Fire Emblem: Awakening - Call of The Wild

Chapter 7: Questions in The Night

I can't sleep...

During the night, I would usually shift and move around in my sleep, but my injuries prevented me from doing so. It was hard to get comfortable.

Forget it. I'm just going to get up and see if I can find a comfortable sleeping position. I sat up, yawning. To my surprise, I wasn't the only one awake.

Chrom - who was the only one in his human form - was staring up at the moon and stars. At the sound of my movements he turned to me. "Oh, I'm sorry, Anna. Did I wake you?"

I put my weight on my hands and shook my head. "No, it's ok. I'm just having a hard time falling asleep," I chuckled. "It's funny. The last few days, I've been in and out of conciousness. It feels like I've been sleeping the majority of this adventure but I'm still always so tired. But now, I just can't sleep."

Chrom gave me a friendly smile. "A lot has happened, today. I don't blame you for being restless," he said. "How are you feeling?"

I smiled back. "Physically or mentally?"

"How about both?"

"Well, some of the pain has subsided, but my leg feels absolutly awful," I sighed. "I...I have so many thoughts running through my head. Too many. This may be the first time when I feel like I have too many questions. I'm still convinced that this is all a dream or that I'm dead and this is some weird journey to the afterlife."

Chrom looked back up at the stars. "I can assure you that you're not dead. We're going to make sure you stay alive. Once we get to Ylisstol, we'll be able to heal you properly." The fire quietly cracked at the last few flames fought to remain lit. "Do Humans really think we don't exist?"

I nodded. "Yeah. You're either all dead or never existed in the first place..." I trailed off. "...I used to read stories about your kind - when I was a little girl. I remember being so intrigued by you...jealous, even. Your stories brought me peace. They felt like an escape from my mundane life. I was always a firm believer in you, but I changed over the years and I don't know why... My father probably drilled it into my head, like everything else."

Chrom stared in awe at me. "Really? We're nothing but fairytales?" He let out a deep sigh and leaned back. "I mean, I guess being hidden from the Humans is a good thing. It's what my ancestors wanted. But I don't know... It feels weird to think that no one knows that we exist." He turned to me. "Well, save for you."

For some reason, my face flushed at his words.

I bit my lip nervously. "Um, about that..." I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Since I know of your existence and soon to be whereabouts, will I be able to go back home? Will you trust me to keep your secret?"

"Well, I guess that's all up to the Alpha," he said. "But she is kind and understanding. She would never want to keep you from your home. And even though I've only known you for a few hours, I trust you."

I looked at him with hopeful eyes. "Truly?"

He nodded. "Yes. I can't explain it...but I get this feeling from you. A feeling that I can trust you."

"...This may sound weird, but I get the same feeling about you, as well."

The sounds of crickets and the running river fill the silence between us.