~ Chapter 2 ~
Water's Edge
"What is this place?" Owain marveled, stepping through the rift beside Severa.
"Home," Morgan answered, stepping through after them.
Severa and Owain turned and watched as Morgan casually waved towards the rift. The oblong ring of energy remained, but the scene on the other side faded in color until it resembled a pool of lightless water, rippling in the breeze.
"I call this place Water's Edge," Morgan explained. "My ring can bring me here whenever I want. It can also activate this rift to send me back to wherever I last came here from."
"But where are we?" Severa asked, though she couldn't quite hide her awe at their exotic surroundings. The nearby trees were heavily laden with coconuts, and the warm air carried a faint, briny scent, as if the ocean were only just out of reach.
"Come and see," Morgan invited. She skipped merrily through the woods, and the ground beneath their feet seemed to slope uphill.
Severa and Owain followed, and soon found themselves standing atop a cliff. The sparkling blue sea splashed gently below, and pristine, golden beaches lined the distant horizon. A few buildings rested along the opposing coast, resembling a city of some sort.
"The mainlanders don't know we're on this island," Morgan explained. "There's a small village just down the hill from us. Some of the villagers here have been talking about wanting to build a ship, but… well, it's complicated."
"How so?" Severa asked.
"Come on!" Morgan said, ignoring her sister's question. With that, she turned and started back down the slope.
Before long, a sizable village just slightly larger than the other two farming communities had been came into view. An old woman wearing a straw hat was in the middle of picking tangerines from nearby trees. She appeared to be from Chon'sin, although her clothing was more suitable for life upon the tropical island. She looked up as Morgan approached, and broke into a wide smile. "Lady Morgan! You've returned!" she called joyfully, setting down her basket.
"Hello, Granny!" Morgan called, racing up and giving the older woman a hug.
"Friends of yours?" the old woman said, smiling warmly at Severa, Owain, and Ophelia. "They don't look like refugees."
"Granny, this is my sister, Severa," Morgan said, running back to her sister's side. "This man is her husband, Owain. The little one is Ophelia. Severa, Owain, this is Marian. She's pretty much the one in charge here."
"When Lady Morgan isn't here, that is," Marian corrected modestly. "She's the one who brought us here, after all. It's nice to meet you two… three, rather," she corrected herself, meeting Ophelia's gaze as the little girl looked up.
"Lady Morgan?" Severa asked, emphasizing the title and frowning at her sister.
Morgan blushed. "It wasn't my idea," she said quickly.
"It's respect freely offered by everyone living here in Water's Edge," Marian offered, her smile unwavering. "Speaking of which, milady, dear Vincent had an idea he wanted to run by you. He's probably down at the lumberyard. If you're leaving again, you should see him before you go."
"Will do," Morgan agreed. "We're just here to pick up some of my stuff, but I'll stop by and see what he wants.
"Here, milady. Take some of these before you go," Marian offered, lifting and presenting her basket. "They're sweeter than ever this time of the year."
"Thanks," Morgan said, and she passed one of the orange fruits to each Severa and Owain before taking one for herself. "Come on, Sis, Owain. Let's go see what Vincent has to say."
"The lumberyard is on the way to my house, anyways," Morgan said, gesturing along a worn dirt path. The path ran by a fenced off field with many large stacks of wooden boards, before coming to an end at the foot of a dilapidated cabin.
"Lady Morgan!" a young man, barely older than Morgan was herself, called out from the lumberyard. He wasn't alone; a handful of older men accompanied him. The others appeared to be from Chon'sin, like Marian, but the young man who had spoken looked to have come from eastern Valm instead. Their apparel, too, was mixed, and though it was of summer weight appropriate for the island's temperate climate, they were styled rather exotically.
"Where did these people come from?" Severa wondered, realizing that she hadn't seen a single person who looked to be a native a tropical island. "And how did they all get here?"
"They come from all over, really. I brought them here when they had nowhere else to go," Morgan said. "The Valmese nobles have been squabbling and posturing for a while, which means a lot of the peasants who live near the borders get ignored. Pirates own the Valmese coastlines now, and bandits rule the countryside."
"Are things really that bad in Valm?" Severa asked worriedly. It seemed a bit incongruent to her, since she and Owain hadn't encountered any trouble in Valm before running into Morgan, but they had been following well-traveled roads, for the most part.
