It was Say'ri who got her hooked on tea. The tired tactician took a tentative sip of the hot drink and leaned back in her chair. This perhaps was one of the few moments of the day where she had complete peace. She had discovered that rising early, even earlier than Sir Frederick, Angelina was guaranteed some free time. Granted, she had to go to bed early, which was an issue because of her position. It was common for her to be up late in the evening, pouring over maps and strategies, trying to drum out possible plans for future battles. Her job was demanding and exhausting, but she somehow managed to keep everyone alive. That fact alone warranted her some time to herself.

As she took another sip, Angelina closed her eyes and relished the taste of the tea. It was one of Say'ri's favorite blends. The tea had a rich, earthy flavor and left behind a pleasant after taste. The tactician originally hated the blend, only after drinking it several times did she get used to it. When the others discovered Angelina had hopped abroad the 'tea'wagon, they all offered her samples from their personal stashes. Suffice to say, she was addicted to the drink.

"Angelina, are you up?" A voice rippled from outside the tent. Unprepared, the sudden question nearly caused the tactician to topple out of her seat. Her hand trembled as she placed the cup down. "Y-yes, Say'ri, I'm up." She clutched the area over her heart.

"Am I permitted to enter?"

"Of course, come on in." She watched the swordswoman duck into her tent. "You want some tea? I boiled some water a while ago, but it still should be pretty hot."

Say'ri dipped her head politely, "I will gladly have some." While Angelina busied herself with the tea, she noticed Say'ri seemed to be in a daze. Actually, the blade princess had been acting funny ever since they recruited Yen'fay. Of course, he wasn't the same Yen'fay who died in the Demon's Ingle. He hailed from the supposedly the same future as Lucina and the other children. Apparently, Say'ri had died in the future instead of Yen'fay, which was the reason why they found him roaming the Chon'sin graves. Despite this, he made no effort to reach out to his sister. Say'ri had desperately tried to speak with Yen'fay, but he somehow managed to elude her. It must have frustrated her to no end knowing that her brother was so close, yet so far from her. Angelina was surprised that Say'ri hadn't managed to corner him and demand an explanation.

"…So what brings you to my humble home?" Angelina sat on the cot as she handed Say'ri the warm cup. Say'ri gazed into the tea for some time, moving the cup in a circular motion with her hands. She sighed before speaking up,

"I've come to ask for a favor."

"Oh?" The violet-haired tactician perched her chin on the palm of her hand. "Well, what can I do for you?"

Say'ri suddenly shook her head. "Never mind, 'twas a foolish thing for me to ask."

Angelina scooted to the end of the cot and leaned forward in attempt to make eye contact with Say'ri. "Come on, tell meeeeeeeeeeee." She whined like an impatient puppy. It was something she had seen Lissa do before when she really wanted something. The tactic knew it didn't work all the time, but she wasn't trying to win Say'ri over. Instead, she was attempting to make her smile or at least get her to stop staring at her tea. Since it was uncharacteristic of her to speak in such a manner, Say'ri did face Angelina and furrowed her brow.

"…And what exactly are you trying to do?"

Angelina puffed her cheeks out and rolled over on her bed, stretching her arms out. "I want to help you, Say'ri, because you've helped me. But mostly, you're my friend," She smiled at the upside down Say'ri. "And I want to do you a favor."

Say'ri's eyes flitted from hers to the cup in her hands. Her chest heaved a massive sigh and she bowed her head. "I am not sure how to phrase this…" She sat in the chair. "I wanted to ask you if you could watch Yen'fay for me."

Angelina sat up on her bed, resting her hands on her knees. Indeed, it was an odd request. The gears in her mind were already turning as to how to fulfill Say'ri's wish. "I know 'tis a strange thing to ask for," Her friend's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "I worry over him, even though he shows no interest in me." Say'ri sipped the tea and nodded, pleased with its taste. She looked up at the tactician, her eyes suddenly grave. "If 'tis not something you are comfortable with doing, I understand if you decline."

