I don't know if I should leave it at that or write another chapter. I'll see if people like it.
I don't own Fire Emblem.
Run With Me
It was well past midnight when Gawain walked through the gates of Palmeni Temple. Nervously, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure his horse was still standing where he had tied him two minutes earlier, before he stepped inside.
That night, he wasn't just picking Elena up after a strenuous day of work; he was running away. Weeks prior, he had tried to talk Elena into fleeing the country. She had flatly refused; she said that she didn't want the child growing into her womb to be born in a place they didn't even know. She said Gawain was just acting on a bad feeling and that they couldn't put so much at stake just because he thought Daein was going downhill.
But then, things had gotten worse.
Ever since Tovias, their good King, had died, Gawain couldn't stand his job anymore. And it didn't help that what caused his death was so unclear; according to some, he died of a fatal illness, which killed his two eldest sons in the same night as he, leaving only Ashnard, the youngest son, to rule over Daein. Fortunately, the country still had someone to sit on the throne. Fortunately? Suspiciously, as far as Gawain was concerned. Who the hell went on a hunting trip in perfect health only to be discovered dead in their bed the next morning? Something was off... and Gawain couldn't shake the thought that Ashnard himself was behind it.
Ashnard... that mindless tyrant. Everyday another arbitrary decision, everyday another crime. Above everything else, he bore a severe hatred toward the laguz breed; if any of his soldiers were to meet one, they had order to kill at will. This supposed that the soldiers were willing; if they weren't, they were killed as well. Ashnard believed that giving choices didn't amount to anything, and that allowing mistakes to happen just wasn't the way a King should rule. Consequently, dozens of Daein soldiers had been executed before they figured out they had better do as they were told, and they had better not lose.
The Four Riders, although they weren't in a much safer position than anyone else, were despised. Every time Ashnard had some horrible errand to run, or had someone he wanted dead because he thought they weren't doing the best they could, he sent his four favorite dogs to do it, so he wouldn't dirty his hands. Most of the time, they managed to talk the targets into fleeing Daein, but sometimes Ashnard would send an officer to watch over them. Whenever this occurred, they had to kill. The Four Riders had become the Four Death Bringers to the villagers, and the Four Puppies to Ashnard.
Worst of all, out of the Four Riders, Gawain was the only one who was ready to fight back. Tauroneo spent his days working halfheartedly, with a lost look on his face; ever since his wife had left with his sons, he had been this way. And, for reasons that remained unknown, Petrine acted like she agreed with Ashnard and worshiped the day he had been crowned. Gawain knew this was the way she dealt with Tovias' death, but it was disturbing and she was taking it too far. Even Bryce, who after many months still hadn't gathered enough courage to ask her out, was caught off guard, but he liked her so much he would do anything if it meant she would give him a chance. Even if it meant doing things that disgusted him to the core.
Things like watching as Ashnard's enormous wyvern – Gawain still had trouble believing that it was a wyvern, and not a dragon... the largest saddle of the castle didn't even fit on its back – tore through the insides of the last soldier that had disobeyed, hungry as it was after being starved for days. Things like guarding the door to the Royal Chambers late at night, as Ashnard raped another girl he had kidnapped – sorry, another nice and pretty young woman who had willingly followed him to his bedroom – and made her scream so loud that the Rider wanted to tear his ears to shreds from pure self-hatred. And, lately, things like taking advantage of the destruction of the Serenes Forest to bring back a member of the heron tribe.
The young heron – Lillia seemed to be her name – had been clutching a medallion of some sort since she had been brought here. Surprisingly, Ashnard had ordered that they let her keep the medallion, and had put her in a room in Palmeni temple under Elena's care. When Elena had asked why Lillia was here and why she was to take care of her – Gawain had never prayed Ashera so hard – the King of Daein had replied with a smirk that it was none of her business, and that she was just going to do it.
Lillia had become a friend; true, she was still a prisoner, but nonetheless her face lit up whenever Elena, or Gawain if he happened to be here, stepped into her room. Over the days, she had taught Elena a few words in her native tongue, and Elena tried to show her what a few modern words meant. Ever the curious one, Elena tried to ask the heron girl what her medallion stood for, if it was some old family legacy or anything. She had never been able to get a clear answer – or she had never been able to decipher what Lillia was saying, which was the same. But she had understood that it was important, very important, and that's when she realized that that's what was interesting to Ashnard.
