Nina and Soleil, though they initially hadn't realized it, were, in fact, walking on a journey of education. They had learned so many things in such a short time. Thus far, they've learned how to conserve water, how to pace themselves, set mental alarm clocks, and, best of all, not to wave to Hoshidans. Hoshidans didn't like it when people waved at them.
Especially when one was pretending to be one.
Fleeing from an angry merchant wasn't a challenge for the two of them, luckily, seeing that all they had to do was escape back into the thick forest. Thanks to the density of the trees, who grew no more than a few inches away from each other, they would not be pursued by a horse-driven cart. Nina, quite a ways ahead of Soleil, eventually drew to a halt a few minutes into sprinting through the woods, hunching over to catch her breath. A minute or so later, her companion at last caught up to her, her feet tiredly pounding against the ground.
"They can't run in these darn things either," she growled upon arriving, slipping off the thongs from her feet. "I don't care anymore. I'd rather walk barefoot."
Nina eyed her.
"Mushrooms'll grow under your toenails if you walk around barefoot," she replied jokingly, gasping for breath.
"But they won't when I'm wearing these open-toed things?"
They both paused, their silence filled by labored breath.
"Good point," the other chose to reply, and they decided to share a good laugh about it, soaking in their victory of escaping certain death at the hands of a fiendish merchant.
Since, the two decided not to take the main farm road and instead trekked nearby through the forest. In the meantime, while Soleil was on the look out for anything worthy of their concern, Nina maintained an eye on the compass and led the way according to the needle spinning about. The tiring process made frustration tempting. Nothing had yet to set the two off on a truly heated argument, but that was only thus far. If they neglected to obey common sense, which demanded that they get along, they could easily break out into a hissy cat fight. The blisters being rubbed against their feet were growing miserable. Their legs ached. The packs on their backs, especially Soleil's heavier load, began to take a toll on their shoulders, now stiffening.
One could only imagine the miracle which was sundown, when the two finally began to see the forest dissipate. It was a place where trees became less and less, leaves no longer made a bedding on the ground, and the sounds of wildlife dulled into distant cries. Soleil, at last, could let her guard down and eventually skip up to Nina's side.
"It looks like we're getting closer to the city," she observed. In response, Nina gave her a curt nod, then at last relieved her compass and looked up for the first time in hours. A crick in her neck made her pause, hissing and yipping like a dog. Soleil, for only a moment, decided that laughing at her was the most appropriate response. She would be in for a nasty glare soon enough, however. Once she finally got over the crick, Nina growled.
"Finally," she said. "All this walking's making me cranky. We need to hurry up and get to the city before I start getting mad."
"Ooh. Hell hath no fury." They picked up their pace again, and that was when Soleil offered out her hand. "In that case, you want me to take your stuff?"
One would suppose that Nina would take pity on the girl, who was far more loaded down than she. On her back she lugged things like iron skillets and lanterns, a full canteen and fire starters, lofty meats and weapons. All in the meantime, Nina carried things like... Well, it didn't matter. Whatever it was she carried, it weighed less than even half of Soleil's load... But she remembered well: Soleil was a frenemy. A rival, in a sense. There was no need to feel sorry for her.
Thus, the girl was more than happy to take off her pack, all with a smirk as she handed it over.
"Since you offered," she replied, setting it in her neighbors hands.
The two continued on, one loaded like a mule, the other free to wave her hands wherever she pleased.
Across the land, however, over plains, fields, rivers, and woods alike, all wasn't quite as well. The sun begun to set over the Nohrian camp, but a pleasant mood did not float about in the air. The war council was meeting again, but under no good terms.
The worst vibe came from a corner, where Niles stood hidden in the shadows, arms crossed, eye glaring coldly at the ground.
"I knew I shouldn't have let her go," he grumbled deeply, tapping his finger on one of his arms. In the center of the gathering, Corrin looked away, noticeably flustered in the deepest parts of his eyes. He cleared his throat nonetheless.
"This wasn't something we were counting on at all," he mentioned deeply. "But even so, you have my apologies."
"If I really do, you'll express it by calling the mission off. Now."
"I would if it were that simple," Corrin replied quickly, defending himself. He went to work by pinning the great map, once on a table, to a board, standing before it like a teacher. His finger started at the Kitsune Hamlet, then circled about the territory uneasily. "Neither Siegbert nor Sophie know whether Soleil and Nina decided to travel west or east. All we know is that they have decided to work their way around Kitsune territory. It doesn't matter how fast we go; an army is always going to move slower than a party of two. By now, chances are they've gotten farther than we could get in two weeks of nonstop travel. And with the Hoshidans breathing down our necks... we're bound to get slowed at some point or another. We'll never catch up, even if we follow them in the right direction."
