Disclaimer: All non-original characters are property of SEGA or their respective creators.

5. Riders of the Dawn

"Wh-what do you mean I can't come?!"

Sitting on his parents' bed inside their gloomy roundhouse, Silver's eyes darted back and forth between Shadow and Amaranth, searching their faces for some glimmer of hope. He couldn't seem to find any.

"But…I always come," he said weakly.

He'd just helped his parents put on their respective suits of armor. His small hands were perfect for fastening those fiddly hard-to-reach buckles. He wasn't sure why his mother was wearing hers — his father was the one leaving this morning — but it was always a thrill seeing her dressed up like this.

The thrill had been short-lived, no thanks to Shadow.

"Tell him, Ma!" he pleaded, clambering off the bed to tug on Amaranth's swordbelt, "Tell Pa I always come!"

The cerise hedgehog frowned in faint sympathy. "I'm sorry, Silver. Your father's right. Susi is too young to stay here by herself."

"Then leave Lobo behind! I know how to do everything with the chariot. Lobo already showed me how—"

"Enough!" grunted Shadow, "You will stay here and do as you're told. That's final."

Silver wilted as the black hedgehog stalked out of the bedchamber.

"Why is Pa doing this, Ma?" he whined, slouching against his mother, "He's never left me behind before."

"There has to be a first time for everything," said Amaranth flatly."

Silver sighed. "But I always come and watch you ride off."

"I'm not riding off anywhere," said Amaranth, gently stroking his quills, "If you and Susi have that yard tidied up before I come back, you can help me take all this off."

Silver's frown eased slightly. "Promise, Ma?"

"Promise," she cooed, stooping to kiss his forehead, "Now come say goodbye—"

She stopped short as Silver slipped away from her and fled back onto the bed.

"No," he said, folding his arms.

Amaranth blinked. "Now, Silver, come—"

"I said no, Ma," he snapped, "If Pa doesn't want me to watch him leave, then I won't. At all."

The cerise hedgehog suppressed a sigh.

"Have it your way." she said wearily.

Hefting her iron-headed war-hammer over one shoulder, she turned to leave.

"I…I can still help you with your armor though, right?" said Silver meekly.

Smirking to herself, Amaranth looked back at her sulking son. "Just be nice to Susi and help her tidy up."

"Yes, Ma."

Out in the yard, tears were flowing. Susi was nestled between Lupe and Lobo, bawling her eyes out as if neither of her parents would be coming home. Lobo stiffened as he felt a gauntleted hand on his shoulder.

"Is it time, mistress?" he asked.

"Take as long as you need," replied Amaranth, patting the broad shoulder, "We'll walk as slowly as we can."

"Thank you, my lady," said Lupe, taking her cub in her arms.

Amaranth gave the she-wolf a faint smile, then went to join Shadow outside the yard's wicker fence.

"Where's the boy?" asked the black hedgehog.

"Hiding."

"From what?"

"You."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Still, better me than you."

With that, he started up a path lined with other warriors' roundhouses. Watching him go, Amaranth gripped her war-hammer's wooden haft in both hands. The urge to whack him in the head was fleeting yet potent.

"Why is it better you than me?" she demanded, catching up to him, "You're the one who's going to be gone for days."

"A little late for second thoughts, isn't it?" replied Shadow coolly.

Amaranth curled her lip. It had actually been her idea to leave Silver at home with Susi. She wanted to spare Lupe the ordeal of being handed back to the queen with her cub watching. Shadow had agreed. Then he'd insisted on being the lone bearer of bad news.

"Would you rather have him moping at you all day?" he said.

"Better that than him seething at you for days on end."

"Silver seethe?" scoffed Shadow, "He wouldn't know how."

"He'll learn at some point."

"The boy doesn't know the meaning of the word 'hate'."

"Do you want to be the one who teaches him?"

The black hedgehog huffed as they walked on. Nearing a bend in the path, Amaranth paused to look back at the roundhouse. She saw Lupe and Lobo showering Susi with farewell kisses over the wicker fence. The cub was perched on Silver's shoulders.

"Why are you wearing that, anyway?" asked Shadow, "Did you plan on fighting the princess for her place on the chariot?"

