Winds of Change (Part Two)
Title: Winds of Change
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Ike/Volug
Summary: When Ike finds that his newly found status as a hero is making him miserable, he seeks to rectify it. On a whim, he journeys to Hatari, and meets up with a friend that he had made a promise to in the war.
Notes: Whoo, this one is even longer than my Ike/Zelgius fic, surprisingly. I had finished this a month ago, but both my beta and I were busy with other things, so it didn't get out until now, sorry! Thank you for betaing for me, SRG~
Unvoiced Affection by Ariaeris served as my initial inspiration for this fic before it evolved into a lot more. I heartily recommend reading her fic--it's quite good.
===
Their lessons together continued every day, and each day Ike felt his knowledge deepening, his understanding becoming clearer. While he was still far off from actually speaking coherent sentences, he didn't stumble over letters as much as he did on the first day.
After giving them instruction in their first few lessons together, Nailah left the rest up to the two, telling them she was expecting great progress. Ike later realized that the wolf queen had another purpose in mind when she had wholeheartedly approved of their desire to learn another language; she was using the opportunity to observe how to best teach the whole populace of Hatari the modern language. More than once did Nailah comment to him that she intended to migrate her whole country over to Tellius in the near future; Ike supposed that teaching them the modern language would be a step in that direction.
Much to both Nailah's and Rafiel's surprise, Volug was working just as hard learning the modern language as Ike was learning the old. Whenever he was talking with Ike, he'd always attempt to use the modern tongue to see if Ike could understand him. Whenever Ike replied that he could, Volug looked more satisfied than anything before attempting even more sentences, each one getting progressively more complex.
The two had managed to work out a schedule of sorts for each day. In the early morning, Ike would tutor Volug over pronunciation and several words. Oftentimes, he'd ask the wolf to repeat a sentence he had just uttered, correcting him whenever he strayed from how it was meant to be said. Rafiel had also generously provided him with scrolls he had written himself, giving translations of certain phrases that Volug could look over.
After that, they would usually break for a while, with both of them tending to their own affairs. Ike would use the time to train, while Volug would either go hunting for food or do other things. Lately, he had been taking to watching Ike practice, usually shifting to his wolf form and laying down on the grass as he watched. Ike had no idea why the wolf did so, but didn't really mind the company.
As the afternoon would start, it would be Ike's turn to go over the ancient language. Volug would do his best to assist, helping Ike with how a word was pronounced, or slowly guiding him through saying simple phrases in the ancient dialect. More often than not, Rafiel would assist when Volug didn't know how to explain something, usually showing both of them certain ways to make it easier on themselves.
What they would do each night varied. Sometimes they chose to rest after such an intense lesson. Sometimes they went to find something else to do. However, a lot of the time, they would keep studying and teaching each other, even into the early hours of the morning. They never meant to lose track of time, but if they could keep saying one more phrase, perfecting one more word...
As their lessons continued, Ike found his friendship with Volug growing, with the wolf speaking more and more often with him. Usually, Volug would utter some kind of sarcastic or snide remark about something they were reading, and Ike would either chuckle or respond back with another remark. Their bantering really helped Ike get a feel on Volug's personality--while he was blunt and had a crude sense of humor, he was always honest with him and was always curious about certain things.
The former mercenary was glad to have such a good relationship with the wolf, as he turned out to be one of the people he talked to the most. It had been a few months since he had arrived in Hatari, and their friendship only deepened as the weeks wore on...
---
"...Doubt the Sun does not move, doubt truth to be a liar..." Ike recited in ancient tongue, his eyes following the text Nailah had lent him. "But...I can't read the rest of it," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I guess I'm too tired."
Volug looked over his shoulder at what the the beorc was reading. "But don't doubt that I love," the wolf finished for him, snorting a bit. "Why must we read po...poe...this?" he asked, unsure of how to say the next word.
"Poetry?" Ike asked, knowing full well that was the word the wolf wanted. At Volug's nod, he shrugged. "Dunno, but Nailah seems to think it will help me with the language faster."
The wolf seemed to roll his eyes at that. "If it could, I would have brought the whole library in here to shove down your throat," he remarked wryly.
Ike raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Would that mean I would have to cross the de..." Frowning, Ike tried to remember that word, scowling when he couldn't seem to pronounce it.
"Desert," Volug supplied helpfully, getting a thankful nod from the beorc.
"As I was saying...Desert of Death to find a beorc library, and then cross it again so I could shove meaningless poetry down your throat?" he finished with a smirk. Both he and Volug had taken to switching between talking between modern and ancient tongue, as a way of acquainting themselves with the more complex parts of the one they were learning. Whenever one stumbled, the other would quickly correct them, and it worked out to their benefit.
Volug seemed to laugh at that. "You can try," he said with amused smile. "I'd probably bite your hand off."
"You probably would," Ike noted dryly. "I'll need my hand, thanks."
There was a bit of silence between them as Ike continued looking over the text in front of him, poetry written all in the ancient language. After a few minutes, he finally had to shut it, as it was giving him a headache. "Well, I'm done for the night."
"Had enough of reciting that garbage?" Volug asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Definitely. Although I don't know why you call it garbage," Ike replied. It was times like this that it amazed him that he could converse like this in another language, and how he had come so far in learning it. He still had a long way to go to perfecting it, but for simple, idle conversation like this, it was enough. "I wonder where Queen Nailah got all of these books. She doesn't strike me as a reader..."
Volug seemed to huff, frowning. "It's because Her Majesty really isn't much of a read...reader," he corrected himself, still stumbling over some words. It also amazed Ike that after a few months of constant learning and practice, Volug was able to carry on a conversation with him in the modern tongue. "Prince Rafiel usually reads all of those books."
"Really?" Ike asked, examining the worn leather of the book. "He must have found them interesting...or he was really bored."
The wolf shrugged. "Who can say?" he commented, settling down into another chair as he took care to avoid smashing his tail. "Although I can say for sure that reading books like a pedant is not for me. Too stuffy."
Ike nodded, having caught enough of the words to know that Volug didn't like reading all that much. It brought up another question, however. "Volug...I have to wonder. With how well you seem to be getting the modern tongue right now, how come you didn't learn it before?"
The wolf sat up a bit straighter, a frown on his face. Ike got the feeling he asked something he shouldn't have, considering the way Volug's gaze fell to the floor. "It's because...I wasn't interested. That's all," he finally muttered.
"Huh..." Ike let out, watching Volug's expression. "I would have thought that Rafiel would have offered to teach you."
"He did," Volug responded, slipping into the ancient tongue again. "But I was not interested in learning a language I would never have to use. What was the point?"
Ike thought it over. "Well, I guess I can see why that makes sense," he said after a few moments of thinking. Why learn something if you never have to do it?
"But then..." Volug shifted a bit nervously, his ears twitching again. "I came to Tellius."
"When you met Micaiah?" Ike asked, and the wolf nodded. He hadn't heard all the details, but Rafiel and the two wolves were discovered by Micaiah and Sothe, and the latter had apparently recommended them to him so he could take them to Gallia. "So...what happened after that?"
"Nothing of interest, but...I found myself...irritated that I couldn't seem to converse with anyone other than Micaiah," Volug continued, a deep frown on his features. "I knew what everyone was saying, but I could not talk to anyone else. It didn't matter, in any case; most of the troops already thought I was strange at that point, so talking to them was pointless."
Although Ike couldn't fully understand the entirety of what Volug had just told him, he nodded. "Why did you talk to me, then?"
Volug paused. "I...don't know," he admitted. "I had the sudden urge to try and be helpful, so when I saw you, I wanted to give you that...el...elixir," he finally got out after Ike mouthed the word to him. "But then I realized that I still couldn't speak to you. I felt stupid."
Ike gulped. "Was that why you looked so...happy when I mentioned that we could learn each other's languages together?" he finally asked.
The wolf look startled. "How did you-?"
"I could see it in your eyes," Ike explained. "You tried to seem impassive, and I wasn't really the best at reading people, but I felt like I could understand that."
Volug continued to stare at him, his mouth open, but no words coming out. "I...I see," he finally mumbled, hastily standing up. "I have to go. Please excuse me..." Before Ike could say anything, Volug shifted into his wolf form and ran out of the room.
"Wait, Volug!" Ike called out, even though he knew it was futile. Just what had gotten into him? Did he inadvertently say something that his friend didn't like? I hope he's okay... he thought as he shelved the book, deciding to retire for the night now that Volug ran out on him. Hopefully the next day would explain everything.
---
Unfortunately, Volug didn't show up for the lesson the next morning, which worried Ike. He was convinced that he had accidentally brought up a painful memory for the laguz, so he had to find him so he could apologize. The thought of actually offending his friend had definitely worried him, and so he went out searching the palace grounds to search for him.
"Ah, Ike," he heard Nailah call as she walked up to him, exiting one of the corridors and into the outside air. "I didn't expect to see you here. Aren't you and Volug supposed to be teaching each other right about now?"
The expectant look on the Queen's face made Ike reconsider lying to her. "Yeah, we are. It's just Volug hasn't shown up yet," he explained, causing Nailah's visible eye to widen slightly.
"Is that so? That's unusual..." she remarked, crossing her arms. "I know for a fact he wouldn't willingly make himself absent. I wonder what's happened?"
"About that..." Ike started, somewhat nervous. How would the Queen take it? "I think I might have said something last night that he probably didn't take too well."
Nailah raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I was unaware that Volug could be offended by anything," she said, actually looking curious. "What did you do?"
"It wasn't so much me doing something than saying something I had no idea about," Ike admitted. "We were just talking last night, and then I asked him about why he didn't try to learn the language sooner, as I thought he was a natural at it. When he told me why, we talked about how it was when he came to Tellius, and then I asked him about that time in the manse. He told me why he wanted to give me that elixir that day, and then I asked him if that was why he looked so happy when I suggested that we learn each other's language. After I said that, he just...clammed up and left in a hurry. I really hope I didn't say anything that he--" Ike then paused, staring strangely at Nailah. "Are you laughing, Queen Nailah?"
Nailah held up a hand, her other covering her mouth to try and hold back the laughter that threatened to escape. "N-no," she managed to say before she managed to compose herself, although the wide grin on her face never left. "It's just...wow, I can't believe he'd get worked up over that. Puts a whole new perspective on things, that's for sure."
Ike blinked. "Uh, could you please explain? Because I'm not getting you."
Nailah chuckled before stopping, making sure she wasn't going into full-out laughter before she explained. "Ike, you didn't offend him, if that's what you're worried about," she started, still smiling. "Rather, he just got embarrassed. And here I thought he was a stick in the mud."
"Huh? Embarrassed?" Ike repeated, at a loss for words. "Why?"
The wolf queen shrugged. "That pup just has too much pride, in my opinion. He's unused to such intimacy, so he got completely flustered when you read his feelings so easily," she remarked with a grin. "I didn't think he could get embarrassed about anything. You really are quite a surprise, Ike."
"Wait, wait. Slow down. You're saying I embarrassed him?" Ike questioned, his head spinning.
"Of course not. He's just not used to dealing with a situation like this," Nailah repeated, a fond smile on her face. "But then again, he's still only a pup. I'm glad he's learning from you."
"So he's still rather young? I never knew that," Ike mentioned, getting a chuckle from the wolf queen. "But from the way you speak, you sound like you've raised him."
"And you'd be correct," Nailah confirmed with a nod. "His parents fell ill shortly after his birth, so I took him in as a favor. They passed away shortly after that, and I raised him accordingly. I wouldn't call myself his mother, but...a parental figure would fit better."
