A/N: I am beating around the bush here: Five chapters in and still no C support conversation yet. This is the last build up chapter before that event.
I'm aware that Robin is almost a non-entity when compared to how much the story focuses on Tharja. He'll get more interesting later on. After all, he's the one that has to fall in love normally (Slowly. Nay, slowlier 'cause Tharja is who she is). I'm thinking the C support conversation should be told from Robin's point of view.
Chapter 5
She drew near him.
Tharja had finally gathered the courage to, initiatively, approach the man she desired. She felt like the boldest and strongest woman in the world. For far too long she had remained in the shadows, watching and studying him. From a distance, she admired this man. Though her mind had yet to understand why her heart went out for him, Tharja's conscience was relieved to know that she loved a good man. Previously, the dark mage never dealt with such feelings, but it seemed important to her that Robin wasn't some thug. In many ways, he was her opposite, and that didn't help how self-conscious she sometimes felt around him. She feared that he would think poorly of her; perhaps see her as a cold and unlovable woman. With all of those thought running through her head, regret suddenly invited itself.
Knowing that surrendering to second thoughts would lead to nowhere, Tharja silenced the nagging voice in her head that told her to keep her distance from Robin. Suddenly, she felt more whimpering than brave. Tharja had to remind herself of one very important detail: Robin was asleep at the moment. She mentally slapped herself for being so nervous around him while he slept. It was one thing to not know how to approach Robin, but she felt pathetic for her momentary hesitation while he wasn't even awake. At least Tharja's tensed state made it impossible for her to feel inappropriate for entering a man's tent late at night; if someone had caught her in the act, it would've created a huge scandal amongst the Shepherds.
The dark mage focused solely on Robin when she saw him turning and struggling on his mat. With a simple spell, Tharja lit some nearby candles. She knelt next to him and saw his pained expression. It was hard for her to see him like that, but it strengthened her resolve to stay by his side. Robin was having trouble sleeping, that much obvious to everyone. Some days he would drag his feet wherever he went out of exhaustion, and it was getting worse. A few of their companions suggested that Robin was stressed and simply needed to relax, others though he wasn't handling Emmeryn's death very well. Tharja, however, didn't give a damn as to what was bothering him so much. The Plegian mage just wanted to help him, instead of just hoping that it would go away. Truthfully, Tharja was waiting for an excuse to do this, so there was a bit of guilty pleasure in coming to Robin's aid.
Tharja gently placed the palm of her hand on his cheek, and then stroked it lovingly. Despite the kind gesture, Robin still looked like he was in the middle of a battle. She wondered if his lack of sleep had anything do with his strange amnesia. The possibility of a traumatic memory that kept trying to surface while he slept crossed her mind. Although her curiosity was piqued, finding out what ailed him came third to helping Robin, and then enjoying this opportunity to stare at him from the intimate distance between them.
As she caressed his face, Tharja chanted a calming spell on him. The incantation's effect was noticeable after a couple of minutes. Robin's features relaxed, and his muscles were less tensed when Tharja's magic kicked in. Out of fear of him waking up, she kept at it even after all of Robin's symptoms vanished. Seeing him sleeping normally was a treat for her – a small blessing during the hardships she was going through.
You can't thank me right now, Robin. She though mischievously. But I'm sure you won't mind if I take something from you as compensation.
Her hand slid to his white hair. She had wanted to touch it for so long, and it was silkier than she imagined. Knowing he was deep in slumber, she played with his locks, enjoying how they felt on her fingers. Tharja stopped herself, fearing she would spend hours acting like a child. She reached into a small pouch she kept attached to her hip and pulled out a pair a scissors. With said tool on hand, Tharja cut a few hairs from the side of his head; they were more than sufficient for her, and few enough to go unnoticed by Robin.
She smirked smugly. I didn't need that idiot thief's help at all. Tharja had previously asked Gaius for help in getting a lock of Robin's help. Much to her anger, Gaius didn't follow her orders – it was never a request. Now she had what she wanted, and would still try to curse the fool. She pondered on the possibility of making him unable to taste sugar, even if it was far too harsh for what he did.
Aware that she couldn't linger for too long, Tharja looked at Robin one last time before leaving. He had never looked like that around her: peaceful… almost happy. A sensation akin to pride manifested itself within Tharja's heart. Knowing that he looked like that because of her was joyful, especially since he was… not himself around her. Robin was always a calm and collected individual around each member of the Shepherds, but she was the exception. Not that he treated her badly; he was just a little on edge around the Plegian mage. It wasn't like that at first, but Robin's unconditional friendliness couldn't last forever, because Tharja was who she was.
