Soleil wasn't exactly the type to plan ahead. Sometimes, another trait she happened to share with boys, she would just dive into things headfirst without a second thought and leave pondering for later. Most of the time there were consequences to such actions, and she wasn't skilled at squirming out of sticky situations like Nina. Instead, Soleil was good at withstanding the buffet of inevitable problems, so much so that she had developed a sort of immunity. She smiled the whole way through.

Strangely enough, though, Soleil had actually planned ahead that morning. What was her plan, many would crave to know? She planned on awakening, seeing the quaint morning sunlight that spilled into the room from the window, and rolling over to find her friend- no- frenemy at her side.

Each time Soleil had a slumber party with a friend, Ophelia for example, she greeted her partner with the biggest bear hug she could muster in the morning. She was just that type of person, all touchy feely and ever so pleased at the sight of sunshine on the faces of those dear to her. Nina had never had a sleep over with Soleil, so it was reasonable to imagine that Nina was in for a hefty, hefty surprise, and Soleil happened to get the biggest kick out of imagining the shock that would be hers to soak. Just the mere thought had her slap a grin on her face, and she was quick to roll over...

Only to have the tables turn, having her surprised instead. Nina wasn't there, gone like a shadow in the night.

Eagerness turned to shock, and shock turned to alarm. Soleil shot up, eyes widening as she quickly observed the room. As far as she could see, it was empty, barren of any other souls besides her own. Thus, Soleil threw the covers from her body and jumped off, where her feet thumped against the ground before immediately breaking into a sprint. She ripped the washroom door open, then peeked inside, but would only be greeted by the sight of yet another empty room. It wasn't long before she began spilling sweat, knitting her hands worriedly as she patrolled the bedroom for a second time. Their bags were still seated against the wall, exactly where they had left them the night before, and the windows were shut tight.

Oh no.

Was Nina right about the man from the tea parlor? Had he swooped into their room while they rested and made off with her? Heavens, why couldn't it have just been Soleil that he took? Why Nina? Why?

"C-Calm down, Soleil," she spoke to herself, beginning to pace. "Everything's alright. Nina likes going out, doesn't she? Yeah, she can't last a minute without shoving her nose in someone else's business. Don't worry. She's probably out in town watching someone. Yeah. She's got to be." Her head lifted then, and she rushed over to the window, which she peered out of. "But she wouldn't leave the room without telling me. We've never been to Izumo before, so she wouldn't go too far, would she? No way. She wouldn't do that..."

But she would only be proven wrong.

After a while longer of searching, Soleil eventually ended up at the nightstand beside her side of the bed. A curious article met her eyes there, and she quickly picked it up. It was a sheet of paper, she observed, with its sides jagged as though it had been torn, most likely out of a notebook. Words scribbled in charcoal caught her eye, and she didn't leave a second to spare before reading them.

Soleil,

I needed to go out for a little bit last night. I'm writing this letter because I wasn't sure if you were really awake when I woke you up to tell you. I mean, you told me you were listening, but I'm pretty sure you were just sleep talking. Anyways, I wanted to let you know in case anything happened to me. If I'm alright, I'll be waiting for you at that tea parlor we went to last night by the time you get up. If I'm not there or with you, I'm probably in the castle's prison. Don't worry, I'll eventually find my way out... or they'll behead me before then. Anyway, if I'm not around, I'd appreciate it if you came to get me. Thanks.

Your friend,

Nina

That was how Soleil ended up bursting out the doors of the inn, stumbling into the streets with the letter clamped in her fist. As if in a fit of hysteria, she whipped around, searching back and forth, avoiding the path of incoming traffic with a trip or two. Eventually, once she had ran across the street, she leaned against the god-rock, a hand on her chest to calm her furious heart, and she struggled to ease her breath.

"Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy... That old man of her's is gonna kill me if she gets in trouble on my watch!" she hissed to herself, then leapt off the rock and proceeded to trot half of a lap around it. One could only imagine the heat that consumed her heart when she turned around a corner, where her eyes fell upon a herd of tables spread across the street, sitting outside of a vendor. When she scanned the area for a while at first, she found no familiar faces, but that was only because she did so in a fast, panicky fashion. After calming her nerves with a sigh, she skimmed through the faces again, slowly and steady as though time was no longer an idea or force.

Ah, there she was.

