Fire Emblem Fan Fiction ❯ Fire Emblem Tellius Saga: Book 1 ❯ CHAPTER 14: THE PRINCESS ( Chapter 14 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Titania kicked her steed to meet the ebon soldier with steel-shod hooves. Gatrie lunged forward, skewering a Daein spearman whose face twisted in surprise at how easily he’d navigated under his flimsy round shield. Ike pushed into the opening the pair made, swiping right and left with his blade, and the shield wall broke instantly. In the chaos that ensued, Soren cast wind spells into any enemy he could reach.

He kept his eye on Ike’s back, afraid the young swordsman would become overwhelmed and need support. But after a few minutes it became clear his supervision wasn’t necessary. Ike’s prowess with the sword had developed significantly during Soren’s absence (or perhaps he’d only ever needed a real battle to bring out his skill). He was strong and fast, slashing and stabbing through flesh and chainmail. He fought in Greil’s unique style, switching hands effortlessly and confusing his opponents, who struggled to predict the next strike.

His new blade was a hand-and-a-half sword, and just as often as he’d exchange left for right, he would use both to provide more force and leverage at critical moments. Watching him was like watching a smaller Greil—although Ike was admittedly more conservative in his strikes. He hesitated periodically, as if this were still a training match and he was assessing his work before launching another bout. 

Despite Shinon’s criticism and Soren’s own doubts, Ike led them well. He barked orders over the sound of clashing metal, and (with some quick suggestions from Soren and Titania) he embraced a cautious tactic: staying at the edge of the enemies’ range and forcing the soldiers to come to them.

This strategy may have been distasteful to a more hot-headed commander, but Ike demonstrated patience. The battle was more drawn-out than necessary, but that gave the mercenaries control over the pace. They made gradual progress, picking off the advancing soldiers at a rate they could sustain.

The Daein commander waited behind his men, watching instead of joining the fight. But even from this distance, Soren could see his face, and he was clearly disturbed at the sight of his men dying in front of his eyes while the unflagging mercenaries only received minor injuries. When the tide of the battle turned and the mercenaries began steadily advancing instead of retreating, the commander’s face looked nauseated.

Soren unleashed a Wind spell into the breastplate of an enemy swordsman, and the heavy gusts rent the metal, compressing the man’s chest. Gasping and clawing as if he could prise the twisted iron away, he fell to his knees. Gatrie lost no time plunging his spear straight down through the man’s exposed neck.

Soren turned to his next victim: a bowman trying to limp away. He was clutching a wound in his thigh (a gift from Ike), but as soon as he was far enough, he released his leg and tried to stand straighter. He fumbled to knock an arrow, while blood flowed freely down to his feet. He was easy prey, and Soren chanted a precise spell to finish him off.

But distracted by this mark, he didn’t notice the other archer who’d retreated to the trees on the opposite side of the road. The unforeseen arrow came from behind, ripping an inch into his left arm and passed through. The pain was searing and immediately clouded his mind. He barely managed to hiss the final words to the spell, but it was still a success. The blade-like winds coursed toward the injured bowman, filleting his face and neck with parallel slices.

Even before he hit the ground, Soren twisted to face his assailant. But to his relief, the Daein archer was sitting slumped against a tree trunk with one of Shinon’s arrows protruding between his eyes.

Soren clutched his injured arm and retreated cautiously, glancing around for Rhys. Not a moment later, the cleric appeared beside him and lowered his staff to the wound. He healed it as quickly as he could while Titania kept enemies away. Since Soren didn’t need his arm to fight, he held his tome in his good hand and aided Titania with his spells. He used large, blunted gusts to push or knock down any soldiers trying to gang up on her, and this allowed her to make short work of them.

Rhys had soothed the pain in his arm to nothing but a dull ache. A shallow puncture still oozed on either side, but there was now a knot of fresh muscle tissue between them to fill the arrow’s hole. Raising his arm, he gestured that the job was done and Rhys should move back to a safer distance.

His caution was not entirely necessary. The Daein numbers had continued to dwindle, and the mercenaries were routing anyone who remained by the commander’s side. However, just as Soren dared to think this was wrapping up nicely, two cavalrymen rounded their horses and began galloping down the road. Soren knew they intended to report the altercation to a larger force, and apparently Titania did too. 

