To my dismay, I discovered that there are almost no Lena/Julian fics. Anywhere. Ever. It's so sad, because they're an adorable couple. This is from Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon, which I know is a remake. It doesn't have support conversations, which is probably why there is less fanfic. There's less to go on. But in the little bit of dialogue these characters have, they grabbed me. I know there will be a very narrow fanbase for this fic, but I hope people will still take the time to read and review! I might write more on this pairing, I might not; depends on if inspiration strikes me.

This is right before they meet the Altean army, inspired by, though not directly related to, Matthis's quote when he is recruited by Lena: "There are plenty of thieves out there who can steal a young girl's heart."

Words: 2397
Characters: Lena, Julian
Time: Before Chapter 3
Genre: Romance/Adventure

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to Nintendo, etc. Not me.

The chill, dangerous blackness of the Ghoul's Teeth was impenetrable at their backs. The mountains towered imposingly, full of crags, steep slopes and tumbling boulders. Flickering lantern-lights from the castle were growing smaller and smaller behind the fleeing pair. It was good, that they were leaving, but Lena found that some small part of herself was far too afraid out in the wilderness. The girl inside of her longed for even a cellar, something indoor, something with a lamp and a roof above her head. The forest and mountains, however, were taunting, dark, terrifying.

Unconsciously, Lena began to walk faster; her eyes shut tight to lock herself in darkness of her own invention rather than nature's. But of course, without her sight, her foot soon caught on something – a tree root, a rock, she didn't know. She tumbled forward like a toddler. Quickly she stretched out her arms to break her fall - but there was no need. Much stronger arms than hers caught her before she was anywhere near the ground, belonging to a cloaked and armed man that she knew and trusted, even though he had previously pledged his loyalty to the Soothsires. Somehow, he had seen her and decided to help her, betraying the mountain mercenaries.

Though none of his features could be seen through the starless night, Lena knew that he had a sharp face and even sharper eyes, a thief's eyes that seemed to be able to pierce armor better than a sword. He had short reddish hair and distinctive, dark scars across his arms. He refused to say how he had gotten them when Lena asked. But all of that, and also his many daggers, lockpicks, and bags, was all hidden underneath a dark blue cloak that he'd stolen on their way out of the castle. There had not been enough time to disguise Lena. She still wore her white cleric's robes, a dead giveaway as to their identity. Her dark auburn hair and wide eyes did not help, she knew. But still, Julian was with her, risking his own life to get her to safety. He lifted her back onto her feet, his hands very rough but very warm, too.

"Be careful, Lena," he said, his voice low and quiet. "Watch your step along here. We can't make much noise, in case there are guards posted through here at night."

"I know. I'm sorry. I am – I am just a little frightened, that's all."

Even in the dark, Lena could see the flash of his white teeth and the sparkle of his eyes as he gave a little grin. With one hand still on her shoulder to guide her, Julian began to walk again, glancing both ways before turning back to her to speak. "Frightened? Surely this isn't as bad as a dungeon cell? At least here, you're free, free to breathe cool, fresh air, walk over leaves and pebbles and all of everything, run if you want to. Even if it all stinks of enemy territory."

"You truly feel that way?" whispered Lena. She stumbled again, and was grateful for Julian's presence beside her. She realized suddenly that she couldn't watch him when they spoke; she still had to focus on the ground.

"You don't?"

"A – a little bit," Lena said, staring at her feet. There was a rustle behind him, and Julian began to walk faster. "I am that we aren't prisoners any longer. I'm glad I'm not alone anymore. But I… I wish we had a lamp or a torch. My staff. I wish we had a shelter. I wish we were safe, as safe as we were as prisoners, which I know was not very safe at all, but all the same, I'm – I'm more frightened out here."