"I see," Ike nodded. "I should go find him and apologize anyway. I didn't mean to get him all flustered. Thank you for telling me all this, Queen Nailah," he thanked before he left in search for his friend.
Nailah stared after Ike, watching him run off into one of the gardens. "Such an interesting beorc is only found once in a lifetime," she sighed wistfully. "Volug is in good hands."
---
Thankfully, Ike did find the wolf a few minutes later, back in the meadow he first found him in when he had arrived in Hatari. Volug was still in his wolf form, laying down on the grass and rest his head in his paws. It struck Ike that the wolf seemed distracted, as Volug made no indication of acknowledging that he was there.
"Hey Volug," he greeted as he walked in, sitting down beside the wolf. The laguz lifted his head and stared at Ike in mild surprise, having apparently snapped out of whatever daze he was in. "How are you?"
He didn't get an answer, nor did Volug revert back to his beorc state. Ike sighed; it seemed that his friend was more perturbed than he thought.
"I want to say something," he said to the wolf, looking down at Volug's face. "I'm sorry."
This time, there was a reaction as Volug's head snapped up to look at him. He reverted in the next moment, violet eyes wide. "Why are you saying that?" Volug asked, his voice low.
The blue-haired man shrugged. "Because of last night. I didn't mean to make you feel embarrassed or anything. But since I did, I feel bad about it. Especially since you didn't show up for our lesson this morning."
"Ah..." Volug then looked away, trying to think of what to say. "It's not your fault. It's mine. I shouldn't have run out like that. I was being stupid again," he muttered.
Ike was curious. "How so?" he queried.
For the first time, Volug had a small blush on his cheeks, as if he were really embarrassed. "It's...because, well...um..." he sputtered, looking too flustered to say anything, a scowl forming on his face.
"You can tell me about it. I'm not going to laugh or anything, if you're worried about that," Ike reassured, patting Volug on the shoulder. The wolf looked at him for a few moments before nodding.
"Thanks," he muttered. "I was embarrassed because I thought you would think me strange as well," he admitted, sighing. "I am not the most sociable person, even here. Not many make an attempt to talk with me." He paused for a moment to lean back against one of the trees, his tail swishing to the side of him. "And then you came along and spent this much time with me. Teaching. Learning. It was overwhelming. When you told me about how happy I looked that one time we talked, before the tower...I didn't understand. But now...I really do think I was happy. Happy that you didn't think me odd or strange or...anything."
"Volug..." How was Ike supposed to respond to that? He had no idea that his friend had felt that way since then. Finally, he smiled. "I'm happy, as well."
Volug looked at him curiously. "What?"
"I'm happy that I'm learning the ancient language. That I'm teaching you the modern tongue. I'm happy because I made a great friend," Ike chuckled. "Now that I can understand you, Volug...I'm very happy that our friendship has deepened this much. Don't you feel the same way?"
The wolf stared at him, completely shocked. "You're...happy?" he tentatively asked, his ears twitching. When Ike nodded, he blinked rapidly, shaking his head slowly. "I...I'm happy too. Being friends, I mean."
Ike grinned. "Glad to hear it. So, apology accepted?" he asked, holding out a hand.
Volug looked at the hand for a brief moment before grasping it, giving it a firm shake. It was the first time Ike had truly seen him smile. "Indeed. Mine and yours."
---
Months passed by in a blink of an eye. After that day, the two found themselves getting closer and closer. It was hard to find a time when either of them was away from the other, and if there was, it was only brief. Nailah was actually highly amused by their situation, calling each of them the shadow of the other. Rafiel seemed to smile knowingly at that, yet he never said a word.
Their lessons only intensified. Each day, they would talk to each other constantly in both languages, their mistakes and slip-ups becoming rarer and rarer. Much to Ike's surprise, Volug started to use the modern tongue almost exclusively when talking to him, only going back into the ancient language when he was helping Ike. Even Nailah was surprised by it, but she then mentioned that it wasn't so shocking after thinking about it some more. "The modern tongue was made to help everyone, most notably the laguz of Tellius, understand each other better," she had explained. "It is most definitely the easier of the two languages to actually speak, once you've learned them both."
Aside from their lessons together, Ike had invited Volug to train with him. He was quite interested in how the wolf fought, not having the chance to watch him more closely during the war. Likewise, Volug had yet to face a swordsman on Ike's level; if Nailah had been interested in fighting the beorc before, it spoke multitudes of his friend's strength. So every day thereafter, the two trained and sparred together, both of them finding it a good workout.
Life in Hatari had been pleasant for Ike, who had finally learned enough of the ancient tongue to go out and interact with the locals, Volug at his side the whole time. They were nice enough people, even though they were suspicious of him at first for being an outsider. Eventually, they warmed up to him, nodding in greeting whenever he had the urge to walk through the town.
As the months went on and the seasons changed, they diverted their attention to reading and writing the different languages. Who knew when there would come a time where they would have to do so in the future? Even though saying the letters and actually writing them were different, Ike found that being able to speak the ancient tongue first helped him remember which symbols corresponded to what he said.
Volug had a few more troubles than that, however. It was one day during the winter afternoon that Ike first noticed.
---
Ike blinked as he looked at the scrap of paper Volug had been writing on. "Er...Volug, I can't read this," he remarked, actually turning the piece of parchment sideways to see if he could read it better. Sadly enough, he could.
Volug frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked somewhat indignantly. "I know I phrased it right. You've been drilling it into me every day, after all."
"It's not that," Ike corrected hastily, looking sheepish. "It's...well...how should I explain it?" he wondered.
"Just spit it out," the wolf grumbled irritably. He hated it when someone skirted around the issue.
The beorc sighed. "Your handwriting. It's completely unreadable," Ike finally pointed out, turning the parchment over and showing the wolf. Volug looked at it again and could barely contain a wince himself; while he had phrased the sentence correctly, the way the letters looked...
"It's not completely unreadable!" the wolf protested, snatching the parchment out of Ike's hands and trailing over the words. "See, I can read it! All you have to do is read over it several times to get it. Well...maybe more than that. Wait...what does this say again?" he asked himself, growling a bit when he realized he couldn't read his own handwriting.
Ike shook his head in sympathy. "I take it you never held a quill before in your life, have you?" he asked, looking straight at the wolf. Volug had crumpled the piece of parchment up and thrown it elsewhere, looking disgusted. "You don't have to lie to me."
"I wonder when you became so good at reading me, even though you say you can't," the wolf said sarcastically, getting a shrug from Ike. "Tell me, why would I ever need to write something? We wolves communicate fine on our own," Volug explained, crossing his arms. "When in this form, we communicated with the ancient tongue. In our laguz form, we understood each other with our howls. That's how it's always been."
"Alright, I get it," Ike acknowledged, sitting down by the wolf. "But I would imagine that some of them still wrote stuff down."
"They did, but the beorc were much better suited to recording stuff and writing books. That's why Queen Nailah has a whole bunch of beorc scholars to do that for her," Volug clarified. "I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the other wolves never wrote something before. We've had no need to."
Ike glanced at the piece of parchment again, a thoughtful look on his face. "There might come a time where you're going to have to write something down," he said gently. "Even if it's only a small note or something."
Volug grunted. "I know," he muttered, picking up the quill again and dipping it in ink. "It's still irritating, though."
Ike watched as Volug began to write something again, paying careful attention to how the wolf was writing. "Wait, Volug," he said suddenly, stopping the wolf. "I think I see why it's coming out that way. It's the way you're writing."
The wolf looked up, his ears twitching. "The way I'm writing?" he repeated, curious.
"Yeah. See, I had a problem like this a few years ago, during the first war," Ike told him, making his way closer to the laguz. "Aside from battle, I had all sorts of duties...one of them was making written reports on various things. A general had to make a lot of written orders, as well as verbal ones...or at least, that's what Titania and Soren had told me."
Volug listened attentively. "What does this have to do with what I'm doing?" he asked somewhat impatiently.
"I'm getting to it! Well, when I actually had to write things down, you could say that my handwriting...wasn't the best. Soren had even called it atrocious," he chuckled, Volug's eyes not leaving his. "Eventually, he pulled me aside and forcibly showed me how to make my writing legible. And I did pick up on it, with enough practice."
"So...you're saying your own writing was horrid too. That's...actually pretty funny," Volug remarked, a slow smile coming to his face. "You're good with a sword but not a quill?"
Ike rolled his eyes. "I'm a swordsman, not a pedant," he retorted. "Just like you, up until that point I really had no reason to practice my handwriting. However, I did learn that it is important, so I brushed up on it. The same should apply for you."
Volug huffed slightly, frowning a bit. "I suppose," he finally agreed. "If you really think it will help."
Ike nodded. "Of course it will," he assured him. "Anyway...you need to learn how to steady your hand when writing. Let me help." Before Volug could comprehend what his friend was doing, Ike had leaned over and grasped his right hand, moving his fingers so he was holding the quill correctly. "There."
"Ike?" Volug questioned softly, his tail having stiffened in surprise. "What are you doing?"
"Helping you write, of course," Ike replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Anyway, as I was saying, you have to keep your hand steady while you're writing. It's best to slow down when you're doing it, and once you're used to writing it, you'll be able to do it without any problems. Let me show you." He then moved Volug's hand in the gesture of writing something, a neat letter being written where he had moved it. "See?"
Volug stared at the letter printed on the parchment, his gaze then moving towards his hand, which Ike still held gently in his grasp. "Y-yeah, I do," he quickly muttered. He wasn't embarrassed about not being able to write as well as Ike, but something about the situation...it made him squirm in his seat. He didn't know if it was the fact that he could feel Ike's fingers curled around his own or the fact that he was watching Ike's every movement with his sharp eyes. The wolf gulped, blinking a bit. What's wrong with me?
Ike seemed to notice Volug's sudden hesitation, stopping for a moment. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern.
"Huh?" Volug murmured before realizing Ike had asked him something. "Oh. I'm okay. Just...thinking on some stuff. Let's continue," he reassured his friend, and Ike nodded as he continued to guide Volug's hand into writing the letters.
Something about the whole situation made Volug feel weird, but it felt...nice, somehow.
---
Winter passed into Spring, and the weather began to warm up again. As the flowers began to bloom, Ike and Volug spent nearly every day with each other in lessons, in sparring, and even just relaxing. After countless months of their lessons together, they had achieved near-complete fluency in the languages they were learning, and both of them had a deep friendship. They could read and write each other's language with little difficulty, and the other was right there when they had a little trouble.
Nailah had been completely impressed by the two when she checked up on them. "You two are completely amazing," she praised, getting a deep bow from Volug and a nod from Ike. "I do believe you managed to do it faster than I did. It's not often when I'm beaten at anything," she said in amusement.
"I don't think it was a competition, Queen Nailah," Rafiel commented from next to her. "Still, it usually takes a long, long time for anyone to learn a language, especially the ancient tongue. It's hard to believe that you were so determined to learn it, Sir Ike."
Ike shrugged. "I had a great teacher, that's why," he remarked, getting a snort from Volug.
"I'm pretty good, aren't I?" the wolf asked dryly, getting a chuckle from Nailah. "But I wouldn't have made it this far without Ike either."
"Indeed, he is a great teacher," Nailah said. "When the whole of Hatari starts to learn the modern tongue, I'll have to hope they're half as dedicated as you two. I do want to get to Tellius sometime before I grow old."
"I'd imagine," Ike chuckled with a wry smile. "Thanks for the compliments, Queen Nailah."
Volug nodded as well, shifting a bit uncomfortably as Nailah gave him a knowing stare, not saying anything.
After that, the two had done many things together, even if it was something mundane like resting under the shade of a tree together. Life was definitely pleasant for the both of them, and it seemed that things would continue like this for a long, long time.
