The Fury of a Patient Man

"Hey, Strider! Someone's here to see you," Mirajane said.

"Are you expecting someone?" Mithrellas asked.

"I am not. I wonder who it could be?" Strider wondered. He headed down to the bar area and saw a woman there. She had orange hair pulled into a tight braid. As she saw Strider, she nodded her head at him to follow. Strider exchanged glances with Mirajane, who looked at her suspiciously. Still, Strider followed. He cast a surreptitious glance at Mavis, who decided to follow him as well.

They had walked for a long while until the woman had taken Strider a fair distance away from the guild. When she stopped and turned, she looked at him up and down.

"Here," she said, pushing an envelope on him. Strider was about to open it when she hissed at him.

"Not here! When you get back!"

"Here, now," Strider said coldly. "Do not jest with me. I am in no mood for idle talk and games."

"If you want to see the bitch and brat again, you'll do precisely as I tell you," she said coldly. Strider felt his heart race increase. Master Mavis's eyes shot wide open as she looked from Strider to the woman and back again.

"Bisca and Asuka? What have you done?" Strider asked, the terror in his voice evident. Mavis was surprised; she had never heard him talk like that before.

"Nothing. Yet, at least," she said, smirking. "If you do anything to me, though, that won't be the case. Follow my instructions to the point. if you do that, I will not hurt them – I swear."

"No one will hurt them, not just you. If I find so much as–"

"You're not in a position to be threatening anyone, least of all me," the woman said. She pulled down her shirt, exposing the top of her breasts. Strider saw two black marks, each in the shape of a sun – one on each breast.

"A Killing Curse," she said, smiling. "If you kill me, the curse immediately activates and kills them. If you hurt me, I can activate it with a single word."

Strider gritted his teeth. Finally, his arms hung limp at his side.

"Are they hurt?" Strider asked.

"They're alive. That's all you need to know," she said.

"What do you want?" he finally asked.

"It's all in that letter. Time, place, and all the details. Open it when you get to your room, and make sure no one sees it. It goes without saying that if you try to pull one on us, their both dead. You might be tough, but even you can't bring people back from the dead," the woman said.

"Fine," Strider hissed at her. "And what may I call you."

"You can just call me Grendel's Mother," she said. With that, she turned and left, exposing her back to him. Strider stood in silence for a minute before returning.

"Strider! What will you do?" Mavis asked.

"I'll fix it, Master," Strider said softly. "And once I tear that curse off her breasts, I'll fill the streets with the blood of anyone involved."

Mavis stopped following. This wasn't the Strider she was used to. He emanated an aura of dread and fear that almost clouded her vision. Gulping, she followed; she would have to play this carefully.

-o-

Strider made no pleasantries as he got back. He immediately headed to his room and ripped the letter open.

2:00 AM. Tonight. Eastern boundary of Magnolia Station. 450 million jewel – the 9 remaining cards from the Century Quest. Come alone and unarmed – no guild-mates, no police, no anyone, and no sword. If you try anything, the curse activates and both die. Burn this letter after reading.

After committing the words to memory, Strider burned the letter as instructed.

'Will you leave me behind?' Anglachel asked in his mind.

"You'll be nearby," Strider whispered, placing Anglachel in a pocket dimension. He gathered the 9 remaining cards and was about to leave to get there early when he heard a knock. Mavis and Makarov came in, both with a worried look.

"What is it?" Makarov asked.

"Extortion," Strider said. "They want the reward from my quest."

"Are you going to give it to them?" Makarov asked.

"Without hesitation. I cannot risk Bisca and Asuka getting hurt. Forgive me, but I cannot allow either of you to come," Strider said.

"They won't see me," Mavis said.

"No, but Asuka will. She's probably really scared," Strider said, his heart beginning to beat violently at the thought. "She might say she sees you, and they might activate the curse. No, you both stay here. I'll come here safely with Asuka and Bisca."

"If so, then I'll research a way to remove the curse from the woman," Mavis said. She turned quick and headed to the library.

"Strider," Makarov said.

"Yes, sir?" Strider asked.