"Not all of Valm, but things can get pretty ugly for those living too far from the major cities," Morgan said. She held up her hand, displaying the pearl ring she still wore. "Dad accidentally created this ring a few years ago. It seemed pretty useless at the time, since he couldn't get the ring to send us anywhere useful. I took it with me when I left, though, just in case I ever needed an escape and couldn't risk warp powder. This island's turned out to be a nice home for these people, though. The soil's good for farming, the weather is nice all year long, and there's plenty of food with the fruit trees everywhere and the ocean teeming with fish."
"Lady Morgan! You made it back safely!" the young man in the lumberyard said, rushing up to greet them as they approached the lumberyard. His messy brown hair bobbed wildly around him as he scrambled clumsily to open the gate.
"Don't I always?" Morgan replied petulantly.
"Ah, go easy on the lad," one of the older laborers – a grizzly, mustached man – laughed. "It's only natural to fret about a pretty lass like yourself wandering the countryside alone, especially with things the way they are."
"If only you've seen me fight before," Morgan sighed dramatically, but Severa thought she heard a hint of genuine hurt in her younger sister's voice. "Oh wait, I think you have, haven't you?" the younger redhead added, her expression twisting into a mischievous smirk.
The older laborer laughed, and the younger man blushed.
"Never mind," Morgan said hastily. "Granny Marian said you wanted to speak with me, Vincent. What's up?"
"Well, old Charles finished drawing up the blueprint," the younger laborer began. "We've got more than enough lumber set aside, too. We could have a nice ship built within a month. Then we can start trading with the mainlanders, and you won't need to worry about helping us out with the supplies."
"You just want to visit that beach resort on the other side," Morgan accused, grinning.
"Well, maybe if we had time…" Vincent said, fumbling about for an excuse.
Morgan shook her head impatiently. "I told you last time, Vincent. No one knows we're here right now, and we're all the safer for it," she said.
"Most rulers wouldn't take kindly to hearing about foreigners moving into their territory unannounced through magical means," Severa added wryly.
"This is my sister, Severa," Morgan introduced quickly, when Vincent shot Morgan a questioning look.
"Ah. Well met," Vincent said, dipping into a polite bow. Then he turned back to Morgan. "Please, Lady Morgan. I know of your fears, but we've burdened you with our needs for far too long already. And besides, Exalt Chrom is known to be a wise and fair ruler. I'm sure if he were to hear our story, he would gladly allow us to keep our homes. He may even grant you this island and an accompanying title of nobility. Wouldn't that be fitting?"
"Exalt Chrom!?" Severa and Owain exclaimed together.
Morgan cringed.
"Are we in Ylisse, Morgan?" Severa demanded.
"Yeah," Morgan said in a small voice. "We're just off the southern coast."
"You two have heard of Ylisse and its Exalt, haven't you?" Vincent pressed. "I'm sure if we were to tell him of our troubles and of how Lady Morgan came to our aid, he'd be willing to grant us a single island that he thought deserted."
Severa groaned. "These people have no idea who you are, do they?" she asked.
Morgan shrugged sheepishly, as Vincent and the other laborer looked on in confusion. "I… uh… I'll think about it," Morgan offered feebly. "I guess you can start working on your ship in the meantime." With that, she beat a hasty escape, returning to the dirt path and rushing towards the cabin at the end of the road.
"Thank you, milady!" Vincent gratefully shouted after her.
When Severa and Owain finally caught up to Morgan, they found her inside a sparsely furnished, but fairly cozy room. Morgan's head was buried in one of three large, plain wooden trunks lining the far wall.
"Just one moment," Morgan said when she heard footsteps behind her. "Ah, here we go!" She emerged from the trunk with a large bag. "Do you two still want to come to the Vault with me? You can go home right now, if you'd like," she offered.
"We can go home any time, right?" Severa pointed out. "You're using the warp powder to reach the Vault, anyways. We can spare a few hours. Right, Owain?"
"Sure," Owain agreed, sounding more serious than usual. He had been thoroughly unnerved by the mention of his uncle.
"But Morgan, is there some reason you don't want to talk to Uncle Chrom? I'm sure he'd let those villagers stay here," Severa asked, wondering if there was something going on in Ylisse that she wasn't aware of.
"Not really," Morgan said, shuffling her feet nervously.
