Ryoma

It had been weeks since Saizo and Kagero had left on a mission in Nohr. It all started when two Nohrian servants were captured trying to cross the Bottomless Canyon. According to them, they had made a failure grave enough to warrant the possibility of an execution, which prompted them to flee to Izumo in the hopes of starting a new life in the neutral territory. Of course, they were spotted when attempting to sneak past the Hoshidan soldiers that had been stationed at the canyon, and when it was revealed that they had been servants for the Nohrian royal family, they were sent to Ryoma himself.

The two girls were all too eager to agree to give whatever information they had in exchange for sanctuary in Hoshido, quite possibly the safest place on the planet for those trying to escape the Nohrian royal family's wrath. The pink-haired one, Felicia, explained that they were both maids and guards, meant to keep a property in the capital city of Windmire owned by the royal family neat and tidy whilst also protecting it and its contents. They were also political prisoners, originally from the Ice Tribe. Ryoma had heard of Nohr's habit of killing two birds with one stone when it came to smaller nations and tribes around them, taking important figures and making them servants, though he had never had the displeasure of meeting any in the flesh. It seemed vile to him that not even hostages were spared from being worked to the bone for Nohr.

When Ryoma had asked why they did not return to the Ice Tribe, the blue-haired girl named Flora, Felicia's sister, provided a rather morbid answer. They knew that their failure would blow back on the Ice Tribe as well. Nohr had likely already sent forces to ransack the tribe, punishing it for their own sins. If it had been found that they were harboring the sisters, the consequences would have been far worse.

The two girls had provided a wealth of information about Nohrian politics and aspects of the Nohrian royal family that were previously unknown, which was already more than enough for Ryoma to give them the sanctuary they so desperately wanted. However, the situations surrounding the mistake they made was what interested Ryoma the most. The girls explained that they had let three thieves endanger the life of the youngest child of King Garon, Elise, as well as escaping with a prized Nohrian artifact worth more than the two of them combined.

The thieves, they explained, were incredibly talented. One wielded a shortbow, barraging the two sisters with ranged attacks. Another wielded a spiked club, using heavy attacks to force the two apart from eachother during the fight. The third was by far the most notable. Wielding a sword with a backhanded grip, she had aggressively fought off the sisters, even pulling a knife from her sash near the end, throwing it with deadly precision and injuring Flora in the process. The make of the knife was unfamiliar to them, and when they described it, Ryoma couldn't pin the origin either.

Saizo was the one who figured out the knife's history. The design was reminiscent of weapons from Kohga, a smaller nation that had once been located to the south of Hoshido. However, a dispute between it and Mokushu, a nation close by, eventually escalated into a full-blown conflict. While Mokushu claimed it had no choice but to fight back, rumors quickly spread that they were the true aggressors. Whatever the reasons, the results were the same, Kohga was left as nothing but charred remains of a once-thriving people, almost all of its population killed, and its cities razed. Those who survived went into hiding. Any who revealed their identity as a survivor of Kohga quickly were found dead due to a variety of accidents.

This was what made the thief's knife so interesting. Saizo especially had taken a fascination to the idea of a survivor of Kohga living in Windmire. It was clear it couldn't have been any of the thieves; Flora and Felicia had said the three looked to be around their ages, meaning they would have been infants at the time. Kagero proposed the idea that they were being mentored by the survivor, taught Kohga's arts of combat that were then infused with the dirty tactics and frenzied fighting of a talented thief.

Ryoma had intended to leave the situation as it was, keeping it open for a possible investigation another time, but Saizo approached him a few days afterward with a request to go to Windmire and investigate the thieves. Ryoma knew better than to ask why; Saizo had many secrets, and he respected his retainer too much to pry. All he asked was that Kagero go with him, to ensure his safety. Saizo agreed to this, and within a few days, the two had departed for Nohr.

Ryoma had heard nothing from either of his retainers since they had left. Understandable considering their mission, but worrying nonetheless. He knew better than anyone how capable his retainers were, but even still, he worried for them. Though Kagero was there to help keep things under control, Saizo still could sometimes lose his temper, with deadly results. It was clear the ninja had a vested interest in finding the survivor of Kohga, though for what reason Ryoma didn't know. He just hoped that Saizo wasn't letting emotions blind him of the right decisions.

Finally, after almost a month with no sign from his retainers, Ryoma received a letter from a Hoshidan scout who informed him that the contents were for him only. He headed to a private place and broke open the seal, opening the letter and reading its contents.

Three captives with us

We'll arrive by the half moon

Use separate cells

The relief that washed over Ryoma was overwhelming. He knew for a fact that this was a letter from Kagero; the retainer always used haikus as a signature of sorts to identify herself as the author. He made sure to inform the prison guards to prepare three separate cells for the captives his retainers were bringing back with him. He had no doubt in his mind that they were the three thieves the Nohrian servants had spoken of. The half moon was only a day away.