“Oh no you don’t!” she called, racing past the flustered commander in pursuit. One of the horsemen rounded on her, meeting her axe with his own pike. He blocked her ferocious swipes, until Titania managed to behead both him and his steed in the same fluid motion.

The other horse was already gone. Soren cursed the escaping scout and the mercenaries’ slow reaction. Turning his attention back to the commander, Soren saw that he’d been finally forced to use his spear. He was currently squared off against Ike, who was panting hard. His sword gleamed red with blood, and he was glaring at the commander as if he were the villain of his childhood games.

They exchanged angry words Soren couldn’t hear over the clashing of metal and the sound of his own heartbeat in his ears. Then they traded three quick blows, and Soren ran to back Ike up.

The Daein commander had clearly kept his strongest men as his own personal guards, and these were far harder for the mercenaries to defeat. Shinon was head-butted by a soldier’s metal helm, and he crumpled to the ground in dizziness. Rhys ran to help even though the soldier was still standing with a war hammer in his hand.

Giving up any chance to chase down the other horseman, Titania spurred her horse to reach the pair faster. She successfully lopped off the enemy’s head, saving them both. The body fell on Shinon, who’d been struggling to regain his footing despite the lump growing on his forehead and the blood running into his eyes. Rhys shoved the corpse away and began healing the swelling in Shinon’s head before he lost consciousness.

Soren was not particularly worried for either Rhys or Shinon’s lives this late in the battle, but he was frustrated by Titania’s antics. Not only had she abandoned the scout, but she had also put too much distance between herself and Ike. He and the commander were circling each other now, each bleeding but neither morbidly so.

Soren finally reached them and lingered for a moment, wondering if he should help Ike overpower the man or merely keep the remaining soldiers at bay. He settled for the latter, but kept an eye on their battle. He would be right here if Ike needed him.

Twisting the spear in his hand, the Daein commander made a convincing feint, and Ike felt for it. Lunging to the side, he left himself wide open for the opposite end of the spear to come around, slashing from his ribs to his knee in one clean slice.

Ike fell to the dirt, crying out his pain and surprise. But Soren refused the Daein a finishing blow. He’d already primed a Wind spell to help Gatrie, but now he sent it hurdling toward the commander. The spell was poorly aimed, but it successfully cut the air and earth between the commander and Ike, causing the man to leap back in surprise.

The quick movement caused a wound in his side to tear open, and he cupped it with his free hand. “A mage, eh? I’ll have to keep my guard up around you, no matter how young you look.”

Soren didn’t respond, but he did keep an eye on him while lending a hand to Ike, who hissed under his breath while getting to his feet. A quick glance confirmed the long cut was relatively shallow. No main arteries had been hit, and Ike’s guts weren’t spilling out.

The Daein commander didn’t attack them, instead fumbling under his armor for a vulnerary that he downed in a gulp and tossed aside. New strength seemed to surge into him, and he roared confidently, striking his spear against the ground. The wound Ike had given him no longer seemed as bothersome, if it was even there at all. 

“You forced this combat,” Soren said coolly. “We cannot allow you to return home. Are you ready to die?”

Ike hefted his sword and widened his stance, and although Soren was glad to see he could still fight, he wished he would take it easy until Rhys could attend his wound.

The Daein commander was clearly not threatened by two teenagers (and Soren couldn’t blame him). He rushed forward in a sudden charge.

“*Spirits of wind-” Soren incanted in an even, authoritative tone. He raised both his hands, with the wind tome outstretched in his left. “*-Slash the flesh before me!*” This time he pulled the winds from two separate angles so the commander wouldn’t be able to easily avoid it. He channeled his power into the spell, making the winds strong and sharp and keeping them blowing relentlessly as the seconds ticked by.

To his satisfaction, the commander’s expression was of surprise and fear as he bunched his shoulders and raised his arms in an attempt to protect his face. But the spell found the gaps in his armor and between his arms, slicing any skin it could find.

