So I've decided to change Tibarn's age to fourteen in this fanfiction. I feel that he needs to be older for the timeline I have in mind.

I don't own Fire Emblem.

Chapter 2

I say I was in love, but I didn't know it then. It's only now that I'm older I can clearly tell exactly what I felt as I walked through the thick forest next to the navy feathered bird. She was humming as she walked beside me; carrying the soft tune and a fragrant floral smell I couldn't name.

From the corner of my eyes I followed the contour of her rounded chin, to cheeks that were rosy against pale skin, down her dark hair that kept blowing into her face as she walked. Distractedly she brushed the locks away as if it was more habit than actual need.

She was enamoring, and that's how I was watching her; like I'd never seen another girl in my life. I had of course, but it wasn't like I spent much time with them. With training and all my "future kingly" lessons, it wasn't like I associated with many hawks other than my brother and Janaff.

Yet there the girl was, barely more than a stranger to me, and I loved her. But, like I said, I didn't know that then. I was stuck between male ego, ignorance, my hormones and the fluttering sideways glances that only females can give.

She was making those same looks at me; the longer I stared, the redder her face became, and it wasn't until she quietly called my name that I even realized I was watching her.

Then it was my turn to blush. I rubbed the tip of my nose and I quickly looked away, finding something else to stare at. I chose a tree of course. "Sorry." I murmured before throwing my hands behind my head, trying to look as casual as possible.

Luna tilted her head to the side and watched me, her single braid fell sideways, shimmering with her green ribbon. Her gaze made my stomach turn for reasons I was unable to name and I could see her open her mouth to speak again.

"Abba!" Reyson was a few feet ahead, pausing to look back at us, and pointing excitedly at a patch of wild yellow flowers. Luna's attention was immediately turned to the little boy, like she was completely in tune to his every call.

She addressed him in the heron tongue gently and Reyson pointed more frantically to the patch with a wide enthusiastic grin. I followed the point of his thin hands and saw a swarm of white butterflies dancing over and around the pedals. Luna acknowledged him with a steady and genial smile and waved him on gently.

He took off in a sprint as fast as his legs could carry him. Luna shouted something, even though I couldn't understand, the warning in her tone was obvious. Her admonishment came too late, however, a few steps into his run and he tumbled to the ground.

The grasses parted as his body landed on them with his face and palms to the ground. When I thought Luna would rush to the little heron's aid, she did not. She slung the basket over her shoulder and made easy strides to the boy, clearly in no hurry.

There was nothing more for me to do but follow after silently. Reyson hadn't moved from the ground and he only stirred when Luna put her hand on his back. Green eyes flashed under sunlight colored hair as Reyson looked to me; quizzically, wondering how he should react to his fall.

Luna continued to rub slow circles against the bird's back and Reyson was still debating on how he felt. "You okay kid?" I asked, not really expecting anything to be wrong, he hadn't fallen too badly.

But my inquiry only seemed to make the situation worse. His lip puckered out and quivered before her burst into tears. He cried loudly as he buried his face into the ground.

My nose turned up at the noise, I'd never heard a child cry so loud. In Phoenicis you were taught not to cry; never to show weakness to friend or foe. There seemed to be no such thinking for herons. Reyson was crying as if the thought of restraint were unheard of for him.

I didn't know what to do. Crying made me uncomfortable and I could do no more than rub my hair stiffly and look dumbly at Luna. For a second I thought I saw a smirk flash on her lips; probably sensing my discomfort, but it was gone before I could really be sure of what I saw.

Soon she was scooping the young heron into her chest and burying his crying face into her neck. She rubbed his back as she cooed into is ear and her hair spilled over the tiny bird and mixed with his own like a waterfall made of morning and twilight.

Slowly she rocked on her knees as Reyson continued sobbing, his arms wrapped desperately against her neck like he'd never let her go. At last I had to look away from the two herons. There was no reason for me to feel so embarrassed, but I did.

Thinking about it now, maybe it was the way she had him cradled and tucked him into her like a gentle guardian. They were folded into each other like a mother and child and that's what bothered me the most. I didn't have a mother that I knew.

Of course I had a mother; but I didn't live with nor did I ever visit her. King candidates were all taken from their mothers a few months after birth to be looked after in the castle. We were trained and taught behind the mountain walls of our great king. Once the candidates reached a certain age, the king choses to either send them home or retain them.

