Volley of Arrows

“I’m sure she appreciates that her brother is looking out for her.” It was sweet, if nothing else; stupid, but sweet. Really he wanted to tell him that it was unfair that he’d been told war required sacrifice - it sounded like his family sacrificed enough already that aside - but he hadn’t been in a war himself. Things could be different than how they read in the history books, feel different than they were on the pages. And honestly, thinking about war and sacrifice made him feel an existential dread he’d spent a decade trying to shake off, anyway.

Hyrule likely wasn’t far off from another war, and he wasn’t really interested in seeing what it would be like, much less being front and center for it.

He pulled up the blade of grass he’d been fondling, tying it up into a knot idly. He didn’t like the thought of Takumi getting injured again - or worse - but he knew there was no way he could convince him to not go at all. He seemed very duty-oriented about the whole thing; with the people he cared about on the line, he couldn’t much blame him for it. The moment he leaves Hyrule it would be entirely in his hands to keep himself safe. Sheik only hoped he could trust him with that duty, too.

He wanted to speak again, then, but the words died on his lips. Promise you’ll return. It wouldn’t be fair to corner the archer into a promise like that. A near stranger couldn’t ask him to put himself above his friends. Instead he’d hold out the hope that he would come back, one day, in good health and heart.

But maybe he could extend his own promise, for the time being.

Sheik raised his gaze to meet Takumi’s again, with no intent to break it this time. He let out a soft breath as he tapped a few fingers against his cheek. “You said to give you a month or two, correct? I can head out to Hebra for the first month, then pass by here to go towards Akkala the next. I’ll stay a few nights to see if you show. If not, well… I’ll come back the month after.”

Hesitation struck him like an arrant arrow, wishing desperately to tell that ninja that he shouldn’t be expected to go out of his way, but a more selfish part of the archer stopped him. Seeing Sheik again was so tempting. If he were capable he would simply visit the ninja every single night, but it was increasingly clear how unrealistic that was. Tracing his fingers over the body of his yumi, a gentle frown settled onto his features. Hazel eyes searching the weapon for insight on how to best phrase what he wished to say in response.

“It’s unfair of me to expect that of you. My estimations are optimistic at best. My next visit is at earliest going to be in a couple months and even if we do finish this war in a month from now, there’s no telling the casualties... It would be best if you waited the two months to come back. If you, uh, don’t mind, of course.” The last sentence was clearly tacked on, rushed and even stumbled over. Even if they had confirmed that they wished to see him again, he wasn’t going to broadly assume anything. 

Takumi wasn’t naïve enough to think that he was worth waiting around for.

Plucking up the nerve again, hazel eyes locked with red. The action alone coloring the prince’s cheeks a gentle shade of pink. “If I do return in a month then everything would have gone flawlessly. Which is unrealistic with Kamui as our general —” freezing for a moment, he became visibly flustered. His next words being far less collected. “Not to say that Kamui is a problem! He’s just inexperienced and, at least I think, shouldn’t be in charge of an army. He has no business leading soldiers in a war when he’s only just learning the fundamentals.”

It was sound logic to him, but bringing up Kamui to his siblings or even his friends as a bad general always seemed to end poorly. Maybe he still didn’t trust his brother. They’d had very few casualties thus far, but for some reason the archer just kept finding himself judging the other’s capabilities inadequate. Huffing, he waved the thoughts away.

“Look. I want to see you again,” as soon as possible. “but that’s not an excuse for me to accept such an unfair deal.” It was plainly idealistic to think that he would be free of war in a month. Hopeful and self indulgent ever still to be making plans that he wouldn’t be able to uphold.

Brows knitted together, the eyes underneath them giving the archer a quizzical look. In all honesty, Sheik had simply assumed that he hadn’t wanted to come by - not that any external force had prevented him. They’d met in a bad way, after all, but the fact that the other continued to return after that… It made sense that it was something else, and for a moment he cursed his more… self-centered assumption for having been his initial thoughts.

But the more the archer spoke about what happened, and the proof of it was shown, he almost wished it had been the truth.

