Fire Emblem - A Winter's Crossing

by CrimeazHero

Set in the Tellius Universe a few years before the events of Path of Radiance, Ike and other characters from Tellius have an adventure at the Rebirth Festival.

Fire Emblem – A Winter's Crossing Part 1

This is a story set in the Tellius universe, a few years before the events of Path of Radiance. There are also a few allusions to my sequel Flow of Destiny, but it's not necessary to have read it first to follow the plot. As usual, comments from members are welcome. Thanks, and enjoy the story!

Continent of Tellius, Central Crimea, Final Night of the Year

"Try to keep up," Titania said to the two straggling youths behind her. "Edington is still over two miles to the north. If you can't, then I'll just have to go on alone, and you can head back to camp. But I don't think Commander Greil would be too happy with you."

"But it's not fair!" the older boy whined as he mussed his fingers through his tousled green hair, "you're on a horse, after all. We have to walk. Why can't I have a horse? If I did, I would have been to Edington and back by now."

Titania regarded the boy with disapproval, not that he noticed as absorbed with himself as he was. He was tall, with traces of what might one day be impressive musculature beginning to show along his limbs thanks to rigorous training that enhanced his considerable innate ability. But whatever admirable qualities he might have were crushed beneath his overabundance of arrogance and self-importance, which spilled out of him like wine out of an overfilled skin. He had arrived with his brothers, and while she believed the oldest, whose name was Oscar would bring invaluable skills to the group, she would sooner put more trust in his baby brother Rolf in battle. There was a list of issues she would have loved to discuss with Boyd, had his attention span been longer. And there was yet another problem. In the end, she pulled out the two she felt were most important and settled on them, filing the rest away for later.

"First thing, Boyd," she answered, trying her best to keep an even tone, "is that combat, like life, isn't fair. Many times, you will face an enemy that has an advantage over you. It is your job to use what you have available to you to neutralize or overcome that advantage.

"And second," she continued before he could get off a smart remark, "you have pledged yourself to our mercenary company, in which I am the deputy commander. You will address me as such, even when we are not in a combat situation. Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes, commander," Boyd grumbled as he kicked at a loose stone on the trail and went quiet.

Titania looked to Boyd's shorter and thinner companion. He had not said anything in response to her chiding, not even acknowledging he had heard her. She could have said something about that, but he had clenched his fists and quickened his pace, so she let it slide, grateful for the effort. She looked back ahead, her focus shifting to the weather. The sun was setting in the west, dropping the temperature from what had already been chilly conditions when they had set out. A northern wind was picking up, shaking the limbs on leafless trees. Solemn, heavy clouds were massing along the northern horizon. There would be snow tonight, no doubt about it.

"Hey, wait up!" Boyd said in a hushed tone as he hurried to catch up with his companion. "Why do you let her talk to you that way, Ike? You're the commander's son! You could tell her what to do with that high and mighty attitude!"

Ike looked at him with blue eyes weighed down by a sternness that seemed out of place on his otherwise boyish visage. "Mainly because I've tried that before, and all it got me was double laps for a month. Also, if we make Titania angry, she's more likely to watch us more closely, which will make carrying out our plan much more difficult."

He had used his most authoritative tone and expected Boyd to acknowledge his words with a taciturn nod of agreement, as he had seen others do when his father spoke. But instead Boyd put a hand over his mouth, and a compressed sputter escaped his lips. "What's so funny?" Ike demanded to know with as much insistence as he could cram into a whisper.

"I'm sorry," Boyd said, his voice contorted as he tried to suppress his giggle. "It's just that, you know, your voice hasn't changed yet, and you sound sort of like…."

"Like who?"

"Like Mist!" he spilled out as a fit of giggles overcame him.

Ike punched him hard in the shoulder, breaking him out of his mirth. "Ow," he said, rubbing the sore spot.

"Could Mist hit you like that? The next time you laugh or say anything about my voice, I'm going to knock you hard in a place that will have you sounding more like Mist than I ever did. Understood?"

"Fine," Boyd said, still rubbing his shoulder. "Geez, you're touchy."