No wonder she couldn't see her the first time: a couple had gotten up from their chairs, revealing a waiting ally sitting at the table behind them. She seemed relaxed, dressed once again in her disguise, one leg crossed over the other, sipping away at a quaint cup of drink. Soleil would have melted right then and there had she not felt obligated to rush over, plopping down at the chair in front of her. She sighed nervously, running a hand over the thickest part of her arm restlessly.

"Geez, Nina, you scared the daylights out of me, ditching me like that..." But when she looked up, what daylight had been restored in her was scared away again. Before her, she met the face of an old, rather smug-faced woman, who slowly set down her teacup upon her saucer. She leaned forward, looking rather worried.

"Oh dear, sweetie, are you lost?" inquired the old lady.

Soleil flushed, then yanked her head to the side. Nina sat at the table next door, watching the scene unfold with a stoic expression. At last, the other rose awkwardly from the chair, pushed it back in, and showed her the pearls behind her lips.

"S-Sorry ma'am." She immediately retreated to the other table, where she worriedly sat herself before her braided friend. There, she would find a big jar of milk awaiting her, hiding from the blistering sun in the shade of a distant building's shadow. Out of paranoia, she looked up to make sure she sat before the correct face, but that came with the price of flushing even further. "Good to see you this morning." Based off the tone of her voice, it sounded as though she wanted her neighbor to act as though nothing had happened.

Of course that wasn't happening.

"Good to see you too." Nina took a sip from her tea. "I guess you're not awake yet since you didn't even bother to get dressed before you came out."

"When you can't find your traveling partner, it's reasonable to freak out!" the other replied, negligently snatching the jar sitting before her. As she brought it to her mouth, she was able to utter a faint whisper. "Thanks for the milk, by the way..."

"It looks like you got my letter, so what were you worried about?"

When the butt of the glass hit the table again, Soleil had a white mustache decorating the top of her lip.

"First of all, I didn't see it until a few minutes after tearing the room apart looking for you." She took another, regrettably unfeminine, guzzle. "Second of all, when you write stuff like people chopping your head off or whatever, I have the right to panic."

Nina released a sigh, giving her a subtle nod.

"I knew I shouldn'tve written that..." She set her cup down on the saucer, then looked up at her, bright eyed and confident. "Either way, I'm fine, okay? Nothing to worry about."

"Thank goodness..." Soleil retrieved her glass for a third gulp. "What were you doing anyways? Something about the castle I read?"

Nina's explanations didn't require words; all she had to do was nod, then reach beneath the table and unbuckle the satchel strapped around her hip. She set it in the center of the table as though it were the main attraction... And the main attraction it was. When its top slowly eased open from its contents, Soleil peered inside, eyes widening. A pile of golden coins hid beneath two flaps, stacked and piling on top of one another with hopes of escape. One would be lucky, for Soleil reached inside to take one out and study it intently.

"D-Don't tell me..."

"I needed to clear my mind a bit. It was getting cloudy because I was worried. It won't be good if we travel while we're low on funds, so I had to go get at least something."

Horrified, Soleil lifted her head.

"So you went to the castle?" she presumed, hissing beneath her breath. "What on earth did you take?"

Nina looked up hesitantly, her frown neutral.

"Nothing much. I couldn't carry a whole lot, so I snagged a few small things. Couple of trinkets. A golden doorknob. I think that was about it... You wouldn't believe how quickly they were bought around here, so they made decent money for just a few petty trinkets and a doorknob. I'm pretty glad with the way things turned out."

"The castle?"

"Oh, still hung up about that..."

"How'd you get in there? We couldn't even get into the city without flashing the guards some cash!"

Nina gave her a confident smirk. Perhaps it was the equivalent of Soleil's leers, except it was far more smug in nature.

"You'll learn eventually. Once we get to Fort Jinya, I'll have no choice but to reveal all my secret tactics, otherwise we won't be able to sneak through with our skin still on." She took another small sip. "Even though I was able to get into the castle undetected, it could've been a whole lot easier if I had the proper tools. I was only able to be successful because I was alone. Once I have you tagging along with me, it's essential that I have everything I need. It's not a choice, it's a must. On the bright side, now that we've gotten some extra spending money, we should be able to get those things."

Soleil's face seemed rather hesitant, especially while she replaced the coin back in the satchel, which she then began to paw at absentmindedly. A lip pooched out, and a brow dropped.

