AN: Thanks for all the feedback, really appreciate it! (not sarcasm!)

Basch could hear the stampede of footsteps from the approaching Imperials, and silently cursed himself, and to a lesser extent, the princess. He couldn't lay too much blame on her, seeing as she didn't know his plan, and was unconscious most of the time, but it felt good to have someone other than yourself to blame.

As he approached the gates, he breathed a sigh of relief; there was a chance they could get out of this alive. From behind him, he heard one of the guards call out, "Close the gates, seal them in!"

Judging the height of the gate, which was quickly dropping, he decided to take the risk. He dove to the ground and rolled under it, Ashe clutched tightly against his chest, praying he wouldn't further injure her. He took a second look behind him, to make sure he was in the clear, seeing a horde of angry Imperials on the other side of the heavy iron gate. "What are you idiots waiting for? Open the gates!"

He continued to run, not knowing how much longer he'd have before they opened the gates and caught up to him. While he ran, with no real sense of where he was going, his eyes searched the sands for somewhere to take shelter. He darted past an alley, and felt a tug on his tunic, dragging him into the shadows, "To escape from the Fortress is quite a feat," a cool voice told him, "It won't be long before they come." the speaker stepped out into the light, peering around the walls, checking for the Imperials. Once Basch could see her in the light, he noticed that she was a Vierra, currently drawing her bow from her hiding place, "'Tis clear. For now."

"I take it that you aren't happy with Archades either?" he inquired, setting Ashe down on a pile of discarded crates, the closest thing to a bed he was likely to find.

"No," she turned back to him, "They have not followed you down this path, at least not yet." noticing the young woman's prone form, she gently stroked her long nails against the girl's face, "She does not look so good."

"I know that!" he snapped, "Sorry," he amended, "She was tortured, in the fortress. They would beat her unconscious then just keep reviving her 'till it would do no good."

"'Tis not an uncommon torture," the Vierra noted, "Though no less cruel." she picked up Ashe's hand, sniffing the rivulet of blood flowing down her fingertips, "She is diseased; no matter how you tend to her, she won't heal." her keen sense of smell revealed the girl's condition to her, "She is also blind, but the disease will be her downfall."

"That would explain a lot," he sighed. She'd come in and out of consciousness several times since he'd found her in her cell, "How does one cure such an ailment?"

"Hm," the Vierra rummaged through her belongings, pulling out a long, thick needle, "This should do. This will not heal her, but it will allow her to do so."

"You intend to use that on her?" he gazed horrified at the large needle, "I do not wish to question your judgment, but I think that she would faint if you used that on her."

"'Tis possible," she crouched down beside Ashe, who was beginning to come around, "Good Morning to you, little one. This may hurt, but it will help."

"What?" Ashe tried to look around, forgetting for a moment that she was still blind, "What will hurt? What will help?" her voice was higher, more panicked than Basch remembered.

He reached out to her, lightly stroking her brow, "Do not be afraid, Ashe. It is only an injection to purge the disease. Afterward, you should be able to heal, whereas you couldn't before." he could feel her relax slightly under his touch, but she shifted nervously when the Vierra moved what remained of her clothing aside, revealing her upper thigh

"You will only feel a sting at first, but it will spread quickly," she held the needle just above the skin, "It will burn but for a moment, then you will feel warm and relaxed. I must ask you not to scream," she tried to make this quick and painless, but such a thing was easier said than done. Without warning, she buried the needle into Ashe's backside.

Predicting the impending shriek, Basch clamped a hand down over her mouth. Her blind blue eyes widened as the intrusive needle burrowed deeper into her muscle. "I am sorry, princess. It will all be over soon," he soothed, feeling her weak body tremble. "I have never seen someone react to a vaccine like that..." he whispered, his voice trailing off

The Vierra's sensitive ears didn't miss a word, "She is very weak. You or I could handle such a thing with ease, but 'tis worse when you are already suffering."she removed the empty syringe, "Why do you call her princess?"

Basch removed his hand from Ashe's mouth as she bit down on his palm, "A term of endearment," he lied. He wiped his hand on his tunic, his eyes never straying from Ashe, who was now resting, her eyes closed as she shifted to make herself more comfortable. "Thank you. For all your troubles," he offered her a small handful of gil, which she promptly refused

"No, money never brings happiness." she insisted, "You never did tell me your name."

"Basch!" an angry voice yelled, "There are Imperials marching the streets, looking for someone posing as a judge!" Alexandre looked at him in disbelief, "I cannot believe you got out alive!"

Basch began stripping himself of the judge's armor, "That is not all," he led Alexandre deeper into the alley where the princess was resting. "Ashelia, Majesty? Are you awake?"

She stirred slightly, "Basch?" she tried to sit up, but he forced her to lay back. "Who is there?"

Alexandre bowed humbly, "Captain Alexandre Tomaj, at your service, Majesty." he picked up Ashe's hand, bringing it to his lips. She immediately pulled her hand away.

