Chapter 1) White Hawk

Tellius, the land blessed by the dawn's own flames or so the stories go. Its people are the only survivors of the terrible flood the Dark God unleashed upon the world, and it is the home of the heroes who vanquished Dark God under the direction of the Goddess. It is also a land filled with strife, with bloodshed so constant that it is said that some areas have soil forever stained with the blood of the fallen. It's difficult to say just why, or how, things started. Only that the tensions between beorc and laguz have been as constant as the rise and fall of the sun. I don't really understand all the history of it, though. I only know that all the fighting eventually led to the creation of the current countries.

Begnion was one of the first countries of Tellius, and is now a theocracy, ruled by those who claim to be chosen by the goddess. Largest of the nations by far, it is a prideful beorc nation and brooks no insults to anything, especially to its leader, the Apostle who is said to hear the voice of the goddess. Because hearing things no one else can hear is the model of sanity. Once it covered most of the continent, but due to the struggles and 'political differences', the western parts broke off to become their own countries, Crimea and Daein. And the two countries couldn't be more different if they tried. Crimea, the elder of the two, was founded by those who wished for laguz and beorc to be equals, and was the first ally of the fledgling country of Gallia. Daein, meanwhile, was founded a couple decades later in protest of Begnion acknowledging Gallia as its own country.

Goldea, realm of the dragons, is perhaps the oldest country on Tellius and, as such, was not absorbed into Begnion when it declared itself an empire. Supposedly ruled by only one king throughout its entire history, it is known for its infamous isolation, refusing to get involved even when other laguz were enslaved by the beorc. So, it is often considered apart from the other laguz nations. Gallia, kingdom of the beasts, who fought back against the beorc during the height of laguz slavery. Phoenicis, land of the hawks, filled with bird laguz who escaped from Begnion. Kilvas, home of the ravens, who split off from Phoenicis and is known for mercenary ways and shadowy dealings. Serenes, former dwelling of the peaceful herons, now wiped out due to mad mobs because it is oh-so-easy to drive beorc to kill.

All of the countries live in a constant cycle of battle and peace. Battle and peace. And though we are nominally in a period of peace, everyone knows that it is false. The flames of war have already begun burning, using white feathers as fuel, and nothing could stop the inevitable cataclysm.

I leaned back against the bark of the tree, shifting my feet to better brace myself against the branch. For once, I wasn't up among the leaves hunting. Instead, I was keeping an eye on the two walking through the woods, a father and his daughter. The leader of some mercenaries that made their home near here. I didn't normally watch over them, because of him, but just a few days ago, the girl and her friend, a little boy, had been caught by bandits while picking wildflowers. So, I decided just to make sure, even if the two were beorc. I did make sure to keep my distance, only getting close enough to eavesdrop. Because if I was going to keep an eye on them, I might as well try to get some of the local gossip as well. Needed to know if beorc were going to set the forest on fire like they did that Serenes place.

"You didn't have to delay leaving just to come with me, Father," the little girl was saying. She skipped along the path, humming a little tune. Her basket swung in time to the song. "I know the job is important."

"Considering what happened recently, you'll have to forgive your poor old father for worrying," the father deadpanned. Though she giggled, he remained stoic. "Why were you getting flowers anyway?"

"Because we're getting close to the anniversary of Mother's death, and you're always really sad when it comes?" She fiddled with her hands, looking away sheepishly. "I thought some flowers might cheer you up? Plus, I'd hoped to use some to make a welcome-home present…"

"Oh, Mist…" He sighed, but smiled and ruffled her hair. "Mist, all I need to keep on smiling is for you and Ike to be as safe and happy as possible. And the only present I need is to see you both smiling."

"But we like it when you're smiling too!" She huffed, sulking. She even flailed a bit. "Anyway, you were harsh with Ike."

"I told you. Rules are in place for a reason. His running ahead would've gotten you and Rolf hurt if Titania hadn't had the foresight to recruit Shinon." He suddenly suddenly glared at my direction, but I ducked behind the trunk to use it and the leaves as cover. "What was that? Something white… a bird? No, we don't have white birds in this season."

"Oh, I bet you saw the forest fairy, Father!" The girl giggled and when I snuck a glimpse, I saw she had grabbed her father's arm, bouncing on her toes. "The villagers say that if you see her, you can walk anywhere in the forest and know you're protected! Lucky, huh?"

"Ah, that old story." The father slowly relaxed. "I remember hearing about it."

"It's a fun story, isn't it?" The girl began babbling about this and that, stories she had heard and the like. I settled back against the trunk, only absently listening. Forest fairy… the story itself was very old, but I couldn't remember when the locals attached it to me. Then again, I had no idea how long I had lived in the woods. Time was meaningless under the leaves.

I continued watching until I saw them leave and then jumped from branch to branch to head deeper into the forest. As I did, the branches caught the holes in my shirt and tore them even more. I'd have to steal another one from a village soon. Probably needed another pair of pants or skirt or… whatever was around. I didn't really care. Clothes were for protecting me from the cold and branches. And, you know, habit. I'd worn clothes when my parents were alive, after all.

Of course, that wasn't the only thing I needed to keep an eye out for. The bow I used was straining, so I'd need to swipe a new one when I could. Along with some arrows. I needed to hunt, after all. I had learned long ago that I couldn't survive on berries and wild vegetables alone. I wondered if that was something 'normal' or if it was something 'unique' I had inherited from Mother. I vaguely remembered her making faces whenever Father had tried to give her nuts and berries...

