Author Notes:
-I do not own Fire Emblem and do not make any profit from this story.
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"You think Ricken and the others will come back safely?" Lissa asked, her voice trembling with concern.
"Of course they will. Virion is fighting alongside them, after all, a confident voice answered.
Cherche turned her head to observe the two women. Holding a healing staff close to her chest with both her hands, Lissa seemed barely able to remain in place. Next to her was standing Maribelle, her arms closed. Proud member of the Ylissean nobility, the blonde girl had been friends with Lissa ever since they met while they were kids. Skilled with healing magic, she had been recruited by the Shepherds during the Plegian war two years ago. Watching from afar, Cherche smiled. After countless wooing attempts, it seemed her former master had finally found someone able to cope with his antics.
As for herself, she had joined the cleric ranks the day after leaving the conquered valmese harbour. Feeling too weak to rejoin the battlefield, she was still strong enough to be able to tend to people. It had been her personal request: trained in healing magic while she was young, before she met Minerva, she had asked Robin to put her to use rather than staying idle in the camp.
Led by Say'ri, the army had walked for two days before reaching the divine Mila Tree. Atop its branches was nested a temple where Tiki, the Voice of Naga, was held prisoner. Avatar of the goddess revered by many on the continent, Say'ri and the Shepherds hoped enlisting the manakete's help would raise the spirit of the conquered people and make them rise against Walhart's tyranny.
The divine tree was guarded however: on the base of the stairs leading to the temple stood an elite corps led by Cervantes, Walhart's most trusted general. Unwilling to risk being flanked by the rest of the conqueror forces, Robin had set up a defense perimeter around the tree while Chrom had picked his strongest warriors to open the way to the stairs. Among them was Lon'qu, supported by Virion. With Libra deemed the only necessary healer on the field, Cherche had been kept in reserve along with the other clerics. Time was of the essence and the roots were not broad enough to allow a sizeable troop to fight on them.
Powerless to do anything but pray for the safe return of Lon'qu and the rest of the army was a daunting ordeal. Lissa, almost shaking from fear, wasn't coping well: usually inseparable from Ricken, the youngest mage of the army, she had been left behind while the magician was deployed on the field. Proficient in wind and fire magic, he was expected to be a massive help against the forces of Cervantes, clad in armor and cramped on the tree's broad roots. As for Maribelle, while she was acting confident, Cherche could tell from her crisped fists that the woman was concerned for Virion. Usually kept in the backline, Robin was confident his bow would protect Lon'qu's from being engaged by the enemy's flying forces.
Cherche herself couldn't help but feel her chest tightening with every breath. While the quickest man of the army, Lon'qu wasn't equipped to deal with flying enemies. His sword lacked the reach to hit the riders and their fearsome spears, his armor too light to even mitigate their strikes. That he was even deployed against such elite foes was madness! She took a deep breath, forcing herself to keep her composure. As always, the tactician must have had his reasons. Lon'qu was a skilled fighter, able to hold his own against anyone facing him. Besides, he could rely on Virion. Or so she hoped, anyway. While a shameless flirt, his skill with a bow was unmatched in the army. The plans of Robin had so far always been foolproof, she had no choice but to trust him one more time.
"Look! The Shepherds are coming back!" one of the sentries suddenly exclaimed.
Not waiting for the soldier to even finish, the two women had rushed forward. Cherche followed in their stride, refraining herself from running like they did. As she arrived, the healers had already reached their companions.
"Lissa. Please... stop. You're... crushing my ribs!" Ricken complained, hugged a bit too tightly by the Ylissean princess. Her head buried in his chest, the two were betrothed, their wedding planned as soon as they came of age.
Further away, Maribelle had seized both the archer's hands. "My sweet lady, were you worried for me?" Virion asked with a triumphant grin.
"Of course I was! I didn't teach you how to behave like the proper nobleman you are just for you to throw away your life at the first occasion you got."
Before she reach out for the group and look for Lon'qu herself, Robin stepped forward, accompanied by Chrom.
"We're going to the temple of Naga along with the Khans. Lissa, I'm sorry to interrupt, but could you accompany us up there? Bring a staff along, just in case."
Reluctantly, the princess pushed herself away from Ricken. "Y-yes, I'm coming," she stuttered before joining Chrom's side.
"It's settled then. Let us lose not any more time," the prince declared. He turned heels, followed by Lissa and his tactician.
Cherche brought back her attention to the group that had just returned, looking for Lon'qu. In the back, she finally spotted the swordsman trying to slip away from the others, walking in direction of the camp. Politely returning a wave from Cordelia, she hurried to the man. She froze for a split second right before reaching him: torn from his outfit, a red stained fabric piece was tied around his left upper arm.
"You are injured," she remarked, picking up the pace to walk by his side.
"Nothing to worry about," he assured, raising a dismissive hand while avoiding the woman's concerned gaze.
