Contrary to what others would believe, Nina and Siegbert were not having such of a distressed time... unless suffering from a sore back was included on that list. They had been on Siegbert's horse all day long, riding along the main trail, which consisted of nothing more than a simple dirt path that ran through the density of a forest. The more hours they traveled, the more they began to notice foliage change before their very eyes. Leaves were brown and orange. As foreign as the sight was, it was baffling.
It didn't take away from the boredom of traveling along, wearing clothes they've never worn, walking through a place they've never walked. With Siegbert keeping on course, Nina chose to spend her time dangling both feet over one of the steed's sides, jotting down words in her notebook. Every once in a while, Siegbert looked back at her, but failed to begin any sort of conversation. He knew Nina, believe it or not. She wasn't one that liked to talk... at least to him, he was sure. The last time they spoke, she was very weird. He could best assume she didn't like him, but he could never figure out why.
But then, suddenly, a thought barged into his mind. An important one, at that.
"When we begin to draw near to Hoshidan territory, it is best you endeavor to thoroughly hide your books and pencils, lest it will be known that we're from Nohr. The Hoshidans, so I'm told, do not use books to record literature and spells. They use scrolls, long pieces of paper, that they roll up and store in capsules, and they write using brushes and ink."
After sticking the end of her pencil in her mouth, Nina looked up to the golden sky, then clamped her binding shut.
"Sounds like a w-weird bunch to me."
"Yes, they are very different..." he trailed off, eyeing the ground. "Sometimes I wonder if that's one of the reasons why we're at war."
Nina's frown dropped, and she fixed her eyes down the trail.
"You mean... because we're d-different?" she echoed, to which Siegbert replied with a curt nod. She shrugged. "I've been told were at war because King Garon k-killed, um, the old emperor of Hoshido... W-Whatever his name was."
"Yes, Emperor Sumeragi. As much as I hate having such a heritage, it was my grandfather that ordered an ambush on Emperor Sumeragi, even after they agreed to meet on peaceful terms. To make matters worse, he even kidnapped Sumeragi's second eldest son, who we all know is Uncle Corrin." His eyebrows raised, and he began to mindlessly fondle the reigns in his hands. "As terrible as such a thing was, I still want to believe in grandfather. I wonder why he did what he did... and I begin to believe that it was because he was scared of Hoshido. They're so different than us, and things that are different are what scare us the most. Grandfather didn't understand who these people were, nor what they would eventually plan to do. Friend or foe? It's best to be safe than sorry."
His passenger nodded stiffly.
"Um... G-Good insight. Never thought about it that way myself." She cocked her head to the side. "Then again, I never really thought m-much, um, of it to begin with. Father just told me to join the army, so here I am... It was only because he, um, wanted to make sure I didn't go around causing trouble... or something like that..."
The steed's hooves continued to click along the path. The sky above them was gradually growing less golden and more dark, promising an unseeable night. Siegbert took notice with a glare, but quickly returned his attention to her. He anchored a brow and peeked over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of her thumbs wrestling over her lap.
"Pardon my asking, Nina, but I don't recall you being so fidgety. Is there a reason why you stammer as well?" Having his back turned to her, he wouldn't catch the flush that spread across her cheeks. Her eyes, olive green, widened, and she forced her face away from him, flustered.
"W-Well... Come on, stop being this way. You know why."
"For the last time Nina. No, I don't."
"Gah! Do I have to spell it out for you? You're a boy."
"Quite so. And?"
"I can't talk to you boys!"
"Disregarding your stammering, you were talking to me just fine a moment ago. Besides, I've seen you get along quite well with others such as Shigure and Percy. I don't believe you."
She released a huff.
"They're different," she replied curtly. "P-Percy's like a little brother to me, for starters, so he doesn't count."
"And Shigure?"
"It's complicated. Don't ask."
Siegbert blinked, then gave the horse a short motion to hasten. As their speed increased slightly, he cleared his throat.
"Very well," he replied modestly. "If if makes you more comfortable, simply think of me as one of your... Hm, let's see, what do you call it... erm... girlfriends. Perhaps even as a girl should it be needed. I'm willing to lay down my pride if it means we can have a smooth journey."
From behind sounded a rather exasperated gasp.
"Siegbert! That would make it even worse!"
In the end, though, they somehow ended up having a good laugh about it.
