Chapter 4) Storm

The silence in my office was broken by a quiet, hesitant knock. Normally, that would be a cause for concern, since Altena stepped in soon after, proving she was the knocker. And… well, it was still a cause for concern, but I at least knew what was going on. The rules stated that when a soldier of Thracia was fifteen, they may choose to walk among the dragons to see if any wish to bond with them. Said soldier could walk three times before they must give up. This would be Altena's third walk, and I had promised her that I would be with her.

"You ready?" I asked her. She nodded, not quite looking up. "Are you sure? You can wait a few days." She shook her head. "Let me finish writing this sentence, then."

She nodded again, staying in the doorway, perfectly silent. Even when I was finished and we both left my study, she was silent. I had never known her to be so quiet, but I knew how much she wanted to be a dragon knight. I knew how hard it had to be, to want something so much and simply… not get it, through no fault of your own. To try and try, to do everything right, and still just… lose. That was why I took up my methods to ensure Thracia's prosperity. I continued so that Arion and Altena would not have to dirty their hands as much as me.

Still, the silence was unnerving, because she was usually a bundle of energy. The 'little ball of sunshine' might not be so 'little' anymore, but she was still sunshine. Most days. But not today, and I wondered what I could say. What could I do. I was never one for gentle words or the like. Arion had already researched and showed her examples of famous dragon knights who were chosen at an older age. Coirpre had been extra adorable to distract her. Hannibal had given her a shoulder. I didn't know why she asked me to accompany her for her Final Walk. But she had, and I had promised. So, here I was and here we were.

The non-bonded dragons rested in the large open space behind the castle, fields that could barely support the grass that grew there. I wouldn't have thought it comfortable, but the dragons loved it there, especially so early in the morning. A couple looked up as Altena and I approached, but we stopped on the edge, me because I couldn't accompany her on her Walk and her because of nerves. She closed her eyes, as if that could hide her fear, and then she took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and walked forward with confidence.

I watched her walk among the dragons, noticing how they brightened immediately upon seeing her. Many happily growled at her, and a few playfully wrapped their wing or their tail around her briefly. They truly did adore her, so it confused me why none would choose her. I truly wondered if it was because she was of Njorun, of the earth, with the blood and blessings of Gaia. That the dragons didn't want to separate that connection, no matter how much they loved her.

Altena reached the end of the fields and still, none had chosen her. So, she began making her way back, her head down. I tried to think of what I could do or say, since I knew this had to be a crushing disappointment. And then one of the dragons blocked her path back. At first, I thought it was just an accident, except when she tried to go around, another blocked her. Then another. And then another. When she tried to go back, even run into the nearby forests, they blocked her, keeping her in the field. I almost called for my Hagan, since the only way to break through a group of dragons safely was with another dragon. And that was soon proven true, but not by my Hagan.

A dragon with multicolored (red and green, with green on the muzzle and claws slowly bleeding into red on the body) scales, a highly unusual coloring and one I knew wasn't in the breeding herd, flew down and landed right in front of Altena. A mangled deer's corpse was in one claw, but she (the size hinting female) set it to the side and actually wiped the blood off her claw and muzzle before hunkering down to look Altena right in the eye. After a moment, she crooned and licked Altena's cheek, showing silver-tinted teeth.

I realized a few things right then. One, the dragons blocked Altena because they knew there were only three walks, and they wanted to be certain Altena and her dragon did not miss each other (again). Two, like Arion's, Altena's dragon was both wild and a firebreather. Three, something very wrong was going on, and the dragons knew it.

There was a storm brewing on the horizon. I wondered where the floods would be.

Just as I had with Arion, I gave Altena her first few flying lessons. However, afterwards, I was stuck going to Belhalla because it was time for 'renegotiations' for the treaty or whatever nonsense there was. It was something I didn't want to do, but knew I had to, so I had to deal with the long trip, the awful smelling halls of the castle, and word-fencing with Arvis while pretend to drink the tea he served. I had no idea why that man had an obsession with tea. Maybe it was just something with Grannvale in general or something. But I felt like I needed to scrape my tongue to get the taste out of my mouth. It was a relief when we were done for the day. It let me go do something that was probably long overdue, and do it in a manner that no one would suspect anything about it.