"Yeah... But come on, Nina... Stealing's wrong,"

Nina crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes.

"So is a girl liking girls."

"I know, I know. I told you I'm working on it, haven't I?"

"You don't act like it."

"At least I try at all. It may not be all the time, but I shoot an attempt every now and then, especially when I'm-" Leave it to the moment of have an elegant pair of ladies walk by their table, sashaying and giggling to one another. Like clockwork, Soleil paused, silently spying on them as they came and went. Watching the scene unfold, Nina sighed and started to count.

Three...

Two...

One...

And Soleil had bounced from her seat, puffed out her chest, spaced out her square shoulders, and skipped over to the pair as though she found the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. When she stopped, she stopped at the precise angle that glorified the sinewy of her arms, unprotected nor covered. She flashed them her grin.

"Hey there, wanna come sit and drink tea with us? I think there's nothing in the world better than having some tea with a pair of adorable girls such as yourselves!"

Her answer would only be strange expressions, and, all of a sudden, it felt as though everyone was staring at them at once. The attention evoked a flush on the women, and they turned to one another, perplexed. One finally had the guts to clear her throat and shake her head.

"Sorry, but we are already leery of strangers, especially strangers who stay in their sleepwear during the day." The two walked away, laughing to one another for reasons unknown. Standing in the wake of the rejection, Soleil slouched, then dared to look over her shoulder. Nina didn't seem too impressed, but a smirk, smothered, could be seen tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Way to go, try-hard."

Speaking of lovebirds...

Siegbert had at last been permitted to roam freely about camp, and it was on that particular day he found himself alone with Velouria, sprawled out on the green lawn. As insisted by the latter, laying on the grass to get a good bath from the warm sun was good for the muscles, mind, and relaxation. Siegbert could sort of see where that claim was coming from, but he had yet to delve in the sort of trance Velouria went on and on about. When he turned his head to the side, though, he could most definitely see it. She snoozed at his side, her tail swishing back and forth on the ground, and her fingers crawled over to his palm every so often with intentions to lock them together. He couldn't deny it: the sun did feel great, even when he was wrapped almost head to toe in bandages and still had his share of pulsing wounds.

Speaking of wounds, after while of relaxation, the girl stirred to roll over, reaching her hand over to his arm. With a few failed attempts, her fingers took the cuff of his sleeve, then rolled it up. Beneath, it revealed a mummified limb, which she observed contently.

"How're you feeling today?" she inquired, leaning in to take a closer look. She knew he preferred to object to such actions, but she did them anyway. Without a word from him, she unraveled the gauze, revealing teeth marks that littered his arm. Not even a second thought passed her mind before she began running her tongue over them tenderly. The sensation, more than evidently, made him cringe, then squirm in attempt to get away. He suppressed himself, however, and was able to remain still, no longer taking in the comfort of the warm sun. His eyes widened, though, and his teeth grit uncomfortably.

"V-Velouria... h-haven't we talked about this?"

Before she responded, she licked him several times more.

"Mmhm." Her head rose, and her tongue ran over the brim of her lips to pick up stray spots of crimson. "So why do you still have a problem with it?"

"W-Well..."

"Part of understanding your future subjects is understanding the way of those who're like me." She returned to licking. "Wolfskin lick their mate's wounds, don't you remember? Not only is it a ritual, it's also sanitary."

Siegbert flushed, but made no attempt to hide it.

"Yes, that is true, but... um... I'm not your mate, Velouria."

"Not yet you're not." The strokes of her tongue suddenly traveled up his arm, her speed far faster than before. He knew what was coming next, so he cringed in preparation. The tongue gave his cheek a long stroke, leaving behind a thick trail of wetness. Siegbert couldn't keep a grunt from escaping the prison of his teeth. "We will be someday, though, won't we?"

Awkward, a second flush arrived on his face, and his eyes closed politely. Slowly, he reached behind her head and tugged gently at her hood until it cascaded down her neck. From there, he gladly ran his fingers through her gray locks and worked through any tangles that barricaded his path.

