It's been over a week since that day. The day he finally meet with his mother and father again.
After finally getting Severa off of him ("Come on Severa, your being childish…" "I'm childish! Let me go so I can cut him a new one Luci!") and finishing off all of the bandits with his newly treasured sword Mystletainn ("By the ghost of Ike! I've found it! The divine blade Mystletainn!" "Er, I'm afraid this blade is-uh sir. W-wait! That blade can't cut to save your life!") he had officially joined the Shepherds alongside his parents. Thankfully most of the soldiers didn't even knew that they were from the future, much less the princesses child. But that didn't stop those that did knew of the future children from asking him about everything.
"Are you really Lissa's son? Oh, he looks like Lon'qu with that style of his."
"Isn't it great Maribelle! I have a son! And he's also funny and cute and strong and fast and-"
"I saw it for myself dear. My, with his skills it would be a miracle if he wasn't Lon'qu's son. And you Sumia?"
"Well he is rather spirited, but that's something we always need don't we?"
"Your right Sumia. I just don't get how Severa seemed to see him as a bother at all?"
"...I-I think it-t might-t b-e because of uh-h her-r duty I-I believe…"
"Duty? Whatever do you mean darling Olivia?"
Yeah...this is what he had to endure everyday. At least they quiet down to ask some of their children instead of him everyday.
From what Lucina have told him, almost half of the group was here with them, having searched all over Ylisse in order to find their companions before they came to Valm.
Kjelle was here for two years now. In that time she had trained under a teacher that had gained her respect from beating her in battle and wits. After a man named Cassius killed her teacher in front of her and his wife because he held a girl hostage she left in pursuit in order to kill the man. Unsurprisingly he sent out his own army to kill Kjelle and she would have died if the Shepherds didn't make it out on time.
Nah had only just arrived when she was trapped in a haunted house filled with dark magic that even Kellam could fell. She didn't know at the time that it was filled with a lot of Grima's magic because of all of the Risen and traps that were in there. She would have been attacked if her mother didn't sniff her out in the smell of dead flesh.
Noire had been out and about the same time as Kjelle, going and wandering around the coast in order to stay away from the capital. When the Shepherds arrived she had lost her talisman to a slave seller that was hoping to catch a pretty penny until she found an old but still usable bow in the ruins she was hiding in. The man meet his end very soon after.
Severa was here for a year and a half, playing merchant before she got herself tangled in a pretty bad group. She would have left if it wasn't for a man named Holland and her mother's ring that kept her from leaving so soon. But when Uncle came she managed to save Holland and the ring with the leader killed by her blade.
Laurent was here for eight years. Eight long years! While they all knew of the risk of going through the portal, it seemed that Laurent gotten the worst of it, staying at an ancient lost city that found him lost in the desert when he was close to dying from the heat. He tried to find them but they weren't there, much less born when he found out what era he landed in. It's weird having to see one of the youngest of the group become suddenly three years older than Lucina.
Morgan is a mystery but not impossible. He claimed to be the son of Robin and had lost his memory, only just awakened when the Risen started to attack the ruins he'd awoken from. Surely everyone was surprised but those from the future were suspicious. Robin never had another child, she was lost in battle when Frederick came back with Falchion and a piece of her ripped Tatistions coat. Yet before she was killed or lost, the palace got a letter saying that Robin was pregnant again and was going to be sent back to the capital in order to have a safe birth. That was the day they lost not two but three members of the royal family.
Lucina didn't take it very well. Crying for days before she came out of her weakened state.
So as far-fetched as the idea that Morgan was Robin's son, it wasn't entirely impossible. If the stitched up coat on his back wasn't enough then his brand was proof of that.
(He's also been seeing how he would sneak in Falchion every now and then to cut his apples in two perfects halfs. If he wasn't so impressed that he could use Falchion he would have tried to wrestle the sword out of his hands, after all it was Falchion he was miss treating there!)
And Lucina herself was rather busy if one could say, going in and out and pretending to be Marth the masked man. Honestly he was impressed how almost no one could have seen through Lucina's disguise if it wasn't for Robin's knowing smirk and Gaius handing her a bag of coins in her hands from what Lucina had told him. Guess not everyone was immune.
But from that they were missing five more of their group. Lucian is most worried about Inigo while Noire always asking anyone on the road (even when she looked like she was going to faint from fright) if they've seen a Tanglue (which earned her more than a few laughs and a surprised Panne with a blushing Donnel when they found out what it meant). He was worried for both Brandy and Cynthia personally. Brandy wasn't much of a fighter and was not as fit as they are with Cynthia getting herself in trouble at times with her perfectly beautiful stunts in order to become the hero she is.
