Journal: Tree Climbing
399 V.C. 4th of Avistym

The great thing about Mycen is that he's an old man.

That is, he can't exactly chase me up a tree when I climb one to escape him. Escape isn't the right, more like avoid. The kind of avoid you do when you've got chores you don't want to do.

Except I'd rather sit in this tree for the rest of my life. Is that odd?

Too bad that work doesn't pay. Mycen is insistent on me becoming a soldier, or something like that. Otherwise why would he be so insistent on learning the sword?

I don't get why he constantly demands I practice. I'm already better than all my friends in the village, even some of the village guards.

He's got some motive. I don't have a clue what it is, but I know he has one.

-X-

Chapter 11
Vanguard

"Are we ready?" Alm asked, keeping his voice low.

Lukas cast a sweeping glance over the other soldiers in hiding alongside the duo. "We're ready. General, may I say for one final time—"

"You may not, Lukas," Alm cut off, annoyed. "A leader fights with his soldiers. I will not cower in the back of the army while others fight."

The red knight nodded, his face a picture of displeasure.

"Watch for their signal," Alm said in a carrying whisper.

The Deliverance soldiers hid amongst the tall plants in the forest, just outside of where the Deliverance's main force would meet the traitor Desaix's army.

The clanking of armor drowned out any noise Alm's group made. Whomever was in command didn't know the land, as no scouts had come to search the forest. The traitors would regret that.

"There they are," Lukas whispered, pointing through the trees. Over the hill, sunlight glinted off the armor of Deliverance men and women. They marched with much less regularity than their opponents.

Shouting from Desaix's men began as the preparations to weather the Deliverance's charge. The soldiers on the hill began to shout, their voices raising a cacophony of echoing clamor.

"Draw swords," Alm said, his voice louder and masked by the Deliverance's cries. His steel hissed as he removed the blade from its sheath. Around him, the other soldiers did the same albeit those who carried lances.

The Deliverance charged. Horses lead the army, the few they had. Behind them came the foot troops.

The red clad traitors positioned their armor knights at the front, spears and shields ready to take the brunt of the cavalry charge.

"They're close," Lukas whispered so only Alm could hear. "Stick close to me."

"I don't need protection," growled Alm. He stood up and shouted, "Now!"

As a whole, the entire group of soldiers stood with a roar. Alm ran out of the forest and cut into one of the archers hanging at the back of the army. With him came hundreds of Deliverance soldiers that carved into the line of archers.

"They're flanking us!" shouted someone from the traitors.

The Deliverance charge hit the confused army.

-X-

"We're almost there," whispered Clair. Her hand was wrapped around Alm's, squeezing tightly.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Alm said through a groan. Every flap of Clair's pegasus sent ripples of pain through the arrow wound. "I'm fine."

Clair took a moment to fix Alm with a glare. "No, you're not."

Minutes passed as she ferried Alm from the battlefield. Clair kept talking, but Alm ceased understanding the words. The scene of the crossbow bolt striking his chest was all he saw. He saw Lukas eviscerate the culprit. The blood. His blood, their blood. All red, mixing together with the red armor of the traitors.

Then, he fell.

For a moment, Alm thought Clair had let go of him on the pegasus. But hands lay upon him and his wound. He moved, hovering above the ground on a stretcher.

"Clair?" he croaked.

"I'm here," she said, her hand clasping his.

"Good," Alm said before he lost consciousness.

-X-

"Let me through!"

"He needs rest!"

"I want to see my friend! You don't even know him well. I grew up with him!"

"Gray, calm down."

"No, you don't get to tell me what to do. You didn't have his back. You let him get injured!"

"Gray, Lukas isn't at fault here."

"Just. Let. Me. Through."

And with that delightful serenade, Alm slowly blinked into consciousness. His first breath sputtered into a cough, attracting the attention of the people arguing.

His vision cleared enough to see Gray force his way past Lukas and Clair and run to his side.

"Alm, can you hear me?" Gray spoke fast, his tone laced with worry. His hand clamped on Alm's arm tightly.

"Yeah." Alm's voice finally came through amidst the dry throat.

"I'll fetch some water," Faye said, rushing out of the tent.

"Alm, what do you remember?" Lukas asked, voice stoic amidst the palpable relief in the room.

"Getting shot." Alm tried to sit up, but gasped in agony as his wound throbbed. Why hadn't it been healed? He voiced the question as it came to him.

Clair answered. "The crossbow bolt was poisoned with malicious intent. Faye and the other healers are trying to figure out how to draw the poison out. They didn't want to heal the wound yet, in hopes the tinged blood would drain."

"Lovely," Alm muttered.

Lukas cleared his throat. "Everyone, may I have a moment with Alm? Alone?"

Both Gray and Clair looked like they were about to object until they saw Lukas' expression. It looked pained. Reluctantly, they both stepped out of the tent casting several glances back.

"Alm," Lukas began, "I wanted to thank you."

"For what?" he grunted, trying to turn his body better to see Lukas.

"For taking that arrow for me," Lukas said, his voice neutral.

I did that? His memories were hazy. The battle had been going well and the traitors didn't have a chance. He'd been fighting in the thick of it and…

Alm's mind cleared for a single moment. "I didn't take any arrow for you."

Lukas nodded. "No, but that's the story we'll be telling people. The army would benefit for this improvement to your image. That you're valorous and willing to protect your allies will only make our soldiers fight harder with you at their head."

The knight paused for a moment before continuing. "Alm…your insistence to risk your life boggles my mind. I do not understand your compulsion to get yourself killed."

Alm chuckled dryly. Where was Faye with that water? "I don't expect you to, Lukas."

"That's it? That's all you have to say?" Lukas exchanged the neutral visage for a frown. "You lead the Deliverance. We knew you liked to work alone when we offered the position to you, but I thought that could be overlooked in favor of the benefit you'd bring us. Clearly, I thought wrong. If you die, Alm, you'll hurt this army more than you could imagine."

Alm said nothing.

Lukas stood. "If you have a death wish, Alm, then why did you take the position? It might get you killed easier, but I think you're perfectly capable of doing that on your own."

"I don't have a death wish." Alm's voice almost resonated with conviction, but it fell short.

Lukas noticed. "Perhaps this time in bed while wounded will be good for you to reflect on that." He stepped toward the door. "I'll send the others in. Maybe that will remind you to give a damn about something."

The red knight walked out, leaving Alm alone with the tent to himself.

Author Note: I tried something different for this chapter, though you won't see it. I just didn't look at my chapter plan for this chapter. I just wrote it from what I wanted it to look like in my mind. It was the only way I could make this chapter work.

My New Year's Resolution isn't working out to well. This fic is hard for me to write. I think it has something to do with planning out as much as I did. For me, that takes out a lot of the fun I have with a story. I know it sounds weird, but that's just how I'm wired. I like making it up as I go.

I'd like to point out that I'm shocked that this fic has nearly 10k views. For as little updates I'm giving you all, I really appreciate the love I'm seeing. You're all the best. I'll try to be better in that regard.

On another note, for any of you fans of FE Fates, I recently finished my project detailing the first kills of the Nohrian siblings. It's called Road Taken, Innocence Forsaken. I personally think it's my best writing on this site at the moment, and I highly recommend it to those of you who enjoy my writing.

Writing Tunes: SUPER MARIO CEREMONY -The 30th Anniversary Medley- (Youtube Video)