Full Summary: Things took a grim turn for the Nohrian army. Their resolve has become weak, and Hoshidan eyes tirelessly forage their hiding place in the woods. If nothing is done, their demise will be imminent. One final proposal, a grasp for any sort of advantage, has been proposed: send a spy to Castle Shirasagi to gather as much information possible.
There are only two who are rightfully fit for the job: the frenemies, Nina and Soleil. Their cross-continental journey to the capital will be long, rough, and merciless, but it will ultimately save the lives of those dear to them.
It is natural natural that, on a trip drenched in blood, sweat, and tears, the two would find not just themselves, but each other.
Started: September 21, 2016
Chapters 1-15 Revised and Edited for Grammar: January 19, 2018- March 23, 2018
Author's Note: Hello there. I feel the need to inform you that this story does have tie-ins with a previous work of mine, "Days in the Life of a Thieving Youth". I did not group these two stories in a series because it is not absolutely necessary to read "Days in the Life of a Theiving Youth" in order to understand and enjoy this story. Some events that occurred in "Days in the Life of a Thieving Youth" are referenced, but it, by no means, is not anything major.
Thank you, and please enjoy the story. Any sort of feedback is welcome.
How to Win a War
Two ancient kingdoms, tall and powerful as giants, were at war, and war was no clean type of thing. War was bloody. Dirty. Cold. An orphan creator. The sounds of war struck fear in the hearts of all whose ears it invaded. Hesitate for even a moment, and one may lose their life. War was not something to be taken lightly; only one side could win, and the loser... Bad things would happen to the losers, bad enough to make slavery seem like a warm, tropical island, maybe with a cool drink on the side.
Losing was not on the to-do list of Nohr, which was the reason why their leaders and generals met, gathered around a table beneath a lantern. Their numbers surrounded a map, a map of their sworn enemy, Hoshido, and homed in on key locations like a hungry falcon. They would argue over chess pieces, where to put them, where they should move, and where they should stay. The most hardened of them all, an aging man by the name of Gunter, stood at the head, his arms crossed as he listened to the bickers and quarrels.
Most terrible of all: they were in no favorable position.
"These are the types of situations I've warned about." The old man emerged from the shadows, gazing grimly down at his fellow soldiers. "We shouldn't concentrate our forces, especially our leaders, in one particular spot. All it takes is one ambush and our entire resolve can be wiped out."
"That makes no sense!" argued a woman, heavily armored. She too departed from the dark, prepared to challenge him. "If we were to split up and have the enemy concentrate their forces on a division, I can guarantee they won't survive. Numbers are not things we want to lose. Not now. We are far outnumbered by the enemy, so to allow ourselves to be picked off like flies is the most detrimental thing that can happen."
"That's war. I've seen this manner of tactics save our cause many times in my life, perhaps before you were even born. Though they will be making a tragic sacrifice, small divisions spaced across the land will slow the enemy. While they are distracted, other divisions move in and work to draw closer to the capital. All it takes is to have the prince's life taken and we have this war won. Likewise applies to our enemy."
All eyes darted to a lean figure who lingered in the darkness: the figure of the High Prince, Xander, and his face was just as grim as those who surrounded him.
"I'm not going to beat around the bush," he announced. "Whether we like it or not, our resolve is not in an advantageous position. Hoshido is breathing down our necks; all it takes is the wrong move and we run the risk of being attacked by a faction nearly five times our size. As Effie said, our survival is nowhere close to guaranteed. We need to find an effective strategy, and quickly."
"What do we do then?" asked another voice.
Another shadow lifted its head.
"We should move half of our army to occupy the captured fortress in the south. The position is not only defensive, but also well hidden and mostly forgotten about."
The other budged, making a rash motion.
"I disagree. They would suspect us to occupy that fortress for those very reasons. Therefore, they would launch an attack the moment it is fortified. It isn't a risk we can afford to take."
"Then there's nowhere safe!" exclaimed the other. "No matter where we go, there is no haven we can retreat to and rethink our strategy!"
"Not so fast, Laslow; remain calm." The small, but maturing, frame of Leo stepped out of the dark, his neck stiff. His studious eyes darted hesitantly down to the map spread across the table, and not a soul would dare to interrupt his powerful mind. Rather, they watched with hope filling their eyes; if someone were to come up with an ingenious maneuver, it would be the quiet, but calculating, Leo. Those cold eyes of his bore nothing but confidence. "Xander only said that we are in a position of disadvantage, not eminent danger. Anyone with a brain should know that it isn't wise to go without any advantages, so we must work to have at least one. It doesn't matter how small it is, just one can do the trick."
