Chapter 13) Hamill Canyon

We left Caer Pelyn and began the long trek down the mountains, into Jehanna. As we descend, we start noticing little hints of how close to the desert we are. The temperature gradually becomes harsh during the day, and shivering during the evening. The landscape below bleeds from greens and browns to yellows and whites. Jehanna is known as the land of the white dunes, which is where Queen Ismaire gets her 'title' from, and slowly, the landscape changes to reflect that.

According to Joshua, the fact that Queen Ismaire's 'title' describes her land and not herself is a way to set her apart from her husband, King Raphael. She rules with grace and honor, but she is not of the royal line. She rules 'in place' of her son, and her title is a reflection of that. I think that's rather sad, but Joshua says it's simply tradition. Of course, he says it with a growl, so I know it bothers him too.

We're almost in Jehanna. It's surprising, really. With everything that's happened, I almost expected we'd never make it. But we did. We're here. All of those traps, and yet, we were still here. Maybe there was something to this after all. Or not.

"This is amazing!" Eirika laughed as the wind whipped past. She held onto me a little tighter as Brynhildr made a fast turn. "This is way more fun when you're not dealing with an injured person!"

"Think we should just offer this to people who finish their chores?" I half-joked, laughing as well. Brynhildr, however, growled in protest. "Fine, fine, only those you like, Brynhildr."

"Like me!" Eirika giggled, and leaned to the side. "Wow, all the colors…"

"Don't lean too far. I guarantee you won't like a freefall!" That said, I had to be a little mischievous and had Brynhildr make another sharp turn to startle Eirika. She shrieked and I laughed. "See?"

"Mean!" Still, she was laughing again before long. "Gods, everything is just so beautiful up here. All this color, all this vibrancy!"

"Well, there's not all that much color ahead. Sort of." We were in the mountains where the last of the greens bled into the distant white sands of Jehanna, after all. "But I agree. The view from above is wonderful."

As soon as we reached grasslands and the last of the mountains, thus marking when we were technically within Jehanna's borders, our weary camp decided to stop and rest. Seizing my chance, since I wasn't sure how busy we'd be in the future, I secured permission from Seth to go on that promised flight with Eirika. Both of us enjoyed ourselves immensely, and despite my teasing, my eyes kept falling onto the desert sands. I couldn't help it or the smile that crawled onto my face. It was ridiculous, given how serious things were, but I couldn't deny how happy I was to finally see Mom's homeland. I couldn't deny feeling a little excited at seeing the home Joshua loved so much. If only circumstances were better... then I could've really enjoyed it.

"Wow, Jehanna is pretty…" Eirika breathed. She leaned forward, resting her chin on my shoulder, and took in the view. "This is my first time seeing it. Have you been before?"

"No, I haven't," I replied. I pulled the reins to tell Brynhildr to slow down, mostly so that we could linger a bit over the view. "Mom talked about maybe making a trip to visit Queen Ismaire, but it never happened. They were friends, you see. Former mercenary partners."

"But your mom moved to Renais?"

"Yeah, to marry and live with Dad. When he died, she chose to remain, because of Monica and me. Renais is an easier country to raise children, particularly when you're missing an eye."

"Huh. So, if things had gone a little differently, you'd live in Jehanna, as a… Jehanna does have nobility, right? They have a king and queen."

"They do, yes. The only potential 'difference' is that famous mercenaries are given just as much, if not more, respect as a noble. Don't be surprised if people start calling Gerik 'lord' or something if we visit villages, or if they start staring in awe. Famous mercenaries bring in a lot of money to Jehanna, which means they help feed everyone, so they're local heroes."

"Something tells me Gerik hates that."

"Gerik likes to pretend he's nothing special."

"Unless it's his group."

"Unless it's his group. He can accept being special to them."

"Of course. They're his family." Eirika giggled again, and she leaned back and to the side to look over the scenery. "I've heard all sorts of horror stories about Jehanna. Based on that, I always thought it was a dismal place. But it's really beautiful, isn't it? Harsh, but beautiful."

"Let's see if you and I agree with that after a day of marching through!" Still, I had to agree. Just by sight alone, I could see why Joshua loved it so. I knew I'd understand even more when I interacted with the people. Maybe. "That's going to be fun. It's already scorching and we're not quite in the thick of the desert yet."

"Yeah, we'll have to change our marching pattern, I think." Eirika hummed in thought and leaned forward again to rest her cheek on my shoulder. "We probably need to get back, though. I think we've been gone longer than we told Seth."

"Probably." I sighed, but laughed when Brynhildr growled a protest. "You can complain to Seth, sweetie. He's only trying to keep everyone safe."

"I'd pay to see that argument. I think Seth would still win, though."

"Does Seth ever lose?"

"Not where people can see. He takes his duties very seriously." Eirika scrunched up her face. "Very. Seriously. Maybe I should order him to take relaxation lessons."

"Hilarious as that would be, I'm not sure we have the time." I might've said more, but Brynhildr growled and tensed under me. She'd sensed/heard something. "Oh, great. Eirika, hang on."

Brynhildr went even higher, and Eirika winced behind me, already feeling the effects of the thinned air. I didn't, though, and I narrowed my eyes, as Brynhildr flew over the path we'd planned on taking to Jehanna. Large mountains and thinning forests formed a bottleneck path, with a colored sign marking the start of one of Jehanna's roads. But forts, both permanent and temporary, dotted the landscape, and soldiers wearing Grado-red armor patrolled. I almost did a count, but decided it didn't matter. They easily outnumbered us and, more importantly, unless we found another path, we'd have to march straight at them.