The wind suddenly gusted, 'screaming' with such force that it nearly tore my feather from my hair. I caught it quickly and leaned against a tree to study it, smiling bitterly. This feather was the one thing I had from my parents now. A feather from Mother's wings, white with a black band near the tip. She had beautiful wings. I still remembered them. I also knew she'd had white hair and gold eyes, but that was only because I inherited both. I didn't remember what Father had looked like anymore. I knew his smile. But that was just about it. Memories faded with time. Well, most memories. Memories I'd rather keep instead of the ones I did remember, like the memory of that night. That night when beorc my father had treated stormed into our house and dubbed them 'sinners' before trying to kill us. Father, covered in blood, telling Mother to take me and run, because she was faster and stronger than him. Mother slipping in her own blood as we fled through the woods, the smoke of our home filling the air. The days after were hazier, but I did remember one thing all too clearly. Mother approaching laguz, beast laguz, in an attempt to get help, but they grimace when they saw me and turned away, leaving her to bleed. She eventually died from the wounds. From the infection that had settled in the wounds. All because the laguz had seen me and had chosen to ignore us both.

"I was eight when that happened," I whispered, looking up at the swaying leaves. I sometimes thought aloud, just for fun. I had no real reason to speak, but it made me feel like I was holding onto something from my parents still, even if I no longer remembered what it was. "I wonder how long its been." I didn't remember the year or anything and I doubted anyone cared enough to write it down. "How would they describe it anyway? 'Oh, benevolent goddess, we exacted your will and butchered a loving couple and their child in their own home'?" There was, of course, no answer. I was alone. I had been since Mother died. "I wonder how they learned that I was…

Absently, I rested a hand on the left side of my abdomen, where my Brand was. Child of beorc and laguz, anathema to the Goddess… the Brand was proof that I was a 'being that should not exist'. As if I had any choice over my birth and as if love was something to be punished. That wasn't right. In fact, it was unnatural. But since the ones who declared it were beorc and laguz, I supposed I shouldn't be surprised. After all, I knew, from the long years here in the forest, that the laws of nature were defined by luck, empathy, and compassion. For that reason, the beorc and laguz, and their precious Goddess, were horribly unnatural. At most, they only had luck.

"Bah, enough." Feather secured in my hair again, I climbed down from the tree and set off to the nearby river, deciding that I wanted some fish for my next meal. As I walked, though, I noticed the wind still gusting, still 'screaming', and I closed my eyes to listen to it. No words or voice, but it spoke to me anyway. Father said it was the hawk in me, just like my vision and strength and skill. "...There's blood on the wind." That wasn't unusual. Beorc were always killing each other. But never in this amount, and never enough to make the wind scream. "What happened…?"

Shaking my head, I continued on my way, pushing it from my mind. Whatever it was, I doubted it would involve me, after all.

It wasn't often that one had reflected light stab them in the eyes down here under the leaves. That was a reason why I made my home here after Mother died. So, when I had what felt like hundreds bombard me, I knew something was wrong. After my eyes stopped watering and protesting, I branched-walked towards the source (or sources), keeping my gaze mostly down to avoid being 'attacked' again because I liked my head unaching. Then, when I was close enough, I crouched down and narrowed my eyes, frowning as I pieced things together. But it was strange. Unless I was hallucinating, which was perfectly possible, then it was because two armored forces were fighting. I'd never seen that before, unless one counted the ragtag armor of bandits and the not-uniform-armor of the mercenaries. These people were clearly divided, though, with each side wearing the same armor amidst their group.

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Even a child would recognize that. No, even a mewling kitten would recognize it. But none of it involved me, really. If they came deeper into the forests, sure, but otherwise? Not my problem. For all I knew, this was just a slightly fancier version of the typical beorc killing beorc that happened every damn day. Well, perhaps a little different, since there were no animals near. Best to follow their example and head deep-deep into the woods until things were quiet again.

But when I turned to do just that, I caught a flash of orange in the corner of my eye. A vibrant orange, all the more noticeable because nothing else was orange. I had to swing over to a different branch to find the source since the trees and branches were in the way, but I soon discovered the orange was a dress. A dress a girl was wearing. A girl desperately trying to run while being chased by people in armor. I frowned and studied her closely. Ashen complexion, eyes wide, lips practically white… tripping and stumbling and desperately gasping for breath… she was terrified. She was terrified to the point of tears; I could see the tears amidst the sweat on her face.

This wasn't my problem. The smart thing to do would be to just leave. But damn it, I refused to leave someone if they needed help. I would not be like the laguz. I wouldn't ignore someone just because I didn't like their race. So, I jumped across a few branches to find a perch with few obstructions, aimed my bow and arrow, and shot the girl in the leg.

She hit the ground and one of the soldiers immediately bent down to scoop her up. That left them open and so, I shot them through the eye. The second soldier died with an arrow through the throat. The third wasn't wearing a helmet, so their death came from an arrow thudding into their skull. And I did the same for the rest, because shooting was easier than breathing. If I could see it, I could hit it, a good thing since a great deal of my survival had depended on the ability and I never had a lot of arrows. Good arrows were had to salvage.

When the last one fell, I jumped down from the branches and walked over to the girl, who was just staring at all the bodies. Bodies I proceeded to loot because supplies were supplies and they had good things. Strong bow, bunches of quivers filled with arrows, multiple packs filled with food and medicine… I could probably survive for a few weeks on this. But there were other things to deal with first. Namely, the girl who was on the edge of fainting and who I shot. She still needed help. So, when I was done looting, I balanced everything I could on one side and then helped the girl up. She leaned into me automatically, letting me lead her into the trees like a puppy, and didn't even seem to notice anything until we made it to one of the local streams. Then she blinked slowly at me while I treated her.