When Soren couldn’t hold them any longer, he let the winds die. Despite his shredded lips, nose, cheeks, and fingers, the commander wasted no time dropping his arms, spreading his feet, and throwing his spear at Soren with an angry roar. But he’d neglected to take Ike into account, and the young mercenary was already running toward him.

Ike’s sword came up the moment the spear left his hand. The blade plunged into his stomach, easily penetrating his already mangled armor. “Gwaa haa!”

Soren dropped gracelessly to the ground to avoid the flying spear, but he was still able to see Ike wrench the blade to the left and them upward before pulling it out again. Blood and innards fell at his feet. “Retched curs,” the dying man growled, clutching the gaping wound in his stomach, “you will regret your decision to oppose Daein.”

He fell dead on the road, and Ike limped back to offer Soren a hand. But mindful of Ike’s injury, he ignored the hand and stood on his own. “You’re hurt,” he said, eyeing the blood oozing across the front of his shirt and pants.

“Don’t remind me,” Ike winced, and Soren wrapped an arm around him to take some of his weight. “Thanks.”

They limped over to Rhys just as Shinon stalked off, mumbling about collecting undamaged arrows. The rest of the soldiers had been eliminated, so Titania and Gatrie joined them a moment later.

“One escaped,” Titania reported.

“We should pursue,” Soren advised. “It would be unfortunate for Daein to learn who was responsible for this altercation.”

“They started it,” Ike pouted. He was sitting against a tree holding up his shirt while Rhys bent his staff over the cut.

Soren looked around and noticed Shinon was picking at the corpses like a crow, undoubtedly looking for money or valuables in their pockets. He certainly seemed to be having too much fun for arrows to be the only thing he was finding.

Gatrie was standing nearby, fiddling with the straps of his armor that had become loosened or damaged during the fight. “I don’t know,” he muttered to Ike, “taking out these soldiers may have been a bad move.” Ike opened his mouth to reply, when Gatrie seemed to notice Shinon for the first time and changed the subject: “Um…hey, Shinon? What are you doing?”

The archer stood up, showing off an elegantly carved recurve vow, undamaged except for the blood running down the wood. “This swine’s got some nice weapons,” he said in reply, testing the taut sinew with a pluck of his fingers. Apparently, satisfied, he kicked the bow’s previous owner with the toe of his boot. “Besides, he ain’t gonna complain. He won’t need it where he’s going.”

“Shinon!” Ike pushed Rhys aside and stormed over to the wayward archer.

Since Ike was still recovering, Soren thought he should intervene. “Get ahold of yourself,” he told Shinon, reaching him before Ike. “We can’t afford such behavior right now. Steal from the dead on your own time. Besides, it will only weigh us down.”

Ike stopped and crossed his arms. He didn’t add anything.

“What?” Shinon glared back at Soren and took a threatening step forward. His fist was still clamped around the bow. “You judgmental little-”

“Soren! Shinon!” Titania barked, standing beside Ike and mirroring his folded arms. “Stop this at once! This is not the place for us to waste time bickering amongst ourselves!”

Soren did not appreciate being scolded, but neither would he waste time arguing. If Ike was well enough to walk, then they should be going.

“Let’s clear out of here,” Ike said, echoing Soren’s thoughts.

“So we will not pursue the scout?” Titania asked tentatively.

Ike shook his head. “He could be miles from here by now, and we don’t know how far away the closest Daein troops are. For now, we just have to tell the Commander what happened.”

Letting the scout convey their descriptions to the Daein army could be a fatal mistake, but Soren understood his caution and respected it. He withdrew a map from his satchel and stepped toward Ike. “Let’s take this road,” he said, pointing to one that ran almost parallel to the one they were currently on. But it would hopefully be more remote and lead them back to the base more directly. Glancing up, he gestured to the west, just beyond the carriage wreck. “We should be able to cut through the forest here, and…” For a moment, he saw something move in the woods. It was bright orange against the green forest, and it wavered like a flag before falling behind a thorny bramble.

“Something wrong?” Ike followed his gaze.

“No.” Soren shook his head and flicked the map flat again. “As I said, this road-”

“Wait, Ike,” Rhys interrupted. He pointed into the woods beyond the carriage. “I just saw something move on the far side of that thicket!”