"Oh, how lovely," Eirika groaned. Her voice was thin and breathy. "We're marching right for, guess what, another trap."

"I wonder if we should be flattered by the amount of effort they're putting into our little group," I replied, voice as dry as possible. I debated seeing if I could snipe, but decided against it. I didn't want them moving before we informed the others. "Then again, unless they get you and Ephraim, then they can't get the Sacred Stone of Renais, right?"

"Well, our bracelets, but otherwise, yes. I suppose that would explain the effort."

"You'd think they'd just dig through Renais Castle's floors or something at this point. I mean; hidden rooms can be found through keys or explosions, right?"

"I'd rather not think of them making literal holes in my home, thank you. But, well, maybe it's a magic thing. I'll ask Saleh. He was going to explain Val… something to me anyway."

"Valega. It's what I at least attempt to do at night nowadays." And truthfully, it was very soothing. I found it so much easier to fall asleep when I did it.

"Yes, that. I was curious, and I accidentally interrupted Saleh when he was practicing it, so he promised to tell me about it." She sighed. "We need to really get back now."

"Try to hold on. I'm going to go higher to make sure they can't see us."

Eirika whimpered, but nodded. I kept a close ear on her breathing as Brynhildr went higher and arced around towards our camp. Thankfully, for her health, we weren't far, especially by flight, but when we landed, I immediately escorted her to Moulder to get checked over. From there, I found Innes and gave my report on what we saw. That's when the chaos hit. Everyone ran this way and that, gathering their weapons and filling their packs with useful things. Vanessa went off to get numbers and the like, since she was actually trained for such things. Innes, Ephraim, and Seth conferred based on what they did know, and fairly quickly, they pulled Gerik into the strategy meeting.

I kept my distance and tuned everyone out, since I didn't really have anything to do. My weapons were with Brynhildr and my pack was already filled with spare medicines and the like; Seth refused to let Eirika and me off for our flight until I had. Everyone was running around so much that I wasn't sure how to approach and ask if they needed help, and it wasn't as if I had any strategic advice. Sure, the thought of 'poisons' crossed my mind, but the time and effort it would take to actually do that… it would take just as long as climbing over the mountains and avoiding them all together. Plus, I wasn't certain if… if I could do something like that. So, I kept to the side, waiting until things calmed, absently tightening my gauntlets while I mentally checked over what was in my packs.

A hug, though, startled me, and I half-turned to see it was Tethys, smiling slyly. And that smile gave me a very bad feeling. "Prince Innes, forgive me, but this is exactly what my specialty is," she was explaining. "We've all decided that transporting all of us, and our supplies, via would simply take too long and be far too much danger and there is no other path we can safely trek. I agree that I should not go alone, of course, so I see no reason why I cannot pick who comes with me."

"Your recommendations are… odd," Innes replied. He held himself strangely stiffly. Ephraim was oddly tense. Seth was, surprisingly, facepalming. I wondered what the hell was going on, to make them all act like this. "Joshua…"

"Joshua knows how to play along, is a fantastic improviser, is noticeably Jehannan, and yet, not someone most would recognize on sight, unlike Gerik or Seth." Tethys's tone was perfectly light. I, however, had the urge to laugh, because of that last thing. "He'd be an excellent guard for me."

"And Emma?"

"Again, Emma looks Jehannan, is not someone most would recognize on sight unlike, and if worse comes to worse, she can just shout for Brynhildr to cause a ruckus." Tethys giggled and tightened her hug on me. I was frozen, stunned by the realization of just what was going on now. "Oh, if you're worried about her ability to act, you shouldn't. As Seth there can confirm, she got all the supplies for Eirika's little group in Serafew, despite Grado soldiers actively looking for her, and I was the only one who ever caught on. So…!~" She kissed my cheek, and laughed. "I'm going to take her and Joshua along for this infiltration mission, okay? No protesting. We need to think of a story quickly."

Of all the things I expected to bite me in the ass, I had to admit that Serafew wasn't one. Oh gods, what did I get myself into?

The plan was strangely simple and, best of all, I had a very minimal role. Aside from being the designated emergency 'screw everything and run the hell away' person, I would pretend to be a newbie mercenary for Gerik's group, training with Tethys, with Joshua helping out because war made traveling uncomfortable, especially for two women. I was also pretending to be a half-Frelian, half-Jehannan who moved to Jehanna shortly before the war began, mostly to explain away the clothing. Simple. Perfectly simple, easy to remember. So, of course, we hit a complication fairly quickly; these people were very paranoid and had arrows trained on us as soon as we got within sight. That said, we got a blessing not long after that, so fast that my neck hurt from the whiplash. Joshua, it turned out, actually knew the leader of the soldiers. Will wonders never cease.

"When the hell did you go all proper and become a soldier, Aias?" Joshua laughed, waving to the leader. He was probably the only person I knew who could be so cheerful with fifty arrows aimed at them while wearing absolutely no armor. He made no effort to shield himself, unlike Tethys and me. I had shifted over Tethys since I at least still wore a chest plate, a different one than normal, and refused to move. Tethys, as per usual, wore no armor. "I see a cane. That leg wound didn't heal right, did it?"