"Wow, it smells better here than it does upstairs," I drawled, my voice bouncing off the walls of the crypt. It was also cool, though not a 'damp' cool. The lack of dust showed that someone cleaned here regularly. "Let's see… probably a more recent ones…" I walked through the lines of graves, reading the names, and as I'd guessed, I found it quickly and not just because of it being close. Alicia's grave was one of the few graves here covered with flowers and incense. "Still can't believe you held on as long as you did. But spite is a hell of a motivator and you seemed like the stubborn sort." I fished out the trinkets from my pocket, setting them carefully among the flowers. "Arion carved you another dragon. As you can see, he got a lot better. Altena doesn't remember you, but she insisted on sewing a charm. She's not very good, but she did her best. Hannibal insisted on the gem fragment. It's a dragon's eye that broke." I, of course, didn't bring anything to leave. It felt silly. It felt silly to babble at a stone as well. But I had promised Arion, who wanted to give her a new carved token as extra thanks, so here I was. "...They're doing fine. Surprisingly so, really." And that was the extent of my social graces, especially for ghosts.

So, I left abruptly, grumbling over how ridiculous all of that was. Swore I heard laughter following me, and thought it might've been her ghost. Wouldn't surprise me if her ghost lingered here. But if it was, that wasn't my concern. Instead, I headed out to the gardens for some fresh air, the only bit of fresh air in the entire damn city, and quickly saw I wasn't the only taking refuge here. A young boy with long red hair sat on a nearby bench and carefully read through a thick book, uncaring of the world around him. Or so I thought. When I stepped closer, he glanced up curiously, and I saw the boy had heterochromia, a red left eye and a blue right eye. And they burned. Unlike most of the people here in Belhalla, his eyes burned with a fierce, defiant fire. And I recognized that fire, even though I had only seen it once before. It was the same fire that had been in Alicia's eyes when she'd treated me. I remembered vaguely hearing that her son, Arvis's nephew, had been brought to Belhalla a few years ago…

"Seems I interrupted you," I said, nodding in greeting. The boy just continued staring at me, studying me curiously. "You are…?"

"Conall," he answered. I'd been right. This was her son. "Prince Conall, if we must be formal, but it's much too nice a day for that." He brushed his hair behind his ear, showing that unlike most, he wore two different earrings as well. A dangling ruby and either a ruby or garnet in the other. But it was his bracelet, just a little big for him, that held my attention. The red dragon's eye gem glittered in the sun, showing it was exactly what I thought it was. The bracelet I had given Alicia. "You out here to avoid suffocation by incense and scented candles? They're using the strong ones today."

"Take it you don't like them either."

"I got used to the milder ones. They aren't so bad. But these ones are." He marked his page in his book, and closed it. "I think they're trying to cover up something. It's not working."

"No, it's not." And I could appreciate straightforwardness in a place like this. "What are you reading there?"

"A book." He grinned, and I thought of how he'd get along great with Altena, if they didn't strangle each other first. "It's one of my textbooks. Anatomy and physiology."

"That's an unusual topic."

"It's for class. I'm at the university here, and Arvis and Diadora let me pick my own studies." Just the names. Interesting. "I'm thinking about being a healer, though, like Mom."

"Are you now?" I supposed it made sense. But I thought of what Alicia no doubt suffered. I had no regrets over my choices, save the fear of Altena hating me, but at the same time, I was aware of what she had endured. Given that she saved my life, and kept Altena's location a secret all the way up to her death… it felt wrong to not make sure her son knew what he was getting into, if he picked the same path as her. "You know who I am, yes?"

"Travant, king of Thracia, Dain Major, instigator of the Yied Massacre, one of the many Thracia Dragon Knights who sells their blood for coin to save their people from starvation." He rattled it off easily, and… well, it seemed that despite what Hannibal liked to claim, I wasn't the only royal who didn't have a speck of tact. "You killed Ethlyn and Quan. I didn't know them, but I know they were friends of my parents. Aideen broke down sobbing when she learned. It's one of my first memories."

"You're a blunt one, aren't you?"

"Diadora tried to teach me how to be more tactful. It failed. Very sad." He spoke with perfect dryness, and I had to fight to keep from grinning. After hours of dealing with Arvis, it was refreshing to deal with such bluntness. "Besides, was any of it wrong? I'm sorry if it was."

"No, no, you're correct." I wondered if there was a way I could drag him to Thracia with me. I wanted to see Hannibal's reaction to him. "Now, with that established, do you know the bracelet you wear?"

