As of late, Shigure had been busy. Well, busier than usual. He had been trekking around camp meticulously, observing all that was going on around him. Like he, everyone appeared to be rather busy as well. They were bustling about and gathering things left and right. Tents were being packed and situated into manageable sizes, and weapons, carried in bulk, were delivered to those who needed them. From the forge came the distant sounds of clinking and clanking, and the shouts of busy workers warned those who passed.

It was that time again: the army was on the verge of continuing their conquest. It was only a matter of time before they would be marching onward through the eastern side of the continent, armed for war. Shigure, a pacifistic soul, wasn't entirely enthralled by the idea, but his mother's voice always came to mind. He wanted to be there to protect her, and, likewise, she wanted to be there for him.

Shigure had already been done with his work for a while, seeing that he had little to pack and carry. That didn't mean he still didn't have work ahead of him; it was dire that he found and held a chat with Corrin. After a while of hesitation, he had at last worked up the courage to present a proposition. It was a rather selfish idea, but it nagged him to death. It even kept him wide awake in the dark hours of the night. The stress left him pitiful before long with bags hanging from beneath his eyes and his senses dulled. Even his singing, Azura pointed out, began to drag and sound dreadfully exhausted recently (then again, it may have been because they sang the same darn song over and over again).

Despite Shigure's efforts, Corrin proved to be difficult to find. He was nowhere to be seen in his private quarters. Only Felicia was there, packing some of his things. She promptly directed him to the head of camp, where Corrin was promised to be overseeing his army and estimating the best time to depart. To Shigure's ill luck, the journey to the front left him just as fruitless. Either he was sent on a goose chase or Corrin had been migrating throughout camp. Either was equally infuriating. Being rather temperamental, the conditions were ideal for his irritation to inflate. For the sake of others, and his image, Shigure made an effort to avoid the majority of his peers and fixate himself strictly upon his work. Every once in a while, however, he got tired and finally caved in. Though his pride wasn't so keen on the idea, he eventually wound up asking around, hoping anyone could direct him.

Benny, once marveling at the distant sunset, had little to offer.

Likewise applied to his neighbor, Arthur.

Siegbert had been helping his mother pack before Shigure arrived. He didn't appear to have been very attentive to the subject, but his mother, Charlotte, happened to peer up from rolling her tent. She gazed at him with interest.

"Oh, you're looking for Lord Corrin?" she inquired, to which Shigure promptly returned with a curt nod.

"I am."

"Good thing you asked me. I saw him walking to the council tent a while back. Heard there was going to be an early meeting held this evening. Be careful if you plan on interrupting the adults and their adult talk." She gave him a wink. While walking away, Shigure eventually gardened a slight smile, and his eyes brightened.

"Charlotte seems like such a kind lady," he commented to himself as if nothing was wrong with the world.

And, for the moment, it did seem that nothing was wrong with the world, for when Shigure softly brushed aside the curtain to the war council tent, his eyes lay themselves upon Corrin. He stood in the center of the gathering, making motions to a map he poked and dragged his finger across countless times. One particular instance, as Shigure eased inside, attention was brought to the map's center, where a point was distinctly marked "Kitsune Hamlet".

"For the sake of time, we have no choice but to cross through the hamlet," Corrin stated before running his finger around either side of the territory. One finger traveled over the sandy shores of the eastern coast, the opposite scaled the steep mountains of the west. "Soleil and Nina have chosen one of these two routes as a detour around the Kitsune territory. They'll cover land quickly, so it's important that we travel fast to stay as close to them as possible. The fastest route our army can take is through the hamlet, but by the time we reach the middle of Kitsune territory, we can best suspect that Soleil and Nina have already reached the vicinity of the Eternal Stairway. It's still quite a distance, but we'll at least be moving at a constant pace."

A hand went up quickly after his speech, drawing the crowd's eye.

"Milord. By the time the spy and her companion return from the capital, where do you suspect the army to be positioned?"

Corrin turned back to the map, where he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"So long as both parties travel the fastest they can without encountering any mishaps, I can best assume we will reunite just before we launch an attack on Fort Jinya. This will be favorable. The battle there will be rough, so we'll need all the hands we can get."

