It was hours after dinner. The moon showed its pale face, allowing the land below to bask in its light. Many had gone to their tents until morning, either passing the time by doing whatever it was that they did, or just going straight to sleep. Regardless, it was good that they were not around to interrupt the seriousness which was the gathering in the main tent, where a single lantern hung overhead, staring down at a map. The map was the same as it was the night before, including the rook that invaded the center of the Hoshidan capital. It was the least of the gathering's worries.
"Well? I pray you've been able to recruit our spy?" Leo inquired as the chatter around him died. Shortly afterward, Corrin approached him, giving a slight nod.
"I have. In case you haven't heard, it was Niles' daughter I asked. She agreed to the proposal, but, of course, her father has some conditions he wants appeased before he's willing to allow us to commence the operation."
Niles, standing in the darkest corner, smirked.
"You heard 'em. Nina's not going alone. I want her to have at least one accomplice. Of course, I'll have to approve of whoever's going too..."
Leo turned back to Corrin.
"I suppose you've already taken the liberty of finding that accomplice?" he asked, to which Corrin cocked his head to the side awkwardly.
"Sort of..." he replied softly. "I wanted Velouria to go, but she wasn't willing. Instead, she directed me to Laslow's daughter. Apparently she's been interested in the job."
The room fell silent, filled with strange stares and glances alike. The more time that passed, the more awkward it grew... And suddenly, a rumble roused from Niles' corner. It started as a chuckle before it evolved into a laugh, which became a howl. In the meantime, he shook his head furiously and hugged his beloved sides.
"Ridiculous!" he exclaimed. "I'm not trying to sound rude at all, My Lord, but you and I both know this well: two girls have less of a chance of survival than a girl would with a boy. They're not too tough, know?"
"Hey now," piped another voice: the thick accent obviously belonged to Laslow. "It's true that Soleil isn't the best in the army, but she's definitely pulled her own weight around here. I believe she's perfectly capable of defending herself and a friend from pursuers. After all, she has quite a brutish technique with a sword. Not to mention she's recently done a brilliant job with adapting to axes..."
"Okay, but can she defend herself when she's surrounded by a hoard of men?"
"Of course not! Who can defend themselves when they're outnumbered by trained soldiers?"
Keaton, amongst them, shrugged and cracked a playful smile.
"I dunno about you guys, but I've seen my girl take a few swords and spears like a champ. Is she special or something?" Everyone turned to him, their faces stern and cold. In response, the man's ears folded down, and his eyes darted to the ground. He was able to only utter beneath his breath. "Oh yeah, I forgot everyone's a damn critic..."
Having silenced him, everyone turned back to the center of the tent to fix their eyes on Leo, who remained at the map's side. His eyes said that he was deep in thought.
"I don't know," he muttered. "Sending two teenaged girls sounds optimistic. If we're going to send an accomplice, we need to assume they are to encounter the worst case scenario. We should plan accordingly."
It was then Xander decided to speak.
"I'll volunteer Siegbert then," he announced. "He's a well disciplined young man, so I assure you our spy will be kept safe. This will be a learning experience for him anyhow. When he grows older and has retainers of his own, he should be aware of the struggles and responsibilities they carry. He will learn to treat them with respect." He turned to Niles' dark corner. "If it makes you more comfortable, I will even consider lending him Siegfried so that he will be more effective against those that come against your daughter. Does my proposition meet your approval?"
Niles' silence appeared to be an answer in itself, but many would quickly be proven wrong when he finally lifted his head, giving Xander a subtle nod.
"It does. Send Xander's son with Siegfried and you have my absolute permission to let Nina be your spy. I'd go with her myself, but I really don't have the confidence. A strong young man sounds much better suited for the job. Besides... I'm sure she's told most all of you in here what she thinks of me..."
Leo nodded.
"Then we have reached a decision. Any who oppose the mission, do raise their hands."
When none rose to opposition, the group was satisfied, ending the meeting with a chant that wished for the life of Nohr.
The very next week, Nina would find herself out of her tent, minding her own silly business. Nina's business didn't consist of much, but it was generally one of a mixture of things. Sometimes, if she felt like it, she'd climb up a tree, perch herself on a branch, then yank a notebook out of her satchel to begin scribbling stories in them. Other times, if she felt like it, she'd go out for target practice with her bows, growing closer to mastering them. The rest of the time, which she mostly did, she'd go out and about, searching for anything that tickled her fancy, such as a brawny young man that was easy on the eyes.