He felt the cold of Tabantha again, this time unpleasant as it gripped into his heart. His gaze failed to move away from the pinkish gnarls twisting over his silver stranger’s porcelain skin, even as he began to talk again. The weakness in his fingers had created a constant albeit subtle shudder that he couldn’t help but to pick up on. Undoubtedly holding his bow in this condition was difficult, if not completely painful. Did it hurt now, he wondered? His own hand outstretched suddenly, reaching to do something, comfort or empathize or… anything but gawk. Instead his reach fell short, hovering just beside his arm for nary a moment before retreating into his lap once more.

Emotions were never his strong suit anyway.

Finally his eyes picked up to meet Takumi’s. “Try not to overdo it,” he spoke slowly and carefully, trying to recover from his own mental duress. “Battle is a team effort. You cannot help your family if you fail to recover properly, and I’m sure they understand that.”

His attention dropped again, this time to the grass as he reached to idly pick at a few neighboring blades. A silence dragged on for a moment as he sifted through his thoughts for something positive. “With enough luck, your war will be over with soon though. Then you won’t have anything to worry about anymore.”

It was strange seeing the flit of emotions on the other’s face when he finally met their gaze. It was as if the weight of Takumi being in an active war had finally struck him and it left him briefly terrified. Something that he could certainly understand. Any time he went out on the battlefield he was worried that he would be leaving the fight with one less friend - one less family member. The dread was overwhelming at times and a part of him wished he could have spared Sheik even a brief moment of it, yet he supposed there was no way to do that. It was always possible that he wouldn’t return every single time he left.

“You sounded like Ryoma for a moment there.” he mumbled, flexing his fingers again. “I’ll try not to overdo it, but I’m not going to sit by while my siblings are at war. It’s bad enough that I had to miss the fight in Demon Falls.”

He understood that pushing himself beyond his limits was dangerous and he knew that he really shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help it. He trusted his sibling’s retainers, he did, but he felt so much better being there himself. Taking out units who grew too close to their backlines. Protecting his family with his own two hands. If anything happened that he could have prevented by being there, he didn’t want to miss it. He would never forgive himself if somebody was slain because he wasn’t there. Wasn’t doing his job.

“Kamui once told me that I take on too much responsibility, but it’s hard not to. We don’t have many fighters who are positioned in the backlines with our healers - with my sister.” There was a huff in his voice, one that was put out by the insinuation that he did too much. “It’s a war, somebody has to sacrifice something eventually.”

Confirmation was nice, but this particular one brought a warmth to his chest. Sheik had made many friends over the past couple of years, but they had all been held away at a certain length. Whether it be due to his wandering nature or his carefully-kept secret, he didn’t dare get close to people. On one hand, he felt compelled to do the same with Takumi, but on the other… well, there were less complications. It’s not as if the archer was from around here; if he was careful enough, he’d probably never find out his secret, and even if he did, it’s not like it would affect him. Plus, he seemed enamored by his travels rather than put off, and since they had a particular meeting spot, it’s not like they could easily miss each other.

Or well, they could. Really, the timing was the only issue… Like before, when he had disappeared so suddenly and for so long. He’d been waiting around for days for the chance to see him again, and yes, he’d gotten lucky on his way back - but what of him? Would Takumi have the patience to wait around for days at a time? Or would he take it as a sign the first night and go home for another month? Suddenly there was a stone in the pit of his stomach, wondering, if things didn’t line up, would they go years without seeing each other?

No. No, that could be avoided.

His head shook back and forth, moreso to clear his own mind than to communicate anything. “Actually, I’m going the opposite direction in the morning. Towards Hebra,” he turned to point off in the direction of the tundra. “Home of the Rito. It has mountains, too, but they’re snowy rather than on fire.” His gaze settled back on his silver stranger, leaning into his hand once again. “I’ll make sure not to freeze to death if I cross over there, since you insist on it.”

He quite liked Hebra and Tabantha, in their own way. They were cold, that was for certain, but they had a certain stillness to them. Fresh, undisturbed snow, twinkling against the sun, and the frozen-over ponds and streams among it. It was like a picture, a constant capture in time, that he almost felt bad stepping through. Sheik closed his eyes briefly, letting out a slow exhalation of air. He could feel it now, the crunch under his feet, the frosty air nipping at his cheeks…

There was a beat of silence between them before he spoke again, quieter this time, his words holding their own sincerity. “You don’t do anything dumb either. I don’t particularly like being stood up.” His eyes opened again, returning Takumi’s teasing tone. “I had half a mind to throw a deku nut at your head when I finally saw you again.”