"Tonight's success depends on us working together, and that's not going to happen if you break into a giggling fit every time I talk," Ike admonished, trying to make his voice sound deeper. "It took all my skill to convince my father to let us come along on this trip, and we may never get another chance like this. So, can I count on you, or not?"

This time, Boyd did not reply, merely giving him that taciturn nod Ike had been expecting to begin with.

"This is your LAST warning," Titania's voice shouted out in the distance. The boys looked ahead, shocked to see Titania almost a hundred feet ahead of them. "You boys have to the time I count to five to reach me before I break my horse into a gallop and leave you two out here in the cold."

Ike and Boyd never ran so fast in their lives.

Meanwhile, two other travelers made their way toward the town from the north. Both on horseback, the slim, hooded figures made their way through the thick forest, shadowing, but carefully avoiding the trail that led into Edington. Every now and then the sound of voices or horse's hooves on stone would reach them, and the head rider would make the signal to stop, at which point they would wait silently until the noises had passed. The leader would then signal to resume, and they would continue ahead at a slow, silent pace.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Lucia muttered as they started up again. "We're going to get caught, I know it. You'll probably just get a stern talking to, while I, on the other hand, will probably be banished to the coldest place they can find."

"You worry too much," Elincia chided. "We'll be there and back before they even notice we're gone. Besides, even if we are caught, I'll insist that we suffer the same punishment, no matter what it may be."

Lucia grunted, wondering how strong her friend's resolve would be when she was confronted with the combined anger of her regal parents and their entourage. And who knows? Her uncle might be called in as well. "You promise you'll stay close to me, and do everything I say?"

"I have so far, haven't I? You need to stop—"

Suddenly Lucia raised her hand, and Elincia stilled her speech and her horse at almost exactly the same time. The sound of horses' hooves clattered against the hard stone of the path, mingled with the merry shouting and laughing of their riders, then both faded as they continued on toward the city.

"That could be a patrol coming from the villa right now to search for us," Lucia said, as she urged her horse back into a trot. "We should have at least brought Geoffrey with us. That way at least he wouldn't be able to lord it over us when we're discovered, and I would have some company in my ice shack."

"Well, if it was, it was the happiest search party I've ever heard of," Elincia joked. "Come on, it was just some more late partygoers, like every other person on the road."

Lucia sighed. "Which brings me to my next point. Of all the nights you could have chosen, why did you pick the night of the Rebirth? The town will be fuller than usual with revelers and people of less than reputable standing. Why not pick a quieter night?"

Elincia rode up until she was riding right behind Lucia. "That's exactly why it had to be tonight. What's the point of visiting a town if everyone's asleep? I want to have a little fun, Lucia, to see something exciting, to see how people celebrate this night outside the royal estate."

"But we already had a celebration back at the villa."

Elincia gave her a look. "Singing some old hymns and watching Geoffrey try to pin the tail on the pegasus is not my idea of fun, Lucia."

"Look, I know it wasn't as much fun as usual, but this could be downright dangerous. With so much activity, it's going to be difficult to protect you."

"Come on Lucia, where's your sense of adventure? Don't you want a chance to test out all those cool new sword skills we've been learning?"

"Sword skills won't matter if someone grabs you and disappears in the screaming crowd," Lucia countered. "Look, why don't we turn back now? If you do, I promise that we'll do something fun together that doesn't involve so much risk. Have I ever let you down?"

"No," Elincia conceded. "But we're so close now. Please, Lucia, I've never seen a town before, except for Melior, and that was only glimpses from a carriage window in the dead of night. Just this one time and I promise I'll never leave the villa again until I'm so old you'll have to wheel me out."

Lucia grinned. "You know, I may just hold you to that. She exhaled deeply. "Well, as you said, we are almost there."

By the time Titania and her two charges arrived at Edington, Ike and Boyd were completely out of breath. Although they had caught up to Titania, the knight had increased the speed of her horse to a brisk trot, forcing them to continue to run the rest of the way to the city. Huffing and wheezing, they leaned against each other for support while Titania approached the guard. "I'm sorry," the guard said, holding up his hand. "Armed persons are not allowed into Edington without authorization. Return tomorrow and petition the council for permission."