"Yes, that's the plan..." he replied shyly. A record was set: he was able to last at least five minutes without finally wiping away the kiss that lingered upon his cheek. To his misfortune, however, Velouria happened to take notice when he caved in. Her eyes narrowed, and she was quick to retreat to his face and give him another sopping lash of her tongue, but with a vengeance. She struck him in a series of three. Despite the fact that he cringed, her victim could do nothing but burst into laughter, struggling beneath her. The more he moved, the more leeway he gave her to further her dominance over his body. Before long, she had him pinned down, furiously attacking his cheeks.

Their encounter had them quite the distracted pair, so distracted, in fact, it had gotten to the point that they didn't notice a visitor. Said visitor stood quite a distance, having noticed their strange activity, and chose to stay that way until their struggles and laughter died down. Only then did he choose to approach, but was cautious in doing so.

"My, aren't the two of you adorable," he commented with a chuckle. Only then did Siegbert and Velouria look up from each other. Almost immediately, Siegbert was red hot, scrambling up, wiping his soaking face off the best he could, and straightening his attire. The stranger only held out his hand, however, and shook his head. "Please, there's no need to get up. Stay as you are."

"N-No, that would be terribly rude." Siegbert hopped to his feet, leaving Velouria lounging on the ground, watching the two contently. "How may I help you, Shigure?" he asked then, dusting himself of grass and dirt.

Shigure smiled at his acknowledgement, then modestly crossed his hands behind his back.

"I don't need much, but if the time is bad..."

"No, no. The time is fine. I have all the time in the world."

"Excellent then," Shigure replied, pleased. "I've caught word that you and Sophie were the last to see Nina in person, am I wrong?"

"Nay, you aren't." Siegbert's head shook curtly. "After I was deemed unfit to continue on toward the capital, Soleil volunteered to be her companion."

Shigure's eyes, so the boy noticed, darkened, and that same gaze narrowed slightly. He heaved a sigh, then chose to do nothing but look away, his face heavy with contemplation.

"I see. So the rumors are true... Do you reckon Nina is in good hands?"

A nervous laugh escaped Siegbert's lips, and his eyes momentarily darted to Velouria down at his side. It was almost as if he sought after a solace of sorts, but he wouldn't find such a prize within her. She appeared disengaged from the conversation, having returned to sprawling out to bask in the sun.

"The more I consider my actions, the more I begin to worry that the decision was poor. Because her father is the retainer of my father, it will come naturally that Soleil will become my own retainer. When I linger over such, I wonder if her work would truly do me any good. If anything, when the time comes, it may be that I am the one making sure she isn't harmed rather her making sure I am not harmed. I have no problem defending a friend, but she should not be deemed retainer should such be the case."

Shigure ran an elegant finger over the peak of his chin, and his golden eyes wandered up to the clear sky.

"I take that as a negative response..." he observed. "I haven't conversed with Soleil enough to know her well and therefore make conjectures of Nina's condition."

Siegbert frowned.

"You care very much for Nina, so I've observed," he murmured.

"I do, and I agree much with her father; she needs to be retrieved at once, regardless of the consequences. I doubt an army can thrive when they know their survival was bought at the price of two young girls."

"The tone of your voice tells me you've come to discuss such with me."

"Yes, I have. I've considered asking Uncle Corrin if he would be kind enough to send an ally and myself to search for her. I believe I would blend in naturally with the atmosphere of their destination. Having been raised in Hoshido, my mother has taught me plenty of their customs and etiquette. I know enough about their culture and ways that one could easily mistake me as one of them."

Siegbert hesitated, tapping his foot on the ground rhythmically.

"I see," was the most he could utter after a while of thought. Behind him, though, Velouria released a yawn, stretched, then mewled with a subtle squeak. Her eyes fluttered open, staring at the two and their serious faces. The sight made a smile creep across her lips, then narrow her eyes softly.

"Soleil's pretty tough," she commented, rolling over. "She put up a decent sparring match with me a while back. Of course I won, but she still did good. Give her the benefit of the doubt, why don't you?"

The boy's eyes returned from her, reuniting with one another's, and they carried out a silent conversation. Granted, it wasn't very long, and nothing much got across since the two didn't appear to be fluent in the language in each other's gaze.

"I'll consider it," Shigure replied. "I want to trust my allies with my all, but my concern overrides any of that sort of determination. Surely you understand."

Siegbert nodded gently.

