Chapter Text
“We need to talk.”
Soren didn’t look pleased. If Ike had to be honest, this was probably the most displeased he had seen him in a long while. And for him to give Ike that infuriating look could only mean that he had a whole lecture prepared for whatever allegedly dumb mistake Ike had made.
“What is it?”
“You remember the funds I carefully divided between everyone and specifically asked to be spent only on work-relevant necessities?”
“Yes?”
“Well, I’m not sure if I should have made myself clearer back then, so let me ask you this: What are work-relevant necessities?”
Ike scratched the back of his head. He had a hunch about where this was going. “Clothes, food, armor, weapons...”
“Alright.” Soren didn’t look like it, but Ike knew that he was trying really hard to compose himself and talk to him as calmly as he did. Soren rubbed his temple. “Then tell me one more thing. Why did you spend the entirety of your allowance on a horse?”
That wasn’t hard to answer. Ike was fairly sure he could talk himself out of this. “Mist had been bugging me about it for a while, so I finally bought her one.”
“You bought her a horse because she was pestering you about it?” The anger in his tone was rising, his brow twitching in annoyance.
“I bought her a horse because she really wanted it. I haven’t seen her smile so much in a long time.”
“We’re at war, Ike. I don’t think this is the right time for...”
“Also...”, Ike continued, speaking loudly over his trusted friend and adviser, “she wants to use it on the battlefield. She said it would allow her more mobility and enable her to carry more medical supplies. She’s been taking riding lessons from Titania for a while now. She said she was ready, and I trust her.”
Soren had gone really quiet. Once Ike finished, Soren let out a deep sigh. “Alright”, he said. “If that’s the case, it’s fine with me. But don’t come crawling back when you desperately need something and don’t have any money for it.”
“I won’t”, Ike promised, content with how they’d handled their argument. Soren rolled his eyes, but Ike knew that he wasn’t really angry with him anymore.