, when something slammed right into him! He tumbled, and layed there. He was a bit to tired to get up. A familiar voice rang out in the distance. "Dogura!! Stop that man!" Dogura opened his eyes, and looked up to see a man with a large sack over his shoulder. Dogura looked down the field to see Alex running full speed, and Darkin flying overhead. "Stop him!" The man was bald, and had beady eyes. Dogura didn't like the look of the man, and instantly knew him to be trouble. The samurai, who was still on the ground, grabbed the man's ankle. "Hey... Whats in the sack?" The man began to cry. "Let me go! I swear, you can have it, just let me go!" The man dropped the sack, and Dogura released him. The thief took off, and Darkin landed at the same time Alex reached Dogura. Darkin was so winded that he couldn't speak. "Th-(pant) That guy-(puff) He got the-(pant)" Dogura frowned. "Out with it bird!" Darkin glared at Dogura. "I'm not just a bird you know. (pant) I'm highly evolved!" Alex finally spoke up. "Darkin had gathered ingrediants to make more flamable powder, and that guy took off with it! As wierd as he ran, he was fast!" Darkin finally stood up from his doubled over position. "Oh, hey Saber. Whats up Rose! What is this a party?" Alex put his hands on his hips. "And I wasn't invited?" Dogura stood up, and brushed himself off. "Saber was just about to explain something to me. You guys got here just in time."

OOC: Its all yours Saber. And it was Sakon by the way