"Are you afraid to go home? That you'll be in trouble with Mom and Dad?" Severa guessed.
"Well… maybe a little bit," Morgan reluctantly admitted.
Severa sighed. "I know how you feel," she admitted. "I'm not sure what I'll say to them myself." She turned to Owain, smiling slyly. "And you should be even more worried. How do you think Lissa will react when she sees you?"
Owain swallowed uncomfortably. "Ah…" was all he could manage.
"But I'd like to see them anyways, all the same," Severa went on nonchalantly. "Mom and Dad, I mean, and Lucina, too. Don't you miss them, Morgan?"
Morgan's expression became unreadable, and she held up the scroll she had purchased from the Fireman. "I have work to do, remember?" she asked.
"But…" Severa began.
"I promise I won't go through the gateway until I know I have a way back," Morgan interrupted hurriedly. "Here's what I'm thinking. Ellie will stay here while we head over to this Vault and find the gateway that the map points to. Then I'll use my ring to project a rift to the other side of the gateway. I'll leave it there for a minute, then create a new rift on our side for Ellie to rejoin us. She'll be able to tell us if the rift can connect between our two worlds, and whether the other side is safe."
Severa shot the silver butterfly perched on Morgan's shoulder a doubtful look. "And what if it doesn't work?"
"Then I'll try to come up with something else that does work," Morgan grinned. "I'm not trying to get myself killed, Sis. I'll stay safe. I promise!"
Severa looked to Owain for help. To her annoyance, all he could say was, "It sounds like a pretty good plan."
"And if it does work, what then?" Severa asked urgently. "How long will you be gone? A month? A year? Ten? What am I supposed to tell Mom and Dad? Or the other Morgan?"
"They'll understand," Morgan said, though she sounded unsure. "I think. Morgan will understand, at least."
Severa sighed again. "Promise me you'll come home, Morgan. Promise me you'll come home soon," she pleaded.
"Melodramatic, much?" Morgan teased, and any trace of vulnerability faded from her expression. "Alright, I promise. I'll find this mysterious world that the Fireman spoke of, and once I've seen everything there is to see and done everything there is to do, I'll come home. Then you get to convince Mom and Dad not to strangle me. Deal?"
"Do you really think it'll be that easy?" Owain asked.
"Sure it will," Morgan said confidently. "You'll see."
Less than an hour later, the three of them were squeezed together behind a large boulder. Severa and Owain had, with some reluctance, left Ophelia behind in Water's Edge; upon seeing how tired Ophelia looked, Marian had offered to look after the baby for a few hours. Now, Severa was quite thankful that her daughter remained somewhere safe.
"This is your idea of easy?" Severa hissed angrily, glaring at her younger sister.
"This wasn't part of the plan," Morgan argued in an equally hushed tone. "How was I supposed to know there'd be a dozen mercenaries camped around the entrance?"
"Mercenaries?" Owain asked. He peeked carefully around the boulder for a second look. The armed men waiting around the cavern entrance still looked like soldiers to him; nine of the twelve were clad in polished armor and equipped with an assortment of quality javelins and lances. Two more were wearing matching leather outfits with fine swords waiting in their scabbards, and the wore a simple cloth robes while carrying no visible weapon. All twelve of them bore the same crimson markings on their shoulders, a depiction of a brutally spiked crown over the distinctive silhouette of Wolfberg.
"That's the sigil of Countess Oathkeeper," Morgan explained. "She's the one who claims to be the daughter of Emperor Walhart's tactician – Excellus, or whatever his name was. I don't know what the Countess's real name is, but she claims to be trying to unite Valm and uphold her father's oath of fealty to Walhart, even after their deaths."
"Touching," Severa intoned dryly. "So those are her soldiers, then?" She peeked around the boulder, too, this time paying closer attention to the emblem, and indeed, it was the same one that had been emblazoned across the banners and flags of the Valmese army more than a decade prior.
"Those are mercenaries," Morgan said again, more insistently this time. "Look closely. The armor is old and fits those men poorly, and the camp is a disorderly mess without a single sentry posted. These aren't trained soldiers. The Countess must have hired and armed them, just like she did with the Barkley Mercenaries." Then, to herself, she muttered, "But what are they doing here?"
"Mercenaries, soldiers, whatever," Severa said, uninterested in Morgan's pedantry. "What do we do now?"
