Author's Note: Have you guys ever heard of NaNoWriMo? Probably. Well, this month I decided I'd try it out, but for fanfiction rather than an original work (If you don't know, the goal is to write 50,000 words all in one month). This decision I made... on November 13th. Way late, which means I've had to write almost double the regular word count per day. Because of this I've had to write 3,000 words a day and oooh boy have I gotten myself into something. Not only have I had to write 3k a day for a while, but since I skipped two and a half days (7,500 words), now I'm doing a big rush at the end to finish in time. This is part of it, as was half of the last chapter. Also, this chapter coming out 10 days after the last is because it took me a whole month to get out the last one. To those of you who celebrate it, I hope you had a happy thanksgiving. Now without further ado, enjoy.
Corrin had been overjoyed to hear the news of Izana's survival, and spent the rest of the day with a wide from on her face. Robin had asked her to keep the new living status of the archduke a secret though, so she refused to say a word to anyone who asked her what the reason for her positivity was. Robin wasn't so cruel as to keep them in the dark forever, though, and made a formal announcement concerning Izana being alive at the end of the first day's march. The group rejoiced, and when they went to sleep, an aura of excitement had spread itself throughout the camp.
The day had been uneventful, as was the next, and Corrin's army was in rather good spirits going into the third. Jakob had been visibly in a great mood since they'd departed, Corrin asking him questions every so often that he gladly answered. Robin trailed behind them as the pair spoke, trying to stay far enough away that he didn't ruin Jakob's mood, but close enough that he could hear what they were saying. Robin himself still wasn't all that familiar with the Cantan landscape and history. So when Corrin asked a question pertaining to them and Jakob answered, Robin was getting some useful information too.
By the third morning of their march, Sakura, Azura, and Corrin were all worse for the wear. Sakura was unused to the walking and had blisters on her feet, so would spend short stretches sitting on Subaki's pegasus rather than walking. Azura and Corrin, both barefoot, were starting to limp. They had passed through forests and rocky hills, covered in jagged rocks and branches. As such their feet were sliced and bloody. Sakura and Jakob had both attempted to heal them at the end of the day, and while Azura wouldn't reject the help, she also wouldn't ask for it. Corrin on the other hand shook her head and attempted to stop Jakob when he pulled out his staff, explaining that they'd need it for the upcoming battles rather than for healing feet. Grudgingly Jakob had agreed, pulling out a healing salve instead.
Hayato also looked uncomfortable and upset by day three, likely also being unused to the walking. As easy as walking seemed, walking for six or seven hours straight with packs was certainly not. Robin, Gunter, and Kaze all seemed to be doing the best. Robin had been on countless marches with the Shepherds after all, Gunter was once a member of the Nohrian army before being relegated to Corrin's servant, and Kaze was the one guiding them through the territory so it was clear he had traversed the path several times before.
Kaze had informed Robin on day two that they would pass a small village on their fourth day of travel, so Robin was planning on making a small stop once they got to it. The ninja had probably heard Robin muttering about how much of an idiot he was for forgetting to convince the girls to get good shoes while in Izumo. Regardless, Robin was grateful for the note.
Halfway through their third day Corrin paused the group, turning her nose to the sky. "Hey, do you smell that? It smells like something's burning. A weird something, but something alright."
Sniffing the air Robin could also smell the scent of something burning, and looked around to see if there were any flames nearby that could harm the group or prevent them from progressing. None were in sight. Subaki evidently had the same curiosity, as he hopped onto his Pegasus and flew above the branches to get a look around. Shouting down to the others, he explained what he could see.
"There's a huge plume of smoke about a mile away! It looks strange, though, so I don't think it's natural!"
The sky night flew back down and dismounted, pointing in the direction that Robin could only assume the smoke was coming from.
"Does anyone know what's over in that direction? Who has the map?"
Rinkah pulled it out and opened her mouth to speak, but a blur falling to the ground in front of her startled the woman, causing her to abandon the map in favor of her club. She let it down, however, when she saw that the blur was Kaze. The man was frowning intensely when Robin caught a glance at him.
"That's the way to Mokushu. They're known for their ninja, but have remained neutral over the course of the last few centuries. As long as we don't bother them, they should leave us alone. Now let's go. We should work on reaching Mitotsu as fast as possible," Kaze dismissed the signal in favor of pointing out the way, moving away from the direction Subaki was pointing in.
"Hey, wait right there!" Hana yelled, planting herself in front of Kaze. "What about the smoke? You were checking it out weren't you? Unless you were just having fun hopping through trees, but I don't think that's the case. So fess up, mister!"
Kaze's face didn't so much as twitch. He crossed his arms and turned around to glance up where the smoke was starting to become visible above the tall trees, having been pushed by the wind from its original location. He tilted his head slightly to glance at it, but otherwise didn't move at all. The ninja was being secretive which Robin didn't like, but secrets were secrets and some were best kept that way.
Though the streams that had been plentiful on the group's journey to Izumo had tapered off, the rest of The natural elements hadn't, and chirping birds kept silence from reigning. Rinkah was swatting at some bugs unconcerned with Kaze and the smoke, while Azura was whistling back to a green pheasant a few feet away. Corrin was looking back and forth between the bird and Kaze, trying to decide if she should focus on the former or the latter. Jakob and Gunter were concentrated on Kaze, while Subaki was looking at Hana, Sakura whispering to Takumi at his side. Hayato was standing with a frown.
"That smoke is only another reason not to go to Mokushu," Kaze answered blankly.
"And why is it that?" Subaki asked, joining Hana. As much as the two fought, they got along well enough that they'd side with one another whenever given the chance. As long as Sakura wasn't involved, that is. Then they'd abandon each other in favor of their liege.
Robin watched Kaze swallow and look away, sighing.
"That smoke is a signal from Saizo. One that warns of a large encounter in which he is far outnumbered. It's a signal to warn all allies away from the source, so that they don't get caught in the fighting as well. If he's sent that up... he isn't looking for help. He wants to help us, or anyone who he knows. It's best if we continue on our way. We need not sacrifice anyone else. Saizo… he knows what he's doing. We need to get going. So… just follow me and forget it. The sun has already begun its descent from the top of the sky, and it's only a matter of time before darkness is upon us and our march halted." Kaze's voice was filled with pain and regret. With the end of the words he tilted his head down and walked toward Mitotsu, biting his lip and leaving the others to follow.