Over the time, and although Elena was here to cheer her up, Lillia's health had begun to go downhill. Away from the evergreen and beautiful forest that had been her homeland for decades, the heron was fading. She ate less and less, getting thiner by the minute, and she didn't move around much. As a result, she had gotten sick; she was losing strands of golden hair every day, and her soft feathers were falling from her majestic wings. It got to the point were Lillia spent her days lying or sitting on her bed, looking up at the ceiling and, occasionally, singing a soft tune. By the time she even lost her will to speak, Elena had memorized the tune and often sang it to her. It seemed to calm her down, somehow, so Elena would sing to her late into the night, until Gawain left the castle and came to pick her up.
But that night, there was no going back home to a nice bed and a night of rest. Gawain had packed the bare necessities and taken a last look at the house where he had spent the last three years of his life with Elena. He couldn't live here anymore, he could only survive. And he didn't want his wife and his child to be under constant threat.
Elena had been reluctant at first, but in the long run, she had realized that he was right. Living in Daein had become a nightmare, and running away was the only option they were left with.
It wasn't an easy task either; Gawain was well aware of that fact as he climbed the stairs to the upper levels of the temple. There were guards around the temple, around the castle, around the whole town. They could be seen; they would be seen, all that mattered was whether they could outrun the guards or not. Under normal circumstances, Gawain would trust his horse, but with a man of his bulk, a pregnant woman and some luggage, the Rider wasn't sure his mount could run the race. But it was their only hope.
Gawain looked up and realized he was standing right before Lillia's room. Unsurprisingly, there was singing coming from inside; the blue-eyed man slowly opened the door and tiptoed inside so as not to disturb its occupants.
Elena was sitting at Lillia's bedside, singing with the softest voice Gawain had ever heard, almost like she was hushing a lullaby to a small child. Unfortunately, Lillia was wide awake; somehow she had sensed that something was off that night, for she kept trembling and looking at Elena with pleading eyes. The blue-haired woman could only smile sadly and sing, occasionally patting the heron's arm.
Gawain shifted his weight; they couldn't afford to wait until Lillia was asleep, this would raise suspicions. "Elena, dear," he said softly when she stopped singing to catch her breath. "It's time to go." When she didn't respond, the Rider walked up to her and squeezed her shoulder. "Elena, let's go."
"I can't do this," the priest replied, and her voice was a mere whisper. "I can't leave..."
"Elena, we've been over this before..."
"I can't leave her like this." Her voice nearly broke as she squeezed Lillia's hand comfortingly. "She is sick... what if they leave her to die? What if they hurt her?"
Gawain sighed and crouched to be eye level with his wife. "I know you love Lillia, I know that she is a great friend... but as every real friend, she wouldn't want you to stay here and suffer because of her." He grabbed Elena's hand between his own coarse ones. "We have to go."
"Couldn't we... take her with us?"
The Rider blinked and took a good look at the crumbling heron girl. As much as he didn't want to leave her by herself, she would definitely not live through the trip they were about to go on. It was a miracle she managed to stand to go to the bathroom, so there was no way she was crossing the country on horseback. That, and with someone as recognizable as a heron with them, they were sure to get spotted immediately.
"Elena, I... I don't want to leave her either, but I'm afraid she can't come with us," he answered softly, his eyes boring into Elena's. "She wouldn't make it, she's already so weak..." His heart was torn when he saw his wife nod slowly, biting back tears, so he pulled her against his chest. "It's time to say goodbye, my love."
Elena waited until she was sure she wouldn't burst into tears, and she pulled away from Gawain to bend over Lillia. Whereas her lips smiled, her eyes watered as she softly kissed the heron's cheek. "Farewell, Lillia, I hope we meet again someday," she murmured, closing her eyes. She opened them again when she felt something poking her in the arm. Lillia was holding out her medallion for Elena to take, pressing it in the crook of her elbow. "What? Why are you giving it to me?"
"S-Safety," the heron girl said clumsily in the modern tongue.
"The medallion is going to keep us safe?" Gawain ventured, but Lillia shook her head. "Or... you want us to take it to safety?"