He's not worried about Gerome though. Knowing him, he would have already settled down and thrusting his lance to anyone that was a danger to Minerva and him. They were a fighting pair those two.
But knowing that he was the first one to be found in Valm it was safe to insure that the rest of their group was deep within Valm as well. Something he is both pleased and embarrassed about since he had roamed the coastline of Valm without hearing of wind if where the rest of his friends are when all he was listening to was the rumors of Ylisse.
As of now though, he was set inside a tent along side the royal family, both present and future.
He was a little more than just a little uncomfortable.
As soon as Lissa finally understood that he was her son, she jumped at the chance to know him more, asking about everything and anything, following him everywhere, and working alongside him as much as she can. While he did want to get to know his mother a bit more, it was getting to the point where he openly follows father in order to get him to stop mother from following him 24/7. But I guess she found a new way to get to know him more by roping the rest of the family for dinner.
Looking around the dinner table that they all sat in he saw mixed reactions to this. Mother, or Lissa, was happily chatting up with Morgan who was equally as bubbly and bright with both of their smiles machig to a T. Uncle Chrom was seated right next to Morgan, fidgeting in his seat while he ate, the source of all the arrangements for the dinner as it was Lissa's puppy eyes that made him cave in. Robin was next to him while she had amusement written across her eyes. Lucina who sat next to her mother was a mix of both her father and mother, clearlying griming from the awkward air but also laughing when she knew it was centered around him. His father, who sat in between him and mother (he was not going to sit next to her so soon after a whole week!) with a look that just screamed "get me out of here!"
Playing with his tea he carefully held it up to his lips before taking a sip (yes he held it the correct way! Maribelle would have his head if he didn't).
It was only going to be a matter of time before mother loses interest with Morgan before she corners him again. Looking with the corner of his eyes to his mother he could see that they were coming to a close on the topic of pranks, both of their smiles unerveing.
He tried to look away but felt someone looking at him as he did.
Moving his eyes to see who it was he meet the dark grey ones of his father.
Their gaze held on, understanding between the two as they knew what was going to come next.
They just have to endure it and hope for the best as Lissa called out both of their names.
o~0~*~0~o
You know when you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.
-Dr.Seuss
o~0~*~0~o
Squeak!
"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…."
Squeakkkk!
Muttering to himself, Owain wiped and wiped and wiped hard against the piece of armor he chose to clean. Though the armor would have been dubbed clean he still rubbed hard on the pieces of metal, letting his own frustration out.
Hours ago, after dinner was over and done (which both him and his father survived thank Naga), he left to do his share of the chores which was to clean up the armory and weapons. Really he never minded cleaning weapons or armor before, in fact he rather enjoys it as it gave him the chance to check on all of the weapons and see the history and fights they have been through by the way they are worn out. Kindda like scars, they all have a story to tell with each scrap on the blade, each splinter on the wooden heal, or the training scratches they each have.
But now he wasn't in the mood for such things.
On his way he had a run in with Kjelle, Lucina's retainer. Seeing that he could finally talk to his friend again he tried to strike up a conversation by offering to clean her armor as he was on duty that week. But as things went by it ended up somehow getting him insulted by Kjelle by his stories, his dramatic effects and his posturing! Calling him an idiot and telling him to go away continuously over and over and was pushing him to his breaking point. He even talked normally for Naga's sake! But of course he always does something wrong because he never takes things seriously, he was never serious enough!
Huffing under his breath he scraped even harder on the chest plate that he was clean moving his arm faster and faster that the cloth was starting to heat up his hands.
He was so focused on his task that if he had paid attention then he would have seen and stop his elbow from hitting the row of lances.
His head snapped up when he heard the clattering of wood against each other as he saw what happened next.
The lances fell on top of each other, domino style as one by one they fall, down and down till they reached the last one.
He would have breathe a sigh of relief if it wasn't for that axe that was in the way.
And then a shelf of tombs fell.
Then some swords.
And some armor.
Till a whole stack of weapons and armor were piled all over the tent.
He dropped both the chest plate and the cloth he was holding.
What had happened! He was just cleaning the armor like he was supposed to and then everything fell on top of each other and then….
He had to fix this quick!