The two camped where Corrin had ordered: a specially marked place on the map, a place which sat at the bottom of a small bluff, plotted in the midst of a minor clearing. It was a decent place, secure since it had one of their six protected. After a brief session of setting up tents, Siegbert lit a lantern for the upcoming night. Constructing a fire would be foolish, he decided, since it would be best not to attract local Kitsune to their location.
Nina was the last to finish her tent, and when she was done, she stood tall with a sigh of relief, giving her shoulder a quick scratch as she went to retrieve a yumi from the unloaded cargo beside the bluff. While collecting a few arrows to load her quiver, she lifted her head, noticing his staring. She quit almost immediately, noticing the questions that bubbled in his stern, but noble, gaze.
"We can save rations by hunting s-something tonight," she suggested. "You never know when we may, uh, need quick food in an emergency down the line. Y-Yeah."
"I would completely agree with you if we had not been ordered to camp in Kitsune territory. You must keep in mind that the mindset of a Kitsune, like Wolfskin, is very similar to that of an animal's. Food is of utmost importance, and any who trespass on their hunting grounds to poach are seldom received well. Any chances of us passing through without any issues, therefore, would no longer be a possibility."
"You seem like the diplomatic t-type, though. You can just talk to them about it, c-can't you?"
With a heavy sigh, he shook his head, then proceeded to approach one of the many boxes. He eased one in particular open, violated its insides, then returned with a pair of two simple loaves of bread, one of which he offered to her.
"Please, if you will listen to me only once, I would like that time to be now. The moment we are out of Kitsune territory, we will be hunting the majority of our meals."
Nina shrugged, relieving her weapon.
"Whatever you s-say," she murmured while taking the loaf from his palm and promptly biting out of it. "You're the one who hangs out with Velouria most of the time a-anyways... So if anyone should know more about the Kitsune, it sh-should be you."
They ate their dinner silently, listening to the crickets chirp as the moon finally showed its pale face. Neither would take long to admire the beauty of nature. Nina dazed off into a daydream before long, laying on her side in front of the lantern, and Siegbert had engrossed himself in study of the map, memorizing the trail Corrin had drawn upon it. They had a ways to go, he noticed, and there would be quite a bit of security they would have to infiltrate. When they arrived, Fort Jinya and The Great Wall of Suzanoh would be nothing to laugh at. Nonetheless, he felt comforted by the idea of having Nina, a wise guru of spying and thievery, at his side. It was his horse that he was the most thoughtful of. He would be impossible to bring past The Great Wall of Suzanoh undetected. At some point or another, he decided with dismay, he would have to leave him behind, perhaps along the path of Corrin's army so that they can pick him up should they pass.
It was obvious from the start: theirs was to be a difficult journey.
"Nina?" His head rose, noticing the dullness of her eyes. Yup, she was off in her own little world. Lucky for him, she snapped out of it quickly, looking at him strangely. "Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this? After reviewing the map, I have to express my worries... But so long as you are willing to press on, I will follow."
Her shoulders raised.
"I don't see, um... I don't see why not," she answered simply, bringing herself up to sit. "Funny that you're still going to follow me anyways. What's your m-motivation?"
"I want to make my father proud," Siegbert quickly replied. "I've always felt beneath him. As humble as he is, he is likewise strict. Call me a fool, but this feeling of inferiority has left me disappointed in myself for a very long time. To return to him after traveling to the capital and back, all with a girl I was meant to retain... It would surely ripen me for his approval. I know I'm selfish, but selfishness is something I must deal with later." he raised a brow. "And you? Do you have any motivation?"
Nina's eyes rolled around, searching for, or perhaps hiding, an answer.
"Not sure." Her head shook. "And the thing about you and y-your father..." she chuckled. "I sure wish I could l-look up to mine that much."
"Oh? But you already do," he corrected. Immediately after, he watched her color.
"W-What?"
"It's quite obvious that you do admire Mister Niles. After all, you take after him very well, whether it be a prowess with bows or a knack for walking beneath everyone's attention." He smiled. "I'll bet you came out here for the same reason as I: to receive the praise of a proud father."
"D-Don't kid yourself. That man disgusts me."
"Said like a true lover."
They dug deeper into conversation, peeling each other's layers back easily. There were certain things, of course, that they wouldn't admit to each other, much less even bring up. The two hadn't grown nearly as close as they seemed to be, based off their chatting. Even so, they enjoyed themselves, and managed to engage in a game of chess. Having two fairly inexperienced players, the game wasn't anything serious. More than anything, they laughed at one another's moves and made up for any mistakes the other made. It was over quicker than the average game.