Not hearing the crackle of snapping branches under his companions' feet, Kaze turned around, confused to see no one had moved. At this point everyone was looking at him, The ninja having earned even Rinkah, Azura, and Takumi's attention. Hana was the first to speak up.
"Kaze! You've got to be kidding me, right!?" she yelled, tearing up. Sakura and Hayato also had red eyes, and Robin could see Kaze's grown deepen as the ninja's eyes registered them.
"It's-" he began, cut off by Hayato's loud objection.
"It's wrong, that's what! He's your brother, your family! You can't just leave him to die? I… I don't know whether or not you have parents, but as siblings you have to be close. If it really is only the of you, then he's all you have. You can't up and let that go. I don't really have a family; all I have is Fuga who took me in after my family passed away. If he was in trouble, I know I would do anything to get him back. So don't abandon your brother when he's right there! What would he think about it!" Hayato was telling through clenched teeth, his fists shaking.
Before Kaze could get another word in, Sakura's young voice rang out in the forest air.
"I-if… if I knew my big brothers were in trouble…" she hiccuped, glancing at Takumi, "I don't think I c-could… stand by. If I were to l- to lose Takumi-i or Ryo-ma, I don't think… I…"
Unable to finish her sentence, Sakura clamped her eyes and mouth shut, tightening the grip she had on Takumi's arm. The younger Hoshidan prince pulled his sister into a hug with a mixed expression, biting his own lip.
"Look Kaze. You might not think it's a big deal, and that Saizo wouldn't want to be saved, but we want to. I don't want you to have to live with the thought that you could have saved him but didn't. Honestly, if Ryoma and I were ever on the battlefield and he told me to run, I would probably do it. But if he were to be badly injured or died, I don't think I would ever forgive myself.
"And if Saizo or your own life isn't good enough, think about how my brother would react to finding out Saizo died. Ryoma has two retainers. Of one were to die, then he'd be left at fifty-percent power. Plus, Saizo isn't only Brother's guard, but his friend. I know they grew up together so that Saizo could learn how to best protect my brother, but he was also one of the only people his age that Ryoma got to spend time with, and is probably the best friend he has. So please, just show us the way. For your sake, for Saizo's sake, and for Ryoma's."
Kaze's gaze passed over the forest floor and back up over the trees to the smoke drifting overhead. From the way the two had acted back in Fort Jinya, though they got along they weren't the best of friends. The two had shared a burn salve after Saizo's attempt at a suicide attack, but afterward had simply stared at each other without uttering a word. It hadn't even been Kaze's objection that had stopped Saizo from trying to burn them all down. It was Sakura that stopped the red ninja.
Whatever it was that caused the tension between the brothers, Robin didn't know. The disconnect between the two seemed deep but at least it didn't appear to be an outright dislike between the two. It was more that Kaze was trying to say something, but couldn't find the words. He certainly admired Saizo, but for some reason didn't want to admit it. Or maybe he felt insecure? And thought their relationship would get worse if Kaze disobeyed the order Saizo was giving to stay away through is signal?
"Well, Come on then! Away we go!" Corrin cheered, walking to the east. Which wasn't the way to anywhere as far as Robin knew. Izumo was to the north, Mitotsu to the south, and Mokushu to the west, so he had no idea what Corrin was doing.
Thankfully, Jakob walked up to Corrin and stopped her, whispering something into her ear. The armored girl blushed and turned sharply, hastily moving toward Subaki and his still raised arm. As she passed Robin he gave a low murmur of 'nice one.' Corrin made a face at that, and Azura laughed at the action. Rinkah scoffed at the childish action, quickly followed by a mirroring sound from Hayato. The boy was trying hard to be grown up. Robin was also considering telling the young diviner to 'grow up a little' and act his age by not trying to grow up at the speed of light. Hayato needed to learn to relish his teenage years a little more. Soon enough he'd lose them and be thrust into a world of expectations and responsibility that wouldn't work well with his normal attitude.
Robin didn't know how his transition from teenage years to adulthood had worked out, but that was mainly because he couldn't remember them. And because he still didn't know how old he was. Based off how he looked when he met Chrom and how old he was at the moment, he assumed he was 20, give or take a year. Chrom was 19 when they met and everyone he'd met had judged Robin to be younger, so Robin figured he must have been 18 or so at the time. And he could pass for 20 year just as well as 19 or 21, but 20 sounded better. If he really reached, he could pass for 22, but 23 was too old. And there was absolutely no way he was younger than 17 upon meeting Chrom. So 18 upon waking in the field and 20 at the moment worked out.
That was until he considered the fact that the war wasn't instantaneous. So… 17. He was a 17 year old about to turn 18 when he met Chrom. Because although the gap between wars was two years, there was still the time to fight the wars which made just over 3… That would still put him at 20, wouldn't it? An old 20, but 20. Although he wouldn't call it old 20. He wasn't ready to face the prospect of getting old and eventually losing combat ability just yet.
To make matters more confusing, whatever the day it was when he landed in Archaea certainly didn't match up with the date in Ylisse, and he had too much pride to ask anyone what the day was when he showed up. As such, he couldn't even keep a consistent log of the time passed since the Ylisse-field-awakening, which meant even if he figured out his birthdate somehow he was still screwed up. Did time in Archaea even flow the same as Ylisse? Would he even be transported back to the same year? Would it be the same day as he left Ylisse, or would it coincide with the time that passed in Archaea? But it hadn't been all that long, so hopefully it wouldn't cause problems. His main concern was his age. All the dimension-time-space-travel could be sorted out later.
Looking around to find Gunter to ask how old the knight thought Robin was, the tactician realized everyone had already left to follow Corrin further into the woods, and ran after them. Leaving Robin standing there was really cruel. What if he hadn't noticed until it was too late and lost them?! Did they think about that?
'On second thought, probably not. I bet Corrin noticed me zoning out again and decided to get revenge for my comment. She's smart enough to convince the others to leave me alone, while optimistic enough to believe I'd follow. That or she didn't consider me getting lost, but I'll leave that alone. If I mention that then someone's bound to start getting on me for having no sense of direction or something. And while I may not be a human compass, I'm at least not as bad as Chrom who almost led us to the Plegia border while trying to bring me back to Ylisstol that first time. If it hadn't been for Frederick pointing out our likely destination, we probably would have gotten there. But would it have killed him to make that comment before we had spent six hours going in the wrong direction? Oh well, that was over three years ago… Too late…'
Stepping forward at last, Robin froze. Sure he had seen where the group was going and started to follow, but he had stopped after two seconds of running to think and now he couldn't find them.