"It healed better than expected, but ultimately, I did acquire a limp," the leader said. He had a stoic face, and a quiet voice, and everything about him from his posture to his clothes to the cane he used appeared strict and no-nonsense. But something about him seemed happy to see Joshua. The eyes, perhaps. They seemed softer, warmer. "What are you doing on the outskirts of Jehanna? Last I heard, you disappeared somewhere around Serafew."

"My contract ran out, though if you heard from Calleach, he probably conveniently forgot. But I got my payment and left. I've no purpose in a war like this." Joshua shrugged, and I tried to not react to the most lies I had ever heard Joshua tell in one sitting. That wasn't, you know, purposely absurd. "Helping pretty Tethys here train up a newbie. This is Emily, though we like to call her 'Emm' or 'Emma' depending."

"Tethys? Of the Desert Tiger's group?" Aias's eyes narrowed, but he gestured and the archers stood down. "I heard he's with Prince Innes."

"Is he now?" Tethys asked, amused. She smiled sweetly and slowly, and stepped out of my protective grip. I just thanked our lucky stars that we used Brynhildr to swoop around and come from their southern side. Supplies and heavy armor was too much to move quickly, but three people who weren't all that heavy? Easy as pie. "Well, I knew he went out on a contract, but I didn't get to see what it was. Marisa left too, so here I am, teaching the pretty new one."

"Ah, the life of a mercenary," Aias replied, voice somewhat sympathetic. "I almost miss the excitement that comes with unexpected jobs." He shrugged and nodded to the camp proper. "Well, you might as well rest for a while. Joshua, have you three eaten?"

"We have, but I won't say 'no' to any alcohol you have," Joshua laughed. He glanced at Tethys and a knowing look passed between them. It was different than the initial plan, but this might actually work better. Lucky red hair and eyes struck again, it seemed. "Say, Tethys, you want to dance for these guys? I'm sure they could use the cheering up."

"Certainly!" Tethys laughed. She subtly nudged me towards Joshua, and I understood immediately. I'd stick with him, while Tethys danced around, literally and figuratively. After all, if we got into trouble, it would be easier for us if I stayed in one place for her to find. "Is that okay, sir?"

"I'm sure it's fine!" Joshua winked and Aias actually rolled his eyes. "Come on. I know you don't think much of it, but your soldiers will. Trust me." He walked over and slung an arm around Aias's shoulders. "So, about that alcohol… please tell me you have beer. I've spent the past couple of hours wishing for a good cup."

Carefully and easily, surprisingly so, Joshua and I joined Aias by the central fire while Tethys flirted, danced, and generally cheered up the soldiers. I wondered at how easily this was going, but it soon became clear why. Tethys really was cheering them up, Joshua's friendliness made Aias drop his guard, we came from the south, kept Brynhildr far out of sight but still within earshot, and the only thing 'foreign' was my clothes. He bought the story, and so, treated us as neutral parties. I felt bad about tricking him.

"You ever have Jehannan beer, girl?" Aias asked, passing Joshua and me a mug. I smiled slightly and shook my head, relaxing as I took the mug. If we were sharing food and drink, then he couldn't hurt us so long as we didn't hurt him and his. Hospitality was sacred among all the countries, of course, but Jehannans took it very seriously. So long as Tethys wasn't discovered, we'd be fine. "Well, this isn't the best of it, but it's decent enough. Not a bad thing to start off with. How long have you been a mercenary?"

"Not long, sir," I replied. I mimicked Tana's accent as best as I could, and hoped to all that was holy that he wouldn't ask me to talk long. I doubted I could keep it up. This wasn't an accent I was used to copying, like Mom's Jehannan. "I was raised on the border of Frelia and Renais, but when my sister passed, I had no family left. So, I thought I'd try to make a new one here in Jehanna. Just arrived when I heard about the war."

"Not sure if that was a wise decision, but it was lucky. Renais has all but been razed to the ground, by this point. Once again, the coloring proves the stories." Aias glanced at Joshua, and I tried to not wince at hearing about how bad off Renais was. "And here I thought it was just you."

"Hey, what can I say? Lady Luck loves me!" Joshua laughed. He sipped his beer without hesitation, and I did the same after a brief bit of hesitation. I tried to not make a face at the taste, and made myself take another gulp. I decided either it was an acquired taste or the first one had killed all the taste buds in my mouth because the second one wasn't as bad. "I'm sorry about the leg, Aias."

"I would've lost it entirely if not for you," Aias said softly. He briefly touched his knee, no doubt where the scar was. "Or I would've lost my life. You're the one who carried me out of the fight and got me to a healer, if you've forgotten."

"Meh, it was no big deal."

"Not to you. Because you were always doing things like that." Aias laughed and drank his own beer. "You go on about Lady Luck, and being stonehearted, but without fail, you were helping in the infirmary, stitching up wounds, or carrying wounded off the battlefield."

"It's not that big of a deal." Joshua looked away, expression stoic. "Given our country, it might've been kinder to let you bleed out."

"Maybe. Certainly, I couldn't continue as a mercenary on this leg." Aias shrugged. "But I can still ride. I can still fight. Caellach got me a job as a soldier and I've been doing well since."

"He did, huh? That's odd." Joshua frowned. "He's never been the type to simply do favors."

"I've served as his tactician, just as I did with the Sunthorns."

"Okay, that does make far more sense."

"Doesn't it?" Aias gave Joshua a serious look then, all traces of cheer fading. "Hey, if Caellach sees you, I'm sure he'll try to recruit you again. You two always did fight well together. But don't take it, okay? He'll kill you."

