"Minerva, dear! It's time for lunch!" Cherche called out as she walked to the edge of camp where the mounts were kept. She paused and tilted her head in confusion when she spotted Minerva across the field, lying curled up on the grass. That was odd, because usually when Cherche announced it was meal time, the wyvern wasted no time in charging across the field to her.
"Minerva?" Cherche wondered aloud as she crossed the field towards Minerva. When she approached, she smiled as she found that Minerva was curled around Nowi, who looked like she was about to dose off. Minerva let out a pleased growl when she noticed Cherche, and the rumbling vibrations must have disturbed Nowi, for the manakete yawned as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"Hmm? Oh, hi Cherche!" Nowi said when she noticed the other woman.
"Hello Nowi. It's not like you to sleep during the day. Have you not been sleeping well?" Cherche said as she held out Minerva's lunch. The wyvern roared happily and snatched up the meat with her large jaws. She moved a bit away from the two women and munched on her meal happily.
Cherche noticed that something was off with Nowi lately. Lack of sleep seemed to be a side effect of whatever was bothering her. There were shadowed bags under the manakete's eyes, and she was not acting as bright and bubbly as she normally did. Cherche had become good friends with Nowi, and seeing her weighed down with some problem did not sit well with the knight.
"Oh, well..." Nowi said, her eyes shifting to the ground as she bit her lip. She then let out and uncharacteristic sigh that surprised Cherche; something must really be bothering the poor dear.
"Nowi dear, if something is bothering you, I will happily listen and try my best to help you. You are a good friend of mine, and it pains me to see you looking so sad." Cherche said, a small smile gracing her lips as she sat down next to Nowi. Nowi looked back up at Cherche and smiled, a bit of brightness returning to her eyes.
"Thanks Cherche. I could probably use some advice. Let's see, how should I put this..." Nowi said, her brow furrowing. Cherche waited patiently for Nowi to sort out her thoughts.
"Have...Have you ever been in love, Cherche?" Nowi finally asked, tilting her head curiously.
Cherche blinked in surprise. That was not a question that she was expecting to have to answer. She blushed when an image of a certain knight in orange armor flashed through her mind, and she placed a hand over her mouth as she cleared her throat, hoping to hide the redness on her cheeks. Cherche had been pining for Kellam's affections since the moment that she met him, although it was a bit embarrassing to talk about with someone.
"Ah, yes, I believe so Nowi." Cherche said simply.
"Ha! It's Kellam, isn't it? I knew it!" Nowi said, giggling as Cherche's face turned a bright red. Cherche turned her head as she heard Minerva's deep, growling giggles joining with Nowi's. The wyvern had finished her meal and was now staring intently at Cherche and Nowi. Cherche chuckled; Minerva always did like listening to gossip.
"Yes, it's Kellam, if you must know. Why do you ask?" Cherche said. She was very interested to know the answer to this question. Nowi seemed simple and childish on the surface, but Cherche knew better. She was old and wise, so something serious must be on her mind if it was bothering her as much as it was.
"Um, well..." Nowi said, wringing her hands together nervously. "I think I might be in love with someone."
Cherche nodded slowly. She had a feeling that she knew exactly who Nowi was talking about. It was no secret to the camp that Nowi and Henry had become the best of friends, and some people had begun questioning whether or not there was something more between them. Cherche herself had talked about it with Cordelia and Robin, both of which were concerned for Nowi. Henry's rather eccentric behavior made a lot of people wary, and they wanted to protect Nowi if necessary.
Cherche thought differently, however. She knew that Nowi was not as naive and simpleminded as the others thought. She had lived much longer that the rest of them, enduring many hardships and good times alike. She could take care of herself, but Cherche was happy to try and help her with the things that she wasn't so sure about.
"It...It's Henry, Cherche." Nowi said softly. Cherche nodded in understanding and waited patiently as Nowi paused to collect her thoughts. "He's a wonderful guy, but he's had a really hard life. I'm...I'm not sure if he knows what love is, since no human had ever shown him love when he was growing up. And the one animal he made friends with was murdered for it." Nowi continued, a dark look crossing her face.
"I don't know if he could love me in return." Nowi finished, and a silence fell between them. Cherche could understand what Nowi was saying. Henry's trademark smile was ever-present on his face, probably used as a mask to hide his true feelings that he did not know how to properly express. If anyone could help him learn how, however, it was Nowi.