'Crap, crap, crap, crap.' He repeated, listening intently for the sound of hooves and feet crushing branches. After a few seconds he located the sound and rushed to meet it before he lost them again. He needed to get out of his frozen thinking habit before it hurt someone.
Takumi turned to stare at Robin upon hearing the sound of the tactician's cloak flapping in the air behind him as he ran, causing Oboro and Hinata to turn to. Hinata had been talking to Hana about something, probably katana, and so she turned too. Hana had a hand on Subaki's Pegasus which was carrying Sakura yet again, so those two turned as well. Sakura's turn got Hayato and by extension Rinkah's attention, adding even more eyes to the mass looking at Robin. Oboro had accidentally hit Azura with her naginata as she turned, so the blue haired princess moved to look at her and thus Robin, making Corrin face her and Robin in the process. Corrin's movement drew in Gunter and Jakob, so by the time Robin had straightened himself everyone but Kaze was looking at him.
To say it was embarrassing was an understatement. Not only was he trying to catch his breath from sudden movement (which only took a few seconds, but was noticeable nonetheless), but he also had numerous twigs and flowers in his hair that had caught on his person as he frantically made his way over.
Someone opened their mouth to comment, getting out a small sound, but Robin immediately cut them off.
"Hey guys, don't just stand there. Look! Kaze's going to leave us behind if we don't get moving!"
With Robin's words, everyone turned to see the ninja was, in fact, powering on without slowing down in the slightest for his paused comrades. When Robin saw the first head begin to turn back to look at him, he sprinted up to Kaze's side, leaving some of the group confused, some laughing, and some shaking their heads. Apparently, today was really not his day.
Kaze didn't react, instead frowning as he pushed on ahead. Robin left the ninja in silence. Sparking up a conversation didn't appear to be the right thing to do at the moment, so he just took in his surroundings as they walked.
After a few minutes the group found themselves in front of a clearing, scorched but otherwise untouched as if no one had passed through. Had Robin not seen the smoke signal and known there was an intentionally set fire in the area, he would have taken the area to have been marred by a natural burn. A burn was all he could see though, and the tactician doubted he'd be able to find out any more information from getting in closer. Kaze must've seen something of note, though, as the ninja went up to the center of the burnt area, kneeling and rubbing his hands against the blackened dirt and scattered crisps of grass.
After a few second of examining the ground with his fingers, he stood up to walk around the burn. One of the big reasons Robin wouldn't have been able to differentiate the area from one hit by a natural fire was the spread and shape of the burnt area. It wasn't circular, nor did it look like anyone had put it out with some sort of powder or water.
Subaki had gotten back on his pegasus to fly around and scout the surrounding area, and after another minute or so of examination Kaze threw a shuriken straight up into the air to signal Subaki back. They were hoping the light glinting off the metal would cause draw the sky knight's attention, but it didn't work as he was facing the opposite direction.
"Uh, Kaze," Robin began, taking a step toward the other ninja but exercising caution in not stepping on any of the area hit by Saizo's warning signal, "if you don't mind me asking, how do you know which way to go?"
Kaze exhaled deeply, and responded in a tired voice: "I never said I did."
Robin started to apologize, but Kaze moved his hand up, finally taking it out of the crossed position that was his neutral state. "But, I can answer your question, just as I can tell you he went over in the direction of the river over there."
"You can?" Azura asked, surprised.
"Yes. On the ground, at the center of the burn, were three seed pods. The flowers they come from grow only to the area behind us, over the river, and to the right. Do you see those violet flowers, climbing up the lighter trees of the group to the right? Those are the ones. Some must have dislodged while he squatted to set up his signal. There was another clearing back the way we came that would have been much more convenient for my brother, so he couldn't have come from that direction. Not if he left the seeds. He wouldn't have been so careless had he enough time to backtrack. He must have known whoever he was moving to engage would act soon. That, or they were close enough on his trail that that was the best he could do. Either way, that removes an option.
"Had he come from across the river there would have been no seed pods, as they would have come off in the water and Saizo would have been completely submerged. If he was trying to eliminate his trail, that would be the best way, and I know from swimming with him numerous times that that's his preferred style by far. Like I said, he couldn't have had time to backtrack. Especially not through a river. The current is flowing away from here and the other side, so while he may not have had to directly fight it, he wouldn't have been going with it. That'd eat up too much time to pass twice.
"To the right there's a large drop off. An immediate cliff leading to a gorge. Though he couldn't survive the fall, he could have climbed down it. But that cliff wraps around. Remember the wall of rock we passed? The one that was open to our view for roughly half an hour? Given how recent these scorch marks are, Saizo would've climbed down it while the cliffside was in our view. Someone would have noticed him, no matter how discreet he tried to be. The only way to avoid the cliffs would be to curve onto our path, which we've already established didn't happen, or to cross the river.
"With all that taken into account, he definitely went over the river to reach where he is now. So if we wish to follow, we'll have to cross as well."
Kaze's voice dropped off, and Azura picked up.
"How do you propose we get across, then?"
The ninja shook his head at her words. "We don't. That river marks the beginning of Mokushujin territory. If we enter and start any battles, then regardless of whether or not it's in self defense and Mokushu's a neutral territory, we will be met with opposition. With Sakura and Takumi by our side, it will likely also hurt the Hoshidan name."
Robin's eye twitched at Kaze's words. Though they were mostly logical and well thought out, which Robin appreciated, the green haired man was missing one vital thing.
"Kaze," he asserted, motioning to the land across the river, "is it common knowledge that Saizo is Ryoma's retainer?"
He received a nod as Kaze gave his response, "At the very least it is known that someone by the name of Saizo serves the first prince of the Hoshidan Royal family. But we've encountered men who've recognized us all around Hoshido, and have met with the men of Mokushu before. I doubt it's otherwise."