They began picking up soon, stuffing the board and pieces back in a crate they had pulled it out of. It was then, to their dismay, they heard a distant rustling in the thicket just a little ways away from their camp. Alert, they looked up, scanning the area in which the sound had roused. After a while, Nina finally gave in to her curiosity and allowed her lips to utter a whisper.
"What w-was that?" she inquired, evidently assuming Siegbert had an answer. His face didn't live up to her expectations.
"I don't know," he replied. "If we're lucky, it was nothing more than an animal that doesn't deserve our concern. Since we're in the land of a clan, however, I wouldn't like to assume anything."
The rustling grew louder suddenly. It was the rhythmic sound of footsteps. Three, no, four pairs of feet parading through the thicket, brushing against the brush and foliage. Leaves gave way to a shout, as if to warn them. Before long, Siegbert began to understand their tongue, and the hairs on the back of his neck rose. Likewise, Nina drew closer to him, keeping watch of the other half of his surroundings.
"Doesn't sound like an animal to me," she grumbled. "More like footsteps."
"Yes, I agree." Siegbert nodded. "That is not a good sign, and there is no use in hiding. If it is the Kitsune, they can smell us. We have no choice but to settle an encounter verbally. Hide your weapons beneath something. They may take our presence as hostile if they see anything they think will pose a threat."
"Right."
As she went to work, which had her yanking the yumi and arrows out of her tent, he continued to scan the perimeter of their clearing, and slowly began to back up, nearing the bluff. His hands began to tremble.
"Velouria told me once that Kitsune aren't as forgiving in the summer. Our timing is ill."
Nina's head peeked out from her tent, her arms carrying a bundle of arrows.
"If you knew that, why're we here?" she inquired stiffly.
"Uncle Corrin ordered it of us. He has always occurred to me as a wise man, so I imagined he knew what he was doing in planning. Perhaps this area in particular has been abandoned by the clan?" When the sound grew more furious, he began to doubt his own wonderings. While stiffening, he beckoned Nina near, where he protectively took a stance before her. His hard eyes fixed themselves forward, focusing on a rustling bush that made him feel uneasy. He dared to allow his lips to part.
"Please, come out. If you wish to talk, I am more than willing to talk. We're simply merchants that are passing through the area. Should you have an issue with such, we are more than willing to take our leave from your territory and travel around it. It will take us longer to reach our destination, yes, but it will most definitely prevent any unnecessary bloodshed. Please, let us be civilized."
The rustling stopped. Where there should have been peace from the absence of what frightened them, the silence put them more on the edge than ever before. The two blinked, bracing themselves for some sort of impact, perhaps a monstrous fox that would zip across their vision and sink its teeth into their skin before they would even have a chance to react. The more time that passed, the more the tension grew...
Until a head popped out of the bushes, close enough to have its face in the glow of the lantern. Both knew the face well. Pink hair, broad shoulders, a distinct set of armor, a familiar pauldron, and, most of all, a very upbeat pair of eyes. She gave them a bright grin, then rushed out into the clearing.
"Future Lord Siegbert!" she called to them, sliding up to the two all chipper-like as she replaced her sword in its sheath. "It's great to see you're okay!" She reached out and pat Nina on the head like a dog. "So where's the problem? Already got rid of it? If you did, you really gave me a heart attack for nothing. I don't appreciate it."
As the girl continued to chatter on, Siebert grew visibly flustered judging by the deep blush that spread across his cheeks. Furious, he looked her in the eye, frowning and furrowing his brows.
"Soleil," he growled. "What are you doing out here? Don't you know that there are only supposed to be two on this mission? Even one more can have us run the risk of being captured."
At that moment, when he finished grumbling at her, Sophie, tugging Avel by his reigns, departed from the thicket as well, looking awkwardly around. Her eyes met the trio standing beside the bluff, then heaved a tired sigh. Soleil, on the other hand, tried to maintain her trademark grin, shrugging in doing so.
"What? Don't get mad at me. You two are the ones who sent a firecracker up in the air."
"A what?" Siegbert scoffed. "A distress firework? We haven't even opened the crate! Where on earth did you get the idea that we gave off a signal?"
Soleil colored, and only then did she allow her smile to drop.
"I heard it."
"Did you see it?"