Of course, removing the arrow was a pain, but thankfully, I had practice and, even luckier, there were things in the medical stuff specifically for removing things from wounds. Or so I assumed when I saw the probe things that I… vaguely recognized from Father's stuff. He'd been a doctor. I remembered that. He'd been a doctor who treated all who came to him, be they beorc or laguz. I was pretty sure that's how he and Mother even met. When I'd been little, I'd wanted to be a doctor like him. I didn't now, but life had a funny sense of humor. If you found morbidity and cruelty 'funny' that is. Regardless, I did the best that I could, clumsily cleaning and bandaging the wound.

"I can't believe this is happening…" the girl mumbled. Her eyes were still wide and she was still green and gray in the face. "Oh, goodness… Geoffrey must be panicking. If he's alive. Oh, I hope he's alive." She was babbling. I wasn't sure she even knew she was talking. "We got separated, but he's skilled. My uncle taught him personally, so I'm sure… oh, please, Goddess, let him be-"

"Stream," I interrupted. I poked her leg to better get her attention. "Listen."

"P-Pardon?" She coughed, choking on her own breath. She was close to hyperventilating. "I-"

"Stream." I nodded to it, just in case she couldn't make out my word. "Listen to the water."

"O-Okay…" She bit her lip and fell silent, curling into herself slightly. Before long, though, her stiff posture relaxed and her breath evened out. Her hands stopped shaking and her face gained a little bit of color. "Um… what's your name?" I didn't answer immediately, but not because I was focused on my task. I… couldn't remember. "Oh, wait, I'm being rude. My name is Elincia. I should've given my name first. I'm so sorry."

"You apologize a lot." I didn't think beorc even knew how to apologize. But that was neither here nor there. "Thalia."

"Pardon?"

"My name. Thalia." I thought that was it, anyway. I had a memory of my parents calling me that. They mostly used endearments, though, and I hadn't given my name to anyone since my parents died. "It's Thalia."

"How beautiful…" She smiled sweetly, but there was also something terribly sad about it as well. "Once again, thank you, Lady Thalia. My life… it was bought with the lives of the brave people who had been with me. I am thankful that their sacrifice did not go to waste, even if I am not worthy of that price."

"Clearly, they thought otherwise." What was I supposed to say to that anyway? Beorc were weird. "Where were you going?"

"I had been heading to Gallia, to seek refuge, but I…"

"Gallia, huh?" I doubted the laguz would help her, since she was beorc, but then again, she was beorc. They'd at least acknowledge her. Maybe to pull her intestines out through her mouth, but still. "There's a band of mercenaries that make their home near here. I'll carry you to them."

"You will?"

"You can't walk on that leg." I shrugged. She needed help, and I was the reason why she couldn't walk. So, I needed to keep going. "Up we go."

"Whoa!" She gasped and flailed a little, but I got her on my back easily enough. "I'm sorry… I must be heavy…"

"I'm stronger than I look." With that, I began walking, using the river to help orient myself.

The two of us spent the trip in silence, which was just fine by me since I was really regretting involving myself this much. But I had, so I just had to find the mercenaries now. To my surprise, though, it didn't take long at all because they'd been out killing, or so I guessed. After all, I saw them before I heard them and had to make guesses off of what I saw, which was a group of them fighting. Just a group, mind. The blue-haired son, red-hair second in command, man in white, pink haired guy, man in blue armor, and some wind mage I never could quite see. They fought well, but by the time I actually got within earshot, they had killed everyone, so I had no idea why they'd been fighting. And I didn't care because the sooner I got to them, the sooner I could go back to my own life away from beorc.

"Hey, Shinon, what are you doing?" Blue Armor asked the pink-haired man. I wondered why, because it looked obvious to me that the pink-haired man was taking the weapons of the fallen. "Seriously?"

"What? It's nice stuff and it's not like he's going to complain," Pink Hair scoffed. He picked up a quiver and grinned. "He doesn't need it anymore."

"Well, yeah…"

"Steal from the dead on your own time, Shinon," someone deadpanned. It had to be the person hiding. "We can't afford such behavior at the moment. More might be coming."

"Oh, no, no arguing!" Red Hair scolded, stepping in front of Pink Hair as he stood up and growled something. She frowned at everyone in the group. "Soren is right in that we have no time to waste, and that includes bickering. Besides, where's Rhys?" Rhys… if that was the man in white, then he was in the forest. "Rhys?"

"Sorry, I thought I saw some movement," the man in white explained, looking over his shoulder. He promptly tripped on some roots, but if I remembered correctly, he was the mercenary healer. I'd seen him foraging often. So, I headed straight for him. "Ugh… what a thick thicket."

"Need help?"

"Not yet, but… WAH!" He yelped and stumbled back as I stepped out from the brush. I wondered why he was so surprised, but I didn't have time to focus on it because the bright light stabbed my eyes and made them water. And gave me a bit of a headache, but thankfully, that subsided quickly. None of the armor was reflective-shiny. "Oh, ah… hello?"

"She needs help," I told him, nodding at Elincia. When she didn't chime in, I glanced back and saw she was actually unconscious. Must've fainted once she decided she was 'safe'. "So."

"So what?" Hider demanded. Red Hair glared at whoever it was, but they just scoffed. "We have enough trouble without getting involved in matters that don't concern us."

"Aw, come on, Soren, it's two beautiful ladies!" Blue Armor laughed. He smiled at me, while Pink Hair rolled his eyes and returned to his looting. "We should assist!"

"I doubt either of them are desperate enough to bed you, no matter how charming you pretend to be."

"That's just cold, Soren."