"Then it doesn't matter whether or not we have Takumi or Sakura with us. With Mikoto dead, that basically means Ryoma is king of Hoshido now. Even if he hasn't officially been coronated. Everyone who knows of Mikoto's death, which I presume is practically everyone in Hohsido if not the world by now, knows that Ryoma is first to succeed her. Saizo is Ryoma's right hand. If he is fighting in Mokushujin territory, then he has already brought the power of the royal family, of the king into Mokushu. And chances are he's brought it against troops belonging to Mokushu. Whether or not they're government or official backed is of no consequence. If he falls then Mokushu may just say that Hoshido tried to start a war with them, but failed under great Mokushujin might or however they might play it. If he succeeds, which I doubt he will without us, then he's the king's right hand attempting to expand Hoshidan territory by murdering the militia of an innocent nation.
"Our best bet right now is to come in and take him with us. If anything, his presence will get overwritten by the sudden appearance of Corrin's Army, and any and all damages will be attributed to us. If we succeed in alying the two major nations of the war and defeating the thing we aim to, then anything majorly negative we do will be glossed over. And if we, a mid-sized group, find evidence that Mokushu instigated the attack and did wrong, then we can avoid getting in trouble at all. What do you say?"
Murmurs of voices added to the rushing of the river and rustling of leaves by the clearing. Probably talking about what Kaze had figured out (in the cases of Hana and Sakura, who were having an intense conversation on Kaze's detective skills), or of the consequences of crossing the border (as Jakob and surprisingly, Subaki, were discussing). Kaze himself took a minute to consider, before asking Robin how best they should get across the river.
Calling Subaki over, Robin asked him if he could help ferry them using his pegasus. The Sky knight agreed, and took Sakura with him first. Gunter would have to either go around, or try to power through the river atop his horse. The knight was convinced he could do it though, and Robin had hopes so he'd let Gunter choose. And so Gunter started on his way, leading his horse straight through the river while Subaki flew above, taking the rest of Corrin's army one by one. Robin himself was the last one to get over, and looked to where Gunter was almost across, pushing his horse to the limit.
Shouting above the river, Robin asked the old man if he needed any assistance, but Gunter shook his head and kicked his horse on. Thankfully the part of the river connected to the clearing was extremely shallow, passing over a hill and decreasing in depth enough that the horse could… Well, it was probably paddling. Or maybe walking? Whenever Robin had come planned an assault that involved going over rivers, he usually just factored all horse riders out of the equation. Horses had never been his specialty anyway. Regardless, he was glad that Gunter had refused his offer. Mainly because he wasn't really sure how he could help the knight past having Subaki fly over and grab the man, but that probably wouldn't work anyway. Subaki certainly wasn't weak, but whether he had the arm strength to lift a fully armored, large, water laden man was another question. And even if he did manage to hoist the man into his pegasus, the mount itself wouldn't be too happy. Getting slapped (or almost crush in that case) with a giant piece- no, many giant pieces of wet pointy metal was not at all fun. Gunter would have to continue on his way.
There was another problem ahead, though. If the forest they had been crossing through was thick, then the one they were currently passing through was practically impassable. Gunter would have a hard time even after he got out of the water because of it. If Mokushu's center was in the middle of it, then the people were either extremely well versed in the ways of forest navigation and passage, or had some secret cut-through Robin wasn't seeing.
Sakura was glancing around at the riverbank staring at the giant trees before her.
"I-it's so dark… Do we really have to go in th-there? What if we… what if there are r-really big animals like… like bears or something?" she whimpered, leaning into Takumi who put an arm around her with an annoyed expression. One that softened after a few seconds as Takumi felt eyes leave him. He was probably happy she felt comfortable enough with him to do that.
Azura gave a short laugh and grinned. Or rather, smirked. With this dark and creepy forest, it was her time to shine.
"I don't know about that, but… We're not on the border, but we're close enough to Nohr that some Faceless could have snuck in. Maybe well find some of those in the woods!" She told, throwing up her hands to earn a better reaction. The loud 'eep!' in the air want from Sakura though. It was from Hayato, who was clinging to Rinkah's arm.
"No. No, no, no. I did not come with you guys to fight… some… weird undead monster beasts that could maul me! Call me back when we're fighting humans! Humans!" He shook tremendously, and Robin had to try amazingly hard not to collapse laughing. Azura was much the same, and their eyes met as they both wiped away their tears that had come out while they laughed. Or tried not to, really.
By this time Gunter had finished crossing and was standing behind Jakob. The knight was soaking wet and his mount breathing heavily, but was otherwise fine. The only worrisome thing about him was that his boots made a squelching sound whenever he stepped from being waterlogged. And that wasn't even worrisome, but annoying. Although it was worrisome because it would get on Robin's nerves, and he was worried he wouldn't be able to stop himself from ripping the boots off Gunter's feet if it got too bad.
Their noises weren't what got Robin's attention as The group moved through the forest, though. The little squeaks and squeals coming from the younger members of the group did. Which included Sakura, Hayato, Corrin, and Hana. Hinata was too prideful to squeal, as was Takumi. Though Takumi was pretty jumpy too. He was just… Quiet about it. Like he had seen dark woods and scraggly branches and the bats that flew by on a regular basis, but was still scared of them. Robin would have to ask about that later.
The forest probably wouldn't have been as had had it been midday, but at this point the sun was starting to set, which greatly reduced visibility. Robin would've lit up a fire tome, but he didn't want to risk lighting their surroundings and accidentally trapping them. Burning to death sounded very unpleasant. He still held it as an option though. Depending on how long it took them to reach Saizo, extra light could become a necessity.
For now he would have to distract himself from the watery boots and squealy people in some other way than concentrating on keeping a spell up for an extended period of time.
Oboro was also looking at Gunter, so Robin chose her to be the one to talk to. She was both new and interesting, And he didn't know anything about her other than the facts that she was Takumi's retainer and hated Nohrians with a worrisome passion.
He waved a hand at her and walked forward, asking her what he figured was a standard question to follow a standard introduction.
"Hey there, Oboro. My name's Robin if you don't already know. It's nice to meet you!" He said, putting his hand in front of her to shake.
Oboro looked him up and down, and and scoffed "If you think I'm going to participate in one of your damn Nohrian rituals, you're wrong. I may stand by you, but I won't go that low."
Robin slowly and awkwardly lowered his hand, unsure of what to say.
"And don't you try to convince me you're not from Nohr," she continued, snarling, "I could name just about every style worn on this side of the Bottomless Canyon, and recognize all the others, so I know you aren't from around here."
Oboro hastened her pace, so Robin sped up to stay next to the woman.
