Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or any of its characters or names. Nintendo and Intelligent Systems are the authors for purposes of copyright.
Characters: Sain, Fiora, Eliwood.
Pairings: Sain/Fiora and Eliwood/Ninian, passing mentions of others.
Author's Notes: Starting off the year with a pairing I NEVER write from a perspective I've never even TRIED before. Obviously, this is a birthday fic for Darth Slaverus, who ships this pairing just about as hard as I ship Eliwood/Ninian or Seth/Eirika. As for those of you who DON'T have their birthday on the first of January: here's to a 2015 full of good stories for authors and characters alike!

Ilia was cold.

It wasn't like Sain hadn't known that, or been warned by natives. But that didn't change the fact that it was the coldest country on Elibe. And if it wasn't, well, then he just felt sorry for those living in any country colder than it was. His horse was fine, thankfully; she simply grew thicker fur year-round instead of only in winter. Work was plenty, too; he'd left his unit of knights in Caelin, but joined a reputable company of mercenaries here in the North. Between himself and Fiora, they made a good living, a lot more comfortable than most Ilians did.

Still, the cold made it hard to get up in the morning. It was so easy to stay in bed, under the soft, fuzzy sheets and in the sweet, warm embrace of his wife. Or it would be, if they didn't have to work and make money... and if he didn't have something else to do, something important. So he carefully untangled himself from Fiora's limbs –Elimine be blessed for how deeply she slept- and grabbed the clothes he had put out for himself before coming to bed last night, taking them into an adjacent room to dress himself without waking her.

The surprise would be ruined if she woke up and saw him leave. Once dressed and armoured, he scribbled a note to Fiora and left it on the kitchen table, where he was sure she would see it before she left the house. In it, he explained that he and his squad had taken a big job that had forced him to get up early, and would keep him from home for a few days. He told her not to worry and made sure to add that he loved her and that he couldn't bear to be away from her, but would think of her every free moment. …yeah, that looked right. He signed it, not with his usual big flourish but simply with his name, and put down the quill, leaving the house.

Of course, he wasn't leaving on a job. He and his squad were looking at a week off, so Sain had decided he'd go off and do something unrelated to money for a few days. Their anniversary was approaching fast, and he intended to get a special and personal present for her. That being said, dear Fiora was a very practical woman, and finding a good gift for her was hard. So Sain had turned to the one person within reach who knew her well enough to know what he could get her. Little Florina had grown a lot since the conflict with Nergal, and although she was still a little uncomfortable around him, she had learnt to stand her ground and talk to him almost normally- a pretty useful skill considering he was her brother-in-law now.

She had told him that while Fiora was fond of flowers, unlike most other women she didn't care for large bouquets or exotic blossoms. Which made sense, Sain supposed; he hadn't expected any flowers to grow in Ilia. However, Florina had told him about a peculiar white flower, delicate and extremely rare, that survived only in the craggy mountains of Ilia and bloomed for a few months in winter. She had called it Edelweiss, and told him that it was Fiora's favourite. Sain had asked around for the exact blooming period of the little plant, and it was just about now that most of the blossoms were in full bloom. If he wanted to get Fiora one, he had to do it now.

So he'd packed supplies for a few days onto Lady, took his sword and lance with him just in case, and left home. Part of him wanted to stay with Fiora and help her with whatever tasks the fifth wing saddled her with, but he was groundbound and probably wouldn't be any help anyway. Besides, he didn't really want to see what would happen if she thought he had forgotten their anniversary. He was glad for his thick clothing and gloves, as well as his having grown accustomed to the Ilian cold, when he left the shelter provided by the houses in town and became a prime target for the wind. Honestly, if not for that ice cold wind, the temperatures would be very tolerable. He shivered, gave a little tug on the reins, and spurred Lady into a canter so at least they'd both stay a bit warm. The roads were empty, considering how early in the morning it was; few mercenaries worked this early, except in very harsh winters where there was barely any work to be found.