"Completely. By the way, Shigure, when the time comes in which you request such a privilege of Uncle Corrin, I am willing to join you in the search. I am responsible for sending Soleil with Nina. Even though I said I would take no responsibility should something happen, I cannot help but feel the opposite. The guilt wells within me and tortures me each night."

At that moment, Velouria's eyes bolted open, and she angrily directed them to her lover.

"You haven't told me that. What happened to telling each other everything?"

The boy paused nervously.

"Y-Yes, I was going to eventually get to it..." He couldn't add any additional sentences, for she had risen and angrily trudged up to him. Even Shigure thought it wise to back off at least a step or so.

"Yes, let's get to that now..." She took him by the ear and dragged him away, leaving Shigure alone in the midst of the grassy plain of the castle's yard.

Nina wasn't that big of a shopper, never being one to willingly drop a dime. The only sort of shopping she liked was walking through some sort of manor and snagging anything that looked fancy or expensive. On the other hand, Soleil was enthusiastic about almost anything, including shopping, so the morning treated her quite well. Repaying the inn a visit after their morning tea had the two share breakfast, then gather their things. Packed down like mules, they returned the key to the receptionist and at last kissed the wretchedly overpriced inn goodbye. They weren't sad to see the prices go, but they were certain to miss the bed and the bath.

They found themselves wandering around the city before long, observing the several shops that screamed for their attention and time. It was midday, and with midday came the bustling masses of a crowd. In an attempt not to lose one another in an ocean of faces, Soleil clung to a braid. Needless to say, she wouldn't be able to hold onto one for long, for its owner was quick to whip around and give her a scowl. The scowl was easy to read: hands off.

"So... What do we need?" Soleil eventually asked after a while of aimless wandering. Her neighbor, once gazing up at an unblemished sky, returned her gaze.

"Anything I know we'll need for the mission. I've been able to create tools out everyday products because I had nothing better to use at the time, but now that we're here in this giant town, I can only imagine what sorts of nifty things we can find."

Soleil cocked her head to the side.

"Why not write yourself a list?" She released a sigh suddenly, and her eyes grew distant as they stared off into a non-important direction. "Hm... I remember when I was back in the Deeprealms... Dad used to send me to the market all the time with a shopping list to get some groceries... Good times..."

"I'd make one if we had the right type of paper. We can't write with charcoal, that's exclusively a Nohrian utensil. Since we're Hoshidan, we need brushes, ink, and scrolls."

A huff came from the taller.

"Psh. Sounds like a load. Don't they see how inconvenient it is to carry around a jar of ink, a brush, and a scroll with them just to write? I don't get Hoshidans."

"Yeah. They also seem to like stupid looking hats and painful shoes. I don't get them either." Said shoes at last began to move, taking Nina to a random shop that stood in the midst of many others. It was hidden in plain sight, unable to scream over the loud colors decorating its friends. "Let's just start here. This looks like a variety store, so we'll never know what we'll find."

Without any opposition, her frenemy skipped along after her.

Inside the shop, cramped, the two squeezed around, careful not to brush up against any merchandise stocked along shelves that pressed against their sides. Being the one with the broader shoulders, Soleil struggled the most, but managed to maintain her composure and keep up. Nina was far more down to business, scanning every cabinet meticulously. Thus far, she saw nothing but things that would be considered worthless. Trinkets. Decorated boxes. Children's toys. Wooden goods. Kitchenware. Possessing not the mind of a person of stealth, Soleil was less serious in her browsing, instead choosing to observe everything she saw with the curiosity of a tourist.

Nothing seemed to capture Nina's interest until they stumbled upon a certain section of glass goods. Some of the things available were awfully pretty, seeing that they reflected the golden glow of a distant candle, but they were nowhere near necessary... That is until, at last, the leader paused. Having not been paying attention to her, Soleil accidentally bumped into Nina, but was luckily able to catch the back of her collar before she could lose her balance and flop onto the floor.

"Find something?" Soleil inquired. While recovering from the impact, Nina reached out to a shelf, where her careful fingers wove in between glass bowls and cups to retrieve a square reflector. She held it up to her face, then narrowed her eyes. Having seen her, Soleil released a snicker. "Oh. You just wanted to get a look at that pretty face of yours."

"Of course not," the other scoffed, straightening her spine. She held the mirror up as if presenting something worthy of fame and glory. "This just so happens to be a vital tool when it comes to infiltration, perhaps even hiding in general."