"Yes..."
"Why? Is it dangerous?" Lillia frowned slightly at the word she didn't know. "Oh hell... how can I say that... is it evil? Is it a bad thing?" Gawain asked, talking slowly.
"Yes, bad... much bad..." Lillia stammered, sighing when Elena finally took the medallion from her hands. "Safety..."
"We'll take it to safety, don't strain yourself," the priest said as she caressed the heron's forehead, easing her back onto the bed. "Your medallion is safe with me." To emphasize her point, Elena slipped the item into the folds of her dress; then she stood up holding her eight months pregnant stomach with a grimace. "That boy of yours sure weighs something, my love."
"You don't even know if it's a boy," Gawain muttered as he glanced inside the corridor to make sure nobody was coming. "The way is clear, come on, time to run." He grabbed her hand and led her outside gently but firmly.
"Goodbye Lillia, I'll never forget you!" Elena said before she was dragged out of the room.
"Goodbye... Elena..."
After the first flight of stairs, Gawain already felt bad about ripping Elena away from Lillia. His wife was putting on a brave face, but he knew she was ready to crack. Too many things were happening at once; their escape, Lillia's illness, the baby... They had so many things to deal with and so little time!
He squeezed her hand gently to remind her that he wasn't going to leave her alone. "Rakham is waiting for us by the front door... I thought it would be less suspicious if I tied my horse at the regular spot, but now I don't think it was a great idea after all." He sighed. "If we run into guards, we'll have to explain why we are here so late, and no matter what we come up with, they won't buy it."
Elena nodded slowly, clutching the medallion to her chest protectively. "Let's not run into guards then..."
They reached the end of the stairs and stepped into the great hall. The room was bare except from a few paintings adorning the walls, most of them representations of gods and goddesses. If Gawain squinted a bit, he could have sworn the paintings were glaring at him, as if they knew what he was up to and disapproved. The Rider shook his head; he had no time to lose with paranoia. "This way... the sooner we get out of here, the better," he told Elena.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard coming from a corridor nearby. Panic scratched at Gawain's mind as he racked his brain for a good excuse to be found in the temple so late. Finding none, he decided they were better off not being seen; he pushed Elena under the stairs, shielding her body with his own. The footsteps echoed into the hall, but Gawain didn't want to risk being spotted by sticking his head out to see who was there; fortunately, whoever had come in didn't stay and quickly climbed the stairs.
"Well, that was close," Gawain muttered as soon as no more footsteps could be heard.
"Gawain... you are crushing me..."
"Ha!" The broad-shouldered man sprang out of the hiding spot and helped Elena to her feet. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you? I never meant to move so fast..."
"Don't worry, I'm all right." The priest dusted her robes off with her left hand, her right one too busy being clutched in Gawain's fingers. Once she esteemed her clothes were clean enough, she just stood there and waited for her husband to do something, for she had no clue what she was to do. "Shouldn't we... get going?"
Gawain sprang out of his thoughts. "Yes!" He winced when his voice echoed in the empty hall. "Rakham is waiting for us outside, let's hurry."
The Rider peered through the front gate to make sure no guards were patrolling at the moment before leading Elena to his snorting black stallion. Obviously, Rakham would rather be sleeping or eating some apples back in his comfy stable back home. Unfortunately for him, that was not going to happen.
Gawain helped Elena onto the stallion and waited until she was settled on the saddle to haul himself behind her. He slipped his arms under his wife's to grab the reins and turn the horse around. Rakham neighed and stomped the ground a little. "This night is not going to get better, so bear with it," Gawain told him as he nudged him forward.
The mount began to walk away from the temple, and it was then that Elena realized that they were truly running away. She leaned back against Gawain's chest to take a last look at the temple she had spent the last years of her life working in; from where they stood she could see Lillia's window. The lights were out, the heron had probably gone to sleep, all alone. Elena clutched the medallion to her heart through her clothes, and a lonely tear slipped its way down her cheek, unnoticed by Gawain who kept his eyes trained on the path ahead.
Soon they reached the outskirts of the city; they had taken so many shortcuts and turns that they hadn't met a single guard. As they neared the southern gates, the sound of Rakham's hooves hitting the ground got quieter, for the further they went, the more the ground became dirt instead of stone. When they stepped through the gates, and Gawain caught sight of the nearby forest illuminated by the moon, a sense of freedom overwhelmed him and he urged his horse to go faster.