"Well Nowi," Cherche said as she placed a comforting hand on Nowi's shoulder, "I think that you've helped teach Henry what true friendship is, and that is a very important kind of love. With time, he may learn how to love someone on a deeper level. Maybe he already knows, but just doesn't know how to express it. It may be a good idea to talk with him about it." Cherche watched as a thoughtful look crossed Nowi's face, and she then smiled brightly.
"You're right, Cherche! I'll talk to him about how I feel soon. You're the best!" Nowi said happily as she hugged Cherche tightly. Cherche chuckled and hugged Nowi back, glad that she could help her friend out.
"Heya Frederick! What'cha doing?"
Frederick paused mid-swing of his practice sword as he turned his head to find Henry grinning at him. He hadn't expected to see Henry today, as they did not have a training session scheduled. Maybe the dark mage was finally going to take his training seriously, and Frederick couldn't help but smile at the thought.
"Ah, hello Henry. I am just working on my battle stance. It doesn't hurt to review the basics of combat from time to time." Frederick said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Did you come by for some training yourself?" Frederick frowned when Henry shook his head.
"Nah, not really feeling it today." Henry said, shrugging his shoulders. "I just wanted to ask you something."
Frederick raised an eyebrow. Henry was an odd person, but over the course of his time hounding the mage over his aversion to training, he had come to care for the boy and had become a sort of mentor for him, as he had for others like Donnel and Stahl. Henry was very good a hiding his feelings under that trademark smile of his, but Frederick had begun to detect subtle cues as to what Henry was truly feeling. Right now, he got a sense of uncertainty from the boy, due to his eyes shifting nervously from Frederick to the ground and back.
"Well, go ahead and ask, Henry. I will answer to the best of my abilities." Frederick said as he returned his practice sword to the rack, before turning back to focus his attention on Henry.
"So, you're in love with Robin, right? How did you know that you were in love with her?" Henry said, smiling as he tilted his head curiously.
Frederick blinked a few times as he tried to process what Henry had said. This...was not what he had expected to be asked.
"Um, well..." Frederick began, a blush forming on his face as he thought of the best way to answer, "I realized that I was in love with her when she made me laugh for the first time. I had always thought she was beautiful, kind, and smart. When just being in her presence made me feel overwhelming happiness, and when she laughed with me that day, I realized that I wanted to make her happy for the rest of her life." Frederick finished and cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment. He felt a bit awkward discussing his feelings for Robin so openly, but he was willing to if it could help Henry out at all.
"I see, huh..." Henry mumbled, a thoughtful look crossing his face, and Frederick noticed that the edges of his mouth twitched a bit, as if he was forcing the smile to stay on his face.
"Henry, that was a rather odd question to ask. May I ask why you wanted to know that?" Frederick asked. He watched as Henry shifted his gaze away from him for a moment before returning to Frederick, and he shifted a bit on his feet.
"Well, from the answer that you gave me, I guess I might be in love with someone. I couldn't figure out what I was feeling on my own." Henry said honestly, shrugging.
Frederick's eyes widened with realization. He had a feeling that he knew who he was in love with. Frederick had noticed that Nowi and Henry had become best friends, and so had others in the army. Gregor was like an overprotective father figure to Nowi, and he had expressed his concerns to Frederick once about her hanging around the dark mage too much. Frederick had shared his concern briefly, but after getting to know Henry, Frederick knew he would never hurt her.
"But Frederick? What if...what if I can't make her happy for the rest of her life?" Henry asked softly, his hand moving to rub at his neck as he clenched his jaw. Frederick frowned. Henry was not stupid, and he must have realized that Nowi, being a manakete, would live much longer than him.
"That would be something that you would have to discuss with her, Henry. If she really cares about you as well, then she would probably treasure the happy times that she does get to spend with you. If not, then sometimes you have to put the happiness of others above your own." Frederick said, hoping that he chose his words carefully. He watched as Henry tilted his head, thinking. He then smiled broadly and nodded.
"Okay, thanks a lot Frederick! I think I know what I've gotta do now!" Henry said happily, although Frederick thought he saw a flash of sadness cross his narrow eyes. But if it had been there, it was fleeting, and Frederick watched as Henry grabbed a practice sword and tossed it between his hands.
"Nya ha ha! I'm feeling in a bit of a training mood now, Frederick, wanna spar a bit?" Henry asked, beaming. Frederick chuckled and retrieved a sword for himself.
"I would be glad too, Henry. I have to take advantage of you being in the mood for training, for it does not happen often." Frederick said, a smile crossing his face. As they began to train, Frederick silently wished Henry luck in his quest for love, as he only wanted happiness for the boy who had lived through much sorrow and hardship.