" Oh no," She waved her left hand in a shooing manner. "It's not a problem; I've been meaning to work with Yen'fay anyway." He was one of few who didn't like working in a big group. While fighting alone was fine and all, they all needed to work as a single cohesive unit. Her strategies wouldn't work if all the pieces weren't in the right places. "So don't worry, I have it covered."

Say'ri let out a sigh of relief, "Many thanks, my friend. You have no idea the weight that has been lifted off my breast."

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you want me to look after him?" Angelina reached for her cup on the table. "I don't think I will be very good at protecting him."

The dark-haired princess laughed and slapped her knee in response. "No, I suppose you're right about that." Her smile faded. "My brother needs support, though I do not know how to give it to him. " Say'ri's grip on the tea cup tightened. "I know he needs companionship and I have tried many times to give it to him, but I have failed each time." Angelina felt something twist in her stomach. Perhaps she should have asked this question before she had accepted Say'ri's request. It wasn't that she didn't want to do it, she wasn't sure if she was the right person to take on this task. Angelina really didn't think of herself as a socially adept person, but if Say'ri wanted her for the job, then who was she to argue with? "I'll do my best." She managed to smile at Say'ri . Dear gods, what on earth was she getting herself into?

It wasn't long before the rest of the camp was up and moving. Say'ri departed shortly after their conversation since she was assigned scout duty for today. Angelina didn't muck around her tent for very long and quickly strapped on her Hero's armor. Risen were growing increasingly aggressive by the day and she didn't want to be caught unprepared. Despite having been one of the first to rise, she was still a little sleepy, yawning frequently as she went through camp. She was heading toward the training grounds in an attempt to find Yen'fay. Angelina had heard that Yen'fay tended to practice his swordplay in the morning, so it was worth a shot to check. After maneuvering through the maze of tents, she eventually stumbled upon her destination.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite tactician."

She gave an upwards nod as she greeted Basilio, "Good morning to you, too." Angelina gingerly rubbed her face with her gauntlet covered hand. The proud Khan stood beside her, resting his callused hands on the top of his axe. The two of them were standing at the edge of the training grounds, which was nothing more than a field of grass with patches of dirt in between. There was more fog than usual this morning, so it was hard to see exactly who was using it. "So, Angie, have you come here to accept my offer?" Basilio smirked at the drowsy tactician. She rolled her eyes.

"Did you know you are the third person to ask me to be their tactician?" The Khan's smug look was wiped off his face. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to mention this fact. She didn't need a bunch of well-trained men fighting over her as tactician. The idea was far from romantic seeing that they would all probably kill each other and leave her without any employer. Yes, it would be good for her to not say anything else about the matter. Before he could ask, Lon'qu sidled up by the two of them and said gruffly, "Khan Basilio, you wanted to spar with me this morning."

Basilio guffawed and slapped his hand on Lon'qu's shoulder. "Aye, I did, didn't I? Well, I won't keep you waiting." He beamed at the tactician. "We'll talk more about your new job later." The Khan laughed loudly before taking to the field with Lon'qu. Soon, the two partners were swallowed up by the morning mist, leaving Angie alone.

She huffed and skewered the damp earth with her sword. It seemed that Yen'fay wouldn't be training this morning. He possibly could be out on the field now and she simply couldn't see him, but she doubted that. Basilio and Lon'qu were all but invisible to her and she could hear their weapons clashing and their voices occasionally. Guess this meant she had to walk over to his tent and talk to him. Angelina wasn't comfortable doing that. His tent was his space and she was well aware that he didn't like large groups. She didn't want to invade his personal space any more than she had to.

" 'Tis a fine morning, is it not?" Angelina almost jumped out of her armor and her skin. What was it with these two sneaking up on her? The slightly spooked tactician turned around to face Yen'fay and smiled wearily.

"Y-yes, it's a good morning." She stuttered. It was going to be a minute before she composed herself. Thankfully Yen'fay didn't seem too interested in small talk. His eyes were set on the misty field. "Have you an opponent to spar with?"

She shook her head and pulled her blade out of the ground. "No, but I wouldn't mind sparring with you, if that's what you're asking." The mist had begun to clear up on the field as the sun cut through the dense fog. She could see Basilio's and Lon'qu's dark outlines dancing around one another, their blades catching the light occasionally. "Unless, you're going to practice alone, then I don't want to disturb you."

