Summary: Sothe knows a little more about everyone in the mercenary party than he probably should. Has he gone too far when he approaches Soren about the mage's friendship with Ike? Takes place around Ch. 21
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"Thank you for the report, Soren. I don't know what I'd do without you—it's times like these that make one realise how truly grateful he is, knowing there will always be someone he can fully trust." Ike said as he excused himself from their meeting.
"Indeed." Soren lowered his gaze as the first rays of dawn danced blindingly across the icy paleness of the mountain peaks. A chill wind picked up about his feet, its normally cruel fingers strangely comforting.
"It better not be you messing with that wind—you're freezing my toes off, y'know?"
Soren pursed his lips. It was that stowaway boy from Toha—Sothe. "Were you listening in on our conversation, thief?"
"Hah, don't give yourself too much credit. I thought that if you were meeting this early in the morning, you must have something juicy to speak of."
"Well, you are mistaken. Unless you've taken an uncanny interest in our funds and supplies." Soren arched an eyebrow, brushing a long strand of hair back from his face as he turned toward the direction of the wind.
"Please, like I'd want to know about all those kinds 'a stuff. But if you must know, I get around a lot. Hear things I'd bet even you don't know." He sprawled himself over the stack of crates Soren had been using as a desk. Sothe ruffled though what passed for clothes and pulled out a small, shriveled apple. As he munched on it contentedly, he mumbled to himself, "Yes! I've been saving these things up from when we were in Begnion…"
"What manner of gossip have you been spreading?"
Sothe ignored the inquiry. "Want a bite?"
Soren gave him a look that was halfway between disgust and irritation. "I'll pass. But hear me—if Ike can be convinced that you're the one leaking information to the outside, you'll be turned out into the snow here and now."
The young thief shot Soren an indignant glare. "Awright, at first I sorta agreed with you on that Nasir thing—guilty as they come! But are you just convicting everyone who annoys you or what? Gonna go tell your precious Ike that the whole blasted company is betraying him?"
Soren narrowed his eyes, mere slits of silently brewing fury. "How much of my talk with that boatman did you hear, you little fool."
Sothe nipped the last morsel of apple off the core and began to toss it up in the air, catching it as he would a knife. "The entire thing. Oh, and I caught that bit about you. You're one of them, huh?" He smiled malevolently, all teeth. Then his eyes softened. "You're scared, aren't you? Admit it. Well, if you happen to 'accidentally' spill out a sum of coins into my hot grubby hands… Your secret'll be safe with me."
Soren shook his head in bemused disbelief. "My apologies, but only Volke can get away with a ploy like that. If you wish to practice your wildly persuasive thief skills, go find Ike."
Sothe rolled his eyes. "So you do know that the Commander paid my fellow thief for information. Did you catch what they said? I was busy extracting knowledge from another party…"
"I'm not you." Soren stated with a bland stare. He snapped the book he had been examining together, folding a few loose leaves into his robes. "Is there a reason you came to meet with me? Or do you really have nothing to do. If that is the case, work can be arranged…"
"Hey, hey. You know I don't want any of that. I'm just a lowly thief, remember?" Sothe backed away, holding his hands up in mock defeat.
Then the boy shrugged. "It's always 'Ike this' and 'Ike that' with you, isn't it." Sothe continued, disregarding Soren's comment once more. He paused for a moment, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. "I think," he paused yet again, this time for dramatic effect. Soren pretended to ignore him. "I think that I'll take your advice. I will go pay the Commander a visit, and tell him all about you!"
Soren's head snapped back up from the finance report. "No!" In an instant, Soren had bridged the distance between them and gripped a very surprised Sothe by the collar. "Don't you dare—"
"You're not as heartless as all the others claim you are, are you?" Sothe sneered.
All the others. Soren bristled at the accusation, but was unable to find a decent retort. "What… do you want."
"Nothing! I don't want nothing. I just thought maybe you should ask the Commander about his sister's 'memento', is all." With that, Sothe hopped off the ramshackle desk and disappeared outside.
Her 'memento'? Mist?
"I can't believe you consider that man your friend—he knows even less about you than you do about him. And even that isn't saying much." Came a whisper from the other side of the canvas. Soren slapped the fabric, but Sothe was already gone.
"Titania, have you seen Soren? We're about ready to advance, and I need you two to help me organise the troops…" Ike's voice carried over the small camp as he busily handed out extra weapons to their party.
"I'm here." Soren stated as he stepped out of the supply tent, expression irrefutably grim as ever. "Ike, may I speak to you for a moment?"
In the background, Soren heard, "Hey, Mist! Have this—it'll help when you're in battle, I promise."
"What? These are just apple seeds… What are you up to, Sothe?" Mist asked, slightly confused but ready to play along with whatever it was Sothe had planned.
"I know—you think I'm crazy. But they're good luck! Seeds for the growth of trust."
Soren looked back over his shoulder at the two, and Sothe winked at him.
"Is something wrong?" Ike queried.
Soren hesitated for a split second, but finally shook his head. "No. Nothing at all."
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fin
Apologies for any out-of-character instances. I have no idea how Sothe acts—ever since I picked him up on my game, he's only spoken once, so I took the liberty to mold him to my own evil means. Mwa ha ha! But seriously now, please tell me if Sothe or Soren said or did anything too uncharacteristic. Thank you!