A soft exhalation of breath, barely a chuckle left the archer. The sound wasn’t devoid of amusement, but one could easily tell that the subject of his absence was a bit touchy. Not because he felt guilty - or not exclusively - but for his own failings leading up to it. He’d felt rather awful not being able to tell Sheik that he’d be indisposed for a while, but he wasn’t even allowed to leave the infirmary until Sakura had triple verified that his wound was healed enough… Apparently she thought he’d be reckless and try to train. She was right, but it was still annoying. After a moment, Takumi sat up proper, bringing his left arm forward and flexing his fingers for Sheik to see. The movement was slightly stiff and sluggish, but the fist he made was tight enough to grip a bow. If only just barely.

“I never did explain what happened, huh? I guess I owe you that much at least,” the tiniest hint of embarrassment crept into his tone as he spoke next, betraying how much he blamed himself for the incident.

“During the last battle I took part in, we attempted to cut down travel time to Windmire, but upon our arrival to Fort Dragonfall we were ambushed. By Iago no less, King Garon’s shadow and tactician.” Huffing, he took a long pause here. After a moment’s hesitation he started to undo the bindings on his left glove. “There were a seemingly endless number of faceless and Iago… did something. Whatever he did was causing the place to pulse and flood with acid… Like the bones of the elder dragon used to construct the place were rising from the dead.”

Here, he finally pulled the glove free, showing off the nasty scar that ran from the middle of his forearm to the elbow. The slice was surrounded by the faint impression of flesh that had been chemically burnt - the texture was wrong and the color just slightly off.

“I kept being pushed further back from the growing hordes until eventually I was cut off by the pools of acid. The wound isn’t all that bad considering I had a hatchet halfway in my arm. I should have been more careful.” Expectedly, he sounded rather indignant. As if he thought it to be his own fault that they’d been ambushed - that he’d been injured. It was a choice, his tactics and ability to route the enemy were in his control. He was an idiot for getting hurt.

Pulling his glove back on, he began to redo the bindings, a frown settling onto his features as he covered the still healing injury back up. While the flesh had been mended by Sakura’s magic, the deep tissue was still recovering. If he didn’t rest his arm, it may never be fully functional again and despite knowing that, he still has an obligation to his siblings. He can’t keep sitting out battle after battle because he was careless. None of his other siblings had been injured during that fight; so why was he? It was shameful and he despised thinking about it.

It was beautiful.

The sound was not unlike that of a song. It started with a gentle note, then quickly swelled into a harmonic pattern of laughter. Like the chiming of a fairy’s wings, it filled the air around them in such a way that it was easy to forget there was much else. Or maybe the winds themselves paused to give it the spotlight? It was intoxicating, he had to admit, like the sights of sundown over a mountain just trekked. His hand raised to rest under his chin, propping his elbow on a knee as he drank in every last note. He could give a lot for this to last forever…

All too soon the song ended, and it was only then that Sheik felt the smile that had crept onto his face over its duration. Feeling put out by his own actions and mind, he pulled his gaze away from Takumi, taking to inspect a distant tree instead. They do say laughter is the best medicine, right? It felt like his laughing had cured what ailed him… both of them, really. Perhaps that’s all it was… A welcome turn of events given the conversation just moments before, he supposed.

Pointed ears twitched as they picked up the smallest of sounds, tracking them back to his silver stranger. Sheik turned to look at him again, waiting patiently for him to continue. What he had to say, however, was the last thing he had been expecting. His lips parted slightly, but he had nothing to say in that moment, instead staring at the archer like a fool for a few seconds.

“You’re welcome,” he finally managed, chuckling lighting to break apart some of the tension in his head - “honestly, it’s a mystery, but maybe better to just be happy it happened this way, right? I kind of enjoy our little talks.”

Admitting it out loud wasn’t as hard as he had originally been expecting; in fact, it just spilled out of him without much forethought. Well, that was worry for nothing… at least, as long as his conversation partner felt the same. That would be embarrassing.

