The scent of error

Tibarn had spent the whole day together with General Ike. He had listened to Sorens' strategy for hours and also noticed something fussy about Janaff.

Tibarn had been together with Janaff and Ulki sense the day they had hatch and he could sense when something was wrong about those two. Janaff didn't agree to it though. He'd just kept smiling like always and pretending that everything was as it used to be, except for the time of war of course. Though he had looked pretty worried, looking around like something was missing for the rest of the evening.

Tibarn was happy to see his old friends again. It had been a while sense he could listen to their stories around the camp fire when the stars woke up from their slumber in the evening sky. The only one of the beroc he didn't talk much with was a man named Shinon.

Shinon was an odd person. He hardly smiles, not of joy at least and he only seemed to talk to two of the others in the camp. One of them was a big man with the name Gatrie and the other one was a small boy, the youngest brother to the warrior Oscar; Rolf. Every time Tibarn saw Shinon the little green haired boy was with him, smiling like nothing on earth could hurt him. It was an odd sight and Tibarn never seemed to get used to it.

Rolf were sitting next to Shinon, away from the others but still facing the warm fire. The boy were talking laud about everything that came to his mind and even if Shinon didn't answer you could see that he was listening and also enjoyed the boys babbling mouth, even if he didn't show it to well. The man watched the sky with his deep green eyes and seemed to be thinking about something very important or pleasant for the mind.

Everything seemed so peaceful this warm summer evening. It was like the war never had started. The war with Daein. It was kind of sad that they never could gather together without troubles of war. They never seemed to have the time.

This time they didn't know who they were dealing with. The new ruler of Daein was unknown and what they had known no one was sitting on the throne. Who was their enemy; a man or a woman? Who could tell? No matter whom it was Daein had to be stopped before it was too late.

Ranalf was sitting in the tree watching over the camp with his green and blue cat eyes. He didn't look so present, almost like he was close to fall asleep, though every time he heard a noise he twitched.

- Are you tired Ranulf? Asked Ike. He was standing under the tree looking up at him with his dark blue eyes.

Ranulf twitched and exchanged looks with his friend on the ground. He yawned big and two sharp teeth were shown.

- Terrible. I normal use to be fairly alert at night but for some reason I haven't got much rest recently. Something is worrying me.

- Something is worrying us all.. I don't believe anyone here can rest well at night.

- Except you that is.

They laughed and Ike gave his laguz friend a gently smile.

That night Ike couldn't sleep. He was sitting outside his and Sorens' tent, staring at the night's stars. He had to admit that he normally slept good at night. Not that good if you think about the circumstances but still well enough to get all the rest he needed. He was always fighting hard in battle and was too tired to stay awake when he finally put his head on the pillow. But what Ranulf said made him wonder.

He hadn't seen many laguz sleep lately. Skirmir was always taking a walk during the nights and always came back to the camp when the sun rose but still didn't go to bed. Ranulf was not outside; he was in his tent but not asleep. Muarim was also awake, sitting outside his and Tormods tent like he had to protect the boy sleeping inside of it. Tibarn was standing on the hill behind the camp with Ulki and Janaff by his side.

Something wasn't as it should.

- What's the matter Ike?

Soren came out from the tent rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Ike looked away from the sky for a moment to watch his friend when he sat down beside him on the ground. Soren was very lady like sometimes. He had to stroke the fabric of his mantel and robe when he sat down, to make it straight. He also strokes a curl of dark black hair away from his face with long slender fingers. Ike hadn't seen him with is hair untied, he looked a bit like a maiden.

- Nothing really, I'm just thinking.

Ike started to look at the sky again. Soren did the same. No one was closer to Soren than Ike was. Ike was the only one Soren talked to about anything, they were the greatest of friends. Soren never trusted anyone except Ike. And he could get a little jealous when others got Ike's attention more than he did.

- Thinking about what?

- The laguz.

They went quiet again. Soren was what you called a branned, it means that you are both a laguz and a beroc. You're something in between and they aren't loved by anyone. Though Soren had only told Ike about his true race, no one else would ever know about it. It had been a hard time when he had told Ike about his true self, at the beginning Soren had been scared for the fact that Ike maybe should have turned his back on him like other would, even his parents. But Ike didn't understand what a branned was and when Soren had told him the truth he didn't care. They were still friends.

- Soren, you know a lot about laguz yes?

Soren looked back at him and nodded without a word.

- Maybe you can answer my question then. Do laguz feel things better than berocs? I mean, do they.. like.. smell it when something is wrong. Is that why they can't sleep? Is something that wrong?

Soren looked surprised. Ike was never good with the words; he always asked exactly what he wanted to know and never thought about what words he should use to make his question understandable. He never done that as a child or a teenager so why would he when he was an adult?

- I don't know if trouble got a scent, though I understand what you mean. Laguz are more an animal than a beroc. They got the animals' instinct and cause of that they can feel fear, anger and other kind of feelings of others. I am sure they also can feel when something is wrong. But like a normal cat, the cat tribe – or the bird tribe - can't understand what is causing the feeling of fear or anger or whatever they are feeling; they just know that something is wrong. I think that is the reason why no one of our laguz friends can sleep.

Ike kept looking at the stars. They looked like crystals on a big black cape, it was a beautiful sight. His eyes went to look at Soren again and he nodded. He understood and thanks to that he stopped wondering why his friend couldn't rest, though now he had another question at mind.

- I wonder what's wrong.. He said with a low voice.

Soren nodded and stand up on his feet, stroking the dust of his clothes.

- Anyhow we who can sleep should try to get some rest, he said and gave Ike a gentle smile.