"Will he?" Joshua's frown deepened. I just listened, sipping the beer and deciding that it seriously must've killed all my taste buds. It wasn't that bad now. "Well, that's odd. You're working with him."

"Yes, and I figured out what he's planning. Win or lose, I die here. I know it. Either this group kills me in a fair match, or Caellach does so that I don't chain him to the past he so hates."

"Why not leave, then? It's not like he's here to stop you."

"True, but they say Prince Innes is the most brilliant tactician in Magvel. They also say Prince Ephraim is almost as skilled. And here both are, serving as my adversaries. How could I resist such a challenge?" Aias laughed, smiling ruefully. "You know how much I pride myself with my strategies, Joshua. Either I lose to truly formidable foes, and die, or I win and die knowing that my tactics truly were the best. Neither is a bad way to go, really. Though, I'm sorry to simply waste the life you saved."

"…It's your life. You live and die as you please. Picking how you die is a rare luxury in this world." Joshua shrugged and took a very long gulp of beer. "I didn't save you so that you'd owe me. I saved you because I wanted to."

"Things like that are why I say to stay away from him, Joshua. The world needs to hold onto people like you. There's too little kindness."

"You've been drinking for a while before we got here, it seems. You're only this sentimental when you're tipsy."

"Perhaps. But that doesn't make my words any less true."

"Save the wisdom for the hangover."

They both laughed and, gradually, their talk turned to other things. Old jobs, old friends, old jokes. I listened closely, sipping the beer, and with each story, I got a picture of the 'Sunthorns' Joshua used to work with. Not necessarily a family like Gerik and his group, but friends. They annoyed each other, they argued, but they always had each other's backs. They teased each other mercilessly, laughed at silly little failures, but fought tooth and nail to keep each other safe. When one died, they mourned and remembered, carrying them with them always. A group of friends that fought and died for each other. And most had died, it seemed.

Eventually, Tethys danced up, saying that we needed to leave if we didn't want to get caught up in any fighting, sparkling eyes silently saying she found out quite a bit. She stayed for a mug of beer, though, and a brief bit of more recent gossip, just to be hospitable. Once the mugs were empty, Aias saw us off at the edge of camp, and he and Joshua shook hands before parting without another word. They met. They reminisced. By the end of tomorrow, Aias would die and Joshua would remember him always, just as he remembered the others. That was the way of a mercenary. I could see why Mom left the life, more keenly now than ever before.

"Are you okay?" I asked him softly as we walked to where Brynhidlr waited. Tethys skipped ahead of us, humming. No doubt she was also organizing everything she'd learned, and thus, would keep quiet. "About Aias, I mean."

"Of course," Joshua answered easily and softly. He glanced up at the sparkling stars and shrugged. "He's a former mercenary. I'm a mercenary. It happens. I'm fine."

"Liar." I leaned into his side reassuringly. "You're hurting."

"At least let your big brother pretend to be the coldhearted mercenary, petal."

"For a while longer. Until you become the kindhearted king." I slipped my arm around his and smiled. "By the way, I think that beer killed my tongue. Like, killed and skinned it, I mean."

"It was definitely a rougher batch. Not the worst, but definitely rough." He leaned against me too, accepting the comfort. "When things calm, I'll get you a better mug."

"I must be insane to agree to that, but I will hold you to that promise."

"Sounds good." He finally grinned. "Sounds good."

Between the information Tethys ferreted out and Joshua's own knowledge of Aias, Innes and Ephraim came up with a strategy that they later refined with help from others, Seth and Gerik included. I stayed out of it, happily going to bed as soon as Tethys and Joshua were done reporting. I'd mostly been there as a cover and potential escape route, and was very delighted to not have to do anything else. I felt horribly uncomfortable by all of this.

The next day, we went into battle, and we fliers were the first attackers. Vanessa and Tana threw javelins. I shot people with my arrows. We actually managed a fairly decent kill count, all things considered, but our main duty was to sow confusion among their ranks so that Innes, Neimi, Lute, Saleh, and Artur could snipe them. Supposedly from there, we'd have cavalry start running people down, but that was the extent I knew of the plan. After the initial strike, my duty was to provide support from above, and to help extract wounded. Perhaps it would've been better if I'd learned a staff rather than a bow, but that was the way of things. I had no talent for magic anyway. Maybe Tana or Vanessa could take it up instead.

"L'arachel, you should really consider learning some magic or something," I called, taking out a soldier harrying her with an arrow. I wasn't sure if the arrow killed them, but Brynhildr landing on them certainly did. "Especially if you're going to go so deep into the fighting without a guard."

"I appreciate the concern, darling, but I'll be fine!" L'arachel declared. She was splattered with blood, and I was worried how much of it belonged to our friends. I also tried to not wince at how hard it would be to clean. "Why, if they think to get close, I… I will whack them with my staff!"

"While I'll admit that it can be used as a bludgeoning weapon, do you have the strength to do more than daze them?" I smiled, waiting, but she just shifted in her saddle, looking away sheepishly. "Now, what's north?"

"Pardon?"

"North. You keep looking north. That's why that soldier nearly got you." I leaned back in my own saddle, watching her. "So, what's north? Or what's going to be north?"