"My name is Titania, of the Greil Mercenaries, and I am here with two recruits to purchase healing supplies for our company. I have here our official royal license," she stated, holding out a folded scroll.

"That won't be necessary," a voice trying to fill itself with authority called out, but only managed to come across as mildly assertive. Ike looked up and saw a troop of armored horsemen riding through the entryway towards them, led by a man that Ike could only describe as the cleanest individual he had ever seen. The two men behind him were carrying torches, which glinted off a suit of white armor that had been polished to resplendent perfection, with nary a scratch to be found. Filling out the armor was a man with a physique lost somewhere between fit and stout, with the faint contours of muscles slowly descending into flab. A green, fluttering cape settled around his back as he came to a stop in front of Titania. A crescent of pearly white teeth appeared in the midst of an immaculate dark beard, as deep-set eyes fixed upon Titania, wearing an intense expression that Ike had seen before, but couldn't quite place. "Titania," he said in a voice like smothered thunder, "you are the most unexpected, and yet the most pleasant, surprise that I have come across in a long time."

"Colonel Finsworth," Titania replied, her tone conveying mild amazement as she met the other knight's gaze, "this is indeed an unexpected pleasure," in a voice that indicated an arrow in the stomach might have been a more pleasant experience.

"It's actually General now, and acting commander of the northeast quadrant" he corrected her, taking her hand. "But I would overlook it even if you had called me a private." He turned to the guard. "I will personally vouch for this lady and her companions. You may rest assured that they are trustworthy and will cause no mischief."

The guard saluted. "As you say, General." With that, he moved back to his assigned post. Finsworth, now stroking Titania's hand, happened to cast an eye towards Ike and Boyd. "And who might these fine young lads be? Your sons?"

Titania withdrew her hand from his, her eyes curving into a glare. "I haven't been gone that long," she retorted. "General Finsworth, may I present to you Boyd, one of our new recruits and Ike, son of Commander Greil, the leader of our mercenary company."

"Splendid lads," he muttered as his attention turned back to Titania, rubbing a hand through his thick and perfectly styled hair. "A mercenary, you say? Well, at least your skills aren't going to total waste, but hardly a fitting position for someone of your abilities."

"I find the position much more comfortable than some others I have been in," Titania said. "And I must thank you for your assistance, although I do not believe we would have encountered any difficulty."

"It was, and still is, my pleasure to offer any service I am able, or am permitted. On that note, would it be to forward to ask you—"

There was a loud harrumph from the horseman directly behind Finsworth. Finsworth turned towards him with a look of unrestrained annoyance. "You have something you wish to say, Lieutenant Henson?"

Henson saluted. "I apologize for the interruption, sir, but shouldn't we be getting back to our mission? It is rather urgent, after all."

Finsworth heaved out a sigh, like an indolent teenager reminded of his chores. "Lady Titania, may I introduce you to Henson, my adjutant. A good lad, all things considered, but if duty ever assumes corporeal form, I suspect that he will, after a brief and passionless courtship, marry it. But in this case, he does have a point. We are at this moment in pursuit of a particularly fiendish rogue. He's eluded us for days, but only yesterday intelligence was received saying he was spotted in this town. I arrived in Edington earlier today and have spent several tedious hours sealing off all points of exit. It was fortuitous that you arrived here, at my last stop, when you did." He stroked his beard suggestively. "Or was it fate?"

"What has this fellow done, if I may ask?" Titania inquired, trying to change the subject.

"You may not," Henson said.

"His name is Claydon, and he is a former officer who deserted his post up north," Finsworth continued as if Henson had not even spoken. "Which would not be so bad in and of itself, but he also took a few souvenirs when he left, which could jeopardize our national security if they fell into the wrong hands."

"Colonel Finsworth!" Henson cried out, his narrow features bulging with shock and threatening to pop out of his helmet. "You shouldn't reveal such sensitive information to a civilian!"

"You dolt!" Finsworth snapped, "haven't you been listening? Titania's no ordinary civilian. If we can't trust her, we might as well disband the army and practice curtsying to our new overlords."

"I meant no disrespect sir, only that the few people who know of our operations, the better."