Kagero

The three thieves were locked up in the cells on the day of the half-moon, just as Kagero had promised. The man with the eyepatch had tried to gouge one of her own eyes out half a dozen times on the way to Hoshido, and the girl who wielded the spiked club had a habit of breaking out of her bonds every one or two days, just from raw strength. With those two constantly making things a hassle, it was a miracle neither Kagero nor Saizo had ended up with any scars.

The third thief didn't make any attempts to escape. Understandable, considering what had happened during their first encounter. Kagero had thrown a needle at her allies' necks, coated with a toxin that would kill her in minutes. When the two of them passed out, their pulses already faint, she quickly surrendered in exchange for Kagero administering the antidote to the toxin. They was still recovering, and the girl's exposure to the harsh rays of the sun for what must've been the longest time in her life was in no way helping. Sure, Nohrians did see the sun on occasion, but it was usually masked by clouds and went away quickly. They had her locked up in the darkest of the three cells, so she could recover faster.

Of course, being the former retainer to Queen Mikoto, Kagero had noticed something especially odd about that girl. If Saizo knew, he did not say. Kagero knew that Ryoma was to be informed of the girl, but she did not wish to cloud his judgment by giving him her guess before he had a good look at her for himself. So, when she and Saizo reported to Ryoma, all Kagero told him was that he needed to take a look at said prisoner. She hoped, for Queen Mikoto's sake, for Ryoma's sake, and for the sake of many others, that her suspicions were correct.

Ryoma

When Saizo had mentioned this girl was in the darkest cell, he had truly meant it. Ryoma had to bring a torch with him just to be able to see more than a few feet in front of him. He took a mental note to ask Yukimura about the possibility of a renovation in this part of the prison. That kind of darkness could drive many a little mad if they stayed for too long. Though, for a Nohrian, perhaps the darkness was more of a comfort than anything.

He finally arrived at the cell, holding the torch up and seeing a figure in the back, laying down on a simple straw bed. He noted her long hair but was unable to see much else due to her being just out of the reach of his torch's light. Either she was asleep, or she was ignoring his presence. He cleared his throat. "So, you're one of the thieves that stole from the Nohrian royal family?"

"Lots of people steal from them. I was just careless enough to get caught." The girl's voice sounded naturally soft, with a hard edge to it that had likely been grafted on after a life on the streets. "What's it to you?" Not even half a minute in and the girl was already on the defensive.

"My retainers tell me you and your associates were highly skilled. They say you fought beyond the caliber of common thieves. Who taught you?"

"Nobody taught us." The girl answered. "We taught ourselves." It was clear she was lying, Ryoma knew that, but he decided not to press her just yet. It would be far better if she handed over the information without any kind of arguments.

"You said 'we'. So those other two are more comrades than business partners?" Honor amongst thieves was no foreign concept to Ryoma, though, in his experience with criminals, that type of honor was hard to find.

"Damn right we are. So if you think I'm gonna sell them out, you're dead wrong." Even in a cell on the other side of the continent, the girl exuded confidence and boldness. "You may be a prince, but I won't be so easily swayed."

"I don't recall ever mentioning I was a prince." That tripped the girl up. She quickly explained it was because she could tell he was a prince by Raijinto, which was sheathed at his side. "Not too many Nohrians, let alone ones who live on the streets, are familiar with Raijinto. Someone must've taught you Hoshidan history. And don't tell me you picked it up from books you stole, because then I'll have to ask who taught you to read."

Ryoma could hear the girl curse under her breath. "Fine, I had a mentor of sorts. You still won't be able to find him. Your ninjas captured us because they thought we knew where he was, and we did. However, there's no way he hasn't noticed we're missing. I guarantee you he's already gone into hiding." Ryoma had to admit, she had a point. It wouldn't do any good if he asked her for spots he tended to visit, as he would know to avoid them.

"What's his name?" Ryoma asked. "In addition, what's yours?" He waited for a few seconds, realizing the girl wasn't going to answer that. He sighed. "Can I at least get a good look at you? It's impossible to see anything in this damned darkness."

The girl chuckled heartily. "I think that's a 'you' problem. I can see just fine." She stretched her legs, standing up. "But, if you insist, who am I to turn down the demands of a prince?" She asked, her tone indicating she was mocking him. She walked to the cell bars, finally illuminated by Ryoma's torch.