As he rode towards the mountains where Florina had told him Edelweiss grew, Sain found himself wondering about his old home in Lycia. A few years ago, Lord Hausen –his old liege- had passed away and his throne would have been inherited by his granddaughter, the breathtakingly beautiful half-Sacaen Lyn. However, with Lord Hausen gone, Lyn had had no reason left to remain in Lycia, and she had abdicated rule of Caelin to Ositia and left the country, returning to the plains of Sacae where she had been born and raised. Sain had left before this could really hit the people and governments of Lycia, so he hadn't been around to see the fallout. His best friend Kent had been hopelessly in love with Lyn; had he gone with her to Sacae? Sain hoped so; otherwise all the time he had poured into prodding Kent towards confessing to her would have been wasted. What of Wil, was he still in the army? All he knew was that Florina had come back to Ilia as well to further her training, and was now growing into a woman rivalling her sisters' beauty.

Sain interrupted his ponderings and leaned forward in the saddle to facilitate his mare's climb as they reached the real hills. The wind had gotten a bit stronger since this morning, but there was no real snowfall and the noble beast climbed the sloping hills easily. It looked like he could get pretty close to the Edelweiss with just his horse, although the scaling of the cliff itself to reach the flower would have to be done on foot. He guessed he could make a camp at the foot of the cliff and leave her there...

By now, Fiora had to have gotten up, eaten breakfast, washed her Pegasus and gotten to work, he figured. He wondered what she had thought when she had realised he was gone and had seen his note. Had she believed a word of what was in it? Now he was worried. He knew well that he had a history of... well. He had always had a weak spot for the fairer sex. He had not seriously pursued anyone since marrying Fiora, but she could be fickle. Would she think that he had gone off with a damsel, instead? He should have informed his squadmaster of what he was going to do, he thought. If she asked him, she would learn that they had no jobs for the moment and she would grow suspicious. He felt the colour leave his face. "Better hurry up and find that flower," he muttered to Lady as he gently put his calves to her flanks. The sooner he was home, the less enraged Fiora would be.

Higher into the hills, the wind picked up considerably, and Sain wrapped his winter cloak around himself more tightly in hopes of keeping it out. He had to stop for a rest soon; climbing uphill against a strong wind was exhausting for his steed, even at a walking pace. As he shook his head to get the fresh snow off his hair, he thought he saw something moving, and he stopped. Sure enough, not far away from him a white horse of slight build was trying to trudge through the snow as well, a figure huddled in thick fabrics upon its back. The poor thing seemed to be struggling, so Sain turned in their direction and walked towards them.

It was as he'd feared- the white horse was at the end of its strength. "Come on," he said to the rider, "I've seen an outcropping in that direction. If he can last for some five more minutes, we can rest." The rider only nodded, barely visible under his hood, and let Sain lead him. Finally, they reached the outcrop, which offered them shelter from the wind, and Sain helped the other dismount before inspecting both horses. "You're in luck," he said. "She's just tired. Give her a few hours of rest, and she'll be ready to go again." He patted the well-behaved and calm mare on her neck and sat down opposing the other traveller, who still had his hood up.

"Thank you," the other said, and Sain had to suppress the urge to raise an eyebrow at the familiar voice- and accent. He'd heard it before, and not just in passing either. He was pretty sure he'd taken orders from that voice on at least a few occasions. "I fear I hadn't anticipated the wind to be this strong."

"Yes," Sain agreed, pulling some food out of his saddlebag and sitting down to offer to share it with the other. "If you're from Lycia, then Ilia takes some getting used to."

The other froze halfway through the motion of accepting his offer. "How did you know-"

"Your horse doesn't have a thick winter fur," Sain said, motioning to the white mare. "At least, not as thick as the horses here in Ilia do. So she's clearly not from the country. It's not that far a stretch to assume you aren't either." He then pointed to his conversational partner, pausing to take a bite. "Besides, your accent is distinctly Lycian. If I had to guess... Pherae principality?" The other sighed, finally pulling down his hood to reveal his mussed red hair and his blue eyes. "It's good to see you healthy and well, Lord Eliwood," Sain said, grinning, "But I have to ask why you're here in the coldest country on the continent, without an escort no less."