"Does it really matter?" Finsworth sighed. "This city's so damned big it makes Melior look like a shanty town. Not to mention the city council's being most uncooperative, and the Rebirth festival tonight…" he shook his head. "We might as well try to find a flea on a black sand beach."

"But if I know you, that won't stop you from doing your duty," Titania said.

He nodded and puffed up with suddenly realized importance. "You're right Titania! We'll find that flea and squash him." He turned to his adjutant. "Henson, station some men here, then report back to headquarters. Make sure you receive a report from every watchpoint and city patrol every hour, and if not, find out why."

"Yes sir. And, if I may suggest, perhaps we should send out riders, just in case he slipped through before we sealed the city?"

Finsworth considered for a moment. "I don't know. We're already stretched rather thin," he muttered as he looked off toward the south. Send riders to the east, west, and south. Don't bother about the north. We just came from that direction, and we would have spotted him if he had been foolish enough to try that."

Unless he disguised himself and stayed off the main road, Titania thought to herself, but she stayed quiet. "It sounds like you have a lot to do," Titania said, "so I will leave you to it."

"On the contrary, I was about to head back to freshen up and get a few hours of sleep," Finsworth said, riding his horse into Titania's path. "Unless someone would like to accompany me to the Rebirth Festival tonight?"

Titania felt her face flush crimson with indignation. She was glad it was dark, lest he mistake it for coyness. Was he serious? Thinking about going to a festival when the country could be in danger? But then she remembered to whom she was speaking, and that with him it was not only possible but a solid truth. At first, she had thought Clayton must some sort of mastermind to elude the forces sent after him, but now after being reminded of the blatant foppery prevalent in the upper echelons of the army, she now revised her opinion to halfway competent as sufficient for the task. It made her concerned for the future of Crimea if this was the best they could field. Goddess help us if we ever had to face a real threat.

"That is a most generous offer," she said, trying to sound flattered. "But I am afraid I don't have time to spare. Our commander is not a patient man. I must meet with our supplier this evening, then be on the way back to our camp tomorrow. I hope you understand."

"Of course," he said, bowing his head slightly. I understand all too well how duty interferes with the more…intimate pleasures of life. But, with the Festival and all, it may be difficult for you to find lodging. Permit me to offer you quarters in the inn I have commandeered during my here. It's the Running Elk, one of the finest in Edington."

He just does not give up. "Once again, I must regretfully decline. I have already arranged lodgings with a friend of mine, and if I canceled now, they would be offended."

"Ah, such is life," he said, waving a hand in the air with insouciant disdain. "Being so rebuffed, I shall retire. But if you change your mind, you know where to find me. Then with a graceful wave, he flipped his horse around and headed back through the gate. Titania waited until Henson had posted the watch alongside that of the city guard, who seemed none to happy as the extra manpower took up stations in front of them. Then, after an unfriendly glare in her direction, Finsworth's assistant rode back into the city with the rest of his men.

"Boy, I'm glad I didn't enlist in the army if that's any indication of who would be bossing me around," Boyd muttered. Titania turned her head towards him, forgetting the presence of the boys until just then. She smiled to herself. Maybe the boy wasn't completely hopeless after all. "Come on," she said with a wave of her hand, at the moment considering her decision to leave the Crimean army the best she had ever made. "Let's get moving. We still have a lot to do this evening."

Ike followed Titania, trying to shut out the annoying tune that Boyd had just started whistling. "Who was that?" he finally asked.

Titania was silent a moment before answering. "Just somebody from the past. Nothing to worry about though."

But Ike wasn't so sure. He had finally figured out where he had seen that expression of Finsworth's before. It was at a noble's estate, where his father had been hired to root out some bandits. The job done, the earl something or other insisted that they join him on a hunt. The prey had been a boar, but it had proved quite resourceful, slipping through all the traps and men and escaping into the deep woods. Ike had seen the noble's face when he had realized that his prey had escaped him. It was an odd face, a complex brew of disappointment, anger, and longing for what had by the slimmest of margins escaped from one's grasp. Ike had expected him to explode, but he had merely laughed, and said "One cannot help but respect a prey clever enough to earn the right to keep living. We shall let him go and wish him well." Ike had thought that was the end of the matter.