His adopted brother, Corrin, leaned in with interest.
"Reassuring thoughts, Leo. Do you have a proposal?"
Leo gave him a confident smirk.
"You're lucky I do," he replied and, ever so slowly, reached down with his delicate hand to take a piece on the map and lift it. Its butt hovered over the map, soaring over trees and rivers alike, leaping over landmarks, and surviving dangerous chasms. At last, it arrived at the capital of Hoshido, settling in its heart at Castle Shirasagi. Rather satisfied with himself, Leo lifted his gaze, searching for approval. Instead, all he received were mixed looks.
"You... want us to send only one person to the capital?" Effie spoke up, evidently puzzled. To her, Leo returned with a subtle nod.
"More like a small group. A squadron or a pair of spies, if you will."
The room appeared to be baffled by the proposal.
"Spies? You're kidding!"
"Not at all," Leo replied. "At this point, any information will be invaluable. If we have foreknowledge of anything the Hoshidans plan to do, we can devise clever and devastating counter attacks. Perhaps set up a guerrilla unit while the enemy is en route to a bait location. Should we play the cards correctly, we can pull ourselves out of this state of being outnumbered, and we will finally see things go our way."
Gunter appeared to take the idea with a rather wealthy dose of prejudice, for his brows furrowed and his arms crossed tightly.
"Assuming our spies make it back alive. I hate to even think of what would happen to them should they be captured."
"That is a risk, yes, but we have quite the arsenal of slithery personas, wouldn't you agree? I have confidence that my retainer, Niles, would make a great candidate, having been a thief in his youth."
The room looked amongst themselves, narrowing their eyes.
"And there's Beruka, an assassin."
"Yes, and Kaze, a former ninja of Hoshido. He would not only be difficult to find, but he'll also blend in."
Corrin watched the scene unfold before him with a frown, eyeing back and forth between speakers. He knew his army. He knew his army well. Thus far, everyone was naming adequate champions, but never did he hear the name that first popped in that head of his. It looked like he was going to have to say it.
"I do believe that all of these people would make great spies for the operation, but they are secondary." he approached Leo, looking sternly into his eyes before parting his lips again. "Rest assured. I know just the person for your plan."
That was how, the very next day, Corrin found himself wandering down the many rows of tents, counting in fear of having his choosing incorrect. Forty-four. The forty-fourth tent was what he was looking for, and he was fairly confident when his mental counter finally buzzed with his desired number. He paused before it, studying before finally tapping on the entrance flap with his toes.
"Knock knock. It's Corrin. Mind if we have a chat?" But there was no answer. The result was typical, seeing that it was quite the lovely day outside. It didn't come as a surprise to look into an empty tent. After all, the majority of the army was out and about, soaking in the pleasant summer sun. Chances were, his target was just another face in such a dense crowd. He found no reason to blame her, so he departed from the tent, yet to feel angered or frustrated.
Finding her was going to be a challenge; seldom could she be located when he needed her (since she was hiding the majority of the time), so he often had to wait until she returned to her tent for the night... which took a while. Corrin was in no mood to wait that long. Desperate times called for desperate measures, so he had to launch a plan he had backed up for such an occasion.
So, with a book still in his hand, Corrin made his way to the other side of camp, where he would see a small lake just outside its boundaries. A lone tent resided next to it, and it was precisely where he wished to go. Lucky for him, he wouldn't have to search far, for he saw a pair sitting at the lake's shore as he drew closer. In the pair, to his relief, would be the second person he wanted to see: Silas, who was spending time with his wife Nyx. They were lounging around, doing whatever it was they do, when they noticed him approaching. Being himself, Silas smiled and gave him a hefty wave.
"Hey Corrin! Nice day out, isn't it?"
"It is. I agree."
Not much had to be said between he and Nyx; a simple nod was enough of an exchange. Modestly, Silas unwrapped his arms from around the woman's shoulders, then rose to his feet. It was evident that he had seen the business that hid in Corrin's ruby eyes, for he conformed accordingly.
"Is there something you need me to do?"
Corrin nodded curtly.
"I'm sorry for interrupting your time with Nyx, but I do need a favor of you. If you can't help for whatever reason, don't feel pressured. I can easily find someone else and probably be just fine. I came to you first because I believe you would be the most effective."
Silas smiled easily.
"Of course. I don't mind helping you at all..." He flushed and turned to look back at Nyx. "I mean, so long as my other is okay with it." He chuckled then, scratching the back of his head gently. With a simple roll of the eyes, Nyx gave him a subtle nod, patting his calf affectionately.