However, it had never been Ike's intention to settle down in Hatari. That was why, barely a year after he had arrived there, he made a decision.
---
"Haa!"
Volug growled as Ike forced him away, landing on his side painfully. With a slight whimper, he forced himself up to his feet, reverting back to his beorc form. "I still don't know why you're so freakishly skilled," he complained, rubbing his shoulder, where Ike had gotten in a few hits. "Ugh, I can't ever seem to win against you. Why is that?"
Ike chuckled as he and Volug moved under the shade of a nearby tree, wiping his face with a towel. "I'm sure you'll be able to beat me in time. I think you're still unused to fighting someone on my level, though," he answered back smoothly, unable to speak without an accent. "You'll get used to it eventually."
Volug seemed to snort. "It feels like it'll take forever at that rate," he said dryly, getting another laugh from Ike. The wolf hated to admit it, but Ike had won every sparring match they had. Even though the wolf had power and size on his side, he was actually unused to certain fighting styles--like Ike's--and his defeat at each session really drove home that there were definitely a lot of powerful beorc out there. He was slowly getting used to fighting Ike, but it wouldn't be for a while until he had the necessary skill to defeat his friend.
"Don't say that. You'll be able to do anything once you set your mind on it. With enough practice, you'll probably beat me in a spar someday," Ike reassured him, getting a slight smile from the wolf. That had been true, with the way they had gone about learning the languages. It was nice to entertain the idea of eventually beating Ike within a few months, but he knew it wouldn't be for some time to come--possibly once Ike was out of his youth.
"Whatever," Volug shrugged off. "But sparring against you makes me stronger. I like that."
"Who doesn't?" Ike wondered, laying back against the tree. "If you know you're getting stronger, you know you're still improving. And if you know that, then you're definitely better than the people who don't know their own limits."
Volug looked over at him curiously. "Does that go for you beorc as well?"
"It goes for everybody," Ike clarified. "If someone doesn't know the limits of their own strength, they'll always lose to someone that does. Remember about how I told you about King Skrimir and how he faced General Zelgius in the war?" Volug nodded at that, remembering what Ike had told him. Skrimir, being a lion, had foolishly thought his might would triumph over Zelgius, a mere beorc. Had he been smarter and had known his own strength, he would have seen that he had been completely outmatched from the start. "If you don't know your own limits and skills, what will happen once you fight an incredibly skilled adversary? You've more than likely gone up against some of those, haven't you?"
The wolf nodded, looking thoughtful. Ike definitely had a point. "A few, during the war," he admitted. "When...when you stormed that castle back in Daein, with all those other laguz, I managed to get a good look at you for the first time," he said, his violet eyes staring into Ike's blue ones. "You looked so fierce. So powerful. The way you effortlessly killed enemy soldiers was startling. When I saw you, I'll admit that I wanted to rush at you to try and end the whole thing, but...it's strange," he commented, Ike's attention solely on him. "I didn't know why, but something was telling me to stop and retreat. That I wouldn't be able to defeat you. I was perplexed, but I knew I couldn't take my chances in that fight. But now that you've told me all this, I think that was my instinct telling me that I wasn't strong enough to fight you yet. It would have been a tough fight, but now I know I would have been killed had I gone against you then."
Ike nodded sagely, a small grin on his face. "You see what I'm talking about?" he asked with a somewhat smug tone, earning him a small whap from Volug's tail. "That feeling back then probably saved your life. It's as Titania once told me-a true warrior will know their limits of what they can do, and retreat is in no way dishonorable. "
"The beorc take their fighting seriously, don't they?" Volug wondered, staring off into the blue sky. "I guess the laguz do the same as well. We have a lot of pride to spare, though."
Ike raised an eyebrow. "Like how Skrimir used to be?" he teased.
Volug looked scandalized. "Of course not!" he scoffed. "But we're still proud. I don't think we'd back down from a fight once we got into one. I know I certainly wouldn't have."
"Wouldn't have?" Ike repeated, a small smile on his face. "Care to elaborate?"
The wolf rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean," he grumbled, a small smile coming to his face as well. "I'm not going to turn tail and run from fights, but I think I can learn when to back off. I think you taught me that."
"Ah," Ike let out, sighing a bit. "Another thing, huh?"
"You've taught me a lot," Volug continued. "I think a lot of my views have changed. Now that I'm actually speaking your language...I can now understand a lot more than before. So...thank you...teacher."
Ike looked surprised. Such sentimentality from the wolf was rare. "Mm. You were a good teacher as well, Volug. I was glad to be your student," he chuckled.
For a time, they just sat there in relative peace, saying nothing as they continued to enjoy each other's presence. Finally, Ike seemed to let out a long sigh, looking over at his friend.
"Volug?"
"Yeah?" the wolf responded, opening one eye to look at the beorc.
Ike turned away, closing his eyes. "You probably already know this, but...I'm going to leave soon," he told the wolf, not looking at him.
Volug sat silent, already having known of it beforehand. Ike had expressed his desire to other lands before, and it was only a matter of time before his wanderlust surfaced again. "...why?" he asked lowly, still wanting to voice the question.
"Why not?" Ike retorted. "There's still so much for me to see out there. I like Hatari and all, but...I can't settle down yet."
"...I see," Volug murmured quietly. It wasn't surprising that Ike held no desire to live in Hatari, given how Nailah wanted to migrate across the desert and all. But for some strange reason, the wolf felt compelled to try and stop him, to get him to stay. "Do you really have to do it?"
For a few moments, Ike didn't answer. "Do I have to? Probably not," he finally admitted. "Do I want to? Yes."
There was Volug's answer. No matter what he would say, Ike would leave regardless. Somehow, the thought made him feel weak. "When are you going to leave?"
"Next week," was the answer. "I'm going to go back to Tellius, visit a few friends, and then find a boat to sail out to the seas with. There has to be land beyond them. Yune hinted strongly at it."
The thought of Ike leaving had struck Volug hard, but he forced it down, remaining calm. "I'm...going to miss you," he finally forced out, being completely honest with the man he considered his best friend. "I really will."
"I'm going to miss you a lot as well, Volug," Ike replied back, a soft smile on his face. "Thank you for everything. Your friendship has really meant a lot to me."
Volug didn't say anything more after that, his ears lowering. He didn't trust himself to speak after that.
---
A few days went by, and neither Ike or Volug saw much of each other. Ike was busy making his preparations to leave, going out in the town and seeing what essentials he had to take. Volug, however, was listless and distracted. He knew the reason was related to Ike leaving, but he thought he had already come to terms with it. Whatever he was doing, he couldn't keep his focus; anything he kept trying to do kept reminding him of the blue-haired beorc.
He then consulted with Queen Nailah, seeking her advice. The first thing she did was let out a sharp laugh, followed up with one of the most smug grins he had ever seen on her face.
"You have it bad, don't you Volug?" she asked with an amused smile.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Your Majesty," he replied back, keeping his face straight.
"Oh please," Nailah scoffed. "Look at you. Your tail is twitching irritably. Your face looks distracted. You haven't done anything but think of Ike's imminent departure for the past week. If that doesn't say anything, I don't know what does."
"I believe you're just reading too much into the situation, Your Majesty," Volug remarked with a frown, even though the wolf queen had been largely right.
"I could always have Rafiel tell me your real feelings."
"You wouldn't," Volug gasped.
Nailah shrugged. "Volug, just admit it. You're in love with Ike, aren't you? Don't try to hide it, I know when you lie."
Volug pursed his lips. "My Queen, Ike is my best friend. Whether or not I'm in love with him doesn't matter."
Nailah sighed in exasperation, shaking her head. "I never imagined you to be so dense," she groaned. "You might not realize it, or you just don't want to admit it, but you're in love with him. You can't hide it either; both Rafiel and I have seen it over the course of the year he's been here. Can you really say that you'd be alright with him leaving with a straight face?"
"I..." Volug paused, hesitating. The truth was, he definitely wasn't okay with Ike up and leaving.
"See?" Nailah pointed out, smirking. "You don't want him to leave. Or, rather...you want to be with him wherever he goes, right?"
Volug looked up, shocked. "Your Majesty, are you insinuating that I would leave you and follow him?" he gasped, looking affronted. "I can't do that."
"Why not?" Nailah asked. Her tail was swaying lightly, almost as if she was amused by their whole talk. "He could certainly use the company where he's going. I'd imagine a journey across the seas would be pretty lonely, wouldn't you say?"
"That has nothing to do with it," Volug protested, shifting nervously when Nailah glanced at him.
"It has everything to do with it," the wolf queen corrected. "Are you really going to let him leave? I can assure you that if you do, you're going to spend the rest of your life with regrets. Are you sure you can live with knowing that you'd never see him again?"
"He can come back!" Volug exclaimed, his violet eyes squinting in frustration. "He can always come back! He'd be able to come back to Hatari, I know--"
"Volug," Nailah interrupted softly. "Ike wouldn't be able to come back to Hatari. Neither his place nor his heart is here. You know that."
Volug's ears lowered as he scowled, looking at the ground. His eyes burned for some strange reason, and he had the urge to wipe them with his arm.
Nailah looked at her subject for a long moment before sighing. "So, let me ask again. Are you alright with him leaving?" she asked, a slight edge to her voice. She wanted an honest answer from the tanned man, and she would get it.
"...no. I don't want him to," Volug admitted, not looking his queen in the eye. "But he is intent on leaving. I cannot stop him."
"And you're just going to let him leave," Nailah stated, still staring at Volug.
"I will. It's what he wants," the wolf answered.
Nailah rubbed her temples with her hand. "This discussion isn't about what he wants," she stressed, crossing her arms. "It's about what you want. Tell me again. What do you really want to do?"
Volug grit his teeth. What does she think I want to do?! he screamed in his mind, but he forced himself to remain calm, his gaze still locked to the floor. "What I want is irrelevant. I am your loyal subject to the end," he muttered.
"Again with this? I can't believe you," Nailah snorted in disgust. "Volug, listen to me, and listen well. You love him. You want to be with him. You can't imagine letting him go. If you took a good look at yourself right now, you'd realize that. But you're denying what the facts are telling you. Are you going to continue living your life this blindly? You're not this stupid. I raised you better than that."
"My Queen..." Volug whispered. Blinking a bit, he felt a strange wetness around his eyes, slowly trailing down his cheeks. "Your Majesty, my place is with you. Nothing will move me."
Nailah raised an eyebrow. "Your place," she said slowly, a solemn smile on her face, "is with Ike."
Volug's head snapped up, completely shocked. "Queen Nailah...?" he sputtered. There was no mistaking the command in her voice, and what it conveyed. "You...you're not...serious..."
The wolf queen only nodded. "It's only when their cub moves on with their life does a mother know both true happiness and pain. I wonder if that's what it feels like right now?" she wondered, chuckling a bit. "Volug. I will give you all that you need for wherever you may go. For both of you. I can only wish you happiness from here on."
Volug could only keep staring at Nailah in shock. "I...Your Majesty, I can't..." he mumbled, unable to form a coherent phrase with how shocked he was. The only thing that he could realize at that moment was the fact that Nailah had released him from his service to her, and had given him her blessings with Ike.
When he felt Nailah's hand on his shoulder, he couldn't help but blink rapidly, tears coursing down his cheeks. "...Queen Nailah...thank you. Thank you...so much..." he choked out.
Nailah nodded, a forlorn look in her visible eye. "Live without regrets. That's the one thing I've always said to you. Remember it," she instructed. "Life's too short for any of us to dwell on it."