A grim silence settled amongst the group, that is before one, a hulking man in black armor, raised his head.
"Why don't we send out some fliers to go find them?" he inquired, to which Corrin's gaze sank.
"I've already considered that," he answered grimly. "And I came to a conclusion: sending out any units more would prove catastrophic to the rest of the army should we be discovered and attacked. Having two separate parties about the enemy's side of the continent would be too much to keep up with as well. Information and commands don't travel quickly enough."
He hadn't noticed that Niles had departed from the shadows as he spoke, but he would quickly come to see his presence when he finally slipped into the blanket of golden light. The men stared at one another. The taller of the two appeared livid. To the audience's shock, perhaps horror, Niles grabbed Corrin by the collar of his uniform, yanking him closer to his face. From there, Corrin would see his single eye, where his pupils had shrunk. Corrin's retainers shed their weapons, but held back their attacks, waiting until the man spoke.
"That's my daughter out there, dammit," he hissed, then gave his captive a quick shake. "That's my daughter! What're you saying we do, wait around and just hope she and Laslow's kid don't get caught? I want you to look me in the eye when I say this. Are you looking?" His face slithered closer to Corrin's. "If those Hoshidan soldiers get their filthy hands on them, it'll be a blessing if they kill them immediately. It doesn't matter how high they claim their morals are! We're are no different than animals to Hoshidans!"
Corrin, breathing unsteadily, ran the tip of his tongue over his lips.
"I completely understand why you're worried, but I think you're underestimating Nina," he whispered.
"Oh really? How so?"
"For starters, you still think she's a little girl. I'm not judging you as a father, but I don't believe it's a coincidence that it was you who visited your child the least out of the army. Of course she would still seem young and inexperienced to you. You've barely seen much of her. You never saw her first steps or her first words. Look at Laslow, for pete's sake! Of course he's worried for his own daughter, but he has confidence in her! I think that has something to do with the fact that he watched Soleil grow up; he devoted all of his free time to visit the Deeprealms, where he'd see her getting older each time. He knows his daughter better than anyone, so he knows what she's capable of. But you? What do you know Nina can and can't do? As far as I'm aware, you've never bothered to find out."
The statement left the room speechless, turning away in secondhand embarrassment. None could deny that they saw the flush that spread across Niles' tan cheeks, nor the way his grip on Corrin tightened. Not a soul tried to stop him when he picked the other up, then proceeded to carry him out of the entrance. In fact, they were more than willing to yield a way through the crowd, forming an isle as though he were a sort of royalty. Outside of the tent, Niles paused, soaking in the night with a cringe.
"I know, milord. I know what I've done. I was wrong. I was so wrong..." He finally gave into the urge he had been fighting by delivering a slap to Corrin's cheek. "But you didn't have to go and say that in front of the entire army, dammit! I've come to terms with my mistakes and have since been trying to mend the gap that's been between my daughter and me. It's harder than it looks, and you know that. I know that Nina is a very capable young woman, and I believe that with all my heart..." Corrin couldn't believe his ears when he heard a sniffle rouse from the man, and his eyes widened. "But even so, over all of that knowledge, I didn't want her going anywhere, not until I've made everything up to her. She's so precious; she didn't deserve to be neglected the way I neglected her. I know what it's like growing up without a mother or a father. It makes people bitter. They don't like anyone. They don't want to be around anyone. They don't trust anyone. I've already seen that in her. No matter how many times I try to remind her that I love her, she doesn't listen to me. Who can blame her? Would you believe someone that abandoned you when you were young? Milord, you have to understand: I'm the reason why she hates me, and a child should never have to hate their father. I can't rest until she knows I love her with all my heart. If something happens to her out there... something that takes her away from me before she knows that... I can never forgive myself. Just to think... to think of my Nina, hurting, believing she was never loved by her mother or father..."
He released Corrin before sinking to his knees, burying his face in his hands.
Nina and Soleil weren't quite as sad, and for good reason. After what felt like forever, a distant light came into view, lighting the darkening sky. Their eyes perked the moment they took notice of it and, as though it was a sort of treasure, their pace quickened so they could receive it sooner. It took close to half an hour for them to finally arrive, but seldom did a complaint rouse from either of them, even with the blisters being rubbed against their pitiful feet. Had Soleil not been so weighed down, they probably would've arrived faster.