"Just don't be too long," she murmured.
Thus, Corrin and Silas made their way to the square that quaint summer day. The center was the best place, Corrin decided, and had the two of them stop there. Before he did anything else, Corrin took the time to observe his surroundings. There were plenty of corners, he noticed with confidence, and there was one in particular that made him smile. She was going to be there. He just knew it.
"Alright, Silas," he began slowly. "I know this is going to sound weird, but... I need you to act close to me."
Silas did not appear to take the idea well.
"I'm sorry, but... Act close to you?"
"Yeah. I promise I'm not trying at anything weird, I just need to find someone. If we're acting like this, she's bound to show up sometime or another. She's kinda... um... drawn to this sort of stuff for some reason."
With a flush, Silas looked around, approaching him begrudgingly.
"Well... Whatever you say... What should I do?"
"For starters, get closer. No. Closer. Yeah, that's about right... um... Now, uh... I need you to be touchy. Make it subtle, though... like you're trying to be secretive." He found a hand on his shoulder. "Okay, that works."
"Now what?"
Corrin looked around, already noticing stares with a cringe. Nonetheless, he sighed, then shoved his head away as he flipped opened the book in his hands. Inside were passages scribbled in charcoal. He squinted his eyes as he skimmed through the gibberish, eventually finding one paragraph in particular that caught his interest.
"Um... It says here one character put his hand on the other's cheek... so... I guess I'll just..." He reached up to brush his fingers over Silas' jaw. "Just so you know, if you ever get uncomfortable, tell me to stop and we can call this off."
"You do know everything about this is uncomfortable, right?"
Corrin forced a smile on his mouth.
"Good point," he rasped, but mustered enough dignity to open his eyes and let his gaze wander over to the designated corner he was keen on keeping his attention to. Already, he saw a certain head peeking around the side of the building, watching them without drawing any attention to itself. Pleased, Corrin's eyes narrowed, and he pulled himself away. "Got her. Wait here."
"W-Wow... Already?"
Corrin had already run off, heading to the other side of the building. Without saying a word, he meticulously worked his way around, hugging its sides. Upon turning around the second corner, he was rather satisfied to see a certain young girl leaning against the wall, her back turned to him. She gazed intently to Silas, who patiently stood alone in the distant midst of the square. Though he would have never thought himself to be the sneaky type, creeping up behind her completely unnoticed was unusually easy.
"Nina."
She yelped, then scrambled a little ways away from him as she turned around.
"W-What! What do you want?" she hollered, only to pause, and the blush that had already spread across her cheeks deepened. "Ehe... Oh hi, Corrin, fancy seeing you here... Sorry for the outburst, you know how I am when it comes to-"
"I've been looking for you," he started, his eyes hardening. Almost immediately, he saw the red disappear, replaced by a sheet of white. Defensively, she held up her hands over her chest, gradually distancing herself from him.
"H-Hey, look here: I haven't been doing anything troublesome lately. Stealing? Not even once this week. I'm clean. I haven't done anything. I have an alibi. You can ask my father because he hasn't left me alone for days!"
"That's good to hear, but it's not why I wanted you."
She seemed to relax suddenly, the flush returning as she sunk back into her usual posture. In a slick motion, she slithered up to him, drawing uncomfortably close. A sly smile crept across her lips.
"Does it have anything to do with that scene you and Silas put on? Come on, don't be shy. If you need me to tell you there's nothing wrong with getting close to your guy friends, there's absolutely nothing to worry about."
Corrin's eyes rolled.
"No, I'm not here to talk about that." He held up the book from which he had read the passages. "I came to talk about this."
He saw her freeze. It was as if she had been told how she was going to die... and she was going to die a painful, painful death. Or maybe the world was about to end. Regardless, the expression was mortified, and she immediately dove for the journal like an animal. Upon retrieval, she held it close to her chest, her arms wrapped around it tightly, and she stared at him with her wide eyes.
"H-How did you get this?" She trembled violently.
"Your mother gave it to me after she cleaned out your tent. She told me there were some impressive espionage tactics written inside. You're the author of this book, correct?"
She eased away.
"M-Maybe..." she answered. "It's nothing but a little hobby of mine that I like to keep private." Her face hardened. "How much did you read?"
"Not much. Just the bits about your adventures in... eh... spying on people."
"So you didn't make it to page twenty-three."
"No."
She sighed then, sweet as a lark. Afterward she turned around, relieved.
"Oh, thank goodness. I was getting afraid there for a minute... Thanks for bringing this back if that's all you came here for."