---
Ike had been busy finalizing his preparations, buying supplies from the local market in the meanwhile. His own mind was kept busy of where he wanted to go and how to get to a certain place after he crossed the Desert of Death again, and just like before, he had started feeling excited about leaving on a journey. Who knew what waited out there?
As he went back to his room that night, he realized he hadn't seen Volug all day. He had grown used to the wolf being near his side for so long, that walking or going anywhere knowing he was elsewhere felt...strange. He's probably not taking it very well, he thought, frowning. Both of them had grown close to each other in the course of the year, and Ike had certainly grown fond of Volug. However, he knew that the wolf wouldn't be able to just leave Hatari--he was in service to its queen, after all.
Still, Ike would be sad to leave him behind. It was strange to think that Volug had been such a constant in his life over the past year, and to suddenly leave without him was incredibly stupid. However, he realized that asking Volug to come with him would be selfish; what if Volug really wanted to stay in Hatari? What if his duties to Nailah were more important to him? If he asked that question and Volug refused...he didn't know how he would feel.
Which is why he felt that the best option was to not ask at all. He didn't like admitting it, but Soren deciding to leave with Stefan had left him lonely during his trip around Tellius. During that time, he had missed having someone to talk to, to relate to. He missed Soren's barbs about certain habits of his. He just missed everything about having a constant companion with him. He couldn't very well ask Volug to give everything up and come with him, just so he wouldn't be lonely.
To avoid making Volug deal with a such a decision, I've decided to let myself be lonely anyway, he snorted mentally. I really am a fool.
Volug would understand though. The wolf had always been one to get the point. Still...am I happy with doing this? Ike suddenly thought, sitting down on his bed. I let Soren go because I knew that it was the best for him. Can I let Volug go like that too? Shaking his head, he frowned. I have to. I'm not going to let him give up everything just because I want him with me.
He wondered how the wolf would handle it, though. He wasn't completely dense, despite whatever people thought of him. Ike knew very well that Volug was very close to him, possibly even more than that. He couldn't deny his own feelings toward the wolf as well; their days together had really made him happy, and when Volug had opened up around him...it was an indescribable feeling, to be sure.
Did he really, truly want to leave his friend behind? The one that had taught him and learned beside him and had given him his friendship? Not for the first time since he had been planning on his departure, he doubted what he wanted to do. Did he want to ask Volug after all? I can't...
A sudden knock at his door interrupted him. "Come in!" he shouted, the creak of the door signaling that the person was doing just that. "Oh..."
Volug quietly closed the door behind him, staring at Ike. To the beorc, something was off; the wolf seemed more tense than normal, and actually looked fairly nervous about something. "Hey," he greeted, his tail flicking from side to side. To Ike, it seemed that it was twitching from nervousness, as Volug didn't seem to be paying it any mind. "What are you doing?"
Ike nodded in greeting. "Nothing much. Just...getting ready, I suppose," he chuckled dryly. Volug didn't respond, a frown visible on his face. For some reason, just seeing Volug stare at him with those eyes of his made him feel uneasy, so he decided to change the topic. "So, what are you doing here? You usually don't come up to my room."
"Well..." the wolf started, biting his lip uncertainly. He didn't know how to phrase what he wanted to say. "Are you really so intent on doing this?" he finally asked, getting frustrated at himself for not being able to ask what he really wanted.
Ike stared at Volug, confused. "You mean leaving?" he asked, getting a quick nod. "Well, yeah. I've been planning on it for a few months."
"And you're set on it, aren't you?" the tanned man asked, getting a nod in response. "I see. But..." Volug then stopped, hesitating. Can I really say it?
"Volug?" Ike asked, looking concerned. "What is it?"
"...what I mean to say is...um..." the wolf mumbled beneath his breath before growling and clenching his fists. "Do you really want to go alone?!" he nearly shouted, taking Ike by surprise.
The beorc blinked rapidly, staring at Volug as the laguz stared at him expectantly. "What are you talking about?"
"Are you really going to go alone?" Volug demanded. "You're going to travel without anyone with you?"
"Volug?" Ike asked again, a bit taken aback by the wolf's outburst.
"You are, aren't you?" the wolf continued. "You're going to leave. You're just going go away and leave me here. You haven't even asked me if I wanted to come with you yet," he ranted, his ears pointed up, a near snarl on his face. "Why? You don't want me around? Just tell me to my face! It'd be a lot better than avoiding the issue like a coward!"
"Coward?" Ike sputtered indignantly as he rose up off the bed, scowling. "You're calling me a coward?"
"I am! You're acting like one!" Volug accused, turning towards the blue-haired man and scowling in frustration. "You didn't tell me outright, and you never even asked me if you wanted me to come with you!" he snapped, his tail now stiffening. "If you never bothered to ask me, how am I supposed to know what you're trying to do?!"
"Now hold on a minute!" Ike demanded, growling himself. "Don't you try and blame this all on me. You've made it perfectly clear before that you're loyal to Nailah!" he pointed out angrily. When Volug flinched, he continued, "Did you not think that I didn't want to force such a choice on you?! Me or your country? For the sake of the goddess, I'm not that selfish! I couldn't ask you, knowing that!"
"You still should have!" Volug insisted, grinding his teeth together. "It would have been easier!"
"For who?!" Ike growled. He didn't know why he felt so angry at the moment. "For me? For you?"
"I...I don't know!" Volug huffed. "But you should have just asked me. We both would have felt better, whatever the answer would have been," he finished, trying to calm down.
Ike scowled again, walking until he was right in front of the wolf, staring him in the face. "And how would you know that?" he asked lowly, forcing his anger down as he stared into those violet eyes. "How would you know that I wouldn't feel horrible if you said no?"
Volug took in a sharp breath. That was as good as an admission as any. "Because you don't know my real answer," he responded, not breaking his gaze. "Because you wouldn't know how devastated I would be once you left, and that I let you go."
Ike's eyes widened, a small gasp coming from his lips. Is this how Volug really feels? he wondered, still unable to look away. While he knew that Volug was certainly attached to him, he didn't know that his feelings ran that deeply.
For a few moments, no words were said as they just stared at each other, several emotions burning in their eyes. Neither one of them didn't know who moved first, but all of a sudden, their lips had connected, and Ike had wrapped his arms around the wolf's muscled body, kissing back deeply. Volug's tail wrapped around to brush at Ike's leg, running up and down as the two kissed. After what seemed like a long while, the two slowly broke off their kiss, still staring each other in the eyes as they breathed heavily.
"Volug..." Ike then said, gulping as he realized how it came out. It was almost needy. "Will you...will you come with me? Journey with me?" he asked, running his hands over the tribal tattoos that ran down Volug's arms.
The wolf quickly nodded. "Yes. I will," he said breathlessly. "I'll go with you wherever you want to go, Ike."
That was all that was needed to be said as Ike wrapped the wolf up in his arms again, embracing him and holding him close. Volug made no move to protest, only sighing in happiness and pressing his body against Ike's.
"Thank you," Ike whispered in the wolf's ear, a small smile on his face.
"It's no problem," Volug responded, leaning his head against Ike's shoulder. "It is definitely no problem at all..."
---
At the end of the week, both Ike and Volug said their farewells to Nailah and Rafiel. The wolf queen had wished them both the best, and gave both of them a rather feral smirk, which was apparently meant to suggest something. Neither Ike or Volug got much out of what she was trying to imply, but Rafiel merely sighed before wishing them happiness.
The two then took a few days to cross the Desert of Death before emerging in Tellius proper, glad to be back on solid ground. After resting in a nearby town, Ike decided to head straight for the Grann Desert, wanting to see how Soren was doing.
Volug scoffed. "We just crossed one desert and you want to cross another?" he snorted, getting a chuckle from Ike. "No wonder some laguz call you the craziest beorc they ever knew."
"We won't have to venture very far into it, if I remember correctly," Ike mused, ignoring the annoyed glance the wolf gave him. "From what Stefan had told me, I think I know where to go in the desert."
While Volug wasn't thrilled about going back out into another desert, he complied anyway as the two then traveled into the Grann Desert, fighting the hot sun and the desert winds while keeping a steady pace. Thankfully, their trip this time was unhindered by people wanting to kill them, and within half a day they had reached their destination.
Volug shook his body to get the grains of sand out of his fur before reverting back to his beorc state. "Is this it?" he asked, staring into the sparse grove of trees that grew out of a stone structure.
"I hope so," Ike muttered, looking around. "At least, from what Lethe told me a few years before, this is where she found him."
"So where do we go from here?" the wolf asked, peering out into the sands beyond the horizon. "We can't keep walking aimlessly without direction."
Ike frowned. "You're right. I wonder if we should keep moving this way?" he wondered, following Volug's gaze.
The wolf sighed in exasperation. "Maybe this Stefan person will magically pop up from the sands in front of us to greet us?" he said sarcastically.
"Hello! It's been a while, my friends!"
Both Ike and Volug looked up in shock as Stefan stood in front of them, smiling mysteriously and waving. The two of them stared at the green-haired man in disbelief before staring down at the sand at his feet, which looked untouched.
"You can't be serious," Volug deadpanned. Did he really just pop out of the sand?
Ike shrugged. "Well, at least he's here," he said with a slight laugh. Stepping forward, he extended a hand towards the swordmaster. "Well met, Stefan."
"The same to you, Ike," Stefan greeted, nodding his head as he shook his hand. He then looked towards Volug, who looked slightly bored at the exchange. "Oh, is this one of the wolf laguz that fought with us in the last war? Incredible! I never thought I would get the chance to talk to one. Tell me, what's your name?"
"Volug," the tanned man grunted, cocking his head. "Quite the...lively place you live in."
"Isn't it?" Stefan responded, brushing off the sarcastic remark. "Anyway, if you're here, that must mean you want to see Soren, am I right?"
"That, and I thought it would be nice to see how you guys are doing," Ike replied, grinning back. "I have to admit though...part of the reason why I'm here is to spar with you again. I haven't had a good match in a long time."
"Oh, I can relate to that," Stefan agreed, nodding as he led the two of them through the desert. "I must admit, I am very curious about how you improved. I wonder, how much better than me are you?"
Ike shook his head. "Oh, stop kidding around. I'm nowhere near the best," he waved off, causing Volug to snort.
"I'm actually quite serious. I wasn't kidding when I said you would be the opponent I would dread to face for real, I'll have you know," Stefan pointed out. When Ike gave him a curious stare, he smiled. "But enough about that for now. Let me lead you into our colony, as you two must be tired. Make sure to follow closely now!"
As they followed Stefan, Volug leaned in close to Ike. "This man is so strange. I didn't even sense him when he appeared...was he really waiting in the sand for us?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Ike brought up a hand to stifle his laughter. "No, I don't think he was. He just knows the desert like the back of his hand," he explained, getting a nod from the wolf. "He's a good guy...you just have to get used to his eccentricities."
Volug looked thoughtful as they continued walking. "You sound eager to duel him."
"I am. He's one of my teachers. I hold a lot of respect for him," Ike replied, smiling a bit. "I think he's just joking about fearing my skills, to be honest. I'm sure he's a lot more powerful than he's let on."
Volug snorted. "If you say so. I doubt anyone could beat you though."
Meanwhile, Stefan was looking back at them, surprise written all over his face as he scratched his chin. "He learned the ancient tongue? Amazing..." he breathed, looking very impressed. "With such dedication, I don't think I can stand a chance against him in battle. Still, I have to entertain the idea that I can, after all," he chuckled to himself, waiting for the two to catch up so he could continue leading them.