"Do not kill anyone. No matter what, you must not kill. Not in Fiore," Makarov said.

"Master, th–"

"If you do, I will not hesitate in expelling you from the guild," Makarov said sternly. Strider was silent as he stared at the old man.

"Expel me?" Strider asked, stunned.

"I know how powerful you are. Far more powerful than me, in any case," Makarov said, closing his eyes and hunching forward. "But Fairy Tail has always played it straight. And we won't change that – no matter what! You have to promise me that everyone involved will make it out alive! You, Bisca, Asuka, and those bastards that dared take them! Once the curse is removed, we'll deal with them and they'll regret ever messing with this guild. But they must survive. Do you understand me?"

Strider stared at Makarov for a long, hard while. However, the old man didn't avert his eyes – as much as he wanted to. Striders eyes held something different from the rest of the guilds. Even the hardiest of them – Gajeel, Laxus, Natsu, Gray – couldn't conjure up a look that could freeze ones blood in their veins. Whereas Strider's eyes usually twinkled in the light, Makarov saw none of that twinkle right now; instead, it was like looking into an endless abyss. Still, despite the dread he felt, he kept his gaze. Finally, Strider nodded.

"I will not kill them, Master Makarov. I swear it," Strider said softly. Makarov let out the breath he was holding and nodded, managing a small smile.

"Stick around until you need to go. We might find something," Makarov said.

"Yes, sir," Strider said, sitting down on the bed. He watched Makarov go before closing his eyes, trying to get his emotions under control.

-o-

"We haven't found anything! It's to short a notice," Mavis said fretfully.

"It's fine. I'll give them the reward and they'll return Bisca and Asuka. I'm pretty sure they know what I'm capable of. It's why they won't want to lose their leverage," Strider said.

"How are you so calm abut this?" Mavis asked.

"Calm? Me?" Strider asked with a scoff. "Far from it. I'm about ready to lose my mind. But I can't afford to think of shortcuts right now. I'll see you all back with Bisca and Asuka."

As soon as Mira had closed the guild, Strider slipped out. He made his way over to Magnolia station on foot. He picked up his tails rapidly.

'I could snap their necks without a second thought,' he thought to himself. As loathe as he was to admit it, fighting was so much easier.

He made it to Magnolia Station, keeping a steady pace, in just under the 2 hours. He proceeded to the eastern boundary. His heart dropped as he saw Bisca and Asuka laying on the ground. Asuka, while not beaten badly, had blood covering her face. Bisca, however, was in far worse condition. Even in the distance and the night, Striders sight were better than a regular mans. He could tell she was beaten badly; her face was puffy, her lip busted, her nose bleeding, one eye blackened. As Strider saw the half-dead look in her eyes and the state of her clothes, the anger in him anew. He barely reined it back in as the clock reach 2AM. Grendel and Grendel's Mother emerged from the darkness just beyond, staring at Strider.

"Did you bring what we asked?" Grendel's Mother asked.

"I did," Strider said, showing them the nine cards. "What did you do to her?"

"You might be taking care of a another brat real soon," Grendel said viciously. "Hey! Haul them over to him!"

"Careful, champion. One word and they're dead," Grendel's Mother said.

"Silence, woman," Strider said coldly. "Do not make threats you cannot keep. If you killed them, what would happen to you? First, I'd tear all your companions limb from limb. That's the easy part. The hard part is deciding what to do with you two. Do I make the mother suffer as I torture and slaughter her son? Or do I make the son watch as I tear those marks off your breasts? Or do I do something else entirely? I could rip off your nails and then thrust them back into he exposed flesh. I could force you to bite your tongues off and drown in your own blood. I could twist your bodies inside out and poke at the exposed nerves and organs. I could make you sharpen your teeth and eat each other. I could have you claw out your eyes, rip off your ears, and sew your lips shut. I could make you do that to each other. I could torture and kill you as many ways as there are stars in the sky. The only thing preventing that right now is Bisca and Asuka still alive. Were that situation to change, all eight of you will die painfully. Now do as the brat told you, boy. Bring them to me – now!"