Even though he lingered, it became evident that Shigure had yet to be noticed. It ultimately went to his benefit, for he slipped inside and hid himself amongst the gathering. He remained there, listening to the meeting until it ended. When it did, he stayed, even when the rest of the army had departed from the tent to continue with their business. Corrin took notice of him before beginning to routinely take his things, and, based off the way his ruby eyes glinted, he seemed to have figured why he was there. The man stood, frowning, and slowly approached him.

"Good evening, Shigure," he greeted calmly. "Sorry if I'm wrong, but I assume you're here because of Nina."

Shigure looked away awkwardly with the only eye peeking beyond his bangs. The toe of his boot began to trace a strange oval in the dirt beneath them.

"You guess correctly, milord. I've been thinking lately... and I'm quite sure my ideas aren't original in the slightest, but..." His shoulders stiffened as he lifted his head. "It is in my interest to assist in retrieving she and Soleil."

Corrin nodded slowly, as if silently confirming his suspicions. A finger ran over his chin then, and his eyes closed. A sigh escaped either of his nostrils in an attempt to mask a hidden emotion.

"I understand how you feel," he mentioned. "Would you believe me if I said Percy came to me a few days ago with the same request?"

Shigure, lightly, gave way to a chuckle.

"I certainly would... and I also assume you didn't humor him."

"Of course. But you on the other hand... You're more difficult to deal with. Not because I think you'll have a temper if I decline, but because I feel that I would be disposing of a prime opportunity." His head sunk. "Our situation isn't good, Shigure. Not only are we at constant risk of being discovered, we're also close to losing six soldiers at once. If those girls don't ever come back to us, I can only imagine how angry their mothers and fathers would be. I would understand if they chose to desert the army because they believed I neglected their children." Again, he eyed the boy. "And that's where the circle comes back around. If I sent you out, you also run the risk of never returning. I'm sure Azura would never forgive me. But even so... You're one of the only people I would dare think about sending. You would blend in with Hoshido perfectly, but I can't stand the thought of endangering any more of our youth. Besides... You're too young to be worrying about any of this."

Shigure remained still, head sinking, but eyes bright and filled to the brim with thought. His mind, artistic and creative, worked to produce so much as an inkling of an idea. Nothing came to, at least nothing noteworthy and worth presentation.

His efforts ultimately went to disappoint him, then return his gaze to Corrin.

"I understand," he whispered solemnly, frowning.

When he departed from the tent after a few minutes more of needless conversation, Shigure's gaze wandered up to the sky. His yellow eyes met with the yellow moon. It was the same moon Soleil and Nina were gazing upon, he was sure, and eventually began praying for their safety.

He was correct, for it was that moon that Soleil and Nina gazed upon. It was the first thing they saw upon departing from their hiding place: a musty storm shelter. Soleil was the most eager to leave after a day full of griping. She clearly wasn't a fan of staying in one place for too long, but it was Nina who had to constantly remind her to remain still. Not once had they experienced any issues throughout the day, to their fortune, for their hiding place had not been considered by their Izumite pursuers.

As they crawled outside, where they bathed themselves in moonlight, both gave way to a hefty stretch and a grunt. The darkness of their alley helped conceal their position, and the silence soothed them into a steady moment of relaxation. Soleil was the last to quit her stretching when Nina, hunched over slyly, passed her by.

"Do you have the time?" Soleil inquired upon relieving her arms to her sides. Her partner simply gazed up to the sky, then cleared her throat.

"My guess would be sometime after twenty-two." She cloaked her tone in the shadow of silence, sure to keep it especially low. "The time doesn't matter so long as we have our darkness. That's all we need."

The two embarked on their trek through the alley, which emptied into a wide road. The road happened to be inhabited by a fair number of people, all chattering amongst themselves. Their tone housed worry, so they could hear.

"Haven't you heard? His Majesty was robbed last night and they found the culprits here in the city. They weren't able to catch them, so the kingdom is on lockdown. They won't let anyone out or in until the thieves are found, so there's no telling how long it'll be before anyone's allowed outside these walls!"

"That's awful, but I honestly don't see a reason to leave here. I'm perfectly content in Izumo."

"Oh, but I have a son I planned to see in Hoshido next week. If those thieves aren't found in time, I won't be able to travel to meet him..."

Nina and Soleil carried themselves neutrally, or at least tried. Their ears wedged themselves between people's conversations before their eyes eventually became attracted to one another. When they exchanged glances, they brought their walking to a halt and decided to migrate to a dark corner.

