Harena looked from the cliff she was on, gritting her teeth. The thing didn't give her a lot of elevation, but it gave her enough to see what the encampment had within. There were dozens of Hylians, with the military presence slightly lessened since a good chunk of the force had departed yesterday. The village she'd recently been to spoke of a moblin-loving hermit... Just the type of person she could take advantage of. It was a clear, cloudless day, and turning around, Harena began scouring the mountainside, trying to find her new unwitting ally.
Something was wrong. He'd known that ever since he'd left his offering of food earlier this morning, depositing the carcass of his latest kill in the usual spot just outside the moblin encampment. The so-called "beasts" had deviated from their regular routine, only hesitantly sending out two warriors to claim the meal awaiting them after a lengthy wait. They were unmistakably on edge, wary of any sudden skulduggery. What had frightened them so? On occassion the moblins dispatched men early, perhaps in the hopes of catching their mysterious benefactor, but they were never late to a free meal. Although he couldn't be certain from his vantage point, Farley believed the pair of moblins below were not the same duo who'd been retrieving his tribute over the past several days. The crude emblems slathered across their shields were different, he noted. Concerned by this development, the ranger relocated to a nearby hilltop which granted him a clear view of the tribal community. From there, he began to count the various moblins milling about, doing his best to keep track of the ones he'd already added to his tally and notice those emerging from their makeshift shelters, despite the fact that his eyesight went unaided. Once that was done, he ran the numbers through his head a few times, comparing the camp's current population to what he had calculated when he first chanced upon it. As he feared, he soon came to the conclusion that there were a good deal less moblins than there should have been, a discrepancy too large to be explained by an error on Farley's part. He grasped for a simple solution to this puzzle, but none of them proved satisfactory. Were they exiling their own? Preparing for a grand hunt? No... Neither of those would evoke this kind of caution among such a reckless race. Something was out there, and it was reaping a bounty of moblin lives. He would find out what, and put a stop to it. Ending his surveillance, Farley stood and circled round the camp, searching for tracks left behind by one of the moblin hunting parties. It wasn't long before he pinpointed a relatively fresh set and started to follow them. With luck, it would lead him straight to his quarry, or at least a clue as to their fate. As the trail took him further and further from the moblin camp, Farley found himself venturing into the mountains...
Harena wandered for about an hour, until she still found nothing. ‘Fucking rumors...’ She thought to herself. ‘Nothing but baseless rumors....’ She was about to turn back, to try to follow up another lead, when she heard footsteps approaching. The Gerudo dove behind a nearby rock, peering out to see a Hylian man, and a tattered one, at that. Good. Tattered implied a lack of contact with civilization. This could be him... Perfect, now she had her tool. She’d throw him headlong at the enemy, hoping he’d last long enough to take a few out before his own death. She waited until he passed, then climbed up on top of the rock, sitting with one leg crossed over the other and leaning back slightly. Now with him facing away, she spoke. Had to ensure he was the one she was looking for. “Hey now, sir traveller. Did you hear that the Hylians who made a base just nearby have captured a bunch of moblins? Fascinating stuff, really.”
Southern Hyrule was not a kind locale to the foolish and unwary. Fortunately, Farley's acute racial awareness was complimented by a keen attention to detail that could only have been the byproduct of raw, unfiltered life experience, making him nearly impervious to surprise and thus difficult to ambush. It was no great feat for him to detect the presence looming behind the rock to his left, yet he made no movement that would indicate he had noticed anything out of the ordinary. Instead, he drew his cloak around him as he walked by, using it to mask his hand as it snaked toward the pommel of his sword. Truthfully, Farley wasn't looking for a fight. He was merely taking precautionary measures, and even if his mysterious observer meant him harm, he would try to dissuade them with words instead of steel. If they left him alone, he would be content to do likewise... ... Until a feminine voice called out to him, providing him with the answer he sought. Farley halted, his eyes hardening. This was far too convenient to be a coincidence. Slowly turning his head, the ex-ranger took stock of the woman behind him. Tanned skin, red hair... a Gerudo. He'd encountered plenty of their type in the past. Whoever she was, she obviously had an agenda. But, conversely, this was an invaluable lead. He couldn't afford to let it slip by. "You were lying in wait for me. You know what I am." It was a statement, not a question. Farley didn't feel the need to waste time mirroring her pleasantries. "You have me at a disadvantage. You want something of me. What?"
Harena chuckled. He already realized his place. "Disadvantage? Hardly. I just had to confirm that you are you I believe you to be. And you are." She hopped off the rock, walking towards him enticingly. "What I said wasn't a lie. There's a moblin group that was taken captive in a Hylian base just a little bit west of here." At this point she was a meter or less from him. "And, well... I intend to free them. How about it? Care to join me?" Oh, how giddy it made her deep down to know how good she was at tricking people. First that idiotic shadow priestess, now him... Yet what didn't occur to Harena was her narcissism.
