Disclaimer: Fire Emblem isn't mine.

'Hey! Know what's interesting?' Ross asked, dipping his feet into the stream. Lute didn't bother to look up from her book.

'Ancient stories detailing each different culture's approach to creation' she answered lazily, turning the page.

'What?' Ross rubbed his scalp.

'How about the liver? The liver is interesting.'

'No!' Ross grabbed for a fish that had come to examine his wiggling toes, 'No, I meant the army. Isn't weird how there's only a few of us, but we're managing to topple the greatest nation on the continent?'

'No.'

'No?'

'Nope. They've got me here. With a prodigy like me, how could they lose?'

'I guess.' Ross muttered, letting the silvery water slide through his fingers. He slid his toes deep into the silt at the river bottom and glanced over at his companion ruefully. 'If you are such a genius, then why the hell are you stuck out here guarding a supply van?'

'Because,' Lute began, looking at him over the top of her book with a little annoyance, 'Somebody needs to protect you.'

'Hey! Don't you think I can protect myself?' Ross asked, glaring at her.

'No.'

'You don't have to be so damn cruel' Ross said, turning away, sulking. Lute ignored him and continued reading. Somewhere behind them, the merchants were arguing over a broken axle. Their voices drifted over in the wind, sounding warped somehow, as if they were in a dream. It certainly felt like there was only two of them there, with the oppressive summer heat distorting things. Ross stretched idly and took out his water skin, filling it with the clear river water. He knew better than to ask why he'd been assigned to guard duty. He'd been slacking off on his training lately and had had to be saved more than once by a passing ally.

He kicked the water, not knowing exactly how to ask his question.'Have you ever...' he trailed off and shrugged, before kicking the water again. 'Have you ever liked someone? I mean really liked someone?'

'I like some people.' Lute said, turning her book upside down to examine a picture, 'I like Artur and Titania at least.'

'No,' he shook his head. 'I mean- well, have you ever loved someone?'

'It's none of your business.'

'I think I'm in love.' Ross was blushing now.

'Good for you.'

'With Amelia.'

'Brilliant.'

'Don't you care?' He asked suddenly, looking around slightly annoyed.

'Not really. Am I supposed to?'

'Well, yes!' He pouted. 'I'm pouring my heart out here and you aren't even pretending to be interested!'

'True. Very well, I shall pretend to be interested. But only because you're my friend.'

'Geez!' Ross pulled his feet out of the water and hugged his knees close to his chest.'You're really really weird, you know that? Anyway, I was looking for some advice.'

'Advice?' Lute repeated, trying to hold back a grin. 'Of course. Ask me anything.'

'Well, if you were a girl-' Lute crossed her arms, and Ross rubbed the back of his head, and attempted to back-track. 'Um, what I'm saying is- If you were Amelia, what would you want as a- a sort of present?'

'You don't need to worry Ross. I'll help you find a present for her.' Lute smiled sweetly.'Just leave it to me.' She lent forward to pat him on the arm in a comradely way, before going back to her book.

Lute had been sitting on the merchant's cart waiting for Ross to get back from his date with Amelia for a while now, and she was getting pretty impatient. It wasn't just her who was getting antsy waiting for him, more than one of the traders had voiced their collective displeasure at her companion's lateness.

Finally, he appeared, walking down the road towards them, eyes cast downwards, a pout on his face. Without a word, he jumped up onto the cart beside her and crossed his arms over her chest, barely acknowledging her presence. Lute took out a book, knowing that he'd eventually be compelled to say something about his visit to Amelia.

'Well.' He said, after a while, proving her prediction correct, 'Well, that went really really badly.'

'I did guess' she said, turning the page in her book, sneaking a glance at him. 'What did you do?'

'What did I do?!' He turned to her, enraged. 'What the hell did you do to her? I spent two hours trying to get her to talk to me!'

Lute put the book aside and folded her hands in her lap before turning to look at the boy. 'Ross,' She began, in her best attempt at a friendly voice, 'The fact is, women are fickle creatures, prone to changing their minds, and in fact their very emotions at but a moments notice. This Amelia person – why she would have loved you for a little while but then she would have decided that you were not good enough for her (as women are in fact wont to do) and probably abandoned you for some handsome young squire. In fact, you could say that whoever it was who sent her a packet full of the rarest stag beetles labeled "love from Ross" was in fact doing you the greatest of all favours by sparing you from that. In fact, you could say that they are in fact your hero, and you should be grateful to them.'

'I am going to get you back this.' Ross said, glaring.

'I will only believe that when I see it.' Lute said, primly, picking up her book as the merchant's carts began to pull away.

A/N I'll be continuing this. There should be another chapter up as I'm finished kicking my ICT exam's ass.

Titania Vanessa. Remember the Lute/Vanessa supports? Where she mixes up the names or Vanessa and her Pegasus? Yeah.

On a different note, if ever there was a CSI/FE crossover, Lute would make the perfect Grissom. Just sayin'

And yes, this was very dialogue heavy. Sorry 'bout that.