“Only kind of?” he asked, amusement clear in his voice. “Well then I suppose that I kind of enjoy your company as well.”

Underselling his feelings for the ninja was easy, especially when compared to the alternative. There really was no way to overstate how much he appreciated them. When he was feeling trapped by his duty - the sheer weight of his responsibilities - he knew that he could come here to Hyrule, to Sheik, and forget about all of that for even just a moment. Like cool water, his presence washed away the burdens of his everyday life no matter how much he wished to cling to the negativity that swirled in his mind like a violent typhoon. This one fool would brave the storm and calm the weather as he went. It was as if he possessed some kind of therapeutic magic. Which was ridiculous, of course.

Unfortunately he knew that soon he would have to leave once more. For an even less certain amount of time. He estimated a month, sure, but that is only if everything goes perfectly. Not a single hitch in their plans, it is far more likely he’ll be gone for two months. Maybe even three depending on injuries, losses, or any other tragedy that could follow their march on the capitol. All of it just made the prospect of hiding away in Hyrule for a year or two that much more appealing. Okay, perhaps that was an over exaggeration, but a weeks respite would be nice. Renewing even. Just hearing Sheik speak briefly about all the freedom he had at his fingertips. He could go wherever he wanted and whenever. It was an intoxicating fantasy to say the least.

Yet a fantasy nonetheless.

“Hopefully you don’t do anything too idiotic while I’m away. I’d hate to come back and hear that you got lost in the woods or burned to a crisp on your Death Mountain.”

Sheik’s eyes stayed attentively on Takumi’s face as he spoke, listing off the sources of his plight. It was no wonder he seemed stressed. The war that his homeland was in sounded brutal, with an enemy that was as persistent as they were heartless. He still couldn’t imagine what it had to be like. Not only being in a war, but being far enough away to only onlook the destruction of one’s people without being able to stop it directly. At least, not yet… His eyes trailed off to the side as the archer finished speaking, blinking slowly.

“Maybe not, but it’s not wrong to hope an enemy has some humanity left. Fighting can be avoided that way, or at the very least, tragedy lessened. But an enemy without humanity will only do the unforgivable.” There was a slight pause as he brought his eyes back to center. “That being said, it sounds like they deserve what’s coming for them. And once they do, you’ll have the time to take that moment you need to yourself.”

With a sense of finality on his words, he dropped his attention one last time to the bento. The mochi ball was still waiting for him, and he wasted little time in picking it up to eat. The fruit inside was soft and sweet, and helped to quell the storm that was starting to swirl in his mind. His own predicament was a complicated one, but not one he wished to reveal anytime soon; especially just in an effort to be empathetic. Giving up any hint of his previous identity to a stranger would definitely be one of the most foolish things he could ever do. 

At least his words had been from the heart. They encompassed his own hopes for his unsure future.

Once he was finished with the dessert, he carefully placed the chopsticks in the box and set it aside. A small smile crossed Sheik’s face then, the previously serious tone in his voice giving away to a more playful one. “I won’t doubt this war will end in your favor, though. An advantage of your Hoshido’s clothing is, given how many layers it must have, the enemy swordsmen might give up on trying to get through by the third swing.”

Whether or not his silver stranger’s clothing choices were the key to victory, he genuinely hoped nothing went wrong on his end. It would be a terrible loss to never see him again.

It was a simple reprieve in the form of an almost mocking joke, but Takumi found himself laughing at it. Melodious and gentle in contrast to his usually loud and brash personality. Like a soothing balm, the action seemed to ease the stresses of life that he was forced to endure. Bringing to him a temporary sense of peace and mirth. Allowing the storm clouds in his mind to be chased away by the shining sun, not to return unless beckoned. Laughter subsiding, the archer cast a bright smile at the ninja across from him. The set of his shoulders relaxing with the sudden levity he was experiencing.

“They don’t usually swing more than a couple times before they decide that I’m some horrific cloth golem incapable of being slain with a mere sword.” he quipped, leaning back on his hands in a clear show that he was starting to relax.