Again, Soleil snickered.

"Oh really," she replied, partially unconvinced.

"Yes, really."

"I don't believe you." She saw Nina's eyes roll, then pull herself away to stride down the rest of the aisle. Because she felt the need to, Soleil chose to remain put.

"Sure you don't," Nina called from the other end of the shelf. She hid behind the second one, shielded from her companion's view, but continued to speak. "Here's your first lesson on how to spy on people. This is probably the most important law of them all." Soleil would then see her peek around the corner of that same aisle, staring her down stoically. "Law One: if you can see them, they can see you. It's called line of sight. It doesn't matter how hidden you are; when whoever you're hiding from is in your field of vision, you're vulnerable to also being seen. That's too big of a risk to take."

Soleil set her hands in her hips, only to have an elbow brush against something it shouldn't have. She quickly retracted them back to her sides.

"Cool. What's the mirror gonna do?"

"Come here and I'll show you."

Curious, she obeyed, soon arriving at the other's side. Forcefully, Nina tugged at her arm, pulling her further behind the aisle.

"We're hiding, remember?"

Soleil blinked.

"We are?"

"Yes. Now watch." She held up the mirror then, turning it at just the right angle to get a good view down the aisle at their side; the sight brought an impressed grin on the observer's face, and she was quick to turn back to her partner. "The best part is that anyone walking down that row won't even know we're here."

"Whoa, did you figure that out all on your own?"

Nina shrugged, pulling the square back to her side.

"Gotta use what I can..." she replied modestly. She cracked a condescending smirk despite anything her tone dared to lie about.

And thus began their embark on a shopping spree. The two ended up wandering around the square, stopping at shop after shop to enthusiastically prowl down aisle after aisle in search of the perfect piece of equipment. Nina would explain the purpose of every object she picked up at Soleil's request, but, of course, kept her tone low and secret. She hunched over once retrieving a folded sheet, squeezing it forcefully.

"Sheets. If we're ever being chased, we can use this as a distraction to get our pursuers off our tail. All we have to do is unfold it and throw it someplace we're not running. The sound of drapery will draw them the wrong way, and by the time they realized they've been tricked, we would've had plenty of time to get our distance."

"Genius!"

After purchasing the sheet, which they used to swaddle the mirror, they moved on to the next vendor, where Nina was almost instantly drawn to a rack of beauty supplies. Her hands scrambled through combs and picks alike, brushed aside herbal lotions, and at last found what appealed to her the most: a box of hair pins. Without a word, she pulled said box open, peered inside, then cracked a smile. She displayed her find to Soleil, who quickly showed signs of confusion.

"I can pick almost any lock with these if I'm given enough time. While I'm busy doing that, you can keep watch and give me a warning in case you see someone coming by."

Soleil raised a brow.

"Any lock?"

"I know I'm good, but I said almost any lock; there's a certain kind that Corrin uses on a chest in his room that I just can't crack..."

A line of rope was easy for Soleil to figure out, so there was no explanation needed. Likewise applied to a pair of dark colored robes Nina yanked off a rack in a clothing shop. By the time they were done with their little trip, they paused at the exit of what was their final destination, where they took the time to sort things through their bags. The majority of what they had purchased went into Nina's less heavy load, and when nothing more would fit, Soleil took the last few items. They weren't heavy, thank goodness, so there was nothing worth complaining over.

"You didn't get as much as I thought you would," Soleil eventually commented, drawing the eyes of her partner. Nina stared hesitantly at her momentarily.

"I don't want to sound rude, but-"

"Oh trust me, I won't be offended... unless it's about boys. I'm not in the mood to argue about boys today."

"No, I'm not going to argue about boys, as amazing and charming and strong and beautiful as they are..." She had to clear her throat to get back on track. "The rest of what helps me with spying is nothing more than skill and technique, which you don't have. I hate to say it, but you're going to be a deadweight when we get to heavily secured areas. The Great Wall of Suzanoh, for example, is one of the places I'm the most worried about. That wall is so high it'll be nearly impossible to scale, and the top of the wall will probably be so full of archers it would be suicide to try flying over it with a pegasus or a wyvern. We'd have no choice but to go through the gate, and chances are they won't let us through without this merchant certification those Izumite guards were talking about..."

Soleil shrugged, crossing her arms with a rhythmic series of tsks.