To meet them would be the walls which guarded the Kingdom of Izumo, decorated by torches lighting the exterior and toured by guards. Not a soul, Nina observed, could scale the walls and breech the kingdom without being caught. If this was just Izumo, a nation that was considered poor in comparison to the economic giant Hoshido, the capital of Hoshido was undoubtably going to be worse. She would have to consider their method of entrance while they traveled, she considered. Until then, they went ahead and began working their way around the wall, searching for the front gate. Their wandering would deliver them to the exact opposite side of where they had started, where they met a pair of guards armed with naginatas.
They quickly retracted, retreating back to the sanctuary which was the curved corner of the wall. They turned to face one another, eyes widening, and began pitting words back and forth.
"Alright, there's guards at the door."
"Good eye, Soleil."
"What're we going to do?"
"Go up and talk to them of course. I'm sure they won't mind letting in a pair of merchants."
"Then why did you stop like there was something wrong?"
Nina stopped, briefly conducting a scan around them before turning back to her. She frowned, leaning in closer, and proceeded to retrieve her load from Soleil's back.
"I don't know. I'm just like that," she replied hesitantly. "We need to be careful, that's all. Let's review what we should and shouldn't do. Wave?"
"No."
"Curtsy?"
"Nope."
"Shoes inside?"
"Nah-ah."
"Nohrian accent?"
"Nah."
"Bread instead of rice?"
"Never."
"Do we read books?"
"Not once."
"Foot thongs?"
"N-" Soleil paused suddenly, holding her tongue with both bottom and top sets of teeth. Her eyes widened, and a grin spread across her lips, displaying white pearls. "Heh. Nice one. You almost got me there."
Cool and confident, the duo approached the guards at last, natural as a bird on its branch. They seemed relaxed, even though their hands quivered behind their backs, and they looked the guards in the eye. The guards said nothing, so they chose to take the initiative to introduce themselves with a bow.
"Good evening, good sirs," Soleil announced.
"Welcome to the Kingdom of Izumo. For what affairs have you come to our gates?"
"We're merchants from Hoshido and would like to take part in commerce for a day or so. By the end of next month, we plan on making it back to the capital with all of our goods sold. Are we allowed to come inside?"
The guards exchanged glances, their faces stiffening.
"It's quite obvious that you're merchants, so there's no need to tell us. Don't you know? All you have to do is show us your certification and we'd be more than happy to grant you entrance."
The two girls stilled, and they turned around, staring at one another with terror.
"M-Merchant certification?" Nina echoed, whitening.
"It's wartime between two of the continent's greatest countries, so Archduke Izana has declared a law for our kingdom's safety: all foreigners must have thorough documentation before entering, and foreign merchants must present certification, regardless of nationality. Spies have infiltrated our land in past wars, many disguised as merchants and refugees."
Nina's eyes squinted, and she released a strange laugh.
"Ehe. Um. Yeah. That makes perfect sense. A place like Izumo is a great thing for resources. Any country would take this land by force if they were desperate enough, so I can see why you wouldn't want some grubby ol' spies getting in..." She whipped over to Soleil and quickly threw the subject over to her as though it were a hot potato. "I think the cards're with you, so can you get 'em out?"
Soleil blushed. Her eyes looked betrayed. Had they not been standing before a pair of guards, she probably would have given the girl a quick whack.
"R-Right. Yeah. I got 'em right here." She shed the heavy bag off of her tired shoulders, where it thumped against the ground behind her. Her hand violated its entrance, and it dug around furiously, looking and searching for something she knew wasn't there. Just a few seconds worth felt like several minutes. Like heck she knew how long would be considered natural, so she decided to go with thirty seconds before giving up. She lifted her head, scratching it awkwardly before releasing a nervous laugh. "Sounds like bad timing, but I think we left our cards back in Port Dia..."
The guards rolled their eyes.
"Then it should be a simple case," one said. "If you don't have your certification, we can't let you inside."
Nina turned to them, bewildered.
"W-Well... Come on, now, I'm sure you can make an exception for a poor pair of girls... Do we look like spies to you? I don't even know how to walk behind someone without getting their attention."
"Alright. What about the other one?"
Soleil lifted her head from her load.
"No way," she answered. "Couldn't sneak up on an old dog if I wanted."