"Oh, right, you weren't with Eirika when…" L'arachel laughed awkwardly, for some reason. "Well, you see, a little bird told me that Rausten knights are-"

"You asked your uncle for assistance?" I smiled slightly as L'arachel stared. "Couple of things. One, Joshua's been to Rausten. Two, white is a very hard color to keep clean and, thus, isn't 'commoner travel wear'. Three, commoners always check the prices of things they buy. Four, only nobles wouldn't understand why people might try to gamble for more coin. Five, horses are expensive to take care of. Six, you're literally wearing a circlet."

"Oh, drat." She pouted. "I thought I was doing a magnificent job! But then again, Emma, you are so very clever."

"And I know Joshua. Who literally has seen you before."

"That too. I do need to thank him for not giving away the game too soon." She sighed gustily. "But yes, I did. I worried over the lack of medicine and staves we had going into the desert, especially when Joshua talked about how difficult it could be to survive the desert if unprepared. So, I asked my dear uncle for assistance, while also telling him of the danger to the Sacred Stone."

"You're a treasure, L'arachel." I smiled warmly at her. "Or should I call you by title?"

"Nope, never. You and I are friends." She smiled back, and laughed. "All right! I'm back into the healing!"

"Keep someone near you. I have to swing around the back and won't be around to help for a while."

"You're going alone?"

"Well, there's three of us covering the skies for aerial support. None of us are near each other." I shrugged, unbothered. This was how most of the strategies went. "So, we're off. Please try to stay safe."

I had Brynhildr take off then, and we quickly found Ewan and Amelia under siege. We helped distract the enemy long enough for them to take them out, and then settled into our little patrol on the back part, focused more on if any enemies were aiming for the injured in the infirmary Natasha and Moulder set up. I frowned as I noticed movement from the west, approaching us, and urged Brynhildr onward, narrowing my eyes to study them. It was a small group, ten at most, and they were led by someone fairly familiar, but not anyone I'd bothered remembering clearly. I aimed an arrow at them, more as a way to disorient than anything, and tugged on the reins to turn Brynhildr back towards where Innes was set up to let him know.

However, as I did, Brynhildr suddenly screeched and jerked up, twisting to the side. I yelped, wondering what the hell was going on, and then something slammed into us. Over and over, we tumbled until I had no idea which way was up or down. Brynhildr shrieked and shifted under me, biting and clawing. I lost my grip on my bow instantly. I tried to get my lance. It slipped from the straps and my fingers. I tried to unbuckle my left gauntlet to get the dagger. I only got it halfway before I busted my lip on the hilt. I bloodied my nose when my face slammed into Brynhildr's neck. My waist and hips bruised as my body was jerked this way and that. If not for the straps buckling me into the saddle, I would've flown off.

It wasn't until something snaked around Brynhildr and bit my side that I finally pieced everything together. A wyvern rider had slammed into us. Their wyvern and Brynhildr fought desperately against each other. And I was very much about to die.

My instincts, however, told me to survive. In that moment of stillness, that second of clarity, I got the dagger the rest of the way out of the gauntlet-sheath and jammed it into the wyvern's jaw, right at the joint. It let go automatically, screeching in pain, and Brynhildr twisted me out of reach. She tried to just twist away entirely, but she couldn't manage it. Claws screeched over metal, but she couldn't break free of the other wyvern's grip. I sheathed the dagger again, worried I'd accidentally stab Brynhildr or myself in the confusion. Someone shouted nearby, the other rider maybe, but the roaring in my ears drowned it in the war screams of the wyverns.

Burning pain ripped down my leg, from my knee to my ankle, and on the next twist, I found myself half-thrown out of the saddle. I knew, from that and the pain, that this wyvern, whoever it was, had sliced through the straps. I struggled to stay on, but I knew I wouldn't last. I was going to snap some bones. I was going to die. There was no question about it. If I stayed in this situation, I was not leaving it alive. And Brynhildr, for reasons I couldn't see but I was sure were good ones, couldn't break free, despite her strength.

A claw whipped past Brynhildr and almost got my other leg. Brynhildr managed to jerk me out of the way, so it only hit my packs. They flew off, contents spilling out, and I tried to reach out to snag an elixir or something. Instead, my fingers snatched cloth and I tucked it close to my chest. I coughed, choking on blood from my nose, and nearly froze when I realized just what I'd grabbed was. It was the charm Natasha had made me, when I first rode Brynhildr into battle. The Sigil of the Skies on one side, asking the God-King of the Skies for protection and the Crest of the Dead, asking the Queen-Goddess of the Dead to watch over me, stitched together carefully and lovingly. Her 'stay safe' charm that I always carried, to the point that I never even thought about it anymore.

Clutching it tightly, mind almost numb from everything that was going on, I made myself look around and figure out just where I was. It was hard. The wvyerns' battle had us tumbling this way and that. I cracked my forehead against Brynhildr's after one particularly sharp turn, and I felt more blood trickle down my face. But I did figure out which way was down, and I realized something. We were above the mountains. We were actually quite close, and it was… it declined. It angled. If I hit, I'd roll. I could maybe… maybe…

"Okay, gods…" I hissed. Clutching Natasha's charm tightly, I leaned forward and held onto the saddle, preparing for what had to be the smartest-dumbest thing I'd ever do in my life. "If I truly am beloved by you as all the sayings insist…" Another jerk brought us even closer, so I reached down and undid the straps on my other leg. "Now is definitely the time to prove it."

On the next twist, I let go and let myself fall. A 'leap of faith', or 'fall of faith'. If it failed, I'd at least die faster.