"Ah yes, but that doesn't mean I'm from Nohr. I could always be from some other place in the West. Like maybe I'm a member of the ice tribe! Or from Mount Garou! Well, maybe not Mount Garou since I'm, ah, human, but you get the point. Because I really am not from Nohr, nor any place you've probably heard of."
"Say you aren't from Nohr. That doesn't excuse you. Everyone from that side of the Canyon is dirt. Is a murderer. And based off what I've heard from the others, you certainly are. No one's that cool their first time seeing someone die, and especially not their first time killing someone. So-" Oboro's eyes widened as she set them on Robin's hand for the first time, having only glanced over them momentarily when refusing his handshake. Or rather, her eyes widened as she set them on his glove. "Wait a minute… I know that make…" she whispered, grabbing Robin's hand and pulling both the glove and Robin himself toward her chest.
"Yeah! It is Nari's design! When did you visit her shop? She works the night shift. Plus she… Unless… it was you wasn't it? The one who gave her such a generous payment! She mentioned that there was a weird foreigner who visited the store around midnight a week or two ago. She also said he had a clock with a design she'd never seen before, but really liked. One that resembled what Kisumi used to make all the time, but less traditional and more… whatever you'd call that. Kisumi would never use a purple like that though, and certainly not with a black base. But that was definitely you."
Oboro scrunched up her face and let out a small curse.
"Damn it! She was so happy after that. The shop had been pretty low on customers for a while, so she was having trouble buying supplies and apparently the coins she got were more than enough to stock up for the rest of the season. She had said that when she took the coins she thought they were single coins, not the multiple worth ones. In not sure what multiple, but whatever it was you gave her put a smile on Nari's face for the rest of the week. And she said the design inspired her to put out some new ones of her own too… Ugh, you're supposed to make me hate you, not like you! I shouldn't be fraternizing with Nohrians like this, but here I am."
"I already said-"
"That you're not Nohrian. I got it. Whatever you say. But making friends this quick with someone like you just isn't right. You haven't even said anything, for crying out loud! Except I've already heard good things about you from someone who didn't even know who you are or that we'd meet up! Oh well. So much for first impressions." Oboro sighed and kept marching forward, naginata swaying slightly on her back as it bumped the odd branch.
Robin was surprised to hear that the girl had bought his gloves from back in that first town was that grateful for his payment. He was worried about underpaying, not trying to give a hefty donation. But that worked too. He wasn't short on money at the moment, and she obviously needed it more than he did. It did bring up the question as to why Oboro was so familiar with so many clothing outfitters. Or makers. Tailors? Fashion wasn't his specialty.
"Well, you did get a first impression back in Izumo. And quick question, how do you know all these people? Or, well, both I suppose. Are you interested in design or something? The pattern on your leggings is really nice, if that means anything. Did you design it?" asked the tactician. He almost walked into a tree in the process, but thankfully managed to dodge in time.
Oboro was looking up to think and didn't notice.
"Mm, well I'll have you know that I come from a family of fashion designers and clothing makers! My family owned a clothing shop. I remember being a little kid tuning around the fabric room as my parents would try to keep me from getting too messy and disturbing the stock they planned to sell that day. But they would always give me the little patches they couldn't sell or make things out of, and I practiced making shirts and kimono from those. They were really, well, patchy, so I wouldn't wear them, but it was good practice.
"Anyway, that's how I know Nari and Kisumi. Our parents were all friends, or really Nari's parents, my parents, and Kisumi were all friends since he's about 15 years older than us, so we spent a lot of time together as kids. Still do, whenever someone else is guarding Lord Takumi. And while it's nice to know you like the diamonds, my leggings are actually just part of the standard uniform. I've been thinking of changing them up a little, though! I just can't decide what shape to make them. I was considering doing a total zigzag with the three equally spaced suns, still in white, but I'm not sure. Actual cut out strips would also look nice, but then I'd have to double layer and I'm worried that might either limit my mobility or make the leggings to bulky and uneven. They might wrinkle more that way, you know?"
Robin did not, in fact, know, but he nodded his head anyway and asked his next question: "Your parents, huh? How are they doing, are they still running your family shop? It's curious you have that up, since your face practically lit up when you spoke of it. You must absolutely love them and the shop, right?"
Oboro froze then, and this time Robin did bump into a tree as he turned to look back at her once he noticed she wasn't at his side.
"Yeah. I loved them." The naginata wielder's face darkened and she practically growled. "But they're not running the shop anymore. Corpses can't run shops anymore."
Robin paused, and cursed to himself. She was using past tense terms, so why did he-
"They were murdered a while back." Oboro spat, turning up her head so Robin could see the burning hate in his eyes. "Murdered by dirty Nohrian scum. Filth. Murdered by killers who didn't care one bit about their livelihood or their families. Their work or their friends."
Oboro's nails were digging into her hands, and Robin worry and guilt multiplied. "I-" he began, but was interrupted by a scream.
"GYAAAH!" someone shouted, high and uneven enough that the tactician couldn't tell who it was.
"It's nice to have fun and I understand you're scared, but keep quiet. If we're too loud we might draw attention and-" Robin's scolding was cut off.
"Lord Takumi, watch out!" Kaze yelled, tackling the prince to the ground.
"...Too late" Robin whispered, looking at the shuriken that had just embedded itself deep into the tree directly behind where Takumi had been standing before he was tackled, perfectly in line with his head.
"Are we under attack!?" Oboro shouted, back to her old self. She ran to place herself in front of Takumi while Hinata helped the prince up and Kaze examined the shuriken that had almost eliminated a member of the Hoshidan royal family.
"No, not yet," he dismissed, twirling the metal object in his hand, "but soon. That was just a scout. The Mokushujin ninja are likely close by. We don't have much time; they'll be upon us any moment."
Small chatter entered the area as various members of the army spoke to one another. Kaze suggested they move to the left and prepare for battle, since they'd have a better angle there. As they did, Robin attempted to lift the mood a little.
"Hey, at least they missed and initiated it."
A few confused looks were shot his way, so Robin continued.
"Well I mean, yes we trespassed into Mokushu's territory. But if they were so upset they could have spoken to use rather than immediately trying to execute the second prince of Hoshido. In terms of politics and legality, this is actually really good for us."
"Is this really the time for that?" Gunter said, annoyance clear in his voice.
"I'm just saying."