Nonetheless, even when hope had kindled in both of their hearts, one of the guards shook his head stiffly.
"I'm sorry. The Archduke's orders are absolute, and we are obligated to uphold them."
There was one thing they weren't expecting: Nina, who slithered up to them, giving them a devious glance. The stare, in itself, suddenly had the men up their guard, and they stiffened, almost wanting to back away. The girl's hand retreated into one of her satchels. What they thought she would whip out would be a weapon, but instead it was nothing more than a little coin purse, into which she promptly began digging.
"You two look like a pair of hard-working gentlemen. Would you happen to have a wife and children?"
They exchanged glances awkwardly.
"Yes. A spouse and three children wait for me at home," answered one.
"My wife died a year ago, leaving me behind with four daughters."
Nina grinned.
"In that case..." She fished out a pair of gold coins, which she gingerly slipped into their hands. "You two seem like you can use a small bonus."
The guards, puzzled, held up their hands, studying the single gold coin that rest in its core. One lifted his and gave her a humble smile.
"Thank you for the donation, ma'am. That's mighty kind of you."
"Oh please, don't mention it," she fanned her hand out. "Seriously, don't. So how about letting us through now, hm?" A sweet smile spread across her lips, looking up into their eyes kindly... only for her expression to sink when they, once again, shook their heads.
"Like we said ma'am: Archduke's orders."
From behind, Soleil eyed away, almost as if she were trying to contain a snicker. Instead, she chose to control it by loading herself up again, groaning as she pulled her bags aboard. Squinting, Nina eased closer, heaving a sigh.
"Tough negotiators," she growled, sticking her hand back in her purse. When it returned, it returned with two additional gold coins, which she also slipped into their palms. After a brief while of staring at them, she finally began to tap her sore feet against the ground. "So? How about now?"
For the umpteenth time, the two turned to one another, sliding their new pieces of cash against each other in their palms. They were metal, so they clinked and clicked. It was a noise that was surely like music to any ear that happened to catch wind of it. Their eyebrows raised, as if communicating telepathically. At last, one drove his gaze away from the other, looked about their surroundings, and cleared his throat.
"I don't expect either of you to cause any trouble." And he turned to the side just a smidgen, making a gap just large enough for them to slip through. "Just don't tell anyone. You seem like you can keep a secret, am I mistaken?" The sight, almost immediately, had Nina chuckling in pleasure, more than happy to take the chasm between their lean frames. She pat one on the shoulder as she passed, then released a sigh.
"Pleasure doing business with you," she breathed, only to stop, then arrive at his side. From there, she brought herself to her tip toes to reach his ear. "By the way, you two look great together. Just sayin'." She was off, continuing further into the depths of the city which lay beyond.
Following, Soleil shook her head, giving the man a curt bow and a trademark grin.
"Don't listen to her."
Any sort of pain or exhaustion seemed to lift from them in a matter of seconds, for they soon dug deeper into the city, eventually reaching the main square. It was quite a marvel to behold, especially at night. The golden glow of commerce kept the pathway lit and warm, paying no mind to the darkness. The square circled around a great rock. Some shops had been carved into it, and the rest was built around, all looking toward it as though it were a god. Even with the hour growing late, many roamed the streets, conversing happily, exchanging, and laughing; any sort of negative aura wasn't welcome, which made it all the more comforting. The sight was enough to finally have the two relax, their shoulders unknotting despite their load, and they were more than happy to drink in the scent. The smell of a busy village smelled of many things, but together, it was of heaven and peace.
Soleil was the one who gushed over it the most.
"Ah... I can smell it, Nina... Tea! A fresh pot, warm and sweetened with dozens of sugar cubes..." One of her rough palms found itself on her chest. "And the girls here! Izumites are beautiful!" The other palm roughly grabbed Nina's arm, and she tugged her closer, pulling her close to her side. Apparently it was too close because Nina began struggling. "We've gotta try it all at least once for tonight. Izumite tea! When will we ever get the opportunity again?"
"Before we do anything, we need to find somewhere to stay the night," Nina grumbled upon freeing herself from her prison. "Surely there's a tavern somewhere around here. With a place as big as this in the middle of the continent, it's got to be a hotspot for travelers. Only an idiot wouldn't open an inn here."
"How about..." To her dismay, Soleil pulled her close again. "We go get some tea, then we find a tavern?"
"We don't have time for tea right now. Why not in the morning while we're getting some goods?"