"Looks like she's been through a lot," the son murmured, stepping up to stand in front of me. I tilted my head curiously, wondering why he looked so sympathetic. "And you as well, since you're crying." I wasn't crying. That was just because bright lights hurt my eyes and hurt eyes watered. Or bled. I prefered the former. "Come on. Both of you should head back with us. We'll make sure you're okay."

I almost just handed him Elincia. I mean; I just wanted to get her to help and I had no connection to her otherwise. I had no intention of spending more time with beorc than I had to. But I looked at her again, still unconscious, and could only sigh. I couldn't just leave. I had to be certain she would get the help she needed. Then I could leave and wash my hands of people again. I hoped.

I had such a bad feeling about all of this.

The father of the mercenary group asked no questions when his son and the others brought Elincia and I to their home. Instead, he had us checked over, lent Elincia a bed, and only asked that I stay within sight for the time being. I was certain that being on the roof hadn't been what he expected, but I was within sight, so I saw no reasons for him to complain. If anything, I wanted to complain. The tiles needed to be replaced and kept shifting under my feet.

Adjusting my position, again, I continued observing the mercenaries, eyes narrowed. Father and son were sparring in the yard, while a green-haired axe fellow watched nearby. The man in white tended to someone in dark robes in the shadows of the house. Armored fellow and red-hair lady stood guard at one entrance, while a very green man stood guard at the side. Tucked away in the back corner, the pink haired archer was teaching the little boy how to shoot, both constantly checking the area like the lessons were some big secret or whatever.

"Miss!" I looked down to see the little girl had stepped outside, waving her arms to catch my attention. "Hey, the lady woke up!" she called, jumping up as if I hadn't already seen her. "I thought you'd like to know!"

I nodded, acknowledging her, and climbed down, careful to not catch any splinters in my feet. Once on the ground, I swung inside and headed into the room furthest from the door. From what I gathered, it was the girl's room, and arguably one of the most defensible rooms in the entire place, but that didn't really matter. What did was that the girl was right. Elincia was awake, and looking about in confusion.

"Mercenaries' home," I told her, walking in. She smiled slightly when she saw me. Even if I was a stranger, I was still someone she (sort of) knew. "You fainted."

"I see," she murmured. She attempted to get out of the bed, but though she got her feet on the floor, her legs refused to hold her. Knew it wasn't the arrow wound, since the man in white had healed it, so I guessed it was shock. "Ah…"

"I'm not the most knowledgeable in medicines, but I think trying to stand up after waking from a faint isn't a good idea."

"No, I suppose not…" She laughed awkwardly and then suddenly sat up straight. "Ah, hello there…" I looked to the door and saw the father and the son walk in as well. I tried to leave, but both of them stopped basically right where I'd have to walk, leaving me to just awkwardly stand near the wall by Elincia. "I don't…"

"Relax, you're in no danger here," the father began. He studied her for a moment before nodding. "The name is Greil. I am the commander of this mercenary group." He rested his hand on his son's shoulder, but I was distracted because that name was familiar for some reason. After a moment, I remembered an old story Father told me, of the 'Warrior Greil' who slew 'Sir Gawain' in order to protect a princess or… something. I couldn't quite remember the details, but I knew it. It was why 'Greil' was a popular name in Crimea. "This is my son, Ike. He's the one who led you two here."

"Is that so?" Elincia bowed as low as she could while remaining seated. The son (Ike?) seemed a bit flustered by it all. "You have my gratitude, Lord Ike."

"Ha, you don't have to use a title. But if you'll pardon my bluntness, I have a few questions for you." He glanced at me too, for some reason. "Who are you? Why were you in that place?" His eyes narrowed, and Elincia hesitated for some reason. Beorc were strange. "Ike's report indicated that there was a fierce battle between Daein and Crimean forces. Crimean knights, according to Titania." I had no idea why that was important. "Do you have some connection to the royal family? Will you share your story?"

"...You took me in, even knowing it could cause difficulties… so, yes, I will place my trust…" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing, opening her eyes to look right at Greil. "My name is Elincia. Elincia Ridell Crimea." Her name was the name of the country? "I am the daughter of King Ramon and his wife, Queen Sabrina."

"Now that is an odd claim to make." Greil hooked his foot around a nearby chair and dragged it over to sit down. His son remained standing, looking a little overwhelmed by all of this. And, sadly, still blocked the door, so I couldn't escape. "As far as I know, the king and queen don't have children, which is why Duke Renning is heir."

"I was born after that announcement, so my heritage… even my very existence…" Elincia clasped her hands together and rested them in her lap. "They've never been made public, to lessen the chances of political turmoil. Many look forward to my uncle's reign, but…" I didn't understand any of that, but I supposed it was just like beorc to worry more about politics than family. Idiocy. "Then there is the risk of someone using me to discredit my uncle…"

"Hmm… yes, I can accept that. It's no small claim, and you do bear resemblance to the king and queen. More the king."

"You… knew my parents?"

"I've been hired by them a couple of times, mostly for jobs where knights would exacerbate the conflict." Greil leaned back, crossing his arms. The son, for some reason, smiled at me wryly. I wondered if he felt as awkward as I did. "Well, assuming that is true, you must have news from Melior. What has happened to the king and queen?"

"My…" Elincia's eyes watered, and she sat rigidly. "They're… my parents are dead…" She looked down hurriedly and I almost went to her side automatically, all to aware of that crushing pain. But I didn't know how beorc comforted people, so… "Ashnard broke through the lines on his wyvern… I had never seen a wyvern so large before, nor one with so black of scales…" Greil frowned, but there was a knowing, and sympathetic, look in his eyes. Like he knew exactly what she was talking about. "My lord uncle… he bade me to take flight while he organized the remaining knights to continue fighting the Daein forces."

