AUTHOR'S NOTES: A short breather chapter before we head out to Izumo and have a clash that I've been anticipating for months. Otherwise, a bit more about how Rinkah integrated with the group, and Zenzi being a cinnamon roll because that's kind of what she does (especially considering where she's from). Also, a sneak peek or two at some more things to come in terms of character interactions, and surprisingly enough, Kamui's absent from this chapter. But, here we go anyways.
Happy Reading!

CHAPTER 54: Lost in Thoughts

Sing with me a song of Dances and Thoughts…

Like any of the times Corrin's army moved across Ferevs, he sent Anna and Kaze as well as a few scouts from Silas' division and the Wind Tribe contingent to help make sure that the area was clear and/or safe to travel, and similarly, to keep an eye out for any of the other royal siblings from Hoshido and Nohr, seven of which were still at large. Kamui worried particularly about Camilla, stating this concern to Corrin, but she did not push it much past that.

And thus, the waiting game resumed. Members of the army, both new and old, found this place to be a rather delightful oasis in a metaphorical desert of war and death.

While many people found many different uses for the grounds and buildings surrounded by New Kamui's formidable walls, Corrin and Kamui's castle grounds were also a beautifully serene place to wander around in the evenings. The realm it was situated in was secluded from the dangers of the world, and sometimes it felt like time just stopped in here. Rinkah didn't understand how any of that nonsense actually worked, and so she just left it to Corrin to keep things scheduled properly. In the meantime, she grew acquainted with the place rather swiftly, and made herself right at home. Her fiery temper had her clash a few times with people, usually ending with either Rinkah snapping an obscenity or two at them and leaving, or letting her strong language shoo them away.

While the Flame Tribe might have been better known for being diurnal creatures, Rinkah had developed a fondness of the evening on the basis that there were less people out and about to harangue and harass her (even if she dramatized her perception of it).

She pushed the mighty door of the castle open and stepped out into the cool evening breeze. It was easy not to recognize her without her trademark Oni Mask on, her short bob of white hair looking almost foreign without the red tufts of her favorite headgear.

As rough and boorish as she normally was, Rinkah's bare feet were practically silent against the stone pathways with each step she took. Apart from wanting to be perceived as strong and inexorable, Rinkah cared little for her appearance, and so even though she was wearing little more than a pair of shorts and some wraps around her chest and hands, she still looked intimidating because of her physique. Jakob had had a few choice words for her in that regard, and she had just told him to fuck off instead. Luckily for her, he was asleep as well.

Someone was awake though, and was tiptoeing around the grounds. Rinkah crept around a few corners before finding the culprit fairly easily—whoever it was didn't seem to be trying to remain completely silent.

"Zenzi?" Rinkah tilted her head as she watched the pink-haired swordmaster dance. Naturally, Zenzi squealed from surprise and nearly ran off.

"R-Rinkah!?" she stammered, "w-what are you doing out here?"

"I like taking walks when most people are asleep," Rinkah admitted, "part of the whole solitude thing. What are YOU doing out here all dressed up?"

"I-I was dancing…" Zenzi stuttered again, glancing around and fidgeting.

"I gotta say—that kind of thing has always intrigued me," Rinkah admitted, "and what you were doing was pretty damn impressive. I like it."

"You do?" Zenzi looked flattered, still fidgeting with one of her bangles.

"'Course I do," Rinkah smirked. "More importantly though, I'm curious. How the hell did you know one of our tribal dances?"

"Well…" Zenzi looked down at her feet, "I saw you one night performing. I usually only need to see a dance once to know how to replicate it."

"Really now? Well I'm impressed. And that doesn't happen often. You've seen how many times I've told people to fuck off where they came from."

"I'm glad you've never said that to me…" Zenzi wiped her brow, "although I'm sure I'm not doing your dance justice."

"Eh, is that an invitation for me to teach you?" Rinkah offered. It was rare enough that anyone asked about her unique culture, and while she often lashed out and became abrasive or hostile towards those who belittled it, in truth, it also hurt her feelings when people declined learning about who she was and what she lived for—even though she would never, ever admit that out loud to anyone.

"Would you?" Zenzi's reply almost caught Rinkah off guard, "I'd love to learn what it means. I feel like knowing the meaning of a dance helps me perform with a better conviction!"

"It's not that hard, but I can give you the full rundown," Rinkah assured her.

She did exactly that, showing Zenzi the proper forms and teaching her what it all meant. Rinkah had started out assuming that most of it would just go over Zenzi's head or that she'd not pay attention, but Rinkah continued her lecture anyways.

"If you think I need to shut the hell up already, just ball up a fist and clob' my gob," she shrugged, "most people don't seem too interested in hearing some kid ramble about her barbaric culture."

"People say that to you?" Zenzi looked horrified.

"Not really here as much as in other places," Rinkah shrugged ,"But I guess in a way I probably deserve it considering how abrasive I am to them. Maybe they don't like getting smacktalked by a 16-year-old. I dunno."

"I still have trouble believing you're that young." Zenzi asserted.

"The Flame Tribe wastes little time in teaching children how to live and act like adults," Rinkah explained, "I learned to fight when I was 10, and had my formal coming-of-age ceremony when I was 13. Some of those dance moves I taught you are used in that ritual. In most cases, but not all, age is just an arbitrary number used for people to place imaginary limits on themselves and their potential."

"What do you mean?" Zenzi looked at the shorter woman curiously.