Only to stop him in his tracks upon noticing that someone was blocking the way.
Although it was dark, Gawain had no trouble recognizing the man. "Tauroneo, please step aside," he requested calmly.
"What are you doing here, aren't you supposed to be home?" the older man asked dryly.
"This is none of your business, now please, step aside," Gawain repeated, his hold on the reins tightening.
There was a pause and the Rider could only guess that Tauroneo was staring at him. "Bryce and Petrine were right," he said then. "You are running away." Gawain stayed unresponsive so the oldest Rider sighed. "I can't blame you... if I weren't so dense I would have figured out myself that running away was the best option, but I guess I'm too scared of the consequences. You made the right choice, abandoning all this."
"Tauroneo... I don't want to abandon anything or anyone, I'm just going to-"
"Don't!" The brown-haired general turned away. "Tell me nothing of your plans! I'm sure he going to torture us to know where you went, so don't tell me anything so I won't be able to give him what he wants. Just... just go." Tauroneo made a vague gesture in the general direction of the horizon. "Get away from this living hell."
Gawain nudged his horse so he came next to Tauroneo. He bent down to pat his partner's shoulder. "Thank you, my old friend. I'll never forget this."
"Shut up and go," Tauroneo snapped, but Gawain understood he was just having a hard time letting his best friend go. "I'm only this to spite Ashnard, so don't go naming your kid after me or whatever your big heart is going to come up with."
"You have my word." Gawain smiled sadly. "Farewell, friend. Yah!" The horse was set off running before either of the two men noticed the other's heart was crumbling. The shining stars and moon did nothing to ease the pain Gawain felt inside, or to erase the last look Tauroneo had given him.
Although the Rider kept in mind that it was the beginning of something good, he couldn't help but think that it was the end of something he valued with his life.
Elena wasn't someone who cried easily. She had a high level of tolerance when it came to pain, sadness or frustration. But she couldn't take it anymore; she had spent all week on horseback, clutching the saddle to avoid being thrown off by the bumpy strides that hurt her spine and backside. She had only had four hours of sleep that week, and whatever little food she ate wasn't enough to satisfy her stomach – she ate for two after all. To top if off, the weather was burning hot during daylight, and freezing cold at night.
To say Elena was tired was the understatement of a lifetime.
The priest winced and brought a hand up to her stomach; her belly had begun to hurt the day before, and she could only guess the baby didn't like their escape either. "Gawain, could we stop for an hour?" she asked.
The blue-eyed man was walking by the horse, holding it by the reins. He had figured out that Rakham wouldn't tire as much with only one person on his back. "I don't think we're even out of Daein, it's not wise to stop now," he answered as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. The plains were especially hot that day. "If you need rest, try to sleep on the horse."
"Gawain, some nights it hurt too much to sleep back at home, so what makes you think I'll be able to sleep on a walking horse?" Elena snapped, only to bite back a gasp of pain. "Gawain, the baby... please just stop, please."
Worried by the voice of his usually cool and collected wife, Gawain tied Rakham to the first tree he came across and help his arms up to help Elena down. The priest gratefully fell into Gawain's embrace, and she let him settle her down on the ground with her back to the tree. She sighed in relied when the pressure on her back lessened, only to wince and grab her belly.
"Elena, what's wrong? Is the baby coming?" Gawain asked fearfully. Of all the places, he didn't want her to deliver in the middle of nowhere, and with no medical help whatsoever.
"I don't think so," she answered weakly. "I think he's just in a bad mood, he keeps kicking... I don't know what's wrong."
Gawain looked up at the sky. Night would fall soon, and they had traveled such a long way... they could afford to rest for a few hours. "We'll stay here tonight and catch some sleep," he told her with a soft smile. "This way, you'll get better, and this little guy will stop bugging you." His hand came to rest upon her swollen stomach and caressed it lovingly.
"That would be great," Elena said with a little smile, enjoying the caresses she had been denied for days.
"I'm going to fetch some wood for the fire, and see if I find rabbits, berries or something." Gawain got up and gave her cheek a soft kiss. "After that I'll give you a massage, how would you like that?"