In my case, I was chosen by Garik and never sent to go home. Even now I don't have any real memories of my mother, and when I was young that was a sore subject for me. Only Tal and I could not see our birth mothers, they were considered a distraction to future kings, but Janaff had frequent visits from his boisterous tan winged parent. She was all hugs, smiles, and eyes almost as sharp as Janaff's. I would never have admitted to anyone, but I was jealous of the small privilege that he had.

For that reason, I had to look away from Luna and the way she was tenderly untangling the short golden locks. It made me wonder if that's what my mom would have done if I'd fallen, and Luna wasn't even Reyson's real mother.

Then, as I scrunched my pants in unease, I heard something that made me turn my head to face the herons. It was singing. Luna had her mouth close to Reyson's ear as she rocked and she was singing a slow and gentle melody.

That was the first time I'd ever heard a heron sing. There were always stories about how they sang to their forest and about how their voices nourished their lush home; but stories couldn't really describe the sound.

Even now I am at a loss to explain the way the melody flowed like honey and ebbed and receded like gentle waves against the coast. The melody was alive; a sweet moving tune that practically flew from Luna's lips to my ears and kissed them. Heron voices caressed you as they flowed and died.

Luna caught me staring at her, I couldn't help my reaction, and I could see a small glimmering smile of, satisfaction perhaps, I couldn't be sure, but it was there and as sweet as her song.

Finally Reyson calmed down to no more than a whimper and Luna stopped singing. She pulled Reyson from her shoulder and he sniffled as he hastily wiped his vibrant green eyes. He caught me watching him and he turned away quickly, the tips of his ears staining magenta.

Luna laughed softly as she held him and started to clean his dirt smudged face, "He's embarrassed that he cried in front of you." She said to me with an amused grin.

I could do little more than shrug; both of us seemed to feel the same way about him crying, "Sorry."

The heron shook her head, her hair quivered with the movement, "No need to apologize. This little one has more pride then he needs." There was a disapproving note in her tone as she sat him in her lap and let her hands travel over him, testing to see he was unscathed.

Reyson still refused to look at me but I was watching him. I could see him grimace when Luna's hands graced over his knee. Luna stilled then asked him something in the heron language. I started to wonder if she was the only heron who could speak the same language as me. Reyson whispered something back to her, still ashamed, and then pointed to his knee.

Luna lifted his long tunic above his pale legs and revealed a deep violet bruise just above his knee. I cringed and blew out a pained breath as I saw the painful looking mark. The bruise was spreading up the little boy's thigh and the skin broken at the center was bleeding.

Reyson looked at it, whimpered, then looked at Luna, "Abba?!" he cried in panic.

She hushed him quickly, but not harshly, and studied the scar. Reyson was hiccupping when Luna finally sat him down in front of her. After another short sentence, that was both gentle and a command, Luna brought her sleeve up to her mouth and tore a strip from the tip.

Again she hushed the boy while tying the cloth around his leg. He whimpered loudly as she tightened the cloth. Gently she planted a kiss on his forehead and brushed away an unruly strand of hair.

"That knee looks pretty bad." I said more as an observation than an actual conversation starter. "I can't believe it bruised so much. He didn't fall that hard."

Luna stood smoothly, Reyson still bundled in her arms, and looked at me speculatively. I waited as her gaze bore into me, waiting for the statement she was debating on whether to say or not.

"What?"

"How do you know if he fell hard?"

With a shrug I replied, "I've had much worse spills than that and didn't get bruised up like he did."

Luna offered me a tight unfriendly smile, "Well us herons aren't as tough skinned as you hawks can so happily boast to be."

You hawks. It was a simple phrase, only two words, and yet with those few syllables Luna successfully divided herself from me; and the herons from the hawks. It struck me hard when I realized that she had so easily distanced our kinds. It was then that I knew whatever preconceived ideas I had about herons, Luna had hers about hawks as well.

Heron's and Hawks were supposed to be brothers but it was then that I saw how different we could be. Luna looked to the sky and sighed heavily, "Come, we have to get you back to the center to meet the king correct?"

Her voice was back to its calm level and she even managed to smile at me. She bent to retrieve her basket, Reyson's cries had dwindled down to an unhappy murmur, and motioned invitingly to me.

The reality of the division between kinds had filled me with unease, but I couldn't do much to temper the situation. I was at the mercy of the heron who knew the way to my king. Somewhat dejectedly, I shook my head and followed after her at a medium paced flight.