Morgan mulled the question over for a few seconds, then her expression brightened. "Simple. You two can wait in Water's Edge while I warp directly into the Vault," she suggested.
"And waste more warp powder, plus more of whatever your ring uses?" Severa pointed out.
"The ring doesn't use anything," Morgan argued. "It just needs a few minutes to open a rift."
"How are you going to navigate the tunnels properly if you warp in? And what if there are more mercenaries waiting inside?" Severa pressed.
"Good point," Morgan acknowledged thoughtfully. "Hmm… in that case, let's just hide until nightfall. Once they're asleep, I bet I can sneak past…"
"Hey! Look over there!" one of the mercenaries abruptly shouted.
Severa, Owain, and Morgan all flinched, shrinking further behind the boulder.
"A merchant caravan. Curse our luck!" another of the mercenaries said dramatically, though he didn't sound too disappointed.
At those words, Morgan looked out towards Valm's famous Mila Tree, an ancient tree so large that it could be seen from miles around and seemed to pierce the sky itself. Sure enough, about three hundred feet away, a small merchant caravan of a mere four carts was lazily making its way north. Morgan's heart sank.
"The boss's orders were pretty clear," a third mercenary spoke up, confirming Morgan's fears.
"Leave no witnesses," another agreed, and there was a cruel edge to his voice. With that, the mercenaries started towards the oblivious merchants, weapons in hand.
Morgan drew Alondite and began to rise, but Severa grasped her wrist firmly.
"You just used warp powder," Severa reminded sharply. "You can't get into a fight right now."
"I can put up a better fight than those merchants," Morgan retorted defiantly.
With a disgruntled sigh, Severa drew her own sword. "Stay here, Morgan," she insisted, before turning to her husband. "You up for this, Owain?"
"When the call of justice sounds, Owain Dark inevitably answers," Owain replied, readying his tome.
The sound of the merchants' screams as their carts spontaneously burst into flame put a quick end to Owain's dramatic antics. Without exchanging another word, he and Severa charged.
"Hah! Listen to their feeble whining!" one of the ruffians gleefully crowed. "Hit them again!"
His friend obliged, and with a wicked smile, cast another fireball forward. The second flaming projectile struck squarely one of the merchants crawling from the burning, overturned cart, killing the unfortunate trader instantly.
"Watch the goods," another of the mercenaries advised. "We'll be eating well tonight if you don't burn their supplies to a crisp."
The mage nodded slightly, then took careful aim at another of his squirming victims. Before he could release a third spell, though, a ball of fire exploded nearby, knocking one of his companions flat to the ground.
"We're under attack!" one of the lightly armored swordsmen screamed unnecessarily. The fallen man quickly pulled himself to his feet, and all twelve of the mercenaries turned to greet Severa and Owain's approach.
"Those idiots don't know when they're outnumbered," one of the lancers chortled, easily sidestepping Owain's next fireball. Severa reached him then, but he simply forced his attacker back easily with a straightforward thrust. "You're a pretty one, aren't you? Maybe we won't kill you after all," he taunted, as his friends laughed.
Unfortunately for the cocky mercenary, Severa was intimately familiar with lances, and knew their weaknesses quite well. She matched the lancer's wicked smile, recognizing her opponent's lack of training from his poorly balanced stance. Severa rushed forward, despite the pointed weapon brandished her way, and when the mercenary lancer predictably jabbed the lance at her, she weaved around it with ease. Her blade came up, slapping against the lance's shaft, sliding along it and keeping it at bay until her blade struck home. With a simple flick, she sent her sword cutting straight through the lancer's armor and into his heart.
The other mercenaries cried out, outraged, and two of them moved to flank Severa immediately. One of the two promptly took a fireball to the side and crumbled to the ground, squealing in pain. The other, now suddenly facing the deadly red-haired woman alone, hesitated. When Severa attacked, his lance came up a second too low to block, and he, too, collapsed breathlessly to the ground.
"Get the mage!" one of the two mercenary swordsmen cried. At the same time, his own magic-wielding companion loosed a blast at Severa, forcing her back on her heels.
"Owain!" Severa cried out, realizing she couldn't handle the approaching mercenaries while avoiding the mage's onslaught.
Owain quickly saw his predicament, but he ignored the incoming swordsman anyways, aiming his next spell at the mercenary mage. Another gout of fire erupted from his hands, soaring out to and striking the mage.
