Chapter 8 Misunderstandings

Emmeryn looked out to the sea of men that lie dead across the Feroxian port. In the bodies was a mixture of Valmese, Ylisseans, and Feroxian soldiers. Even some villagers were mixed in with the sea of men and women; some Emmeryn knew, and some she unfortunately didn't get the chance to meet. Though she acted as a healer it was still hard to see men and women die before her even if she didn't do any of the fighting. The only things walking now we're soldiers of both Ylisse and Regna Ferox and villagers who helped the soldiers cover and take the deceased away to a place Emmeryn had no knowledge of.

Looking onto the field made the former Exalt feel ill both physically and mentally. She turned around to escape the horrifying sight when a playful high pitched voice called out to her.

"Hi-ya Emm!" Emmeryn turned to the friendly greeting and saw the short manakete and her friend, Tharja, walking toward her.

Emmeryn smiled weakly and waved at the two.

"Are you taking a stroll?" Nowi asked. "If you haven't noticed, this isn't the best place to be taking a walk y'know?" Emmeryn didn't reply. She just nodded once again which made the little manakete worry. Before she could say anything Tharja beat her to it with her usual cold tone.

"What's wrong with you? Can't take a little blood?" Tharja's words seemed to affect Emmeryn more than her cold tone. The blonde looked to the brick ground and nodded.

"If it bothers you so much then why did you even bother coming with us?" Tharja scoffed, making the former Exalt feel even more uneasy. "You only acted as a healer in this fight, yet you can't even take a little blood? If this is too much for you then you should head back to your castle while you still can. We have no time for people that are going to be a burden on this trip."

Tharja's words hit Emmeryn like a ton of bricks. Everything she said was right. Even though she didn't fight, the things she saw from the sidelines was something she wished she hadn't. It was like something inside her just didn't agree with what was happening. Like the very sight of war was a taboo to her. Am I...a burden? Emmeryn asked herself, not wanting to look up at her friends.

"H-Hey! You don't have to talk to Emm like that Tharja!" Nowi protested with her cheeks puffed. "No one gets use to battle after just one skirmish. It takes time y'know!"

Tharja sighed and put her hand on her hip. "I'm just stating the obvious. If she is too scared to fight, then she will be nothing but extra baggage on this campaign. The last thing we need is someone who isn't in their right state of mind when a real emergency is at hand on the battlefield."

"Yea, but no one ever gets use to killing another human, Tharja! You can't honestly mean to tell me that you feel nothing when taking the life of another, right?" Tharja didn't have a reply for the little manakete. Or she did, but didn't want to voice it. She just looked away from the manakete and huffed.

Nowi turned and walked up to the blonde who stared hard at the brick ground. She stopped right in front of the former Exalt and reached up to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Emmeryn peaked up in surprise to the smiling manakete.

"Listen, Emm. You don't have to kill to stay with us. Healing is also an important job in an army! Heck, if it wasn't for you, Lissa, Maribelle and Libra, most of us wouldn't be here right now!" Nowi turned around and looked to the dark mage that was staring in the distance. "I know Tharja's words sound harsh, but I'm sure she means well by them. She may look mean, but she really is a nice person when you get to know her! Remember that we are friends Emm, and we will do anything for you, okay?"

Emmeryn smiled at the manakete who smiled back at her. It was a relief to hear that she wasn't being a burden to her friends, but it was more of a relief to hear that her friends were there for her when she was down. "Thank you...Nowi."

Nowi put her hands on her hips and poked her chest out with pride. "Hehe! You can always count on me, Emm!" Emmeryn giggled and patted the little manakete on her head who purred from the former Exalt's gentle touch.

Emmeryn glanced up to Tharja who had turned around and began to tread away from the two. Before she could get even 4 steps away Emmeryn ran and grabbed the dark mage's hand. Tharja stopped, but refused to look to the blonde.

"Wait...Tharja." Emmeryn begged. The dark mage sighed and turned to the blonde with her usual scowl on her face.

"What do you want." She replied coldly, which, once again, didn't seem to faze the Exalt as her lips curled into a smile.

"Thank you...for worrying..." The dark mage looked away from blonde smiling and thanking her. She had never been thanked before for being honest. But even though her words were harsh, she said them to Emmeryn to show her how sad the battlefield is. And the last thing she wanted was for her friend to get hurt because she wasn't in her right-state-of-mind in the skirmish…Did I really just acknowledge her as my friend? Tharja pondered, but oddly enough, didn't mind…I'm becoming soft.

Not really knowing what to say in this situation, Tharja mumbled a soft "don't get hurt" to her friend, hoping that she didn't hear it. Apparently she didn't whisper it low enough. Tharja turned to the Exalt whose face lit with joy. Without warning the Exalt tugged Tharja's arm toward her. The force threw the dark mage off guard and she nearly fell if it wasn't for the Exalt catching her in her arms. Tharja blushed at the sudden embrace, but didn't say anything as it was the first time that someone had been so...forward with her. Or it was the first time she had been embraced by anyone for that matter.

Not knowing what to do once again, Tharja aimlessly looked around over the Exalt's shoulder. She looked to Nowi who was grinning back at her while making, what looked like, a hugging motion in the air. Tharja knew what she was trying to say, but didn't want to follow. She looked a little further and saw some of the Shepherds looking her direction with a somewhat confused look on their face. She blushed as the Shepherds confused looks turned into warm smiles. Trying not to get any more attention drawn to her she hesitantly raised her arms and wrapped them around the blonde.