"It's… my mom's?" He brought up his hand for emphasis, the gem catching more of the light and sparkling more. "If you mean the gem, I don't know it. I've been trying to look it up, but I haven't found anything."

"It's dragon's eye, that gem." I spoke slowly, wondering if I left some hints, he'd piece things together. "It's only found in Thracia, and we believe that those who wear one are protected by dragons. Killing them is bad luck."

"Sounds problematic for a mercenary."

"It is, which is why we keep them close."

"Makes sense." He suddenly frowned, catching the oddity. "Wait, but then why does Mom have one?"

"Why, indeed?"

I told him. I explained it all, about how his mother had saved my life, despite how I even got the scar and despite knowing I could kill her friends again. It was my usual blunt way, and I could imagine the glowers Hannibal would've given me, but it seemed the most effective. Though, I'd admit that my gradually-getting-soft heart did feel a bit bad about shaking him so. Just a bit. But he had to know. I made sure Coirpre knew, and it felt wrong to not make sure Conall knew as well.

I checked on him later, from a distance, watching him play with Julius and Julia. They were heading into the market, and the twin royals were arguing over which one Conall would carry. Amusingly, they each argued for the other, with Conall laughing at them both. He seemed well enough. We'd see how that would hold, I supposed.

Well, let it never be said that I couldn't be surprised. Conall's eventual response to my question was to demand to visit Thracia. He wanted to see the land I loved, the land I made my choices for. I agreed, both because I thought such audaciousness should be encourage and… something he said reminded me that he had a lot in common with Altena. And when… when Altena learned the truth, that commonality might ensure she had someone to lean on when everything was confusing. She'd need that. I was sure of it. And, also, as I told Diadora, I just had a bad feeling. Making sure there were strong bonds… that Arion and Altena had strong bonds outside of Thracia… it might make a difference.

"Whoa… Thracia's so pretty…" Conall gasped, grinning. He'd said the same thing practically every day since we crossed the border. A Warp Circle, or whatever the thing was called, had been established, but it couldn't transport the dragons, so we flew. "You know… given how many times Bloom has called you 'hyenas', I expected your home to look more like their habitats. Though the books do mention they've got a pretty wide variety."

"Did you now?" I replied, laughing a little. It didn't surprise me that Bloom would hate me as much as I hated him. "Disappointed?"

"No way. I'm not sure why he calls you 'hyenas' anyway. Or why that would be an insult."

"You don't think 'hyena' is an insult?"

"Well, I'm not sure why any animal would be an insult. They're amazing!" He twisted to look up at me better, face chapped from the wind. But he didn't care. "But the spotted hyena, for instance, is a super successful hunter, is very adaptable, can recognize distant relatives in their groups, are able to cooperate to solve problems… they're cool! Oh, and they're matriarchal as well." He paused, and tilted his head. "You're not matriarchal or anything, right?"

"Unlike most countries, inheritance is based on first-born, not gender." Mostly because 'only children' were very common and because we had a higher death rate than the other countries. It was just something that got established for convenience. "That was an interesting transition."

"It's interesting!" He sulked a bit. "And anyway, they're very cunning. So, I don't know. It seems like it's a compliment to me."

"Perhaps it is because they are beasts."

"Humans ambush and betray each other for their goals, and kill people just for being in the way, even children." He became very solemn. "They put on a nice face to lure people into traps, smile and laugh with someone while aiming a dagger for their heart. How is that better? Animals rarely attack except the protect something or for food, after all."

"That's a philosophical discussion, which I hate, so I have no answer for you." And luckily for me, the castle was in sight, so there was a convenient distraction. "There's where we'll be staying, by the way."

"Whoa, it's huge!" And Conall was right back to being an excited kid. "Are those statues of dragons on the side? Amazing!"

He continued babbling questions about what he could see, and we slowly landed in the main courtyard, where servants were waiting to assist with luggage and tending to the dragons. Hannibal, of course, was here waiting for me, and the complete exasperation on his face when he saw Conall was hilarious.

"My king, why is there a child?" Hannibal asked, tone the perfect mix of politeness and dryness. No doubt he was trying to think of scenarios, each one more elaborate than the last, which almost made me burst into laughter. "You left for a diplomatic thing, yes? Do we have a hostage because you instigated a war?"