"Sounds like you were right. Nobody's getting outta here," Soleil grumbled, but her face didn't match her tone. She attempted to smother the situation with a slight smile. It was that smile that made Nina squint her eyes and heave a bitter sigh.

"As expected..." she replied. Just a little ways from them was the front gate, where two men stood with their naginatas. Along the top of the wall, torches permitted her to see many archers. "And to make things worse, they beefed up their patrols."

"How're we going to make it past those two guys up front? Do we fight them?" Soleil, almost too eagerly, reached into her clothes with anticipation. Nina halted her from drawing her kodachi with a simple, but demanding, pat on the wrist.

"No. The last thing we need is Izumite blood on our hands. If we attack, chances are they'll trail us all the way to Hoshido for revenge, and if that happens... Well, it'd be bad to corner ourselves somewhere on accident. One enemy is enough to handle."

Soleil nodded and allowed her palm to depart from her clothes.

"Whatever you say. What's your alternative?"

Nervously, Nina ran a thumb over her chin, and worry clouded in her eyes. Her hands went behind her head, where they grabbed two braids and proceeded to release them.

"The only thing we can do..."

Two Izumite guards would be surprised when they were approached by a strange young woman. Her head was covered by a dark material, and over her body was a simple white sheet. The best they could conclude was that she was either poor or part of some strange religion, both of which seemed equally plausible. Regardless of odd appearances, she looked deeply distressed, especially as she rushed up to them. She paused at their feet, huffing to catch her breath, then whipped her head up to gaze at them with fear in her eyes.

"Sirs! Sirs! My house was broken into by two bandits! They ran off with all of my precious family heirlooms before my husband could catch them! Please, help my husband. He went after them! Oh, if he were to get hurt by those thieves... I'd never forgive myself!"

The guards, at first, were taken back by the urgency in her tone, but soon drew just a bit closer with concern.

"Ma'am." One made an attempt to comfort her by placing his palm on her shoulder, which he gripped tightly. "Where do you live and which way do you suppose those thieves were headed?"

The girl shed a worried tear.

"I live in the commons... and I believe the robbers were running straight for the commercial district! Please! Please before they're too far gone!"

One guard rushed off after a brief exchange with his partner, and he disappeared into an ocean of faces. He called out to his fellow guards as he ran, directing them to follow. Left behind, the last guard glanced at her, then lowered himself to level their faces. There, the two exchanged stares before the guard lowered his brows.

"There, there, now, ma'am. Everything is going to be okay. You have my word: we won't rest until those thieves are captured. Much like yourself, the Archduke's Royal Guard has a reason to pursue those thieves. They will be captured no matter what, and we'll make sure they're punished thoroughly."

The girl seemed to relax a smidgen, for her shoulders released and her head sunk.

"Oh, thank goodness..." she mused. "I'm so relieved."

The guard, strangely enough, eased closer to her face. An uncomfortable face of suspicion roused onto his expression. The girl appeared to be visibly unsettled by the glare.

"Say, ma'am. You seem quite young to be married."

"Y-Yes... I um... get that a lot. I have a very youthful face to boast. Wonderful, isn't it? When my peers are wrinkly and gray, I'll still be in my prime." The man didn't notice what he should have. The girl's hand slowly reached behind her back and crept underneath the sheet wrapped around her torso. It was her speech that clearly distracted him. Her fingers fondled a sack tied to her waist, then proceeded to dig. She clenched her prize in her fist tightly.

"That's quite interesting, ma'am. If you have a secret to your youthful appearance, my wife would be-" He gave way to a shout when a cloud of flour hit his face and invaded his eyes. He hunched over, screaming and yelling, while his visitor made a beeline past him. From behind, Soleil, loaded down like a mule with both packs, emerged from a shadowy alley with intentions to join her. Once they met up a little ways from the gate, the two broke into a sprint, where they soon stumbled out of the front. Having heard all the ruckus of the man who stayed behind, rubbing his eyes furiously, the line of archers across the top of the wall immediately brought their bows to action. A simple tug backward soon had them lethal.

"We have escapees! Fire at will!"