"Actually, it was for Silver," replied Amaranth flatly, "This might be his last chance to see me in it for a while."

Her husband's eyes widened. "Why?"

His wife went on walking. So did he, his gaze fixed upon her.

"Amie?" he persisted, "What do you mean?"

Amaranth sighed. "Do you really have to ask?"

Shadow blinked. "You're pregnant?"

He halted.

"Why am I finding out like this?" he asked, voice soft but stern.

"I can think of three or four reasons," she muttered.

Shadow grimaced. "You don't need to protect me, Amie. Not after Drimia—"

"Please, Shadow, don't say her name," whispered Amaranth, "And anyway, who said it was you I was protecting?"

"Mistress?" Lobo called out as he and Lupe came trundling up behind them, "My lord?"

For once, Amaranth was glad she was entitled to ignore her slave. The hedgehogs resumed walking in silence. After a few steps, Shadow took her gauntleted hand in his. He held it all the way to the hillfort's stables.

"Lobo, prepare the chariot," said Shadow, "We'll see to the horses."

With that, he followed his wife across the stable yard. Once the stable door creaked shut behind them, their iron breastplates clanked together as they embraced.

"If there's anything I can do, name it," he whispered, "There are others she can send—"

"It's too soon for that," Amaranth cut in, "She already hates one of us. Best not make it two."

Shadow grimaced. She kissed him.

"Just come back safe," she cooed, "That's all we can ask."

They kissed again. They only stopped when the stable door creaked open.

"Forgive me," said Blaze sheepishly.

The hedgehogs turned to face the cat peering round the door at them.

"Princess?" said Shadow questioningly.

"Good morning, my lord," said Blaze, stepping inside. She was dressed head-to-toe in iron armor and clutched a battleaxe in one hand, "I'm deeply sorry to interrupt, my lady, but may I speak—"

"Do as you wish," said Amaranth curtly.

The cat bowed her head. The cerise hedgehog shouldered her war-hammer and headed off in the direction of their horses' stall.

"I truly am sorry, my lord," said Blaze, drawing near, "I just…well, I needed to give you this."

She thrust out her free hand. A small wooden amulet lay in her gauntleted palm. It bore a crude engraving of a flame.

"What is it?" asked Shadow.

"For your protection, my lord," said Blaze, "If I may?"

Before he knew it, the cat was behind him, tying the amulet around his neck. She wasn't quite finished when Amaranth reappeared, leading two bay mares out of their stall. Seeing the look of bewilderment on Shadow's face, her frown became a smirk.

Just then, the stable door creaked open. An armored Knuxahuatl entered, carrying a geometrically-patterned blanket draped over one ironclad shoulder.

"Oh," he uttered, standing aside to let Amaranth and the braying mares pass.

Out in the stable yard, she found Lobo waiting by Shadow's chariot. Lupe wasn't with him. She clapped a hand over her mouth.

"I'm so sorry, Lobo," she said, handing the wolf the horses' reins, "One of us should've stayed—"

The slave dismissed the apology with an amiable smile. Amaranth left him to yoke the horses and wandered out of the stable yard. In the paved plaza beyond, Queen Rouge of Galderia stood waiting, resplendent in iron plate mail. Her bodyguard Honey had Lupe by the scruff of her tunic.

"Amaranth?" said Rouge, "To what do we owe this rare honor?"

"My queen," mumbled Amaranth, bowing stiffly.

The bat smirked. "Such decorum. I was worried you may have forgotten how to—"

She stopped short, suddenly distracted by something behind the cerise hedgehog.

"There my emissaries are!" she said grandly, watching the chariot roll out of the stable yard's gates with Shadow and Blaze aboard. Lobo ran alongside.

Behind him came Knuxahuatl atop a trotting palomino stallion. The horse wore no saddle or bridle. Just the patterned blanket upon which its rider sat. Seeing the echidna on horseback like that never failed to make Amaranth cringe. Back in her homeland of Erinia, horses were not ridden. It was a taboo she and Shadow still observed.

"My queen?" said Shadow, halting the chariot beside Amaranth.

"Thorn? Bramble?" said Rouge, pointing to the chariot with her spear, "If you please."

Two white rabbits stumbled forward, carrying a large canvas bundle between them. They dumped their burden on the chariot's footplate.

