Adriannu255: Thanks to all who continue to review this story. This is officially my longest story thus far! That's sad, considering it's only seven chapters long… Anyway, enough rambling! Here's chapter seven!

Disclaimer: Same.

Chapter 7: Despair and Hope

"Well…" Soren thought for a moment. "I was taught by a very harsh mage in Daein. His name was Balmer." Soren's eyes darkened. "Anytime I couldn't successfully cast a spell, he would teach me how to cast it again by…using me as a target…"

Titania gasped at such harsh punishment, but otherwise remained silent.

"All I wanted to do was avoid punishment as often as I could, so all of my free-time was devoted to studying tomes of all kinds." It wasn't a complete lie. Most of his power came from his dragon blood… "Because of that I never made any friends in Daein…" As he said that though, his thoughts drifted to a woman he had met one day while wondering Nevassa. They had recognized each other for what they were… And she had treated him with such kindness even when she had no idea about who he was other than that he was Branded like her… He had seen her only once, but he would never forget that silver hair…

"Soren?" Titania asked.

"Huh?" Soren looked at her startled and realized he had been staring into space. He shook his head. "Sorry, Titania… Memories…"

She nodded. "It's getting late, we should probably…"

Suddenly, rain began coming down hard. Titania didn't need to finish her sentence. She and Soren quickly ran back inside the castle. As they entered the entrance hall, they met up with a very worried Mist. "Mist?" the drenched Titania looked at the girl surprised. "What's wrong?"

"Titania, Soren, you didn't see Ike or Father out there, did you?" Mist asked the mage and paladin with worry evident in her face and voice.

"Are they not here?" Soren asked surprised.

Mist shook her head.

Soren looked out into the rain, and the feeling he had earlier returned. Now it was extremely unsettling… Something bad was going to happen…or had already happened…

"Maybe we should try to look for them," Mist suggested heading for the door.

Titania stopped her gently. "No, Mist. You'll get sick if you go out there. I don't like this any more than you do, but," she sighed, "we'll have to wait until morning."

As Mist began to protest Soren spoke up in alarm at what he saw through the downpour. "No need!"

The two females looked at him and gasped when they saw what he did. Ike was walking toward the castle, supporting an injured, possibly dying, Greil, before collapsing at the head of the path between the trees.

"Soren, Mist, alert the others immediately!" Titania ordered, as she ran back outside toward the swordsmen.

"Ike… Father…" Mist whispered.

Soren turned to her and saw the terror in her eyes, "Mist, please, just help me wake the others right now, okay? That's all you can do to help them right now."

She nodded and they ran to complete their task. Everyone was immediately outside helping to get the swordsmen into the castle and Rhys set about trying his best to heal Greil's injury. He had been stabbed in the abdomen. Soren took one look at the wound and knew it was fatal… Greil would not live through the night.

Rhys tried for hours to heal their commander, but it was in vain. He announced that Greil was dead. When the rain had stopped in the morning, Greil was buried not too far from the castle. Everyone, one by one, left the burial place.

When Soren reached the castle, he heard voices of some of the others; it sounded like they were arguing.

"You can't give command of this company to that untrained whelp! He can't do anything without Commander Greil!" Shinon shouted.

"I can and I will, Shinon! It was Commander Greil's decision!" Titania responded. "He may not have the experience, but he has the will and potential to be a great commander with time!"

"Time is something we do not have, Titania!" Shinon was still shouting.

"I have to agree with Shinon, Titania," Gatrie said calmly.

"Gatrie, Shinon, please…" Oscar's voice pleaded just as calmly. "We can't afford to lose you, now. We have just lost the commander; you can't leave us…"

"Watch us," was Shinon's simple reply.

Everyone there could only watch in heart-breaking shock as the sniper and knight left the castle and headed back to Crimea through the sea of trees. Oscar and Boyd went after them, planning to talk sense into them.

Soren walked inside and watched as the sun slowly began its descent in the sky.

It was silent until a voice sounded behind him. "Commander Greil… Why is this happening?" Soren turned around and saw Titania. "Why is any of this happening? Why now?" Soren saw Ike enter the room through the door behind the red-head, but Titania didn't notice. "First, Crimea… And now you…"

Soren's voice was little more than a whisper, "Ike…

Titania's eyes opened as she turned. "Ike! Where's Mist?"

"In her room, resting," Ike responded softly. "Rhys and Rolf are with her."

Titania nodded slowly, "She needs to sleep. She's been through far too much."

Soren turned back to the window, watching for Oscar and Boyd to return, hopefully with Shinon and Gatrie in tow.

He turned back when he heard Ike say his name. "…I just need to thank you both for staying here with me."

"Not at all…" Soren still spoke barely above a whisper. Inside, he was still grieving the loss of Greil. He didn't know the beorc that well, but he was so kind to the prince, even after his deception was revealed. It was also because of Greil that the mercenaries and Elincia still trusted him. He was indebted to the commander…

Suddenly Oscar and Boyd came in. "We're back…" Oscar stated sadly. Shinon and Gatrie were nowhere to be seen.

"How did it go?" Titania asked. Ike simply stared confused.