When his conjured flames splashed harmlessly off his enemy's warded robes, Owain knew he was in trouble. "Severa! Look out!" Owain called.
Though her view was blocked by a pair of her bulky opponents, Severa could guess what had happened. She extricated herself from the melee quickly, partially dropping her guard as she dove into a roll. Another fireball sailed her way, missing badly, but she felt a sting as one of the lancers landed a glancing blow against her thigh.
Owain thought to strike the enemy mage again, but he couldn't afford to ignore the approaching swordsman any longer, he knew. He leveled his tome defensively instead, sending forth another spell to stop the approaching ruffian in his tracks. The spell connected, but the ruffian simply shrugged off the impact and pressed on regardless.
A massive ball of fire that dwarfed any of those Owain or the mercenary mage had thrown spun across the battlefield, striking the latter squarely. This time, the spell pierced the magically warded robes, immolating the unfortunate mage where he stood.
"Owain, catch!"
Owain spun to find Morgan charging his way.
Morgan paused to launch another tremendous blast of fire at the lancers pursuing Severa, then unsheathed her sword and tossed it to Owain. Though she remained weakened by her warp powder, it was a credible attempt nonetheless, and her sword landed only a few feet away from the blond swordsman-turned-mage.
Owain raced away from the swordsman chasing him, turning only when he held Alondite firmly in his grasp. Despite the sword being even heavier than he would have guessed, and though he had not used a sword in many years, Alondite's elegant blade felt perfectly balanced in his hands. Owain parried the mercenary swordsman's first swing easily enough, and his second swing sent Alondite's gleaming silver edge slicing through the surprised ruffian's torso.
Meanwhile, Morgan's distraction had bought more than enough time for Severa to gain the upper hand. The remaining mercenaries had scattered when the magical flames exploded amidst them, and the disorganized ruffians could only scramble around helplessly, trying to escape their deadly foe. Severa darted between the smoke and flames, finishing them one after another.
Finally, Severa alone staggered through the dissipating smoke clouds, dragging behind her the beaten and limp form of the last surviving mercenary.
Morgan waited until she spotted Severa, then turned to check on Owain as well. As soon as she was certain that both of her allies were safe, Morgan turned and raced towards the overturned carts, hoping that their attempt at a rescue hadn't come too late.
Morgan cautiously made her away around the smoldering wreckage, briefly checking each of the still bodies lying about it for signs of life. The stench of burning flesh was nearly unbearable, but she pressed on regardless, her eyes watering.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, Morgan noticed a slight flicker of motion, and cursed her own lack of vigilance.
"Don't move!"
Morgan slowly lifted her hands into the air, making herself look as harmless as possible. It wasn't difficult, thankfully, given her lack of a weapon and unimpressive stature. She turned her head slowly, too, and soon found herself staring straight at a nocked arrow.
The bow's holder – a dark-haired girl who looked perhaps two or three years older than Morgan – gasped when she realized how young Morgan was. Her surprised didn't last long, however, and her expression hardened again almost immediately. "Back away," she demanded.
Morgan found the threat thoroughly underwhelming, for both the bow and arrow were quivering in the girl's grip, which was entirely wrong to begin with. "Okay, I'm backing away," Morgan agreed anyways, taking a slow and deliberate step back. "But you should really put that bow down. You're only going to hurt yourself, holding the arrow like that."
"I don't care!" the girl growled defiantly. "Leave my brother alone, bandit!"
With a start, Morgan realized that the scorched body lying behind the girl was still breathing, but only just. "I'm not a bandit," she assured the girl soothingly.
"You're… you're not?" the girl asked hopefully.
Morgan shook her head. "Is that boy your brother? He needs help. I have a staff with me, if you'll let me try to heal him," she offered.
"Where?" the girl demanded, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"In my belt pouch," Morgan said. "I'm going to take it out now, okay? Just my staff. No weapons," she promised.
But before the merchant girl could respond, Severa darted around the opposite side of the cart. The dark-haired girl spun in surprise, but was too slow. There was a flash of steel, and she cried out as the bow in her hand went rigid, its string cut neatly in two.
"Sis! Stop!" Morgan cried.
But Severa had already stopped. "She had an arrow pointed at you," she reminded testily. "Though she was more likely to break her own hand, holding it the way she was."