"Buying time for evacuations, and for you in particular to escape… yes, that fits the knight I know. He trained Titania, after all." Greil closed his eyes briefly before opening them again to focus on Elincia. "So, does the king of Daein know of your existence?"

"Yes, all the other countries were quietly informed of me, in case of something dire."

"Hence the ambush." He nodded, eyes calculating now. The son caught Elincia's eye and smiled to reassure her. I hoped I could escape, but no such luck. "So, where were you heading?"

"Gallia. King Caineghis and my father are good friends, so we hoped he would grant me sanctuary." Elincia nodded to me. "Thalia said that you all were mercenaries, and… I know I have no right to ask, but…"

"We are mercenaries, yes." Greil glanced at me, eyes narrowed. "First time I've seen a knight without shoes." Wasn't like shoes were just around to be stolen. Ignoring the knight comment there. "Lose them in the muck of the forest?"

"Hmm? Ah, no, Thalia isn't a Crimean knight." Elincia smiled warmly at me. "She's a very kind woman who saved me when I was shot and the Daein soldiers grabbed me."

"They must've shot your leg to keep you from running. But carrying someone makes it harder to fight, and dodge. A good archer knows how to take advantage of that." Which was why I shot her, but I wasn't bringing that up. "You'd like us to take you to Gallia."

"If you would? I…" Elincia looked down again. "I do not… have anywhere else to turn…"

"That is true." Greil fell silent, studying her for a while, and then sighed and stood up, patting her shoulder. "I have to think on the request and discuss it with the others. However, you are more than welcome to stay here until we reached that decision, and I can promise help. It's just simply what kind of help will be safest for both us and you."

He left then and his son follow suit. I almost went as well, but I saw Elincia sag and I just… couldn't leave her. "Hey, maybe you should lie down," I murmured, briefly resting the back of my hand on her cheek. Clammy. "You had to relive some bad memories there."

"It was awful…" she mumbled, shuddering. She even hugged herself, like she was desperately trying to hold onto her own warmth. "Ashnard drove an axe straight through my mother's head, and the less said of what the wyvern did to my father, the better…" She curled into herself, leaning forward. "If not for Bastien, I would've met the same fate. Oh, I hope he's okay… he had stayed back to create a diversion with Lucia… Goddess, please…"

"You definitely need to rest more." What else was I supposed to say? Beorc were weird even before you accounted for the 'weird ones'. I had no idea what to do. "Here, lay down."

It didn't take much convincing to get her to go back to sleep. She passed out as soon as her head hit the pillow, so I hesitantly pulled the blankets over her, vaguely remembering Mother doing that with Father and me when the two of us napped. As soon as she was covered, though, I escaped the room, shutting the door behind me. Of course, because of how my luck had been all day, I bumped into someone just as I began walking away. I opened my mouth to apologize, since I sort of remembered that was what you were supposed to do if you bumped into someone, but the words dried up in my mouth when I got a good look at the boy. The boy with a Brand right on his forehead. He also stared at me with wide eyes, no doubt sensing that commonality we had. Both of us were anathema to the Goddess, and if laguz could sense it, then it wasn't a surprise to learn that Branded could as well.

"...My name is Thalia," I finally whispered. I didn't want to bring up the obvious, because I didn't know who in his group knew. But I couldn't just be silent. "Yours?"

"...Soren," the boy replied. His expression flattened to some sort of stoic-scowl. "Stupid to get involved in things that don't concern you."

"Yeah, I know." I shrugged, smiling wryly. "Memories make everyone do stupid shit, huh?"

"I suppose." He nodded curtly and entered the room across from the one Elincia was borrowing, calling for 'Ike', the son.

I just shrugged and left, deciding to go back outside and watch everything from the roof. While I didn't want to leave while Elincia was asleep (it just felt wrong), with some luck, I could get out of here by nightfall and, with a little less luck, I could leave by the morning. Simple, yes? It wasn't as if any of this was my problem or anything.

So, why did I have a feeling I wasn't going to get lucky at all?

Greil didn't give Elincia an answer by dinner, and tired as I was from having to deal with so many beorc at once, I almost left. But I did want to confirm that Greil would, in fact, help her and I discovered that they had already made a plate for me. The few manners I had left from my parents insisted on me staying (as did the food because it did smell good). Afterwards, I decided to check on Elincia again since I'd ended up eating half of her plate to hide how she was picking at her food.

"I wonder why it was so hard to eat," she mumbled, sitting on the bed. I was leaning on the wall by the bed, just listening. "I never had trouble with that before. Elisheba used to tease me."

"Elisheba?" I repeated, mostly just to say something. Was that what you were supposed to do? I hadn't had a conversation in years. "Who's that?"

"My former wet nurse, Geoffrey and Lucia's mother. And the person who raised me, alongside my parents and my uncle…" She smiled sadly. "I don't know… what happened to her. She showed us a way out, a secret passage, but she didn't come with us. She said that the door could only be closed from outside, so she shut it behind us. She's probably dead, just like…"

"...It's a death she would've preferred, compared to you coming in danger." Was that right to say? I had no idea. But I knew it was true. "Most mothers defend their young with everything they have and more. And they make sacrifices so that their children can live." Like my mother. She could've lived if she'd abandoned me. She could've gotten help if she'd thrown me away. But she hadn't. Instead, she had done her best to keep me safe, even as she bled to death. "I know it is a deep loss. Maybe that is why you couldn't eat? That loss bore a hole in you?"