Corrin closed the gap between them again.
"Um, no, actually. I came here because of what you wrote about in there. You know, all the things you'd figured out how to do? That's talent, and I need that talent."
"Talent?" Nina echoed, turning back around. "You're kidding yourself. Like I said, it's just a hobby... I guess..."
"And that's precisely why I need you. You're already skilled at something you're not even serious about, so I can only imagine what you would be like if you finally put your game face on."
Nina anchored a brow.
"Wow... This sounds pretty big, Corrin. I sure hope it's not. You know how I am, always letting my mind wander..."
"Trust me. I have a mission that's right up your alley, but you have to be willing to do it..."
Though Nina didn't necessarily reject the idea, Niles certainly did. He was one of the first people to walk into the war council tent, all with an uncharacteristic frown on his face. Funny enough, to Corrin, it seemed like one of the only instances he has seen him in such a foul mood. Something must have been wrong. Very wrong. Because of such a phenomenon, Corrin was more than willing to invest his time in watching as the man strode up to the planning table, where he slapped its surface furiously.
"So. Rumor has it you want to use my daughter as a spy," he growled. "I know I should be flattered that the fruit of my loins is qualified for such an important mission, but I have to say, I'm not happy at all. Why didn't you come ask me first? How would you like it if someone asked Kana to do the same thing without even giving you a second thought, hm? I know Nina doesn't like me, but I'm still her father. I'm responsible for her."
Corrin looked up from his map, and, awkwardly, made his way over to meet the man.
"I was planning on asking for your permission."
"When? After you've already sent her off to the capital of Hoshido?"
While chewing on his lip, the other eyed away, focusing more on the ground all of a sudden.
"Well..." he began weakly. "I suppose now is a good time to ask, right? Will you let your daughter travel to the Hoshidan capital?"
Niles crossed his arms.
"Absolutely not," he replied. "It's too dangerous for her to go alone. Do you have any idea what could happen to her if she makes even one mistake? I'll confess that she has inherited some skill in sneakiness, but nobody's perfect. She's bound to make some sort of fluke at some point or another, no matter how good she is."
Running a palm over his chin, Corrin raised a brow.
"Okay... Would you be willing to let her go if I sent a few others to accompany her?"
"I don't know. It depends on who you want to send. Just so you know, the more that are going with her, the more likely they are to get caught. This is elementary stuff, Lord Corrin."
"Alright, alright. I'll send one partner with her, but I'm going to need some time to figure out who would be the best choice."
That was why Corrin decided to spend his time in the mess hall that night not eating nor chatting, but searching through the many faces that gathered around tables and counters. It was a busy night like usual, which only went to Corrin's favor; the more there were, the more he had to choose from.
Let's see...
Effie was a good choice. The woman was like a rock; she was difficult to break and it hurt when she was thrown at people. The only poor factor was the fact that she wasn't fast at all, nor very sneaky. Heck, the bulkiness and sound of her armor would certainly prove to be a disservice to Nina's work. She was out.
Percy may have been good too; he and Nina got along especially well, and his wyvern would make transportation easy. He was awful young, however. He was ultimately out as well.
Shigure was... Wait, no, he and Nina were a bit too close. For the sake of being appropriate, maybe Nina should travel with another female.
Azura wasn't a good choice. If anything, it would be Nina that was protecting her.
Charlotte... Hm, maybe not Charlotte. She and Nina didn't seem like they would mix well.
Likewise for Selena. Selena didn't get along with anyone, Nina included.
Sophie seemed to not be so bad. She was dedicated to being a good knight like her father... But her father was one of the problems. Corrin knew Silas well, and his intuition said that Silas, never in a million years, wouldn't send his precious daughter off somewhere so dangerous with only one other person. The other problem would be that rambunctious horse of hers... Not the best choice, but he felt like he was getting warmer.
Peri was obvious. That woman would probably end up murdering Nina before they even made it to the capital.
For fairly biased reasons, he didn't want Kana to go... as awful as that made him sound.
Then his eyes fell on Velouria. She sat in the men's side of the hall, chowing away on meat with her father. Yes, Velouria! Not only was she a friend of Nina's, she was also quite a powerful thing; it took a lot to scratch her while she was a beast, and, being a wolfskin, she had stealth experience from creeping behind prey. She was perfect, Corrin decided, so he wove his way through the crowd, his eyes fixed on his target.
The moment he arrived, Velouria had already turned around to receive him, wiping away bits and pieces of her food off of her face. She raised a brow.
"Hey," she greeted coolly, to which Corrin nodded quickly and returned with a smile.