Julian didn't answer for a long time. He just moved faster through the trees, somehow seeing every obstacle in their way even when Lena felt completely blind, as helpless as a child. He held her hand as Lena realized they were beginning to run. Tumbling and rushing, Lena followed him as best as she could, hearing nothing but her own rapid breathing, thrumming heartbeat, and mysterious, heavy footsteps. Were those footsteps her own and Julian's? No, Julian ran the way an eagle flew; fleetly and lightly as if there were no ground beneath him, only sky. But before Lena could think any longer, the footsteps stopped, and so did she and Julian, leaving her with nothing to hear but her heart pounding in her throat.

Suddenly, Julian leapt behind a tree, pulling her roughly with him. With one arm, he flung open his cloak and wrapped it tightly around her until she was pressed against him, her hands and nose flat against his chest.

"Don't move, don't speak," he whispered urgently, his eyes bright, a hairsbreadth away from her. He dropped a fold of the cloak over her head.

For a second, there was complete and utter silence. Lena felt rather than heard Julian's heartbeat. It was erratic, strong, and rapid. He felt hot around her, his warm arms and lithe body like a furnace compared to the biting air around them. He smelled like nature – but not the nature that reeked of enemies. Instead, he reminded her of somehow of home, of the musky trees and the dusty plains that she had always seen but never explored. In the total blackness, Lena was powerfully aware of the warmth around her, the smells, and then, all of a sudden, the sounds.

There were more footsteps. Closer now, so close that they had to be only yards away, and many of them. Deep, male voices carried through the thick growth. She couldn't understand what they were saying, only that were loud and angry. Fear tightened around her heart just as Julian's arms tightened around her body. One of his hands gripped hers, while the other was behind her head. There was a moment when Lena thought he was running his fingers through her hair, and it calmed her - but it was gone too fast. His hand was still, tangled in her hair instead.

Before she knew it, the voices and footsteps passed or turned back. The noises grew as faint as the sounds of animals and insects in the quiet night. After a long, long pause, Julian loosened his hold around her, removing the cloak and stepping a little bit away. He even let go of her hand. Lena was suddenly freezing; even though there was no breeze, she shivered. Quickly she grabbed Julian's hand again.

"I – sorry about that," murmured Julian. His eyes flickered across their surroundings, but when they landed on her, they were much less chillingly piercing than they usually were. "I shouldn't have – grabbed you like that.

Lena shook her head. "You saved me by moving so quickly."

"Maybe. Yeah."

Julian started to walk again, more slowly now. Lena was able to keep up with him. Her eyes, after coming out of the pitch darkness inside the cloak, seemed more adjusted; she could just barely distinguish the tree trunks, roots, and stones as dark blobs that Julian was guiding her around. Though the moon and stars were hidden, perhaps behind canopies or clouds, there was still a ghostly, effulgent glow to the night that she hadn't noticed before. But all the same, Lena held Julian's hand tightly, and to her relief he didn't protest.

They walked in still silence for what felt like hours. Lena noticed the darkness thinning before they came to a stop in a thick, guarded copse of trees, with many bushes and lots of undergrowth closing in a tiny clearing. They pushed their way through the brambles, Julian going first to give Lena a clearer path. When he had helped her through, he shoved all the spiky vines and leaves back over the path they had made. He didn't seem to notice the bloody cuts that the thorns left on his hands and arms. At last, he finished, and he collapsed on the small, thorn-free grassy patch, stretching out and staring at the treetops. It was still too dark to see much, but Lena could tell that it was no longer the dead of night. Julian sat up just as Lena rested on her knees beside him. Her robes would be filthy after this, she was sure, but she found that she didn't even care. Julian stretched out a hand and held her chin carefully between his fingers. They were scant inches apart.

"I won't let anything hurt you," he said seriously. His eyes were sharp and clear again, but filled with a soft warmth that she had never seen there before. He smiled his familiar, sideways grin, the smirk that always made his eyes glitter. "You'll see your staff again. A lamp, too, I'm sure. And a shelter. I'll get it all back for you. Just stick with me and be strong, all right? I'll do my very best, I swear. Thief's honor."

For the first time in what must have been weeks, Lena smiled. The feeling was unfamiliar on her face, but she relished it, her heart lightening. "I am trusting the honor of a rogue?" she teased, though shyly. She wasn't really sure how to tease.