I hit the ground with a gasp and a thump. I was too terrified to figure out if it was a 'hard' fall or not, and then there was no time as I immediately began rolling down the mountainside. Painfully. I flailed about and struggled to slow my descent down, bleeding off momentum as much as I could. What remained of my boots tore apart. The fingertips of my gauntlets shredded. My armor clanged and dented. But, surprisingly, I did manage a stop before too long, and I coughed, choking on blood. This time, I wasn't sure if it was from the nosebleed or from internal injuries. I could move all my limbs, but everything burned with pain. My face. My neck. My arms. My legs. My chest. My abdomen. Everything.

Gasping for air and more than a little delirious, I pressed a hand against the bite injury on my side and pulled it back to see how red it was. It was very red, solidifying that yes, I was indeed in a lot of trouble, but I at least spared myself a slung about death in the air? I opened my mouth, intending of screaming for Brynhildr, but she loosed a bone-chilling screech, filled with raw rage and pure hatred, and I knew she wouldn't hear me. So, instead, I looked up, feeling more blood trickle down my face and neck, and saw she'd managed to free herself after I'd dropped, probably because she didn't have to deal with my weight anymore. Blood streamed down her scales, made more apparent because of how pale of a grey they were, and I worried about her health.

But she didn't. Instead she lunged, slamming her whole weight onto the other wyvern, claws tearing deep through its scales to make sure she held. The other rider yelled and flailed, much as I had, and reached into their pack for something as they frantically undid the straps keeping them in the saddle. As soon as they did, they jumped, swinging something above their head, a cloth that opened up and slowed their descent enough for a safe landing not far from me. Two seconds later, Brynhildr threw the other wyvern into the mountainside, back first. If they'd stayed on, they would've been nothing but paste. The wyvern, however, didn't care. It launched itself from the mountains and crashed into Brynhildr, both wyverns having free rein now that that their riders were gone. Trickles of blood dripped down, but neither gave in.

"Holy hell, this is not how I expected today to go," the other rider whispered. They pulled off their helmet, revealing blonde hair and surprisingly kind eyes. "Girl? Girl, hey, are you alive?" They took a step forward, but I winced and tried to get away automatically. Pain flooded me though, and I coughed up blood. Again, I had no idea if it was from something internal or the nosebleed. "Girl, you need medical attention if you're going to survive. I know I'm probably the last person you want it from, but…"

"Get away from her!" That shout startled both of us, along with the thrown javelin that nearly killed the other rider right then and there, and would have if he hadn't jumped to the side at the last second. But tears of pain, fear, and sheer relief spilled down my face when a pegasus landed in front of me, and I saw Tana glaring fiercely. "Don't you dare get closer!" she snapped, dismounting and pulling the packs off her saddle. "Achaeus, if he takes a step, kick him." She ran for me, then, dropping the packs as she helped me sit up a little better. "Ah, the angle is bad for footing… and there's so much blood…"

"You're a wonderful sight, Tana," I rasped. I coughed again, which was good because the only other option I had was laughing. "Holy hell…"

"I'm so sorry! I tried to get close, but Achaeus couldn't… oh, never mind! I'll apologize properly later!" She opened up the packs and pulled out all sorts of medicinal supplies. "I am so glad Moulder insists we carry half an infirmary in these things. I'll get you numbed-"

"No numbing. Not yet." I tried to smile or shake my head or something, but all my focus went on simply breathing. "The pain means I'm not dead yet. Let me hold onto that, please?"

"Mmm, okay. I don't have time to argue, I know." She pulled my shirt up and started smearing elixir onto the bite wound. "Gods, Emma, why did you jump?"

"Wasn't going to survive in the saddle. Trust me." I winced as my side burned more. Already infected. Sliding down the side of a mountain probably hadn't been good. "So, I feel like hell. Do I look it?"

"No offense, Emma, but you kinda look like you were dragged through it, face first."

"Not setting any trends then."

"Nope, not this one. But you're alive. And I'll help you stay alive. Promise."

She bandaged me as best as she could, quickly and efficiently. Achaeus flared out his wings and moved back to give us protective shade against the sun burning down overheard. The other rider held up his hands and didn't come closer. In fact, he only moved to get out of the way of the wyverns when they landed suddenly in a spray of dust and blood droplets. I coughed hard at the dust, and wondered if I'd have to calm down Brynhildr. However, she simply shifted into a defensive position, from what I could see. Between her and Achaeus, that other wyvern wouldn't get through.

Not that it didn't try. It made to lunge, but its rider snatched the reins and tugged, digging his heels in to make its head turn and stop the attack. "Genarog!" the other rider snapped, and I tried to think through the pain as to why I knew that word. "Genarog, calm down! If not for yourself, then for me? That last battle nearly got me killed too, you know! Honestly, Genarog, of all the times for your temper to go…!"

Genarog. I did know it. But it wasn't just a word. It was a name. And as soon as I remembered, I just had to laugh.

"Emma?" Tana squeaked. She looked at me worriedly, which made sense considering I was half-certain I was laughing mad at this point. "Oh, why are you laughing? I could use the joke!"

"This is such bullshit," I managed. I leaned around Tana slightly to catch the other rider's eye. He was still trying to calm down Genarog, but he did look at me. Probably freaking out by the laughter too. "You're General Glen's brother, aren't you?"

"I am, yes," he replied. His eyes narrowed, and this time, I could see the pain behind the kindness, the rage behind the concern. "My name is Cormag. How did you figure?"