"Because..." The other girl lifted her head, reached up, then flicked a lantern hovering above their heads for the heck of it. "We haven't gotten very much down time. You work too much, you know that? It's no wonder you're so uptight all the time."
Nina turned to her, eyes widening.
"Uptight?" she echoed. "Who're you calling uptight? I'm perfectly relaxed all the time. Haven't you seen me when we're fighting someone off? I never shiver or cower in the face of a foe. Heck, I'm always ready for them to come at me so I can just jump out of the way and hit with a good counter."
"Huh? Last time I saw you, you were shivering like you were naked in a snowstorm." Soleil flushed then, releasing a snicker. "Heh. An interesting picture, that one..."
"Soleil! You stop that right now! People feel violated when you talk like that, so you better keep your mouth sh-"
"Ladies, ladies!" called a voice in the distance. In an instant, the two halted their bickering, and were quick to turn around. Slowly, Soleil's arm slid off of Nina, liberating her, as they gazed at a man standing at a shed, working behind his counter. He was giving a cup a good cleaning when he returned their gaze, then flicked his head to the side as if to beckon them closer. "Why don't you two cut it out with the argument and have yourself a nice cup? Nothing beats bedtime with some tea, don't you think?"
Of course the idea appealed to Soleil, who quickly turned to her companion and gave her a grin.
"Come on, you have to say yes now, Nina. The guy offered."
"He's supposed to. It's how he attracts customers."
The man appeared to have heard them, for he quickly shook his head.
"You're a lucky pair. Every night, I give away a free cup to a lucky customer before I close up shop. Care for some? It's on the house."
Soleil was overflowing with joy by that point.
"Hey hey! Did you hear him? Come on!" And she made her way over to the stall, dragging Nina along with her whether she liked it or not. The only reason she didn't resist was one simple comment:
"Well... At least it's free."
That was how the two ended up sitting at a table, guarded from moonlight by a parasol, watching as pedestrians passed them by. In the midst of their conversations, which were shallow, they would let their eyes wander, taking in the city and its golden hue. It was a pleasant place, just as they had heard from several accounts.
Soleil's hands, many would notice, transformed when it came to teatime; what was once large, arguably boyish, and rough became elegant and gentle, even despite the callouses that bunched at the underbelly of her knuckles. Her sips, though, weren't quite as modest as her neighbor's. Nina was quite the skeptic, constantly stopping between drinks (if they even were drinks) to smell the stream of fog that rose from her cup and smacked her in the face. Nothing smelled, or tasted, out of the ordinary, she noted.
"I've never seen a girl drink as slowly as you do," commented her friend- no- frenemy from across the table. "It sure is cute."
"Nobody just gives away tea for free, no strings attached..." Nina muttered, taking another whiff. "He probably drugged this, and then he'll follow us until it sets in. Once we've finally passed out, he'll take all our stuff." She gasped, lifting her head then as she hunched her shoulders. When she slammed the cup back on its saucer, a bit of the tea sloshed out, landing on the top of her hand. Even though it wasn't the coolest of drink, she payed it no mind. "Or even worse...!" she exclaimed, reddening.
"Yeah right." Just in spite of her, Soleil took a huge gulp. "Like he'd do that in a place where there isn't a single clear street."
"It's possible."
"Not possible enough."
"Is too."
"Is not."
"Uh-huh."
"Nuh-uh."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
The two locked eyes, and when it went on long enough, Soleil gave her a devious grin, brought her cup to her lips, then took yet another large slurp. In response, Nina released a huff and leaned back in her chair.
"I don't believe you," she whispered bluntly.
"Sure you do." She took another, setting her elbows on the table. "So a tavern's our next place to find? Where do you think they'd build one?"
Clearly off their previous subject, Nina lifted her head to observe the stars hanging far above their heads. She shrugged then, utterly clueless.
"It's not like I've ever been here before," she answered.
"Let's just ask the tea man, then."
"Are you nuts?" Nina slammed her hands on the surface, shaking the cup and saucer that sat before her. Upon watching it almost tip over, Soleil raised a brow as her lips hovered over the brim of her own cup.
"Careful. If you keep on doing that, you're gonna-"
"You want us to ask him for directions for a place to stay? Then he'd know where to find us when the drugs kick in!"
She said it too loud. With a smile, the man looked up from cleaning off the counter with a rag, then cleared his throat.
"Traveling merchants? There's only one tavern in the immediate area. It's a bit pricy, but the cheaper one is across the city. I wouldn't want to walk that far after a day already full of traveling, so I suggest just going to the one here. The price is worth it."