The sky cried arrows as though dark clouds had gathered. The whirring screams of sticks could be heard from far below, where the two dashed across the dark yard. The majority of the arrowheads littered the ground around them, each with a stiff pat, but a few happened to have a pinch of good luck. The packs on Soleil's back, made from thick cow hide, were stabbed. Their carrier released a frightened yelp before attempting to quicken her pace.

"Run faster!" Nina urged from ahead, only to receive a tired glare from behind.

"Easier said than done!" Soleil looked up then, soon hurried by the sight of several arrows more. They rushed across the brightness of the moon as nothing but a silhouette, but it didn't take an engineering mind to see where they were headed. They were getting frighteningly close to both of them, but Nina in particular was the closest. Horror washed over Soleil when possibilities danced across her mind. One arrow to the calf was all it took to hinder her completely, and she would then be dependent on Soleil to carry her to safety. Soleil was strong, but not the strongest; the weight of the baggage hanging from her back, combined with Nina, may be enough to encumber her, and she'd definitely be the next to get shot.

She had to do something quickly.

As if she had been overcome by an unforeseen force of strength, Soleil's pace quickened. Her legs burned, but she couldn't feel it. Her lung gasped for breath, but she managed to stay conscious.

"I have a job! This is my job! I vowed I'd protect her, so here's where I accomplish my duty!"

She threw herself right on top of Nina's tail, then turned to the side. Her shoulder raised over her face as if she flexed, fist clenched. Whatever arrow came flying their way would stop against the stubborn metal of her pauldron, she was sure. Both she and Nina were as good as safe.

Oh wait.

Soleil wasn't wearing her pauldron.

An intense burn erupted in the midst of her stiff bicep, drawing a roar. Though she didn't want to, she slowed and eventually drew to a crawl. From there, she hunched over, huffing each breath and clutching where she had been injured. The shaft of an arrow kept her from covering her wound completely, and when she removed her palm, she would find it covered in blood. Nina rushed up and grabbed her without saying a thing besides a few urges to power on. She became the single force that had her shove away the pain the best she could and continue. Though she was able to run on, the agony, combined with the weight on her shoulders, made Soleil stumble far more often.

The running seemed to last forever, even when they were far out of range from the walls of Izumo. They dove into the thickness of bramble. In exchange for a hindered pace, they received an ideal place to slow and prowl along, sheltered by the thicket, hiding like animals. The environment punished Soleil, for, every once in a while, the night would surprise her with the trunk of a tree. She didn't run into it, but the shaft of the arrow protruding from her arm did. Even the slightest disturbance made lightening crash down her entire arm and almost paralyze it. She never failed to release a pitiful howl.

"N-Nina..." she rasped, kicking through a pesky bush. From the front, Nina motioned her further and slowed to reunite with her.

"I know you got shot, Soleil, but we have to keep moving. I know how to treat an arrow wound, but here certainly isn't the place I can do it. I'll need light, but any sort of light will attract the guards if they decided to pursue us further. We can't afford to stop now. Not when they're so close to us. If they catch up while we're resting, we're as good as dead."

Soleil munched on her lip in attempt to contain another whimper (whimpers would most definitely diminish what she thought made her seem so cool and strong).

"I... I'm gonna pull it out..." she whispered, but the comment only made Nina whip around, horror written on her face.

"No! For the love of the gods, no! Don't you dare take that out!"

"But it keeps brushing against-"

"If you take it out, there's no telling how much blood you'll lose. I only know how to treat an arrow wound, not blood loss. Keep it in there."

"Pleeease?"

"No!"

"But Nina..."

"I said no!"

Though it was evident that she wanted to continue with their argument, Soleil decided to keep her mouth shut. Nina was a girl of strong will, and it was likely that she would suffer from angry fires of wrath if she decided to disobey her. Chances were Nina was correct, for her knowledge of archery far surpassed her own. Thus, the two carried on with their trudging, and never did they stop, despite Soleil's constant requests. She stumbled often, and when she did, Nina was there to slow and allow her to catch up. It was a good thing nothing of concern crept upon them, for their progress was hindered to a poor crawl.

Every once in a while, Nina would look up to the sky to observe the sliding moon. Almost each time, her eyes narrowed, and she continued on.

"We're not far enough yet," she would simply mutter. Never was it music to her follower's ears. Because nothing good graced its presence upon them, Soleil at last decided to go with her usual tactic by stretching a smile across her lips. It didn't stay long, for the arrow brushed against another stranger vine. She was able to house a squeak, but not a cringe.