"Sounds like we have some work cut out for us," she observed. "If that's the case, why can't we just go around the wall?"

Nina frowned.

"What kind of question is that? The wall goes as far east as the Hoshidan sea, and I'm sure a navy would be waiting for us there. Not to mention it stretches miles and miles and miles long... It'd take us weeks just to get to the end of one side. We don't have that sort of time on our hands."

Soleil nodded.

"Let's get going then. We shouldn't be wasting our precious time standing around here." She tugged her load up with a grunt, then slung it over her back. When it landed there, she hunched over to better her hold, then finally straightened her posture. Nina was in the process of doing the same with the bag of her own (a far easier task than Soleil's), but she would quickly be interrupted when distant ramblings happened to catch her ear. Soleil appeared to notice as well, for they were soon standing side by side, staring into the store with their dumbfounded faces. The clerk, they saw, stood behind the counter, surrounded by at least five Izumite guards. They were armed with naginatas and other intimidating blades, and as a result, the defenseless clerk cowered below them.

"O-Over there, sirs... That young woman over there is the one who sold me the doorknob. I swear I didn't know it belonged to His Majesty! I was simply told by that girl that she was a treasure hunter. She supposedly found this golden doorknob in the midst of treasure while exploring a cave north of Mokushu. She offered a great deal on it; It was a deal I couldn't turn down!"

The man pointed, horrifyingly enough, toward the two, his hand quivering in fear. Following his finger, they would soon find the guards staring at them as well, their faces hardening. Almost instantly, Soleil turned to Nina, where she found that her neighbor had turned white, the hairs in the back of her neck standing on end.

"Cr-Crap..." she managed to whisper as her feet began to back away.

"Which one, sir?" asked a guard.

"That one. The merchant with the white hair and the braids."

A guard released a growl.

"It sounds like we have a pair of thieves in disguise! Get her and the accomplice!"

The next thing they knew, there was a thundering crowd of men stampeding toward them. Horrified customers steered out of their way, and any merchandise unfortunate to not be able to move were knocked and smashed onto the ground. They shouted, demanding that they stop, and raised their weapons high in the air in warning.

Soleil, terrified, began backing away as well.

"Wh-What do we do, Nina? Fight or flight?" she inquired urgently, only to receive a nasty look from who she asked.

"What do you mean flight, dummy? We can't fly! We run!" She turned around to hightail away, where she delved into the unsuspecting crowd of faces. Soleil knew the small kodachi hiding in her robe would do nothing against a dozen naginatas, so she was wise enough to follow in the dust of her companion. The two shoved their away through the sea, tripping in some instances, but able to regain their balance by grabbing onto the clothes of one of the many people available to them. Most of those people didn't know what the heck was going on, that is until they saw the ocean parting behind them. An aisle formed to allow through a parade of angered guards.

Soleil struggled to keep up, being loaded down the way she was. To her fortune, however, Nina happened to be considerate enough to take notice. Her pace slowed briefly to allow the other to catch up, but was then quick to speed away again. When she looked over her shoulder, Soleil would be horrified, for she saw how the isle behind her was growing closer. Men, uninterrupted in their running, were rapidly covering more ground.

"They're gaining on us!" the slower exclaimed.

"I see that!" Nina had just gotten done shoving the umpteenth bystander out of her path. It was a man carrying his basket of daikons, which was soon to meet the ground and scatter across the pavement of cobblestone. Careful not to slip on their brand new obstacles, the two kept on desperately.

"Can't you pull off one of your tricks to get 'em off our tail? What about that sheet you got?"

"It only works at night, you dummy! What idiot's going to chase a sheet thrown up in the air?"

"Then don't you have any tricks for daytime?"

"Of course not! I don't get chased during the day!"

"Why not?"

"I only work at night!" Suddenly, she took a sharp turn to the right, where she disappeared in an alley. It took some doing, but the follower was able to maneuver herself after her. Shielded from the sun, and dealing with far less people in their path, they were able to pick up on speed, but it came at a price. Before long, their speed only brought them to a dead end. When they stopped, they turned around with horror, hearing shouts echo down the hall.

"They went this way! In the alley!"

They frantically searched for something, anything, that would aid in their escape. One thing happened to catch Nina's favor. It was a drainage pipe that ran up the wall, leading to a roof. Without hesitation, she mounted herself upon it, then began to expertly scale it like an animal. Left behind, Soleil grunted.

