Disowned By Time (Fire Emblem, Morgan)

Support C w/ F.Robin

Morgan was convinced that the people around him weren't his people. They were younger, but rough around the edges, with the thick stench of war and courage among their ranks. In other words, he could not identify any of them by the stubble on their chins or the wild of their eyes. Unlike the glimpse of his mother from his past, these people were surrounded with a veil of light.

Robin held herself with pride, chin tilted upwards even as she surveyed the maps laid out before her. She even wore her cloak, designed to withstand magics and weapons alike, like it was some cape of honor given to her by some higher power. Morgan couldn't help but admire her and the twinkle in her eye, the way she laughed and just enjoyed living. He had to impress her! He had to be worthy of her time and energy.

Think Morgan, think! What is the best way to impress your mother?

Certainly Robin wasn't the one to be interested in jewelry or flowers... And any twelve year old can find a patch of wild daisies and throw them into a vase. No, his mother was an intellectual, a master of both blade and tome, a brilliant tactician-- That's it! He had to outsmart his mother. That was the only way he was going to be able to spend any quality time with her.

It was time for Morgan to get his hands dirty. He got his hands on one of Robin's old study guides, Tactics from the Olden Days, by some old wizard a millenia ago. Despite its outlines on various combatic offenses and defenses, Morgan found only dry what-ifs and could-bes. Tactics that work ages ago couldn't possibly work on the brilliance of his mother today!

Unless.... Of course! That's exactly what she wouldn't expect. A sense of determination pulsed through him. Morgan worked diligently, crafting his plan to outsmart his smart mother. The plans he expertly drew with a less than amature hand, exquisite. It was all now a matter of execution, getting from point A to point B. He waited until the dark of night, crafting his trap under the cover of darkness. Sure, he got some weird looks from others, especially those who thought he'd do them harm, but accomplished his mission just before the breach of dawn.

Breakfast was right out of the corner, and Morgan was itching to know if his plan worked. Careful to make sure the trap was completely hidden and covered, he bit his tongue to hold in his excitement and adjusted the clasp of his coat over his shoulders. A grin pinched his cheeks, but he had to shake it off his lips when he found his mother stretching in the sunlight.

Her tent was one of the larger, tall enough for her to stand up in but not quite wide enough for a double cot. In other words, at this camp, Morgan's father slept in the neighboring tent; he was either already patrolling, or sleeping in a little longer after sunlight. Quick to avoid the awkward conversation with the man he could never remember, Morgan shook one last smile and waved over Robin.

"Oh, Mother! Over here!" He tried to contain his childish excitement, the bubbling emotion barely contained behind his sparkling eyes, "Come with me a minute!"

Robin blinked, stumped for a half second before meeting her son's eyes, "What is it, Morgan?"

"Oh, nothing," he quickly tried to hide the heat rising in his cheeks and embarrassment with a cool recovery, "It's just... C'mon! I need to talk to you about something!" And hopefully you won't notice the sweat of my palms or the heat on my neck.

"Well," she smiled apologetically, "I'm afraid I'm a bit busy at the moment. Can we talk here?"

Shoot!

"H-here?" He stuttered. He hadn't expected her to divert from his plan so quickly. "Er, that's not really... I can just wait, thanks." There is a saying, the best virtues arrive to those who wait. Patience was going to pull him thought this.

"Are you sure it's nothing urgent?" She asked, already moving on to find breakfast in the center of the camp. Morgan followed, his footsteps dwarfed next to hers.

"Um, no, it's..." Quick, Morgan, think! He tried to contain his nervous laughter, but it slipped past his teeth anyways, "Haha! I'll be right back..."

He needed to rethink this, find her when she wasn't a busy. Taking in a sharp breath to calm his nerves, Morgan gather his courage and sifts thoughts his thoughts once again. He was going to be more blunt this time, he had to be! After composing himself, he tried to find Robin again as she circled the breakfast tables. Some of the others, Morgan had to guess their names as he struggled to remember their faces, were either helping set out some freshly made bacon, eggs and freshly cut fruit.

Okay, all set, he checked the trap over his shoulder, just out of sight in a line of trees. Now to lure mother into the pitfall trap.. He pretend to be out of breath as he approached her, breathing a quick sigh, "Phew, I'm back! Hey, lets take a walk, shall we? Right this way, mother!" He linked his arm with hers in an attempt to steer her in the direction of his trap.

"You're acting very strange, Morgan," she observed, tilting her head to the side and playing along with her son's tugging.

Alllllmost.... Just a couple more steps...

"...huh?" Robin stopped mid step, bringing Morgan to a hault beside her.

Shoot, did I say that outloud?

Did she guess my plan?

I'm ruined!

"A pitfall?" she smiled suddenly, "Now that's classic!"

"Dang!" He threw down his hands disappointedly, tempted to stop his foot like a kid and pout, "How did you know?! I was super careful disguising it. It didn't look suspicious at all!"

With a free hand, she tapped her chin thoughtfully, "True. Your work on the pit is first class," then she winked at him, "But your odd behaviour made it obvious. Subterfuge and misdirection are half of any good trap, Morgan."

"Dang," he mumbled, "I'll get you next time!" Shame flushed his cheeks redder than anxiety or ambition ever could. "By the way, as long as you're here, mind helping me fill in this hole? If someone fell in by accident, they could really hurt themselves..." He smile humbly, embarrassed by the entire event.

"Wait, how deep did you make it?!"