"Where're we going?" she inquired after watching her leader turn for the umpteenth time. The woods, she was smart enough to figure, wasn't a good place to twist and wind a path. Nina seemed to know what she was doing, so said the confidant air rising about her figure. It was, thankfully, a mildly comforting air.

"We need to make sure we don't stray too far from the main road," she answered thoughtfully. "The last place we need to get lost in is a wooded area outside of Izumo. Remember what Corrin said? We need to be quick, especially now that we've wasted half a day camping out in a storm shelter."

Soleil, to the other's surprise, was able to muster a slight chuckle, even though misery was hidden deep inside of it.

"It was a pretty cozy one at that," she commented. "I wouldn'tve minded if we just stayed there forever, snuggled against each other to save space... We must've looked real cute like that."

Had it not been for the dark, she would have seen the ugly glare Nina gave her.

"Ugh. Even when you've been shot by an arrow you still act like this. I don't know if you really are in pain anymore, because if you aren't, I think we should just stop somewhere around here and rest."

Soleil's eyes widened.

"Wait. Like, without treating this thing?"

"Did I stutter?"

"N-No way! This thing hurts, Nina! I've been slashed a couple of times, but being shot hurts way, way more... I can't sleep like this..."

"Then we need more distance. If I'm treating it tonight, we need to get as far as we can." She peered over her shoulder. "Good thing we got some shut eye while we were waiting for nightfall. We're going to have to keep on for a few more hours before we can stop and make a fire."

Horror washed over Soleil's face.

"H-Hours?" She caved in and whimpered, only to pause a moment later when she sensed that Nina paused. To her surprise, she backtracked. Her nimble hands felt around her as she guided herself to her back, where she proceeded to tear out that arrows that had stabbed their baggage. Upon finishing, she worked to remove the bags from Soleil's shoulders. "Wait a second, what're you-"

"You're definitely in no shape to be lugging these around," she murmured. "I'm not as strong as you, so I'm not sure how long I can carry these in your stead, but I'm willing to give you however much time I can buy. An arrow wound isn't anything to laugh at."

The dark cloaked Soleil's blush as her back became relieved. It was a furious blush that only the most embarrassing things would inflict upon her, which was an accomplishment, since Soleil was seldom ashamed of anything. When she messed up, she'd shrug and remind herself that everyone else did too. When she serenaded with her off-key notes, she'd laugh with everyone else. When someone walked in on her while she was in one of her most vulnerable states... Well, she was Soleil, and Soleil never really cared about being appropriate.

They continued on in silence, that is before, at last, the slower of the two lifted her head. The blush remained.

"Hey... Nina? Thanks."

The journey, as expected, proved itself to be horrendously long. After an hour of wandering through the forest, they at last reunited with the road, which happily greeted them. With some assistance from the moonlight, Nina was barely able to check her compass, but she was certain their direction was exactly what they wanted: northeast. They continued down the road quietly, ever cautious of even the slightest of rustles around them. Every now and then, for the sake of security, Soleil checked over her shoulder with intentions to make sure nothing trailed them. Should they encounter something hostile, they both were aware, it wouldn't be good, not in the state they were in at the moment.

When the moon sunk further to the west, Nina at last came to a pause to observe their surroundings. A distant boulder that hid in the night seemed to catch her interest, for she soon skewed from their path and headed for it. Relief washed over Soleil like a waterfall. Could it be that they were finally stopping? Her suspicions were confirmed when Nina dropped the bags behind the rock, and she quickly went to work by digging inside the heavier of the two.

"Go gather some sticks if you can." Her command was simple, but dependent. So, with only one of her hands, Soleil went a little ways from her companion and began rummaging through the ground. The other arm, injured, simply flopped at her side as though it were just along for the show. When she returned with a feasible amount of starter, Soleil found Nina ready with a stone of flint and steel. Without delay, she rose to take what she brought and proceeded to build a fire, which burned within a decent span of time.

With their environment brightened, they both gave way to a sigh. The heaviest came from she that plopped at the foot of the rock and observed her arm. With horror, her eyes widened, and what little relaxation she had returned to stiffness. She released a hiss when she felt tempted to scramble away from something she knew she couldn't outrun.