Raising an eyebrow at the girl's explanation, Farley did not respond immediately to her offer, too absorbed in pondering the implications of her remarks. By her own admission, she had been looking for him specifically, but that wasn't what troubled the ex-ranger the most about her. Infiltrating a camp full of Hylian soldiers was a risky proposition at best... And her sole motivation in doing so was to rescue moblins? That was not a particularly believable goal for a young Gerudo to have. Her people, alongside Farley's, had waged war upon Ganon and his army for over a decade. Hatred for the moblin race was practically fostered in the young from the moment they were able to form coherent thought. For her to be telling the truth, she would either have to be an idealist in the extreme, or otherwise have had a distinctly unusual upbringing. She wasn't old enough to have formulated a viewpoint like his... He would have to test her resolve. "Tell me... Why do you want to save them?" Farley queried calmly, his back still facing Harena. He didn't lead the question at all; he wanted an honest reply, or at least her best attempt at a bluff.
Harena shrugged. “Is it that bad that I’m like you? It’s pretty selfish to believe yourself the only one worthy of regarding Moblins as smarter and more civilized creatures than society leads us to believe.” She put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “The only difference between us is that you tore yourself from society, choosing to live out here, while I chose to stay and observe the other fools.” She smirked. “Well... And the obvious differences.” She stepped in front of him, still uncomfortably close. “So does that satisfy you? I’d rather not get into the whole history bit. I always hate thinking about that stuff...” She frowned, seeming genuinely sad.
An idealist, then... Farley shut his eyes tight in contemplation. The world would be very cruel to this young woman if she expected to have a meaningful impact upon it... The animosity between Moblins and the "civilized" species was so deeply rooted within Hyrule's culture that no one action could create goodwill. It would take several lifetimes of uninterrupted work to even begin to break down those barriers; lifetimes neither Farley nor this girl possessed. Still, it was heartening to see someone of a younger generation be so open-minded. Perhaps he'd been too quick to judge her based on age alone... Unfortunately, the Gerudo took advantage of his momentary blindness to close the distance in a most uncomfortable manner. As Harena placed her hand on his shoulder, Farley bristled, unusued to such contact. To his credit, he did not blush or do anything that betrayed the fact that her forwardness had disturbed him. Instead, he eyed her curiously, finding her remarks rather ridiculous. Did she intend to promote tolerance while enjoying all of society's decadent fruits? If she truly cared about this, she would need to learn that she couldn't have her cake and eat it too. Sooner or later, she would have to make a choice. She could forfeit the privileges of civilization as Farley had, or abandon the cause. There could be no compromise. ... And what was this about "obvious differences?" That he was a Hylian, and she a Gerudo? That she was a woman, and he a man? Farley almost laughed, but managed to contain his amusement to the slightest of smirks. Gerudos would be Gerudos, he supposed. Letting his hand drop from his scabbard, Farley shrank back, slipping out of her grasp. "I apologize. It was inconsiderate of me to doubt your sincerity. If your desire is to save these Moblins, then I will do everything in my power to assist you. Come, let us tarry no longer. Show me this camp. We can talk as we travel. Might I ask your name?" There yet remained some reservations concerning this girl within Farley's heart, but he kept them secret. It would be best not to linger. He was not the one in immediate danger, the moblins were.
Harena loved those words... “I will do everything in my power to assist you.” That meant she had him. He was merely her puppet now, and she’d throw him at the enemies. She bowed her head gratefully. “Thank you very much. My name is Harena Tenebris.” She motioned for him to follow, then began walking towards the camp. “So... The place is pretty lightly fortified, I guess they weren’t anticipating too many attacks...” Harena pondered something to herself. Would this man kill the soldiers to save the moblins who weren’t even there? That was the most important question. “So... To what end will you go to save the moblins? And I don’t think I’ve caught your name.”
"My name? Farley. Farley Kain. It is a name that has become synonymous with 'traitor'. I believe parents use me as a boogeyman to frighten children, since I dare to consort with Ganon's minions." The ex-ranger scoffed at the notion that if he wasn't on Hyrule's side, it automatically meant he had thrown in his lot with the Evil King. Such black and white thinking... "But you knew all that, didn't you?" She had come to him, so she must have had an inkling of his past. Perhaps she even hailed from the Eastern Caves, raised on tales of his deeds, and hoped to witness his exploits firsthand. He would let his actions speak for themselves. "As for what needs to be done... I will do whatever is necessary to free the captives. However, I see no reason to extend the history of hatred between the Moblin race and my own. Not today. I intend to accomplish our mission without bloodshed, and I implore you to show the same restraint." Farley was aware of the utter insanity of his suggestion. Infiltrating the Hylian outpost, avoiding detection while freeing the Moblin POWs, and then slipping out, all without a single casualty on either side... It was an impossible task. But Farley had already resigned himself to the impossible: He had dedicated his life to brokering peace between Hylians and Moblins. It would be a good lesson for Harena, albeit a difficult one to learn. Futility was never easy to bear. Mind working quickly, Farley drew upon his knowledge of Hylian military doctrine to form a plan. Almost instantly, an idea occurred to him, and he glanced at Harena. "Mmm... If the camp is as lightly defended as you say, then any incident within the camp itself will likely provoke an undisciplined response. The garrison will concentrate their forces in one area, leaving their reserve understaffed... Our course is clear, then. We will need a distraction. Do you have anything that can take care of that?