Jumping up and letting the chest plate on his lap clatter to the floor he hurried himself to pick the shoulder guards and place them on the crates they were supposed to be in.
It took him a whole hour to put away all of the armor and only just the armor, he had not picked up a single weapon during his clean up.
Stretching with a yawn Owain reached over his head until he heard a pop from his shoulder before dropping them with relief.
"Man, that was tiring." Sighing he rotated his neck before turning around to look at the weapons that were still on the floor after the great fall. "Guess it's time to pick up the weapons I suppose," he said as he grimed from the lost of sleep he would be getting for tonight. Without a word he picked up the sword that was next to his feet, moving around so he could place it where it was supposed to be before stopping.
No one was awake at this time of night, only those that were on guard duty would be walking about. No one had checked on him since dinner and no one was here with him.
"……well ...if no one is coming any time soon…"
He paused and looked at the flap of the tent waiting to see if someone would suddenly jump out and yell "Caught you!" like he did a grand sin.
No one came through.
Grinning from ear to ear Owain quickly made space for himself to sit down before grabbing a few weapons in front of his seating place. Giddy with excitement he picked up the swords that first gave him the idea and traced his eyes all over it.
"Let's see," he muttered. "What do we've got here...hmm…" Using his finger he traced along side of the blade seeing how it didn't go straight. "Nice form...elegant curve to the blade...I know!" Brighting he got up and raised the swords like he was going into battle. "I dub thee, the Sword of the Swan!"
He laughed, filled with nothing but pure happiness as he named a weapon. How long was it since he named one, even if its not his own. The only blade he had since coming was the one at the Hamlet and the one he had brought. But that one was his father's, he would never name that sword if it meant taking away a piece of the life he used to have.
Done with putting away the blade, he reached for an axe on the floor and gave a test spin. "Hm...now this axe is nice and heavy, but with that bit on the end," he turned it around to see the sharp edge before swinging it on his shoulder. "I dub thee… Head Smoosher Plus One!"
Silents before he started to laugh. That name wasn't the best one he had in mind but it was definitely much more better then, pfft, Pointy Demonspanker, ahahahaaha.
"Are you talking to that axe?"
Quickly his laughter became a cough at the new and familiar voice. Trying to catch himself from suffocation he pounded his fist on his chest to stop himself from dying.
Severa just rolled her eyes, use to the sight with a monotone look on her face. "So are you going to tell me why you were talking to that axe of yours or do I have to get it out from you?"
"Wha? Wait no. No!" Owain frantically tried to pull himself together, not realising he was talk normally. "That would be silly! I'm just naming our latest shipment of weapons. That's all!"
Crossing her arms she raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Doesn't that seem a bit childish? Even you can't-"
"Ooh! Owain perked up, releasing what she might have meant if her idea of naming a weapon was said childish. "That means your sword doesn't have a name! Let me name it!"
She blinked. Then laughed. "Pfft! I don't need a name. What in the world makes you think my sword even needs a name?"
"But of course it does," Owain said defensively. "A name can be a very powerful thing! It makes a weapon your partner instead of a simple tool. Plus, you'll never confuse it with anyone else's!"
Severa could see the sparkle in his eyes, knowing that he had set his sights on naming her weapon no matter what. Not if she could help. So she glared at him. "Did your mother sew your name into your smallclothes or something? Because there is no way your naming my sword like you do with your 'special moves' if I had a say in it which clearly I do."
That just made Owain eyes brighten even more. She didn't want her sword named after his special moves? That's fine by him. He could name it after legends of old or ruins of ancient time's or heros with hearts of gold or-
The possibilities!
"Here," Owain made a step in her direction, eyes not leaving from the sword on her hip. "Let me see it. Your swords I mean. It'll just take a second to-"
"Gods no!" Severa jumped away, hissing at him, "Keep your grubby mitts off or I'll cut them off!" With that, she fled, leaving in a huff as she made sure to keep her sword angled away from him in an attempt to stop him from grabbing her sword.
Owain stood there for a minute, trying to understand what just had happened before it came to him. Scratching the back of his head he sighed in disappointment. "Geez, all right, all right. No need to be rude about it, geez…."
But as upsetting as Owain was about it all, all he had to do was look down at his feet to see a nice looking silver lance before his mood bright almost automatically.
o~0~*~0~o
Information given in the story:
-Owain and Kjelle C-support
-Owain and Severa C-support
-Yarne son of Panne and Donnel
-Lucina's retainer: Kjelle