The temptation to stay with him was strong, almost immobilizing. The tactician plagued her dreams constantly, and it was nearly heartbreaking to always wake up alone. She knew she could avoid that, but at the same time, Robin wouldn't react well to seeing her sleeping next to him. That was what willed her to get up and leave quietly. To her consolation, she knew she had just done him a great favor. They were getting ready to invade Plegia, and Robin needed to be rested if he was to make it through the hell the Shepherds were about to enter.
XXXX
She could be as predictable as she was beautiful. Although, Robin still felt foolish for not realizing it sooner. Of course Tharja would be in their dark basement, working on something he didn't understand, and by a table filled with strange ingredients. At least his beloved was not the boring type. When he notched that Tharja was not aware of his presence, a nefarious idea hatched in his head.
He slowly approached her from behind, and he embraced her quickly in order to scare her. She didn't even flinch. Tharja simply kept using her ceramic mortar and pestle. "Still not talking to me?" he asked rhetorically. He placed his head between her neck and shoulder. Tharja smelled of bats and toads, and he loved it. In fact, he missed it terribly. Robin didn't feel at home if that stench was absent.
He sighed because Tharja wasn't saying anything, so he contented himself with just standing with her. By not pushing him away, Tharja showed that she wasn't extremely angry with him, and Robin was more than willing to stay with the silent mage until she came around.
She eventually acknowledged him by placing his hand on her flat stomach…
"Robin!" Frederick called loudly, bringing the Shepherds' tactician back into their meeting. Robin reddened out of embarrassment and disbelief. "Milord, I believe Robin is unwell, he can't seem to focus on the matter on hand."
"No!" Robin exclaimed. "I'm actually feeling great. I haven't been this energized in months," he said truthfully. For the first time since King Gangrel declared war on Ylisse, Robin rested tranquilly. "My apologies, I just have a lot on my mind." One of those things is that strange dream about Tharja. "Could you repeat what you said?"
Chrom nodded at Frederick, and the knight sighed in frustration. "Lon'qu informed us that the Khans marched ahead of us. If his information is correct, the Feroxi army has secured the border."
Robin took a deep breath and blocked every distraction from his mind. He knew that what was to come required his full attention. Otherwise, defeat would greet them out of the slightest mistake. "I can appreciate their initiative. What were their losses?"
"We don't know," Chrom interjected. "However, I believe their casualties were kept to a minimum."
Robin raised a brow. "How so?"
"Some of Ylisse's Pegasus knights recently reported that the border barely had any sentries guarding it," Chrom explained.
"It sounds little more than hearsay to me, Milord," the knight said. "It makes little sense. The Mad King knows we're coming, why would he leave his borders so undefended?"
"We crossed it once," Robin mused. "Perhaps he believes that it is better to keep the bulk of his forces closer to the capital."
"That does not bode well for us. Their forces are much larger than ours," Frederick pointed out.
"I still think we have the advantage," Chrom began. "It's true that they outnumber us, but we've been able to weed out Gangrel's generals. We have the Khans, and of course the three of us."
"It's true, one man cannot manage that many soldiers on his own without slipping," Robin said. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "King Gangrel has proven himself to be a cunning dastard. Mad as he surely is, the man knows how to lay a trap. I hope you are right about the Khan's casualties, Chrom. We may need their armies fully intact if things go south."
"Then how should we proceed?" Chrom asked anxiously. Although the Prince of Ylisse had not surrendered to bloodlust, it plain as day that he was eager to introduce the Mad King's neck to sharp edges of Falchion.
"As I see it, we have two main options," Robin stated. "We can reunite with Khans and continue our push through the dunes of Plegia, or wait."
"Wait?" Chrom didn't sound amused by the idea.
"We can set up a blockade, starve them out," Robin explained. "The pressure may cause a revolt amongst the soldiers and the people."
"Or it could drive any sympathizers we may have closer to the Mad King," Frederick said. "Besides, it is impossible for us to do that. Plegia frequently trades with the continent of Valm. That's why it's a rich country, and why blocking their access to Regna Ferox and Ylisse won't affect them much."
"Then we go after Gangrel," Chrom decided.
Robin nodded. "Agreed. Chrom, with your permission, I would like to coordinate with Khans once we meet with them."
"What for?"
"The best way to end this war quickly is if King Ganrel dies, but thousands of Plegians stand between us and him." Robin closed his eyes for a moment. He thought carefully on what he was about to say. "I believe the best way to do that is to pit the Khans against Plegia's main forces, while we push through and face the Imperial Guard directly."
Chrom smirked. "Gangrel's handpicked men against the Shepherds? Yes, I like the idea"
"I second that," Frederick said. "We've trained the Shepherds for such an encounter."
"Then it's decided, Robin. I don't think Flavia or Basilio will disagree with you." Chrom smiled. "But they might complain when you tell them that they won't exchange blows with Gangrel."
Robin chuckled. "Now I suddenly don't want to do it alone."