"He told me that one of Brynhildr's brothers was named Genarog and that his brother rode him." I leaned back against the rock, breathing heavily as more pain washed over me. "Haha… their stupid trap worked."

"What trap?"

"What are you doing here? You here to kill us?"

"My targets were Prince Eirika and Prince Ephraim. However, a certain wyvern decided otherwise, and now I'm just really freaking annoyed. Mostly at him." He glared at Genarog, who growled in return. "Look, this is not how we're supposed to work. You're calm when I'm mad, and I'm calm when you're mad. And I'm allowed to be really mad right now, so you really need to be the calm one."

"Why were you after Eirika and Ephraim?" Tana asked. She tied off the last bandage and dabbed a little more elixir and vulnerary on me. I thought she might've used her whole supply on just me, and didn't like the implication that gave. "Do you think they killed General Glen?"

"Who else could have?" Cormag snapped. Genarog snarled, leaning forward. Brynhildr growled in return. "The wyvern here wears Itroph's armor, so I know-"

"Oh, for gods' sake, is everyone in Grado an idiot?" Tana twisted to glare at him. "Honestly, you all have freaking Valter in your group! A known psychopath! And I barely know a thing about him, but I'd certainly suspect him over anyone else!"

"That's-!"

"Yes, Brynhildr wears his armor. General Glen recommended it to Emma, and Brynildr chose it, and based on the scratches, it's clear it saved her life! We have some of their saddles, because wyvern saddles are different from horse and pegasus saddles and you just showed why she needs them. We have their saddlebags because we needed information and it felt too cruel to just leave them there!" Tana spoke quickly and fiercely, like a dam had broken down. "But no, we didn't kill him! He left, because he thought the information he heard and what his own eyes told him didn't match. He planned on returning, but he let us go because he's apparently the only one in the damn empire with half a brain!"

"Hold on a-"

"He was killed afterwards, along with all of his people. And we suspected we'd be framed for it, but for you to come up here and nearly kill… planned to kill…!" Tana growled some very creative curses under her breath and I seriously wondered where she'd heard them. "Honestly! You deal with Valter every day, so you have to know more about him than me! I bet Gena… whatever, sorry, I'll remember the name later. But I'll bet General Glen's corpse was mauled by a wyvern, and that's why your wyvern went after Brynhildr! Even though she was so upset by the deaths…!"

"Will you just-?"

"Mauled by a wyvern! Yet, no, it's Eirika and Ephraim's fault! Argh!" Tana threw her hands up in the air and knelt down beside me again, checking the bandages. She had to change a couple; I'd already bled through, it seemed. "Ugh, this isn't the time for this…"

"That's what I said earlier." Cormag's own voice was snappy, and a borderline growl. My vision was blurring, so it was hard to see, but he looked angry and uncomfortable. Maybe. "She needs medical treatment and she needs it now. Her wyvern did what she could to protect her, but she's going to die if she's not treated soon."

"Ah…" Tana's anger and annoyed faded in an instant, and she studied me sadly. I tried to smile, but it was just a grimace. I had to fight to breathe. "Your name is Cormag, yes?"

"Yes? Why?"

"My name is Tana. I'm the princess of Frelia." She stood again, and this time looked at him entreatingly, no sign of her earlier anger. "Why don't you come with us and see the truth with your own eyes? If I'm wrong, you'll have perfect access to them. If I'm right, you'll get to kill Valter."

"You'd ask an enemy to suddenly become an ally?" He gave her an incredulous look. I could make out that much still. "I literally just admitted to wanting to kill-"

"In retaliation for your brother's death. I have an older brother too, you know. He annoys me and he's a total jerk, but if anything happened to him, I'd go mad from grief. That's part of why I'm out here. I couldn't stand just waiting and hoping, not anymore." Her voice broke, and tears slipped down her face. "I almost lost him not long ago, and the fear had me breaking down. So, I can forgive that rage. I wouldn't let you go around unwatched, but I can forgive it. I can understand it. If I lost my brother so horribly, I might do the same."

"You…"

"And I do apologize for snapping that you had to be an idiot. Grief can make us all go mad. But you're right. As much as I would love to keep screaming, I can't wait here any longer. I need to get Emma to the healers, yet I can't leave you here if you're an enemy. I can't leave my back to you if you're an enemy. So, please?" Her voice cracked again. "Please, won't you give us the benefit of doubt? Your brother did. I swear he did. I swear we didn't kill him. So, please..."

"…To think my first loss is not to a man's sword, but a woman's words." Cormag sighed, faceplaming. "Well, I'm not quite as blinded by rage as earlier. You can't be if your wyvern goes on a rampage. Otherwise, you both die. And, unfortunately, what you said does make enough sense that I can't dismiss it outright." He let his hand fall to reveal a rather droll look. "Fine. I'll accept your proposal, for now."

"Thank you." Tana smiled brightly, still crying. "Thank you so much!"

"It is only for now."

"You're still agreeing."

"I suppose so." He sighed again, and it sounded exasperated. I imagine this entire day ran very contrary to how he expected. "You have a story? I highly doubt anyone else would be so…"

"Eirika and Ephraim would."

"They would, but we can just say it's Genarog's fault," I called. My vision was blurring and it hurt to breath. But I knew that would work. "It is, anyway. He went after me because he thought Brynhildr killed… oh, fuck, dizzy…"

"Stop trying to push yourself!" Tana snapped. She was by me again in an instance. "Honestly, Emma…"

"Sorry. Monica complained about how I could never shut up either." I tried to push myself up, and couldn't. I might've done better if I let go of the charm, but I refused. Natasha gave it to me. I wasn't letting go. "Going to need a liiiiiiiittle help?"