"Mmm… maybe. Now that I think about it, I do think I've read something about grief making it difficult to eat." Her smile became bitter. "I had always known I was blessed, but I never realized how much until now. Yes, there was something heavy about my very life being a burden, but all the people in my life reassured and loved me. My parents called me their greatest blessing. Uncle Renning would sneak me out so that we could spend time together. And all the pranks Lucia and I would play on Geoffrey…" She shook her head and looked to me. "Oh, listen to me ramble. Thank you for staying with me. Will your own family be missing you, Thalia?"

"My parents died when I was little, so I live alone." I waved off her shocked gasp. "It was a long time ago, but from experience, I recommend you write down what you can about your family. Time wears away everything."

"So, you don't remember them?"

"I remember their deaths, and I remember small things." Still, I couldn't help but smile and fiddle with the feather in my hair. "However, I'm sure that even if I do forget, there are still things that they taught me that will remain with me always. And maybe through that, there is some meaning to their lives."

"...My father once told me that 'meaning' is not something you find during your life, but something that is found once that life ends. It's hard to find meaning in the middle of a story, after all." She smiled kindly. "I do know one thing, though. If they had not given birth to you, then I likely would've died in the woods. That makes me very grateful that they lived." She frowned suddenly. "Though, that also makes it sound like I'm glad they died… oh dear." I couldn't help but snicker, and was surprised by the sound. When was the last time I'd laughed? I couldn't remember. "Um… er…"

Thankfully for her dignity, sudden and rapid footsteps in the hall distracted us and we poked our heads out into the hallway to see the mercenaries rushing about. Confused, and curious, we followed, though when we saw them all congregated around a table in a large room, we ducked back and pressed ourselves against the wall to stay out of sight. Meetings weren't a thing to interrupt, after all.

"So, we have all of us?" Greil asked, once the group settled into their places. He was perfectly stoic, but something told me that meant nothing about the situation. "Good. For those of you who haven't heard, we're surrounded by soldiers. Daein soldiers." Well, shit.

"Bastards," Pink Hair growled. Unlike the others, he had his weapons on hand. I did see more weapons leaning against the far wall, though. They must've thrown them there, while he'd held onto his. "So, what are the dogs saying, Commander?"

"Turn over the princess and leave immediately or be put to the sword." Greil shrugged. Elincia winced beside me. "Pretty straightforward, and typical of Daien."

"Great."

"So, what are we going to do?" Blue Armor asked. All of them actually had their armor on, I noticed. Some were still adjusting it, like Axe Fellow who was directly across the table from Greil, but it was all on. "Listen or…?"

"That's what we're here to discuss, Gatrie," Greil explained. He glanced out the window, eyes narrowed. The little girl shivered and stepped a bit closer to him, and he pulled her into a one-armed hug to reassure her. "I'd say this proves our guest's heritage. So, I'd like to hear from everyone." He held up his free hand to stop the deluge of responses. "One at a time so that I can actually hear everyone. We don't have time for me to try and decipher things." He nodded to Red Hair, who stood next to him, across from the son. "Titania, please, you first."

"You say that because you know my answer," Red Hair sighed. Still, she smiled briefly before her expression smoothed out for composed confidence. "Well, I won't bother with the moral reasons. The blame for this war lies with Daein, so allying ourselves with them will make our company's reputation suffer. Conversely, if we help the princess, we raise our stock with our primary employers and, more importantly, our home country. I would say our path is clear."

"And I say we hand over the princess at once," Soren immediately retorted. Red Hair frowned, and I felt Elincia stiffen beside me. But the way Soren glanced to his right… no, glanced at the son, with barely concealed worry, told me just why he was saying this. He wanted to protect him. "Fighting against the Daein army is nothing more than foolishness, and as mercenaries, we are beholden only to ourselves. Daein will likely win this war, and if we curry favor now, we might be able to survive the coming purge."

"Soren!"

"Someone has to be logical about this, and we all know it won't be anyone else here."

"Soren, please stop purposely trying to rile Titania up," Greil scolded. Soren instantly fell silent and looked away. Red Hair grimaced, like such a thing was common. "Well, there's two. Shinon, Gatrie. I want to hear you two next."

"Soren is a pompous, arrogant whelp, but he's got the right idea," Pink Hair immediately drawled, eyes narrowed. He ignored the scowls thrown his way with practiced ease, while Blue Armor just began mumbling something. "Besides, the girl's destination is Gallia, right? I don't care how much we're paid; I'm not going to a land crawling with subhumans."

"Yes, I know well your hatred for the laguz, Shinon." Greil's eyes were understanding, and Pink Hair actually looked away. That alone told me the laguz did something to him. Not a surprise. Beorc and laguz were both battle-hungry, killing for fun and pleasure. "Gatrie?"

"Princess Elincia does possess a regal beauty," Blue Armor continued to mumble. Pink Hair immediately facepalmed, as did Green Armor, who even took a step to the left to be closer to Axe Fellow and further from Blue Armor. "There's a lot to be said for that, though I do prefer country girls myself…" Red Hair pinched the bridge of her nose, while Soren rolled his eyes. "Bit cuter and not as standoffish…" Axe Fellow covered the little boy's ears, while the son did the same for the girl (and did his best to not pull her away from the hug). "Hmm? Ah! Sorry, was thinking!" Blue Armor grinned, as if completely unaware of the exasperation. The man in white just closed his eyes and sighed, like this was fairly normal. "Whatever you decide is good for me, Commander!"

