Theme 15: Seeking Solace

Lissa woke with a start, sitting up in her bedroll quickly. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead. Her breathing was ragged, her heart threatening to burst from her chest. The princess brought her knees to her chest and held them close to her body, trying to regain lost warmth. She felt very cold.

It's just a bad dream… It's just a dream Lissa, nothing more… She thought, trying to convince herself that there were no problems. Her mind was racing with pictures of terrifying darkness. However hard she tried, she couldn't rid her mind of such thoughts.

Lissa shifted again, trying to warm herself. Still, she shivered. Moisture began to fill her eyes and she gripped her blankets tighter. She needed something to hold, something that could ease her worry in that moment of helplessness. Sniffling a bit, she rose from her bedroll, taking ahold of her pillow, and left her tent.

The Shepherd's camp was silent, save for the pitter-patter of light rain on the ground. The fire pit in the middle of camp was still smouldering despite the drizzle. To anyone else, the camp could be seen as peaceful. But to Lissa, every shadow was something to be feared.

The princess ran on tiptoe, trying her best not to make a sound. She carried her pillow close to her chest, protecting it from the falling raindrops as best she could. Her entire expression was one of distress, and she couldn't tell whether the moisture on her cheeks was from the rain or her own tears. Running past the firepit, the common tent, and extra carefully past her brother's tent, she finally found her destination: A small, black tent on the edge of camp. The sound of her tiny feet splashing in the newly-formed puddles was drowned out by the rainfall, masking her movement through the network of tents.

As the princess drew closer to the tent, she had second thoughts; Was it okay to intrude? She didn't want to disturb anyone. But still, memories of her nightmare told her otherwise.

Still tiptoeing, Lissa entered the tent's opening, only to see the inhabitant snoring softly. He wore only the wrinkled tan undershirt he usually hid underneath his robes, his lower half covered by a small plush blanket.

Now within the safety of shelter, the cleric wiped another tear from her eye with the soft fabric of her pillow, shaking the excess water off of her. She was still slightly wet, and the cold made her shiver a little.

"Robin… Wake up, please…" Lissa bent down and nudged the sleeping man with her hand, desperately trying to wake him up from his deep slumber.

"Zzz… Snnrk- Wha?" The tactician shuffled a bit in his bedroll but still faced away from her. He was still incredibly tired from the day's activities.

Lissa sniffled and wiped the moisture away from her eyes with her nightgown's sleeve. She stayed silent, still unsure if Robin was still sleeping or not.

"Who'sthere…" The tactician muttered, not bothering to move himself.

"Umm… Robin?" Lissa said in a hushed tone, still clutching her damp pillow close to her chest. "I- I had a nightmare. Can… Can I sleep with you tonight?" The cleric's voice wavered, small sniffles interrupting her sentences.

"Yeahsurewhatever…" Robin managed to say. He didn't move, or even open one eye.

Lissa managed a weak smile, and put her pillow beside Robin's. She laid down on Robin's bedroll, but she wasn't completely comfortable. A few seconds of uncomfortable silence passed.

Robin, even in his drowsy state, noticed her discomfort. He reached over and grabbed his familiar coat which was lazily draped over the wooden chair that sat in front of his tactician's desk. He offered it to Lissa, who accepted it and slipped her arms through the sleeves. Her small arms didn't even reach the coat's cuffs, but Lissa didn't care. The coat warmed her, comforted her as only Robin could.

After she managed to get the cumbersome jacket on, she reached over the sleeping body of Robin (who had already fell back asleep) and picked up the large blanket that had been tossed aside. Pulling it over both the two of them, she finally began to warm up.

A small smile grew across Lissa's lips, her tears long since stopped. This is what she wanted all along, to be close to her secret love, the Shepherd's tactician. Ever since she came across the tactician in the fields of Ylisse, she knew that he was special. It took her awhile to realize, but Robin was the perfect person for her. Through the years, she and Robin had become the closest friends, though bloody wars, and silly wars involving pranks. The best times Lissa had were with the tactician. She never had the guts to say it, but Lissa was sure that she loved Robin with all her heart. They were two halves of the same whole.

Lissa snapped back to reality when the arm of Robin draped over her side. She hadn't noticed, but Robin turned over in the bedroll and was now holding Lissa close to him. The grin on Lissa's face grew larger, and she snuggled back into the sleeping tactician, lightly and playfully rubbing her bottom into her bedmate. The thoughts in her mind told her to do many different things, but she just wanted to stay in that position forever, with the person she loved.

Even Robin, in his sleep, seemed to agree. The tactician pulled Lissa closer, and let out a deep and happy sigh. It seemed that he was enjoying this too.

Lissa returned the happy sigh, and closed her eyes. Her nightmares were since forgotten. She knew that nothing bad would haunt her dreams, now that she had comfort from the man she loved.