Before leaving the meeting tent, Chrom patted Robin's back and wished him luck with his dealing with the rulers of Regna Ferox. Frederick followed him out of the tent after saying his farewell. Robin heaved a loud sigh when no one was around.
His mind began thinking of that dream about Tharja, much to his shame. It had been so real, like those nightmares that haunted him regularly. Such intimacy with her – with anyone - was alien for him. Robin didn't know what triggered such a scene to play over and over while he slept last night. He certainly didn't have any romantic feelings towards her, though the dream version of Robin was head over heels for her. If he was completely honest with himself, Tharja frightened him a little, especially after he began noticing how she followed him around.
The irony of the whole situation was not lost on him. The appearance of Tharja, someone who made his skin crawl, in his dreams would result in the best sleep he's had in a long while. Part of him wanted to go over to her and apologize for dreaming of her in such a way, even if it was a tad silly. Even though he was trying to pass the whole thing as his subconscious having a strange sense of humor, Robin was having trouble distracting his mind with some duty he had to do.
This is almost worse, he thought. Concentrate! Chrom is depending on you to see this through without any distractions.
His resistance was of little use. He could not get the terrifying mage out of his head.
XXXX
Tharja knew they were nearing Plegia when she felt the temperature rise. She thanked the gods for their march out of cold inferno some people actually called home. She would've celebrated on the spot if it wasn't for her two grinning companions, Nowi and Donnel. It was beyond her why they were always so cheery, and why they wouldn't let her walk in solitude. Tharja couldn't work on anything while the Shepherds were advancing, so she had no need of Donnel's help… or Nowi.
It's not that they were pestering her; Tharja simply had no idea how to behave around company. What could she talk about? Dark rituals? How to make a wyvern eat its rider? Robin? The last one was the most pleasant subject for Tharja, but she briefly considered the first option to see if they left her alone. It was futile, though. Nowi would nod and smile absentmindedly, while Donnel might actually be interested in what she had to say. The boy was fascinated by just about anything he had not seen in his simple life back in the barn.
Tharja could say that she's done things that most people thought impossible, like talk to dead people. But seeing a thousand year old Manakete befriend a farm boy was certainly something she never expected to witness. Then again, she knew better than most that the world was full of strange occurrences. It was interesting in its own way to witness the odd things that happened within the Shepherds, but none as captivating as seeing Robin carry out all of his boring duties.
Easily enough, Tharja's mind wandered to the object of her desire. Her hand twitched as she remembered how his skin felt. Longing to be close to him again kept her awake for most of the night, which currently made her drowsy, but picturing the Shepherds' tactician was enough to keep her moving forward. Aside from the lock of hair she took from him, she gained something important: courage. It was improper for an unmarried woman to go inside a man's tent late at night, but it was certainly bold.
She needed to be bold, and she was preparing herself to scream her feelings right in front of him – gently, though.
"Have you noticed she sometimes gets like that?" Nowi asked silently.
"Yeah, I reckon she's thinkin' of some sweetheart she has back home," Donnel whispered. "I've seen that expression 'fore. It's real hard to get her attention when she gets like that"
The sudden change in their idle conversation irked the dark mage. She leered at both of them to let the Manakete and farm boy know that she was still listening.
Nowi was unfazed by her menacing glare. "Tharja! You're still with us! So, what are you thinking?"
Tharja scoffed. "You're too young to understand?"
"Hey! I'm much, much older than all of you combined," the Manakete stated. Despite her child-like appearance, Nowi was as old as the Plegian Royal Family. "I have toenails older than Donnel."
"Didn't need to hear that," Donnel said in disgust.
"Come on, you can tell me," Nowi pressed on. "I've kept a secret for three hundred years."
"Whatever it is, that information is useless now," Tharja said, trying to change the subject.
"Maybe, but still…"
"It's better ya let her have her privacy, Nowi," Donnel cut in. Nowi pursed her lips and grunted something about Donnel being too serious sometimes. For her part, Tharja was grateful that Donnel demonstrated some maturity when the millennium old dragon hadn't.
Tharja accelerated her pace, leaving Donnel and Nowi behind. She was tired, angry, and frustrated. Although that was always the case with Tharja, she was also in love, which only served to complicate her life even more. It only took her a moment to miss their company already. As annoying as they could get, their lighthearted conversations would lift her sour mood most days. Still, Tharja knew going ahead was for the best. She feared that she would lash out at Nowi out of frustration. Seeing the young-looking girl get sad was heartbreaking, and Tharja knew it would be worse if it was caused by her inability to keep herself calm.
She eventually bumped into someone, Robin to be precise. She did not intend to, but she thanked the gods she had, for his reaction was priceless.
Robin went from pale to beet red when he saw her. "Oh! Tharja!" he stammered. "My apologies." He bolted away.
Interesting.