Harena pondered for a moment before thinking back to what she’d seen of the base. She already made up her mind on what her distraction would be, but right now she was pondering how to make sure this Farley man kill all the soldiers with her... Obviously he’d retaliate in defence, right? All she had to do was make the enemies fly at him with killing intent. Such was easy. Kill a guard, then they’ll associate him to her. She looked back to Farley, walking towards the base. “Well... I can make an explosion or two. If I know anything about people, it’s that all it takes is an explosion to throw people into chaos.” She smirked, still contemplating what she’d do to make him kill.
"It takes far less than an explosion to throw people into chaos, Harena. The concept we call 'Order' is a fragile thing indeed. But yes, an unexpected detonation will suffice for the purposes of a diversion." Eyeing his partner evenly, Farley took note of the smug expression playing across her lips, and decided to warn her of the evils of self-righteousness. "I would advise against being spiteful toward the Hylians, Harena, no matter how enjoyable it might seem in the short term. There is no pleasure to be had in... destruction. Take care that you do not allow yourself to be blinded by indignation. Keep the Hylians outside of the blast radius." That was an all-too-easy trap to fall into. Despising the Hylians for their prejudice was a powerful temptation, as it seemingly offered the moral high ground. Yet it was folly to do so, for hatred only begot more hatred. The ex-ranger may have regarded his race's arrogance and politics with disdain, but he bore them no true malice. While he believed his goals to be noble, he did not bother to dress the steps he took to fulfill them up as "glorious" or "honourable". Glory was nothing more than a lie cooked up to motivate exuberant young souls like the girl before him to commit atrocities...
Harena falsely nodded to Farley, "accepting" his words of wisdom. What a fool. Nobody ever got things done by playing nice. If they were truly supposed to win against these Hylians, she'd have to make sure the guards become bloodlusted, because obviously it'd be easier than getting Mr pacifist there. "One problem. If we're refraining from killing anyone, what do we do to stop the freed moblins from running out there and being killed? While intelligent, even the calmest of heads don't take well to torture." She made sure to emphasize the word torture, hopefully enraging him. "Ah, there it is." She pointed into the distance, looking towards the encampment. She directed his attention towards the biggest building there. "That one there's the holding area, and the Captain's quarters." She didn't know at all what she was talking about, but that building seemed to be the most heavily guarded building."
Stiffening upon Harena's mention of torture, Farley otherwise remained stoic as the woman raised a very valid point. How was he to keep the moblins under control once they were free, at least enough that they could manage an organized retreat? The desire for vengeance was not the sole property of Hylians, after all... "True, the Moblin race is not known for restraint when it comes to grudges. But they are not suicidal. If they have been tortured, then they will be wounded in addition to being unarmed. Taking on the whole camp would be a fool's errand." Farley shrugged helplessly. "I cannot deny that some of the more impulsive captives may be tempted to strike back at their tormentors. I will do all that I can to sway them. But in the end, they will do as I say, or they will die." It was the sad reality of this tragic situation; might as well be honest about it. He was trying. That was more than could be said for most. Dropping to a crouch as Harena identified the prison, Farley nodded. "Alright. Once we get there, we split up. You go over to the opposite side of the camp from the prison complex and create your distraction, I'll sneak over to that building and find a way in. I'll make my move when I hear a disturbance in the camp. After you're done with your diversion, circle around the perimeter and catch up with me. We'll clear that building together and escape with the moblins in tow. Any questions? Time's wasting."
Harena shook her head. “None at all. Let’s go.” She turned towards the base, pointing to a wall nearby a partially cut down tree. “That’s where I’ll get in. Should be easy enough to get around unnoticed there. Well then... Best of luck, I’ll see you in a few minutes.” She said pleasantly before running down the path towards the east wall. Getting close was no problem, but getting around inside would be trickier. Using her wall jump between the tree and the wall, Harena soon found herself high enough to get over the wall, landing down behind one of the smaller buildings. Jumping through a window, Harena found herself behind a guard who was writing something. “Now that the pacifist isn’t around, I don’t have to spew that useless nonsense.” She said lightly, enough that he could hear. “Huh?” The guard said, turning around, but was immediately met with a knife plunging into his throat, being ripped out the side by the serrated edges. Blood spattered the room, several drops doing onto the letter he was writing. Reading the recipient, noted by a “To my beloved” at the top of the page, Harena could only chuckle at the bad luck he’d had. She then pondered how Farley was doing. Had he killed anything yet? She doubted it, but she still hoped so.