"Captain, please," she managed a weak smile, "Do I look much like royalty to you?"

"Nay, but that will work to our advantage," Basch reminded her, "They are looking for a princess."

"A 'term of endearment'?" the Vierra asked coyly, "Fear not. Your secret lies safe with me."

"Thank you," Ashe sat up in spite of Basch trying to keep her down, "Is there anything we can do for you in return?" she reached up around her neck, removing her choker, "Here, take this."

The Vierra woman eyed it curiously, "A dewdrop pendant? How did you take it from the Wood? If such a thing is taken from the village, it vanishes."

"It is sealed in sap from the Wood," Ashe explained, holding it out to her, "No matter how far it is from the Wood, the glow never fades."

"I shall treasure it, princess," she smiled at the little trinket, a reminder of a home long forgotten. "Should you wish to leave this city alive, I suggest you flee south. The Empire came in from the north, and will not grant passage through the Estersands." she peered around the corner of the alleyway, darting quickly back in as some Archadian soldiers passed, "There is a passage through Barhieim that leads to the waterway, and then the palace, but the beasts there are fierce."

"Through Giza it is then," Basch decided, "Now if we can get there in one piece, all the better. Alexandre, where did you leave the birds?"

"The stables at the city gates," he replied

"Damn, how are we supposed to get to them undetected?" he cursed, pacing as he tried to think.

"Here," the Vierra held out her hand, an in an instant, the three weary travelers vanished, "It will not last long, so I suggest you get moving."

Basch nodded, forgetting for a moment that the Vierra could no longer see them, "Of course."

"Basch? What happened? What won't last?" Ashe asked, trying to rise.

The knight sighed, taking pity on the poor girl, "She's blind," he explained to Alexandre, "I don't suppose you have a cure for that?" his companion shook his head, "Of course not. Alright. Ashe? She cast a vanishga spell upon us. We are currently invisible to the Imperials. We need to move quickly, lest it wear off before we can get out of here."

"Is she fit to travel?" Alexandre asked worriedly, hearing Ashe swear under her breath as she tried to stand.

"No, but we have no choice," Basch replied sadly, "Princess? Here, let me help you." he gently scooped her back up into his arms. He winced, hearing her sharp intake in breath as he clasped her injured body close to his own, "Once we are back in Dalmasca, we will find you a doctor. Until then, I'm afraid we cannot do much for you."

"Do not call me 'princess'," Ashe hissed, "Do you want to draw attention?"

"Well, what would you rather we call you?"

"I'll call you Amalia," Alexandre decided, taking a good look at her.

"Alright, might I ask why?" she sighed, clinging to Basch as he carried her through town.

"You remind me of my sister," he quickly amended, "In a good way! She's very stubborn, but a nice girl. Come to think of it, the two of you could be sisters." he breathed a sigh of relief as they approached the city gates, "Finally!"

"Let's see," Basch gently set Ashe down, catching her as she stumbled, "Sorry, prin- Amalia. I forgot about your leg." he led her over to the fencing surrounding the chocobo pen, so she had something to lean against. "Alexandre, go find our birds."

"Do you think you can ride?" he asked Ashe tentatively.

"I think so," she hated the way the two knights were watching over her as though she were about to collapse at any moment. Truthfully, she was, but she didn't want to be looked at as though she were weak. She didn't need her eyes to see how they were watching her, "The sooner we are out of Nalbina, the better."

"Truer words were never spoken." Basch smiled, handing her the reins of Alexandre's belligerent bird. Much to his surprise, the chocobo which despised him took a liking to Ashe right away, whistling softly to her and nuzzling her face gently, "Now how is it that Maru takes a shine to you so fast?"

"These are my father's birds," she reminded him, "I've known them since they were chicks."

Basch half-dragged his own bird out of its pen, "Now, come Ami!" he held out some Gysahl Greens, trying to lure the bird out. The chocobo yawned, having just finished an afternoon nap, and stole the treat from Basch's hands. "Alexandre, you take him. Amalia and I will take the other."

"What?" Ashe glared at him, "That is not necessary. I can ride on my own." she would have sounded a bit more convincing if she weren't already gasping for breath, clinging to the bird to stay standing.

"We only have two birds, and you and I are the lightest," Basch logically insisted, "And you are blind, if you recall. There's no telling where that bird will carry you off to." he helped her up before nervously climbing up behind her. "Sorry about the closeness, I mean you no disrespect." He carefully wrapped an arm around her middle, holding her snugly against him. He took the reins from her hands, steering the bird south to Dalmasca.

Ashe shifted on the bird's back, "Ah!" she rubbed her backside, still sore from the vaccine, "I won't be able to sit properly for a week!"

Alexandre smirked, "Come, we best be off!" he softly slapped the back of Ashe's bird, sending it off at full speed, "Hold on tight!"