Even though Nina was evidently against it, Soleil turned to the man with a grin.
"Oh, really? You wouldn't happen to have any directions there, would you?"
"Of course." The man leaned over his counter to point across the street. There, the mammoth rock-god stood, unmoving. "It's across from the south face of the center of the square. The tallest building. You can't miss it."
When Soleil turned back to Nina, she found a fuming girl. Even so, with a thick air of charisma, she displayed her teeth.
"Got our tavern."
Except, when they arrived, neither of them were very thrilled. Such very much included Soleil, who had lost her smile and replaced it with a foreign thing known as a frown. Her face didn't know what a frown was, if that happened to hold any sort of meaning. Of course Nina knew what a frown was, and, naturally, her face was quick to display one, her expression souring.
The moment they set foot into the inn, they were met with the sight of leather couches. With leather couches mingled intricate vases housing the most fragrant of flowers, a complex chandelier hanging overhead. Feeling like a sore thumb on a healthy hand, the two strode deeper inside slowly, hunched over and awkward. Impressed, the taller of the two spun around, studying every nook and cranny the lobby had to offer with a chorus of wolf whistles. She dared to draw near to one of the leather couches with the intention to inspect its authenticity. Her finger, barren, would shiver to feel smoothness, and her eyes widened.
"Whoa," was the most she could get out. Less thrilled, Nina began chewing on the bottom of her lip.
"This place reeks with money," she whispered. "I don't know if I want to see how much a one night stay'll cost..."
"You're not the only one, especially when it cost us an arm and a leg just to get in here... Why didn't you start lower? It's not like those guards knew you had gold. You should've just handed them some silver. I doubt they would've rejected it."
Nina grumbled, her words indistinguishable. In the meantime, hunched over, she strode up to meet a board standing on the ground, her companion eventually arriving beside her. Together, almost instantaneously, the two skimmed their eyes along the words painted on its surface, only to halt and have their jaws drop. Arguably, the most mortified was Nina, who choked on her own saliva before she could even spit out a word.
"Th-Three marks of gold for a single night?" she hissed. At her side, Soleil gave way to a chuckle, then pat her partner's shoulder roughly.
"And that's just for one bed. If you want two, it's five."
"Outrageous!" She seemed to be tempted to kick the sign down, but quickly restrained herself. "Who the hell prices these things? I ought to go find them and give them a good piece of my mind, leeching off travelers like this..."
The receptionist clearly heard them, for he lifted his head from his records and set his pen down.
"The stay comes with free access to our bathhouse, and if you aren't comfortable bathing in public, there is a private washroom within each room."
The word bathhouse had the two exchanging glances, narrowing their exhausted eyes. Soleil was the first to speak up, cocking her head to the side ever so slightly.
"Well? You're the money manager," she announced softly. "Three marks is pretty ridiculous, but the bath sounds great."
Nina sighed, then dug around in her pocket to yank out her coin purse again. A brief inventory of their currency had her face sour, and, slowly, the satchel sank back to where it belonged. Her olive eyes glinted with awkwardness.
"If we're staying, we're going to have to take the single bed to save on money. We don't have marks running out of our ears, so... we need to be conservative with whatever we have."
Soleil leered at her, a smile replacing the frown that had found itself on her lips. She leaned closer, almost too close, and chuckled darkly.
"Well, you know I don't have a problem with that."
"Figures. You know I'll just end up sleeping on the floor, right?"
"I won't let you. Sleeping on the floor'll be bad for your posture, and you have to have good posture when you're walking all day long."
"Okay, you can sleep on the floor then."
"Nuh-uh. I need a good posture too."
The two ended up staring at one another again, the latter narrowing her eyes. She heaved a sigh, flipped one of her braids back over her shoulder, then hunched. The trek to the front desk was miserably long. After digging in her satchel again, she slapped three golden marks on the surface, then hesitantly slid it over to the man with a frown.
"We'll take a room," she whispered.
"Of course ma'am." But the receptionist didn't do anything after taking it. Rather, he stood still, gazing back at her, watching as her gaze hardened. Nina eyed around strangely, eventually spying back and forth to the key rack behind the desk and the man. She cleared her throat.
"Is there something wrong?" she muttered.
"If there's not a silver mark tax on each room, the Archduke can't make money to pay for the kingdom," he answered simply. To his response, he found a piece of silver whammed onto the counter as well, mad as a hornet, and it was briefly exchanged for a key. "Thank you for choosing us. Your room will be the second door down the hall. Have a wonderful night."