"Those supplies should see you comfortably to Harlech," said the queen, "Give my regards to Saffron."

"We shall, my queen," said Knuxahuatl, starting towards the gates at a trot.

Amaranth hastily climbed aboard the chariot to kiss Shadow goodbye.

"I love you," she whispered, "I'll tell Silver you said sorry."

Before he could object, she pulled down his helmet's visor and jumped off. Blaze grabbed the chariot's railing as it rolled towards the gatehouse.

"Amaranth?" said Rouge.

"M-my queen?" said the blindsided hedgehog.

"Come," said the bat, pointing to the battlements above the gates with her spear, "See them off with us."

With that, the royal party proceeded across the plaza. Amaranth tarried a moment, turning to Lobo.

"Go on home," she urged, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

The brown wolf cast a wistful glance at Lupe, watching Honey force her up to the battlements.

"Yes, mistress," he mumbled, bowing his head.

With a heavy sigh, Amaranth hastened after the queen and her entourage. Meanwhile, the emissaries stood idly by the gates, waiting for two teams of brawny wolves to haul them open.

"Still marching to your own drum, I see," remarked Rouge as the hedgehog reached the top of the wall-steps.

"Forgive me, my queen," muttered Amaranth.

"Oh, I think we're well past that," said the bat, turning to the parapet, "Proceed."

A marmot down in the plaza barked a command, and the brawny wolves heaved on their respective ropes. The gates of Dalriada opened as smoothly as a freshly-greased door.

"And away they go," said Rouge as Knuxahuatl set off at a gallop.

Shadow cracked the reins across his horses' backs. The chariot lurched forward through the gates. Amaranth ran to the other side of the gatehouse, watching the chariot pick up speed as it descended the sloping road. Blaze clung to the railing for dear life, but Shadow stood tall. Soon enough, they disappeared among the surrounding hills.

"It must be strange for you, seeing him leave like that."

Amaranth stiffened. She turned slowly to find Rouge standing right behind her.

"It…isn't the first time, my queen," she said quietly.

"Indeed not, though judging by how you're dressed, I wondered if you might be hoping to go with them."

"I wasn't, my queen."

"Good," said Rouge tersely, "I would sooner trust a wolf to represent my interests abroad. Farewell—"

"Get away from there!" snapped Honey, wrenching Lupe away from the parapet.

"But there's someone down there!" the she-wolf protested.

Rouge and Amaranth turned their heads. Through the lingering haze of dust whipped up by the horses, a black wolf cub could be seen stumbling up the sloping road towards Dalriada.

"You clever pup," murmured Rouge, spreading her wings.

"My queen!" yelled Honey.

Ignoring her bodyguard, the armored bat mounted the parapet and took flight.

"Don't just stand there!" hissed Honey, glaring at Thorn and Bramble, "Get after her!"

The white rabbits scrambled off down the wall-steps.

"And you, Erinian," said the cat, throwing Lupe at Amaranth's feet as she passed by, "Keep hold of this one."

"I'm sorry we left you," murmured the hedgehog, helping the slave up.

Lupe smiled ruefully. "You can't be everywhere, my lady."

Down on the sloping road, the latecomers found Rouge holding the black wolf cub by the hand.

"Is there news, my queen?" asked Honey breathlessly.

"It seems so," replied the bat, "Young Gelert here tells me Valens is dead."

"Valens?!" blurted Thorn.

"Dead?!" blurted Bramble.

Amaranth understood their shock. Valens was one of the old warriors from Broskos who'd invaded Galderia alongside Rouge and her late husband Aero. In retirement, he had taken charge of one of the kingdom's seven largest farms. It lay just a few hills away from Dalriada.

"Bramble, take that moon mutt back to the longhouse," commanded Honey, motioning towards Lupe, "Thorn, fetch Percilla and Khan—"

"Do no such thing," Rouge cut in, "Either of you."

"M-my queen?" said her stunned bodyguard.

"What do you see here, Honey?" asked the bat, flourishing her spear, "I see four warriors more than capable of ensuring my safety."

She gave the cub Gelert a gentle shove in Amaranth and Lupe's direction.

"I will investigate this personally. If Valens truly is dead, one last visit from me is the least he deserves."