They all stared in silence. Grendel turned to his mother, who had gone white in fear. She knew that the threat was all she had over Strider; as soon as that went, it would be all over. With one nod, two men picked up Asuka and Bisca and brought them to Strider, Grendel's Mother following behind them. Strider gulped as he got a better look at their conditions.

"Bisca," Strider whispered. She only let out a pained groan. As Strider reached out to touch her, she suddenly shrieked. He immediately retracted his hand. He telekinetically supported both of them before turning his attention to Grendel's Mother. He presented the 9 cards to her.

"Pleasur–"

"Enough. Leave my sight," Strider ordered.

"You think you can boss me around?" she snarled at him.

"I know that I can," Strider growled. "I am Strider. You are nothing, and less than even that without leverage. Now do as I say, woman, boy. And do not think that there is a place in this world you are safe. If, when I get home, I find Bisca and Asuka aren't with us anymore, I will hunt you down like the animals you are. And then I'll treat you like the animals you are. I've already chased my enemies to the ends of the world. You are no different. Go, and take your dogs with you.

"Let's go," Grendel's Mother said. "We're done here."

"It's not as though you have a choice," Strider sneered at them. "Perhaps we'll run into each other soon."

Suddenly, the wind picked up. It was a stronger gale than anyone had experienced before. They turned to look at Strider, standing eerily in the night. They continued walking. When Grendel and his mother turned to look again, they saw Strider had not moved an inch from his position – but this time, they saw that his eyes and mouth were blazing blue.

"What the hell is he?" Grendel hissed.

"Keep moving!" Grendel's Mother snarled at him. He obeyed. They hadn't gotten more than a couple more meters when they heard a sinister laugh carry over the wind.

"Keep running. Don't look back!" Grendel's Mother finally shouted at all of them. She, however, couldn't help herself. When she turned around, all she saw was three faint, blue lights.

-o-

As Strider walked home, gently levitating Bisca and Asuka along, his mind was on what Grendel said.

'You might be taking care of a another brat real soon.' As the full weight of the words finally hit him, Strider's magic cut loose. The bridge he walked over to pass the river began to crumble with every step until, at last, there was nothing left – it had fallen into the water. The very ground he walked on felt his anger, as each step left a deep impression. It took every bit of focus he had to make sure that the buildings didn't begin to crumble; even still, more than a dozen were left with damage.

When he got close to the guild halls, the doors blew inwards, ripped off their hinges. Mavis, Makarov, and Mithrellas all came down. As they saw Bisca and Asuka's condition, they felt their hearts drop. Strider brought them to his room and laid them on the bed; meanwhile, Makarov quickly called Porlyusica and explained what happened. As soon as he said "Bisca and Asuka", Porlyusica had already left her house; by the time he finished his sentence, she had already crossed a fair distance.

Strider sat listlessly as he watched Porlyusica treat the two. Asuka had been hit a few times, but escaped serious damage; she had a cut on her head and above her eye that was bleeding, but had mostly escaped serious injury. That, however, was of little satisfaction to Strider; that any injury had happened to her was the problem, and the psychological injuries he wasn't yet aware of.

Bisca was much worse. Besides the blackened eyes, busted lip, and swollen face, she was bleeding from the back of the head, likely from being struck there. She had bullet grazes over her body and one of her arms was mangled, the fingers bent in different directions. Her clothes were ripped and torn and even though her eyes were open, it was as though she couldn't see a thing.

"The bastard raped her," Porlyusica finally said. She nodded to Mavis and Makarov, who both left with her; leaving Mithrellas and Strider alone with Bisca and Asuka. Mithrellas watched as silent tears began to fall from Striders eyes.

"Anairë," he said, looking at Bisca's prone form. "Bisca."

"Get some rest, Strider," Mithrellas said gently. "I will take care of them for the night. Perhaps I might be able to tap into my knowledge to remove the curse on them and treat them a little more."

Without any affirmation, Strider took his leave.

-o-

"Strider! Where are you going?" Makarov demanded.

"Out, Master," Strider said. "Mithrellas is looking for a way to remove the curse. She's better suited to the task than I am. I… just need something to clear my mind."