“A wounded soldier perhaps?” Ike cocked his head. “Let’s go have a look. But be careful about it.” Drawing his sword, he and Rhys led the way into the woods. Soren and Titania spread out to the north while Shinon and Gatrie spread out to the south.

There were no additional signs of motion, and all the soldiers (Daein or Crimean) in the underbrush seemed quite dead. But Soren didn’t think a wounded soldier was wandering these trees, because traditionally speaking, soldiers did not wear orange dresses.

“Oh no,” Rhys’s voice sounded behind him.

This was followed by the sound of Ike’s feet tearing through the underbrush. “Did you find something, Rhys?”

Soren walked resignedly toward their voices, already knowing what he’d found. A moment later he reached Ike and Rhys, who were kneeling over the body of a young noble.

“It’s a woman!” Rhys announced in surprise.

The girl’s gown, although spattered with blood, was made of fine silk the color of Rhys’s hair, and her tiny heeled shoes were obviously not meant for walking any distance. She had long, green hair, and a golden circlet dipped across her forehead. There was a cut on her upper arm and a bruise on her head, but couldn’t have been terribly concussed because she was stirring again.

Rhys helped her sit up, and Titania, Gatrie, and Shinon craned to see.

“Leave her,” Soren warned. “We shouldn’t get involved in matters that don’t concern us.” He was addressing Ike, but he knew everyone would want to help her (except maybe Shinon).

The girl tried to hold herself up, and her eyelids flickered, revealing big brown eyes. But then she immediately fainted again. Rhys laid her down, and Ike helped by awkwardly adjusting her legs and skirt. “Thank goodness,” Rhys announced after a cursory examination of her head and arm, “It looks like she’s merely fainted” He wasted no time tying a shred of fabric tightly around the cut.

 “Right.” Ike bobbed his head, obviously unable to tear his eyes away. “We’d better take her with us for now and make sure she’s all right. Give me a hand, will you. Rhys?”

“Of course.” Rhys helped get her over Ike’s shoulder.

“Watch her head,” hissed Titania, reaching out. “That’s a nasty bump.”

Soren watched them and tried to understand this noblewoman’s ability to bewitch Ike, inspire such tenderness in Rhys and Titania, make Gatrie look so wistful and Shinon so hungry. He supposed she was beautiful (objectively speaking) for teenage girl, but he didn’t see the appeal in unconscious young women. “I don’t like this,” he muttered, crossing his arms, but everyone ignored him.

Back on the road, Titania helped Ike get the girl into her saddle. Then she and Gatrie stood on either side, holding her in place as they picked their way through the trees. The precariously balanced extra weight slowed their progress, and Soren feared Daein reinforcements would soon catch up. But Ike was clearly smitten, so he knew there was no chance he would dump the rich brat now.

Once they reached the woodland path Soren had chosen as their route, Titania rode with the noblewoman sitting in her lap. Despite Rhys’s ministrations, she grew feverish after just a few hours. She slipped in and out of consciousness but was never coherent enough to say anything of value. Ike decided it was better to get back to the base as soon as possible rather than find a place to stop, so they maintained a steady pace and arrived in just over a day’s time.

 

Titania carried the girl inside and laid her on a bench in the briefing room. Ike hurriedly told Greil everything that had happened, while Rhys collected pillows and blankets to cushion the girl’s fragile-looking skin. Mist was put in charge of looking after her, and Greil ordered the scouting party to rest while the others closed and barred the gates. “I’m not sure Daein will bother itself with a band of two-bit mercenaries like us, but let’s not take any chances, ya hear?” he said. Oscar and Boyd saluted and ran off.

Soren first went to the mess hall to grab a bite to eat and then promptly returned to his room for a nap. He hadn’t had a solid rest in days and wasn’t about to now, but even a half-sleep was better than nothing. His mind was restless with thoughts of war and, if he was honest with himself, the Branded. When he couldn’t keep himself asleep any longer, he washed and dressed in fresh clothes. When he passed Mist in the hall, he asked about the noblewoman.

