Mia was in a world of pain.
Her ribs were black and blue. Both her lips were busted. And worst of all, her two hands that held the handle of her beloved sword were coated in thin streams of never-ending crimson blood.
And there was Volke, barely even breaking a sweat. The worst pain she had managed to inflict on him was when she accidently dropped her bag on his toe. And he hadn't even winced at that, though she had apologized for at least twenty minutes. He'd only assured her that it was okay.
She did a mental assessment of her body as she swiftly dodged well-placed thrusts from Volke's dagger. He really was good with that thing, though he said he preferred a longer type.
Her face was fine, save for a few gashes. The ribs might be a problem in a while, though. She could feel the bruises forming from where Volke's dagger had slapped against them over and over again. At least he didn't actually stab her. And her arms- it would be a miracle if she would be able to move them at all tomorrow. Not to mention her legs, which were in absolute agony.
Despite her pain, Mia managed to keep a huge grin on her face all throughout her training. After all, she had promised not to complain if she "got a few bruises." And she was going to keep her vow no matter how much pain he put her in. After all, she was the one who had asked for this.
'If I can just one good hit on him, I'll be happy… for today.' As if sensing her thoughts, Volke narrowed his eyes and closed in on her once again- going for her ribs. Thankfully, Mia was able to dodge out of the way before the lethal dagger could slap her once again. Using her last bit of strength, she charged in on Volke, hoping to surprise him enough to get a good hit in.
It worked. Volke was too shocked at her bold charge that he didn't react in time to defend himself. Mia landed a small cut on his arm- her first victory during their five-hour training spree.
"Good work, woman. Take a break."
Watching Volke lean casually against a wall, Mia couldn't help but think how good looking he was. His eyelashes were long and his eyes were pitch black, just like his hair. The darkness looked especially striking against his pale skin. And if his face was nice, that was nothing compared to his lithe body. Sometime in the second hour of training, he had removed his shirt.
His stomach and chest were extremely defined and muscular. Not so much as Ike or Boyd, but it suited Mia just fine. He had the type of muscles that don't bulge out, but are very thin and wiry.
Just looking at him took a hit on her self-esteem. Mia knew she was considered cute, but she didn't look so much like a woman. Volke, standing there with no shirt on, looked manly.
Volke finally caught on to her staring at him. He didn't really mind, but the silence was getting a bit awkward. "So, uh, Mia. Where do you come from?" Mia lowered her eyes and turned a bit pink at having been caught staring. She was also a little flattered that Volke even cared to ask.
"Well, I was an aristocrat. My father wanted me to marry this man- he was fifty at least. And I was only eighteen. So I ran away. Greil found me, starving and alone. He trained me to fight."
Volke was hardly surprised. Mia had that look to her. That 'royalty' look. And she also had the attitude of one who was used to getting what they wanted- but Mia was also used to working hard. Add that to her purple hair- which is popular among the aristocrats- perfect posture, and her no-nonsense accent and any fool can guess that she once led a life of luxury.
"What about you, Volke?" "Oh, well. My mother died when I was young and my father was not- kind. I left when I was seven. For a while, I lived among the laguz bandits, who taught me to steal and fight. I tried to pick Greil's pocket when I had been trained as an assassin. He gave me a choice when he caught me- I could be killed for attempting to steal, or I could work for him."
Mia nodded slowly, looking a bit confused. "Then… you were here when Greil was alive. How long have you been here?" Volke shuffled a bit uncomfortably. "Well, you see, I'm a bit older than I look. I'll be twenty-eight in twelve weeks. So I've been here about eight years. And what about you, Mia? How old are you? You look to me to be about- sixteen or so. Maybe seventeen."
Pouting, Mia stuck her tongue out at Volke. "I'm twenty-two! Everyone says I look young. It's so annoying! I'm an adult, not a child." Volke laughed quietly, examining Mia discreetly. She really didn't look all that young to him at all. Well, maybe in her face she did.
But her body wasn't childlike. She was tall, with long limbs and a torso to match it. Even though she was muscled, she was still soft, in an odd way. And her figure certainly wasn't childlike.
"You don't look that young. And no kid could possibly be as strong as you are." Mia snorted, rolling her eyes. "I barely touched you all day, and you call me strong? I obviously need help."
"That's why we're here. Come on, we need to get back to training."
Two Hours Later (From Shinon's Point of View)
"Where the hell is that girl?" Shinon was pissed. Ike had asked him to give Mia the new sword she had ordered at dinner. And Shinon had been waiting for like an hour now, and the woman still hadn't shown up to eat yet. He had half a mind to join Rolf at their usual table and forget all about delivering the stupid sword. But then Ike would be all up his butt for the next few days.
"Finally," Shinon hissed as he spotted Mia walking into the dining hall. The girl looked like someone had just beaten the crap out of her. She had a black eye, her clothes were torn and both of her hands were wrapped in bloody bandages. Not to mention the fact that her lips were busted and she had at least twenty-five bruises covering every inch of her skin that was showing.
Still feeling a bit angry, Shinon hurried over to her, holding her new sword. "Hey! Mia! Who the hell did this to you?" Mia smiled at Shinon, shaking her head. "No one! I was just- I fell off a horse." Shinon laughed loudly at her horrible lie. "You fell off a horse? Was it eighty feet tall?"
Mia shook her head again, turning bright red. "N-no. It was just a normal… what do you want?"
"Oh yeah. I'm supposed to give this to you." Shinon gently put the long sword in her hand. "This is made out of real silver. Must have cost you a lot to buy it." Mia nodded, examining the sword carefully. "Thank you so much, Shinon. Now I have to go eat… bye."
Mia walked away nervously, glancing back at Shinon as if she thought he would follow her.
She was hiding something. And Shinon was sure as hell going to figure out what it was.
Huzzah! Shinon is possibly my favorite Fire Emblem character. I had to include him somehow. Go ahead and click that sexy review button.