===
Arcana XIII - DEATH - Arcana 0 - THE FOOL - Arcana VII - THE CHARIOT - Arcana VI - THE LOVERS
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Ike/Volug
Summary: When Ike finds that his newly found status as a hero is making him miserable, he seeks to rectify it. On a whim, he journeys to Hatari, and meets up with a friend that he had made a promise to in the war.
Notes: Whoo, this one is even longer than my Ike/Zelgius fic, surprisingly. I had finished this a month ago, but both my beta and I were busy with other things, so it didn't get out until now, sorry! Thank you for betaing for me, SRG~
Unvoiced Affection by Ariaeris served as my initial inspiration for this fic before it evolved into a lot more. I heartily recommend reading her fic--it's quite good.
===
Their lessons together continued every day, and each day Ike felt his knowledge deepening, his understanding becoming clearer. While he was still far off from actually speaking coherent sentences, he didn't stumble over letters as much as he did on the first day.
After giving them instruction in their first few lessons together, Nailah left the rest up to the two, telling them she was expecting great progress. Ike later realized that the wolf queen had another purpose in mind when she had wholeheartedly approved of their desire to learn another language; she was using the opportunity to observe how to best teach the whole populace of Hatari the modern language. More than once did Nailah comment to him that she intended to migrate her whole country over to Tellius in the near future; Ike supposed that teaching them the modern language would be a step in that direction.
Much to both Nailah's and Rafiel's surprise, Volug was working just as hard learning the modern language as Ike was learning the old. Whenever he was talking with Ike, he'd always attempt to use the modern tongue to see if Ike could understand him. Whenever Ike replied that he could, Volug looked more satisfied than anything before attempting even more sentences, each one getting progressively more complex.
The two had managed to work out a schedule of sorts for each day. In the early morning, Ike would tutor Volug over pronunciation and several words. Oftentimes, he'd ask the wolf to repeat a sentence he had just uttered, correcting him whenever he strayed from how it was meant to be said. Rafiel had also generously provided him with scrolls he had written himself, giving translations of certain phrases that Volug could look over.
After that, they would usually break for a while, with both of them tending to their own affairs. Ike would use the time to train, while Volug would either go hunting for food or do other things. Lately, he had been taking to watching Ike practice, usually shifting to his wolf form and laying down on the grass as he watched. Ike had no idea why the wolf did so, but didn't really mind the company.
As the afternoon would start, it would be Ike's turn to go over the ancient language. Volug would do his best to assist, helping Ike with how a word was pronounced, or slowly guiding him through saying simple phrases in the ancient dialect. More often than not, Rafiel would assist when Volug didn't know how to explain something, usually showing both of them certain ways to make it easier on themselves.
What they would do each night varied. Sometimes they chose to rest after such an intense lesson. Sometimes they went to find something else to do. However, a lot of the time, they would keep studying and teaching each other, even into the early hours of the morning. They never meant to lose track of time, but if they could keep saying one more phrase, perfecting one more word...
As their lessons continued, Ike found his friendship with Volug growing, with the wolf speaking more and more often with him. Usually, Volug would utter some kind of sarcastic or snide remark about something they were reading, and Ike would either chuckle or respond back with another remark. Their bantering really helped Ike get a feel on Volug's personality--while he was blunt and had a crude sense of humor, he was always honest with him and was always curious about certain things.
The former mercenary was glad to have such a good relationship with the wolf, as he turned out to be one of the people he talked to the most. It had been a few months since he had arrived in Hatari, and their friendship only deepened as the weeks wore on...
---
"...Doubt the Sun does not move, doubt truth to be a liar..." Ike recited in ancient tongue, his eyes following the text Nailah had lent him. "But...I can't read the rest of it," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I guess I'm too tired."
Volug looked over his shoulder at what the the beorc was reading. "But don't doubt that I love," the wolf finished for him, snorting a bit. "Why must we read po...poe...this?" he asked, unsure of how to say the next word.
"Poetry?" Ike asked, knowing full well that was the word the wolf wanted. At Volug's nod, he shrugged. "Dunno, but Nailah seems to think it will help me with the language faster."
The wolf seemed to roll his eyes at that. "If it could, I would have brought the whole library in here to shove down your throat," he remarked wryly.
Ike raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Would that mean I would have to cross the de..." Frowning, Ike tried to remember that word, scowling when he couldn't seem to pronounce it.
"Desert," Volug supplied helpfully, getting a thankful nod from the beorc.
"As I was saying...Desert of Death to find a beorc library, and then cross it again so I could shove meaningless poetry down your throat?" he finished with a smirk. Both he and Volug had taken to switching between talking between modern and ancient tongue, as a way of acquainting themselves with the more complex parts of the one they were learning. Whenever one stumbled, the other would quickly correct them, and it worked out to their benefit.
Volug seemed to laugh at that. "You can try," he said with amused smile. "I'd probably bite your hand off."
"You probably would," Ike noted dryly. "I'll need my hand, thanks."
There was a bit of silence between them as Ike continued looking over the text in front of him, poetry written all in the ancient language. After a few minutes, he finally had to shut it, as it was giving him a headache. "Well, I'm done for the night."
"Had enough of reciting that garbage?" Volug asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Definitely. Although I don't know why you call it garbage," Ike replied. It was times like this that it amazed him that he could converse like this in another language, and how he had come so far in learning it. He still had a long way to go to perfecting it, but for simple, idle conversation like this, it was enough. "I wonder where Queen Nailah got all of these books. She doesn't strike me as a reader..."
Volug seemed to huff, frowning. "It's because Her Majesty really isn't much of a read...reader," he corrected himself, still stumbling over some words. It also amazed Ike that after a few months of constant learning and practice, Volug was able to carry on a conversation with him in the modern tongue. "Prince Rafiel usually reads all of those books."
"Really?" Ike asked, examining the worn leather of the book. "He must have found them interesting...or he was really bored."
The wolf shrugged. "Who can say?" he commented, settling down into another chair as he took care to avoid smashing his tail. "Although I can say for sure that reading books like a pedant is not for me. Too stuffy."
Ike nodded, having caught enough of the words to know that Volug didn't like reading all that much. It brought up another question, however. "Volug...I have to wonder. With how well you seem to be getting the modern tongue right now, how come you didn't learn it before?"
The wolf sat up a bit straighter, a frown on his face. Ike got the feeling he asked something he shouldn't have, considering the way Volug's gaze fell to the floor. "It's because...I wasn't interested. That's all," he finally muttered.
"Huh..." Ike let out, watching Volug's expression. "I would have thought that Rafiel would have offered to teach you."
"He did," Volug responded, slipping into the ancient tongue again. "But I was not interested in learning a language I would never have to use. What was the point?"
Ike thought it over. "Well, I guess I can see why that makes sense," he said after a few moments of thinking. Why learn something if you never have to do it?
"But then..." Volug shifted a bit nervously, his ears twitching again. "I came to Tellius."
"When you met Micaiah?" Ike asked, and the wolf nodded. He hadn't heard all the details, but Rafiel and the two wolves were discovered by Micaiah and Sothe, and the latter had apparently recommended them to him so he could take them to Gallia. "So...what happened after that?"
"Nothing of interest, but...I found myself...irritated that I couldn't seem to converse with anyone other than Micaiah," Volug continued, a deep frown on his features. "I knew what everyone was saying, but I could not talk to anyone else. It didn't matter, in any case; most of the troops already thought I was strange at that point, so talking to them was pointless."
Although Ike couldn't fully understand the entirety of what Volug had just told him, he nodded. "Why did you talk to me, then?"
Volug paused. "I...don't know," he admitted. "I had the sudden urge to try and be helpful, so when I saw you, I wanted to give you that...el...elixir," he finally got out after Ike mouthed the word to him. "But then I realized that I still couldn't speak to you. I felt stupid."
Ike gulped. "Was that why you looked so...happy when I mentioned that we could learn each other's languages together?" he finally asked.
The wolf look startled. "How did you-?"
"I could see it in your eyes," Ike explained. "You tried to seem impassive, and I wasn't really the best at reading people, but I felt like I could understand that."
Volug continued to stare at him, his mouth open, but no words coming out. "I...I see," he finally mumbled, hastily standing up. "I have to go. Please excuse me..." Before Ike could say anything, Volug shifted into his wolf form and ran out of the room.
"Wait, Volug!" Ike called out, even though he knew it was futile. Just what had gotten into him? Did he inadvertently say something that his friend didn't like? I hope he's okay... he thought as he shelved the book, deciding to retire for the night now that Volug ran out on him. Hopefully the next day would explain everything.
---
Unfortunately, Volug didn't show up for the lesson the next morning, which worried Ike. He was convinced that he had accidentally brought up a painful memory for the laguz, so he had to find him so he could apologize. The thought of actually offending his friend had definitely worried him, and so he went out searching the palace grounds to search for him.
"Ah, Ike," he heard Nailah call as she walked up to him, exiting one of the corridors and into the outside air. "I didn't expect to see you here. Aren't you and Volug supposed to be teaching each other right about now?"
The expectant look on the Queen's face made Ike reconsider lying to her. "Yeah, we are. It's just Volug hasn't shown up yet," he explained, causing Nailah's visible eye to widen slightly.
"Is that so? That's unusual..." she remarked, crossing her arms. "I know for a fact he wouldn't willingly make himself absent. I wonder what's happened?"
"About that..." Ike started, somewhat nervous. How would the Queen take it? "I think I might have said something last night that he probably didn't take too well."
Nailah raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I was unaware that Volug could be offended by anything," she said, actually looking curious. "What did you do?"
"It wasn't so much me doing something than saying something I had no idea about," Ike admitted. "We were just talking last night, and then I asked him about why he didn't try to learn the language sooner, as I thought he was a natural at it. When he told me why, we talked about how it was when he came to Tellius, and then I asked him about that time in the manse. He told me why he wanted to give me that elixir that day, and then I asked him if that was why he looked so happy when I suggested that we learn each other's language. After I said that, he just...clammed up and left in a hurry. I really hope I didn't say anything that he--" Ike then paused, staring strangely at Nailah. "Are you laughing, Queen Nailah?"
Nailah held up a hand, her other covering her mouth to try and hold back the laughter that threatened to escape. "N-no," she managed to say before she managed to compose herself, although the wide grin on her face never left. "It's just...wow, I can't believe he'd get worked up over that. Puts a whole new perspective on things, that's for sure."
Ike blinked. "Uh, could you please explain? Because I'm not getting you."
Nailah chuckled before stopping, making sure she wasn't going into full-out laughter before she explained. "Ike, you didn't offend him, if that's what you're worried about," she started, still smiling. "Rather, he just got embarrassed. And here I thought he was a stick in the mud."
"Huh? Embarrassed?" Ike repeated, at a loss for words. "Why?"
The wolf queen shrugged. "That pup just has too much pride, in my opinion. He's unused to such intimacy, so he got completely flustered when you read his feelings so easily," she remarked with a grin. "I didn't think he could get embarrassed about anything. You really are quite a surprise, Ike."
"Wait, wait. Slow down. You're saying I embarrassed him?" Ike questioned, his head spinning.
"Of course not. He's just not used to dealing with a situation like this," Nailah repeated, a fond smile on her face. "But then again, he's still only a pup. I'm glad he's learning from you."
"So he's still rather young? I never knew that," Ike mentioned, getting a chuckle from the wolf queen. "But from the way you speak, you sound like you've raised him."
"And you'd be correct," Nailah confirmed with a nod. "His parents fell ill shortly after his birth, so I took him in as a favor. They passed away shortly after that, and I raised him accordingly. I wouldn't call myself his mother, but...a parental figure would fit better."
