Well...fate either loves you guys, hates me, or both. If I'm being entirely honest...I wasn't gonna update tonight. I needed to do my art coursework for tomorrow. But through a series of unfortunate circumstances, I got locked out of my own house. Somebody left the key inside, and you can't put an outside key in if there's one already in the slot...or push the one inside out (trust me, I tried). So I was stranded outside my own house for three wretched hours. But it wasn't so bad, because it was kinda sunny, and I had a garden cushion to sit on. It only got really bad when I needed to pee, and had to walk down to McDonalds just to use theirs. :sweat: And I felt guilty just abusing their services, so I ended up buying an ice-cream. XD
OK. So I've been paying close attention to your (19! =D) reviews, and I'm (hopefully) using them to improve my story.
Sadomina-sama - I'm feeling a lot better now, thank you. I just rattled off my English essay (yes, I now write these chapters the day before, so that you get a chapter even if I feel ill) and I'm feeling a lot better for that, too. I wasn't able to include everything that my teacher wanted me to, but I was over the word count as it was, and the words flow so much more easily for this than they do for essays anyway. =3
Ninja-Sheik - Thanks for continuing to read and review. It makes me happy to know that people are following this story. I don't like going on journeys alone, so I'm happy that there are several loyal reviewers here to keep my company. I shall do my best to update!
Soapscum - Your reviews always make me smile, because I feel as though you're taking the story the right way. Every time I'm worried about whether or not I'm getting the emotion across well, I tend to judge it by the reactions in your reviews. And so far, I seem to be doing okay! Hooray! Please continue to tell me how you're feeling about the story. I honestly do love hearing your opinion. =D
Sora Blade707 - Soren's Japanese name is used in a lot of fics involving his childhood, particularly AUs where he was raised by his mother and/or father. But I'm glad you like it regardless! As for longer chapters...hmm, yeah, I get that a lot. I did try with Chapter 13, to be fair...it was originally going to be two chapters, but it flowed nicely, so I kept it as one. The reason I tend to write shorter chapters (aside from me being a very impatient person and getting distracted too easily) for this is the sheer amount of timeskips. I find it weird to break mid-chapter. I know some authors write 2000 words per chapter, but they usually have several breaks down the page, and I just can't write like that. However, just for you, I'll try to keep above 1000 words per chapter for now. =D I'm also glad (OK, not the right word) that I wasn't the only one getting all emotional over the last chapter. =o I can't stand when Ike and Soren are fighting, but at the same time I love the dynamics between them. I guess you could say I have a love-hate relationship with them. Anyway, this one's a nice long chapter for you.
To everyone else - Why aren't you reviewing?! Last chapter dawned a new splurge of hits (the highest for 10 days, though we've still yet to beat the record for an individual day, of 320 hits) but there was no increase in reviews! D= I want this to be my recordbreaker fic, and the only stat it hasn't beaten is the number of reviews. That crown still belongs to my first ever fic, standing at a magnificent 27. So come on and help me achieve my dream here - REVIEW! =D
It worried Soren that when he awoke, he found Ike already dressed and in the mess hall of the castle. He knew that he had not overslept, as dawn light was still shining through the windows, and Rhys was not yet up. So he found it disconcerting that the commander was.
Ike yawned. "Morning."
Soren regarded him for a moment. "Talking to me now, are we?"
"Huh?" Ike met his gaze. "I never said I wasn't talking to you."
"Of course not. To say such a thing would be both immature and pointless, as you would have to break your vow in order to tell me of it. I merely felt it was implied, due to the fact that you never responded last night."
"You..." Ike frowned at him. "...Think too much."
Soren gave a noncommital shrug before seating himself on the bench next to the commander. "What else do you suggest I do? If you don't tell me anything, then I can only assume."
There was a lengthy pause. "Sorry."
"There's no need to apologise, Commander."
"Stop calling me that."
The corners of Soren's mouth twitched. "To disregard your station in such a manner would be frightfully rude, though."
Ike laughed. "Yeah, but I'm not a noble. Thankfully," he added as an afterthought. "That prince never took his eyes off you, huh?"
"Mm." Soren's face fell.
"And since Goldoa's on the way to Begnion, he's hitching a ride with us. You get to have him onboard staring at you for...oh, I don't know. A month?" Soren stayed silent, his eyes fixed firmly on the wall opposite. "Sorry. I shouldn't joke. I forget you have no sense of humour."
"...I think I feel seasick already."
