There are times where you just have to learn that avoiding people is.. Unavoidable.
This would be one of those times.
Marching had to be one of my least favorite things about being a tactician for an army, I would rather much just sit back and yell out commands while riding in a chariot, or perhaps being horseback, but I was not a mounted fighter or an convoy assembler. Not to mention the constantly chatter of those around you, especially when it happens to be family members who had never even met before.
Oh yes. Lucina brought a whole herd of our offspring with her.
And Lissa just had to have one of the most.. Interesting yet incredibly annoying sons, with her husband Ricken.
Lissa and Ricken were probably in love way before I even met them, they were both close in age, and I"m sure grew up together. Probably our two youngest in our band of Shepards, and the first to be wed. I remember how they realized their love for each other very clearly as I was the one who had to calm Chrom down once he found out his little sister was caught sneaking around camp at night to meet up with a certain individual to innocently watch the stars.
Needless to say, Ricken proposed marriage partially due to Chrom's threats that it looked wrong for a princess to meet with a man after dark, even under the circumstances of war. They were wed as we passed through a village with a church.
"No, Mother dearest of mine, your staff must carry a most honorable title! So when you cast the healing upon a fallen soldier, thy charm shall commence twice as much power!" Owain exclaimed, he sounded exasperated.
Lissa pouted, "But naming a staff that will just stop working eventually and be replaced, seems quite useless, honey. You only name things that will be able to carry that name for a long time."
I had lost count of how many times I had heard Owain mention that having a spectacular name for your weapon aided you in battle. If it boosted his morale, I said fine, it didn't bother me. But his chatter around camp, trying to make everyone believe his strange habit could get out of hand.
Watching them made me wonder if my child may show up.. It's hard to believe, but many children have already come to assist Lucina.
Panne and Gregor's very cautious son Yarne, Frederick and Tharja had a daughter named Noire, who was a sweetheart.. Some couple's even formed after meeting a their child.. Such as Maribelle and Vaike. They had no romantic interest in each other until Brady came along.
"What are you thinking about?" I almost jump out of my skin as Sully pulls her horse next to me, you would think I would hear the stomping of the animal, but no. I was lost in my own little world yet again.
I glance up at the fiery red head. I liked Sully, she was straight forward, strong, honorable and didn't allow me to take breaks when we sparred, "Just observing the relationships between our new forces." I reply.
"You mean those young'ins?" she asks, then glances over to the marching families, they all seemed to be near each other, sharing stories, getting to know what the babies they left home would turn out to be.. Even Chrom and Sumia had Lucina with them, smiling and carrying on as if we weren't even in the middle of a threatening situation.
I nod my head, and she makes a statement. "I suppose they're almost the same age as us though, when you think about it, give or take a couple of years. They're adults themselves, we just see them as kids cause they're our own."
"Do you wonder if your child may show up?" I ask her, adjusting my shirt collar as I walk.
Sully laughs, "Gods, I hope not. I mean not that I wouldn't want to meet them, but I think I want to have a little mystery, ya know?"
Slyly, I poke at her leg, "I've heard rumors about you and a certain ladie's man."
"Hell no." was the quick reply, "Don't even get me started on that idiot of a man. I won't be strapped down to a flirtatious, non-committing, irritating twat as him."
I couldn't help but notice the light tint of pink in her pale skin. It wouldn't be wise to call it out though, I didn't want to become impaled by her lance. "Why don't you tell me how you really feel?" I tease. The line of marching starts to slow down, and I peer into the crowd to see why but Sully has my attention again.
"What about you? Want to meet your future kid?" she asks me.
Did I honestly? That would ruin so many surprises and life moments if I did. Yet.. I felt cheated that many of my friends got to meet them, even if it was under sad circumstances. "If I meet them, that means I must have died and left them all alone sometime in the future," I state, "But, it would be amazing to just see what they looked like, you know? See how much they were like me. I just doubt that I'll have a child though."
"Psh, I'm right there with ya."
We both collectively sigh, before she goes ahead of me, leading her horse around the outside of the company. The big animal was getting skittish from being in line too long.
So, again, I'm left alone to my thoughts, and what does the mind usually do when it's left to it's own devices?
Mine particularly enjoys torturing me, and brings back a certain meeting with the new king of Plegia and the main priest of their county.. The one who Chrom suggested was my twin. Everytime I thought of them, my head would start to pound, much like it had earlier today.
I knew the headaches were brought on by Validar, he spoke to me in my head about us being connected, then when he appeared and made the claim that he was my father. Well, shocked and horrified are the only words I can think of to describe what I was feeling. I remember shouting at him to get out of my head and having him just speak over my request, telling me I was sacred blood, that I was wasting my time with these doomed servants of Naga.
I could feel my heart beat racing, and I take a deep breath. I never knew who I really was, ever since waking up in that field two years ago. I was only ever Maelys. Maelys the tactician and I was okay with that.
But now I had no idea, did I really want to know who I was, if it meant coming from that shady man? The only consolation I had was Chrom, who reminded me that no matter where I came from, I am my own person.
His words only went so far, my own self-conscious was aware of every possibility.
"I like that shade of pale on you!" Henry exclaims, coming from my side and gracefully turning around in front of me, grinning.
I raise an eyebrow at him and raise a hand to my face, it felt pretty cold. "Um, thank you?" I say hesitantly. That's right, we picked up Henry that night as well.. He was very strange, but I decided quickly for all his quirkiness and sometimes overly sadistic nature, that he would be a good asset to us.
He floats over to my side, linking arms with me. "You look as if you've seen your own excruciating demise. Sharing is caring, you should explain what it looked like. Was it fabulously gory?"