"Hello, Velouria. Do you mind if I talk to you for a moment?"
"I don't care."
He pulled a chair back, seating himself beside her as he opened his mouth once again.
"I have a favor to ask of you."
"Hold on." She took one of the many slices of beef sitting on her plate, then swallowed it whole. "This doesn't have anything to do with that secret spy mission you're sending Nina on, does it?"
Corrin blinked.
"How did you know about it?"
"Everyone knows. Word spreads pretty quick around here." She helped herself to another slice.
"Well..." His eyes wandered away strangely. "I was wondering if you could be the one that accompanies Nina to the capital. I think you would be great at it since the two of you already get along."
Velouria stopped then, her dinner dangling out of her mouth as she gave him a puzzled glare. Corrin didn't like the looks of it, and for good reason; she quickly shook her head just a second later, her droopy ears fluttering back and forth.
"No way," she replied. "I don't like being too far from Daddy." Like a spaghetti noodle, she slurped the meat into her mouth. "Besides, Soleil already said she wanted the job anyway."
A brow couldn't help but sink.
Soleil.
He forgot to consider her, and it appeared to be for a good reason. When he wandered back over to the women's side of the hall, he already found her doing precisely what would make him refuse to consider her. Soleil sat next to Sophie, giggling as she pat her shoulder. The latter was visibly uncomfortable.
"Come on, Flower, are you sure you don't want my veggies? Why don't you let me feed 'em to you? Come on, it'll be fun!"
"I don't want your vegetables, Soleil. I've already told you, haven't I?"
"Not before now."
"Okay. I'll say it for real this time: I don't want your vegetables."
Soleil leaned closer.
"Or do you?" she whispered. "Are you playing coy with me?"
It was by now Corrin had approached the two, giving the most questionable of the two a frustrated glare. The moment she caught eye of him, Soleil quickly laid off of the girl, modestly keeping her hands to herself and slapping on an all-too-innocent smile.
"Oh, hey Lord Corrin! I'm glad you showed up because I've-"
"Stop harassing her," Corrin grumbled, seating himself on the other side of the table.
"Not a problem, sir." She set her elbows on the table then, and leaned a little closer to him. Her eyes were wide with interest. "As I was saying, I'm happy you showed up. It must be fate. I've heard that you were looking for someone that could go with Nina on that little mission you have planned. So? Here I am! I'm here to say I want the job!"
Corrin narrowed his eyes.
"No," he grumbled. "I don't trust you with her."
"Oh, come on! I've already told you, haven't I? Nina and I are totally cool; we're friends."
To his surprise, Sophie of all people rose to her defense.
"She was the one who saved Nina from drowning that one time when she was sick..." she mentioned passively.
"Yeah! Flower's right! You didn't promote me to the Hero class for nothing. When Nina and I went out for midnight dip in the bathhouse, the girl just passed out in the water. Had I not been there to pull her out, she'd be dead!"
"Would you please stop calling me Flower?"
Corrin eyed the two, hesitant as always, before he leaned against his fist. In the meantime, he stared at Soleil in the eye. She had a rather honest face, but that was something that could easily be taken advantage of. He's never seen her trick anyone, though. He's only seen her have quite the way with words. An expert convincer, that girl, and her face most likely had a part to play. He wasn't going to be a tree that would bend beneath the weight, however, no matter how hard the winds began to blow. In some cases, he could see that Soleil would be a decent accomplice with Nina, but it only looked pretty in theory, not in real life. The two couldn't go long without getting into some sort of petty argument. After all, the two weren't friends, they were frenemies. Rivals, in a sense.
"What makes you want to go?"
Soleil's head lifted from her plate, where her fork was pushing around her meal.
"It doesn't seem like you'd have much luck finding someone to go with Nina. You know how she is, difficult to get along with. But she's my friend, and I don't want her going somewhere dangerous and getting hurt. I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to her out there, especially when I had the chance to be there myself."
His eyes narrowed again.
"Never forgive yourself? So you're almost doing this for your own peace of mind?" he echoed.
"Sorta."
With a glance at the ceiling, Corrin's tongue ran over his lips. It was probably a mistake to open his mouth, but he opened it anyway.
"I'll think about it." And he rose from the table and made his way to the counter, ready to finally get a meal for himself. The action left him unaware of the conversation that stayed behind between the two girls. Sophie, almost immediately, shot Soleil a dirty look.
"Knowing you, you probably want to go so you can be alone with her."
In response to such an accusation, Soleil burst into a fit of laughter, pounding loudly on the table until she had almost the entire mess hall staring at her.