I was glad to finally use my wings, we'd been walking for some time because Reyson couldn't keep up with his small wings, yet he insisted on not being carried. Flying always had a way of freeing my mind, it was like breathing fresh air with ever wingbeat. Though, that time, the suspicious and judgmental expression of Luna still lingered in the back of my mind. It made me wonder what my time in the heron forest would be like.

Silently I kept easy pace with Luna; weaving between trees and over thick brush, she sailed with ease and grace. Even Reyson in her arms didn't hamper her movement; I on the other hand was not used to the restrictions of flying space.

Branches kept snagging my feathers and my enjoyable flight was turning into a cramped restrictive journey. Luna looked over her shoulder, her expression unreadable, and then I saw Reyson peek his head to the side of Luna's neck. His bright eyes arched playfully, almost mockingly, as I angrily brushed a vine out of my way.

Then, before my eyes could register what was happening, Luna ducked below a branch but I was too slow to respond. For the second time that day I was swatted by a tree and was barely able to catch myself in the air.

I said something vile as I rubbed the burning spot on my face. Luna was giggling above me, I could hear despite the fact that my eyes were covered. With a scowl that was both from pain and embarrassment, I split my fingers and looked at her.

When she caught me staring at her, she hid the tickled expression enough for me to question if it had really been there. "Are you okay Tibarn?" and from her tone I could almost suspect that she'd taken me through a thick and tangled path on purpose.

With a complaint that barely short of vulgar I crossed my arms defiantly over my chest, "Perfect. A little hit like that wouldn't stop us hawks." I was making it a point to use a similar phrase to her to show that I had not missed her subtle did the last time she spoke.

Luna tilted her head to the side and looked, surprisingly amused. Her dark eyes arched slightly, laughing silently when her mouth did not, "I suppose you have to be, with trees so...vindictive." It was clear that she was teasing me that time by the way she lingered on the last word. Clearly a mock at my unceremonious introduction.

I wanted to keep up my contrite front but it failed when I started to find the situation funny as well. With one last attempt to keep my stern expression I pulled my lip into my mouth and tried to look away before I couldn't contain the smile threatening to spread. It was no use though; seeing her almost impish grin was enjoyable.

Finally I settled to let myself laugh softly, "Especially in your forest."

Then it was her turn to laugh, a pure delight to hear, before she turned and waved me on with a flick of her head. "Then let's travel a little slower."

There was a challenge in her voice and I was not about to let her beat me. I rose, without hesitation, to her taunt, "Don't take it easy for me. If a heron can do it, so can I?"

Luna's brow was raised, she hadn't expected me to retaliate so quickly, and she opened her mouth to retort but her words were cut off by a voice calling her name. "Luna!"

We both turned, Luna less alarmed then I was, toward the urgent calling. Another blue winged heron flew from a cluster of low bending trees. He was pale, unbelievably pale, with long navy hair like his fellow heron. It was pulled into ponytail and he had short cropped bangs that hung in front of his face. I remember that he would always blow them out of his face and his nose and cheek would contort in the funniest way when he did.

With a rushed breathe, his bangs fluttered out of his eyes and temporarily rested out of his line of sight. "Rul?" Luna questioned as she strained to hold Reyson who was squirming in her arms to turn around and face the new arrival.

"Rul!" he exclaimed and pointed at the navy heron with a giggle.

The heron bowed his head respectfully but didn't say anything in response. Reyson bubbled cheerfully, suddenly full of energy. I watched the boy in amazement, only a few moments ago he'd been in tears and now he was bounding with energy.

Luna shushed him gently, he quieted quickly then peered up at her questioningly. She smiled down at him and he beamed back at her approval. His navy care taker than looked at Rul and spoke.

The two began an interchange in their native language. My lip twitched as I was once again caught between another foreign exchange. I wondered bitterly, if my entire stay in the forest was going to be just me always out of the loop in each conversation.

I heard Rul laugh at something Luna had said before retorting back and making her chuckle gently. I didn't like that he'd made her laugh, or that he hadn't bothered to acknowledge when me he arrived.

Before I could reign in my words, my mouth was on the run again, taking words, that were best only thought and not spoken, and shooting them out with no restraint.

"Does no one in the darn forest speak the same language as me?" I blurted.

Rul yelped quietly shot me a startled look. I looked furiously back and he shoved his fingernails into his mouth as he began to chew on them nervously. Luna was not surprised by my outburst, again I could see the twinge of delight in her lips as they tightened to control a smile she wanted to release.