"Alright," Makarov said. Strider turned to face him, an empty look in his eye.

"As I promised, Master Makarov, I will not kill them, regardless of how well deserved it may be," Strider said. Satisfied, Makarov nodded.

-o-

As soon as Strider left the guild, he shot high into the sky and headed eastward. He made sure to stay out of sight and keep a birds eye view of them. He scanned the ground, looking for any human figures that might be moving. It wasn't long until he found his mark. A camp had been set atop a hill. The fire had been put out, so most would've missed it; however, Strider, more than most, knew what embers looked like. Under the cover of night, he identified the positions of all eight of Grendel's crew. He used his telekinesis to help carry the sound waves over to him.

"Did you really have to fuck her?" one man asked in a gruff voice.

"That bitch cheated on me!" Grendel snarled.

"Can't really blame her," a woman's voice said.

"Fuck off!"

"You didn't feel anything when you saw your little girl?"

"She's barely mine. First time I even saw her. Hey, champs doing a good of taking care of my kid! Why should I complain? If he loves her so much, he can take care of another one for all I care," Grendel laughed.

"Can't believe he fell for the curse thing, though," another man laughed. "Is there really a curse that works like that, miss?"

"There is, but it only works both ways," Grendel's Mother explaining, tending to the embers. "I wasn't about to give her the chance to kill me."

As soon as he heard that, Strider felt a wave of relief rush over him. Still, he wasn't going to take a chance; he'd get the correct information out of her, one way or another.

"The champion… you don't think he'd actually do what he threatened to do, do you?" another man asked.

"He probably would," Grendel's Mother said, shivering at the thought. "He doesn't lie. That much is obvious."

"We're free and clear of him now. No use worrying. Let's get some shut-eye for now. We'll double back in the morning and catch the first train out of town," Grendel said. The others agreed. They had began to move towards their tents when their bodies suddenly froze up.

"What the fuck?!" Grendel screamed; all he could do was move his lips and eyes. They swiveled until they set on Strider, who had just walked into the middle of the camp.

"Leaving so soon?" Strider asked, his eyes and mouth blazing blue. He put a hand to Grendel's Mothers face. Her eyes and mouth suddenly began to blaze blue. The others were barely able to let out a single scream before their mouths shut closed, hard. Even over the wind, Strider heard several teeth crack and break.

"Ah. Excellent," Strider said in a menacing tone. Both of their faces returned to normal as he washed the oil of her face on her shirt.

"Bastard! I'm going to–"

"You're going to nothing," Strider said viciously, reigniting the fire. "There is no curse. I know that now. A clever ploy, to be sure."

He went over to Grendel and telekinetically lifted all 9 of the 50,000,000 jewel cards out. Storing them safely in a pocket dimension, he gave them their voices back. Grendel screamed and cried for help – they all did – but the wind did not carry their voices, nor did it echo them back. They were all at Striders mercy.

"Do you remember what I told you all earlier?" Strider asked softly. "To answer your question, I can in fact do everything that I threatened too. But alas, I made a promise to Master Makarov – I will not kill you, and you'd probably end up dead pretty quick if I did that." He walked over to Grendel's Mother and made her look at him.

"If I were your son, can you just imagine what I would do to you?" Strider asked, running a finger down her cheek. As he saw that, Grendel began to scream and cry at Strider. Strider looked back and scoffed. "Pathetic. Silence, boy." Immediately, Grendel lost his voice again.

"Well? What would I do? Can you guess?" Strider asked softly, leaning in close. Grendel's Mother could feel his breath on her lips. She shuddered violently and closed her eyes, wondering what would come next. Suddenly, Strider withdrew.

"Not on your life. Alas, I have standards. Your son, however, is subhuman. A life only a mother could miss, in fact," Strider said, walking over too Grendel. He let him talk again. Grendel looked at Strider with wide eyes full of fear.