"N-Nina, you know I can't climb up that thing; I've got too much weighing me down!"

Dismayed, Nina looked down at her, munching on a lip. To Soleil's surprise, and flattery, she dropped back to the ground, recollected herself, then darted to her back.

"Stand still," she growled before violating the opening on Soleil's pack. Concerned, Soleil leaned back, eyes widening.

"What're you doing? If you're trying to make the load lighter, we don't have the time."

"I'm not. I'm getting a hairpin."

"A... hairpin?" Soleil echoed in horror, only to have her eyes dart over to a lone, distant postern beside them. She grit her teeth in attempt to continue with her father's philosophy: just keep on smiling. Just keep on smiling... Nope, she couldn't do it right now, as pitiful as it sounded. "You're not gonna-"

"Yep." Nina was away at the door almost instantly, jamming the pin in the lock. Her hands furiously worked away, jiggling around and stopping to change direction at certain angles. The shouts were growing closer, so the other noticed with fear. Out of necessity, Soleil at last caved in to the desire to unsheathe the kodachi hiding in her clothes. With blade born, she prepared herself for a fight...

After all, she was here for a reason: not to protect herself, but to protect that frenemy of hers. She was an escort. A retainer. It was a job she wanted and she should not take such a responsibility lightly.

Luckily, before she could engage in any sort of combat, Nina called out to her. When she looked, she found the door open, her partner furiously beckoning her inside. Without any opposition, they intruded, sure to slam the door shut in their wake. Come to find out, the building they violated happened to be an abode of sorts, for the halls were decorated and comfy. They didn't have the time to stop and admire the scenery, however. They rushed the quickest they could, trying to evade the screams that came from rooms they passed.

They ran through a kitchen, where a strange woman was babysitting a pot of lunch. She exclaimed at them in their passing. The kitchen vomited them back into a hall, where they turned sharply around a corner. A little ways ahead, Nina nearly slipped. Her savior would be her follower, who promptly returned her to her feet and gave her a good shove forward. They burst through a paper door then, where they discovered themselves in a washroom. The tub was occupied, and its user was quick to release a screech as they rushed to the window. Nina threw it open, allowed Soleil to climb out first, then flew out herself like a chipper bird in the morning.

Back in the streets of the square, the two were tiredly trotting along, hiding themselves in the masses of faces. They hunched lowly to take cover, sure to stay close to each other. Quivering, Soleil replaced the kodachi in her clothes, then guided herself to Nina's side. They made themselves small as they weaved through the crowd.

"Wh-What're we gonna do?"

"I don't know," Nina replied stiffly. "Chances are they've already gotten at least a pair of guards at the gates. They're probably aware that there's thieves loose in the city, so they might've put the whole place on lockdown. No one gets in, no one gets out, no matter where they're from or what they look like."

"Surely we can come up with a way to get out... right? You're the thief, so this should be right up your alley!"

"I'm thinking, okay? I'm just as scared as you are!"

"This is what you get for going to the castle in the middle of the night! Why didn't you just stay in bed? We could've avoided this altogether!"

"I wasn't anticipating them to notice something was missing so soon! It usually takes people weeks!" They both paused suddenly before they could argue any further. The front gate caught their eye.

It was completely defenseless.

Soleil would've made a beeline for the exit had her partner not paused. When she spied upon her face, she would see it smothered in prejudice and coated with worry. Evidently, Nina wasn't trustful, and when Nina wasn't trustful... she was usually right. When time passed them by, worry clouding her judgement, the other at last cleared her throat.

"No one's there."

"That's what worries me," Nina replied snappily. "It's got to be some sort of trap. See? Look on top of the wall. They've positioned guards there, and my best guess would say they're all armed with ranged weapons like bows. If we run out and it rains arrows on us... I think that's where our mission would come to an end."

"It's not like we have any better ideas of escape... Do you? Please tell me you do..."

"No, I don't." Nina's brows furrowed. "We have no choice but to leave the way we came in, but we can't take the risk of being shot. We'll wait until nightfall. It'll be harder for the them to aim when there's less light. Until then, we need a place to hide."

On a negative note, the two crawled away from the crowd, searching for shelter from the eyes that scattered about the city, scrutinizing every nook and cranny.