Perhaps it was the overall downcast mood or the way Sheik’s words danced with an air of childish glee when they spoke, but the banter had immediately brought him to a place of tranquility. Had gifted him with amnesty from all the pain and torment his life seemed prone to attract. Just speaking about it alone had served to mollify him, but it did not do well to dwell on such things. This experience further endowing him with an enjoyment of the other’s company. It was a rare talent to so easily drag the prince from his gloomy thoughts. Most days it involved a lot more kicking and screaming on his part.

Metaphorically, of course.

This was definitely going to be something he missed. After so long without the other male’s presence, such a small taste was only going to tease him. There was no way to know how long it would be until he came back, so he would have to make the most of the time he had now. Keep the mood light and the conversation pleasant. At least that was what he hoped to do, after being granted a second chance to do so. Glancing away from his conversation partner, his smile faltered for a moment.

“Hey,” the word was spoken softly, quiet. As if he were nervous to follow the thought thread that he’d decided on. Then with little ceremony he spoke again, voice sincere and gaze fond. “Thanks for waiting for me to come back. I don’t know why you bothered, but I really appreciate it.”

               ‘   It wouldn’t have been alright to leave you to die.   ‘

               𝐀𝐓   𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐄   𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄   𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒,   𝐓𝐇𝐄     prince goes stiller than what the imposition of his small, aching movements already allow. The young man’s short manner of speech may have been riddled with some thorns, yes, but the sentiment behind it remained all too universally noble. A warm tide of understanding washes over him at this; something within him easing quite comfortably, like a single button from the collar slackened off the throat. What manner of individual would lend him such a generous helping hand? Surely, Marth would have questioned it before, but the stranger before him has inadvertently earned his trust with a few equal words to suit their actions.

               Then again, as he is now, the prince is also a beggar of few opportunities who can scarce afford to wonder– to doubt whatever charitable benefactor would grace him in his distress. It will suit him better to let any remaining suspicions lie dormant as energy well spent elsewhere. In light of the other’s question, he would even surely need to be economical with his strength from hereon, at least for a time. 

               Patting about his person, his fingers reached experimentally beneath the battered chassis of his breastplate, falling away with a stripe of red. Wet. The prince winced, ironically more for the numb demise of feeling in that area than any outrageous flaring pain.   “   .   .   .A few careless dents, here and there, I suppose!   “   A lighthearted answer bereft poorly of humor when he must strike quite the vision in his ragged state.   “   I assure you, my looks are worse than what I feel.   My head suffered quite the battering by one of those brutes earlier, but– I no longer feel its edge.   I have you to thank for that.   “

               At the slight rustling of clothing, amplified for its sound in the ominous silence of the copse, his attention shot to the other as he observed them quietly rise to stand. The prince’s eyes mimicked the pathing of their gaze through and betwixt the trees, bearing no doubt in the slightest that their perception was not one and the same. Whereas the archer may have harvested a dozen useful details with a single glance, Marth only singly viewed that which pervaded his senses most strongly. Darkness. Shapeless by its many shadows, planting only the most sinister ideas into his wayfaring imagination.   .   .

               Predictably, he turned from their sight with an unsteady look.   “   I can do it,   “  chimes his brave front instead, easier said for the impatience brewing within him. He wasn’t familiar with these haunting woods, but it remained his sincerest hope that he would never come to be. Especially when he fretted for his allies that had lingered only a half – step behind him during his entrance to his world.   “   It is not my intention to keep us from the best possible course.   Please, think of me as nothing but your shadow and pay me no mind.   “   As if to endow this merely admirable suggestion with greater substance, the Altean tottered to his feet and nodded solidly at the other. Truthfully; even for the likes of this impromptu companion, Marth fretted, unwilling to deem them laden with his troubles.

The phrasing was different, but the sentiment remained all too familiar. Whether for a reason similar to his own or not, Takumi was no stranger to setting aside his own injuries for the sake of another. Were their places reversed, he was sure any words to the contrary would fall on deaf ears. The unbidden worry would have only earned ire from the Hoshidan royal. Acknowledging injury was an admittance of failure in his mind. A sign of weakness.

A thought born of a struggle he could never escape.

