Chapter 10: For Want of Rest
Despite the fact that many pairs of eyes glared at each other from either side of The Great Bridge, in the end no army dared invade Crimea or Daein, so peace settled on both sides.
Rolf shivered as a chilly wind from the east filled his quarters. He didn't really have much of a chance to talk; the battlefield was simply too chaotic for any words to be exchanged safely. All he did was follow Shinon's footsteps and act as a useful sniper who provided his comrades with supporting fire. Now, he simply waited for Ike's next order.
The young boy sighed. He was used to the heat of battle. Yet, somehow, with everyone else being at least four years older or so, he felt as though there were few people he could actually confide in.
Tauroneo was like a second Greil. He tried to inspire his younger comrades, and got along quite well with Rolf, but, like Greil, the former Steadfast Rider spent much of his time planning strategies with the other veteran advisors. Rolf hardly had a chance to spot Soren, or Lucia, or Titania, since they'd always be in the war room along with Tauroneo, making a plan for their next assault.
Mia was too busy training, and now, with Zihark in their ranks, she dueled him often, so she wasn't someone he could chat with easily. Rhys was either with Mia, or in the infirmary caring for the wounded, so he was out of the question too.
Marcia had apparently been sent to supply duty, seeing as that she was the most experienced of Crimea's Pegasus Knights. Sooner or later, she'd be back with the rest of 'em, but for now Rolf really had no one to talk to...
The young boy sighed. As for Mist, well... She'd been ignoring him lately...
Mist leaned against the firm and large cushion of a couch. This border post had quite a few lounges for a military base, but who was she to complain? She sighed as she stared into a fireplace gleaming in front of her. She was the only person resting in this particular lounge and, hopefully, it would stay that way for another few hours.
After all, she really needed to think.
Despite the fact that she'd been a Greil Mercenary since the band's conception, despite the fact that she'd healed so many of her friend's wounds during combat, she somehow was always set aside. Whenever there was a task that needed to be done, Ike seemed to deliberately assign anyone else but her to see it through.
Then again, he seemed to do the same to Rolf, even though Rolf could actually effectively hold his own in ranged combat, unlike her.
Despite the fact that she was practically a mounted swordsman, Mist found her strength appallingly meek compared to those trained enemy troops. Why was that? Mia wasn't that much older than her, but even she could easily hold her own. Why was Mist so helpless, even now? Why couldn't she, despite being a decent healer, be of genuine use to her brother and friends?
It was depressing, really, to know that despite your own strength, you lacked the power to help those you cared about in times like these...
Rolf got up. The wind was really bothering him, and each frosty gale merely helped depress him further. He needed to find someone to talk to, or he'd go mad.
As he emerged from his quarters, he found the halls mostly empty. There were a few Crimean Halberdiers marching about here and there, alert and prepared in case of an assassin breaking in, but otherwise there weren't many people he recognized around.
He sprinted and shivered, and his eyes darted about. There had to be a fireplace nearby... With a frantic dive, he shoved through a door, and felt the soothing heat that could only come from a strong flame.
He closed the door behind him, and as he stepped forward he found Mist on a couch, staring intently at the fire.
He looked around. It was one of about twelve lounges that the border fortress had. That might be an explanation why the Crimean army was routed when Daein troops burst through the border three years back: They were too busy relaxing on their sofas to spot the coming storm.
Mist didn't seem to notice him despite his wandering eyes. She must have been deep in a pensive, and Rolf gave a small sigh as he sat down next to her.
"R-Rolf?" Mist was startled at the sudden shift in weight on the sofa, and, turning her head, she spotted the younger boy.
"Mist." Rolf gave her a small smile as he decided to lean against the cushion and relax.
"Um..." Mist shifted her gaze away from him. She seemed a bit uncomfortable.
"Are you ok? You don't look so good... Are you feeling well?"
"I... Uh... Rolf... It's nothing..." Mist shook her head. It would be quite rude just to ask him to leave. He didn't do anything wrong, after all.
"Jill! Colonel Jill of Daein's 1st Loyal Regiment!" Kieran yelled as he ran about, startling anyone who happened to be calmly resting in their quarters.
"What is it, Kieran?" Jill yawned as she poked her head out of the doorway to her room.
"Ah, Jill. Yes, General Geoffrey and the other commanders require your presence in the war room." Kieran saluted his comrade.