"I can't believe it!" Boyd was red-faced with anger. "They just left, and they didn't take one look back! Heartless scum! I'll never forgive them!"

"What's going on?" Ike broke in.

"Ike!" Boyd decided to dodge the question, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." But Ike wasn't to be dissuaded. "Tell me what's happened. Start talking, Boyd."

"Well…uh…" Boyd's anger disappeared to be replaced with nervousness. "What I mean to say is…"

Soren sighed and stepped in. "It's Shinon and Gatrie, Ike. They've left the company."

"Soren!" Boyd nearly shouted.

Soren turned to the axe wielder. "He would have found out whether we told him or not."

"They left?" Ike was shocked. "Both of them? Why-- Oh…" Ike's face fell with understanding. "They left because of me, didn't they?"

Soren looked at Ike wide-eyed, stunned that he would talk about himself like that.

"Ike…" Titania put a hand on the swordsman's shoulder.

"Titania told us you were going to be the new commander," Boyd recalled the argument. "Shinon just about exploded. He and Gatrie left not too long ago."

"We went after them, trying to talk things out," Oscar related, "but it was useless."

"Ike was going to inherit command of the company one day. You all knew this, didn't you?" Soren asked quietly. "It just happened sooner than expected." Everyone nodded. "It was Greil's decision, and if some of us aren't satisfied with that, there is no point in stopping them from leaving. Loss in fighting strength can be solved by adding new members."

Boyd stared at how Soren seemed to easily accept this. But then he remembered that Soren wasn't one of them.

"Forgive me, Ike…" Titania sighed. "I wasn't able to prevent any of this."

No one could, Titania, Soren sighed mentally.

Ike went on about how inexperienced he was and that it was his fault that Shinon and Gatrie left. Titania told Ike to quit talking like that, and Ike argued it was the truth. "But I have no intention of giving up command of this company." This caught everybody off guard.

"What will you--?" Titania began.

"I'm going to follow my father's wishes. I'm going to assume command," Ike stated with resolution. "If everyone would accept me, that's what I'd like to do."

Everyone smiled. He does have potential, Soren thought. All he needs is time. He watched as Titania, Oscar, Boyd, and Rhys, who had just come in, accepted Ike as Commander of the Greil Mercenaries. But he was shocked when Ike turned to him and asked, "What about you, Soren?"

"Huh?"

"I know that you only came to us because you need help to take the throne from Ashnard," Ike put a hand on Soren's shoulder, "but at the moment, I need your tactical knowledge. I need your objectivity. You're not going to leave us now, are you?"

Soren's smile returned, "Don't worry. I'll be here, watching over you."

Ike patted his shoulder, then turned back to the rest of the company, "Thank you. I know I'm not as experienced as the rest of you. I'm going to make some mistakes, but I'll try not to let you down."

"Spoken like a true leader," Soren bowed slightly, "Commander Ike."

Titania nodded and began explaining everything Ike needed to know about being commander…everything.

By the second "Uh-huh…" from Ike, everyone had gone to find something useful to do.

-

Soren woke up from his short nap and saw that, once again, it was raining. He stood up and stretched, and walked out of the room. He saw the only other people up were Titania, Ike, and Mia. Titania and Ike seemed a little busy, so Soren left them to their business.

He walked outside, the rain was only light, and he made his way over to Midnight, who smiled as best as a wyvern could, and nudged his shoulder. It was his way of asking, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, my friend," Soren smiled.

"So…" Soren jumped at the voice. He turned and saw Mia standing nearby, staring at him. "Where are you from?" She asked curiously.

Soren, not really expecting that, took a few seconds to answer, "…Daein."

Mia's eyebrows raised in surprise, "You against your king or something?"

"Yes," Soren nodded. "I don't agree with him at all." He turned back to Midnight.

Mia walked over to him and that was when she noticed the dagger sheathed at his side. "You any good with that?" she pointed at it.

Soren looked at where she was pointing and shrugged, "Fairly, I suppose. My forte is spells."

"Spells?!" She turned to him fully. "You're a mage?!"

"Yes, why?" Soren didn't see why that should surprise her. He may have had a slightly better build than other mages, but still…

"Well, that explains why you're so small."

Soren growled. He hated it when people commented on his height. It's not my fault that I age slowly! he complained.

"I'm sorry," Mia calmed down, when he growled. "What's your name?"

He took a deep breath before replying, "It's Soren." He turned to face the woman fully, "And you are Mia, correct?"

"That's right!" Mia held out her hand. Soren shook it politely. "Well, I guess I'll go back in. Sorry to bother you."

"Don't worry about it," Soren shook his head.

Midnight nudged Soren with his snout to get his attention. He turned to meet the wyvern's blue-green eyes and turned to where he looked. Oh-no…Soren thought as Daein soldiers began to emerge from the forest and surround the castle. Not now, please…

Adriannu255: The battle scene will take awhile to write, so the next update will take a bit longer… Sorry! Please review and vote!

Soren/Lethe: 6
Ike/Elincia: 5
Soren Elincia: 4
Soren/Ilyana: 4
No pairing: 3
Ike/Mia: 1
Zihark/Lyre: 1 (Yay! We've added one!)