Yet, with the situation in the reverse as it were, he already found that his thoughts were laden with annoyance and concern. A frown had firmly set itself in place upon his features. Those words were turned over repeatedly in his mind, almost like a mantra. The sudden embargo on his thoughts making it impossible to focus on the current task at hand. Keeping him from further examining their possible route through these fell tainted woodlands. Something that really only added to the irritation creeping up on him.

“If you say so, but,” pausing momentarily, his gaze turned from the trees to his unlikely companion; worry underlying his otherwise neutral tone. “Don’t push yourself. Say something if you need to stop, alright? I’ll carry you out of here if I have to.”

Again. Breathing a sigh, deep hazel eyes pulled their focus away from his charge. There was a considerable amount of underbrush that they could take advantage of where the evergreens stood their thickest. The lack of completely trampled flora and damaged bark made it clear that those monsters couldn’t easily traverse the area. Too big to squeeze through such small gaps without felling a tree or two. Something that they would be taking advantage of. Pulling his yumi from his shoulder, the weapon was brought to a readied position in front of him. String half drawn, but arrow pointed toward the dry soil below.

There was no point in prolonging this journey by waiting around here any longer. With the other already standing, it was best to move now and keep their voices hushed if they were going to converse any further. Pulling his hand from the half drawn bowstring for but the briefest moment, he motioned for them to follow before he set into the woods. His pace was slower than he if he were alone, but not slow enough to add any considerable amount of time to their journey. His footsteps were light, purposeful. Hardly a sound was made while he cut through the short path he’d mentally mapped into the densest of the brush.

From this new vantage point, hidden under the canopy of leaves, he once more scanned their immediate surroundings. Only pausing long enough for him to decide where they would be cutting through next. Based on the tracks between the duo and their next spot, something had been through here recently. Those prints were heavy, the mark elongated by the creature dragging its feet through the dirt. A lumbering brute. Pulling the string of his weapon back further, the royal wasted little extra time in continuing this trek.

Silver’s ears drooped down even further than normal and he realized he may have had an overreaction and felt extremely awkward and embarrassed. A pink flush crawled across his face and went all the way up to the tips of his ears.

He peeked out more from behind the tree, still looking timid, the faint glow of his markings from under his glove slightly illuminating his face in the shade of the tree.

“I… um…”

Darn his anxiety whenever he got lost! He had to get over this dumb anxiousness!

“Uh…”

Takumi had never and would never claim expertise on sentient, bipedal aliens, but in his unprofessional opinion; this was a child. A notion that brought him a certain measure of ease. Now set in how to handle the situation, the archer approached the spot where the other was hiding. His movements were light and careful. Taking special care to avoid startling the other with the shrinking distance between them if possible. Pausing within arms reach of the tree, the archer knelt into the soft grass.

@cavaliant​ buttery, cupcake

Soft as Silk || Accepting

Buttery - Favorite snack?

“Peaches, probably. In any form.” dried, candied, baked into pastries... They always made for a pretty good snack. Best of all they weren’t too overwhelmingly sweet. “I guess I like them raw the best if I have to be specific.”

                                    ———————————————

Cupcake - Are you a good cook?

Here is the largest organ, seemingly unimportant and forgotten in favour of larger meatier cuts of flesh, but it is living and breathing but wholly on the outside. You feel everything so much all the time. You wear everything on the outside, nothing about you is restrained or held back, authentic and truthful, even to a fault, even revealing all the ugly parts you can’t cover. The blows and injuries you take cannot be hidden, so be cautious. Always remember scars do not heal, they can only fade.

               𝐀𝐍   𝐔𝐍𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃𝐋𝐘   𝐈𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄;   𝐓𝐇𝐄   𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓     cyan glow of warp magicka enveloping him with both its power and a sensation most uncanny. The prince could not have known that the Outrealm would exceed his every superficial notion of its mysticism, for not even Princess Nyna’s wisdom had prepared him for a portal between worlds. Succeeding his first steps tentatively passing him through the gates, it was nigh as if his body had become a mere container for his soul!  Like a child’s ragdoll flung round and round within a vortex–a dimensional labyrinth with multiple ‘ doors ‘ that veered past his vision until he all but barreled through one in particular, entirely unlinked to his choosing.