But then, the next day as they were preparing to leave, Ike looked out his window and saw several servants hauling the carcass of the boar towards the mansion, the earl walking in the lead. His clothing was scratched, and his leg was bandaged, and his expression had changed to a calm, satisfied sneer of victory, of knowing that while it was costly he had won in the end. Ike had seen traces of both in Finsworth's expression.

What worried him was that he had seen more of the latter than the former.

"There it is," Lucia said, gesturing to the city from their hiding point just inside the tree line. "Edington, crossroads of Crimea."

Night had settled firmly into place. And although there was a full moon, its light was smothered by a thick mantle of clouds that covered the entire sky.

"Wow," Elincia gasped as she took in the curving white wall that curled around the city, tinged with blue in the weakened moonlight. It was as if a sheet of ice surrounded the city. Beyond it, Elincia could make out the dark, irregular shapes of buildings, their underbellies glowing from the light of torches. As she took in the scene, a question struck her. "Why does it have such a large wall around it? It's in the middle of the country, and Crimea hasn't been involved in a major conflict in years."

Lucia gave her a reproving look. "Weren't you paying attention to Master Ardwick's lessons?"

Elincia looked sheepish. "Come on, he pops out facts so fast that your head will explode if you try to absorb them all. Just refresh my memory, please. You're so good at remembering all these things." She knew Lucia would never pass up the chance to show just how much she knew.

"Just because there is peace now does not mean it is a permanent resident. During Eziah's Rebellion, what was then the town of Edington was razed to the ground, and most of its townspeople were slaughtered. Something like that tends to leave a dark stain on a town's consciousness. Besides, they have a lot more to lose now. Not only is it the main center for trade on the Celadon, the largest river in Crimea, it is also the connecting point for the Canteus Way, the road that runs from the west coast to the border with Begnion. It got that name because construction was started in—"

"Okay, I get it," Elincia said, poking her friend. "I think I have enough notes now to pass the test. Can we go in now?"

"First," Lucia said, looking a bit irritated at the interruption as she pulled a bundle down from her horse and unwrapped it. "If we go in dressed as we are there will be questions as to why a pair of noble ladies is wandering around unescorted. But no one will think twice about us if we put these on," she said, holding up a plain dress for inspection. "They're simple but well made and clean. Maybe the children of a moderately successful candlemaker or some such?"

Elincia could appreciate the logic in this and worked quickly to change into the outfit, as much from eagerness to get inside as from the freezing weather. There was the dress, followed by a surcoat for extra warmth, and finally a pair of low-cut boots. Nothing fancy, Elincia thought as wrapped her cloak around herself once more, but certainly not unattractive by any means. Yes, it would do nicely for the evening.

Then Lucia pulled out a set of half-faced masks and handed one to Elincia. "Put this on. We'll need them for the Festival."

Elincia studied the mask. It was thin and fashioned in a feminine motif, layered with gold paint. "I don't like this mask," Elincia declared as she held the mask back out to Lucia. "It's weird. Do you have any others?"

"No." Lucia said with flat exasperation. "Look, highness, you know as well as I do that there are only two kinds of masks for the Rebirth Festival - the Altina masks, like we have, or the Dark God masks. And trust me, you wouldn't like the Dark God masks."

"Well, what if I don't wear a mask? What if I just keep my hood pulled up over my head?"

It was a rare thing to see Lucia flustered, but it happened this night. "Look, your highness," Lucia began in a tone of thin but wavering courtesy, "the main reason I ignored reason and agreed to this little excursion was because of the mask requirement. If you don't wear one, you'll stand out more than if you pranced through the crowd naked. Now, put on the mask, or we go home."

"Okay, fine," Elincia said as she put the mask over her eyes, tying it off in the back. "But I feel silly."

"One more thing," Lucia extracted a flask from her saddlebag and unstoppered it, offering it to Elincia. "Drink. It's going to get cold tonight, and this concoction will help keep you warm."

Elincia took the flask and swirled the liquid around, but in the dim light she could not tell much about it. All that she could be sure of was that the substance was dark and thick like cold honey. She sniffed it, detecting the strong odor of various herbs sloshing together. Deciding it might not be wise to challenge Lucia anymore, she lifted the mouth of the bottle to her lips and swallowed it.