In particular, Nina's business one day was archery. She did not perform quite as well as she usually did, seeing that the majority of her arrows hit the outermost rim of the target. It was a disappointment to her, but she could best blame it on nervousness. It was within her awareness that today was the day Corrin wanted her to head out in front of the army, headed straight for Castle Shirasagi in the Hoshidan capital. As cool and collected as she was most of the time, she had to admit that she was particularly anxious.
Thankfully, to settle her nerves, a voice called out behind her.
"Hello again, Nina," she heard. When she turned around, she would find Siegbert approaching her, leading his horse after him. He gave her a humble smile. "It's been a while since we last spoke."
Slowly, Nina lowered her bow.
"Yeah, it sure has..." She was a pinch too distracted to focus on giving him a sophisticated response. "Um... Wow. What happened to you?"
Had she not heard his voice, or see the distinct color of his horse, she would have thought he was an invader; instead of his usual black and violet armor, he wore a peculiar white top that flowed easily, and underneath there were pants that seemed to be made of the same material. Snug on his feet were a pair of thongs, and atop his head was arguably the silliest looking triangular hat she had ever seen. The horse, on the other hand, had been stripped of its armor, now packed down by baskets and crates. Having seen her notice such, Siegbert chuckled, then scratched the back of his neck.
"For starters, the hat belongs to Midori. The rest of these clothes belonged to Kaze," he mentioned, then held out his hand, offering a shake. "We're going to be traveling to the capital together, so it's important that we disguise ourselves as nothing more than merchants. I'm pleased to be working with you."
Nina studied the hand for a moment before taking it as requested. As their combined fist bobbed up and down, she felt an uneasy smile spread across her lips.
"Ah, so we're going to be spending some time together..." Her hand began to tremble, its pores spewing sweat. Siegbert's face dropped almost immediately.
"Is there something wrong with that? If there is, do tell, and I'll try to behave according to what makes you more comfortable."
"O-Oh, it's nothing... You just know how I am..."
"I'm... not exactly sure what you're talking about, I'm afraid."
"Ehe, stop lying. Yes you do."
"I'm afraid not..."
They both paused, noticing that their hands were still joined. Nina was the first the yank her palm away and wipe its sweat-drenched center against her pants.
"Well then! I guess it's n-nothing to worry about." She looked back up to him after straightening her posture, struggling to maintain a steady expression. "Ehe."
Siegbert's face returned to normal then, softening happily.
"Very well. Would you like to come with me? Uncle Corrin has readied your attire at the accessory shop. It's important you look the part as well."
She just hoped she wouldn't have to wear one of those dorky hats too.
One could only imagine the unexplainable reaction which was Soleil's when she saw Nina and Siegbert decked out in Hoshidan attire, both seated on a naked steed. A small crowd had gathered around the two: a good-bye party, one would call it. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't small either. The moment her eyes fell upon it, she rushed over, prepared to see whatever it was that was going on and join in on the excitement.
Where there was always a smile, there was suddenly a frown. It looked like Corrin still wasn't convinced after her explanations. Oh well, she'd might as well make the best out of whatever she had. Thus, she wrestled her way through the surrounding veil of bystanders, eventually reaching the side of the horse. Simply flicking Nina's thigh caught her attention. Upon having her gaze, Soleil gave her a big grin, then a thumbs up.
"Don't do anything stupid," she laughed. "And be sure to write."
It was a foreign sight to see Nina smile back for a change.
"Thanks. You too."
At that moment, Corrin finally departed from the crowd and approached them, looking up at Siegbert. They exchanged a stare. It was a deep one.
"Take care of her, and trust your instincts. If anything looks dangerous to either one of you, don't do it. It's okay to play it safe. So long as you're both alive and well, I won't be angry if you return empty-handed. Got that?"
Siegbert, with his face stern, nodded.
"I understand," he replied. Siegfried sat in his lap, ready to be grabbed. "I would like to express my gratitude: thank you for giving me the opportunity to make my father, mother, and country proud. I will protect her with my all."
