A/N:
The shortest chapter ever, sorry ya'll. Haven't been too well lately.
But thank you to all who reviewed! Your support means a lot to me, and is very encouraging!
BTW, this story's plot isn't entirely hashed out. So if there are certain characters you want to see included, then if you request them I might be able to include them sooner than later!
The rays of morning sunlight stretch across the horizon, bringing warmth back to the Hoshidan forests. Cynthia has always been an early riser. Even when she was much younger, she woke up at the crack of dawn, to the smell of bacon sizzling in a pan, and to the sound of her mother's soft singing. Those days were much happier, much simpler, she thinks to herself, eyeing the misty grey skies. Ever since the battle at Fort Jinya, she's been traveling alongside her fellow retainers. Ryouma has been gone for quite some time now, left to the front lines of the war.
Cynthia is used to traveling long distances. She marched with the Shepherds, after all. But traveling with only Saizou and Kagerou is challenging. They're only three people. But she knows that they'll make it work. She's trying her hardest to keep up. But both of them have undergone intense training since childhood. In some way, she feels inadequate. But this only spurs her on to get better, to improve. Cynthia has never been a quitter! And she never will be. Her greatest strength will always be her determination-her optimism.
"You wake up earlier than most." Saizou's deep voice speaks up from behind her. Cynthia can only turn and smile at him. She knows that she's exhausted, but she needs to stay strong in order to survive. She cannot falter.
"Yep! I always have." Her voice is as enthusiastic as it can be. The situation they're in is looking grim, but she needs to keep an optimistic attitude. "Early bird catches the worm." She adds on.
"Ninjas are at times required to be awake around the clock. Waking up early is crucial." Saizou has described ninja training to her before, but mostly in fleeting, brief moments. Life as a ninja always sounded rough to her. Especially life as a ninja and a retainer, which meant double the work. Although Saizou's attitude wasn't always the best, she had to admire his diligence and devotion. "Kagerou is readying our belongings. We should join her."
"Yea!" Is all she says in reply. Cynthia trails behind him as he turns around and heads back into the thick forest. The lush canopy above shelters them from extreme sunlight, which she's grateful for. "We're headed towards Cyrkensia, right?" She's heard about the Nohrian port many times. The Hoshidan nobles often gossiped about the performances held there. It was supposedly a beautiful, historical city. A shame that it might be ruined by the ongoing war...
"Yes. Lord Ryouma's forces are heading there." Saizou informs her curtly.
"You're worried about him, right?" Cynthia questions. Saizou isn't one to openly show his emotions. But she knows how devoted he is to their leader. Saizou keeps quiet for another moment. His footsteps are quiet and graceful. He avoids every twig and small obstacle capable of making noise. It's these subtle movements that Cynthia admires. They're graceful and poised.
"Ninjas are trained to be detached, calculative." He explains, avoiding her question. "Our feelings must not interfere with our work." A puzzled frown crossed her face.
"You might be a ninja, and a retainer. But you're also human, Saizou." She states firmly. "It's okay for you to feel things." Her words are passionate.
"I know." He tells her, and she immediately realizes that he's beginning to lose his temper. The low growl in his voice tells her that she's lingering dangerously close. "I don't need you to tell me that. You wouldn't understand the burden we carry on our shoulders."
"I may not be a ninja, but I'm a retainer, too!" She objects, suddenly feeling relieved that they're getting closer and closer to where they camped out for the night. She very much likes spending time with Saizou, which surprises most others. But at times, even she can grow tired of Saizou's prickly attitude. She's stubborn, and she wants him to see it through her eyes. Even though she spends a good amount of time around him, she can still be at odds with him. "It's alright to feel."
Saizou doesn't even answer her. A wave of relief washes over her as they reach where they had set up camp. Kagerou stands at the ready, and all of their belongings are packed.
Although weary, Cynthia knows that all she can do is remain optimistic.
It's been two, short days since the battle at Fort Jinya. With new allies alongside them, Corrin feels more confident. More and more people are starting to believe in them, which means that peace in their world is getting closer and closer. The Eternal Stairway isn't all that far away. And if they gain the support of the Wind Tribe, they'll have even more backup than before.
The first rays of sunlight were hours ago, and now, they're traversing through the forest. He thinks back on their new soldiers. Sakura and her retainers are valuable additions, and he's just grateful that he has his little sister at his side, where he can do his best to keep her safe. It would be unbearable for him to meet her on the battlefield.