"What I mean is that people let some arbitrary unit of measurement dictate what they think they can and can't do." Rinkah explained, "'Oh, you're not old enough to do this.' 'I think you're too young for that…'. Congratulations. I've lived long enough for this world to make 16 revolutions around the sun. What does that really mean in the grand scheme of things? It means pretty much jack. I'm not trying to be some enlightened sage with any of this nonsense either. It's just what our tribe teaches us to believe, and since I've seen no evidence that supports the contrary argument in the 16 years I've been alive, I see no reason to change my opinion in that regard."

"M-maybe I'm just easily impressed," Zenzi said softly, "but you seem so very wise, Rinkah."

"That's because we're in a tranquil situation and the dancing has put my mind at ease," Rinkah laughed, putting a thumb at her chest, "If we were in the heat of a battle, I'd be rushing in and throwing all regard for my own safety and well-being out the window. Me' mom used to say it was called 'having high Wisdom and low Intelligence', which seems rather fitting."

"You seem pretty intelligent to me." Zenzi pointed out. "Or is that just Charisma?"

"Charisma," Rinkah laughed, "Which also fluctuates greatly. When I'm by myself or around people I know and trust, I'm pretty eloquent. When I'm surrounded by obnoxious people buzzing around me or trying to kill me, I'm about as charismatic as a Faceless."

Rinkah paused and cracked a rare smile—one with emotion, rather than some sly or bloodthirsty smirk like her usual expressions that involved her lip curling up.

"You're a good kid, Zenzi." Rinkah slapped her hand down on the pink-haired dancer's right shoulder a little harder than Zenzi had expected, and she nearly buckled.

"Ouch!" she cried out, "and excuse me… but aren't I 4 years your senior?"

"Huh… guess you are. Still… thanks for hearing a fiery kid out. It means a lot to me, and I'm not exactly good at expressing that kind of affection without hitting things."

Zenzi nodded. She wasn't really the type to get angry very easily, and her calm, timid nature made her a very relaxing person to be around, much like Sakura. More importantly, the two of them just forged a new friendship that day, and they decided to celebrate it with another long series of dances.

Zenzi and Rinkah were not the only ones up at this hour. Normally Corrin was not one of the ones up this late (unlike his sister), but tonight he was. He gazed up at the moon from one of the upper balconies of the castle, losing himself in his thoughts as he stood alone on the platform.

He contemplated everything they were doing, and yet it still didn't feel like enough. Three of his siblings, and all four of Kamui's, were still out there, possessed by whatever or whoever this "Exalted One" was. Corrin knew that his sister worked hard to hide it, but he could tell that the absence of any of her Nohrian kin was starting to weigh down on her. He wanted to reach out to her, but wasn't sure how to approach it with her, especially since he knew there was little he could do here and now to help the situation. At best, he could make seemingly meaningless promises about how they would find Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise soon, but since he didn't know when or where they would cross paths, these words just felt like nothing more than empty promises. He felt like Kamui deserved better.

He also did not expect Silas of all people to show up on the balcony that evening.

"What are you doing up?" Corrin's question was much less accusatory and more simply curious. "I thought only Jakob and Zenzi were up at this hour."

"I couldn't sleep." Silas mumbled, "Too much on my mind."

"And so you came to find me?" Corrin turned and raised his eyebrow.

"Well… this is something you might know best about," Silas pointed out, "it's about Kamui."

"You couldn't sleep because of Kamui?" Corrin tilted his head, "has she been drinking?"

"More than usual," Silas pointed out, the tone in his voice indicating that he was well-aware that this was not too out of the ordinary. "Lately, anyways. And it's not even the happy kind."

"Does this have something to do with her family?" Corrin thought about what might have been upsetting Kamui recently. She and Rinkah got along swimmingly (a surprise, considering Rinkah didn't seem to get along too well with anyone short of Zenzi and Sakura, who everyone seemed to adore), and despite keeping to herself, he didn't imagine that it was the fault of anyone in the army as to why Kamui was upset. Family was the only conclusion he could come to.

"She won't say it to me directly, but I know her tells," Silas nodded, "She definitely misses her family—particularly Camilla if I could bet anything on it."

"It's hard though," Corrin sighed, "obviously I want to help her—and save Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise just as much as I want to save Sakura's siblings, but there's only so much we can do, especially all at one time. What would you suggest, Silas? What would you do in my position?"

"I'd talk to her," Silas suggested, "and that's really what I want to do, but I don't know how to bring it up. Even though we're friends, she's hard to approach. That's why I came to you, actually. I wanted to know if you had any advice on how to approach her."

"From what I've learned of Kamui in our brief time being back together," Corrin began, "the best way to approach her about anything is just to be genuine. Be yourself. Well, and don't disturb her until after Jakob's given her her morning coffee. Trust me on that one."

"Right then," Silas smiled. "So how about you? Is there anything else weighing on your mind?"

"Just the stuff I told you about," Corrin shrugged a shoulder, "People look to me for guidance, and so I want to be able to help be that guiding beacon they see me as."

"True as that might be, just remember that we're not seeking perfection," Silas put an arm on Corrin's shoulder. "Nearly everyone here thinks you're doing a spectacular job. They know we can't just miraculously win the war in an evening, and we know you're trying your best to keep us safe and well-led. We can't really ask for more than that."

Corrin sighed and then smiled. "Thank you, Silas." he nodded sincerely, "I guess I feel a bit insecure about it at times with all the pressure. It's nice to have some reassurance now and again that I'm not leading this group down the road to nowhere."

"Thank you as well," Silas smiled. "Sometimes, helping with the small and simple things can go a long way with earning approval—not like you really needed to earn my approval though. Still… thanks again for the advice earlier."

"Don't sweat it," Corrin shook his head, gazing out at the night sky again. "Sleep well, Silas. I should get back to bed too."

With a nod, the two men parted ways, both of them also feeling much happier and more confident about what the next day would hold in store for them...