And it was settled. With one last "long live Nohr", the horse galloped away, departing from the walls of the castle and disappearing into the forest beyond. The moment it was out of the picture, Soleil immediately shot Corrin a nasty glare, narrowing her eyes and pooching her lips. Obviously, he knew why he received it, hence why he turned to her with a huff.
"Look, Soleil, I'm sorry. It wasn't my decision in the end. I suggested that we pick you, but nobody approved."
Soleil released a huff, then gripped her shoulder, rolling her arm around its joint in anticipation.
"Oh yeah? Who consists of this 'nobody', hm? I'm gonna give 'em all a piece of my mind..."
"Confidential, I'm afraid." He snatched her arm to keep it from rolling. "And you're not fighting anybody. If you need a job to keep your mind busy, I'd be more than happy to give you one."
Soleil, with her hands placing themselves on her hips, finally released a sigh, then shrugged. Some work would most likely do her good. Corrin was right when he assumed it would help keep her mind on other things.
"I guess I'll take whatever you have to offer..."
Washing dishes wasn't exactly what she had in mind, but there didn't seem to be any room for her to decide. She ended up in the kitchen as the sun was setting, away at a tub of water and surrounded by dirty dishes. Every once and a while, she'd peek out the window, observing the castle grounds and its vastness. It got darker out, she noted, and began to ponder...except Soleil wasn't exactly the type to ponder; she'd rather talk to herself than put up with silence. After all, silence was lonely, and Soleil wasn't the girl that would ever endure loneliness.
"Hm. I don't know how fast those two were going, so they could be just about anywhere by now. My guess would be around this Kitsune territory everyone's been talking about. Wow, a Kitsune! I wonder what they look like... if they exist. Well, Wolfskin exist, so I can't see why Kitsune can't. Who cares anyways? I'm sure Velouria and her Dad can take out those silly things anyways. A wolf is way stronger than a fox." She paused, lowering a dish back into the soapy water. "But can Siegbert and Nina? If there's an entire clan of them prowling around that land, it sure wouldn't look good for them..." With that said, she released a huff of air, then turned around, abandoning her work so that she can head for the door. "I'll go ask Lord Corrin."
She wouldn't admit that she was really just trying to get out of washing the dishes, not even to herself.
Soleil made her way out of the kitchen, crossed the empty mess hall, then crept across the dark lawn. Her feet would deliver her to an ominous tent, where she encountered a gathering. A rambunctious soul, she didn't hesitate to interrupt whatever serious manners that may have been discussed. In response, the group turned to her, giving her a nasty glare. One of them, whom she recognized as her father, rushed up to her.
"S-Soleil? What are you doing here?" he whispered. "This is an important meeting."
She slapped her palm, still wet from washing, on his shoulder, then nodded.
"I know. But I think Siegbert and Nina may already need some assistance. You sent them straight into Kitsune territory at night, didn't you?"
From a distance, she saw Corrin. He didn't strike her as happy, as justified by his stiffened expression. Slowly, he shook his head.
"I've already told you Soleil, I'm sorry you couldn't go. To answer your question, if it was really what you came here for, I've instructed Siegbert and Nina to set up camp just a little ways into the Kitsune territory. I doubt the Kitsune would go so far as to patrol the outskirts, much less attack those who are simply passing by. There's no need to go around causing a scene just because you're upset."
Her face was utterly innocent.
"I'm not upset... Okay, that was a lie... But I'm serious. Velouria once told me that the Kitsune are especially active during the summertime; they'll search every acre of their land for intruders that try to pick off some of their prey, outskirts included."
For the most part, it didn't seem as though anybody believed her, so they turned to Keaton, who stood on the other side of the tent, scratching behind one of his ears. Upon noticing their eyes, those ears perked, and he looked around awkwardly in the silence. He shrugged, then blinked.
"What? She's not lying, so what're you looking at me for? I thought ya'll already knew that." He cocked his head to the side. "I mean... I thought it was weird that you wanted them to cross through the hamlet, but hey, I figured you had everything under control, so I didn't bother saying anything." He turned to Corrin. "If you weren't aware of that while you were planning, you might want to pull them back. Just sayin'. Those Kitsune are rough on intruders, especially during the warm months."