It had a sharp, almost minty flavor as it passed over her tongue, but it was not what she would call unpleasant. She felt it begin to slide smoothly down her throat, creating a pleasant warming sensation as it did so.

But then the soothing warmness slowly changed, intensifying. "Lucia," she choked as she fell to her knees, clutching at her throat, now filled with a hot, scratching fire. She hacked and coughed, in a vain effort to expel the liquid. She was reminded of the performers she had seen once who swallowed burning daggers. Was this what that felt like? No, that was an illusion, but this was real, the fluid an inflamed, serrated blade twisting and jerking in her throat.

Finally, after what seemed like an agonizing eternity, the burning subsided. She looked up weakly at Lucia, confusion in her eyes. Through ragged breaths, she managed to ask a question to the person who, until just a few moments ago, had been her best friend. "What did you give me?"

But it wasn't her voice that she heard. It was deeper and coarser, as if a man with a serious throat disorder had spoken.

Elincia covered her mouth in shock as Lucia laughed. "Sorry, but it's a necessary precaution. I know you didn't want just come here to observe. You would have been everywhere trying to talk to everyone, and maybe even asking a boy or two to dance? Then there would have been stories of an unknown green-haired girl all over the city, which would eventually get back to the villa and then to your father. But don't worry, the potion's only temporary."

"But it felt like it was tearing my throat apart!" she said, rubbing at her neck as if that would alleviate it.

Lucia crinkled her forehead. "Really? Hmmm…maybe I gave you too much."

"You think?!"

Lucia shrugged. "Oh well. You'll recover in a few days."

"But how am I supposed to talk to anyone tonight like this?" Elincia demanded, trying to ignore the sound of her own rasping voice. "Everyone will think that I'm sick, or crazy!"

Lucia nodded as she tied the horses off on a sturdy tree branch. "Exactly. That will minimize the risk someone will try to abduct you. Now everyone will maintain a safe distance, which makes them less likely to remember you."

Elincia glared at her. "But what about your voice?" she asked, feeling a small smile begin to form as she recognized a kink in Lucia's logical armor. "I guess you'll have to take that stuff too."

"I don't know what you mean," Lucia said, amazing Elincia with a completely different tone and pitch. "How did you do that?" Elincia croaked out. Her eyes narrowed. "And why didn't you teach me how to do that instead of poisoning me?"

Lucia shrugged. "I have no doubt you could do it, it's a rather simple technique. But with you, it's a question of maintaining it. I know you, as soon as you got excited or upset by something then you'd forget to do it and then we could have a real mess on our hands."

"You know," Elincia said, adjusting the mask which had become lopsided during her hacking fit, "I've always been appalled by the stories of the nobles who have their underlings beaten for disobedience. But now, I'm beginning to develop a new appreciation for the practice."

"Ah, stop complaining. Do you want to go to the festival or not?"

They finished tying off the horses, leaving some oats and water, plus extra blankets against the cold. immediately. But for now, the night was crisply cold and windy. The heavy clouds still loomed overhead, but for the moment keeping whatever frosty material they carried tucked inside them. Elincia shivered as she pulled her sheepskin cloak more tightly around her, already considering how she was going to get back at Lucia for what she did. She had hoped she would meet some dashing young townsboy, and perhaps they would share a dance, and perhaps partner up for the Banishing. But after hearing her voice no one would even get close to her, let alone share a dance. She would be forced to watch from the shadows, nibbling a tart. The more she thought about it, the madder she got. Perhaps she would have the cook put hot sauce in Lucia's food. Or perhaps glue in her scabbard. Or something with spiders. Lucia hated spiders. Or why not all of them, and a couple more? What Lucia had done certainly warranted that.

Elincia slid back into reality when she heard her boots clack against stone. They were now on the path leading to the gate. She felt a slight twinge of nervousness tickling at her stomach. Lucia had assured her that the town guards were fairly lenient, and only stopped people who were armed or were acting suspiciously. Did nervous count as suspicious? She was just another girl on the way to the party, so she had to look the part. Lucia would handle all the talking, so all Elincia had to do was smile and look innocent. She took a deep breath, pushed the nervousness away, and looked straight ahead, smiling the smile that always melted her father.