"I'd love that, but you're just as tired as I am, you need to rest too." Elena patted his foreleg, the only part she could reach.
"I'm not carrying our child, my love," he reminded her gently. "Just watch over Rakham while I'm away, it shouldn't take long."
Gawain walked away and into the bushes as the sun set. Elena watched as the skies erupted in burning red colors marred by golden streaks. She had never seen such a sunset in Daein, the high mountains didn't allow it. She was about to gaze some more when pain exploded inside her belly once again. "Ugn," she winced as she clutched her stomach. "Be still, little one, we are not safe yet," she whispered through small gasps of pain.
Elena heard a twig snap and she looked up in hopes that it was Gawain coming back, but she froze when she only saw two bright yellow orbs staring at her from the bushes. She didn't dare move, for fear that whatever lurked there would pounce on her. Soon there was another pair of eyes, and another, until five sets of orbs were directed her way. She forgot the pain in her stomach for a few seconds as dread pooled inside of her.
The first creature moved; gracefully, a pearl-white tiger scooted out of the bushes and neared her. Unable to run away, Elena could only sit and watch in fear as the beast stopped by her and sniffed the air. Then it turned its head and roared something to his companions, all of which came out of the bushes. There were three cats, two bright green and the other a dull yellow color, and a red-furred tiger. From the tattoos running up and down their forepaws, Elena figured out that they were Gallian laguz and not savage beasts. Gallia... They had made it to Gallia...
Suddenly the five beasts shifted to their human forms. Two of the three cats were females, the three others were males. What she had mistook for tattoos on the white tiger were in fact scars that criss-crossed along his forearms. He even had a scar slashing across his left eye, which made him look dangerous and cold. When he spoke to his comrades, his voice seemed to be made of a growl. "This one is with child, but I picked up the scent of another one."
"Probably her mate," the male cat said, brushing back his green hair. "He's the one we ought to be worried about."
"Wait," Elena said, and all ten eyes turned to her. "You have nothing to worry about, we mean no harm, we are just passers-by."
The white tiger growled and came very close. "Passers-by, eh?"
"We... we ran from our country," Elena admitted softly.
"Backstabbing passers-by, then? I hate that... which country are you coming from?"
"We come from Daein-"
"Daein!" The tiger roared loudly and the other tiger growled angrily. "Our comrades were just "passers-by" in Daein too, until you hunted them to skin them! You Daein bastards kill us for fun, why should I act any different?"
"She doesn't look like she could hunt a laguz," the sand-furred female spoke quietly. "And killing her would be unfair to the cub inside her... You should leave her be, Zuka."
The tiger, now known as Zuka, turned his head and growled. "I don't remember asking for your opinion, Mist, so shut your trap." He turned his attention back to Elena and bared his fangs. "Killing a woman disgusts me as much as killing a child, so I'll leave you alone. But as soon as your mate comes back, I'll tear him to shreds."
"Not going to happen!" From the bushes, Gawain threw a log he had picked and hit Zuka square in the cheek, effectively sending the tiger staggering backward. The other beasts gasped and took a step back as Gawain jumped out of the bushes and came to stand between his wife and them. "Don't get near her again if you care about your health," he threatened.
"Human scum!" Zuka swore as he recovered from the blow.
"We weren't doing anything wrong, you're the one who started this," Gawain said, his hand clutching his sword that was still sheathed. "But if you're looking for a fight, I'll be only happy to oblige."
"You'll never defeat me, human."
"I'm willing to try."
Their heated conversation was interrupted by a loud gasp of pain coming from Elena. "Gawain," she rasped. "The baby... I think... I think he is coming!"
"What? But you said that..." Gawain looked back and forth between his wife and Zuka and sighed. "To hell with this!" He ran to his wife's side and fell to his knees, grasping her hand. "Wasn't it supposed to happen in a week or two?"
"In case you didn't know, I've no control over this!" Elena bit back as another wave of pain came over her. Suddenly she felt wet and she looked down to see that water was spreading on the ground around her. "Oh Goddess..."
Gawain turned to Zuka, panic written on his features. "Look, I know you want to kill me right now, but my wife has nothing to do with it. So is there some kind of village around here where she could give birth safely?" Zuka just glared at him. "Damn it, I'm serious! You can try to kill me as soon as I know that she is all right, I don't give a crap, but please help her!"