"I see," Ike nodded. "I should go find him and apologize anyway. I didn't mean to get him all flustered. Thank you for telling me all this, Queen Nailah," he thanked before he left in search for his friend.
Nailah stared after Ike, watching him run off into one of the gardens. "Such an interesting beorc is only found once in a lifetime," she sighed wistfully. "Volug is in good hands."
---
Thankfully, Ike did find the wolf a few minutes later, back in the meadow he first found him in when he had arrived in Hatari. Volug was still in his wolf form, laying down on the grass and rest his head in his paws. It struck Ike that the wolf seemed distracted, as Volug made no indication of acknowledging that he was there.
"Hey Volug," he greeted as he walked in, sitting down beside the wolf. The laguz lifted his head and stared at Ike in mild surprise, having apparently snapped out of whatever daze he was in. "How are you?"
He didn't get an answer, nor did Volug revert back to his beorc state. Ike sighed; it seemed that his friend was more perturbed than he thought.
"I want to say something," he said to the wolf, looking down at Volug's face. "I'm sorry."
This time, there was a reaction as Volug's head snapped up to look at him. He reverted in the next moment, violet eyes wide. "Why are you saying that?" Volug asked, his voice low.
The blue-haired man shrugged. "Because of last night. I didn't mean to make you feel embarrassed or anything. But since I did, I feel bad about it. Especially since you didn't show up for our lesson this morning."
"Ah..." Volug then looked away, trying to think of what to say. "It's not your fault. It's mine. I shouldn't have run out like that. I was being stupid again," he muttered.
Ike was curious. "How so?" he queried.
For the first time, Volug had a small blush on his cheeks, as if he were really embarrassed. "It's...because, well...um..." he sputtered, looking too flustered to say anything, a scowl forming on his face.
"You can tell me about it. I'm not going to laugh or anything, if you're worried about that," Ike reassured, patting Volug on the shoulder. The wolf looked at him for a few moments before nodding.
"Thanks," he muttered. "I was embarrassed because I thought you would think me strange as well," he admitted, sighing. "I am not the most sociable person, even here. Not many make an attempt to talk with me." He paused for a moment to lean back against one of the trees, his tail swishing to the side of him. "And then you came along and spent this much time with me. Teaching. Learning. It was overwhelming. When you told me about how happy I looked that one time we talked, before the tower...I didn't understand. But now...I really do think I was happy. Happy that you didn't think me odd or strange or...anything."
"Volug..." How was Ike supposed to respond to that? He had no idea that his friend had felt that way since then. Finally, he smiled. "I'm happy, as well."
Volug looked at him curiously. "What?"
"I'm happy that I'm learning the ancient language. That I'm teaching you the modern tongue. I'm happy because I made a great friend," Ike chuckled. "Now that I can understand you, Volug...I'm very happy that our friendship has deepened this much. Don't you feel the same way?"
The wolf stared at him, completely shocked. "You're...happy?" he tentatively asked, his ears twitching. When Ike nodded, he blinked rapidly, shaking his head slowly. "I...I'm happy too. Being friends, I mean."
Ike grinned. "Glad to hear it. So, apology accepted?" he asked, holding out a hand.
Volug looked at the hand for a brief moment before grasping it, giving it a firm shake. It was the first time Ike had truly seen him smile. "Indeed. Mine and yours."
---
Months passed by in a blink of an eye. After that day, the two found themselves getting closer and closer. It was hard to find a time when either of them was away from the other, and if there was, it was only brief. Nailah was actually highly amused by their situation, calling each of them the shadow of the other. Rafiel seemed to smile knowingly at that, yet he never said a word.
Their lessons only intensified. Each day, they would talk to each other constantly in both languages, their mistakes and slip-ups becoming rarer and rarer. Much to Ike's surprise, Volug started to use the modern tongue almost exclusively when talking to him, only going back into the ancient language when he was helping Ike. Even Nailah was surprised by it, but she then mentioned that it wasn't so shocking after thinking about it some more. "The modern tongue was made to help everyone, most notably the laguz of Tellius, understand each other better," she had explained. "It is most definitely the easier of the two languages to actually speak, once you've learned them both."
Aside from their lessons together, Ike had invited Volug to train with him. He was quite interested in how the wolf fought, not having the chance to watch him more closely during the war. Likewise, Volug had yet to face a swordsman on Ike's level; if Nailah had been interested in fighting the beorc before, it spoke multitudes of his friend's strength. So every day thereafter, the two trained and sparred together, both of them finding it a good workout.
Life in Hatari had been pleasant for Ike, who had finally learned enough of the ancient tongue to go out and interact with the locals, Volug at his side the whole time. They were nice enough people, even though they were suspicious of him at first for being an outsider. Eventually, they warmed up to him, nodding in greeting whenever he had the urge to walk through the town.
As the months went on and the seasons changed, they diverted their attention to reading and writing the different languages. Who knew when there would come a time where they would have to do so in the future? Even though saying the letters and actually writing them were different, Ike found that being able to speak the ancient tongue first helped him remember which symbols corresponded to what he said.
Volug had a few more troubles than that, however. It was one day during the winter afternoon that Ike first noticed.
---
Ike blinked as he looked at the scrap of paper Volug had been writing on. "Er...Volug, I can't read this," he remarked, actually turning the piece of parchment sideways to see if he could read it better. Sadly enough, he could.
Volug frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked somewhat indignantly. "I know I phrased it right. You've been drilling it into me every day, after all."
"It's not that," Ike corrected hastily, looking sheepish. "It's...well...how should I explain it?" he wondered.
"Just spit it out," the wolf grumbled irritably. He hated it when someone skirted around the issue.
The beorc sighed. "Your handwriting. It's completely unreadable," Ike finally pointed out, turning the parchment over and showing the wolf. Volug looked at it again and could barely contain a wince himself; while he had phrased the sentence correctly, the way the letters looked...
"It's not completely unreadable!" the wolf protested, snatching the parchment out of Ike's hands and trailing over the words. "See, I can read it! All you have to do is read over it several times to get it. Well...maybe more than that. Wait...what does this say again?" he asked himself, growling a bit when he realized he couldn't read his own handwriting.
Ike shook his head in sympathy. "I take it you never held a quill before in your life, have you?" he asked, looking straight at the wolf. Volug had crumpled the piece of parchment up and thrown it elsewhere, looking disgusted. "You don't have to lie to me."
"I wonder when you became so good at reading me, even though you say you can't," the wolf said sarcastically, getting a shrug from Ike. "Tell me, why would I ever need to write something? We wolves communicate fine on our own," Volug explained, crossing his arms. "When in this form, we communicated with the ancient tongue. In our laguz form, we understood each other with our howls. That's how it's always been."
"Alright, I get it," Ike acknowledged, sitting down by the wolf. "But I would imagine that some of them still wrote stuff down."
"They did, but the beorc were much better suited to recording stuff and writing books. That's why Queen Nailah has a whole bunch of beorc scholars to do that for her," Volug clarified. "I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the other wolves never wrote something before. We've had no need to."
Ike glanced at the piece of parchment again, a thoughtful look on his face. "There might come a time where you're going to have to write something down," he said gently. "Even if it's only a small note or something."
Volug grunted. "I know," he muttered, picking up the quill again and dipping it in ink. "It's still irritating, though."
Ike watched as Volug began to write something again, paying careful attention to how the wolf was writing. "Wait, Volug," he said suddenly, stopping the wolf. "I think I see why it's coming out that way. It's the way you're writing."
The wolf looked up, his ears twitching. "The way I'm writing?" he repeated, curious.
"Yeah. See, I had a problem like this a few years ago, during the first war," Ike told him, making his way closer to the laguz. "Aside from battle, I had all sorts of duties...one of them was making written reports on various things. A general had to make a lot of written orders, as well as verbal ones...or at least, that's what Titania and Soren had told me."
Volug listened attentively. "What does this have to do with what I'm doing?" he asked somewhat impatiently.
"I'm getting to it! Well, when I actually had to write things down, you could say that my handwriting...wasn't the best. Soren had even called it atrocious," he chuckled, Volug's eyes not leaving his. "Eventually, he pulled me aside and forcibly showed me how to make my writing legible. And I did pick up on it, with enough practice."
"So...you're saying your own writing was horrid too. That's...actually pretty funny," Volug remarked, a slow smile coming to his face. "You're good with a sword but not a quill?"
Ike rolled his eyes. "I'm a swordsman, not a pedant," he retorted. "Just like you, up until that point I really had no reason to practice my handwriting. However, I did learn that it is important, so I brushed up on it. The same should apply for you."
Volug huffed slightly, frowning a bit. "I suppose," he finally agreed. "If you really think it will help."
Ike nodded. "Of course it will," he assured him. "Anyway...you need to learn how to steady your hand when writing. Let me help." Before Volug could comprehend what his friend was doing, Ike had leaned over and grasped his right hand, moving his fingers so he was holding the quill correctly. "There."
"Ike?" Volug questioned softly, his tail having stiffened in surprise. "What are you doing?"
"Helping you write, of course," Ike replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Anyway, as I was saying, you have to keep your hand steady while you're writing. It's best to slow down when you're doing it, and once you're used to writing it, you'll be able to do it without any problems. Let me show you." He then moved Volug's hand in the gesture of writing something, a neat letter being written where he had moved it. "See?"
Volug stared at the letter printed on the parchment, his gaze then moving towards his hand, which Ike still held gently in his grasp. "Y-yeah, I do," he quickly muttered. He wasn't embarrassed about not being able to write as well as Ike, but something about the situation...it made him squirm in his seat. He didn't know if it was the fact that he could feel Ike's fingers curled around his own or the fact that he was watching Ike's every movement with his sharp eyes. The wolf gulped, blinking a bit. What's wrong with me?
Ike seemed to notice Volug's sudden hesitation, stopping for a moment. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern.
"Huh?" Volug murmured before realizing Ike had asked him something. "Oh. I'm okay. Just...thinking on some stuff. Let's continue," he reassured his friend, and Ike nodded as he continued to guide Volug's hand into writing the letters.
Something about the whole situation made Volug feel weird, but it felt...nice, somehow.
---
Winter passed into Spring, and the weather began to warm up again. As the flowers began to bloom, Ike and Volug spent nearly every day with each other in lessons, in sparring, and even just relaxing. After countless months of their lessons together, they had achieved near-complete fluency in the languages they were learning, and both of them had a deep friendship. They could read and write each other's language with little difficulty, and the other was right there when they had a little trouble.
Nailah had been completely impressed by the two when she checked up on them. "You two are completely amazing," she praised, getting a deep bow from Volug and a nod from Ike. "I do believe you managed to do it faster than I did. It's not often when I'm beaten at anything," she said in amusement.
"I don't think it was a competition, Queen Nailah," Rafiel commented from next to her. "Still, it usually takes a long, long time for anyone to learn a language, especially the ancient tongue. It's hard to believe that you were so determined to learn it, Sir Ike."
Ike shrugged. "I had a great teacher, that's why," he remarked, getting a snort from Volug.
"I'm pretty good, aren't I?" the wolf asked dryly, getting a chuckle from Nailah. "But I wouldn't have made it this far without Ike either."
"Indeed, he is a great teacher," Nailah said. "When the whole of Hatari starts to learn the modern tongue, I'll have to hope they're half as dedicated as you two. I do want to get to Tellius sometime before I grow old."
"I'd imagine," Ike chuckled with a wry smile. "Thanks for the compliments, Queen Nailah."
Volug nodded as well, shifting a bit uncomfortably as Nailah gave him a knowing stare, not saying anything.
After that, the two had done many things together, even if it was something mundane like resting under the shade of a tree together. Life was definitely pleasant for the both of them, and it seemed that things would continue like this for a long, long time.