Corrin blinked, turning back to the map in the center of the room. Though it was slight, a flush did spread across his cheeks.
"I wasn't aware of this," he grumbled, turning back to Soleil. "But even so, time is of the essence. We aren't going to call for a retreat unless we absolutely have to. For emergencies, I sent a few fireworks with them. When they shoot them, it's a call for help. I knew they wouldn't do much good once they've gotten too far from camp, but at least they could be used as a signal if they ever become separated. They shouldn't have gotten out of our range yet. Unless we see the signal, we're going to leave them alone. Got that?"
Her eyes rolled off to the side.
"Sorry to sound annoying, but I have a bad feeling about this."
"Soleil." Corrin began to approach her, parting the crowd. His gaze was stern. "I don't like to involve younger troops in strategic affairs, but I suppose I'll make you an exception. The Hoshidan army has split into separate groups, and they're scouting the immediate area. We might be found soon, and when that happens..." His gaze narrowed. Deep down hid a pinch of worry. "We'll suffer massive casualties if we aren't completely wiped out. We can sustain ourselves for a little while, but not forever. What we need now is information. That is our top priority, and if we don't get that information, I don't know how things will play out. I don't aspire a thing to be in our favor. Do you understand now? I'm not refusing to go get them now because I'm the bad guy. We have no choice to take our chances, and that's the gist of it."
Though delayed, Soleil's expression became grim. They stared one another down before finally, to the room's surprise, a wide grin spread across her face like butter.
"Then we'll take 'em on with a smile if that happens," she replied, whipping around to face the exit. "I trust you, Lord Corrin, so I'll keep watch outside for their signal, sound good? Just so you know, if I do see one, I'm going to be the first one to leave, so don't be surprised if I've left by the time you're ready to go." Without any confirmation, she departed, disappearing into the night through the flap. Left behind, Corrin sighed, then turned back to face his group.
"Sounds like we may have a situation sometime or another tonight..."
Soleil spent her time wandering around camp, leaving a trail of awakening eyes. Systematically, she would peek into each tent, call out the inhabitant's name until they awoke, then invited them to watch with her. Needless to say, the majority of her intrusions were not welcomed.
"Hey! Ignatius! Wanna watch for the distress signal with me?"
His response was slow, following a long groan as he rolled over on his pallet.
"No... Please no..." So she went on to the next one.
"Pst. Percy. Do you-"
"I heard you when you asked Ignatius... Mmm... Maybe tomorrow..."
And the next...
"Midori?"
"No thanks."
And the next...
"Come on, Velouria. I know you're a night person! Come help me so-" Her nose would be met by the face of a ferocious beast, its teeth barren and clamped against each other. A steady growl rumbled in its throat, and its glowing red eyes stared coldly at her. She crawled closer to the girl, and with each step, her back arched steeper, her claws digging in the fresh dirt laying just outside her tent. The closer she got, the more Soleil nervously scrambled away.
"You woke me up."
The other smiled.
"Haha... I'll go ahead and leave you alone now..."
So she went to the next one, shoving the flap up rashly.
"Flower! Hey, Flower. There's nobody out here that wants to go with me, but I know for a fact that you would. Just think about it... You, me, staring up at the stars... And when we see that firecracker, we'll jump on that horse of yours and rush off to the rescue. Sounds great, miright?"
Surprisingly, it wasn't long before Sophie finally stuck her head out of the tent, her eyes tired and groggy. She moaned quietly, rubbing her cheeks as she stretched.
"Mmm... You're annoying everyone. We're trying to sleep..."
Soleil was taken back, almost mortified.
"But didn't you hear me? We need to stay awake in case Siegbert and Nina need us!"
"If that's the way you feel..." She covered her mouth when she yawned, then began to fondle with her tangled hair. "You keep watch and I'll... Mmm... I'll help you if you see anything..." She slithered back inside, quiet as a mouse. "Just let me sleep..."