His concern was genuine. Lord Eliwood of Pherae was a valorous and brave man; mentally, he had the makings of a great knight, and in fact word of some of his recent dealings with disturbances in Pherae and even Ositia had reached as far as Ilia. But physically... Sain knew that the red-haired nobleman had a frail constitution, and suspected his health wasn't as perfect as that of his best friend, the giant Lord Hector, either. Being a fine swordsman didn't make one a hardy traveller.

The Pheraen sighed, putting his hand to his forehead and helping himself to the food Sain had shared with him. "Several things have changed in Lycia since your and Lyndis's departures," he began to explain. "For one, as I'm sure you know, Hector married Dame Farina."

"I'm aware," Sain admitted. Farina had sent Fiora a long and triumphant letter about that. For a moment, the two had looked at each other, each of them wondering whether this had really been a marriage grounded in love or if Farina had just been interested in the wealth that came with being Marchioness Ositia. "How did that end up, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Surprisingly well, actually." Sain chuckled. He could tell from Lord Eliwood's voice that he had initially been as sceptical about the marriage as he and Fiora had been. "I think she's still growing used to having all the funds she could ever want for, but Hector's doing a great job of reining her spending habits in and she's shaping up to an exemplary lady of Ositia." The redhead smiled. "But that's not what you wanted to know, is it?"

"Not really. Do you know anything about Lady Lyndis?"

"I do." Eliwood shook his head. "Nothing recent though. Shortly after you left for Ilia, Lyndis departed to return to Sacae with Rath."

"Rath?" Sain repeated, surprised. "Not Kent?"

"Sir Kent was planning on going with her?" Lord Eliwood asked, confused. Sain shook his head, cursing his friend's shyness. "No... Sir Kent is currently Caelin's steward and reports to Hector." Dammit, Kent. All that effort, for naught. Lord Eliwood saw Sain shaking his head and followed up: "If it's any consolation, he's very competent and seems satisfied with his position. I was in Caelin recently myself, and the people have certainly not suffered under the change in government from what I could see."

"That is good to hear," Sain muttered as he resolved to write to Caelin as soon as he was home and tell Kent what an idiot he was. "But my lord, that doesn't answer my initial question. Why are you in Ilia?"

"Hector and Lyndis aren't the only ones making important decisions in their life," Lord Eliwood began, choosing his words wisely. "Perhaps you remember Ninian." Remember Ninian? How could he not? Ninian was a beautiful exotic dancer, an Ilian native like Fiora, but unlike her, meek and silent. Sain had met her years ago when escorting Lady Lyndis from Sacae to Caelin, and only barely kept himself from falling head over heels in love; and probably for the best, as time had gone on to teach them that the dancer had not been what she had seemed. Still, she was a sweet girl and he was glad she had been saved. Lord Eliwood gave him some time, but continued on. "I took her with me to Pherae after that... debacle... at Dragon's Gate. She's starting to feel at ease in Lycia, and now that I myself am settled in as Marquess Pherae, I hope to propose to her."

Sain nodded. That in and of itself wasn't an explanation, but he could tell Lord Eliwood was looking for words. Apparently, what he was about to say was embarrassing. "She once mentioned Edelweiss, a flower she loved as a child, which grew here in the Ilian mountains. I came in search of one." So, the two men had their sights set on the same flower. Sain hoped there were two. He was no longer a Lycian knight, of course, but he would still feel the obligation to hand the specimen off to the nobleman if they only found one. And he didn't want to go back home with nothing to show for his absence.

"Still," he said, "Why come without an escort? Even if there weren't any bandits –and there are- Ilia is not a safe place for a foreign noble to be on his own. And with your constitution!"