"Aw man..." The amount of blood that soaked the sleeve of her top seemed to down her as well, but that appeared to be the least of Nina's concerns. She crotched next to her patient with an attentive pair of eyes, then beckoned it to an angle where the light was at its brightest.

"Let's get a look here..." she grumbled stiffly, only to be taken back by disgust. "Gah. This thing hit you pretty good... It's lodged in pretty deep."

Soleil, with worry, turned to her.

"You're not going to have to a-amputate my arm... are you?" she whispered.

"Not if I do this right." Nina turned to their luggage, which she began to dig in once again. When her hand returned, it returned with the handle of a sheathed knife. This went to terrify Soleil more, so she began to scramble away. Her rash movements came with the price of irritating her wound further.

"Ah! You are! You are going to amputate it! No no no! I can't have my arm cut off, the girls'll never think I'm cute again! I'll be a-"

"Instead of assuming things, how about you let me explain?" Nina's face was foreign. It appeared angry, demanding almost. The expression made her neighbor timidly crawl back to where she belonged, and when she was close enough, Nina took hold of her wound and observed it further. Without a word, she removed the blade from its casing, then used it to discard Soleil's arm of a bloodied sleeve. Left behind was the sight of the arrow, whose lower shaft disappeared into a hefty cluster of muscle. Its observer ran her teeth over her lower lip with discomfort. "Yep, this thing isn't going anywhere..."

With a frown, Soleil set her head against the cool surface of the rock. It soothed her, but it could not be her deliverer from the continuous throbbing in her arm. She breathed, but it was a discomforted sort of breath, and it sounded terribly miserable.

"These things hurt," was the most she could comment. While she spoke, she missed the darkness that gathered in Nina's eyes.

"I really am sorry, Soleil," she breathed. "I honestly didn't expect the Izumites to take notice of the robbery so soon. If I had known they were going to chase us, I wouldn't have bothered going to fetch some extra money."

"I'll forgive you if you fix this up... You said you could treat these kinds of wounds, right?"

Nina nodded, then retrieved the knife.

"I can, but I doubt you'll like the process." She brought its serrated edge to the arrow, getting as close to her skin as she could without touching it. There, she began sawing at it, planning to segregate it into two. It brought concern to her patient's eyes.

"Wait... Why're you...?"

"I can't pull it out right now, so I'm just going to saw off the lower half and wrap up the rest."

"Won't skin just grow over the arrowhead? It's not going to be stuck inside me forever, is it?"

"Of course not, you dummy. It'd get infected if it stayed for too long. You're going to leave it wrapped until your wound starts to secrete pus, then it'll slide out easily."

The other's skin, though it was slight, paled into a shade of light green, which made her eyes squint. She made a few noises, but they were difficult to distinguish. The most Nina could say about them was that they sounded particularly disgusted.

"Why did you have to use such a gross word..." Soleil mused.

"What, secrete?"

"No... The other one..."

"Pus?"

Her answer came in the form of a copy of that same disgusted noise. In fear of saying something else that was wrong, Nina, for the most part, kept quiet as she continued to work. When she had carved nearly halfway through the arrow, she at last looked up and stared at the side of Soleil's expression.

"What were you thinking back there?"

"Back where?"

"When you jumped behind me and used your shoulder to block an arrow."

Soleil lifted her head from the rock, eyes widening. When their gazes met, the sawing came to a brief pause. There was something sincere in those eyes of Soleil's, so much that even Nina felt it and was clearly affected. Her frown sunk further down her chin the longer she observed.

"You don't know?" Soleil inquired. "Those arrows were headed straight for your back. I had to do something. It's my job, isn't it? You may not be royalty, but I'm your retainer... And I forgot my pauldron was gone..."

Nina sighed, shoulders sinking.

"Soleil... Geez. Look... I know you came in here as Siegbert's substitute, but really... You shouldn't think of yourself as a retainer. At least not mine. When we get older, we both will have our own responsibilities protecting our lords, so we should keep our loyalty exclusive to them." The deep mess of her thoughts were broken upon remembering that she had sawing to do. Soleil, on the other hand, refused to let the conversation die.