So Soleil was left alone, a state in which she would rarely linger. She ended up dragging a heavy quilt to the center of the lawn, plotted it down on the grass, threw a sheathed sword and an axe upon it, placed a lantern at its corner, and set herself down. Her eyes, attentive and sharp, looked up to the night sky, dark and peaceful, and her ears tuned in to the conversations of distant crickets. Any minute now, she figured, that firecracker would light up the darkness for an instant before dying. That would be her cue. One could accurately call her the very definition of prepared, keeping her weapons close and accessible. Should she need to, all she had to do was grab them and bounce to her feet. It didn't matter if she left the lantern or the blanket behind, for she was certain that at least someone would pick it up sometime the next day.
Odd. The way she thought about someone else getting it the next day in her stead almost made it seem as though she wasn't planning to come back... In truth, she didn't want to. She wanted to go on that mission, and being rather flimsy against the winds of desire, chances were she was going to succumb to its every will. Was Corrin going to be happy about it? Likely not, but at least she would be punished knowing that dear old frenemy of hers was safe and sound. That, in her opinion, was far better than regretting something for the rest of her life.
When it came to passing the time, Soleil happened to be self-sustaining; she whiled away an hour or so searching for and naming the only four star constellations she knew. Once she grew bored of that activity, she entertained herself by playing with her new friend: a frog that had the misfortune of passing by. The frog got away, so at last she rose and began to practice strokes with her sword, swinging it over and over again at an imaginary enemy. She was getting the hang of holding a stronger, but much heavier, silver blade, so she decided to switch to the axe. Her skill wasn't quite as polished with it, so she kept on it for quite some time.
Nothing more happened for another good while. Again, Soleil found herself sitting on her blanket, lying boredly upon it. She became alarmed when a hefty yawn suddenly escaped her mouth, and she was quick to bring herself up, rubbing her eyes.
"No, no, no," she told herself. "Stay awake. I can sleep through a stampede, so a measly firecracker won't have anything on me..."
But the next thing she knew, she was sprawled out on the quilt again, her mouth hanging open as it ejaculated snores. Was it her fault? Not entirely. In her defense, the previous day was quite tiresome, so she had every right to be hungry for some well needed sleep... At least that was the best excuse she could muster. It sufficed, even though there weren't any judging eyes she could present it to. She was having the happiest of dreams, mostly consisting of stupid things, but her two favorites made a constant return: cute stuff, like kittens, and sports that involved fighting over a ball. Yep. She could immerse herself in those sorts of things all day long and never give a single complaint.
Except there was one complaint, such as a sudden, and loud, bang that jolted her awake. When her eyes snapped open, her mind alert, the first thing they looked toward was the sky. Though she didn't see any color mingling with the stars, she knew the sound that echoed in her head well, and had felt it shake the ground. In an instant, with her heart burning, she hopped onto her feet, grabbed her weapons, and was off, running around camp like a maniac.
"Firecracker! Firecracker! Firecracker! Firecracker!" She paraded down the row of tents, stopping at the one she had written down in the banks of her memory, yanked open the flap, and dove inside. Not even a second later, she was wrapping her strong palms around a pair of wrists, then hoisting a body up so she could drag it. "Sophie! Sophie! Sophie! Sophie! Sophie! Sophie! They need us, they need us! The firecracker went off! Come on, get up! Get up!" She shook the girl awake as she departed from the tent, and in doing so, she threw her onto her feet and began leading her into the dark field.
"What do you mean you heard a firecracker?" Sophie, clearly not fully awake, moaned. "I didn't hear anything..."
Nonetheless, Soleil continued to drag her.
"Of course not. You were deep in sleep while I was wide awake, searching and waiting for my cue." Her pace quickened, to Sophie's dismay, and they would soon find themselves in the stables, where they passed by excited steed after steed before halting in front of a brown one. From there, as Sophie was still shaking her dizzy head, Soleil rushed to the wall, where she grabbed a suit of armor, threw it at her, then went straight for a lance. Having Sophie gear herself didn't take long thanks to the constant pressure of one's screaming, and the two were on Avel before anyone could investigate the ruckus. Since Sophie was at the reigns, Avel refused to stride out of his containment, obviously not set on obeying. All it took was Soleil's hand to his rump to have him release a furious call, then kick into a sprint out of the stable.
Avel's hooves thundered down the lawn, his calls disrupting the peace of the night. By the time any had risen to investigate, they would find the grounds empty, for the horse that had passed through was already gone, disappearing into the thicket beyond the walls of camp.