"You think I'd be this relaxed if I was?" I asked, matching his dryness with my own. Though, I had to admit that I was surprised Arvis and Diadora didn't bring up that worry. Especially Arvis, since he knew I was just waiting for a weakness. "Regardless, Hannibal, this is Prince Conall, Alicia's son. Prince Conall, this is Hannibal, the Shield of Thracia." I rested a hand on Conall's shoulder, and he bowed before looking away at the castle, still fascinated by it. "He's going to stay with us for a few months."

"And why, pray tell, is that?"

"I wanted to see what Travant has done with the life Mom saved besides kill her friends," Conall explained bluntly, more interested in the castle than the conversation. Hannibal's look of horror at the tactlessness was just as beautiful as I could've hoped. "That's going to be hard to climb."

"Climb?" I asked, curious. He was still looking at the castle, after all. "Why would you want to climb the castle?"

"To give Diadora a heart attack when she comes to pick me up. And be the bad example for Julius and Julia."

"Who's the good example?"

"Cyas." Twin dragon cries caught our attention and Conall gasped. "Oh wow…"

"I take it Altena and Arion took Coirpre for a flight?" I asked Hannibal, smiling proudly as Arion and Altena guided their dragons down in perfect sync. Altena was unbalanced slightly by the landing, but no worse than anyone else with her amount of training and it could've been because she was the one who had Coirpre. "How did their training go while I was away?"

"Went just fine," Hannibal answered. Conall immediately raced over to the group, examining Lori's teeth when she crooned at Arion. "Seriously, though, what are you plotting?"

"Must I always plot?"

"If you're breathing, my king, then you're plotting. You've been plotting since we were in diapers, starting with escaping the cradle." He gave me the dirtiest look, and I finally let myself snicker. "Also, did you teach him tact or something? He's almost as bad as you."

"I have nothing to do with this, save agreeing to his request."

"Again, I don't believe you."

"I'm afraid I can't answer that question on draconic anatomy," I heard Arion say. From what I saw, Conall was peering into Lori's mouth, completely unafraid of the sharp teeth, with Arion watching closely, just in case his dragon decided to rescind her permission abruptly. Altena and Coirpre watched, with Coirpre hiding a bit behind Altena, and Altena frowning. I wondered if there had even been introductions. "However, I'm sure there's a book in the library."

"Library?" Conall repeated, his eyes lighting up. He stepped back from Lori and bowed to her. "My thanks, gentle lady, for letting me stare at your teeth and learn more about you and your kind." He then focused completely on Arion. "Where's the library?"

"Ah, this way." Arion made to head inside the castle, but Conall seized his arm and dragged him along. Whatever answers Conall wanted, he was very eager about it, and still had a child's impatience. Or he was desperate to find an answer to my question, and thus, to learn all he could. "Whoa!"

"Hey, boy! You can't just arrive and steal Arion!" Altena yelled, chasing after them. Coirpre lingered awkwardly for a moment before bowing to us and following. "You have to at least introduce yourself first!"

"Why? Do you need the name of the person you'll duel for the dashing prince?" Conall retorted instantly, with a grin. Even though they were quickly heading inside, I still caught Arion's sudden blush. "Because books."

"Who needs a duel when I have Ethniu?" Altena rolled her eyes. "Duels are overrated anyway."

"They are, so I'd just set your hair on fire or something first."

"You little brat!"

"You're really easy to tease."

"Hey!"

"Well, things are going to be lively for a while," I laughed, watching them all leave. Hannibal facepalmed before glowering at me. "Look, this was actually not my idea." I certainly took advantage of it, yes, but for once, things weren't my fault.

"I don't believe you," he deadpanned. Then he sighed, back to facepalming. With both hands, at that. Ethniu and Lori flew off, no doubt to head to the fields with the other dragons. "I was hoping for some quiet."

"Let them have fun, Hannibal." I had meant for it to be still laughing, but I thought again of my reasons for agreeing, so my voice dropped to a whisper. Hannibal's eyes narrowed, noting the change. "I think... there's a storm on the horizon."

"A bloody one." He nodded, understanding completely. Of course he did. We'd known each other far too long. "I'm going to strengthen patrols. If anyone asks, we'll say it's because we've an Imperial prince here."

"I leave it to you."