"I never once said you were disturbing me." He said flatly, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. "If you are free this morning, Angelina, I would like the honor of sparring with you." Yen'fay observed the two fighting on the field.

The tactician dipped her head politely, "I would very much appreciate practicing with you." Yen'fay merely nodded in response and took to the field. She was a tad excited about training with him since it established a base for relationship between them. This meant keeping an eye on him would be much easier in the long run.

The two of them made sure they had ample distance between them and the others using the field. Not that space would be much of an issue, seeing that Basilio and Lon'qu were rarely a few yards apart from each other. Still, it wouldn't hurt to give them some space. As they took their positions, she realized that neither of them had picked up training blades. While not everyone liked using dull or wooden weapons during practice, she certainly was more comfortable using them. It was a little late to ask for blunt weapons now since they were already out here. She hoped she didn't get stabbed by accident. Once she drew her blade, Yen'fay wasted no time engaging with her. Angelina nearly yelped as he rushed toward her like an arrow flying from a bow. She had never seen anyone move so fast. The tactician only managed to step back before he knocked the sword from her hand and thrust his blade at her abdomen. The wind was knocked out of her as she fell back on the ground.

"Too slow." He murmured, leveling the tip of his sword with Angelina's eyes. A sharp pain throbbed where Yen'fay hit her armor. She could already feel a bruise coming on. Yen'fay made no effort to help her off the ground, but he did fetch her sword.

"Is it a bad time to ask for you to partner up with me for the next battle?" She had just proved herself to be a less than capable partner, so she didn't know what her chances were for him to accept. Angelina hastily stood up and wiped the bits of grass and dirt plastered on her armor. Yen'fay, who patiently held her sword, titled his head in thought. "I mean, I understand if you say 'no'." She took her weapon from him. "I don't want to slow you down, or anything." He was quiet for a few moments before addressing her question.

"I accept your offer, Angelina, as long as you do not mind my critique of your skills." He sheathed his sword and folded his arms over his breastplate.

She nodded promptly."No, anything that can make me better as a warrior would be much appreciated."

Yen'fay bowed politely and exited the field. She was relieved as well as embarrassed that their sparring match did not last long.

The tactician didn't linger too long on the field after that. Aside from the bitter sting of humiliation, her abdomen was really starting to hurt. She clutched her stomach, groaning softly from the persistent pain.

"Angie, are you alright?" She felt a hand rest on her shoulder. The tactician turned her head and grimaced at Sumia. "Have you been attacked?"

"…No," Angelina moaned. "I just got done sparring with Yen'fay."

Sumia started to guide her toward Lissa's tent. "And how'd that go?" Angelina made a face in response and the Pegasus rider frowned. "Oh, I see." Angelina noted there was mud on Sumia's brow. It seemed that Sumia had tripped a few times this morning. "Well, I know you can beat him!"

"Uh huh, tell that to my pride." She grunted. Hopefully she still would be able to fight after this. She wouldn't have been surprised if Yen'fay bruised more than her skin and her delicate pride. Maybe he ruptured something and that was why it hurt so much. "Sumia, I think I'm dying."

"W-what?!" Her voice jumped a few octaves. "We're almost there!" Angie wanted to say that it was a joke, but it was too late now. Sumia was already riled up and panicking. Good gods, what had she done. "Lissa! Angie's dying!" The dark flier managed to shout before plowing face first into the ground, nearly taking the tactician with her. "I am not dying." She huffed, attempting to pull Sumia off the ground. "I was EXAGERRATING, Sumia."

"But you got stabbed!" Sumia gasped as she pushed herself off the ground.

"YOU GOT STABBED?!" Now Lissa joined in. The young war cleric marched over, clutching her staff tightly. Angelina opened her mouth to protest, when Sumia and Lissa began to unfasten her armor. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" She clamped her sides with her hands, feebly trying to prevent her armor falling off. "I-it's no big deal, guys. Just wave the staff around and be done with it." Lissa pouted at her and stuck her hands on her hips, "But what if you're hurt reallllllllly bad? How am I supposed to treat you if I haven't seen the wound?" Lissa had a point. Angelina begrudgingly dropped her arms to her sides to allow her two friends to take off her armor. The tactician squeezed her eyes closed as Lissa examined the wound. "Is it bad?"

