A/N- This was written for Asherien for fe_exchange. This is set pretty late into the war, so if Tana seems to have matured a bit from her earlier appearances, that was intentional. Also, I want to thank Improvisation for looking this fic over and giving me some excellent advice. Anyway, I really hope that you enjoy this!
Distance was the only word that came to mind when Tana thought about her recent interactions with Ephraim. It almost felt as though there was a wall between them that she could not get through, but it was a mystery to her where it had come from. Although she found herself repeatedly reaching out for him, she could never seem to get close.
It confused her. Not because he had ever been overly attentive to her because he hadn't been, but because it sometimes felt to her that she no longer knew him at all. She'd noticed at least one time before heading into a battle that the confident young man, who had once reveled in his weapon's practice, shook as he picked up his lance. He covered it well and fought as skillfully as any of the other warriors on the field that day, but she hadn't missed the flash of fear and despair that had appeared on his face as he'd stared at his weapon in his hand before calling out the command to advance. She also hadn't missed the bags under his eyes which appeared to indicate that he probably hadn't been sleeping well- although he'd brushed away her concern when she'd asked about it- or the way that he'd been losing weight.
Tana jumped in surprise when her pegasus, Achaeus, snorted loudly and butted her arm with his nose. She'd been so caught up in her thoughts that she'd forgotten that she'd planned on giving her faithful pegasus a good grooming. She used to love just spending hours grooming and fussing over Achaeus, but they'd been moving so quickly recently that she simply hadn't the time, so she'd gone out her way to set some time aside today before she retired for the night, reasoning that it would help strengthen their bond and therefore help them on the battlefield. She didn't know how true that was, but she did know that he'd been enjoying the experience immensely or at least had been until she'd gotten distracted.
Smiling at the pegasus, she reached over to scratch his muzzle. "I'm sorry, Achaeus. This is supposed to be our time together and I'm ruining it. I just... I'm worried about Ephraim. I wish that I could at least get him to talk to me, but he shuts down every time I try." Silence fell as Tana mused over the situation. "Perhaps I should talk to Eirika to see if we can come up with a plan together that might help him..."
Well, perhaps that was what she should do then. Although it was dark out, it was still early enough that she doubted that Eirika would already have gone to bed yet. With as close as the twins were, Tana was sure that Eirika would already have noticed the toll the war was taking on her brother and be working on a plan, so the best thing she could do at the moment would be to consult with her old friend and see if there was anything that she could do to help.
With her mind made up, Tana put her grooming tools away and gave Achaeus a hug before heading off towards Eirika's tent.
When she arrived, Tana called for her friend, her voice loud enough to be heard if Eirika was, in fact, awake, but not so loud that she would disturb her friend if she was already asleep. Eirika was quick to respond and invite her inside.
"Tana, I'm glad to see you," Eirika smiled and motioned for Tana to come sit down. "But I'm surprised to see you here so late. Is something wrong?"
Tana took a deep breath before expressing her concerns about Ephraim to his sister while Eirika listened quietly and attentively.
Eirika nodded sadly when Tana finished. "Yes, I've been worried about him as well. His way of handling stress has always been to bottle it up and keep it inside of him, but... usually he'll confide in me at least. This time he is unwilling to even do that, although I've tried to talk to him a few times." Eirika sighed and placed a hand on Tana's arm. "I'm honestly don't know what to do beyond trying to stay near, to let him know that I love him, and that I'll support him until the end. Perhaps, for right now, that is what you should do as well. That way he knows that he does not need to deal with this all alone."
"But...," Tana immediately started to voice a protest, but then she hesitated. Perhaps Eirika was right that this was the best option for now. Certainly, trying to force him to talk to her about his concerns hadn't helped and if what he really needed right now was simple support, then that would have to be enough.
In truth, this was the last thing that she truly wanted to do. She wanted to yell at him, to demand answers and, at an earlier time, she might have done just that, but not now. She was no longer a child and such a confrontation was likely to only drive him further away.
For now, she could only hope that her presence, prayers, and her love as well, because she knew for certain that she loved him even if his feelings for her were still a mystery, would provide him enough support that he'd never feel as though he had to deal with all this alone. And that he'd come to understand that she would always be there by his side to share in his burdens, so that they would never become to heavy for him to carry alone.