“Still asleep, but her fever’s gone down,” she answered. “I’m going to do some mending while I watch her, if you have anything torn from the scouting mission.”

Soren nodded. “I’ll bring them to you.”

After doing that, he ate and drank a bit more before going back to sleep for another couple hours. When he woke, be felt a little better. Following the murmur of voices to the mess hall, he found it alive with candlelight and conversation despite the late hour.

It didn’t take long to ascertain that the noblewoman had awoken only a short time ago. “Princess Elincia Ridell Crimea,” the other mercenaries said her name was. She claimed to be the heir to the throne of Crimea, and Greil seemed to believe her.

The problem was that there was no Princess of Crimea; King Ramon had no children. Soren wished he could discuss this with Greil, Titania, or even Ike, but none of them were present. He could only assume they were still speaking with the alleged princess.

“It sounds like the Commander is truly considering her request,” Rhys noted. “And I don’t believe he would do so if he didn’t believe her story and her identity.”

“What does she want?” Soren dared ask.

“An escort to Gallia,” Rhys answered, and Shinon made a disgusted sound in his throat.

Soren couldn’t pretend he didn’t feel the same way. The beast country held too many bad memories for him. King Ramon had striven to make allies of the subhumans and failed. Soren wondered if the princess really thought she’d be welcomed there. Then again, she was probably desperate to escape King Ashnard, who was rumored to be as ruthless as any subhuman. 

Soren was about to ask if the princess had any useful information about the war, when Rolf suddenly burst into the room. His eyes were wide and his chest heaving. “There are Daein soldiers outside!” he shouted in fear and disbelief.

Everybody sprung off the benches as if they were hot coals. “Go find Greil and the others!” Oscar ordered Rolf, who saluted and took off. Everybody else rushed to retrieve their weapons and armor. They met in the briefing room a few minutes later.

Greil was already here, but the mysterious noblewoman was not. “Is everyone here?” he asked, turning away from the window where he’d been surveying the soldiers assembled beyond the wall. In addition to a telescope, he’d been using an ear trumpet to catch the echo of their demands drifting up to the keep. He laid these on the table now.

“Yes,” Titania answered.

“What are the Daein dogs saying, Commander?” Shinon sneered.

Greil sighed. “’Turn over Princess Crimea and leave the area immediately. Comply now or we will attack.’ Pretty straightforward.”

“What are we going to do?” Gatrie asked with his eyebrows pushed together.

“That’s what we’re here to decide.” Greil splayed his hands on the tabletop but refused to sit down. “One thing has been made clear by the arrival of our friends outside.” He looked sideways at Soren, who felt obligated to finish the thought:

 “I would say this confirms her identity as Princess Crimea.”

Greil nodded gravely. “Yes, but what do we do now? I’d like to hear the opinion of everyone here. Titania, I’d like to hear from you first.”

Titania, who had also refused to sit, now stood even straighter. She clenched her hand into a fist and held it below her heart before launching into her spiel: “The blame for this war rests on Daein. If we ally ourselves with them, the company’s reputation will surely suffer. Conversely, if we deliver Princess Crimea safely, our stock will rise in the eyes of our primary employers. Our road is clear.”

Soren glared at her, wondering what road she was looking at and how clear it could possibly be through her emotional fog. Perhaps Greil noticed his expression, because he turned to him next. “Soren, how about you?”

“There is nothing to think about,” he returned firmly. “We must deliver the princess to Daein immediately.” He glanced at Titania’s disapproving frown and then at the window where he could still hear the gurgle of the Daein announcer repeating their demands. Every moment they wasted deliberating was bringing them closer to Daein making the choice for them. Turning back to Greil, Soren tried to determine if that was exactly what he wanted.

“Even if Crimea is in the right?” His face was masked, but the question spoke volumes.

Soren didn’t like arguing with the commander, but he had to make the others see reason. He slid his gaze over his comrades’ faces. “We are mercenaries. Our actions are dictated only by self-interest. If we want to ensure our future, we need Daein in our debt. They will win this war after all, and nothing else serves us better.” His gaze landed on Titania, whose nostrils were flaring.