I chuckled as I looked through the reports, noticing that there were some complaints from the servants because of the children. Not all that unusual. Arion was a quiet, polite, and well behaved young man, with the awkwardness that came from just coming of age and thus, led him to not know how to stop his friends from doing unadvised things. Coirpre was a shy and gentle boy, with a quiet stubborness that let him see things through, even if they were silly or stupid things. Altena, of course, was a bundle of energy, as she always had been, and though she did do her best to not make more work for everyone, she still had a few years of maturing before one could call her 'calm'. So, complaints were common, but there were more now. Because of Conall.

Conall was fiery and bright much like Altena, and both of them seemed to thrive off competing with each other. It seemed odd, based on how he'd been when I first saw him and how he'd been around Julius and Julia, but perhaps this was simply him enjoying not being the 'older and responsible' one. Whatever the reason, it led to quite a few more pranks, so I did have to at least attempt to scold. And tell Hannibal so that it could be done properly, because I was just glad the children were smiling. There had been more smiles in Thracia these past few years, and it reminded me of the reason why I fought so hard.

"Your bear really seems familiar, but I can't think of where." Conall's voice drifted out of Altena's room and since the door was open, I peeked inside to see both were sitting on Altena's bed, with the stuffed bear Alicia gave Altena long ago tucked in her lap, and Conall holding a stuffed-dog to his chest. "Maybe I've just seen something similar in the market or something," he continued, poking its cheek. Altena playfully made it batt Conall's hand with its 'paw'. "Anyway, it's adorable. You've had it a while."

"As long as I can remember," Altena confirmed, giggling. She smiled warmly at the stuffed-bear, playing with its arms. "Lord Father says that my aunt gave it to me. I wish I had memories of her. Whenever I try to think of her, I get an… well, it's not an memory, but an…"

"Impression. That's what I call them." Conall hugged his stuffed-dog closer to his chest. "My Dad died during the Battle of Belhalla, and my mom died before I could see her again, so all I have are impressions. Not quite memories, but things you know are them. Like how Dad would sing Riona and me lullabies, and Mom always smelled of medicinal herbs."

"I like that word, and it certainly fits. I've the same for my birth parents, and… I think a few others, probably friends of theirs." Altena closed her eyes, thinking. "For my aunt, I get 'warmth' and an herbal smell. My mother had a bell-like laugh, rising and falling, and my father had a strong presence. You could just tell whenever he was in the room."

"So, you lost your parents young?"

"Yep. Gran 761, the same year where bunches of people died. So, it's been a bit over ten years now." Altena opened her eyes and smiled. "Lord Father found me near a battlefield and brought me here for safety. And so, I've remained. I do wish I knew a bit more about my past, though."

"Why?"

"Mostly so that I can ask why I was near a battle in the first place."

"Mmm… maybe they just thought it would be safe and got ambushed?" Conall shrugged and shifted so that he was leaning against the wall. Altena preferred her bed to be tucked into the back corner. "Lots of battles happened then, and a lot of things changed, right?"

"That's true. I'd be willing to bet that's what happened to the little princess lost during the Yied Massacre." Altena suddenly scowled. "I hate what the merchants say, though. Lord Father would never attack a child. Her parents should've not brought her to the desert in the first place!"

"Yeah, I imagine Ethlyn and Quan were very surprised by an ambush in the desert."

"Seems like an obvious place to attack horses. But I guess we're looking in hindsight. But it does get annoying that it gets vilified, and the Battle of Belhalla..." She shrugged and suddenly frowned. Which was good because I wasn't quite sure how to deal with eavesdropping on all of that. "Wait, hold on. You said your father died during the Battle of Belhalla. But the one who did that was…"

"Yes, I'm being raised by the people who killed my parents and their friends." Conall's voice became very, very dry. "It's the absolute greatest."

"That sounds awkward. I can't even imagine being raised by my parents' murderers." Altena smiled sympathetically, and I had to bite back a laugh at the sheer… well, I was pretty sure this counted as 'irony'. "Is that why you don't call your aunt and uncle… well…"

"Yeah." Conall played a bit with his stuffed-dog. "I will admit that I like Diadora. Arvis is… way more complicated. But I can see the good he's doing for the people. Even if he's a little too insistent that he knows best."

"Why would you think otherwise?"