Dear gods.
"Hate to break it to you but no, that is not what I was thinking about." but it did bring back the nightmare I had this morning..
The deep and long sigh that emerges from his lungs shows his disappointment.
"But.. I did have a nightmare this morning," I start off, at least if I told him it, he would think it was cool. If there is anyone I could talk to and get it off of my chest, it would be Henry.
He took the bite and instantly perked up, "Doom and despair and blood!"
How one could become so happy at the mention of destruction? I will never understand.
"Basically yes. I dreamt that our Shepard's was fighting a battle, but we were losing, miserably, we were being cut down as if we were just rag-dolls and it was all my fault. I even lost control, as if I was aiding the other army and unleashing my magic on my own friends. Like I had absolutely no control." I explained slowly, gulping as the scenes played out before my eyes again.
A light squeeze from where Henry's arm entwined with mine brings me back, "Unfortunately, you would never let that happen anyway. You're way too smart to lead us into a battle we couldn't win."
"Unfortunately?" I ask.
"I enjoy a good slaughter."
I can't help but allow a laugh to escape my mouth, he was so messed up! It was so wrong, yet so comical. He joins in with the laughter, "I'm dead serious! HEY, get it? Dead serious?!"
I lift my hand to my mouth to hide the smile. That pun was lacking, but at least he was thoughtful and trying to cheer me up, even if the only way he could do that was with very disturbing jokes.
Apparently, I must be disturbed, since the jokes succeeded in cheering me up.
"You know, your laugh is nice too. I enjoy making you laugh since it would be socially unacceptable for me to cut out your voice box and tickle it until it laughed."
Um.
This just got weird quick.
I suppose I must have tensed up at that, cause he pulls his arm out and peers into my face, "Oops, I frightened you.. Hmm."
I take back all of what I said, he officially just made my 'to be wary of' list. And here I thought we were hitting it off, maybe I will just stick to supporting him in battles instead of becoming too close of friends. He may just sever one of my limbs one day! The thought makes me shiver slightly and I start to act as if I hear my name called.
"I'm sorry Henry, I believe I heard Chrom calling me," I say as politely as I can, sliding past him and quickening my pace to force myself at the front of the march, where Chrom was.
As I reach my destination, I instantly regret my decision. He looks so happy with his little family, and I don't have the heart to interrupt them. So I fall back into the line, and cross my arms.
"I suppose this was a good choice," Frederick calls over to me, and I just wave a hand in response.
Of course it was. I knew what I was talking about. "Don't get too comfortable, you never know what's out here." I warned.
Chrom catches my eyes before they can return to me looking forward and my heart painfully skips a beat. I nod my head low to him, straight faced and he offers a half smile back, before turning his head back to the attention of his wife and daughter.
Ugh, I seriously had issues.
But just look how perfectly scuplted his neck was..
"INCOMING!" I hear Nowi yell, and I snap my gaze just in time to see a single arrow woosh over my head and into the crowd to my right.
People start to scatter and I find my voice, the voice I use to lead these people into battle and my personal problems fade into the background.
"Archers, at the ready!" I shout, connecting eyes with Virion who I've placed in charge of anything related to a bow. He nods, relaying the message.
I glance through the ranks at an inhumane pace for my eyes, then find what i'm searching for. "I need a scout, Gaius!" I call at the ginger-headed man.
No other arrows are unleashed, a blessing. It gives enough time for our slightly too large group to be get ready. Gaius meets me in a matter of seconds, with Chrom meeting me from the other side.
"Do you think it was just a fluke from one of our men?" Chrom asks, and I shake my head. "If it is, I will be severely irritated. Virion didn't call a mistake, and it definitely came from behind that embankment.."
"We have no idea what is behind that."
"That's why Gaius here was so willing to volunteer his services to scout."
The thief stares at me, his mouth wide open. "Now sugarplum, I never voluntee-"
"Gaius, you're the quickest. Just don't get shot and you'll be fine." Chrom commands, and Gaius narrows his eyes, digging into the side bag at his waist. "Fine but do me a favor," he replies.
We did not have time for this nonsense.
I was about to open my mouth but he motions me to open my hands, so I comply, just to get him moving. He dumps a load of various wrapped chocolate and candies into my palms and I mentally facepalm, since I can't do it physically.
"Watch over my stash. If I die, give it to Olivia. She and I have an agreement."
If this wasn't a serious situation, I may have laughed at the gravity of his request. But I just stick the goodies in my own pouch. "Get a rough estimate of their numbers and what we are up against." I tell him, and he rushes away in haste.
"Hopefully, they're just common thugs," Chrom comments, and I nod, that was a possiblity. "We should keep moving, but be at the ready. If they are just thugs then it's not worth our time."
"I'll give the order then," Chrom replies, then raises his voice to address his men, "Keep moving, but have your guard up, we don't want to be stuck out here during the night."
A resounding 'yes sir,' rises from the group and I stand there as everyone picks their weapons up, and start marching on again. Something was off, and I wasn't sure what it was.
It felt wrong to send just Gaius, so I search the crowd for the only two people left that I knew were quick enough to catch up, Lon'qu and Owain. I apologetically steal Owain away from his mother who just smiles, proud that her dear son was being useful.
"You require my sword hand's assistance? Certainly, my lady! Just advise the way!"
Then I cautiously approach Lon'qu, who I tried not to spook, but his phobia of women was not my problem. "You're going to scout as well. Owain will fill you in."
And so, they departed as well, in the same direction that I told Owain that Gaius had gone.
I could not shake the feeling that something terribly wrong was about to happen.