               Naturally, his landing had not lended any further grace to his noble name either, a heart – wrenching fall from the lowest rungs of the sky itself that tumbled him down to the earth. Upon painfully hauling himself up to his hands and knees, Marth could only revel: the crickets singing in his ear amid the crisp night air, the grass sodden with dew beneath his touch, seemed as much foreign as the experience he had only just sustained. But such matters were hardly worth lingering over, where instead were the most loyal of his Altean knights, entrusted to accompany their prince in his assignment? Were they kept safe from this world’s heavy – handed salutations, or did they suffer the very same––––

               As he would learn by the onrush of new and abominable foes never before known to him, flocking around the site of his landing, he could only hope that no friend of his was ever caught in this same dire situation. The barbarians he fought rotted and reeked as much as the death they sought to convey, though it detracted none from their horrific strength, especially come a blow from one he had neglected to notice until too late. The clip of its knuckles against his head was worrisome: dampened for its intensity by adrenaline, but no doubt subject to the fret of concussion at a later date. A luxury he may only afford upon survival. But as if this passing ultimatum was answered by Naga herself, an unlikely succorer had offered himself and his arrows up for the Altean’s rescue!

               An.   .   .Archer? Marth could only loosely produce this bewildered thought as he staggered away from the swarm of his enemies, thanking his lucky stars that his feet expediently matched the lightheadedness that overcame him. Falchion glinted against the full moon as he warded off a sly blow, but his companion adjudged for them both that their option remained not to fight, but to flee: and flee they valiantly did. There remained no opportunity even for his surprise when the other, a young man garbed fittingly and yet also strangely, drew forth a contrasting strength with his archery to tote Marth along. Their short yet harried travels finding them finally liberated from immediate harm at the forest’s cusp.

               A shiver coursed through the young prince after being set on the ground, his nerves frazzled a good deal now that he’s been allowed to reflect over the aftermath of his near – death experience. Despite this, he finds it in himself to smile warmly at his rescuer before him, now endowed with a face he may commit to memory.   “   Forgive me, this–them–these circumstances are just all too troubling, I have no answer for your questions except that I only fought for my life with the sheerest of desperation. I would tell you more if I could.   “   The endless questions he himself possesses sit unbidden on his tongue: what were those fell creatures that attacked them? Your name, the name of this world? But he swallows them all down for the time being, thinking it better to accept the proffered vulnerary and ingest it alongside their stead. Marth wiped at his mouth afterward, feeling the gravest of his wounds remarkably staunch their own bleeding at the very least.   “   Friend, I do not know who you are, but I am placed irrefutably in your debt.   And you– earlier, you suffered a blow that could be avoided simply for the sake of my rescue.   Was it alright for you to think of me?   “

“It wouldn’t have been alright to leave you to die,” exasperation laced his voice, the royal couldn’t fathom why they thought such a minor injury was anything to worry about. He wasn’t the one bleeding. Besides that, the two of them couldn’t have handled that fight. Faceless roamed every inch of these woods, the onslaught would have proven never ending. Sporting a head injury didn’t enhance their odds of survival either. “How bad are your injuries?”

As an accomplished archer, Takumi had strength enough to keep carrying the other male, although it would be more beneficial to have his yumi drawn. If anything were to find them, it would just lead to another mad dash until it lost their trail. Something that could be avoided if he simply put the beast down. Running also left no guarantee that they wouldn’t just attract more attention from those hulking beasts. It almost felt like a miracle that they made it here untracked. Something that he was endlessly thankful for. It gave them enough time to regroup and tend this stranger’s wounds.

Not that he was well trained in the pursuit of medicine or first aid.

The most he could truly do now was offer the only other healing item on his person. Which wasn’t very potent at all, it was simply meant to seal shallow wounds closed to avoid further bleeding. Useful, sure, but he was quite sure the vulnery he’d given them had already taken care of the worst. Letting out a sigh, the archer rose to his full height once more. Surveying the immediate area, he concluded they had at least another few minutes before they would have no choice but to leave. Faceless always had an uncanny ability for seeking out those who were already in bad shape.