"N-No, but I still heard it. You don't have to see the wind to know it's there, so it's kinda the same here, miright?" She became uncomfortable all of a sudden and tried to back away. Nina seized that moment to report to her side, giving one of her strong shoulders a thorough pair of pats.
"Good call, Soleil," she mocked, to which Soleil squirmed out of her reach and gave way to a holler.
"H-Hold on, now! I swear I heard something! It woke me up and made the ground shake!"
Before anybody could say anything, Sophie's words immediately pounced on her, knocking her onto the dirty ground.
"Woke you up?" she echoed, exasperated. "You told me you were awake the whole time! I don't believe you, forcing me awake and dragging us all the way out here just because you had a dream! Father's going to kill me for leaving the castle grounds at this time of night!"
Defeated, Soleil paused, standing awkwardly in the midst of the triangle. She'd try to gaze back at her starers, but she found it impossible to do with only two eyes, so she settled on only staring at Siegbert, whose face had grown strict and demanding. When they spent a good while exchanging glances, he finally crossed his arms and cleared his throat.
"We're fine, Soleil. Thank you for worrying for us," he grumbled, toned down. "Go back home before someone notices you and Sophie are gone. Nina and I will be just fine. Rest assured."
The girl sighed then, scratching an itch behind her neck.
"Aw, shucks..." she mused. "Just worrying for you isn't the half of it. I'm terrified for you two, know? This whole journey seems like a bit too much for just two people."
"No, Soleil, I will not allow you to come with us."
She laughed nervously.
"You know my language well, Future Lord Siegbert..." Her body slid closer to him, her eyes unwavering. "Come on. Pleeease? Imagine how much help I could be, saving the two of you should something happen. An ambush is all it takes to have you two in a bad spot. Wouldn't it be better if you had an extra sword there to help you?"
"I'm sure that your presence would be appreciated by the both of us..." Siegbert shook his head. "But like I said. No. You are not coming. Yes, you would be helpful should we have to resort to self-defense, but we carry only so many rations with us; another mouth to feed is not something we need."
Soleil shrugged.
"Easy. You don't have to feed me. Know how long I've gone without eating? Back in the Deeprealms, the fellas in my band dared me to go two weeks without even a single grain of rice. You know what I did? I knocked their socks off!"
Regardless of such a bold claim, Siegbert didn't budge.
"No," he repeated.
"Come on."
"I said no."
"Please?"
"No."
"But I'm-"
"No."
She finally learned to stop, but at a price. When silence roused between the two, it gave room for the four to hear a distant rustling in the thicket once again. It grew louder, and seemed to hold quite a quantity. The footsteps were light, noticeable even so, and the crickets halted their singing as if to foreshadow danger. Even though there was an evident sense of fear on the faces of both Soleil and Sophie, Siegbert and Nina appeared to be less amused by the sound. The latter rolled her eyes.
"Who else did you bring with you? The whole army?" she grumbled, shooting Soleil a not-so-friendly glare. When Soleil didn't respond, Sophie took the initiative.
"We were the only ones who left... unless some of the others followed, there shouldn't be anyone else coming." At her side, Avel began to grow restless, and his brays grew worried. When he began to thrash, Sophie struggled to keep him in place. That alone was a sign that set the others on edge once again. With all four suddenly tense, the air about them became thick, almost tangible. With a growl, Nina began to back away, nearing the place where she had hidden her yumi.
"Sounds like all your ruckus lured the patrols toward us, Soleil," she muttered. "Nice job."
Likewise, the others began to back away from the thicket, nearing the sanctuary of the bluff.
"Th-Thanks a bunch. It's good to see my efforts are noticed and appreciated."
Avel gave way to a shout as a head peeked through the bushes, and it wasn't the head of a human as they had hoped. Its face was narrow and slim, lengthened by a slender snout. It revealed pointy ears as it stalked further into the clearing, baring an impressive array of sharp teeth. Its back hunched as it set paw after paw forward. To the audience's dismay, many others emerged from the thicket, growling at them.
Sophie, clinging to her lance as she shivered, clamped her teeth shut.
"O-Oh dear..." she whispered, backing up further. Rest would be assured, however, when Siegbert, unarmed, decided to take a step closer, holding up his hands to display their emptiness.
"Good evening," he greeted timidly. "We're merchants simply passing through."
The foxes exchanged glances before the leader, the biggest one with more than one tail, growled at him.
"You've trespassed onto our territory," it told him.