The boy lying on the ground suddenly began breathing loudly and raggedly, putting an end to the discussion. Morgan reached into her pouch, producing a healing staff, and approached the boy. Soon, the boy was breathing easily once more. "I'm sorry," Morgan apologized to the merchant girl wearily. In her weakened state, the feeble attempt at magic had taxed her greatly. "That's the best I can do right now."
The girl shook her head, relieved. "You saved him. Thank you," she whispered gratefully, her voice hoarse.
Owain arrived then, with Morgan's bloodied sword in hand. He began to hand it back to Morgan, though he paused sheepishly, pulling it back and wiping it off on the grass. "These two are the lone survivors of today's tragedy," he murmured as he handed Morgan her now-clean weapon.
Morgan winced, as did the merchant girl, who had apparently overheard. "I'm sorry," she said again, sympathetically. She kneeled down to check on the resting boy, who, to her surprise, looked to be about her own age. "You and your brother are from Chon'sin, aren't you?" she guessed.
The merchant girl nodded. "I'm Li'rei. My family and I were on our way home after visiting the coastal city of Silvertide, where my grandmother lives. We visit every year, bringing with us silk from Chon'sin, and we return with… with…" Her voice wavered as she surveyed the ruined carts and the piles of shattered glass.
"Drinking glasses," Morgan guessed softly, for the coastal cities of Valm were renowned for their glassmaking techniques. She began inspecting the carts too, then, but she ignored the ruined goods and instead sought out any remaining supplies. A small satchel filled with smoked jerky and a few burnt water skins were all that remained. "Do you think you and your brother can make it back to Chon'sin on your own? Or back to your grandmother's home?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.
Li'rei had no answer to that, and only slumped against her brother's side, her face streaked with tears.
"Now you see why there are so many people living in Water's Edge, don't you?" Morgan whispered to Severa grimly.
Severa, like Li'rei, had nothing more to say. Instead, she stared at the grieving orphan and the girl's unconscious brother, wondering if it should sadden her or relieve her that, even after all she had been through, such sights could still pain her so.
About an hour later, Morgan laid back in her cot, exhausted. Her two spells during the battle had drained her more than she had let on to, and her attempt at healing the Chon'sin boy had nearly given her away.
As she considered her most recent battle, her frown became a proud and slightly embarrassed grin. She knew it was rather petty of her, but she was please nonetheless that even in her weakened state, her magic had overshadowed Owain's in such a decisive manner. She had been confident in her own abilities, and now that confidence was vindicated.
But any positive feelings faded quickly as Morgan considered Li'rei. "You could have run," Morgan whispered, remembering that the merchant girl had been unharmed. The Chon'sin girl hadn't fled, though. She had stayed, standing protectively over her younger sibling's dying form, hiding her fear behind a determined expression as she tried to wield a weapon she had clearly never used before.
The same hardened expression that Severa had been wearing as she charged around the cart to flank and disarm Li'rei.
"I don't think Sis will be willing to go home after we find the gateway the map points to," Morgan said, seemingly to herself.
From her perch on the windowsill, Ellie flapped her wings lazily, and Morgan knew that her best friend agreed.
"I think she'll ask to stay, even if she really shouldn't," Morgan went on. "She has a baby to look after, and it's been years since she's seen Mom and Dad and everyone else. It doesn't make any sense for her to stay… but I think she'll want to, anyways."
Ellie fidgeted slightly, shifting to face Morgan.
"Yeah, I know. I can slip away whenever I have to," Morgan agreed. "But you know what, Ellie? This is going to sound strange, but… I don't want to do that to her. Maybe it was the look on her face earlier. Or maybe it's because it's because I can't stop thinking about Li'rei and her brother."
Ellie's wings fluttered lightly, and she seemed to quiver with laughter.
"I am not afraid," Morgan grumbled. "I can take care of myself just fine. We've made it this far, haven't we?"
Another soft flutter.
"What was that?" Morgan asked blankly. "Oh. Come on, Ellie. It only took us this long because I spent so much of our money helping the refugees build their new homes here," she protested.
At that, the silver butterfly lifted herself up into the air. She glided across the room, then settled gently upon Morgan's shoulder.
"I guess you're right," Morgan conceded grudgingly. "It would be safer with her around. Owain, too, though his magic is a bit… sketchy. He seems far more comfortable with a sword. It's just… I don't want to send them away, but I'd feel guilty dragging them along with us, too."