Ike grinned. "Well, what do you know? You do have a sense of humour after all."
Soren closed his eyes, his stomach tightening in anxiety. "Uhm...Ike?"
"Hm?" Ike looked over at him, clearly more comfortable now that Soren had returned to calling him by name rather than title.
"I..." Soren bit down hard on his lower lip. "I don't...I don't know who my parents are. I was too young to remember either of them. All I know is what the sage who raised me told me - that I was Branded, and that my father was a noble desperate for an heir. And now I'm fairly sure that my laguz parent was a black dragon." He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts.
"I don't quite understand what you're getting at," Ike said, scratching his neck and looking pretty confused.
Soren sighed. "It's just that...To be honest with you, I..." He broke off again, clearly distressed. "The name that the prince called me...that's the same name that the sage used to call me, too."
"Senerio?"
Soren nodded, refusing to make eye contact with Ike. "I always assumed it was my birthname, so I abandoned it after the sage died, in the same manner than my parents abandoned me. I didn't want anything to do with them. Senerio always sounded like the name of some snooty noble, anyway." He exhaled slowly. "So...so if the prince knows me by that name, then isn't it likely that..."
"That you're related? Probably. Ranulf said that there aren't many dragons left, didn't he? I would have thought you were probably all related in some way or another."
Soren glared at him. "You aren't listening. Let me finish. You see, I did a bit of researh - that was what you caught me doing last night - and...Prince Kurthnaga is the next in line for the throne. When the current king dies, he'll be king."
Ike looked at him, brows furrowed in confusion. He made no comment on how disturbing Soren's ability to lie with a straight face was, though after last night, he would be sure to think twice before believing the young tactician. "So you'll have relatives in high places. So what? I won't cast you out just because you're a noble, Soren. I just wouldn't want to be one myself, that's all." Ike smiled at him in a manner that Soren supposed was meant to be reassuring.
"Ike...my father was desperate for an heir. What kind of man most fits that description?"
"Someone with something to pass on?" Ike's expression made it clear to Soren that it hadn't yet hit him.
"A king, Ike. They have to keep the royal line going, so they need heirs."
"Oh." Soren watched as Ike's expression slowly changed from confusion to understanding, then to one of slight amusement. "Wait, you think Prince Kurthnaga's your father?"
"Don't laugh!" Soren said angrily, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment. "It...it's logical, isn't it?"
Ike sniggered. "Well, yeah, if he weren't even younger than you are."
"He isn't," Soren said sharply. "Laguz age a lot more slowly than beorc do. The current dragon king is well into his hundreds, but apparently he doesn't look like he's yet reached fifty." Soren smirked at Ike. "Rather in the same way that I don't look older than you."
Ike's eyes widened. "What? You're not older than I am!"
Soren's smirk grew wider. "And Ranulf's old enough to be your father, too."
"Huh. So...that would make you a prince, right?" Ike grinned. "Your Highness? Or would you prefer Prince Soren?" Soren punched him in the elbow, sending a spasm up Ike's arm. "Ow!"
"Don't ever call me that again. Look, I'm not a hundred percent sure. I just think it's a reasonable conclusion. I wouldn't be considered nobility anyway. Despite what Ranulf might think, they wouldn't accept a Branded. I'm not bothered about that."
"So...what are you bothered about?" Ike asked.
Soren looked him in the eye. "I wouldn't know what to say. That's why I avoided it at the meeting. I never expected to meet either of my parents. I...I'm not even sure how I feel towards him. I know I used to hate my parents for abandoning me, but...it's different now that I have a name and a face. It feels harder to lay the blame."
Ike rested his hand on Soren's shoulder and gave him a comforting pat. "Don't worry about it. Somehow it'll all work out for the best. I promise you." He stood up from the bench and stretched, giving another loud yawn. "Oh, and by the way...you punch like an underhanded girl."
Soren smirked. "I rather expect that you cast spells with all the skill of a dead rodent."
"Wow, you're quick-witted today...Your Highness." Ike scarpered from the room before Soren's death-glare caught up with him.
Whew, that was a long one. I really enjoyed writing it, though. Even if I was locked outside of my house in the freezing cold to write the majority of it. Blasted British weather! The sunshine has no warmth here! Bah. Anyway. What did you guys think? I really loved the idea of Soren guessing incorrectly about who his father might be...I don't think he'll react like that to the truth, somehow. :laughs: But I'm more interested in your opinions. So please review!