"Yes, we have, and I apologize if that upsets you. If you want us to leave, I promise that we will gather our things and depart immediately, and never will we set foot beyond your borders again."
The lead took a whiff of him.
"Your professionalism is quite high. Not anything I would expect from a mere merchant."
"Diplomacy is not something to go without in a job such as mercantilism. Without a professional air about myself, I will lose credibility and not sell as well."
"I see. I want to trust you, merchant, but I cannot find it within myself to trust you. I feel I am being lied to."
Siebert paused, his eyes widening, and he struggled to maintain his composure.
"I would only lie to protect someone," he replied. "And, quite obviously, I have nobody to worry about besides my fellow peers behind me. All I want is to pass, or at least leave, without any issues. Bloodshed would not be necessary."
The Kitsune drew frighteningly close, but had yet to attack, which was why Siegbert did not dare budge, fearing he may upset his visitor. The beast's pointy nose ran over his clothes, raising its tail cautiously, and took in a series of hefty sniffs. The fifth one ended with a growl, and, once again, his back arched angrily.
"You are deceitful," it hissed. "You dress in garb of Hoshido and claim you are a merchant, but you reek of Nohr. I know the Nohrian scent especially well, for it is Nohrians that are the ones who hunt for our fur the most."
Before Siegbert could even reply, he released a shout. The fox lunged at him, then buried its teeth in his calf, clamping down tightly and drawing blood. Not even a second later, to the audience's dismay, the rest of the pack joined in on the attack, yanked him down, then dog-piled on top of him until he was completely smothered. The rest didn't leave much time to hesitate. Soleil had yanked out her blade from her hip, and, with a shout, rushed toward the pile. While Sophie did likewise, Nina began working to ready her yumi and arrows. After joining in on the fight, she would begin shooting at point-blank range.
With some doing, the lump on top of Siegbert lessened, revealing his struggle as he shouted. While hacking away at beasts that made attempts to bite at her, Soleil reached into the pit, hoping to drag out the prisoner. She didn't manage, but was able to get enough of him out of the way of an oncoming set of teeth. Though covered in open wounds from head to toe, Siegbert balled up his fist and delivered a punch to a wet nose, evoking a whine. One after one fell off of him, each laying on the ground with a nasty gash in their sides from either a lance or a sword. The one that was the most stubborn to bring down, the leader, backed off when it realized it was alone, and it bore its fangs viciously. It ran away then, disappearing in the bushes.
Even though it seemed like a moment worthy of celebration, Siegbert, laying wounded on the ground, lifted his head and worriedly called out:
"Don't let him get away! He's going to get the rest of the clan!"
Nina took his words like an order; with her quiver full, she rushed after the fox into the brush, disappearing in a matter of seconds. Left behind, Soleil gave Siegbert a brief glance. He had been heavily wounded, bathing in a pool of blood, and looked terribly in pain. She gave Sophie a glance, who nodded to her.
"Make sure Nina doesn't get hurt. I'll do what I can to stop the bleeding," she announced. As if she had been waiting for the command, Soleil, after wicking the crimson from her blade, rushed into the thicket as well.
Running through the woods was not a forte of Soleil's. She was more used to navigating the intricate labyrinth of villages, chasing ruffians and criminals alike... not getting her face slapped by tree limb after tree limb. Even so, a real trooper, she pushed on, rustling through the foliage and stopping at nothing besides the thick trunks of trees, which she would work her way around. Thankfully, she had learned her lesson. Calling out to find Nina would be foolish, especially when there was a chance that another patrol may have been roaming the vicinity. She had no choice but to try her luck and zip her mouth shut, hoping she would stumble upon the girl by sheer accident.
Lucky for her, a few minutes into her running had her pause to catch her breath. Nina was quick on her feet, she knew, so it was possible she was falling far behind. Even so, a small break was appealing, and she was more than happy to oblige. To her horror, however, during her stand still, she felt something wrap around her ankle. With the fear of snakes whispering from the dark corners of her mind, she stumbled back in a hurry, only to catch a pair of green eyes. They glowed beneath the moonlight, which peeked through the canopy lingering over their heads. Soleil knew those eyes well and noticed how they beckoned her closer, inviting her to squat in the refuge of a rather thick fern. Not one to argue in such a situation, she willingly complied and sunk to her knees.