"I'm not worried about bandits." Lord Eliwood pulled his mantle more closely around him, shivering in the cold. Sain raised an eyebrow. The Pheraen was an incredibly skilled swordsman, yes, but while he should be able to protect himself from most highwaymen, it was unlike him to be so unprepared for the unexpected. "The cold has caught me off-guard, this is true, but that is not something that would have been any better had I brought a guard. Phoenix is warm-" he gestured his head towards the white mare, "-and she can shelter me from the wind. I want this to be a surprise for Ninian, and if the knights know where I've gone off to, chances are one of them will tell her or my mother, ruining that surprise."

Sain leaned back. He supposed he saw the sense in that. Hadn't he done the exact same with Fiora? It appeared he and Lord Eliwood were kindred spirits; hopeless romantics in search of ways to please their respective muses. It was just misfortune that they had chosen the same method to please them. "You should have a guard though, just in case something catches you by surprise. Might I offer my services?"

"You are no longer a knight of Lycia," Lord Eliwood protested, "Nor were you ever in the service of Pherae. You've no obligation to me."

"This is true," Sain admitted, "But I do have the same goal you do. I know of a place where Edelweiss grows, and I was planning on picking it for my lovely Fiora. We might be able to find another one near it, however. Besides, knight or not, it is not in my nature to leave a noble ruler of Lycia to his own devices."

Lord Eliwood seemed to consider his options, but soon smiled. "In that case, I welcome your aid. I will see to it that you are rewarded for your efforts."

"Finding Edelweiss and getting you back home safely will be plenty reward," Sain said, truthfully. If memory served, Lord Eliwood was not a difficult charge. He insisted on being involved in things, yes, but he was skilled enough to ensure his own safety most of the time and smart enough to know when he had to leave things to his soldiers. He wasn't reckless like Lord Hector or spoilt like Erik of Lahus. Confident that they wouldn't be slowed down by each other's company, Sain pulled out a map and showed him where he thought the flower would be, the two discussing the travel plan.

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It couldn't be far now, Sain hoped. Lord Eliwood's Phoenix fared poorly in this extreme weather, although with her master's encouragement she trudged through the snow faithfully. Sain smiled at the sight, but soon turned his gaze back forward. "There it is," he said, pointing ahead towards the mountain. "Florina says Edelweiss grows somewhere on that mountain."

"Exploring it fully would take days," Lord Eliwood said, sounding slightly desperate. "Can we narrow it down any?"

"I have an indicator of where on the mountain it should be," Sain reassured him. "We won't have to explore it- just scale it up to a certain height and look around there." He doubted it would be that easy, and from the look on the Pheraen's face so did he, but he had to try and keep their spirits up. "I have the necessary equipment with me," he explained, "but only for one person. I will make the climb, if you keep an eye on the horses."

"That sounds like the best way to go about this, yes," the redhead agreed, apparently well aware that climbing that high with his build and health wasn't plausible.

They stopped and dismounted at the foot of the mountain, Sain looking up the cliff and trying to figure out where to best begin his climb. In the meanwhile, Lord Eliwood inspected the horses and partially unpacked them to make a temporary shelter from the wind. "Will you be alright, sir Sain?"

"Yeah," Sain said, walking over to collect the tools. "Give me some time." He gave one last look over his mare before leaving the redhead to his devices, and started to climb the cliff; a physically taxing activity, but nothing he couldn't handle- he was a fighter, he was used to exerting himself for the sake of others. And this was for the sake of his siren, his beloved, the light of his life- the thought of the look on Fiora's lovely face at the sight of her favourite flower spurred him onwards until he reached the ledge and pulled himself onto it.

There it was. He didn't have to look for it. There, right in front of him, wavering unnaturally gently in the cold winds that tore past the mountainside, was a tiny, white-petalled flower… His prize! He hurried over to it, but stopped just short of picking it. Was that wise? Did he have to do anything special in order to preserve it for long enough that he could bring it to his love fresh? He spent a few seconds thinking about it, but finally just pulled off one of his gloves and used his nails to snap off the stem as close to the ground as he could get it. He'd just have to ride quickly.