"It's always so nice to see how nothing rattles Gatrie," Green Armor sighed. He shrugged and raised his hand. Greil nodded to tell him to continue. "I am in favor of helping her. Handing her over is essentially giving them permission to kill her, an unarmed civilian. I am not a knight anymore, but I can't abide by that."

"I'm with Oscar," Axe Fellow agreed. He still kept his hands over the little boy's ears. "Besides, it's what a hero would do, right? Nothing says that mercenaries can't be heroes."

"Or that mercenaries should can't be as honorable as a knight."

"Precisely."

"Everyone is so focused on her rank…" the man in white murmured, half-hidden beside Red Hair. He shook his head and looked directly at Greil. "We have always helped people in need. I do not see why we should change that just because there is a war."

"Yes, we should help her!" the little boy agreed, flailing his arms. And almost hitting Axe Fellow. "Also, Boyd, you need to cover my ears better if I'm not supposed to hear anything. Because I heard everything still."

"Leave it to Boyd to mess even that up," the little girl deadpanned. It got some chuckles out of everyone. "But anyway, I say we help her! She's really nice, and she looks so lonely! All she has is Thalia, after all!" She… ah… didn't really 'have' me. "Ike? You agree, right?"

"Of course," the son murmured. He ruffled her hair and looked at Soren. "We've never backed down from helping people before. I say we escort her to Gallia."

"I have the best brother~!"

"Yeah, remember that when I next do something stupid, okay?"

"So, in five minutes?"

"Settle down, you two," Greil chided. He closed his eyes, thinking with a frown. "Well, I've heard everyone. Balancing that with my own knowledge… my decision is that we protect the princess." Most of the mercenaries smiled at that, though Soren scowled and Pink Hair scoffed. "For one thing, Daein isn't in a habit of leaving potential loose ends like us about. For another, they never intended to give us a choice at all. Open your ears and listen, everyone."

Curious, everyone fell silent and I went cold when I realized just what the issue was. Silence. Complete and utter silence, from the animals to the insects, in all directions. The last time that had happened, there had been a devastating flood triggered by an even worse earthquake. This time, though…

"Looks like they just wanted to give themselves more time to finish up their trap," I murmured, striding in. Elincia squeaked behind me, but I ignored everyone to head for the window. I narrowed my eyes, taking note of anything and everything I could see. "Looks like they're focusing on two entrances…? No, if you have a back, then I'd assume three. Some are moving behind the building, I think." Times like this made me wish I could see in the dark like a cat, but hawks couldn't do that. "I'm counting twenty… twenty to twenty-two soldiers of various weapons and movements. Horses and heavily armored, along with regular foots… bows, lances, axes, swords... And they're moving fast. You've a few almost at the two entrances, actually." I frowned, noticing movement in the trees, and turned to face the mercenaries. "There's also some in the woods, hiding. Can't count those. Too damn dark."

"You've got very good sight, to see all of that so quickly," Greil murmured. He looked over at Elincia, who lingered in the doorway. "I would've thought you two were in the back?"

"We heard a commotion and grew worried," Elincia explained. She bit her lip and ducked her head. "I apologize for the trouble. Is there anything I can do to assist? I am no fighter or anything, b-but my uncle did teach me swords…?"

"Really, now?" Greil frowned and gestured. The other mercenaries gathered up their weapons and Pink Hair joined me by the window, frowning as he looked out. "In that case, if you can keep an eye on Mist and Rolf for me? I'll be holding the rear and the others will be dealing with the front. Ike." He looked to the son. "You're in charge. Just defend for now, since I'm sure they're retreat once they realize we're no easy prey."

"Me?" the son replied, surprised. But he quickly nodded. "Got it. Be careful, Commander."

"I'll give it a shot," Greil laughed. He still made time to pat his son on the back. "Move quick, everyone!"

I darted back to the room Elincia had been using to snag the bow and arrows I had before heading outside to see everyone already in the thick of battle. So, thinking quickly, I climbed up onto the roof for the third time today, in order to have a good vantage point. Then I sighted the soldiers furthest away, drew back my arrow, and fired. First one only skimmed off their helmet, because I hadn't known it would deflect my arrow so much, but my second found their eye and down they fell. The soldiers behind them tripped over the corpse, yelping and flailing, and that left them easy targets for even more arrows. Not just mine, either. Pink Hair was doing something similar, though he had climbed onto the wall instead of the roof. Meanwhile, Red Hair and Blue Armor held the front entrance while Axe Fellow and Green Armor dealt with the side. The son focused on checking on how people were doing, ordering some to fall back to let the man in white tend to injuries, and filling in the holes in the defenses as needed. Soren used his magic to deal with the heavily armored foes, while also arranging everyone's movements and attacks. I saw Pink Hair roll his eyes at both of them, but he listened without saying a word. Well, save to taunt the enemies into focusing on him. Or maybe they just didn't like how he looked, because they definitely preferred targeting him. And while they were trying, and failing, to hit him, the rest of us picked them off one by one. Eventually, not even their leader was left; Soren and Red Hair ripped through them.

"We've no time to rest! Pack up everything at once!" Right about then, Greil strode into the yard, snapping orders as if this was a normal occurrence. "Titania! Take Shinon and Gatrie and secure the road between here and the forest!" he ordered, resting his hand on his son's back. "We make our way to Gallia through the trees!" Red Hair nodded and joined the rush inside. "Rhys, once you're done with your medicines, you're with me! We're pulling all essential documents from the library and burning everything else!" The man in white nodded, looking a little grey, and headed in as well. "Ike." He looked down at him, and his son smiled slightly. "You okay?" His son nodded. "Good, then once you're packed, I want you to keep an eye on the princess."

