Search; {closed} Eliwood/Ash
Eliwood had been losing sleep lately. He would have the same nightmare over and over again. He had a fear of losing those closest to him and of course, as if playing a cruel trick, his mind responded to that. In his dreams, he watched his mother and friends vanish before him. It wasn’t as if he was afraid of being left alone; he just couldn’t bare being helpless if his loved ones were in danger. It’s been like this ever since he was a child and it only worsened after his father, Lord Elbert, passed away.
This night was no different. The same nightmare reoccurred in his brain as he slept. But this time, he body began to shake. Was he having a seizure?
“Milord!”
Someone calling out for him? At this late hour? He groaned quietly, still pondering the voice, as he opened his tired eyes reluctantly. At first he couldn’t make out the figure before him. He was tall and muscular, he could tell by how wide their shadow was.
"Milord Eliwood, please. You must wake up now!" the voice spoke again. Their tone was low, husky and immediately recognizable.
"… Marcus?" Eliwood managed to mumble between yawns.
"Yes. I apologize for the intrusion, but there’s something I must bring to your attention," he spoke with such urgency causing Eliwood to rise up slowly; he was now fully awake, "It’s about Ash milord. I heard from one of our knights that they saw her collapsed near a bandits’ camp outside Pherae."
Eliwood couldn’t respond at first. No. He needed some more time to process everything Marcus was saying. And even after he fully comprehended he couldn’t speak and Marcus took the liberty to continue.
"We don’t know how far away from Pherae she fainted, We surveyed the entire kingdom and could not find one trace of her nor the camp."
The young marquess clenched his fist secretly. He knew very well Ash disregarded her health and well-being. But to black out near a bandits’ campsite? No. He wasn’t her fault. She had no control.
"Marcus, prepare my horse." Eliwood gently commanded, "I have to find her."
Ash… hadn’t been sleeping as of late. Despite her constant reminders that sleep was necessary to live, she couldn’t help but stay up until daylight, ruminating on her past adventures and wondering if all of her friends were okay. It had been like that for years; her, lost in her thoughts and eventually becoming unable to sleep for weeks at a time.
The only problem was, her unbalanced sleep schedule meant that she would collapse at any given time without warning. This time, it had been near a nearby bandit camp, and right when she was going to enter Pherae.
She wasn’t aware that the bandits had found her, keeping their voices as low as possible as they took her to their camp. They figured they could make some money off of her, be it by selling her or forcing her to work for them. If not, well… there would be some use for a little lady.
It was obvious that she would not wake anytime; her body was too weak to do anything but try and regain at least a little bit of energy for herself. Taking advantage of this, the bandits hurried to have their camp disappear so that no knights would follow them.
Eliwood was surprisingly good as maintaining a calm, composed facade even when he was crumbling with despair or just afraid deep, down inside. He was never always like this; he needed to mask his depression after his father passed. He had to put on a convincing smile for his people and rise up as fill Lord Elbert's shoes. But there was times where his eyes would give away his emotions and that guise of his would falter.
That was happening now. Which was why Marcus insisted in accompanying the young marquess.
"Marcus, please return to Pherae. Our people need you there, protecting them." Eliwood commanded sternly, keeping his eyes locked forward in hopes to hide his obvious dismay.
"If I may be blunt, it is not I who the kingdom needs; it is you, milord, " Marcus simply said, riding up next to the young marquess, " Which is why I am here... to make sure you return home safely."
Eliwood couldn't help the smile forming on his lips, "Thank you for always be here with me, Marcus" he told the paladin, who in response, just grinned and nodded.
If there was one thing Eliwood knew, it was that Marcus can be just as stubborn as himself.
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Both Eliwood and Marcus had lost track of how long they were traveling; it felt like eternity. The night sky that stretched out above them made the once familiar fields into dark, ominous mazes. Eliwood felt panicked. Every second wasted, Ash could be in more danger... or worse. He shook his head; he mustn't think negatively. Ash may be careless but she was intelligent. If he knew the tactician, she was already buying them some time. Or at least... he hoped she was.
"Milord!" Marcus called out suddenly, causing Eliwood to return back from within his thoughts, "I think I may have discovered their trail."
"You have?" Eliwood responded quickly, "Lead the way Marcus, we must hurry!"
As they rode off, Eliwood silently thanked the gods for Marcus being with him now more than ever. If he were by himself, he'd wandering around aimlessly until dawn. Unlike him, Marcus performs better under a lot of emotion. It was something Eliwood admired and hoped he too would later master himself.
"There it is!" Marcus said, slowing his horse to a stop a safe distance away, "How careless of those dastards, making a new camp only miles from their old one."
Eliwood ceased his horse next Marcus's and nodded in agreement to his statement. He scanned their camp quickly and saw a tied up Ash laying next one of their tents, "Found her!" he whispered.
He felt a small pang of relief after seeing Ash alive, but he couldn't run to her just yet. They needed to devise a plan.