"I-I-I'm so fucking sorry! I'm a fucking bastard! A rapist! I'll fucking do anything, man! Anything! Please, just let me fucking go! I-I-I'll go to the fucking cops, yeah?! I'll rat them all out! Just don't fucking kill me, man! Please!" Grendel cried. His companions immediately started yelling at him. In turn, they offered the same, increasing the scope and magnitude of the crimes they'd admit too.

"Quiet!" Strider hissed; immediately, they all fell silent. "Did you not hear me? I won't kill any of you. No, not even you, boy."

"You're a saint, man! Thank you! Thank you! I-I'll go to the guild and apologize first, yeah?! Then, you can take me to the police!" Grendel said, eager to offer as much as he could. To his surprise, Strider just chuckled.

"You cannot be serious. I will take the others to the police. Your mother and your six companions. You, though, have another punishment in store," Strider said. He grabbed Grendel by the collar and pulled him close, a monstrous look in his eye. He forced Grendel down on his knees, in front of his mother.

"Watch closely, woman, and make peace with your son. I am nothing if not magnanimous, after all," Strider said, his mouth and eyes blazing blue. His right hand tightly grabbed Grendel's head. Grendel let out an earth-shattering scream that filled the empty night, reaching to the stars. His eyes suddenly turned blue; a moment after, his mouth began to burn blue as well. A minute later, he was still. Grendel's Mother looked on in terror as her son became unresponsive; to every "Grendel!", the blue light that emanated from his eyes and mouth just brightened and dimmed. The only signs of life were that he was breathing; besides that, it was as though Strider had turned him into a statue.

"He will never recover. He is alive, but he is no longer himself. It is worse than a vegetative state. You see, he can still feel all sensations. If I were to punch him, for instance," Strider said, doing so. Grendel didn't move at all. "He can still feel it. But he can't do anything about it. He will live out his natural life like this, locked in his own body. But I did not kill him, did I?"

"Monster," Grendel's Mother whispered. "You're a monster."

"If I am, then I am the monster that other monsters should fear," Strider snarled at her. Suddenly, he grabbed Grendel and flew out of sight. It was a long several minutes before he came back, without Grendel.

"Where's my son?!" Grendel's Mother shouted.

"Alive," Strider said honestly. "I put him in a cave. It's not particularly nice. Perhaps he'll be eaten alive by insects? Or they'll lay their eggs inside him? Whatever it is, I assure you he will feel it."

"Pleas–" she began before Strider silence her.

"Enough," he said softly. "As I said, I'll be turning you over to the police. None of you will utter a word of what you have seen here; otherwise, I'll do even worse to you. Am I understood?" They all nodded, except Grendel's Mother.

"Ah. A mother that is willing to do anything to protect her son. How deep does your love run for him?" Strider wondered. "I could join you two together, if you'd like. As I said, I am nothing if not magnanimous."

The thought of what had happened to her son happening to her was too much, however. She tearfully assented to Striders terms. To their dismay, Strider just laughed.

"While I am glad that you so readily agreed, you cannot think that I'd actually believe you to keep your word, do you? Don't worry, you'll still end up at the police. But just to be safe that you won't break your promise…" Strider trailed off, his eyes and mouth once more erupting blue. he went around and Dominated each and every one of them, giving them their orders – with a little extra to Grendel's Mother. They would only tell the police what he wanted them to say, and no more. No one would utter a word of Grendel.

Roping them all together, Strider led them on the long march back to Magnolia, taking the most difficult routes he could. The sun had still not risen when he made it across the threshold of the town. As soon as he was in the city proper, he phone Makarov to meet him at the jail. When they arrived, the police were waiting with Makarov and a still invisible Mavis. Both were received to see all of the criminals alive and breathing.

"Where's the one who…?" Makarov began.

"I killed him," Grendel's Mother suddenly said, her eyes full of tears. "That little bastard tried to screw us over. He tried to take all the jewel cards."

"Where's his body?" a police officer asked.

"Ha! As if I'd leave one to be found," she said viciously. "Stupid boy..."

"I would've preferred to see him locked up for the rest of his miserable life," Makarov said coldly.

"We all would. But at least Bisca will have some closure," Mavis said softly. "We're proud of you for bringing them here, Strider."