"I've brought you this far, haven't I?" said Julian cheerily. He leaned away from her, relaxing back into the cool grass, his elbows behind him for support. Lena mimicked his position. After a moment, Julian glanced over at her, his voice serious once again. "Get some rest, Lena. We have a lot ahead of us, I'm sure. The rumors we heard in the castle – the Altean prince – they could be true, or they could be just as they are – rumors. Either way, you'll need your sleep. Don't know if we'll get much time for it."

"But, Julian, you need to rest too. Let me take the first half of the watch."

"I'll go first tonight. You need the sleep more than me – you've been in a cell for weeks. I've been out and about working for a bunch of idiots. Used to being up late, and all. I busted us out of there for you. You have to stay strong, alert, and alive, or it'll all be for nothing. And I'll be stuck out here alone with only the bugs to talk to."

Lena opened her mouth, ready to protest again. But she stopped when she caught the look in Julian's eyes. His gaze was glowing, and he was smiling, but he was stern too. She could tell he was not going to give in. Sighing, she laid back on the grass, closing her eyes at last.

"Wake me when you are tired, Julian," she said. Involuntarily, she shivered, and at once Julian was tugging off his cloak and wrapping it around her instead.

"Sleep tight," he whispered before Lena could say a word in protest. Julian, his expression unreadable, touched her face so lightly and so fleetingly that Lena wasn't even sure that it had happened. For a moment, she watched him as he turned away to sit guard, wondering how it could have been possible that someone like him – someone strong, brave, and kind – had risked everything, even his own life, just for her. A spark stirred tenderly in her heart.

But before she could think any longer, weariness overcame her. Lena drifted off into sleep so soon that she didn't see Julian looking anxiously back at her. He made a movement as if to take her hand again, but stopped, afraid that she would wake. Instead, he took off his bag full of soft bandages and slid it noiselessly under her head for a pillow. Her hair, though tousled, was still soft, and Julian's fingers lingered for a moment in the wild tangles.

But a rustle in the undergrowth made him pull his hand away, stand up, and grasp his dagger tightly, ready to draw. A second later, a tiny brush-colored rabbit scurried across the clearing. Julian relaxed, letting it pass; he didn't think Lena would appreciate the death of any creature, even if it was for food. Sitting down again, Julian glanced at her one more time before staring out into the woods. He could hear her deep, slow breathing behind him; the sound was soothing. The sky grew lighter and lighter as the moon paled and fell deeper into the unknown.

Julian remained awake throughout it all, determined not to let anything harm the woman beside him. When the sun's cautious rays first peeked over the spiky Teeth, Lena began to stir, mumbling something incoherent and fisting her small hands around the folds of the cloak. Julian knelt beside her and tapped her gently on the shoulder. "Time to wake up," he said, letting his hand rest on her shoulder. He noticed that one of the sleeves of her gauzy robe was torn. Lena mumbled something again, blinked a few times, and rubbed her eyes. She smiled when she was finally able to focus on Julian. Placing his arms behind her shoulders, Julian lifted her into a sitting position and then, before she could speak, stood up and pulled her to her feet, too. She stumbled on the way up and fell into Julian's arms. He grinned as he steadied her.

"We need to get moving as fast as possible. Sorry for the abrupt wake-up call."

"No – I understand. We should be on our way." Lena knelt to pick up the cloak – and after a second's pause – the bag of bandages. She handed them to Julian, her fingers brushing his as they passed.

"On we go," he said softly, glancing critically through the trees. Lena was close behind him.

This time, she didn't grab his hand; she had the sun as her lantern now, he supposed. But all the same, her nearness made Julian smile. They fell into a rhythm in their trek, steady paces marked by scattered pauses as he helped her through a patch of brambles or over a fallen log. Each time he did so, she held on to his offered arm a little bit longer, her eyes cautious but warm.

Somehow, the sight made Julian hopeful. Perhaps they would survive this ordeal, after all.