Upon arriving at her side, Nina motioned to her with a curt nod, directing her gaze to a space adjacent to their position. With floating wisps gathered around it, the leader Kitsune stood alone in the midst of the woods, thinking it was alone. There, he began to lick his wounds, minor, but deep enough to fret over. It was an ideal opportunity for one who faired well with a bow. Soleil wasn't that person, but her neighbor was. She did not idle a moment longer before she reached into her quiver to silently withdraw a final arrow. Even the sound of one brushing against another, she feared, may frighten their prey away.
The butt of the arrow was loaded, and, with a calm and steady hand, drawn back. Watchful eyes studied the landscape, aiming for exact precision. Even though there was quite an air of confidence rising from the bow, Soleil couldn't help but set her hand on the hilt of her sword. Her worries were for naught, for the arrow left the string with only a soft whisper, and it whipped across the foliage at a sickening speed. Its tip, sharp and shiny, lodged itself into the side of the beast's neck. It released a yelp before falling on the grassy ground, defeated.
Impressed (perhaps even a smidgen jealous) Soleil clapped her hands in the wake of the monster's death.
"Nice shot," she commented before standing to her feet. Nina followed, brushing a braid off her shoulder in the meantime.
"I try."
Siegbert, despite their victory, wasn't in the greatest of moods, so they came to discover upon returning to the clearing at the foot of the bluff. He was covered in nasty gashes, which Sophie, who wasn't a doctor, struggled to tend to. The light material of his disguise seemed to have done nothing to protect him from sharp Kitsune teeth. An unfortunate boy such as himself racked up quite the mountain of pity, however. Even so, nobody stood around doing nothing. With Sophie at work, and Siegbert in no position to do anything, Soleil and Nina had begun to clear the area of passed Kitsune, which had them drag their bodies away from the clearing and respectfully laying them in the bushes. Even with them being the enemy, it was evident that both, like Siegbert, gave the beasts their sympathy.
"Man. I sure do feel bad about this... I mean, I know it was kill or be killed, but still... They were just trying to defend their colony because they felt it was in trouble. I wish this could've played out a bit differently."
"At least we've learned one thing from this," croaked Siegbert, struggling to maintain his composure. "We now know... not to go beyond the boundary of Kitsune territory. Uncle Corrin must have not been aware that they aren't friendly to outsiders."
Sophie pat him on a spot that was unscathed.
"Either way, you did good, Siebert. Your efforts haven't gone unappreciated. I don't think any of us girls could've done a better job at trying to negotiate, so rest easy knowing that."
With a humble chuckle, Siegbert shut his eyes, relieved.
"I'm flattered," he murmured softly. "Thank you. I'm sure Father would have done a much better job, though... All the more reason to continue working."
"Working?" Nina echoed, lifting her head from her work. "Not right now you're not. I don't care how good you feel, you're in no condition to keep on going. You're going to have to go straight back to camp whether you like it or not."
He released a groan.
"Oh please... Don't remind me... Father and mother are going to be so disappointed..."
"Pardon my tone, but you need to cut it out with all that yap, Future Lord Siegbert," Soleil piped heartily. "You defended us, putting yourself out in front so that the Kitsune wouldn't pay us as much mind. That was brave. A coward would've hid behind someone. I say you should go back home with your head held high. If your dad gets upset because you were injured while protecting someone... I'd estrange myself from him like Nina over here."
Nina shrugged.
"I-It's no big deal, living without your father. Really. Yeah."
Though discouraged, Siegbert had no choice but to agree with a nod. His soft eyes, clouded by misery, gazed up at the sky hiding behind the canopy.
"I understand... But I worry now. Uncle Corrin expressed how dire the situation was, and how urgently he needed the information we were sent to retrieve. And if I can't go on to accompany Nina..." He set a palm over his forehead, hissing, "Gah, what am I to do..."
"It's pretty obvious," Soleil quickly answered. "Just send me. Lord Corrin told me the same thing: we can't afford to waste anymore time since the Hoshidans are getting so close to the main camp. If we waste even a day getting you back and picking someone else to send with Nina, we're toast. Let me and Nina keep on, and Flower here can take you and your horse back home."
Sophie, once again, had her face turn sour. Siegbert's was similar, but it differentiated slightly, holding a bit more concern in his eyes.
"Soleil..." he trailed off. "I don't know if that's such a good idea... I was chosen because the army voted against sending you with her... They didn't think your strength, due to femininity, was competent enough for the mission."
"Honest to the gods! I can protect her!"