The war cleric hissed at the sight of slowly spreading bruise. "That looks nasty." Lissa raised her staff over her head, chanting an incantation as she began to heal the internal wound. "You need to fight with practice weapons next time." She glared at Angelina, who slowly opened her eyes. "That's what I tell everybody, but do they listen to me? Nope." The tactician gingerly touched the spot on her abdomen where the bruise used to be. The spot still stung, but it was nowhere near the pain she experienced earlier.

"Thanks, Lissa."

Lissa stuck her finger in her face, "Don't do it again, Angie." The tactician held her hands up and nodded repeatedly.

"Alright, alright, I promise." She crossed her heart to prove her point.

Lissa rolled her eyes, "You're just as bad as Chrom." She and Sumia began to reattach Angie's armor. "How about we go get something to eat after this? I'm starving!" That didn't sound like bad idea; after all, Angelina was running on tea she had earlier. Once her armor settled firmly over her torso, Lissa suddenly linked arms with her and Sumia and pulled them out of the tent.

"Sooo, what are you two doing today?" Lissa chirped between the two taller women. "I'm in charge of healing today and I have to mentor Brady for a few hours." She shrugged. "Nothing too bad."

Sumia cleared her throat, "I have to run to the market in town today. Hopefully I won't trip while I'm carrying the supplies." She laughed nervously. "I'm bringing Frederick with me this time, so maybe he can transport the stuff back to camp."

"I really wish I could do that." Lissa pouted, pursing her lips. "But Chrom won't allow it."

Angelina snickered. "Well, yeah, because you buy way too much stuff." The tactician laughed even louder when Lissa sharply nudged Angie with her elbow.

"What are you doing today, Angie?" The war cleric changed the subject. It took a moment for Angelina to respond since she couldn't stop laughing.

After wiping the tears from her eyes, she answered, "Depending on what the scouts bring back, I might go fight some Risen today."

"Who are you going to partner up with?" Lissa leaned against the tactician and batted her eye lashes.

She was trying to get out of healing duty and Angelina knew it. "Uh, I was going to ask Yen'fay to come along." Lissa wrinkled her nose, possibly because she was upset she wasn't being taken along.

"Wait, but didn't he stab you earlier?" Sumia cocked her head in confusion. Lissa bobbed her head back upon hearing more of the story. She probably was even more upset now since she didn't hear whole thing. No doubt she was going to press Angelina for questions over breakfast.

The war cleric wrinkled her brow and scrunched her nose, "That must have been an awkward question to ask."

Angelina groaned tiredly, "It was a little at the time, but it's fine. I mean, he's okay with it." She frowned. "Although he probably thinks I'm more of a liability than an asset."

"I wouldn't say that." Sumia said as they slipped into the mess tent. "He seems like an understanding person."

"He wasn't very 'understanding' when he stabbed Angie." Lissa snorted, still bitter over Angelina's lack of caution. "He didn't even escort you to me." She unlinked her arms and stormed over to where the food was being served. Sumia sighed, shaking her head before taking a seat at the table.

"Want me to grab your food?" The tactician leaned against the table. "…I saw what happened the other day." Sumia blushed at her comment.

"You wouldn't mind?"

Angelina shook her head, "Not at all. I'll be back in a bit." Sumia smiled at her as Angie left to join the line. She stretched her arms over her head, popping some of her joints. It was going to be a very long day and ache in her stomach throbbed in agreement.

(Obviously, I don't own own Fire Emblem Awakening or its characters. I'm pretty pissed that several characters don't have a lot of supports and I'm going to try really hard to compensate for that in this story. Anywho, a big shout out for Singer of Water, who reads my trash-writing and gives me pointers. She's real great and deserves the entire pack of gold stars. Thanks for stopping by! ~Darkargo)