However, it had never been Ike's intention to settle down in Hatari. That was why, barely a year after he had arrived there, he made a decision.
---
"Haa!"
Volug growled as Ike forced him away, landing on his side painfully. With a slight whimper, he forced himself up to his feet, reverting back to his beorc form. "I still don't know why you're so freakishly skilled," he complained, rubbing his shoulder, where Ike had gotten in a few hits. "Ugh, I can't ever seem to win against you. Why is that?"
Ike chuckled as he and Volug moved under the shade of a nearby tree, wiping his face with a towel. "I'm sure you'll be able to beat me in time. I think you're still unused to fighting someone on my level, though," he answered back smoothly, unable to speak without an accent. "You'll get used to it eventually."
Volug seemed to snort. "It feels like it'll take forever at that rate," he said dryly, getting another laugh from Ike. The wolf hated to admit it, but Ike had won every sparring match they had. Even though the wolf had power and size on his side, he was actually unused to certain fighting styles--like Ike's--and his defeat at each session really drove home that there were definitely a lot of powerful beorc out there. He was slowly getting used to fighting Ike, but it wouldn't be for a while until he had the necessary skill to defeat his friend.
"Don't say that. You'll be able to do anything once you set your mind on it. With enough practice, you'll probably beat me in a spar someday," Ike reassured him, getting a slight smile from the wolf. That had been true, with the way they had gone about learning the languages. It was nice to entertain the idea of eventually beating Ike within a few months, but he knew it wouldn't be for some time to come--possibly once Ike was out of his youth.
"Whatever," Volug shrugged off. "But sparring against you makes me stronger. I like that."
"Who doesn't?" Ike wondered, laying back against the tree. "If you know you're getting stronger, you know you're still improving. And if you know that, then you're definitely better than the people who don't know their own limits."
Volug looked over at him curiously. "Does that go for you beorc as well?"
"It goes for everybody," Ike clarified. "If someone doesn't know the limits of their own strength, they'll always lose to someone that does. Remember about how I told you about King Skrimir and how he faced General Zelgius in the war?" Volug nodded at that, remembering what Ike had told him. Skrimir, being a lion, had foolishly thought his might would triumph over Zelgius, a mere beorc. Had he been smarter and had known his own strength, he would have seen that he had been completely outmatched from the start. "If you don't know your own limits and skills, what will happen once you fight an incredibly skilled adversary? You've more than likely gone up against some of those, haven't you?"
The wolf nodded, looking thoughtful. Ike definitely had a point. "A few, during the war," he admitted. "When...when you stormed that castle back in Daein, with all those other laguz, I managed to get a good look at you for the first time," he said, his violet eyes staring into Ike's blue ones. "You looked so fierce. So powerful. The way you effortlessly killed enemy soldiers was startling. When I saw you, I'll admit that I wanted to rush at you to try and end the whole thing, but...it's strange," he commented, Ike's attention solely on him. "I didn't know why, but something was telling me to stop and retreat. That I wouldn't be able to defeat you. I was perplexed, but I knew I couldn't take my chances in that fight. But now that you've told me all this, I think that was my instinct telling me that I wasn't strong enough to fight you yet. It would have been a tough fight, but now I know I would have been killed had I gone against you then."
Ike nodded sagely, a small grin on his face. "You see what I'm talking about?" he asked with a somewhat smug tone, earning him a small whap from Volug's tail. "That feeling back then probably saved your life. It's as Titania once told me-a true warrior will know their limits of what they can do, and retreat is in no way dishonorable. "
"The beorc take their fighting seriously, don't they?" Volug wondered, staring off into the blue sky. "I guess the laguz do the same as well. We have a lot of pride to spare, though."
Ike raised an eyebrow. "Like how Skrimir used to be?" he teased.
Volug looked scandalized. "Of course not!" he scoffed. "But we're still proud. I don't think we'd back down from a fight once we got into one. I know I certainly wouldn't have."
"Wouldn't have?" Ike repeated, a small smile on his face. "Care to elaborate?"
The wolf rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean," he grumbled, a small smile coming to his face as well. "I'm not going to turn tail and run from fights, but I think I can learn when to back off. I think you taught me that."
"Ah," Ike let out, sighing a bit. "Another thing, huh?"
"You've taught me a lot," Volug continued. "I think a lot of my views have changed. Now that I'm actually speaking your language...I can now understand a lot more than before. So...thank you...teacher."
Ike looked surprised. Such sentimentality from the wolf was rare. "Mm. You were a good teacher as well, Volug. I was glad to be your student," he chuckled.
For a time, they just sat there in relative peace, saying nothing as they continued to enjoy each other's presence. Finally, Ike seemed to let out a long sigh, looking over at his friend.
"Volug?"
"Yeah?" the wolf responded, opening one eye to look at the beorc.
Ike turned away, closing his eyes. "You probably already know this, but...I'm going to leave soon," he told the wolf, not looking at him.
Volug sat silent, already having known of it beforehand. Ike had expressed his desire to other lands before, and it was only a matter of time before his wanderlust surfaced again. "...why?" he asked lowly, still wanting to voice the question.
"Why not?" Ike retorted. "There's still so much for me to see out there. I like Hatari and all, but...I can't settle down yet."
"...I see," Volug murmured quietly. It wasn't surprising that Ike held no desire to live in Hatari, given how Nailah wanted to migrate across the desert and all. But for some strange reason, the wolf felt compelled to try and stop him, to get him to stay. "Do you really have to do it?"
For a few moments, Ike didn't answer. "Do I have to? Probably not," he finally admitted. "Do I want to? Yes."
There was Volug's answer. No matter what he would say, Ike would leave regardless. Somehow, the thought made him feel weak. "When are you going to leave?"
"Next week," was the answer. "I'm going to go back to Tellius, visit a few friends, and then find a boat to sail out to the seas with. There has to be land beyond them. Yune hinted strongly at it."
The thought of Ike leaving had struck Volug hard, but he forced it down, remaining calm. "I'm...going to miss you," he finally forced out, being completely honest with the man he considered his best friend. "I really will."
"I'm going to miss you a lot as well, Volug," Ike replied back, a soft smile on his face. "Thank you for everything. Your friendship has really meant a lot to me."
Volug didn't say anything more after that, his ears lowering. He didn't trust himself to speak after that.
---
A few days went by, and neither Ike or Volug saw much of each other. Ike was busy making his preparations to leave, going out in the town and seeing what essentials he had to take. Volug, however, was listless and distracted. He knew the reason was related to Ike leaving, but he thought he had already come to terms with it. Whatever he was doing, he couldn't keep his focus; anything he kept trying to do kept reminding him of the blue-haired beorc.
He then consulted with Queen Nailah, seeking her advice. The first thing she did was let out a sharp laugh, followed up with one of the most smug grins he had ever seen on her face.
"You have it bad, don't you Volug?" she asked with an amused smile.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Your Majesty," he replied back, keeping his face straight.
"Oh please," Nailah scoffed. "Look at you. Your tail is twitching irritably. Your face looks distracted. You haven't done anything but think of Ike's imminent departure for the past week. If that doesn't say anything, I don't know what does."
"I believe you're just reading too much into the situation, Your Majesty," Volug remarked with a frown, even though the wolf queen had been largely right.
"I could always have Rafiel tell me your real feelings."
"You wouldn't," Volug gasped.
Nailah shrugged. "Volug, just admit it. You're in love with Ike, aren't you? Don't try to hide it, I know when you lie."
Volug pursed his lips. "My Queen, Ike is my best friend. Whether or not I'm in love with him doesn't matter."
Nailah sighed in exasperation, shaking her head. "I never imagined you to be so dense," she groaned. "You might not realize it, or you just don't want to admit it, but you're in love with him. You can't hide it either; both Rafiel and I have seen it over the course of the year he's been here. Can you really say that you'd be alright with him leaving with a straight face?"
"I..." Volug paused, hesitating. The truth was, he definitely wasn't okay with Ike up and leaving.
"See?" Nailah pointed out, smirking. "You don't want him to leave. Or, rather...you want to be with him wherever he goes, right?"
Volug looked up, shocked. "Your Majesty, are you insinuating that I would leave you and follow him?" he gasped, looking affronted. "I can't do that."
"Why not?" Nailah asked. Her tail was swaying lightly, almost as if she was amused by their whole talk. "He could certainly use the company where he's going. I'd imagine a journey across the seas would be pretty lonely, wouldn't you say?"
"That has nothing to do with it," Volug protested, shifting nervously when Nailah glanced at him.
"It has everything to do with it," the wolf queen corrected. "Are you really going to let him leave? I can assure you that if you do, you're going to spend the rest of your life with regrets. Are you sure you can live with knowing that you'd never see him again?"
"He can come back!" Volug exclaimed, his violet eyes squinting in frustration. "He can always come back! He'd be able to come back to Hatari, I know--"
"Volug," Nailah interrupted softly. "Ike wouldn't be able to come back to Hatari. Neither his place nor his heart is here. You know that."
Volug's ears lowered as he scowled, looking at the ground. His eyes burned for some strange reason, and he had the urge to wipe them with his arm.
Nailah looked at her subject for a long moment before sighing. "So, let me ask again. Are you alright with him leaving?" she asked, a slight edge to her voice. She wanted an honest answer from the tanned man, and she would get it.
"...no. I don't want him to," Volug admitted, not looking his queen in the eye. "But he is intent on leaving. I cannot stop him."
"And you're just going to let him leave," Nailah stated, still staring at Volug.
"I will. It's what he wants," the wolf answered.
Nailah rubbed her temples with her hand. "This discussion isn't about what he wants," she stressed, crossing her arms. "It's about what you want. Tell me again. What do you really want to do?"
Volug grit his teeth. What does she think I want to do?! he screamed in his mind, but he forced himself to remain calm, his gaze still locked to the floor. "What I want is irrelevant. I am your loyal subject to the end," he muttered.
"Again with this? I can't believe you," Nailah snorted in disgust. "Volug, listen to me, and listen well. You love him. You want to be with him. You can't imagine letting him go. If you took a good look at yourself right now, you'd realize that. But you're denying what the facts are telling you. Are you going to continue living your life this blindly? You're not this stupid. I raised you better than that."
"My Queen..." Volug whispered. Blinking a bit, he felt a strange wetness around his eyes, slowly trailing down his cheeks. "Your Majesty, my place is with you. Nothing will move me."
Nailah raised an eyebrow. "Your place," she said slowly, a solemn smile on her face, "is with Ike."
Volug's head snapped up, completely shocked. "Queen Nailah...?" he sputtered. There was no mistaking the command in her voice, and what it conveyed. "You...you're not...serious..."
The wolf queen only nodded. "It's only when their cub moves on with their life does a mother know both true happiness and pain. I wonder if that's what it feels like right now?" she wondered, chuckling a bit. "Volug. I will give you all that you need for wherever you may go. For both of you. I can only wish you happiness from here on."
Volug could only keep staring at Nailah in shock. "I...Your Majesty, I can't..." he mumbled, unable to form a coherent phrase with how shocked he was. The only thing that he could realize at that moment was the fact that Nailah had released him from his service to her, and had given him her blessings with Ike.
When he felt Nailah's hand on his shoulder, he couldn't help but blink rapidly, tears coursing down his cheeks. "...Queen Nailah...thank you. Thank you...so much..." he choked out.
Nailah nodded, a forlorn look in her visible eye. "Live without regrets. That's the one thing I've always said to you. Remember it," she instructed. "Life's too short for any of us to dwell on it."
