What Vanessa had expected was so heavily armored knights to join their army. Perhaps not from a such a small, homely village. And perhaps not with purple armor. But most of all, what Vanessa hadn't been expecting was the helmet to come off, only to reveal a tiny girl with violet hair under the thick metal. Her bangs stuck to her forehead with sweat, and her soft features were flushed, but otherwise, she looked normal. Just...not normal for a knight, Vanessa supposed. And she must've been staring, because the young girl was now eyeing her down. Involuntarily Vanessa adverted her gaze, having been caught, but looks back to see her approaching.
"Is something the matter?"
"Hm?" Vanessa is shocked. Her voice is soft, too. She can't detect what emotion is behind her tone, but it's not stoic either.
"You were staring. Is something on my face?"
Vanessa chewed her cheek, unsure of what to say just yet. It didn't help she was mentally exhausted just as she was physically, speeding across the battlefield with a killing edge in hand as she cut down hordes of the undead and whatever those weird, big eye things were. It didn't click how strange that sentence was until she thought it herself. "No, I just...didn't expect you to be the one in that armor.'
No, she expected a large, burly man with muscle and a harsh stare, booming voice... That was just most knights she'd seen. Not a round, young face and porcelain skin. Her looks didn't match her power. Silk hiding steel.
"Ah, yes. Well, female knights are relatively uncommon, so I can see why you were intrigued."
That was a word for it.
"May I ask your name? I haven't yet been introduced to this band to of mercenaries."
Was that what they were? Must be Eirika's cover...She supposed it worked, given how...diverse, their little team was. Nonetheless, she puts her hand out to shake, showing mildly scarred skin and a gallery of callouses from handling swords. "Vanessa. You are?"
Her hand is only taken briefly, and Lute had already removed her gloves. A wave of heat went to the myrmidon's cheeks when she sees how small the knight's hand is in hers, Vanessa swore she could she grasp it whole had she the opportunity. She even thinks she saw chipped nail polish. How was someone so dainty, so cute and courtly the one lifting up pounds of shining armor?
...Where did 'cute' come from?
"I am Lute, a prodigy and knight from the village. Me and my cavalier friend will be joining you, you could use my skill and aid."
Vanessa isn't sure if was insulting or reassuring, she only nods. "Well met, Lute. We could use all the help we get."
Lute lets out a low hum, and reaches a hand out to Vanessa's cheek, armor creaking and metal cold. From what she can see in the gaps, while toned, her arms are still so skinny. Vanessa would've jumped back, from confusion. But even as she felt a small, sharp sting, she remained perfectly still. As if that single hand froze her to the core, ice binding her feet to the ground below. "I can see that, your cheek's been cut."
Vanessa's hand slowly reaches to her cheek, brushing Lute's before the other girl pulls away, and the myrmidon quietly curses herself for being flustered by it. She isn't used to touches. Sure enough, she feels a small, but long slash across her face. It didn't bleed, only stung, so she assumed it would heal. And what is a warrior without scars? It made her wonder if Lute had any herself. Did she fight often? Was she from a high position such as herself? who trained her? And what did 'prodigy' mean exactly? She seemed like a decent soldier, yes, but...
In a a short, curious stupor, she failed to notice Lute had walked away. But she didn't stray far, instead fumbling with her armor now. Her gauntlets go first, then her vambraces, then the couters...And she tries her best to bend down, to remove the steel binding her legs, but her face grows red from the effort and she's sweating with her hands just out of reach...She catches Vanessa staring and her gaze darts back down again, her cheeks grow a little bit more livid as she strains harder (or was that the other's imagination? She didn't know).
"...Do you need help?" Vanessa smirks, a little smug. Cute...
"No!" Lute immediately shouts back, but then her eyes grow wide and she's desperately trying to cover it up. Where's Artur?! He normally helps me out of these...Did he run off? Curses! "...I-, ahem, no. If I'm able to suit myself, I can disrobe myself without aid."