No one was amused, sadly. They really needed to get some senses of humor.
"Can you hear that?" Kotaro chided, looking down at the bound Kagero. "Oh wait, you probably can't. Because unlike a certain tied up someone, we of Mokushu are actually competent ninja who don't make noises akin to a tree being felled when we move around. So since you can't hear, I'll tell you. Right now a squad of my finest men is heading over to defeat some delusional characters who've entered the forest thinking they can save you. My, what an obvious trap! Although, you fell for it too. It's sad I won't be able to see how disappointed Prince Ryoma gets when he heard about your failures. To think the standard for royal retainers was so low. To think that the standards to become a ninja were so low!"
He knelt down to lift up Kagero's chin, but the woman threw her head to the side, dislodging his hand.
"If anyone is showing the low standard for ninja, it's you. Mokushu is allied with Hoshido, have you no honor? Don't you realize the threat kidnapping me places on your continued good relations?" Kagero questioned, glaring at where Kotaro stood, having raised himself after Kagero's refusal.
"Continued good relations? Alliance? Why would I care about those! Mokushu has aligned itself with the cause of Nohr. Hoshido can burn. King Garon will send his troops into the country soon enough, and soon enough Hoshido will fall. Once that happens, Mokushu will expand and take control of the ruins, finally making me a true king! Who would pass that chance up?" Kotaro laughed.
Kagero wasn't amused, yelling out at the insane man: "You're delusional! Hoshido will not fall to Nohr, and it certainly won't fall to a band of traitors led by yourself. Lord Ryoma will not allow it."
Her snapping remarks annoyed Kotaro, so the older ninja called for one of his men.
"There's no need for you to be so mean, you know. It wounds me. Ah, but it's too bad I have to keep you alive. It would have been terribly fun to deliver your body to the palace when I made me move to claim it." Motioning for the subordinate he had standing by, Kotaro looked directly down at Kagero while he spoke. "But, if you're uncooperative, I may change my mind. You! Take her away!"
The ninja gripped Kagero by her scarf, and yanked her to her feet to make her wall away. As she walked away, Kotaro took a few steps forward, lacing his fingers in her hair. He whispered a few words into Kagero's ear, causing her to jerk forward to get away. A few black strands were caught in Kotaro's fingers, drawing blood as the thin hairs sliced across skin.
Kotaro stood and chuckled as Kagero was led away, cursing under her breath. He could hear the shame in her voice, the way she berated herself for not delivering the crown prince's message. It was wonderful. She was such an amusing character, and it was sad he couldn't keep her longer. Her body would send a good message though, especially if he managed to kill her when the ones in the forest were watching. He would deliver that to the capital. It would work out greatly. For him, at least. She wouldn't enjoy it, dying in shame, but she had thrown her life and all her rights away the second she crossed into his territory.
Saizo stepped over a fallen, moss covered tree, looking across to one still standing. There were signs of shuriken all around them; in the dented trees, the ground with chunks of moss and grass pushed out, and scratched rocks covered in white marks left by flying pieces of metal.
Behind him were Reina and Orochi, both glancing around. Orochi had a look of deep concentration on her face as she examined different spots, while Reina was off in her own world, a wide smile clear on her face. The front of her uniform was clean though. No blood had stained it just yet.
"Is this the area our scout described to you, Orochi?" Saizo asked, walking around the tree felled before him. He had originally gone after Kagero alone, but Reina, with Orochi rising on her Kinshi had followed after him once he passed the Mokushu border. Apparently they had sent a scout ahead after hearing of Kagero's capture, somehow receiving notice before even he. It hurt his pride to have been beaten by a mere scout, so he did not ask how they knew or how close the do It had been when they sent out orders.
"Mhm, I think so. I can still feel her aura, too. She was here recently. But we're so deep into the woods that I'm not completely sure. And while I can tell she was here at some point, she must have crossed a great part of the forest before arriving wherever she is kept. This may not have been the spot she was captured, but simply one where she momentarily crossed." Orochi turned over to Reina, who was brushing her mount delicately. For someone who so brutally hurt others without a care, she was very gentle to her Kinshi, which she had elegantly named Redrum. Otherwise known as backward murder.
Saizo sighed at the woman's lack of concern for their current time-dependant goal. "We only have so much time before something happens to Kagero. We need to get going, Reina."
Reina stopped brushing and mounted Redrum, flying over the felled tree to take the lead.
"This is such a wonderful forest. The hopelessness here will certainly make our enemies' deaths all the more glorious, as they struggle in despair. Looking at the black sky coming down to get them will make them suffer all the more. And just listen to our voices echo as we speak… the acoustics here are marvelous. I can't wait to hear the lovely chorus of their screams… it'll be beautiful."
Knocking a few leaves to the ground with her hand, Reina hummed to herself, grinning. She was apparently having a great time, which didn't sit well with Saizo. Her fellow Hoshidan - her fellow royal retainer - had been captured, and could be murdered at any moment. They may not have served the same exact person, but had made acquaintance often, but were allies in the same company.
Orochi called for them to be quiet a few seconds after, cupping a hand to her ear and leaning to one direction. Saizo silently moved to stand next to each other, focusing on the sounds coming from the direction she was listening.
There were footsteps approaching, both heavy and light. Probably a pegasus from the sound of it. The group was large and had people both male and female, young and old, and from different regions based on two exclamations Saizo noticed which had different lilts. They didn't sound serious. He could hear laughing from them, as well as scolding. Not Mokushujin ninja, then. He also doubted any of them lived in Mokushu either. He had already crossed that area and knew it was even more difficult to pass through than the path he found himself on, and no person who lived in the region would be so unfamiliar with the terrain to choose the way the voices were going. Even if where Saizo stood was off limits to regular people for whatever reason, there must have been other easier paths to cross. And if the area truly was off limits, the one that held the approaching group would likely have been off limits too.
Hovering where she had stalled her Kinshi, Reina waited for Saizo and Orochi to catch up, upset at the delay. Her mind was always in bloodshed, and every moment spent putting the battle off was likely one wasted in her mind. Seeing queen Mikoto alongside such a bloodthirsty woman had often out other members of the higher class on edge. Luckily Orochi dismissed most worry others had about the relationship, but some remained. Reasonable worry, as Reina hardly tried to rein in her lust for battle and brutality even when in the Hoshidan court.