"Trust me when I say I would've been fine if the situation turned out a little worse," Strider growled. "But I certainly don't want to be expelled from the guild."

"I'm sorry for the threat, my boy," Makarov said apologetically. "But I hope you understand why it's so important. Fairy Tail does not kill. We do not stoop to the level of others."

"Of course, sir," Strider said, looking at him. Makarov was surprised to see the cold gaze. "Alas, not all of us have the luck to remain so virginal in the face of evil."

Without another word, Strider headed back to the guild. Makarov's head fell slightly.

"Perhaps I went to far," he said. Mavis was silent; she wasn't sure how to respond.

-o-

As soon as Mira came in the next morning, Makarov and Mavis quickly took her to the office. Mira listened to the events of the night before, her horror growing with each word until, almost unwittingly, she had transformed into her Satan Soul.

"Where is he?! I'm going to kill that bastard!" Mira screamed.

"His mother got to him before you did," Makarov said.

"That fucking cunt," Mira snarled. "Where's Bisca? And Asuka?"

"They're resting in Strider's room. It's important that they get the rest they need, Mirajane. If anyone asks, tell them that they're resting. If someone wants to see them for a statement, turn them away for now. If they try to force their way in… handle the situation delicately, but don't worry about it to much. Prepare a separate room for Mrs. Porlyusica; she'll be staying with us for a little while," Makarov said.

"Should I tell anyone else?" Mira asked.

"Erza, Cana, and Lucy. They're closest with her, and perhaps they can help," Mavis said.

"Alright. Can I go see them, Master?"

"You may. But quietly," Makarov said. Mira jumped out of her seat and rushed over to Striders room. As she opened the door, she felt her heart fall. Asuka and Bisca were both covered in bandages, obviously asleep. Strider looked askance and nodded at Mira before turning his attention to Bisca and Asuka.

"How did this happen?" Mira asked softly, tears beginning to fall. Strider filled her in on the details of the day.

"It's all my fault," Strider growled. "I ought not have left them alone with him."

"This is their fault, Strider. No one is blaming you. You couldn't have known," Mira said.

"I ought to have known. I know the hearts of men better than most. How did I not see this?" Strider asked.

"You try to see the best in people," Mira said, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I can watch over them for a while. You get some rest."

"I will not rest until they're fully cognizant," Strider said in a final tone. Mira leaned down and kissed his head.

"Okay. But don't push yourself too much. You're still only a man," she said softly. "Let me know as soon as they wake up so I can get them something to eat."

"I will," Strider said.

As they day dragged on, Erza, Cana, and Lucy made their way to his room. As they saw their condition, their anger was almost unabated. All had a similar thought: kill however had done this to Bisca & Asuka. As Strider filled them in on the details, their desire for revenge crushed, they could do little else but just hope that the two would get better.

It was early morning the day after that Asuka began to stir. Strider watched with bated breath as Asuka slowly, gently, opened her eyes. When they were fully open, she blinked a few times and looked around. She looked at Bisca first, and saw she was asleep. Then she looked at Strider, who managed to conjure a smile. As she saw him, Asuka immediately started crying.

Strider was unsure of what to do; no doubt she was still feeling tender and bruised and he didn't want to hurt her already. He summoned Mavis, Makarov, Mira, and Porlyusica – all of whom were already half way there when they heard Asuka.

"No need to cry, sweetheart," Porlyusica said kindly as she knelt down and began tending to her.

"Papa!" Asuka screamed loudly. Strider was immediately beside her.

"What is it, Asuka?" Strider asked quietly.

"Mama!" Asuka shouted, pointing at Bisca.

"She's just sleeping for now. She'll wake up soon," Strider said gently. That didn't satisfy Asuka at all. She kicked and punched herself free of Porlyusica's grasp and began shaking Bisca.

"Mama! Wake up! Please! Wake up, mama!" Asuka shouted. The sight was enough to make them all break down. Strider chanced getting a little close.

"She needs rest, my dear," Strider said softly. "I promise we'll stay here until she wakes up. But she's a little hurt right now."