"Wha-? Could you tell them to wait for some time? I need to change..."
"Lady Jill, please hurry. As an honorable knight of Daein it is your duty to..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll get right on to it." Jill sighed as she slammed the door in his face.
Tauroneo, Geoffrey, Soren, Titania, and Lucia sat attentively in the fortress's war room.
The heavily mustached General pointed at a battle position, and after several minutes finally stopped his long-winded explanation of their foe's troop movements. As a Daein commander, he had some insider information on what the Confederate forces were up to, and such information was quite precious to Geoffrey indeed.
But after hearing Tauroneo's report, Geoffrey sprang up from his seat and began to frantically point at the battle map.
The Crimean commander began to stammer. "With all due respects, General Tauroneo, if what you're saying is true, then the Confederate army seems to have little trust in its Daein allies. Why would that be? By all rights they should let those who are familiar with the terrain be in charge of their supply train and forward posts... Soldiers who hardly know where they even are will make very poor messengers, assault troops, and supply guards."
Tauroneo shook his head. "It's appalling, I know, but Izuka and Lekain have forged an alliance merely because their ambitions haven't crossed each other yet. In their eyes, if Gallia and Crimea fall, they will be able to utilize millions of souls for their own personal bidding... By staying allied, they can conquer whatever they wish a lot easier... Fortunately, though, even if they know that there's strength in numbers, they still don't trust each other at all. We can use that to our advantage."
At that moment, Jill kicked the door open. "Oh... Sorry..." She muttered nonchalantly as she noticed the cracks and splinters she made. "Generals, you called?"
Tauroneo chuckled. "I was just about to yell out for you, Jill. Come and sit." He patted the chair next to him.
Jill blinked, a little confused as to what was going on, but she obeyed just the same.
"Jill, since you are the commander of our Wyvern wing, what have you heard from the troops?" The Daein warrior asked.
She nodded. "Well, morale is decent. They're pretty optimistic, having heard of Ike's strength and his reputation. Since you're with us, General Geoffrey, the soldiers I've talked with seem reluctant but are still willing to fight; with you as an ally they know that they have capable hands fighting alongside them... It's tough, knowing that we'll be attacking Daeins as well, but they all agree that the Loyalist cause is a just one, one worth dying for, and thus I have little reason to believe that they'll betray us when we need them most."
Geoffrey nodded. "And with Daein's finest wyvern riders in our ranks, we'll be able to ambush enemy positions with ease... But, honestly, is it wise for us to strike when the territory we'll gain is very difficult to defend? I think we'd be moving from an advantageous position to a disadvantageous one. What you've discovered is excellent news for us, General Tauroneo, but I think we should allow ourselves to resupply and gather reinforcements before heading forward."
At this Titania spoke up. "If that is what you're planning, General Geoffrey, then I'm glad Ike isn't here. He'd be too eager to attack the enemy, especially with their tactical blunders that Sir Tauroneo has pointed out... After all, a good offense is a great defense, as long as the risks you'll be taking by carrying out such an attack aren't so grave. Compromising our current position is a setback we cannot afford to undergo."
Soren crossed his arms, and Lucia simply placed her hands expectantly on the table.
"Soren? Lucia? What do you think?" Geoffrey asked.
"Titania, don't you think you're being a bit harsh on Ike? Yes, he might be a bit hotheaded at times, but he's not Boyd, not by a long shot." Soren spoke with concern.
"Don't compare people with those who have less abilities in a particular field, Soren. When you want someone to improve, you judge him based on those who are better than him in a particular skill or talent that needs to be improved. Ike is our commanding officer. For him to stoop to Boyd's level of patience and calm would be disastrous for us all." Titania replied with a smile.
Soren nodded. "You have a point. If Ike had Boyd's cheerfulness the troops would be that much more motivated to fight for him. Now they stand by him for duty and honor's sake, not for true camaraderie." (1.)
"Exactly." Titania smiled.
"Anyway... Geoffrey, your judgment is sound. We can't afford to lose this position at this time. Furthermore, we haven't heard from Gallia or Phoenicis at all. To assist them now would ensure our survival and improve our ties with both nations. If you don't mind, General Tauroneo, I'd like you to watch this position. We'll be sending you fresh troops and supplies every four days. Keep in mind, though, that we can't send you too many, as firstly you'll probably not be attacked often and, secondly, we need soldiers in case Gallia is still being invaded." Lucia spoke up.