She cleared her throat softly and brought a free hand to Rul's and pulled it away from his busy mouth. "I told you not the chew on your nails so much. They'll start bleeding again."

Looking at the boy heron's jagged nails and scabbed finger tips proved that's Luna's advice was timely and necessary. Then she looked at me, "Rul, can both speak with you and understand you fluently."

Dubiously I looked at Luna, "Are you sure about that?"

"I CAN understand you!" Rul shouted with unexpected force and venom. It became clear through his first interaction with me that he might not have hated me, but he wasn't fond of me. Not that he had any reason to have an opinion of me at all. He hadn't said more than five words to me, and I none to him.

Of course Luna too had displayed a manner of disapproval of me, or at least suspicion, but she had the graciousness to hide it behind her smile. Rul did no such thing. He was practically waving his distrust of me on his wings.

After his little outburst I turned to look at him sharply with a raised eyebrow that dared him to raise his voice at me again. I didn't care what issues he had with me; I didn't take kindly to people talking to me the way he had.

Immediately he saw the flash of entitled anger in my eyes. His cheeks flushed as he realized that he had spoken out of place with the wrong bird. Nails were then shoved back into his mouth as Rul sent his gaze to the ground.

Luna swatted his hand again and Reyson giggled. "Yes you do speak perfectly fine. Rul this is Tibarn. Tibarn this is Rul."

"So I noticed." I said tightly, still daring Rul to meet my eye.

Wisely, he did not. Instead he made a small bow of his head and murmured a hello. I offered him no kind pleasantry. I was settling into my mule side where I couldn't be persuaded into doing anything that I didn't want to do. At that time, I didn't want to be civil or friendly with the boy who clearly didn't like me, or want me in his forest.

"Anyway," Luna began, breaking my death glare on the heron who was beginning to shiver under my gaze, "Rul was just saying that the king was looking for us. We should hurry to see them."

Again Rul expertly avoided looking at me, though I was trained on him like he was my prey, and turned to Luna. For a moment his eyes widened and he started to speak. It was again in the heron language but he glanced at me quickly, my mood nor my scowl had changed, and he switched to words I could understand.

Smugly I grinned; the heron learned fast.

"What happened to your sleeve?" he said pointing to the jagged edge of Luna's ripped shirt.

Luna looked down at it as if it was foreign, possibly forgetting that she had torn it just earlier. She raised the torn sleeve to her face, "Reyson took a tumble and scraped his knee. I used my sleeve to wrap it up temporarily."

Rul looked surprised and perplexed, "You wrapped it? Why didn't you just use a galdar to heal it?" he bent over to see the child's and shook his head as he made a 'tsk' noise in sympathy.

"Really, it must hurt him a lot. Shall I sing a galdar for it?"

Silently I watched Luna's eyes narrow as she peered at Rul. She looked uninterested in what Rul was suggesting. When he raised his head to meet her he bit his lip, "Or maybe not." He quickly retracted his offer.

Luna offered a smile that didn't go passed her cheeks, "Yes perhaps not. Reyson is spoiled enough without you babying him."

The male bird looked contritely back at her, bringing his fingers up to mouth briefly then resisting the urge to bite them, he responded, "But shouldn't you? It doesn't look well for the prince to be hurt."

My eyes widened, I hadn't realized the little toddler in front of me was a prince. It hardly seemed reasonable that a bird so small and fragile could have authority in any land. If a boy like him tried to stand in line to be king of Phoenicis, the other hawks would never stop laughing.

"No, I don't think I should." She said dismissively.

Rul looked like he wanted to protest her decision but he closed his mouth quickly and decided against whatever he was going to say. I didn't blame him; the look in Luna's eyes rivaled the look I made when Rul had spoken out of turn with me.

I decided I'd throw the bird a bone and save him from Luna's stare that was withering him faster than a lone flower under a dessert sun. Clearing my throat I looked at Luna, "If you need to take Reyson somewhere to get him cleaned up I can…" I paused to point around the lush forest making thinking noises and trying to get my bearings in a forest that looked the same no matter which way I turned, "find my way to the center."

My sentence ended with obvious doubt and I'm sure my face was no more convincing. I think I could feel my lips turn down and then twist from side to side as I did my best to pretend I was confident enough to trudge through the forest and actually find my way.

