[Fire Emblem 9/10] A Gift In Disguise
Apr. 22nd, 2009 03:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
runicloreA Gift In Disguise
Author: Amber Michelle
Series: Fire Emblem 9/10
Rating: K+
Warnings: pointless? Bad?
Words: 802
Notes: this is a really dumb prequel to Gallian Roar of Despair. >_>; I COULDN'T HELP IT OKAY, and it's too long for comment!fic. And it would've been bad form to post it there anyway.
.............................................
Though Soren waited at the entrance of his tent for the thing on his rug to justify its existence, he was left with nothing by the time the setting sun had shifted enough that his shadow had moved. The light deepened from orange to red, made the burlap flooring look dirty, glinted on the glass of his unlit lamp and a neat, oval pattern of bloodied spots on a dun fur neck. It didn't bleed; its legs were curled carefully inward, the eyes closed, the curling horns and black hooves polished by goddess only knew what means.
"Soren?"
He turned his head slightly, but kept his eyes on the offering. "Ike?"
He heard Ike scratch the back of his neck. His shadow jumped with the walls of the tent in a blast of wind. Though they'd left the desert, the air was still dry and the Tower of Guidance still only a blurry smear on the horizon. "You were just standing there," his commander said, and his armor clinked. "What's up?"
Soren let the tent flap fall closed. A moment of thought was all he needed to guess who was responsible for this; they'd met up with the Dawn Maiden's group just today, and he noted on his way to the command tent the Gallians were carrying their meat with them. The desert and the lowlands around it, Ranulf explained, were the perfect place to hunt - the animals weren't as wary of laguz, there being such a small number present. It made a sort of sense - and yet not, as Soren knew the desert was occupied by both the Liberation Army and-- others.
"There's a dead antelope in my tent," he said.
A breath passed, another gust of wind. "Come again?"
He opened the flap and stepped aside to allow Ike inside. Soren covered his nose with his sleeve when he followed; though faint, it smelled like raw meat left in the sun too long to be edible, but not long enough to dry. Oscar used the remains of an old barn to dry jerky and fruit for missions at the base, and he'd hated being conscripted to help with the work. The task fell to all the children, all those recovering and unable to fight, but perfectly fit for chores. "I'd burn it, but that would mean giving up my tent." Soren flicked his finger, and the lamp wick sparked alight.
Ike pushed a hand through his hair, tugged on the knot of his bandanna. "Who--"
"Do you really have to ask?"
Soren heard a snort, almost a laugh, and narrowed his eyes when he looked over, but Ike presented a straight face. "Huh."
Was that it? Soren crossed his arms and looked away. Was the Gallian prince within hearing range? He'd left the command tent with his subordinates, walking in the direction of the laguz part of the encampment. And while he thought he understood the range in audial capability within each bird tribe and each beast tribe, he hadn't yet found the chance to compare the two. "What should I do with it?"
Ike moved forward, adjusting the angle of the sword across his back, and reached for one of the horns. "I'll take it."
Soren's eyebrows shot up. What? He reached for Ike, who muttered about how heavy the damned thing was as he heaved it up by the head, slung an arm under the belly, and ducked to get the thing over his shoulders. Soren withdrew his hand when Ike straightened to avoid the bloody teeth marks on the antelope's neck and tried to swallow a grimace.
He'd yet to see a glimmer of intelligence from Skrimir. This incident was proof he was hopeless. What did he think Soren could do with a two-day-old carcass - eat it? Disease must be festering in the meat as they spoke. He was glad he hadn't touched it. "You're not going to use it, are you?"
"Hell no." Ike jerked his head to the side, and Soren hurried past him to open the tent flap again. "I'm throwing it out. The Gallians can salvage it if they want to." He maneuvered it out of the tent. "Grab your clothes, you're staying with me tonight. Someone can clean this up later."
Ike disappeared around the tent. His footsteps crunched in the sandy soil, and the wall fluttered briefly, the shape of the antlers appearing, disappearing. Soren looked at the rug. No stains that he could see in the lamp light, though the smell remained.
He shrugged and walked over to his travel chest. If that's what Ike wanted, that's what he'd get.
.
Author: Amber Michelle
Series: Fire Emblem 9/10
Rating: K+
Warnings: pointless? Bad?
Words: 802
Notes: this is a really dumb prequel to Gallian Roar of Despair. >_>; I COULDN'T HELP IT OKAY, and it's too long for comment!fic. And it would've been bad form to post it there anyway.
.............................................