“If you think you can walk, we shouldn’t stay here much longer.” by now, his tone had evened out. Taking on a more thoughtful lilt as he considered where to go from here. Skirting the outside of the forest was safest, but would take much longer. If this man’s injuries were grave enough it wouldn’t do them well to take the safe route. Unfortunately the worse off they were, the harder it would be to cut back through the thick throng of flora. “You need medical attention, but those Faceless are also likely to find us. If you think you’re well off enough to cut through the woods, we’ll be doing that.”

brushing loose hair behind your lover's ear

the gentle tenderness and care... deep yearning from the barest brush of skin... wanting to ask for more but being unsure... you spend a lot of time worrying about whether or not you will find love, and sometimes aren’t even sure if romance is something worth pursuing. you have spent so long being on your own, you simply struggle to picture yourself beside another person. perhaps you even secretly worry that you are too much for another person. it it important to not think of yourself as someone unlovable, as you are just as deserving of romance as any. however, it is also important to not place your value on relationships; you are a complete person on your own.

“Ah, oops.”

He rubbed behind his head as he watched the frankly gigantic buck run. He hadn’t intended to scare it, he hadn’t even intended to interact with it at all, but whoops, he hadn’t been watching where he was going while running. Silver’s quills bristled and he turned his head to look at who had spoken.

“Ack!”

His fur and quills had puffed up in surprise and he immediately ran to hide behind a tree. He peeked out at the other, his ears pulled back against his head. Then he finally registered what the other said and pulled his face behind the tree again.

“N-No?”

He was definitely lost, he was just too nervous to admit it.

An awkward beat of silence passed through the small clearing, the wind itself seemed to fall into quiet as the two stared at each other. Even though it was barely a fraction of a minute, Takumi could feel every single tick of time like an eternity. He was even less sure now as to how this situation should be handled. Was this creature really trying to sell that he lived in these woods? Surely, it was possible, but the prince could hardly believe it. As often as he had spent time hunting here there was little chance he didn’t know about the snow furred creature.

alias.   Edgy birthday.   January 15th gender.   Trans Male relationship status.   Hoarding a ghost zodiac sign.   Capricorn siblings.   One brother & three sisters time.   1:20AM type of phone.   LG Aristo 3+ love or lust.   Love lemonade or ice tea.   Lemonade cats or dogs.   Felines coke or pepsi.   Cherry Coke day or night.   Dead of night met a celebrity?   One of the Ms. Americas when I was a child. Apparently I sassed her?? I don’t remember it, but my family loves the story — chapstick or lipstick.  Neither last song you listened to.  Currently listening to Ninja Sex Party’s cover of Africa by Toto from the Under the Covers album

Hooves stepped lightly over deep green grass. A tawny furred snout lowering into the lush flora to partake in the calm evening air. Velvet covered antlers having been recently brushed over the bark of a tree shone in the waning sunlight. Their sharpened points a threat offered only to those idiotic enough to provoke such a creature. A soft breeze rolled in, making the leaves sway gently. The motion causing them to brush up against the pale skin of an unseen hunter.

Sitting up in the branches of an old oak, arrow drawn, was the second Hoshidan royal.

The deer below had been his mark for the last forty minutes and he finally had a good angle on it. Lining his aim up with the buck’s head, he felt his grip on the arrow loosen, prepared to finish the animal off. That was until a white furred creature scared it off, their form having burst from the trees. While normally an animal scaring off his mark was nothing too crazy, this particular instance felt different. Likely due to the fact that the thing he was now staring at looked like a mutated porcupine.

Breaking the divine energy gathered at his hands, he lowered the now unarmed yumi to his side. Hazel eyes scanning this new animal with nothing but sheer curiosity. The long spikes hanging from the back of their back were offset by the five sticking up from their forehead. If he squinted, he could almost make out the tiny points of their ears peeking from within the mass of quills. Strangely, this perceived animal was standing there wearing clothing. The white cloth appeared to have a sunflower embroidered on the front of it. They even had gloves on over their - paws? - hands.

Gaze rising from their odd attire back to their face, the royal found himself making eye contact with the snowy furred mammal. Blinking a couple times, Takumi wasn’t entirely sure how to proceed in this situation. So, despite not even knowing if this stranger could even understand him, he was speaking.