"Why am I being spoken about like I'm some sort of helpless damsel?"
"Do you know why they voted against me? It's because they don't want me going off alone with a girl because of my 'problems' Lord Corrin and I've been trying to sort out."
Siegbert grunted.
"Yes, Soleil. Thank you for reminding me. That's all the more reason why you shouldn't go alone with her."
"You obviously don't know about this thing Nina and I have going on here. Watch." She approached Nina suddenly, enlarging herself by spacing out her broad shoulders. Having noticed the strange leer she received from her, Nina instinctively began backing away, frowning awkwardly.
"H-Hey... What're you-"
"Hold still." And with one of her calloused palms, Soleil snatched her shoulder and pulled her uncomfortably close. The other, naturally, went up to her delicate cheeks, where she gently ran her thumb over the smoothness of her skin and cradled her jaw. She flashed her a charming grin, displaying a set of pearly teeth. "Heh. You sure are cute when you're surprised..."
Her nose would reunite with its long lost friend: the fist.
"Lay off!" Nina hissed, sending Soleil stumbling back, a hand nursing her wound. With tears trailing down her cheeks, she looked to Siegbert, her baffled audience, and gave him a forced grin. It was a grin far less charming than the one she had presented to her attacker.
"See?" She wiped away a river. "Not a single girl has ever done that to me, not even dear Flower over there. If anyone's going to help me with my problems, it'll be Nina. Leave us alone for a while and not only will she be safe, I'll be normal in no time!"
Silence followed. The show was quite the show, they had to admit, but, according to Siegbert's expression, it still wasn't enough to convince him. His expression remained just as still and cold as before, glaring at the girl with prejudice. A simple roll of the eyes would have been enough of an answer.
"That's wonderful, Soleil, but not enough of a reason to go."
"Well listen here." Her frown dropped. Something serious was about to go down. "We don't have a choice at the moment. With the entire army on the line, we don't have the room to be picky. Anymore time spent dilly-dallying will only lead us closer to something really, really bad. I don't want that, Nina doesn't want that..." She looked at him, filled to the brim with blame. "And I know for certain you don't want that."
Regardless of Soleil's words, Siegbert's stance refused to budge, so Sophie, sitting off to the side as she continued to wrap his wounds, cleared her throat.
"I don't understand why we're not just letting Nina decide. She's the one who truly matters on this mission, right? I think it's important that she's around someone that makes her comfortable, that way she can focus on her work. Right? Someone tell me I'm right..."
"I totally agree!" Of course Soleil was the one to say such a thing. In the meantime, still clinging to her nose, she turned to Nina, high expectations in her eyes. It was quite the responsibility to shoulder, so Nina felt obligated not to disappoint her. She shrugged briefly, shaking her head.
"I don't have a problem with her replacing you, Siegbert. We've done just fine on the battlefield together, so I don't see why we can't travel together."
"You said it, Nina!" She zipped up to the girl, patting her shoulder quickly. "Reminds me of those good ol' times, standing back to back, fighting off falcon knight after falcon knight. It almost looked like it was lights out for you once, but I rushed in and whacked the fiend away before they could lay a finger on you. Oh! You thanked me, Soleil, your savior, and you vowed that you would always-"
"I'm the one who saved you from the falcon knight, Soleil," Nina grumbled. "Your shield was wearing out, so I went ahead and shot the one going for you. Didn't stand a chance, that poor soldier..."
Silence followed, leaving Soleil to blush furiously before her audience, and her eyes, flustered, darted over to Siegbert. He sighed, his brows raising worriedly.
"It doesn't look like we have a choice..." he murmured pitifully. "It's dire that we retrieve the information, regardless of how we do it." he eyed Soleil strictly. "I'll let you go, but don't expect a happy welcome from everyone else when you return to camp. Uncle Corrin may not approve of this decision, but remember that I am going to continue to remind him that you insisted on going. I won't take any responsibility for you or Nina. Are you certain you can shoulder this responsibility?"
The girl pounced forward, squatting beside him.
"You know it!" she answered, chipper as a lark. "I promise you won't regret this; you can count on me, I swear it. I'll be dead before Nina even gets a nick on that pretty skin of hers."
A boot kicked her not even a second after the claim. Having lost her balance, Soleil released a yelp before landing on Siegbert's body, burying her face in his stomach. It went without saying that a cry erupted from the boy, and it echoed down the many isles of trees in the darkness of the forest.