The flap of Redrum's wings, even if far away, were distracting Saizo though. With the constant beating just behind him, singling out voiced and words far in front of him was made overly difficult.
"Reina. Stay your mount. I need to listen," Saizo ordered, closing his good eye as he leaned in. Sometimes it was easier to listen if he closed his eyes. That way he didn't have to process any of the sights around him, and could devote all his concentration to the sounds he was trying to comprehend.
"Mph. If I have to stop her, then I'll brush Redrum while I wait. There's no point in standing still, and the blood is a pain to get out of knotted, clogged feathers," answered the scarred lady. She dismounted and pulled the brush back out resuming her care of the Kinshi before her.
"They're not our enemies, at least," Oboro mentioned, putting her hands on her hip. "But we told the rest of the troops to stay at the capitol, so I don't have the slightest idea as to who they are. Unless you sent for someone, Saizo? I thought you said that was a signal to warn other away."
Saizo shook his head, answering her question. "No and yes, in that order. The only troops I sent for were you two, and the signal was one of warning. Maybe it was misread. Remind me to instruct the main guard on the intricacies of smoke signalling once we get back."
"Of course," Oboro responded, smiling.
The group had a loud outburst a moment later, making Orochi raise an eyebrow and Saizo frown. He recognized at least one of those voices.
"-een but that doesn't mean you can be as loud as you want. It's only a matter of time before we meet up with their full forces. So stay quiet!" one said, voice worried and full of warning.
"...Kaze…?" Saizo whispered, drawing Orochi's attention.
"Did you just say Kaze? Don't tell me you actually heard whatever it is they said! Oh, and I thought Kaze had run off or something? Why would he come to save you if he abandoned Hoshido? And shouldn't be of all people know how your smoke signals work? Something seems fishy, if you ask me." The diviner stepped in front of Saizo, standing between his position and the location of Kaze and his companions.
"That's…!" Kaze exclaimed, leaving his sentence unfinished. The loud noise of cracking twigs and hastily thrown leaves sounded as someone rushed over, revealing himself to be Kaze once he poked his head around the last tree blocking him. "It is you… Saizo, thank the gods… I was worried you had already engaged the Mokushujin alone. Although, I guess it wouldn't be alone based on your companions. But why would you swim through the river if you had Reina and her Kinshi with her?"
Saizo paused, looking at his younger twin brother. Kaze had a few leaves in his shirt and a small length of raised skin along the visible portion of his chest, likely the leftovers of a partially rod-healed wound that had been left to finish the process naturally. His face was right and filled with both worry and relief, melting from a half-half split to a complete show of the last one as Kaze straightened himself and dislodged the pieces of nature that had stuck themselves upon him. Kaze always looked good in the forest, blending in unlike Saizo. Red hair worked in certain situations, especially during sunset operations, but green probably would have been more useful.
Voices got louder as one by one Kaze's companions entered the clearing. Most Saizo new by name, and the ones he didn't he recognized. He had heard of more people defecting to Corrin's side, but Saizo hadn't expected the number of people he saw before him. Given how distrusting Takumi was of Corrin and people in general, seeing the young prince by his long-haired sister's side was surprising.
Saizo had heard of the attack on Izumo, and of the mysterious force that ended it, supposedly made up of both Hoshidan and Nohrian soldiers. Takumi and his retainers had been in Izumo at the time, so they were likely captured and restrained along with the rest of the residents of the main palace of Izumo. Why Takumi would join just because he was rescued, Saizo couldn't comprehend. Especially given that he considered his retainers' opinions, even if he didn't always (or usually) bend completely to their will. The Nohrian presence in Corrin's group would normally have put her so on edge she'd straight out refuse to travel with them. Hinata was Hinata, optimistic and friendly as one ever was. Most of the others that had joined between Jinya and Mokushu were curious.
While Subaki and Hana hadn't mentioned where they would be going or even that they would be leaving the palace in the first place, their place with Corrin was something Saizo had already anticipated. The two were Sakura's retainers, and would follow her wherever she went. Saizo was much more surprised back at Fort Jinya, when it had been Kaze by Sakura's side, not either of her retainers. It was unbecoming of the two of them to leave Sakura at the same time, even if they had left Kaze to act as her guard in their stead. Each member of the royal family had two personal retainers for a reason. And if they had to both leave at the same moment, they could have at least left someone else with Sakura, even if it was some random guard wandering about the castle after a shift change.
Kaze himself was no longer standing alone, Corrin at his side with the gray haired butler, Jakob, on her other. The mounted Nohrian, Gunter if what Saizo had heard at Fort Ninja was correct, stood silently and far away. Though he was apparently Corrin's servant, he didn't act so. If anything, Kaze for his place better. If when the war ended, Corrin was still accepted into the Hoshidan family, Kaze would likely serve as her retainer. And judging based off what he could see, Jakob would constitute the other half of her personal guard. It might cause the members of the upper class to go into an uproar, but if Corrin was anything like her mother, her stubbornness would keep Jakob from leaving. The butler's own stubbornness likely would, too, if Saizo's impression of him was correct.
The boy standing by Rinkah's side Saizo recognized as the adoptive son of the head of the wind tribe. He'd heard of battle there as well. Was the boy a prize for victory? A trophy? A surrender condition? No, Corrin and Kaze wouldn't allow it. The tactician, maybe. But not the other two. Why the boy would join a war effort of his own volition was a concern for another day. Rinkah herself had been spared by Corrin in Nohr, though her switch of allegiance was odd. She had been the one to kidnap Corrin, and was still cursing the girl's name a week after the tribalism had been released from the Nohrian prison she had spent a week in.
The fact that Kaze was captured too was disappointing. Shameful, almost. But he certainly had a reason. The two brothers hadn't had a chance to speak between then and the current time, given Saizo's busy schedule, so they still had to talk. Maybe Kaze could explain what he saw in Corrin as well; why he joined the side of someone who threw away a family that loved and accepted her even though she could not remember them and struggled to bring herself to care. At first, at least. Her transformation in the town square meant she felt a great deal of distress over Mikoto's death, so care must have emerged at one point. Although it might have just been shock, simple surprise that triggered whatever it was that happened on that day. She… couldn't have been all that bad, though. The Yato did choose her. But Saizo had yet to see her true character, so his judgement would come later. He had more pressing matters at the moment.