"Mostly because… um…" He hesitated, strangely, and half-hid behind his toy. "Let's just go with 'feeling'. I guess."

"Okay?" Altena frowned, and I had to admit to being curious. "That sounds suspicious, you know."

"It's knowledge that could hurt Diadora. And I won't hurt her. I'll drive her insane and give her heart attacks, but I won't hurt her. Even if things are complicated, I do love my aunt." He suddenly looked very serious. "But if you tell her that, I'm going to deny I ever said it. It's complicated."

"You use that word a lot."

"My parents got slaughtered alongside their friends, my family is in hiding, and I got kidnapped and dragged across the desert to be raised by the people who are responsible for it all." With every word, Conall's expression got more and more impassive and his words became dryer and dryer. "My whole life is complicated."

"Okay, point. But go with some synonyms or something."

"Labryinthine?"

"Is that even a word?"

"I have no idea, actually."

I left then, deciding that I could scold later, when they weren't being quiet and having a good conversation. Besides, the guilt was gnawing at me again, and the fear of Altena hating me, and I knew Altena would pick up on both and switch the conversation to that. And then there was what Conall said. Knowledge that could hurt an Empress? That was a very interesting thing to know… and to look into. Another card to have up the sleeve, just in case. She was kind and she was deserving of her title, but there might be a time Thracia needed me to have that card. So, I'd find it. That was all there was to it.

A few days after that overheard conversation, I saw something that confused and frightened me. While I was working in my office, I saw Hannibal run past. Except Hannibal rarely ran. He hated running, mostly because he was used to the heavy armor that clanged horribly and threatened to deafen you if you ran. So, if he was running… typically, that meant something was wrong. So, I looked out my window, wondering if I could see just what was going on, and I saw Coirpre in the garden. Not usual, but the lynx bearing down on him was. And it confused the living hell out of me because wild animals rarely came near. The dragons scared them away.

But neither here nor there. I had my answer for why Hannibal was running, and so, I promptly went after him. He had a headstart, so it took me a bit to catch up, and by then, we made it to the gardens. Just as the lynx rushed and leapt for Coirpre. Hannibal yelled something, as if that would stop the lynx and save Coirpre, but something else did. Save Coirpre, I mean. It took a couple of blinks to figure out what had happened, because it had been a blur of motion, but I soon figured it out. After all, Arion, who hadn't been within sight, was suddenly there with Coirpre in his arms a short distance away from where the lynx was. Arion had managed to snatch Coirpre up in time, but it was hard to move quickly while carrying a child, and the lynx was preparing to leap again…!

"Leave them alone!" And then there was Altena, who caught the lynx as it leapt and threw it a good distance away. "Don't you touch them, cat!" she snapped, standing protectively in front of Arion and Coirpre. Coirpre was shaking and clinging to Arion, looking near tears, while Arion shifted to better shield him. "I won't forgive you for hurting them!" The lynx, however, regained its footing, and snarled, preparing to attack yet again. "Yeah, come on, you little…"

"Wait a moment!" Conall rushed up then, and, in complete defiance to all sense, actually approached the growling, snarling lynx. "Easy, proud lady…" he murmured, speaking gently. The lynx focused on him, but surprisingly didn't attack him. "You are fierce and not one to attack without reason. What reason did we give?" The lynx's eyes darted to something behind Coirpre and Arion, still not attacking. For some reason. "Wait, given the time of year…" Conall frowned and then looked to Coirpre. Ignoring the snarling lynx who really should've bitten his arm off by now. "I can't think of a way to say this without sounding accusatory and I'm sorry, but is one of her babies behind you?"

"W-well, th-there's a wounded animal hiding in the bushes…" Coirpre explained, pointing to the shrubs behind him. By this point, Hannibal and I had made it to the courtyard, but both of us were more than a little frozen by the weird series of events. "I was trying to get to it and… and…"

"Basically, the lynx is doing the same thing Altena did. Good. I was afraid we were dealing with rabies and that is kiiiiinda bad. Fatal bad. Super fatal bad." Conall looked to Arion and Altena. "I can probably keep her calm? Maybe?"

"I'll stay near you, just in case," Altena declared firmly, moving to stand partially in front of Conall. The lynx growled, and Altena glared right on back. "Go ahead and try. You scared Coirpre and hurt Arion. I'll throw your ass into the forest, cat."