Ellie leaned forward, nuzzling Morgan's cheek gently with her polished, metallic wings.
"Alright, alright," Morgan groaned. "When she asks, I won't argue. Well, not too loudly, anyways."
Just then, the door to the small cabin slid open.
"When who asks?" Severa asked, as she entered the small cabin, clutching Ophelia tightly to her chest. Owain followed her in, though he looked back nervously towards the village square.
"Never mind," Morgan said quickly. "How's Ophelia?"
There was a telling pause. "Fine," Severa said, though her apologetic glance at her daughter confirmed Morgan's suspicions. "I think she likes Marian. Marian certainly liked her."
"Granny's good with kids. She misses her own," Morgan said sadly. "When I found her village under attack, I was already too late; she had already lost both of her sons and four of her five grandchildren."
"That's… unthinkable," Owain muttered.
"She's stronger than she looks," Morgan said. "Or maybe she had to become stronger, since she was all her lone surviving granddaughter had left. She'll probably try to take Li'rei and Li'rei's brother under her wing, too."
"What do you think will happen to them?" Severa asked. "Li'rei and her brother, I mean," she clarified quickly.
Morgan shrugged. "They'll have a couple weeks to decide. If they want to return to Chon'sin, or to their grandmother's home, I'll take them there," she said. "But if they choose to stay, I'm sure the other villagers will welcome them. Almost everyone here has been through something similar themselves."
"A couple weeks?" Severa mused. "Do you think you'll be finished with your trip by then?"
"Sure," Morgan said. "Speaking of which, we should probably get going. I've been looking over the map, and I don't think it'll take more than two or three hours to find the gateway. You and Owain should be home by sunset tonight."
"At long last, our arduous road finds closure," Owain said cheerfully, eliciting a curious look from Morgan.
"He's looking forward to it," Severa clarified unnecessarily, misinterpreting Morgan's look.
"Ah," Morgan said, deciding to play along. "What about you, Sis? Are you looking forward to seeing everyone again, too?"
"Yeah, but…" Severa began hesitantly. She glanced uneasily at Owain, who shot her a confused look in return. She took a deep breath. "Morgan, let me come with you," she blurted.
Owain gaped at his wife, but couldn't quite find his voice.
"If this gateway really does lead you to another world, you have no idea what's waiting for you there," Severa went on hastily. "It'll be safer if I'm there with you, and we can return home together when we're finished. I'll still make it home long before Owain and I originally expected."
"But… Severa… I…" Owain stammered.
"What about Ophelia?" Morgan interrupted, though she already knew what was on her sister's mind, and knew Owain wouldn't approve.
"Owain and Ophelia can head back to Castle Ylisse now," Severa suggested.
Owain shook his head vehemently. "No way," he argued. "I'm not leaving you behind, too."
"What, no flowery words or dramatic babbling?" Severa quipped.
"Not for something as important as this," Owain said adamantly. "I promised to remain by your side, remember?"
"Ophelia needs you," Severa reminded him.
"She needs both of us," Owain insisted. "And that means I'm coming with you to make sure you come home safely, too."
"Ow!" Morgan interrupted, and both Severa and Owain turned to see the younger girl glaring at her purported friend, who was drifting about innocently. Morgan sighed helplessly. "If you two both want to come with me, Ophelia can stay here. My friends here can look after her, and we can drop by to check on her anytime," she offered.
"Perfect! Our course is decided, then, and our journey continues!" Owain declared, becoming his usual flamboyant self once more.
Severa, on the other hand, gave her younger sister a hard stare. "That's it? No arguing? You're going to let us come with you, just like that?" she asked suspiciously.
"I knew you were going to ask to come along," Morgan admitted. "And Ellie thinks it's a good idea. She seems to think I'll get sidetracked."
Ellie nudged Morgan's arm insistently.
"Again," Morgan added abashedly.
"Well… umm… thanks, Ellie," Severa said, feeling slightly awkward speaking to a floating metal trinket. She took an involuntary step back when the butterfly soared over to her and landed on her shoulder. "Hey!"
"She says you're welcome," Morgan translated with a grin. "Anyways, I'll go ask Marian about looking after Ophelia for us. I'll be right back, then we can head back to the Vault, okay?"