At least the room was nice.
Relief washed over both of them as they pushed their way inside. The first thing they did after locking the door was shed their loads from their backs and place them against the wall. Nina didn't bother with doing anything more besides that. She plopped down on a side of the bed almost immediately, sprawling out tiredly. The pillow beneath her head soon found itself smothering her face.
"I don't know if this trip is worth all the trouble," she spoke into the pillow, her voice muffled. Soleil barely heard it as she slipped out of her Hoshidan garb, remaining in a simple undershirt. Lucky for her neighbor, she was decent enough to keep her pants on, especially since she came to join her on the bed. She sighed, stretching her sculpted arms over her head with a groan. At every off interval after that, she made brief movements that forced the bed to shake.
"At least the bed's comfy," she mentioned.
"At least," her neighbor agreed.
They stilled for a while, listening to the candle's flame dance around its wick with each subtle draft that passed. An air of peace settled between them as they became still, resting their pulsing feet, both red and gardening blisters. Soleil took to rolling on her side, propping her head up with a hand as she stared at her neighbor. The pillow remained over her face, shielding it from light and cold. When a while passed without any dialogue exchanged between the two of them, Soleil cleared her throat gently. Her fingers went to grab the pillow, which she lifted, then peeked underneath as though she were searching for crawlers beneath a boulder.
"You alright?" she inquired upon seeing the glassiness of her gaze. Nina's eyes shut then, and she rolled over onto her belly.
"Just tired..." she whispered. "It sure is rough being away from camp. I haven't seen a cute guy in days..."
"Maybe we'll see one tomorrow. We're shopping for supplies out in town when we get up, aren't we?"
Against the bed, the other's head nodded.
"I guess..." she muttered. "But we're already getting low on funds, so I don't think we'll be able to buy everything we need. We still have to save a few marks for emergencies. Geez, who knew Izumo was such an expensive place..." Had she not been handicapped by exhaustion, she probably would have reacted when Soleil began toying with her braids, eventually removing the holders at their tips. She gently began to unbraid every strand, smoothening out long wavy hair.
"I'll bet the warm water'll clear your mind."
"After what happened the last time I went into the bath with you, I'm almost too afraid to go again."
"Heh. You're so funny..." She stopped running her fingers through her hair, looking up awkwardly. "Wait, what happened
last time? I didn't get carried away..." Her eyes widened, and they crept over to the back of her head, her teeth running over her bottom lip. "Did I?"
"No."
"Then what happened?"
"I got sick and nearly drowned, according to you."
"Well, you're not sick, right?"
"No."
"Then I don't see a reason to be worried about it." With that said, she hopped off, and her graceful feet spread over the floor. Without a word, she made her way around the bed, where she arrived at the opposite side. From there, she took her stubborn partner's ankles and begun dragging her off. The action wasn't sparing; the top half of Nina's body thumped against the ground, evoking a growl as she began to be dragged along further. No matter how hard she wrestled, Soleil would not grant her freedom. In the end, it seemed to be for the better. The bathhouse was empty (likely because the inn was so darn expensive nobody else in their right mind would stay there), and it proved to be a well needed release. The two spent a strangely long amount of time in there, soaking in the warmth as though it would be the last time in a long while. With the route they were taking, that just might've been the case.
They ended their night after a modest dinner, which was nothing more than a few pieces of fruit packed in Nina's bag. They were starting to go bad, so they agreed to go ahead and get them eaten before they expired completely. It wasn't the best meal in the world, but it was decent enough to be filling. They would have to be considerate of food, they discussed over dinner. First they would eat all the perishables at mealtime, and when they ran out, hunting would be next. That part, to their dismay, was yet another part of their time constraint. It was summer, nearing fall, so they didn't have to make it to the capital as quickly as possible just to retrieve information before an attack took place. They also had to hurry to the capital because the cooler season was quickly moving in. Once that happened, they could no longer rely on game to eat. Instead, they would have to buy food from other merchants. Nina would later reassure that she could always swipe a mark or two from a nobleman somewhere along the way, but it wasn't wise to rely heavily on such an option.
When supper was over, they took to the bed quickly, almost as if it were a magnet. Fresh out of their disguises, instead in comfortable under-attire, they sunk into the covers almost naturally. Nina was persistent when it came to shooing Soleil away when she happened to scoot a bit too close. Perhaps once or twice she devised means of constructing a wall of pillows, but in the end, the ideas were all discarded and deemed not worth the effort. The room plunged into darkness with the wick of the candle at Soleil's nightstand, and from the dark came utters of goodnights. Just moments later, as it had with darkness, the room also plunged into silence.