"Well, while Altena is attempting to insult a wild animal, I think I'll get the kitten," Arion murmured, crouching down to crawl underneath. Coirpre was sniffling, desperately trying to keep from crying. "Easy, Coirpre. You're not at fault here."

"Yeah, the cat is."

"The lynx saw weird creature near her crying baby," Conall pointed out, almost sulkily. He even scowled when Altena glowered at him. "It's definitely not Coirpre's fault, but if you're going to get mad at her for this, you should be mad at yourself. Since, you know, you did the same thing."

"Are you saying I'm the same as the cat?" Altena asked, sounding offended. Arion, meanwhile, crawled under the bush Coirpre indicated, and Coirpre picked up a healing staff that must've fallen before I saw Hannibal running. "Seriously?"

"Well, if it looks like a lynx and acts like a lynx…"

"Seriously?!" Altena looked ready to hit Conall, but instead, she focused on the lynx, who was back to growling. "That better just be you being you and not you being insulted at being compared to me."

"Easy, easy, fierce one." Conall brought his hand up and looked the lynx right in the eye. "We are helping. Your little one is trapped and hurting." The lynx growled again, but slunk back, her eyes darting to Altena. "I thank you, dear lady."

"How the hell are you doing that anyway?"

"You just have to be respectful." He grinned up at her. "See how she's watching you more than me? I think she is wary of being thrown again, though."

"Good."

"Got the kitten," Arion called, wriggling out from under the bush. He had numerous scrapes, scratches, and what looked to be bite wounds on his arms, hands, and face. And a squirming, whimpering, fuzzy kitten-lynx in his arms. "Poor thing was pinned."

"I honestly don't know if I should treat you or it first," Coirpre whispered, looking between both of them. But after a moment, he crouched down to heal up the kitten. In no time at all, it was perfectly healthy again. "There we are."

"Good." Arion let the kitten down, and it immediately bolted to the lynx. "Try not to get caught again!" Silence fell as the lynx left with its kitten, and Coirpre immediately began tending to Arion's wounds. "Well, that was…"

"That was amazing, Arion!" Conall praised, his eyes sparkling. He even bounced a bit from excitement. "When I saw what was going on, I was sure no one would get there in time, but you were like the wind!"

"It was pretty cool," Altena agreed with a bright and warm smile. Arion coughed and squirmed, ducking his head while Coirpre tended to his injuries. "And I know I snarked, but it was neat how you got the lynx to stop attacking."

"Considering how mad she was, I think it only worked because you threw her first. And wow, you threw her far!" Conall grinned. "You're super strong! And Coirpre is super skilled!"

"Isn't he?" Altena giggled, and Coirpre began blushing. "The best healer in Thracia! Or he will be with a bit more training."

"Especially with how quickly he heals. Look at that!"

By that point, Hannibal unfroze and rushed over to hug Coirpre tightly, loosening only when Coirpre insisted on healing Arion more. I walked over a little more slowly, ruffling Arion's hair and hugging Altena before looking at Conall. "I think we're going to keep this from your aunt and uncle," I told him, partially just to joke. "Just because."

"Oh, it's no worse than me smuggling a lion cub out a window and climbing to the roof to play with her when I should've been in class," Conall replied with a bright grin. In light of everything, I just smiled and nodded at the weird string of words. "But I won't tell. Diadora might try to stop me from hiking in the woods again and it's a pain to sneak out."

"Wait, how do you climb to the roof?" Altena asked curiously. She looked at the castle for emphasis. "I mean…"

"I've been trying to figure out a good path up, but if you and Ethniu want to help, I can show you here."

"Sounds like fun! Let's go!"

It was later that the shock of 'holy hell, someone really should have died' made it through with the children. Coirpre cried, Arion and I had a heart to heart about things like that, Altena had a similar talk with Hannibal but was noticeably less shaken than I would've thought, and Conall curled up alone in his room, refusing to talk to anyone about it. Everyone reacted different to situations like that. All you could do was make sure they'd be okay.

"How is Coirpre doing?" I asked about a week or so after the incident with the lynx. Hannibal and I were working on organizing scouting reports and filtering through potential jobs. Arion would have to go on his first one soon, like all dragon knights. Dragon at age 15, come of age at age 16, first job at age 17. "He recovering decently?"