"Okay, fine. I did it because I'm your friend," she corrected herself. "And when we do grow up, I think we should ditch this whole retainer job. Sounds boring, miright? I mean, I like Lord Siegbert and all, but this traveling thing is really fun. When this war is over, no matter the outcome, we should just pack up some stuff and go our own way together. Doesn't that sound cool? First we can live a few years in northern Nohr, and then for a few years in Izumo, then a while in Hoshido..." She stopped when she received a fist to the back of the head. The blow, surprisingly, almost hurt as much as the arrow lodged in her arm.

"That sounds like something married people would do," Nina scolded.

"Whoa whoa whoa, I never said we should get married, I just said we should be travel buddies." She smiled slyly. "Heh. Unless I've managed to impress you before then..." Another whack.

"Not a chance." The arrow finally broke in two, the loose half falling to the ground. Its cutter saw it land with a air of content rising about herself. Soleil watched as she then sliced a strip of cloth from a clean section of the discarded sleeve, and, once she was ready, brought it to the wound. Another one of those brilliant comments popped into her mind, so another sly grin testified, and Nina clearly noticed it. She halted her wrapping to glare at her. "What now?"

"I think you'd make a great nurse."

"Well which one is it? Do I make a great travel buddy or a nurse? I can only be one."

"You could be a traveling nurse."

"I thought I already told you that I only know how to treat an arrow wound. I can't be a nurse if I only know how to fix one type of injury."

Soleil gave her a simple, almost apathetic, shrug.

"Better than me. I don't know how to do anything besides take a warm bath when I'm sore." While watching her work, she eventually felt tempted to wiggle her arm. When she caved in to such a desire, she immediately regretted it, for fire erupted in the site once again. "So who taught you how to do this? Was it Midori?"

Nina finished the final loop around her arm.

"No."

"Oh, I see how you are. You're going to make me guess until I get it right, aren't you? Alright. Bring it. I'm good at guessing games..." Her face eased closer to her aider, and her eyes narrowed. It seemed as though Nina's attention was on the knot, but she was far more focused on something else. Soleil knew just where to direct her fingers, make them sharp, and jab. "It was that old man of yours, wasn't it?"

She knew she scored when Nina shut her eyes with a sigh. Her final knot was tied particularly rough.

"Good guess," she muttered in defeat.

"It's a talent of mine. Ready to talk about him?"

"Nope." She rose quickly to replace the knife in one of the packs and exchange it for the rest of their fruits. She held them up for display. "Want to finish these off for dinner?"

Soleil, instead of answering, began to laugh.

"That's one of the things I love about you, Nina. You're always running from something, whether it's physical or emotional. It happens so often it's almost hilarious. Heh. Quit dodging the question, will you?"

"I gave you an answer, so I'm not dodging the question. I said I'm not ready to talk about him and that's that."

"Mmhm, and then you like getting technical when you don't have any other ground to stand on. You're not dodging the question then, you're dodging the subject. That sound better?"

Nina clearly wasn't in the mood to put up with Soleil's lack of answers, so she made the decision for them. After digging in the bag, where she segregated two halves of the remainder of the fruit, she plopped next to her. She was sure to give Soleil the larger portion of the ration, then heaved a sigh.

"Yup. That sounds much better."

"And then, when you acknowledge your defeat, you act like you don't even care by talking passively," she chuckled as she fished a few berries from her portion, then tossed a few in her mouth. "You sure do make it easy for me to read you. Maybe we have some kind of bond going on here..."

"I have doubts," her neighbor denied stiffly.

"I don't."

"Good for you."

"Raising the white flag already?"

"No."

"It sure sounds like you are."

"Well, I'm not."

"Un-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes."

"No."

Their night concluded... or so it initially seemed. It was a few hours until sunrise, so Nina urged to catch some shut eye before they would have to get up and continue their journey. They settled themselves against the rock after decreasing the fire to a smoldering pile of ash. They bid their good nights and became silent. Nina was the most quiet of the two, so she was the most likely to have already fallen asleep. Being the lesser when it came to physical strength, all her energy had been sapped away by a pair of backpacks. When morning came, she would have to take them up again. She dreaded the idea.

Soleil happened to be wide awake... and for good reason. Her state reverted to being pitiful thanks to her arm, which throbbed and gave her the longest of times. Nothing, she swore, could coax her into the realm of sleep, whose value had escalated to a prize. It was a trophy on a high shelf, a shelf high enough that she couldn't reach it, even when standing on the very tips of her toes. Perhaps if she pulled a chair into the picture she could change the way things were going for her... But no matter how long she looked, she couldn't find one.