And felt her heart crash down into her stomach. The area around the gate was brightly lit with torches, and in the light Elincia saw not only men clad in the red and grey uniforms of the town militia, but also soldiers clad in the white and green armor of the regular Crimean army. What were they doing here? They seemed taller than the militiamen, their faces as rigid and stern as their posture. Elincia suddenly felt like a thief breaking into a house expecting only a puppy only to find a snarling Doberman instead. Elincia nudged Lucia. "Maybe we should get out of here," she whispered. "If they find out who I am, they'll tell my father for sure."

"If we try to turn back now, they'll definitely get suspicious. Just stay quiet and let me do the talking, okay?" Left with little choice, Elincia left the matter in Lucia's hands, praying for a miracle.

One of the town guardsmen, opened his mouth to speak, but one of the soldiers beat him to it. "Halt," he barked, holding out his palm. The militiaman shot the soldier an unseen look of extreme annoyance but closed his mouth and said nothing. Lucia broke into a broad grin. "Hello, good sirs, I hope you are well this evening. Don't let us bother you, we're just on our way to the Festival."

The soldier lowered his head down towards her with a hard look, as if angry that she had dared to make him move that much. "Sorry, but the town is now under official military lockdown, and only town residents with the requisite identification may enter. Are you a resident?"

"No," Lucia said, "but I came through with my parents earlier, and the town guard let us through."

The soldier scoffed. "That was before we arrived, apparently, and imposed some discipline."

"But you see," Lucia continued, "my sister is a bit of a scatterbrain, and she forgot something. Since we live in a nearby village, I went with her to retrieve it. And now our parents are waiting for us inside, and if we don't get back soon, they'll start to worry."

Scatterbrained?

"Your parents sound awfully irresponsible, sending a young lass like you out alone with your halfwit sister. But never mind that, tell me their names and where they are and I'll go fetch them for you."

"Is this really necessary?" the town guardsman next to him asked. "They're only kids, what harm could it do to let them pass?"

The soldier looked at the guard with contempt. "Orders must be obeyed to the letter, or disaster could happen. I would expect even a militiaman would understand that, even with your limited provincial training."

"Yes, sir, the guard said tersely. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but it looked like the guard's face had turned red. "Well?" the soldier asked, looking back down at her.

Lucia swallowed. "Well, um, you see…"

"Please let us in!" the words came bursting out of Elincia before she even realized what she was doing, her rasping tone getting the attention of everyone present. The soldier, eying her warily, took a step back. "What's wrong with her, then?"

It was then that inspiration charged into Lucia's brain. "You see, truth is, sir, we live alone with our dad. Our mom died a few years ago at the hands of some quack doctor, and now my father don't trust any kind of medicine. My sister here got some kind of croup in her chest, you see how it's affected her voice. Our papa refuses to let anyone treat her, and I'm scared she'll die if she don't get see a healer. So, I snuck her out tonight to get her treated."

Upon hearing this, the city guard went pale and retreated hastily back to the gatehouse. "Hey where are you going, guardsman Clevis?" the soldier shouted after him, but the door was already slamming shut. "Damned locals, can't depend on them for nothing. Imagine, scared of a little girl!" the soldier grumbled even as he took another step back. "Okay girls, I'm sorry, but you need to head home now."

"But my sister might get worse by then!" Lucia exclaimed, secretly elated that not only did they have a way out of this mess, but also the evening was coming to a premature and welcome end. But she had to keep up the pretext a little longer. "And if my father finds out…"

"Not my problem," the soldier said in a voice dead to emotion. "Now get out of here, before I arrest you for disobeying an official of the royal government."

"Very well," Lucia said, pumping as much sadness into her voices as she could. "Come on, sis," she said, taking Elincia's hand and turning around.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"

Startled, Lucia turned to see the source of the bellowing and was confronted with the image of a large, red-flushed individual stomping from the gatehouse towards them, with such heavy footfalls that Lucia was sure the paving stones were cracking under his approach. He was dressed in a guard's uniform, but it was made of finer materials and topped off with a lavish cape, which seemed to struggle to keep up with him. He had a great mane of red hair and a burgeoning mustache which was only a shade or two off from the rest of his face. On his chest was pinned a gold medallion of some sort. Behind him walked Clevis, a smug look on his face.