"Are you certain...? That seems...painful." As amusing as the sight was, this 'knight' was starting to tremble, and Vanessa felt a little bad for the poor girl. She wondered then how she even got it on in the first place, or how she would withstand the weight of it in battle. "Look, let me..."
Lute grumbles a bit when the other approaches, and lets out a sigh, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks. "I suppose it is the chivalrous thing to do to accept your help, do what you wish."
Lute sits up on the edge of their storage wagon, looking away when Vanessa's hands work at the layers of protection the girl had. Vanessa feels strange touching her legs so casually, but it's not like this meant anything. "You do not seem to wear much armor yourself, is that safe?"
Vanessa giggles, sliding off the last cuisse. "My fighting depends on speed. If I wore armor, it would weigh me down, and I wouldn't fight as well."
"Ah...I see, I knew that." Lute nods, wiggling her toes once they've found their freedom. "I wasn't certain you were a myrmidon, your clothes and skill are similar to typical examples of them. However, you seem too prestigious to be a common mercenary...Are you perhaps of royal upbringing?"
"Oh, no no, goodness no! I..." Vanessa stops short, and Lute tilts her head. Would saying this reveal Eirika's true identity as the Renais Princess...? "I have had much more formal training, is all. Frelian training is different from Jehannan training, or something like that."
Lute doesn't seem entirely convinced, but nods anyways, she knows when to leave things be. She stands from her seat, thanking her quietly . "Thank you for freeing my appendages, I will no longer need your help."
"Really? That breast plate looks heavy as well, can you get it off just fine?"
Lute looks to it, pressing a finger against the surface and hearing it echo inside. "I'm sure."
Vanessa nods, bidding her farewell and walking away...To a spot where she can watch her uninterrupted, to see if she spoke the truth. And Lute pulls her arms within it, lifting just enough so it's opening was just above her head. But she didn't seem able to push it any further, and Vanessa can hear her grunting. Sighing, but smiling, Vanessa returns yet again. So, so cute... "Are you sure you don't need my help?"
She hears a little spooked squeak, and Lute drops the breast plate, hitting her head off the side of it and it falling back into place with enough forcing to send her stumbling back, about to fall over. Ever quick, Vanessa dips behind her, catching her before she falls. Lute takes more than a moment to regain her senses, and looks up to the taller woman, jaw slack. "Because you seem like you need it."
Lute goes red, eyes wandering as she pulls her head within to hide her face, like a turtle retreating to it's shell. "Perhaps."
Vanessa pushes her back to her feet, helping her retrieve her balance. She signals for Lute to raise her arms, and the girl thankfully obliges without argue, letting Vanessa lift it off her. It didn't feel that heavy in her own hands, or was she unaware of her own strength? "There we go."
Lute rushes to fix herself once it's off. And Vanessa first notices some mild, faded scratches along her limbs. Not scars, but they were proof of valor. And the girl's small, tiny frame obviously betrayed her real strength. She was a good foot shorter than Vanessa, an average height given the myrmidon's unnatural 6'0". And every part of her, from her nose to her eyes to her lips make her think of a small animal; a chipmunk? Or maybe a kitten?
And it takes all her mental power to comprehend, to believe how adorable she is.
With a stretch and a loud sigh of relief, Lute bows to her, clearing her throat. "I thank you for your assistance in freeing me of my metal confinements. Good day."
She strolls off without a second to spare, and Vanessa tries to understand what just happened. What made her so enticed by this new girl, and how mysterious she seemed to be, and why seeing her face turn ruby is so satisfying. Speaking of satisfying... "Lute, you left your armor behind!"
Lute freezes in place, and her fists clench. Clearing her throat again, she rushes over, and clumsily piles it into her arms, doing her best not to trip on her own feet as she goes. But what sticks in Vanessa's mind is the strange way she felt now, the weird longing of wanting to know more, and the little bits of crimson sprinkled along her cheeks.