He spares a glance to Kamui. Although he could never raise a sword towards either Sakura or Elise, he knows that she would have no problem in doing so. He's glad that she's chosen to try and find peace between both kingdoms. Or else one or the other would have been destroyed. If he had chosen the opposite side, he would end up dead, too.
He brushes the chilling thought of it off. Instead, he goes over Sakura's retainers as he treads through the lush forest. Mountains loom up ahead, and the territory of the Wind Tribe is beyond them. He doesn't know what he'll find there. But he can only hope that the Wind Tribe will aid them in their quest. If anything, having Sakura with them should help. Sakura's retainers are Tsubaki, Kazahana, and Morgana. And it had been a pleasant surprise to see that Morgana wasn't human. He had never seen anything like her, before. Her long, rabbit-like ears and peculiar armor intrigued him.
Were there more like her? He had to wonder.
"Pay attention to your surroundings." Corrin jolts back into reality at Kamui's soft, but cold voice. Humiliation washes over him as he realizes that he was about to walk straight into a tree. Kamui breezes by effortlessly, as though it had never happened.
"She's been cold towards you." Sakura's soft voice catches his attention next. Corrin moves his gaze down to look at his younger sibling, and he smiles softly at her.
"Kamui has always been like that." He wishes his own words were true. Lately, she's been frigid and brutal. Sure, she has her brief moments of tenderness. But he can tell that she bears a grudge against Ryouma and Marx. He hopes that she doesn't ever meet either of them on the battlefield. Kamui is unyielding, and she'll fight to the death for what she believes in. She's much stronger than he is, but she'll kill enemy soldiers and wash the blood off of her hands like nothing ever happened. Corrin knows that's what war is. But it disturbs him nonetheless. "She's stressed out." He does his best to comfort Sakura. "I'm sure she'll be better soon. But don't be afraid to approach her. There's no reason for her to get mad at you."
Sakura nods, but says nothing else. Corrin shifts his gaze forwards, only to hear the noise of hooves on the ground next to him.
"Lord Corrin." Tsubaki is charming, and supposedly "perfect". Corrin has trouble believing it. But he doesn't have trouble believing that Tsubaki is an incredibly capable warrior who will help them out immensely. "Forgive me, but you look a little tired. Would you want to ride on my pegasus?" He knows that Tsubaki is right. For the last couple of nights, he's gone sleepless. But he slaps a weary smile on his face and shakes his head. He can't afford to rest now, not when they're so close to the Wind Tribe's territory. He's one of the leaders of the army, and he needs to set a good example.
"No, I'll be fine. But thank you anyways, Tsubaki." Corrin's thoughts move into a completely different direction from there. Is he really one of the leaders? Kamui leads effortlessly and flawlessly. She never falters and her determination can power through everything. Suddenly, he feels much more out-of-place. But he shoves those thoughts aside forcefully, opting to try and get to know Tsubaki better. "We're very lucky to have you, Kazahana and Morgana on our side." He states. "The three of you are really skilled. I'd hate to meet you on the battlefield."
"You flatter me." Tsubaki hums cheerfully. "But I'm also glad to be here. It would have torn Sakura apart to fight against you. And I couldn't stand to see her suffer." It's with those words that Corrin realizes how well-protected Sakura really is. Her retainers aren't there just because it's their duty, but they care about her. And he couldn't be more grateful to the three of them.
"It's probably ridiculous of me to say this-but thank you for being her retainer and for caring about her so much." Corrin looks up ahead again. "But make sure to take care of yourself, too. Between you and I, Kamui used to get so wrapped up in her work that her health would be put at risk." She still does that, but he doesn't elaborate on the subject further. "I can't bear seeing that happen to other people.
"You're too kind, Lord Corrin. That heart of yours might as well be made of gold." Tsubaki's tone is lavish, and for a brief moment, Corrin flusters. "But I assure you, someone as perfect as me will be just fine. Although... You might have to worry a bit about Kazahana."
"I'm right next to you, you jerk!" Kazahana's voice pipes up from the other side of Tsubaki's pegasus, catching Corrin by surprise.
"Now, now, you two shouldn't be arguing." Morgana's tone is mischievous as she scolds the two of them in a teasing manner. The three of them act like siblings, he realizes. As they begin to squabble, he turns his gaze back towards Kamui, who is leading the party.
He wonders if their relationship will ever be like that again.