---
Ike had been busy finalizing his preparations, buying supplies from the local market in the meanwhile. His own mind was kept busy of where he wanted to go and how to get to a certain place after he crossed the Desert of Death again, and just like before, he had started feeling excited about leaving on a journey. Who knew what waited out there?
As he went back to his room that night, he realized he hadn't seen Volug all day. He had grown used to the wolf being near his side for so long, that walking or going anywhere knowing he was elsewhere felt...strange. He's probably not taking it very well, he thought, frowning. Both of them had grown close to each other in the course of the year, and Ike had certainly grown fond of Volug. However, he knew that the wolf wouldn't be able to just leave Hatari--he was in service to its queen, after all.
Still, Ike would be sad to leave him behind. It was strange to think that Volug had been such a constant in his life over the past year, and to suddenly leave without him was incredibly stupid. However, he realized that asking Volug to come with him would be selfish; what if Volug really wanted to stay in Hatari? What if his duties to Nailah were more important to him? If he asked that question and Volug refused...he didn't know how he would feel.
Which is why he felt that the best option was to not ask at all. He didn't like admitting it, but Soren deciding to leave with Stefan had left him lonely during his trip around Tellius. During that time, he had missed having someone to talk to, to relate to. He missed Soren's barbs about certain habits of his. He just missed everything about having a constant companion with him. He couldn't very well ask Volug to give everything up and come with him, just so he wouldn't be lonely.
To avoid making Volug deal with a such a decision, I've decided to let myself be lonely anyway, he snorted mentally. I really am a fool.
Volug would understand though. The wolf had always been one to get the point. Still...am I happy with doing this? Ike suddenly thought, sitting down on his bed. I let Soren go because I knew that it was the best for him. Can I let Volug go like that too? Shaking his head, he frowned. I have to. I'm not going to let him give up everything just because I want him with me.
He wondered how the wolf would handle it, though. He wasn't completely dense, despite whatever people thought of him. Ike knew very well that Volug was very close to him, possibly even more than that. He couldn't deny his own feelings toward the wolf as well; their days together had really made him happy, and when Volug had opened up around him...it was an indescribable feeling, to be sure.
Did he really, truly want to leave his friend behind? The one that had taught him and learned beside him and had given him his friendship? Not for the first time since he had been planning on his departure, he doubted what he wanted to do. Did he want to ask Volug after all? I can't...
A sudden knock at his door interrupted him. "Come in!" he shouted, the creak of the door signaling that the person was doing just that. "Oh..."
Volug quietly closed the door behind him, staring at Ike. To the beorc, something was off; the wolf seemed more tense than normal, and actually looked fairly nervous about something. "Hey," he greeted, his tail flicking from side to side. To Ike, it seemed that it was twitching from nervousness, as Volug didn't seem to be paying it any mind. "What are you doing?"
Ike nodded in greeting. "Nothing much. Just...getting ready, I suppose," he chuckled dryly. Volug didn't respond, a frown visible on his face. For some reason, just seeing Volug stare at him with those eyes of his made him feel uneasy, so he decided to change the topic. "So, what are you doing here? You usually don't come up to my room."
"Well..." the wolf started, biting his lip uncertainly. He didn't know how to phrase what he wanted to say. "Are you really so intent on doing this?" he finally asked, getting frustrated at himself for not being able to ask what he really wanted.
Ike stared at Volug, confused. "You mean leaving?" he asked, getting a quick nod. "Well, yeah. I've been planning on it for a few months."
"And you're set on it, aren't you?" the tanned man asked, getting a nod in response. "I see. But..." Volug then stopped, hesitating. Can I really say it?
"Volug?" Ike asked, looking concerned. "What is it?"
"...what I mean to say is...um..." the wolf mumbled beneath his breath before growling and clenching his fists. "Do you really want to go alone?!" he nearly shouted, taking Ike by surprise.
The beorc blinked rapidly, staring at Volug as the laguz stared at him expectantly. "What are you talking about?"
"Are you really going to go alone?" Volug demanded. "You're going to travel without anyone with you?"
"Volug?" Ike asked again, a bit taken aback by the wolf's outburst.
"You are, aren't you?" the wolf continued. "You're going to leave. You're just going go away and leave me here. You haven't even asked me if I wanted to come with you yet," he ranted, his ears pointed up, a near snarl on his face. "Why? You don't want me around? Just tell me to my face! It'd be a lot better than avoiding the issue like a coward!"
"Coward?" Ike sputtered indignantly as he rose up off the bed, scowling. "You're calling me a coward?"
"I am! You're acting like one!" Volug accused, turning towards the blue-haired man and scowling in frustration. "You didn't tell me outright, and you never even asked me if you wanted me to come with you!" he snapped, his tail now stiffening. "If you never bothered to ask me, how am I supposed to know what you're trying to do?!"
"Now hold on a minute!" Ike demanded, growling himself. "Don't you try and blame this all on me. You've made it perfectly clear before that you're loyal to Nailah!" he pointed out angrily. When Volug flinched, he continued, "Did you not think that I didn't want to force such a choice on you?! Me or your country? For the sake of the goddess, I'm not that selfish! I couldn't ask you, knowing that!"
"You still should have!" Volug insisted, grinding his teeth together. "It would have been easier!"
"For who?!" Ike growled. He didn't know why he felt so angry at the moment. "For me? For you?"
"I...I don't know!" Volug huffed. "But you should have just asked me. We both would have felt better, whatever the answer would have been," he finished, trying to calm down.
Ike scowled again, walking until he was right in front of the wolf, staring him in the face. "And how would you know that?" he asked lowly, forcing his anger down as he stared into those violet eyes. "How would you know that I wouldn't feel horrible if you said no?"
Volug took in a sharp breath. That was as good as an admission as any. "Because you don't know my real answer," he responded, not breaking his gaze. "Because you wouldn't know how devastated I would be once you left, and that I let you go."
Ike's eyes widened, a small gasp coming from his lips. Is this how Volug really feels? he wondered, still unable to look away. While he knew that Volug was certainly attached to him, he didn't know that his feelings ran that deeply.
For a few moments, no words were said as they just stared at each other, several emotions burning in their eyes. Neither one of them didn't know who moved first, but all of a sudden, their lips had connected, and Ike had wrapped his arms around the wolf's muscled body, kissing back deeply. Volug's tail wrapped around to brush at Ike's leg, running up and down as the two kissed. After what seemed like a long while, the two slowly broke off their kiss, still staring each other in the eyes as they breathed heavily.
"Volug..." Ike then said, gulping as he realized how it came out. It was almost needy. "Will you...will you come with me? Journey with me?" he asked, running his hands over the tribal tattoos that ran down Volug's arms.
The wolf quickly nodded. "Yes. I will," he said breathlessly. "I'll go with you wherever you want to go, Ike."
That was all that was needed to be said as Ike wrapped the wolf up in his arms again, embracing him and holding him close. Volug made no move to protest, only sighing in happiness and pressing his body against Ike's.
"Thank you," Ike whispered in the wolf's ear, a small smile on his face.
"It's no problem," Volug responded, leaning his head against Ike's shoulder. "It is definitely no problem at all..."
---
At the end of the week, both Ike and Volug said their farewells to Nailah and Rafiel. The wolf queen had wished them both the best, and gave both of them a rather feral smirk, which was apparently meant to suggest something. Neither Ike or Volug got much out of what she was trying to imply, but Rafiel merely sighed before wishing them happiness.
The two then took a few days to cross the Desert of Death before emerging in Tellius proper, glad to be back on solid ground. After resting in a nearby town, Ike decided to head straight for the Grann Desert, wanting to see how Soren was doing.
Volug scoffed. "We just crossed one desert and you want to cross another?" he snorted, getting a chuckle from Ike. "No wonder some laguz call you the craziest beorc they ever knew."
"We won't have to venture very far into it, if I remember correctly," Ike mused, ignoring the annoyed glance the wolf gave him. "From what Stefan had told me, I think I know where to go in the desert."
While Volug wasn't thrilled about going back out into another desert, he complied anyway as the two then traveled into the Grann Desert, fighting the hot sun and the desert winds while keeping a steady pace. Thankfully, their trip this time was unhindered by people wanting to kill them, and within half a day they had reached their destination.
Volug shook his body to get the grains of sand out of his fur before reverting back to his beorc state. "Is this it?" he asked, staring into the sparse grove of trees that grew out of a stone structure.
"I hope so," Ike muttered, looking around. "At least, from what Lethe told me a few years before, this is where she found him."
"So where do we go from here?" the wolf asked, peering out into the sands beyond the horizon. "We can't keep walking aimlessly without direction."
Ike frowned. "You're right. I wonder if we should keep moving this way?" he wondered, following Volug's gaze.
The wolf sighed in exasperation. "Maybe this Stefan person will magically pop up from the sands in front of us to greet us?" he said sarcastically.
"Hello! It's been a while, my friends!"
Both Ike and Volug looked up in shock as Stefan stood in front of them, smiling mysteriously and waving. The two of them stared at the green-haired man in disbelief before staring down at the sand at his feet, which looked untouched.
"You can't be serious," Volug deadpanned. Did he really just pop out of the sand?
Ike shrugged. "Well, at least he's here," he said with a slight laugh. Stepping forward, he extended a hand towards the swordmaster. "Well met, Stefan."
"The same to you, Ike," Stefan greeted, nodding his head as he shook his hand. He then looked towards Volug, who looked slightly bored at the exchange. "Oh, is this one of the wolf laguz that fought with us in the last war? Incredible! I never thought I would get the chance to talk to one. Tell me, what's your name?"
"Volug," the tanned man grunted, cocking his head. "Quite the...lively place you live in."
"Isn't it?" Stefan responded, brushing off the sarcastic remark. "Anyway, if you're here, that must mean you want to see Soren, am I right?"
"That, and I thought it would be nice to see how you guys are doing," Ike replied, grinning back. "I have to admit though...part of the reason why I'm here is to spar with you again. I haven't had a good match in a long time."
"Oh, I can relate to that," Stefan agreed, nodding as he led the two of them through the desert. "I must admit, I am very curious about how you improved. I wonder, how much better than me are you?"
Ike shook his head. "Oh, stop kidding around. I'm nowhere near the best," he waved off, causing Volug to snort.
"I'm actually quite serious. I wasn't kidding when I said you would be the opponent I would dread to face for real, I'll have you know," Stefan pointed out. When Ike gave him a curious stare, he smiled. "But enough about that for now. Let me lead you into our colony, as you two must be tired. Make sure to follow closely now!"
As they followed Stefan, Volug leaned in close to Ike. "This man is so strange. I didn't even sense him when he appeared...was he really waiting in the sand for us?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Ike brought up a hand to stifle his laughter. "No, I don't think he was. He just knows the desert like the back of his hand," he explained, getting a nod from the wolf. "He's a good guy...you just have to get used to his eccentricities."
Volug looked thoughtful as they continued walking. "You sound eager to duel him."
"I am. He's one of my teachers. I hold a lot of respect for him," Ike replied, smiling a bit. "I think he's just joking about fearing my skills, to be honest. I'm sure he's a lot more powerful than he's let on."
Volug snorted. "If you say so. I doubt anyone could beat you though."
Meanwhile, Stefan was looking back at them, surprise written all over his face as he scratched his chin. "He learned the ancient tongue? Amazing..." he breathed, looking very impressed. "With such dedication, I don't think I can stand a chance against him in battle. Still, I have to entertain the idea that I can, after all," he chuckled to himself, waiting for the two to catch up so he could continue leading them.
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Arcana XIII - DEATH - Arcana 0 - THE FOOL - Arcana VII - THE CHARIOT - Arcana VI - THE LOVERS