Luna was not convinced; I could see it in the way she brought her thin hands to her mouth to cover it as she snickered. Rul stared at her like she was insane then glared at me. While I was enjoying bringing laughter to her, Rul looked mostly annoyed.

I took his glower in stride and smiled back at him in silent victory. "Don't worry about it Tibarn. It's not a problem." Her lips curved, "Besides I don't think you'll make it without me."

Squinting at her waggish grin I crossed my arms indignantly, "If I can survive the cliffs of Phoenicis, I can handle a little flight through your forest."

She pursed her lips together and rocked back and forward, "Phoenicis doesn't have trees, does it?"

Again she was teasing me, her deep navy irises twinkling at me. I was starting to wish that Luna hadn't been the first person to see me after my collision with the tree branch. From what I could tell, she would never let me live my debacle down without constant reminders.

"Lilith will be waiting for him." Rul murmured as he dug the tip of his boot into the grass and made a divot in the ground.

Luna paused and reflected on Rul's words for beat. Finally she sighed, obviously the mention of Lilith had changed her mind. I wondered who the bird was who could make Luna hesitate.

"Fine." She said softly and inhaled deeply through her nose.

Turning to Reyson brushed her hand over his face and bumped her forehead against his, "I suppose we should get you cleaned up before we meet your big sister; right?"

Reyson titled his head questioningly to his side and made an inquiring sound. Quickly Luna changed her sentence to the flowing words of the heron language and it occurred to me that Reyson probably didn't understand any other language.

Immediately he nodded enthusiastically and bubbled something back to Luna. She rolled her hand over the top of his head than looked at me and Rul. Both of us were focused on the girl and child.

"I'm going to take care of this little one."

Rul noticeably relaxed beside me, as if the sigh he next let out had released a cord that was strung throughout his body. I smirked at the high strung bird, I'd never seen someone look so relieved over a little boy getting cleaned.

Luna noticed Rul's tension escaping, "But if I'm taking Reyson than that means you need to guide Tibarn, Rul."

Instantly I could see the wire stitched back into Rul's body. His back straightened and he jerked his head in my direction before clicking it back to look at Luna. He stammered softly, "But Luna." He began to protest.

The girl with navy wings shook her head and let her dark hair ripple like a drizzling fountain, "That's the deal. Either you take him, or I do."

Rul's mouth dropped and he uttered something short and unintelligible. Then he looked at me, discomfort and irritation subtly present under the flat line of his mouth. I returned his gaze with even less luster. It certainly wasn't my idea to get led around by the guy who ate his nails like they were dessert.

Finally Rul lifted his eyes to the sky and groaned dramatically, "Fine." He said; and I knew he was saying that to appease Luna and not me.

Luna was pleased, "Thank you Rul." She said sweetly and spread her wings to start flying.

Her wings beat softly, lightly, like they weighed nothing at all, as she took off almost silently. She looked over her shoulder and grinned at me, "Oh and Tibarn."

I raised my head to look up at her, hair drifting in the current of her wings like silken webs, and gave a quick nod in response, "Watch out for…"

"Trees." I finished for her and grinned at the fact that I managed to have the upper hand for once.

Luna pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and grinned before nodding slowly; knowing that she had been stumped but looking equally pleased that I was managing to play her game.

Her teeth showed as she softly laughed and turned her neck around and started to fly away. Reyson peeked over her shoulder and smiled happily at me as he brought his small hand up to wave at me.

I waved back at him, amused by his innocent face that he buried back into Luna's neck while wrapping his arms possessively around her. I felt a small twinge of jealousy that I couldn't explain or stop.

"Are you ready to go?" Rul interrupted, a mixture of brooding and bitterness.

I could see him looking at me, a green envy of his own that was similar to mine. But I didn't return his scowl, I grinned back smugly, because I was thinking of her smile, and how she'd turned it toward me.

Oh but girls, I didn't really know or understand them, but from the moment I met Luna understanding wasn't an option. Because, as I would later discover, the way Luna made me feel wasn't something that I could describe, but more just something tangible and also intangible. It was, me staring at her retreating wings, like I would often do as we grew closer, until she glanced back and saw me. And then she knew, even before I did, that I was in love; and I know because she blushed the slightest red as she kept flying.

)(

Okay so I'm going to be writing shorter chapters for this story, at least until I can really get it going and until my readers for this story increase. That way I can spend the right amount of time on my other story. Anyway, thanks for reading again.

PG