"Kaze. What are you doing here? You should have recognized that my signal was-"
"A warning to get away, not a call for help," Kaze interrupted, looking away uneasily. "We learned how to make it together, after all. And I know that you're probably upset with me, but please listen. You're my one and only brother. The heir to the Saizo line. If you died here, then the Saizo family skill set and name would die with you. End after an entire five generations. I couldn't let that happen, so I came here as soon as I could. The rest of my companions… I couldn't go alone. They wouldn't let me, regardless."
Crossing his arms, Kaze moved his gaze, still avoiding looking directly at his older brother. He seemed uncomfortable. And as though he wanted to say more, but couldn't bring himself too. Though Saizo wanted to berate Kaze for giving off such an uncharacteristic, pathetic look, he couldn't bring himself too. He knew that he was the cause of Kaze's state, and that pointing it out would only worsen things. Kaze wasn't entirely right in his words though.
"You contradicted yourself amidst false statements, Kaze. You began by mentioning how we learned smoke signals together, which is true. Then you went on to say that the Saizo line would die with me as I'm the only one who knows the skills, which isn't. It we learned together, how could I be the only one?"
"Smoke signals are basic. Every ninja worth his position knows how to make and read them. I'm talking about the specific set of skills our family passed from one generation to the next. The skills you learned as I spent hours repeating the same drills over and over again until my fingers bled. Drills that didn't help me at all, as I could never come close to you even when you had less practice time from devoting your hours to learning the family techniques. As you spent time with father, preparing to become Prince Ryoma's retainer one day, I was stuck learning about the history of the katana or daikon with whatever villager mother could shove me with for the moment. In all my time at home, I learned the very basics, some history, and how to garden. You learned so much more, though. I'm pathetic in comparison. I could never carry on the Saizo line. It's a good thing you're the older one. I'd have only brought the family more shame than I already have."
"Kaze-"
"Saizo, you and I both know it's true. Mother and Father never wanted a second child. It's against family tradition. The Saizo line is upheld by one heir and one heir only. The firstborn and the firstborn only. There was never a second born, because there was no need. They didn't want to divulge the secrets. Women ninja are common in the village, but their positions are typically not high. Yet because grandmother was the firstborn, she was the third Saizo. The family did not want to have another child, so they let her take on the Saizo name. She's probably the most well-known and greatest Saizo in the line, for everything she did for Hoshido. Someone even father could never beat. All because the family thought two children was one too many. I am, always have been, and always will be a burden on the family. I'm sorry that I limited your education when we were children Saizo. But… it doesn't matter. What matters is that I know you sent out a warning signal, but I came anyway. I disobeyed your orders. So berate me all you want later, but for now please excuse me and accept our help. I don't want to lose you. The Saizo family has no one else."
Kaze finally looked Saizo in the eyes, clearly hurt, and Saizo couldn't help but feel guilty. Kaze thought so poorly of himself, denying praise and taking in every insult or offense.
"Suzukaze." Saizo reached out to his brother's shoulder, making Kaze's eyes widen. It may have been at the use of his full name, but that wasn't important. "I need you to understand something. You are not worthless. You are an extremely competent ninja, one that I'm glad to have by my side. You always pushed me to my limits as a child. If you hadn't been there, then I would never have gotten as far as I have. So don't hate yourself. Accept your contributions and move on. I'm not the best everywhere, anyway. Even if you aren't all the way to my level, that doesn't mean you're not good at all. If we're hit by magic, you're always slightly better off than I am, and your speed means you're just as good at reconnaissance and time based missions. Don't sell yourself short."
Kaze moved to thank him, but Reina took the opportunity to speak up.
"Brotherly bonding is great and all, but don't you think we should be getting a move on? I'm starting to fall asleep from just sitting here, and the darkness is making me cold. I need some screams and blood to wake and warm me up…"
The various members of Corrin's group made different noises of reaction at her words, those familiar with Reina sighing, those not making exclamations of surprise, and some trailing off as they backed up. Reina was right, though. Time was of the essence when saving Kagero. They were about to battle, and no reasonable person would start chatting away right before a fight. He berated himself for it, and then berated himself more when he saw Kaze's eyes drop, likely from guilt. They would have to finish their conversation later.
"I don't think moving is an option anymore," Robin said, drawing everyone's attention.
The glinting of light off many shuriken flashed across the area, ninja visible across the area. A few spear fighters, oni savage, samurai, and shrine maidens had joined them, especially heavy on the left. They must have been trying to drive the group away from where they had both come, so Corrin's army wouldn't be able to fight in a familiar area. That or because there appeared to be a clearing in the open direction, which would have less cover for the group to hide in. It would be a public execution, in a way, if Saizo was reading their actions correctly.
"Should we play into where they're trying to guide us?" Robin asked to no one in particular, surveying the area and troops around them.
"Well, since we can win no matter what they throw at us, I don't see why not!" Corrin cheered, drawing her blade.
The battle to rescue Kagero was about to begin.
Authors note: Okay, let me say I almost started laughing so many times in public because of this chapter. Do you know why? I wrote almost exclusively on my phone, and my good ol' LG G4 autocorrects Kagero to Later I, which is meh, and Kotaro to Potato. Potato. Potato the big bad murderer. Even writing this I'm smiling. As for Kaze and Saizo at the end, I originally had Saizo being a little nicer, but then I reread their supports in which Kaze tries to challenge Saizo and Saizo straight up tells Kaze he'll lose. Kaze also stutters a bit, and since this is my interpretation, I went for a little bit of an inferiority complex. Saizo does try to comfort Kaze at least a little, so there's that. Also I know I deviated quite a bit from what actually happens in terms of who talks and how they meet up, but I liked this way better. I also forgot that in-game Saizo and crew show up as green units away from where your units are. Oh well. And this is pretty long now, so I'll be cutting it off here. I think I forgot to mention something, but I don't want to delay this any longer. Please review if you have the time, and I hope to continue to please!
EDIT: I just remembered what it was. I've decided on the first pairing of the fic! You'll see first evidence of it two chapters from now. I might actually admit it in chapter 12, but it may get bumped to chapter 13 depending on how things work out. Oh, and one reviewer happened to mention it so have fun figuring it out... I was considering putting it in anyway, because I love the pairing, but that review was what solidified my choice. Thank you for leaving that review, and that's all!
Originally published November 25, 2016. 11,640 words.
Eruran out.