"More or less," Hannibal replied, frowning over something. I noticed it was his frown of 'this is so ridiculous that I cannot decide if laughing or groaning is more appropriate'. "He is hesitant about walking through the gardens alone, but…" Hannibal pointed out the window and I saw how Coirpre and Conall were there, talking about something. "I've noticed Conall is conveniently always free. I think he does it on purpose."

"Probably does. I know that only their training keeps Arion and Altena away from Coirpre." I held out my hand for the paper he was reading, and felt my brain wither while looking it over. "This is basically hiring us to be babysitters. Petsitters. Whatever."

"Should we take it?"

"Small group of those recuperating and able-bodied. Just in case. But for this price, I'd say go for it." I tossed it into the 'accepted' pile. I then tossed the one I'd been reading into the 'rejected pile', really the fire. "I still can't believe no one got seriously hurt. Arion took the worst injuries, and that was from a scared baby lynx."

"It was certainly a unique showing of the blessings their Holy Blood gave." Hannibal chuckled, and I nodded, remembering it now. "Prince Arion's speed, Lady Altena's strength…"

"Od is known for 'skill', yes? Sharper eyes and the like?" I picked up another report, glancing over it before noting that it was typical for this time of year. "Maybe that's why Prince Conall didn't get bit."

"Possibly, but I wonder if it might be something else." Hannibal passed me another potential job, and I set it into the 'accepted' pile. Bandit killing was a fairly typical one for us. "Though there are the 'famous' boons, there are the quieter things, yes? Like how you and Prince Arion can fly far higher than anyone can."

"That is because we are blessed by Skadi of the Mountains." The blessing meant we could just… breathe easier. Even at high altitudes where the air was thin and others had to drop because they were too dizzy. Useful for spying, so long as you wanted only the big picture and not the little details. "You think something like that came about?"

"Well, I'm not sure for Lady Altena or Coirpre. I don't know too many tales there." He balled up one job offer and tossed it into the fire. Meaning it had been something that would've made me lose my temper, and now I was far too curious. "But I remember something an Issachian mercenary once told me."

"When did you fight with an Issachian mercenary?"

"I didn't fight with him, and a good thing. The one I speak of is Galzus."

"Ah." I grimaced and leaned back in my chair to stretch out my neck. A skilled and powerful mercenary with quite a few legends attached to him… he operated mostly in the northern part of the peninsula, but occasionally, his jobs took him close to the border. "Should we be worried?"

"No, of course not. But the thing he told me was interesting." Hannibal smiled, amused by how he was leading the conversation. "Do you know the god who blessed Od?"

"Tiamat, yes?" I frowned, trying to remember the rest. I'd done well in my lessons, but with so few interactions with Isaach, some things just faded away. "Tiamat of…"

"Beasts, your majesty. Tiamat of the Beasts." Hannibal shrugged, and I had to chuckle, catching his meaning now. "That might be why Prince Conall didn't get his face bitten off. Along with Lady Altena throwing the thing."

"Maybe." I looked out the window again, this time noticing Arion and Altena had joined them, and the four were playing something. Or plotting something. Or both. "What I want to know is why they were so close. Animals don't get close enough to get stuck under the shrubbery."

"...Animals have been known to flee when danger is near." Hannibal's eyes were serious, all bits of joking turning to ash like the papers. "I remember when Queen Lorilei… when the attack happened… shortly before, the animals were acting oddly."

"I see." I watched the children from the window for a moment before turning away, thinking. This bad feeling of mine… it just wouldn't go away. I was almost used to it by this point. "Get the patrols even stronger. "I want to know if we've got people in there, or if…"

"I'll handle it at once."

"Thank you, Hannibal. I mean it."

"Always, your majesty. Always."

Author's notes: So, bit of a longer chapter, huh? This is the year Gran 772, and crosses over (briefly) with Chapter 4 of Memoirs of Belhalla. Altena's dragon has been depicted as green (game and one of the cipher cards) and red (two other cipher cards), so I thought I'd just go multicolor for fun. Ethniu is from Irish Mythology, the mother of Lugh. Tiamat is from Babylonian mythology, a primordial goddess associated with creation (being the mother of the first gods) and chaos. She's often identified with images of sea serpents or dragons. Also, for emphasis, don't do what Conall (and Riona) does with wild animals, especially angry wild animals. You will get hurt. Or dead. Either-or. Galzus is a character from FE5, btw