In an attempt to distract herself from her dreadful misery, Soleil turned to Nina, who sat against the rock at her side.

"Pst. Hey." A steady mewl sounded from her neighbor, but she didn't budge. She took the noise as an invitation to continue with her thoughts. "You know... about what I said earlier... when I said we should be travel buddies... I wasn't really kidding. I think it'd be great to go out and do all this stuff. It's a big world out here, isn't it? I wanna see it all someday... and I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else besides you. I mean, yeah, sure I have other friends like Ophelia or Sophie, but... there's something about you that makes me real happy to be your friend, even if we're always arguing like cats..." Nina didn't answer. She must not have had anything to say. "Y-Yeah. Don't worry, sometimes I can get a little quiet when someone spills like that too. Sorry if I sounded a bit sappy there. It's not really my style, is it? Nina? Are you listening to me?" She frowned, then dared to lean closer. She brought her mouth to the other's ear, then made the sharpest clicking noise her tongue could create.

Beneath the moonlight, she saw Nina jolt awake.

"What? What do you want?" she snapped.

"I asked you a question."

"Yeah, yeah, definitely not your style..." She heaved and relaxed again, sliding down a smidgen as she spread her legs. "Look Soleil, I need to talk to you seriously here. This isn't some kind of happy-go-lucky field trip, don't you remember? This is a serious mission we're on, and that needs to be our top priority. The lives of the entire army are hanging over our heads, and if we mess up, there's no telling what'll happen. The future isn't exactly a concern of mine at the moment because we may not have one if we get distracted now. Do you get that?"

Soleil nodded stiffly.

"You sure are a grim person, Nina. Maybe it's because you're tired..."

"For once I can agree with you," she answered. "I know it goes against your nature, but I have a request for you. Be sincere. Be serious about this. Keep your mind fixed on the goal. We need to get to the Hoshidan capital as quickly as possible. Don't worry about me. Don't worry about anything else."

Become serious Soleil did, but it wasn't the way Nina was asking of her. With her eyebrows dipping, she pulled herself up suddenly, even though it pained her arm to do so.

"Hey... What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

Nina joined her in rising. When she did, perhaps to make Soleil's heartbeat skip, she drew frighteningly near, meeting eye to eye. Beneath the glow of the pale moonlight, she could make out a pair of green orbs gazing upon her sternly. She felt their demands and prepared to obeyed them, whatever they were.

"I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully. You scared me back there, throwing yourself behind me and getting shot. Do you know what could have happened if whoever fired that arrow aimed just a little bit higher?"

Soleil looked away timidly.

"Um... I would've gotten shot further up the arm?"

"That arrow would've gone straight through your temple," she hissed back. "I get it, Soleil. You want to be a heroic like your father, but you have to listen to me. I can't have you getting hurt for my sake. Not only will we be slowed now that you're injured, if you get hurt anymore, our progress could be stopped completely."

"Now that I'm injured? If I hadn't gotten in the way, you would've-"

"I know. I know..." Nina's head sunk. "And thank you. But please... Please don't do something like that ever again."

Silence settled between them as a good portion of their conversation continued in their eyes. Both stared for a while, serious as serious could get. Seldom had such an air set between them, both noticed, and it wasn't a while before neither of them could stand it any longer. Being the initiative, Soleil at last permitted a smile to be on her lips. No, it was a grin, one of the biggest she'd ever displayed for an audience.

"Aw, I know what you're trying to say." Her arms, even the injured one, stretched out quickly and took her partner captive, where she squeezed her the tightest she could. When her wound stung, she hugged even tighter. She didn't set her prisoner free, even when she squirmed and growled against the fabric of her top. "You just want me to know that you don't like to worry because I'm your best friend!"

"Ret goh ohf me, Soreil!"

"Sorry, I didn't hear you. What was that?"

"I shed ret goh!" Nina's arms began to flail before long, whacking her over and over again. Soleil only laughed, clenching her the tightest her muscles could clench. From her throat sounded a hum.

"I can't do what you want me to do if I can't understand. Maybe you should speak up."

But Nina would promptly gain her freedom. All it took was a fist to the butt on the arrow in her arm. As expected, a shrill followed.