"Mist and Rolf as well, right?" his son replied, nodding. By my eye, he seemed a little gray, not 'okay', but whatever. Beorc were weird and I was distracted by the wind. It was 'screaming' so loudly… "And Soren?"

"Knowing Soren, he's already packing your things for you, and he's better at it." He nudged his son inside. "Gon on." He watched his son leave before turning to me. "Thalia, do you know a fast way to Gallia through the forest?"

"I know a way, yes," I replied absently, not really paying attention. The wind held it fully. Was this what the wind sounded like during a war? Or was it screaming because something worse was coming? "I don't know how fast it is, but I know it well."

"Good enough for me," he replied with a shrug. He turned away and I only realized then that I'd accidentally volunteered to travel with this group and lead them. This was… ugh… stuck with a bunch of beorc… even if they were as close to 'good' as beorc could get, it was still maddening. And I didn't know how to travel with a group, damn it! "Gatrie, leave those addresses to be burned, damn it! Not like you're going on any dates soon with this happening!"

I stood awkwardly in the courtyard for a moment, not really sure what to do. I wanted out of here and I didn't want anything more to do with these crazies. But even if it was on accident, I did volunteer and I could just leave once we were at the border or something? So, with a sigh, I headed in as well, this time to try and get out of the way. I ended up near where Elincia and the little girl were quickly folding clothes and shoving them into packs, and the two were conversing.

"Ah, Mist, what's that around your neck?" Elincia murmured, pausing in her packing to point at the glowing medallion that had swung out from under the little girl's collar. I frowned at it, feeling strangely uneasy about it. "It's so pretty…"

"Hmm? Ah…" the little girl began. She hesitated before gently cupping it and holding it up so that Elincia could see it better. "It is, isn't it? It's from my mother, all I've got from her."

"I wonder why it's glowing…"

"I don't know. It didn't used to do that. It just up and started glowing one day." She tucked the medallion back under her collar. "Weird, huh?"

"The world is truly full of mysteries, isn't it?"

"Like a princess who knows how to pack better than a mercenary!" She laughed and then gasped, focusing on me. "Oh, Thalia!" Then she smiled brightly. What a weird beorc. "You here to help too?"

"I suppose," I whispered. I looked around for something to say or do and was startled by all the things piled up. I couldn't even name some of them. "It's like a squirrel's winter hoard."

"Well, we're all a little squirrely," the little girl joked, giggling. She then held out both her hands to me. For some reason. "Did I ever properly introduce myself to you? I'm Mist!"

"Mist. Got it." Not sure what to do, I looked around again and wondered… "So, how does one pack so many things?"

"Here! You can help me with the bulky stuff!"

I wasn't sure how helpful I actually was, but neither Mist nor Elincia complained, so I hoped it was enough? And I hoped that I could wash my hands of all of them as soon as possible. This was far too much interaction for me.

Thalia, unknown age (appears seventeen or eighteen)

One of the Branded, one whose laguz heritage came from her parent instead of a distant ancestor. She remembers her parents fondly, and how their home was always warm, bright, and happy. After she lost everything, she lived in the forest to stay away from beorc and laguz alike. As a result, she can be blunt, can find things of 'civilization' a little confusing, and doesn't know some words.

Strong and skilled, with a reasonable amount of speed, her greatest assets are her great visual acuity, allowing her to see incredible distances, and her ability to 'hear' the wind, giving her good intuition on how to adjust her aim to hit distant targets. With that said, she is a bit sensitive to light because of her incredible vision, which is one reason why she stayed primarily in the dense forests, and she can get distracted when the wind is particularly 'loud'.

Though she hates both beorc and laguz, strongly believing them hateful and monstrous at their cores, she does keep an eye on people who enter the forest, mostly because she remembers the terror that came from being alone when you needed help. And she refuses to be like the laguz.

Author's note: 'Going to be a bit', I said. 'Long in coming', I said. I need to just stop saying things, huh? Welcome to Legacy of White Wings, an FE9 novelization. Why 'white wings'? It's a reference to the herons (and the Serenes Massacre), Begnion (via their pegasus knights), and Elincia (since she eventually gets a pegasus of her own). Why not 'blue flames'? That's for Radiant Dawn.

White hawks are a type of hawk living in the tropical 'New World' (so, Mexico and South America), and the coloring of Thalia's mother's wings is based on the ones who live in Southern Mexico. Why go with that? Well, it just makes sense to me that there would be some variance in looks among the Hawk Tribe of Laguz, given all the different subspecies of hawks and whatnot.

The Branded (treated as a separate, third race in Tellius) all share a few characteristics. Slower aging, the brand, and having unusual abilities and/or incredible skill and aptitude. I picked a focus on vision for Thalia because of the association between hawks and keen sight, and her ability to 'hear the wind' comes from one of Tibarn's castle conversations in FEH. It's hinted throughout the games that Branded can automatically sense each other. The details about how laguz and beorc tend to treat Branded comes directly from the game, though some parts are revealed in Radiant Dawn.

Technically speaking, this chapter actually covers Game-Chapters 3, 4, and 5 in Path of Radiance, with a reference to events in Game Chapter 2. This is mostly because the prologue and first three chapters are more about characterizing the various members of Greil's mercenaries and giving tutorials. Game-Chapter 4 is where the plot of the game actually gets underway.

Thalia's description of what everyone is doing before Elincia wakes up is actually from the game, including Shinon (apparently) teaching Rolf in the back corner. This is the first defense map of the game and, in hard mode, the first fog of war map. Shinon has the skill 'provoke', which makes enemies more likely to target him.

Next Chapter - A Brief Diversion