“Shinon? Gatrie?” Greil asked them next.

 Shinon answered first: “Soren’s a pompous whelp, but he’s got the right idea. Besides, the destination’s Gallia, so it’s a moot point. I don’t care how much we get paid. There’s no way under the sun I’m going to stinking beast country.” 

Gatrie’s answer was less passionate. “Princess Elincia…” he sighed, looking up at the rafters. “She does possess a certain regal beauty. There’s a lot to be said for that you know. However, I do prefer country girls, a bit cuter and not quite so standoffish…” When he finally lowered his eyes, he seemed to notice everyone staring at him in annoyance and confusion. “Oh, forget I said that. Whatever you decide is good for me, Commander. Yep, uh-huh, yep…”

Greil shook his head as if to clear it and turned to the green-haired brothers next. “Oscar, Boyd, what about the two of you?”

“I agree with Captain Titania,” Oscar answered, “If we turn the princess over to the Daein army, we are essentially giving them permission to kill her.”

“I’m in favor of helping her,” Boyd agreed. “That’s what heroes are supposed to do.” He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair as if daring anyone to try to tell him heroes do something else.

“Well Rhys? What is your opinion?”

“I believe—” Rhys closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing “—that none of this hinges on whether she is a princess or not. Refusing to aid someone in need is not something we should ever do. That is what I think.”

“That’s right! Let’s help her!” Rolf exclaimed with a fist in the air, even though he technically didn’t have a vote.

“Please!” Mist grabbed Greil’s hand. “We have to help her!”

Ignoring the children, Greil turned lastly to Ike. “And what about you, Ike?”

“I…” He looked around at the mercenaries, but Soren knew he was really only seeing the princess’s face in his head. “I agree with Titania. I say we help her and take her to Gallia.”

Greil nodded as if he’d expected as much. “I see. I think I know where you all stand. Well then, here is my decision: we escort the Princess to Gallia.”

“Tsk,” Shinon hissed sharply.

Soren held his tongue, knowing he couldn’t change Greil’s mind. The company had spoken, and Soren and Shinon had been outvoted. It was as simple as that. However, that didn’t mean the declaration was any easier to swallow. He closed his eyes and allowed his hatred of the beast kingdom to wash over him. When he’d escaped Gallia with Greil’s family, he’d never imagined returning. He was terrified of being ignored by the subhumans again, and (if he was honest with himself) even scared of being separated from the mercenaries and becoming lost in the Gallian forest again. Almost a decade had passed, but the mere prospect of that wild country made him feel like a helpless child.

But Soren refused to wallow in this fear. There was an army outside that required his attention, so he tucked all of his anxieties far in the back of his mind. When he opened his eyes, he was dismayed to see Ike looking at him. He’d obviously noticed his reaction. “Are you sure that’s for the best, Father?” he asked.

“Yes,” Greil answered firmly. “Besides, I think the choice had been taken out of our hands.”

“What?” Ike asked, confused.

“Open your ears and listen,” Greil commanded, “Listen! All of you!”

The room fell into silence, until Boyd broke it: “Huh? What is it?”

“Uh, I don’t hear a thing,” added Gatrie.

“Idiot! That’s the problem.” Shinon slapped the back of his friend’s head. “Don’t you think that’s a bit odd? Complete silence, in all fours directions?”

“Oh, so that’s what you’re talking about!” Gatrie rubbed his head where Shinon had hit him.

“Not only are the animals quiet, but the bugs are silent too. And that is unnatural beyond belief. Which means…” Oscar trailed off.

“We’re surrounded.” Ike finished the thought. “The soldiers aren’t waiting for an answer. They already decided to attack.”

Titania nodded. “It would appear they had no intention of keeping their side of the proposed bargain.”

With a sigh, Soren had to admit she was right. “They were planning on lulling us into a false sense of security and destroying every one of us”

“Probably so. But the deal is—” Greil grinned in acceptance of this challenge “—we’re not so naïve or inexperienced as to fall for their trap. Everyone, take your positions! We are going to settle this right now!” The room emptied as everyone flew into action. They’d never needed to defend the fort before, but they knew the contingencies by heart.