He'd already prepared to climb back down when he realized he had promised to bring a second flower for sweet Ninian. He looked around, but the one he had placed against his heart had been the only one here. If he wanted another one, he'd have to go higher up. …too high for comfort. He was a mercenary, not an alpinist. So he started to climb down, his mind racing.

He couldn't send Lord Eliwood back to Lycia empty-handed. Not after he'd given his mother and his girlfriend such a fright. But could he really afford to take the lord deeper into the mountains in search of another flower? Sain didn't have to think about that twice; he couldn't. They didn't have enough supplies. As he approached the ground, he sighed.

He'd have to face Fiora's righteous wrath.

He walked back to the camp, where he immediately drew Lord Eliwood's attention. "Did you find them?" the redhead asked, getting up and wading through the snow to get to the former knight. Sain sighed and shook his head.

"Half. I only found one." He produced it, showing it to Lord Eliwood.

"I see… It's beautiful." The lord smiled as he looked at the flower closely, but then his face dropped. He, too, knew they didn't have the resources to seek further. Sain smiled, still holding out the flower to him. "…sir Sain, what are you insinuating?"

"Take it," Sain said. "You're a lord of Lycia. If your proposal goes awry, the consequences will be far greater than if I don't return with an anniversary gift for my wife." He pushed the flower into the lord's hand and wrapped his fingers around it. "Now let's get you back to the border so you can be home as quickly as you can."

Lord Eliwood seemed to stand in conflict with himself for a few seconds, but as Sain turned around and started to pack up, he must have realized that he wasn't going to take the flower back now. What he didn't know was that Sain's mind was now racing. How was he going to explain this to Fiora..? Disappearing for days on end, with nothing to show for it…

He tried to shake the thought as they rode South to Sacae, and pulled to a halt as a road became visible in the snow. "I'm fairly certain I'll find my way from here," Lord Eliwood said, but as he said it, he reached towards the pack on his saddle. They'd wrapped the flower in a piece of cloth and placed it in there, so Sain supposed he wanted to check on it and paid it no heed. He looked around and decided Lord Eliwood was right- from here on out the terrain became a lot easier and the weather a bit less extreme. If he rode hard, he would be home in a day and a half at most.

He looked up, surprised, when he heard the clanking of metal coins and realized that Lord Eliwood was holding out a sizeable pouch towards him. "My lord, I-"

"Don't start," Lord Eliwood said, smiling. "I brought this money for the express purpose of hiring a guide. You've been just that; this is your payment." He shook his head. "Besides, I've robbed you of that which you wanted to give to your wife. This is the least I can give you in return."

"I told you," Sain protested, "You need it for your proposal. You need it more than I do-"

"And you have a family to support, so you need this more than I do." This time, it was Lord Eliwood's turn to place the pouch in Sain's hand and wrap the brunet's fingers around it. "It's been good to see you well, Sir Sain. Give Dame Fiora my regards." With that, he turned to take hold of his reins and spurred Phoenix forwards, galloping off before Sain could think to return the pouch. It was heavy, too.

"…Lord Hector wasn't exaggerating when he called you generous to a fault," Sain muttered as he turned his own horse around. He couldn't spend too much time here either. His free time wasn't infinite.

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He reached home about half a day later, with the plan to put his mare away discreetly and sneak into the house to surprise Fiora with his return and the money. However, that plan was ruined the moment he approached the stables. Fiora had just dismounted her Pegasus and put his tack away, and Sain bumped into her as he walked in. She looked worried, as if she hadn't slept well the past days and eaten little. When she saw him, her eyes widened and she dropped her saddle, instead throwing her arms around him and embracing him tightly. "Sain!" she cried, "You've returned! You've returned alive… when your squadmaster said you had no missions to see to, I was so afraid…"

"…I'm sorry," he muttered. "It was the best I could come up with." Well, that wasn't true. But it had certainly been the most believable thing. "If it's any consolation, I did bring back payment…"

"I don't care about gold," Fiora said, still hugging him tightly. "I care about you. Never leave me again."

Sain stood bewildered for a few seconds, but then smiled and pressed his face against hers. "I promise."