That silence would linger for a long, long while, even though neither had dared to slip into the realm of slumber. Both remained on their sides, their eyes open and gazing forward. Nina stared at a wall painted by the moonlight peeking through the window behind her, and it was Soleil that scrutinized that moon. Since they didn't get close, nor dare to look at the other, one did not know the other remained awake.
Until, at last, Soleil cleared her throat softly.
"You asleep yet?"
Nina wasn't quite as quick to answer as she could've been.
"Not really."
"Cool..." She rolled onto her back. "Me neither."
"Mmm. What's your reason? Thinking about all the girls you're gonna see tomorrow?"
Soleil laughed nervously, almost sheepish, as she moved her arm to rest above her head.
"Not really. You're probably not going to believe me, but I was thinking about my Dad. He's probably real worried for us. I can't blame him. I'd get sick if my little girl ran off somewhere without saying a word, headed for the center of the enemy's capital of all places... I didn't even tell him bye before I left." She turned her head, studying the back of her neighbor. Seldom had she seen her hair down, and it was quite the fascinating sight. It was wavy and long, its tips almost reaching her tailbone. It was... surprisingly elegant. "How about you? Why can't you sleep...?" Her face flinched then, baring regret. "Wait. Don't answer that, I think I can guess for myself... You can't sleep because you don't trust me."
Nina's head shook.
"It's not that," she replied. "Just other things."
"What kind of other things?"
"Nothing important."
"Alright. If it's nothing important, it shouldn't be that big of a deal to tell me. You can say anything, and you should know that by now. I know all of your hiding spots at camp and I haven't told anyone where they are. Not even Lord Corrin."
"Yes you have. You told him where my favorite one was. You know, the one that's in the corner of the castle's exterior?"
Soleil forced a grin.
"Oh yeah, that one... That one's an exception. Besides that one, all the others are secret. I swear."
"Hmph. That's good to know..." With that said, Nina uttered no more, her form curling tighter. Her arms wrapped around her knees, strangely enough. When a while passed, Soleil turned her head to her again, blinking, evidently perplexed.
"So... you gonna tell me?"
"No."
"But you said it wasn't important."
"I know."
"Then why don't you tell me?"
"Because."
Her neighbor narrowed her eyes, and, like a snake, she crept over with intentions to invade her bubble. She pressed her chest against the other's shoulder, then set her chin atop the side of her neck. Her mouth and nose, heaving warm breath on her neck, hovered over her ear.
"I know that tone in your voice. You were thinking about your dad too, weren't you?" Before anything else happened, she found a palm stretching over her face, pressure being applied in hopes of pushing her back. Little did Nina know; Soleil was sturdy and wasn't repelled easily. As a matter of fact, she wasn't repelled at all. Nina squinted her eyes and frowned.
"For starters, get off me," she said, but only received a smile as a response.
"Not until you tell."
"I said get off."
"No way, sister."
"Off."
"Tough luck."
"Off."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
At last, Nina released a growl, then threw her face onto her pillow. She burrowed as deeply as she could, feeling her companion readjust her position. The new position, of course, wasn't any more favorable than its predecessor. She chose to lie across her back and began to hum in victory. That melody, had it not been so off-key, would've made the other outraged.
"I think you're tone deaf, Soleil."
"You're avoiding the subject..." the other singsonged. "That means you really were thinking about something you don't want to admit."
"No I wasn't."
"Yes you were."
"Were not."
"Were too."
Nina huffed.
"Fine. I was thinking about him! Are you happy now?"
"Most certainly!" the other chirped, at last lifting her heavy body from her back. Again, she plopped back down on the mattress, rolling into her side and again propping her head upon a hand. A devious smile found itself on her lips. "Wanna talk about it?"
"I don't like talking about my Father."
"You like thinking about him, apparently."
"It's not like I can help it."
"Yes you can."
"No I can't. If I had a say, I'd forget all about that man."
Soleil rolled onto her back again, sighing.
"Geez. The people're right when they say you're a sourpuss about this..." she breathed before deciding to stretch her arms and both hands behind her head. "You think your Dad's worried about you too?"
It was the only question, she noted, that Nina decided to ignore, and she would continue to ignore it the whole night through.