"Nonsense. I'll fetch one of the staves and get this wound fixed in a minute," the knight insisted.
Lon'qu shook his head. "Don't waste one of them on me. Others will need them more than I do."
"At least allow me to disinfect it then. The most harmless wounds can become the nastiest injuries if left unattended to."
The swordsman turned his head to his arm, considering it for a few seconds. "Fine. Let's do this over there," he finally answered, pointing to a group of trees distant enough from the main group.
Lon'qu didn't wait for her reply to move ahead, soon followed by the knight. Wordlessly, they made their way to a small clearing, where the man sat on a felled tree stump. Cherche crouched next to him and untied the makeshift bandage around his arm, only to notice his wound was still covered with blood.
"I'm going to need you to remove your shirt," she observed, moving a step away from the man.
"Fine. Let's get this over with."
Reluctantly, the swordsman removed his shirt and threw it on the ground a few feets away. He placed his hands on his knees and closed his eyes. Cherche bit her lower lip, focusing on avoiding staring at his muscular torso as she approached him. She knelt by his arm and opened a small pouch that she kept to her side, filled with first aid supplies. Inside, she grabbed a white rag. With her left hand, she kept the swordsman's arm firm as she cleaned the area around the wound from the blood, allowing her to take a better look at the cut. A half inch deep shallow tear spanned from under his shoulder and almost reached his biceps.
"This is going to leave a scar," Cherche remarked as she released the man's arm. To her surprise, he held his countenance surprisingly well despite being so close to a woman.
"Good. This will serve as a reminder of my weakness. I will have to take my training more seriously in the future," Lon'qu replied while keeping his eyes closed.
She refrained from pointing out he was one of the most diligent soldier of the army when it came to training, instead setting the bloodstained rag aside. From her pouch, the knight snagged cotton and a small alcohol bottle. She soaked the tissue and grabbed the man's arm again, holding the cotton a few inches next to his injury.
"I'm going to disinfect the wound. This may sting a bit."
"I know," he briefly answered before gritting his teeth, readying himself for the pain.
Cherche tightened her hold on the arm and gently applied the disinfectant on the wound, from his shoulder to the bottom of the cut. While the swordsman twitched a couple of times, he restrained himself enough to not bother her as she cleansed the wound. The deed done, she put away the alcohol and rose her head, observing the man. A few seconds later, the pain subsiding, Lon'qu opened his eyes, returning her gaze.
"You are lucky," Cherche observed. "The cut is clean, bandages will be enough. Had it been a more jagged edge, I would have had to stitch the skin back together."
"I'll keep being careful not to subject myself to such weapons, then," the swordsman replied, his lips curling up ever so slightly.
She chuckled, taken aback. Usually overly serious, It was not often the man let out quips.
"Heh. I'd appreciate it if you didn't subject yourself to any weapon, it would make my life easier" the knight answered in jest while grabbing a roll of bandages from her bag.
"Maybe when this war is over," Lon'qu responded, a somber look tarnishing his traits.
"Right. For now, let's bandage these cuts," she remarked, unwilling to delve upon such bleak matters. It was better to enjoy the here and now of life, when both past and future seemed so somber.
"Thank you," he replied extending his injured arm in her direction.
With a silent nod, the knight tenderly grabbed his arm and rolled the bandage around, applying just enough pressure to prevent the wound from bleeding. Once covered, she held the bandage roll firm and tore it with her teeth before replacing it in her bag.
"There. You're ready to return to the battlefield whenever you want now," Cherche stated, replacing the bandage roll in her bag.
The man played with his shoulder, rolling it a few times before nodding satisfiedly. He stood up and turned to face the woman.
"What about you? How is your recovery coming along?" he asked, piercing her with an intense gaze.
Taken aback by the sudden question, Cherche turned her head to the side, flustered. While she abhorred fighting, waiting on the side for people she cared about to return from the battlefield was worst.
"It's important to me that I return to the frontline, but... I'm not sure if I'm ready yet," she confessed.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
The knight shook her head. She had exercised herself to life her axe each night since her injury, before heading to bed. While at first a strain to her body, she had the previous day effortlessly lifted the weapon, going as far as to swing it at the air repeatedly.
"No, I feel like I recovered most of my strength. It's just that..." Cherche started before pausing for a few seconds. She couldn't stay in the sidelines, not while the others risked so much to defeat Walhart. Her mind was set, she wouldn't keep hesitating while people relied on her. With a newfound resolve, she lifted her head, returning the gaze of the man. Back on the when they were making their way from Regna Ferox to Valm, they had promised each other to meet between two battles, whenever they could afford to. Besides, it was the perfect occasion to have a serious conversation with the swordsman.
"Remember on the ship, when you promised to train me? It's about time we wrap this up, don't you think?"she asked, her lips curling up in a playful smile.
After a split second of surprise, Lon'qu returned a satisfied grin as he unfolded his arms. "I was afraid you'd never ask."