"Ok then, Sis... Sir Tauroneo, I leave the task of defending this post to you." Geoffrey nodded.
Titania glanced at Jill, and turned to Geoffrey. "General, may I stay here as well? I fear that our soldiers may be, well, uneasy fighting alongside those who were our enemies. Even if Jill and Zihark and Tauroneo are here, there may be misgivings among the soldiers. We need a Crimean commanding officer to keep them in line, since Crimean soldiers might be reluctant to follow a Daein commander's orders."
"If anyone would keep the peace, Titania would be the best choice. I, for one, think that it's an excellent idea." Soren spoke before Geoffrey could answer.
Geoffrey blinked. Soren seemed to be in a rather talkative mood. "Very well, I accept that proposal. General Titania, may you watch over our Crimean siblings in the coming weeks." And with that, Geoffrey, Lucia, and Soren left the war tent.
Titania turned to Tauroneo and Jill with a smile. "Now it's time for us to plan our formations and where our supplies will be going. We have to be prepared in case Izuka's men try to cross the bridge."
"Once we exit the forest, we will be entering Arbor province, which is Crimean territory. Hopefully, there won't be any Confederate troops trying to take the province or ambush us for their recent defeat." Ranulf explained.
"I can only hope that they won't be so foolish... Honestly, to assault men like Lord Skimir and General Zelgius at once... Lekain must truly believe that his officers are merely pawns if he would make such a decision." Sanaki sighed.
A red sparkle glittered just over a ridge, and Janaff was startled.
"Hey, did any of you guys spot that just now?" He spun around.
The rest of his comrades stared at him. "You are the hawk king's eyes, no? Pray tell, what did you see?" Zelgius asked with an amused smile.
"Something red is just over the ridge. Give me a moment." And Janaff quickly transformed, flapping his wings and quickly hovering over the field.
"Confirmed... I hear voices to the east... The enemy has spotted us." Ulki winced. This was definitely not going to end well.
"Enemy calvary troops are starting to move towards the edge of that ridge... They're going to hit us like an avalanche! They've got wyvern riders and pegasus knights as backup, ready to drop hundreds of armored knights into our ranks... Geez... I guess Lekain really is a genuine bastard." Janaff shook his head as he reverted back to his beorc-like form.
Sanaki could only sigh. "Then I suppose we should force them to flee as soon as possible. The more I late my countrymen die, the worser ruler I become."
"Commander, the sub-humans are accompanied by the Apostle's army. It's appalling to know that there are those who would call themselves our countrymen who are shameless enough to cock the knee to those primitive beasts."
"Lieutenant, your platoon will remain as a surveyor of the battle's goings on. Be ready to provide the fifth company with fire support as they descend upon the heart of the enemy's formation." Colonel Roark ordered.
The subordinate halberdier nodded. "Can do, Sir. However, will a single platoon of fire support be enough?"
"There is no need for you to worry. Just do your duty, soldier." Roark yawned and the Lieutenant nodded.
"Understood. Those fools and their beastly friends will not live to see the next moonrise."
Five columns of Begnion armored knights stood steadfast at the bottom of the ridge. In front of them, Zelgius raised a longsword. "Each of you are carrying at least two horseslayers, longswords, or poleaxes, yes? Then we should be fine. The enemy will not expect us to be prepared as we skewer and cut down every one of their calvary troops. Once their first few waves have been slain, the Holy Guards and our Phoenician allies will strike their demoralized ranks from above. Those who betrayed us will soon regret their vows."
"To think we Gallians must stand back and let the Apostle's army avenge our fallen siblings... Why can't we join in the fight?" Lethe let out an irritated hiss.
"Well, those armored units have extremely tough hides... With that many columns we can rest assured that the enemy calvary will find it almost impossible to get past them. Look at it this way, it's certain that none of our laguz brothers will have to risk their lives." Ranulf shrugged his shoulders.
But despite being laguz, none of them noticed the bands of enemy soldiers closing in on them from all directions...
1. Ike seems to have grown colder as well as more mature by the end of Path of Radiance. This showed itself even more clearly in Radiant Dawn, and I think I've shown some of it in this fic, if I'm not mistaken. Though I've also made Ike a bit reckless thanks to knowing that he is very strong.