The cat that had been called Mist walked up to Elena and studied her. "He is right, she is too weak to give birth on her own," the female stated. "She'll die and likely the cub will too. We need to bring her to the village."
"Since when have you become a human-lover, traitorous piece of cat, Mist?" Zuka seethed.
"I don't love humans, I'm just helping out another female." Mist gazed down at Elena with a sympathetic look. "Because I know she would have done the same for me."
"How can you be so sure about this?" the male cat growled.
"I feel it, there's nothing to add!" Mist turned to Gawain. "I'll lead you to the nearest village," she said stiffly. "She'll get medical care but I can't promise you'll be able to stay long."
"It's more than I hoped for, I can't thank you enough," the former Rider told her, bowing his head gratefully. He slipped his arms under Elena and managed to climb onto Rakham without struggling too much. Under the disapproving glares of her four comrades, Mist shifted into her animal form and ran ahead, watching her pace so that Gawain's horse could catch up to her.
Gawain held onto the reins with one hand as his other arm clutched Elena against his chest. "Hold on, my love, everything is going to be all right," he whispered to her over the pounding sound of Rakham's hooves hitting the ground. "Just hold on."
"And, pray tell, why do I only see three Riders for their weekly report instead of four?"
Tauroneo looked away; if his eyes were to cross Ashnard's, the tyrant would know at once that he was hiding something. He settled for giving Petrine and Bryce a puzzled look, making it seem like he had no idea why Gawain hadn't showed up. His comrades' looks of disbelief were genuine, though.
"Well?" Ashnard tapped his fingers on the armrest of his throne, slightly bored. "I'm waiting..."
"Maybe he is sick," Tauroneo lied through his teeth.
"I would have been informed of this. Why are you looking elsewhere, do you have something to hide, Tauroneo?"
The brown-haired general straightened up and held the King's stare. "Absolutely not, my liege."
"You'd better... Now, I know the four of you are friends, he wouldn't have left without telling one of you... Please don't make this any harder than it is, I'm in no mood to pry," he grinned, hinting that he was actually ready to torture them until he got what he wanted.
Petrine took a step forward. "Your Highness, I can swear we weren't-"
"My liege!" Ashnard growled and looked up to see a messenger stumble into the throne room, panting. "I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but I have news of the utmost importance!"
"Well, spit it out, I don't have all day," the blue-haired monarch growled lowly.
"The heron subhuman died one hour ago!"
At this, the room fell into silence, except for the messenger's panting. Petrine, Bryce and Tauroneo didn't even dare look at Ashnard, but they could feel the anger burning the air all around him. They dreaded the moment he would lash out.
"This is... unfortunate," Ashnard said, bitter but amazingly calm. "We'll just have to find someone else who can keep hold of that medallion..."
"I'm afraid this won't be possible, my lord," the messenger spoke once again. "We searched her body and her room for the medallion, but we couldn't find it."
"What!" Ashnard seethed. "This can't be possible! Ask her caretaker, she's probably put it somewhere in the temple."
"Lady Elena has been missing for the past five days, my lord."
Silence.
"Elena... isn't she Gawain's wife?"
The Riders nodded silently, preparing for the worst.
Silence, once again, as what had taken place dawned on Ashnard. The tyrant got up and gave a loud roar of fury, grabbing his massive sword and hurling it at the messenger. Gurgurant sliced the man's head off neatly before embedding itself into the wall in a spray of blood. The headless body hit the ground at the same time as its head, and Tauroneo adverted his eyes quickly. Somehow, Ashnard always killed those who brought him bad news, as if their death would solve everything.
"Bring them back!" the King yelled, anger distorting his features. "I don't care if they are dead, alive or missing limbs! I want that medallion back! Come back with it or don't come back at all!"
Before Ashnard could retrieve Gurgurant and decide he wanted to slice them up too, the three Riders ran from the room.
"We're such obedient dogs, running at every order our master utters," Tauroneo growled.
"Yeah, we're only missing a collar with our name on it," Bryce nodded.
"Keep that up, you two, and the only thing you'll have your name on is a grave," Petrine frowned. "Come on, we have a medallion to find."