"My fault?" Asuka asked Strider, her lips trembling. "My other papa…"

"He's gone now, Asuka. He won't ever hurt you or your mother ever again. I promise," Strider said softly. "And no, this is not your fault. Not even a little. Its his fault. But he's gone, okay? Do you understand?"

Asuka just nodded a little. She broke down in tears again and hugged Striders arm. Strider suppressed the pain in his shoulder and scooped Asuka up in his arms, gently rocking her. He sat down on the chair and ushered Porlyusica over to him. She began checking up on Asuka again, making sure she was okay.

"While we wait for your mother to wake up, why don't I tell you a story, Asuka? Would you like that?" Strider asked.

"Story?" Asuka asked. After Porlyusica finished, she cuddled closer to Strider and hugged him close.

"Don't hug her too tight," Porlyusica warned him. "There's no broken bones, no concussion. She's just tender and bruised. Still, be careful."

"I will," Strider said softly. "That's right, sweetheart. A story. It's an adventure story about the uncle of a friend of mine. It's all true, too. Do you want to hear it?" Asuka nodded. Strider gave the others a look that said 'get out' and they all did so. Mira immediately began to prepare some food for them, while Mavis and Makarov thanked everything they could that Asuka was up again.

"W-what's the story, papa?" Asuka asked, her eyes flitting between Strider and Bisca.

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit…" Strider began.

"What's a hobbit?" Asuka immediately asked. Strider was only barely able to repress his laugh; this was sure to be a long, question-filled story.

-o-

Strider had finally gone through recounting the entire tale to Asuka. He was thankful that she was so captivated, that her mind was taken off the situation. Day had come, gone, and come again but neither seemed particularly tired. The only times when he stopped was when Asuka wanted to take a short nap. He put her next to Bisca and just monitored them, making sure everything was taken care of the two were as comfortable as could be. This continued until he reached the end.

"Is there more?" Asuka asked.

"So much more, my dear. But I'll tell you those stories later," Strider said softly.

"That's a shame. I was hoping to hear more," another voice suddenly cut in. Strider slowly looked to the bed and saw that Bisca was finally awake. Her head was slightly tilted towards him, a small smile on her face.

"Mama! You're awake!" Asuka cried happily. Strider quickly her over and put Asuka on the bed. She crawled over to Bisca and hugged her tightly. Bisca hugged her back, tears quickly forming in her eyes. Strider was about to call the others, but she stopped him.

"Not yet," Bisca said, shifting a bit. She slowly got into a seated position, holding Asuka close to her.

"Forgive me," Strider said softly. "I should've been there for you. I shouldn't have relented so quickly."

"You did what I asked. It's not your fault, Strider," Bisca said softly.

"I ought to have known better," Strider said, remembering what he said to Mira. "Forgive me."

"I do," Bisca said softly.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Strider," Bisca suddenly said, kissing Asuka's head.

"Why are you sorry?" Strider asked.

"When they took us, h-he started to ask about the Century Quest and the reward. He said he'd let Asuka go if I-I told him what he wanted to hear," Bisca said, squeezing Asuka a little tighter. Even though it hurt a little, Asuka didn't say anything. She patted Bisca on the shoulder, trying to comfort her mother. "I-I told him about your reward. That's why they went to you."

"You did the absolute right thing, Bisca," Strider said comfortingly. "Asuka's far more important than any meager reward. If they wanted to exchange me for her, you still ought to have agreed."

"I-I-I thought they might at least let her go if I gave them what they wanted," Bisca cried. "I…"

"Shh. You're safe now," Strider said comfortingly.

As she moved her legs, her lips began to tremble.

"Strider, he…"

"I know, Bisca," Strider said softly. He pointed to the bed. "May I…?"

"Y-yes," she nodded. Measuredly, he sat on the bed. Closing her eyes, Bisca touched his hands with hers. Tears quickly came to her eyes; despite not wanting to cry in front of her daughter, she broke down.

"Don't cry, mama," Asuka said, beginning to cry as well. Mother and daughter hugged each other tight while Strider sat there, helpless.