#songverse

Like right now, Wind always had a hard time waking up after a nightmare. The terror always sapped his energy from him and left him exhausted for days afterward, even if he tried to pretend that it didn't affect him. So it's with your fingers softly running through his hair and gentle humming that you bring him to wakefulness. "Come on, sleepyhead, it's time to wake up." You smiled as you watched him roll away from you.

"Don't wanna," he mumbled sleepily, obviously still half in the land of dreams.

"Okay, then I guess we'll just have to give Rancher your breakfast. Like most kids his age, Wind was food driven, and that was proven by the way he launched up out of bed. You couldn't even try to suppress your laughter.

"You are the best little brother anyone could ask for," You told him as you ruffled his hair.

"I'm not a kid," Wind Declared as he glared at you while fixing his hair.

"Never said you were; now come on, let's go see what the wild child's made for breakfast before someone really does eat it for us." If you didn't know any better, you'd almost say you heard First chuckle, but you doubted that. After all, he made Legend seem like an open book.

Still, it was a nice laugh, warm but understated, like the hint of cinnamon your mother used to put into her tea.

Damn, you still missed her, but it was an old ache. She'd died when you were still little, yet her memory still caught you off guard sometimes. It was a pain most of the group shared; after all, you were just a bunch of unlucky orphans.

*-*-*

Wind had been glued to your side all morning; even after breakfast, he'd insisted on keeping you within eyesight. It made you wonder about what he'd dreamed of last night. Whatever it'd been had to be bad, but you left it alone. You all had parts of your stories you didn't want to talk about, and you'd never push them to talk about something you wouldn't talk about yourself.

You weren't unfamiliar with long lonely nights under the stars or days running on nothing but sheer willpower, nor the way they could leave you feeling helpless with the weight of the world on your shoulders.

So as much as you wanted to pry into Wind's nightmares, you wouldn't. If he ever decided to share, you'd listen, but until then, you'd just comfort him as best you could.

*-*-*

First was worried about the little pirate; his nightmare had left the boy jumpy and on edge, like danger was just around to corner. While being vigilant was good, being hyper-vigilant would do nothing but leave you exhausted and unable to face a threat when one did appear.

Even knowing this, First's own experiences forced him to be on edge at even the slightest hint of trouble. It was all First could do to keep his hand away from his sword. It did calm his nerves a bit to see the young pirate sticking close to you; between your own skills and the boy's, First had no doubt that the two of you would be safe.

Still, by the time the group had stopped to make camp, he was glad it wasn't his night on watch rotation. Even if he doubted he'd actually get them, he'd at least have a chance at a few extra hours of sleep. Most of them suffered from nightmares of some sort, and First had his own share of demons that chased him in his sleep.

Even so, he wasn't happy that you and Wind would lose more sleep tonight, but that was what it was. Neither you nor the boy would stand for being treated differently than everyone else, and First could understand that. You and Wind had both earned your scars, and come morning light, he had no doubt that the two of you would be safe and sound.

*-*-*

First was surprised when you sat by him for supper; he'd assumed you'd still be angry with him.

"Thanks for not saying anything about Wind." You said while watching the hero in question as he seemed to be regaling Four with a tale of his time at sea. Wind always seemed to speak with his hands as much as his words. It made First wonder if he could decipher the story all the way over here.

"I understand the boy's pride. And besides, you seemed to have the situation well in hand." Told you after taking a sip of his soup.

"I'm surprised to hear that from you." You teased First, who stared off into the distance before nodding to himself.

"I know you can handle yourself; it's just that you remind me of someone I lost a long time ago, and given who you're surrounded by, I'm sure you can understand what that's like." You didn't know how to respond to that.

Not only was it the most he'd spoken about his past, but he was also right; you did know how it almost felt like you could lose them all over again.

"What were they like?" You asked on impulse, and you almost kicked yourself for it. It was obvious that this was a sensitive topic you were prying into.

"Smart, kind, and beautiful." So this wasn't just someone he cared about; it'd been someone he loved. "But they were far too trusting. That's ultimately what got them killed in the end." Hearing First talk about them explained a lot about his behavior.

After all, wasn't that the same reason you were so protective of Wind because he was the closest in age to your Link before he died, and the thought of another hero dying that young made you sick to your stomach.

"I understand how hard that can be," You said while watching your favorite pirate as he waved his hands in a way that reminded you of storm waves.

"It must be hard for you to be here surrounded by reminders of your loss." First Said as you took a bite of your bread. You thought about how to best reply as you chewed.

"Not as much as you'd think; what really upsets me is how young most of them were when their journeys started." You admitted it wasn't something you'd voice to most of the chain, but it wasn't like First was known to be chatty.

"I can't say I'm a fan of children fighting what should have been adult battles either, but Hyila is neither kind or merciful." You were surprised by the anger in his voice. Sure, he'd been angry, but you'd never heard this level of rage from him before. It was enough to shock you into silence for the rest of the meal.