The girl was still wearing her clothes from before she was caught; apparently, the rush to get her and her friends locked up ended up skipping the process of getting rid of any armor. Her clothes were remarkably high-quality, likely another stolen item. The craftsmanship was one of a mixture of speed and defense, the armor colored a soft white with a blue sash running over her chest. She was barefoot, a curious part of her outfit, though perhaps it was to help her move around more flexibly. Though the armor itself was quality, she clearly hadn't been the kindest to it, as it was covered in visible scratches and dents from weapons. Much of it was hidden underneath a forest-green cloak that was tied over her collarbones, the fabric flowing down to her thighs.

Ryoma's gaze moved up to the girl's face, and it was then that Kagero's vague request began to make sense. A memory flashed in his mind of himself as a young boy, watching supportively as his little sister doodled on a blank sheet of paper. She showed the drawing to him, and though it wasn't good, even for a child's standards, he congratulated and praised her nonetheless. She looked up at him, her crimson red eyes bright and happy, a wide smile on her pale face, her long cream-colored hair falling down to her shoulder blades.

The girl in front of him looked so similar, except the smile was gone, only a sly, foxlike grin remaining. Her skin was even paler than he had remembered. A faint scar could be seen on the far-right side of her lip. Her eyes, still that mesmerizing crimson, but harsher, more pessimistic. Her hair was just as long, though knotted and undone, rather than straight and combed. But there was no denying that both faces belonged to the same person.

"What's wrong? Never seen a pretty girl before?" She asked, her grin widening as she noticed how unfocused Ryoma looked. "Or am I just that much cuter than all the rest?"

"…What's your name?" Ryoma asked again. His voice was low, though unlike his hands, it wasn't trembling. The girl's grin faded as she realized that something was wrong, and that he most certainly did not want her to avoid answering.

"Corrin. My name's Corrin. What, why's it matter?" She asked, tilting her head. Ryoma felt his heart ignite with what could only be described as a confused joy. It had to be her, there was no other alternative. But as he looked into her eyes, he noticed the way she looked back. She truly did not recognize him.

"You said you grew up on the streets? Nowhere else?" Ryoma asked, much to Corrin's increasing confusion.

"Yeah, of course I did. Except…" Ryoma raised an eyebrow as she paused. "Well, there's kind of a gap in my memory. I can only remember back to when I was, I dunno, six? Maybe seven?" Corrin frowned. "Wait, why am I even telling you this?"

Corrin had almost been seven when she went with King Sumeragi on a diplomatic meeting with King Garon. She had begged to come, having always been fascinated by meeting new people. Neither of them ever came back. Sumeragi was slain, his body never returned to Hoshido, though spies once almost managed to recover it. Corrin was also assumed dead, though there was no proof of a body. Of course, everybody believed she was gone. Nohr would have said something if she had been captured, tried to use her as a bargaining chip.

Against his better judgment, Ryoma slowly moved his hand between the bars of Corrin's cell, reaching out to her. Corrin's response was to grab said arm, pushing it against the bars. "Try and touch me again, and I break your arm. Got it?" That fire, that desperation in her eyes…he had never seen anything like it in her before. She was always so happy as a child.

Corrin slowly let go, allowing Ryoma to pull his arm back. "Corrin, you truly don't remember me?" He asked. Corrin simply shook her head, her gaze still untrusting. "Corrin, it's me. Ryoma. Your big brother."

Hinoka

It had been a long day of fighting. Hinoka originally had set out to the Wind Tribe village to help combat Faceless in the area, with Sakura tagging along so the girl could get some much-needed combat training. However, the number of Faceless far exceeded initial reports from the scouts, leading to hours upon hours of nonstop battling. So imagine Hinoka's surprise when Sakura ran into her tent despite being utterly exhausted from her work that day healing soldiers.

"It's a m-message from Ryoma!" Sakura exclaimed, completely out of breath. Surprised, Hinoka took the letter, opening it up. What was so urgent that Ryoma would need to send a letter all the way to them, even though they were set to be back at the palace in a few days' time? Hinoka read it out loud, seeing it was addressed to the both of them.

"Dearest sisters…" Hinoka began, Sakura giving her undivided attention. "This letter is to inform you of recent events that have transpired in the palace. Whilst my retainers were on a mission, they ended up bringing back three strangers." Hinoka was unaware of Ryoma's intentions of not yet revealing that they were thieves. "One of them—" Hinoka didn't finish, her shock so great as she read ahead that she dropped the letter.

"B-big sister? What is it!?" Sakura asked, growing anxious as Hinoka didn't respond. She bent over, picking the letter up and turning it over to read it herself. Her shock was just as great. "It can't be, t-that's impossible…"

Hinoka felt herself rejuvenated with energy. The sooner this fight was over, the sooner the both of them could get back to the palace, to see if she really was there. "Sakura, get some rest. Tomorrow, we're finishing this fight. Then, we're gonna go see Corrin."