Though Soren waited at the entrance of his tent for the thing on his rug to justify its existence, he was left with nothing by the time the setting sun had shifted enough that his shadow had moved. The light deepened from orange to red, made the burlap flooring look dirty, glinted on the glass of his unlit lamp and a neat, oval pattern of bloodied spots on a dun fur neck. It didn't bleed; its legs were curled carefully inward, the eyes closed, the curling horns and black hooves polished by goddess only knew what means.
"Soren?"
He turned his head slightly, but kept his eyes on the offering. "Ike?"
He heard Ike scratch the back of his neck. His shadow jumped with the walls of the tent in a blast of wind. Though they'd left the desert, the air was still dry and the Tower of Guidance still only a blurry smear on the horizon. "You were just standing there," his commander said, and his armor clinked. "What's up?"
Soren let the tent flap fall closed. A moment of thought was all he needed to guess who was responsible for this; they'd met up with the Dawn Maiden's group just today, and he noted on his way to the command tent the Gallians were carrying their meat with them. The desert and the lowlands around it, Ranulf explained, were the perfect place to hunt - the animals weren't as wary of laguz, there being such a small number present. It made a sort of sense - and yet not, as Soren knew the desert was occupied by both the Liberation Army and-- others.
"There's a dead antelope in my tent," he said.
A breath passed, another gust of wind. "Come again?"
He opened the flap and stepped aside to allow Ike inside. Soren covered his nose with his sleeve when he followed; though faint, it smelled like raw meat left in the sun too long to be edible, but not long enough to dry. Oscar used the remains of an old barn to dry jerky and fruit for missions at the base, and he'd hated being conscripted to help with the work. The task fell to all the children, all those recovering and unable to fight, but perfectly fit for chores. "I'd burn it, but that would mean giving up my tent." Soren flicked his finger, and the lamp wick sparked alight.
Ike pushed a hand through his hair, tugged on the knot of his bandanna. "Who--"
"Do you really have to ask?"
Soren heard a snort, almost a laugh, and narrowed his eyes when he looked over, but Ike presented a straight face. "Huh."
Was that it? Soren crossed his arms and looked away. Was the Gallian prince within hearing range? He'd left the command tent with his subordinates, walking in the direction of the laguz part of the encampment. And while he thought he understood the range in audial capability within each bird tribe and each beast tribe, he hadn't yet found the chance to compare the two. "What should I do with it?"
Ike moved forward, adjusting the angle of the sword across his back, and reached for one of the horns. "I'll take it."
Soren's eyebrows shot up. What? He reached for Ike, who muttered about how heavy the damned thing was as he heaved it up by the head, slung an arm under the belly, and ducked to get the thing over his shoulders. Soren withdrew his hand when Ike straightened to avoid the bloody teeth marks on the antelope's neck and tried to swallow a grimace.
He'd yet to see a glimmer of intelligence from Skrimir. This incident was proof he was hopeless. What did he think Soren could do with a two-day-old carcass - eat it? Disease must be festering in the meat as they spoke. He was glad he hadn't touched it. "You're not going to use it, are you?"
"Hell no." Ike jerked his head to the side, and Soren hurried past him to open the tent flap again. "I'm throwing it out. The Gallians can salvage it if they want to." He maneuvered it out of the tent. "Grab your clothes, you're staying with me tonight. Someone can clean this up later."
Ike disappeared around the tent. His footsteps crunched in the sandy soil, and the wall fluttered briefly, the shape of the antlers appearing, disappearing. Soren looked at the rug. No stains that he could see in the lamp light, though the smell remained.
He shrugged and walked over to his travel chest. If that's what Ike wanted, that's what he'd get.
.
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no subject
Date: 2009-04-22 10:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-23 05:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-23 12:36 am (UTC)This is so cute! I wanted to include something like this in the drabble but I ran out of space and realized it was kind of superfluous to the story... and you did it much better than I could have! SO MUCH SQUEE FOR THIS
no subject
Date: 2009-04-23 05:45 am (UTC)Thank you, I'm really glad you found it funny! I don't normally write sequels/prequels to someone else's fic, and it always feels like I'm infringing or something. But I just had to. XD
You'd have done a great job - but it would've bumped your drabble above the word limit, so it's just as well. You made a good choice in cutting it.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-23 03:50 am (UTC)The dialogue is just <333. This makes me giggle. XD
"Do you have to ask?" *snickers*
no subject
Date: 2009-04-23 05:46 am (UTC)Thank you!
no subject
Date: 2009-04-23 11:51 am (UTC)Also Soren seems perfectly ok with the bedsharing with Ike XD No complaints at all! Here's hoping Ike doesn't snore.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-23 04:43 pm (UTC)