After what felt like an eternity, the former Exalt released the dark mage who looked away with her face redder than a strawberry from embarrassment. Peering over the dark mage's shoulder Emmeryn could see a familiar blue head along with the brunette tactician just yards away. Before she could open her mouth to call out to the two Tharja sprung back to life and began a slow strut toward the tactician.

"Hello there...my love." Tharja said seductively while slithering her way next to the tactician and pulling his arm into her chest. Instead of shaking her off like he use to do, he sighed heavily and looked down to the raven haired woman.

"Tharja, what do you think you are doing?" The tactician asked dryly, already accustomed to the dark mage's advances. Emmeryn's body tremble at how close the Tharja was to Matthew. She didn't know why, but watching the dark mage cling to the tactician was making her feel…uneasy? Or was it anger? Emmeryn couldn't tell what emotion she was truly feeling, but she knew she didn't like it.

"What are you talking Matthew? I'm just trying to get closer to my soulmate. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Yes, there are many things wrong with that. For one, I'm not your soulmate, so can you please let me go?" Tharja didn't seem to be fazed by the tactician's words. In fact, it any made her grin wider and grip tighter.

"Don't be shy my love. You can finally stop resisting and give yourself to your true-WAH?!" The dark mage was interrupted as a hand grabbed hers and untangled her from the tactician with one pull. Tharja turned her head to see who dared to lay their hands upon her. The dark mage's anger dimmed down when she saw that none other than Emmeryn was the one who seized her arm wearing a childlike frown.

"Stop it... He's not...yours." Emmeryn stated firmly.

"Oh?" Tharja began with an evil smile. "So he's yours then?" Emmeryn's face immediately turned beet red from the dark mage's assumption.

"N-No! We...I mean we...are just...were not..." Emmeryn choked. She didn't know exactly what she wanted to say. She wanted to say that she was just friends, but it wouldn't justify why she pulled her friend away from the tactician.

"What's the matter?" The dark mage asked with the same evil grin. "What are you two? Are you just friends?" The word 'friends' could not be emphasized any harder by the dark mage. She took great pleasure in watching her friend blush and struggle between her words.

Meanwhile Matthew, Chrom and Nowi watched from the side lines. Matthew and Chrom looked confused, while Nowi watched the two with eyes leaking with curiosity.

"What is he to you Emm?" Nowi jumped in causing Emmeryn to stutter even more from the four eyes fixated on her.

"W-Well...he's..." Suddenly a word came to her mind. A word that the old man told her one day when she still yet lived with him. "Someone that you cherish. You trust him dearly and he will always treat you nicely." He once told her. Emmeryn found her determination and straightened herself while looking the smirking dark mage in the eye.

"He's...my boyfriend!"

Instantly everyone's eyes wide and mouths hung agape, aside from the former Exalt who stood with pride and a triumphant smile. Nowi, Tharja, Chrom and Matthew all shared the same wide eyes, but all for different reasons. Nowi's eyes were filled with glitter and awe. Chrom and Tharja's eyes twitched a furiously from even the mention of the word 'boyfriend'. Matthew's eyes were filled with worry from the dark mage and his sword wielding friend next to him.

Nowi, being Nowi, did not register the intense situation and happily opened her mouth to speak. "When did he become your boyfriend, Emm?!"

"Yea, when did this happen?" Tharja asked while glaring at the tactician. The venom leaked from her words almost as much as the killing intent coming from the blue head next to the tactician.

"Hmmmm." Emmeryn put her index finger to her chin as she tried to remember when she discovered their relationship. The old man's voice echoed in her head. "Having a boyfriend when that you share meals together, laugh together, and in rare cases, sleep together. Ah, I remember those days well." Emmeryn smiled as the night when she fell asleep on Matthew's shoulder. "It was when...we slept together."

All eyes shot toward the tactician whose face was flushed and eyes filled with fear.

"You took advantage of my sister?!" Chrom roared as he began to u shield Falchion. Even Tharja began a death walk toward the tactician as he slowly backed away while shaking his head back and forward in protest.

"W-Wait a minute guys! This is a BIG misunderstanding! Yes, we slept together, but we didn't sleep toge-"

"Matthew." Chrom started with a soulless smile that told the tactician whatever he was about to say would not be good news. "Thank you for volunteering to be my sparring partner for the rest of the week. Due to certain circumstances all of your practice swords have gone missing, so please show up with nothing but your regular attire and your fist. For everyone else, after we're done here we will be moving out to Plegia to ask for ships. That is all."

Chrom walked away without mumbling another word. His dry tone told the tactician that he was absolutely serious about the sparring match. Tharja also walked by the tactician. She let out an audible *Tch* before walking away, which made the tactician curse inwardly. Not only did he have to deal with Chrom, but he also had the curse slinging dark mage on his back as well.

Great.

Matthew looked to Emmeryn who was being bombarded with questions from the little manakete. He took this opportunity to get as far away as possible. Being around Emmeryn, for now, was a really bad idea.

A/N: This, was short...I know. I don't know why when I wrote this why I didn't think of anymore ideas, but this is how it came out regardless :/. Well, chapter 9 will hopefully be out by tomorrow if there are no delays. After chapter 11 things will slow down about the story will take longer to come out :/.

As always, thank you for the reviews, favs, and follows and hope to see you all next time!