He stopped directly in front of the soldier, who had turned to face him. Although the red man was shorter than the soldier, he had channeled a look of such fury that even a man with the soldier's disposition felt obliged to lean back a little. "Lieutenant Daylon," the man thundered, "what is this I hear about you harassing innocent children?"

"Captain Rougefort," Lieutenant Daylon replied with a calm voice. Lucia had to admit that whatever else he was, Daylon was calm under pressure. "These children appeared here seeking entry, saying they were here for the Festival. But that was a lie, it turns out."

"But I panicked," Lucia interjected, forced to slide back into her desperate sister role. "You see, my sister really needs help, and then I saw all these soldiers, and I got scared."

"We're sorry to have caused so much trouble," Elincia said in a cracked and subdued tone, as if sensing Lucia needed her to back up the story. "We're be going now."

"You're not going anywhere!" Rougefort exclaimed as he knelt down in front of Elincia, "except to see a healer. Even I can see how much you need care, even with my limited provincial training," he said, glaring at the Daylon.

"But sir," Daylon said in a tone not unlike that of a teacher trying to explain something to a student for the hundredth time, "While I respect your authority, it does not extend to—"

"This is my town, and I'll extend my authority anywhere I damn well please!" he roared, pushing himself back up. "Don't forget, lieutenant, that not only am I the captain of the guard, I am also a ranking councilmember as well! I know people, lieutenant, people that could make life very difficult for you if you force me."

He then moved behind Lucia and Elincia, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "But I shouldn't have to, man! It's the night of the Rebirth, you insensitive fool, when we celebrate blessed Ashera and Altina giving us a rebirth of hope and life by sealing away the Dark God who almost destroyed the entire world. Is this how you give thanks for that noble and selfless act, by accosting these poor children, one of whom is sick? You ought to be ashamed of yourself!

If Daylon was ashamed of himself, he was good at concealing it. "Very well, captain. But I must advise you that I will report this to my commanding officer."

"Do what you must, as I will now do what I must," Rougefort said, and with a gentle nudge urged the girls forward. "Now girls," he said as they walked, "allow me to escort you personally to our town's best healer."

"That's okay, sir," Lucia said as she politely but firmly broke free of Rougefort's grasp. "What I mean is, sir, that we're awfully grateful for your help, but we have taken up enough of your time and I'm sure you have more important matters to attend to this evening. If you can just point us in the direction of the healer, we won't give you any more trouble."

Rougefort looked at her, surprised for a moment, then began to laugh. "Har har har! I like your spirit, girl! So independent and determined to see things through yourself.

Very well," he continued, pointing. "Follow this road straight to the town square. Once there, veer to the left and you should see another street right next to a large baker's shop. Keep that way until you come the third street on the left. Follow that for a ways and you'll be at old Orman's. His church may be one of the smaller ones in town, but he's one of the best healers in Crimea, maybe all of Tellius. Knows rods and herbs like no one else. Usually a fellow's only got skill with one of the other, but he's got them both down. He'll have your sister back to health in no time at all."

"Thank you for everything, sir," Lucia said as she bowed and moved away, motioning for Elincia to follow.

"Wait!"

Lucia froze, afraid that the jig was up. Had Rougefort finally decided that Daylon had a point? She looked around, her heart thumping away. They were still too close to the gatehouse and the other guards to make a run for it. She turned around. "Yes, sir?"

Rougefort walked toward them, kneeling directly in front of Lucia. He reached up to his medallion and unfastened it, clasping it in Lucia's wet palm. "Take this," he said, "show it to Orman and tell him to charge the bill to my account. It should also come in handy in case any of the patrols give you any trouble. Ashera knows we have more than enough of them tonight. And please, be careful."

"I'll make sure you get it back, sir," Lucia assured him.

Rougefort waved it away. "Keep it, and if you ever need anything again show this to any town guard and ask for me. Remember, it's Rougefort, Captain Rougefort."