"More like a lot!" Tana got her arm around me and helped me stumble to my feet. I tried to not focus on the big red patch left behind. "Brynhildr? Can you and Achaeus help? Cormag, is your wyvern going to attack?"

"Not at this point," Cormag replied. He had already mounted up. "His anger's abated, so he's feeling his bruises."

"I thought I saw him get thrown?" Tana asked, half-carrying me over to Brynhildr. Brynhildr had crouched as low as she could, crooning worriedly. "Into the mountain?"

"Wyverns are durable. But his back is definitely bruised, and there's no way for me to avoid sitting on one. Basically, don't worry about him. I'll guard your back while you keep her on."

"Okay." Tana pushed me into the saddle and did her best to strap me in. Little droplets of blood dripped down on her hands. "I'd better stick to one side, just in… oh, whatever. Just hang on, Emma."

'Hang on' was about all I could do by that point. The pain had numbed away most of my thoughts, and I half-thought about fainting just so that I wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore. A fear of dying, though, kept me awake as Tana flew Achaeus as close as she safely could and Cormag flew above us, his shadow darting to the side sometimes to fend people off. At least, I thought so. I couldn't see much of anything, even with my eyes open. Everything was blurred and spotty, black threads criss-crossing through. I just trusted Tana and Brynhildr to get me where I needed to go. Not a hard thing. Trusting them, I mean.

Eventually, at some point between 'hazy' and 'hazy', we started descending, the wind whipping past. When we landed, someone started unbuckling me almost immediately. I managed to catch the scent of frankincense through the blood and sweat, and knew it was Joshua before he even spoke. "I've got you, petal," he whispered, pulling me out of the saddle. I closed my eyes and leaned against him. "I've got you. Come on. Natasha is waiting. Tana, you're needed. Vanessa had to pull triple duty. Who's this one?"

"His name is Cormag, and he's General Glen's brother," Tana replied. She hesitated briefly. "Genarog, his wyvern, thought Brynhildr killed General Glen, we think, so…"

"There is no controlling a wyvern. Right, I'll leave it to you. I need to-"

"Cormag can take her job over. Please…"

There was some sort of 'yes' noise, but I wasn't sure who. I clung weakly to Joshua as he carried me, as much strength as I could manage, and struggled to keep consciousness. There was a bunch of noise and most of it simply washed over me. There was a spike in the smell of blood, but I barely paid it any mind. There was something half-sung, and it took a moment to realize it was Joshua, singing a Prayer Song for me.

"Over here, Joshua." Natasha's voice was soft and I relaxed upon hearing her. "I figured I'd need more space. Did you get anything or…?"

"No, but I do think she got bit, so I'll stitch that up." Joshua's voice was also soft, and he set me down on something. A cot, likely. "Let me know what else will need it. I can smell the infection already."

"I will. I'll go ahead and get started, if you'll get the thread."

"Okay." There was the rustling of cloth and the sound of a soft kiss before someone walked away. Probably Joshua. Maybe.

"Emma?" After all, Natasha was still here. "Emma, are you awake?" she asked. I groaned, and pried open my eyes, only seeing a blurry mess of whites, reds, and golds. "You are. Okay. Hi there."

"Hiya, Natasha…" I managed, words slurring slightly. I tried to smile. "I'm sorry. I got your charm bloody."

"You… huh?" Something touched my hand, and she laughed, a strangely sad sound. "I'll make you a new one. I promise."

"Really? Yay." I coughed violently, spitting out more blood. "Ugh… I hurt…"

"I'll make you better." Her cool hand brushed the hair out of my face. "I promise. I'm going to put you to sleep now, but when you wake up, you'll feel better."

"K…" Hearing those words, from a healer, from someone I trusted more than anything, broke my resolve to stay awake. "Hey, Natasha?"

"Hmm?"

"Love you lots."

"I love you too, Emma. Go to sleep. You'll be okay."

I woke up in pain, but there was significantly less of it. That alone reassured me that Natasha had been right. I was okay. However, the sound of water splashing and the feeling of something tugging on my hair confused the living hell out of me and made me claw my way out of unconsciousness to see what was going on. It still took a while for me to find the energy to actually open my eyes, and everything was blurry until my eyes slowly focused. But I caught 'green' and 'white' and knew who was sitting beside me.

"L'arachel, what the…?" I tried to say. It came out more like. 'Lrchul, wthe…' though. "Ugh…"

"Easy, you're coming out of sedation," L'arachel chided. The splashing and tugging on my hair continued. "You probably don't remember, but you woke up in the middle of Joshua sewing up your side, so we gave you some sedatives."

"Yuck."

"They're supposed to taste bad." More splashing and tugging. "You were bitten, as I'm sure you're aware, but thankfully the wyvern hadn't completely chomped down, so it was actually healable. Your leg required stitches to make sure you don't have half of your lower leg being scar tissue pressed on nerves. You suffered some severe scrapes and bruising from your fall, and most are still there since our priority was making sure you'd live and not be crippled."

"Makes sense." I attempted to raise my arm, and found my reactions to be slow, but there. "Bones?"

"Some deep bruising, but the angle and roll apparently made it so that you bled off enough momentum to prevent breaking them. Along with actual bleeding." Still more splashing and tugging. "You're covered in bandages, and will remain so as we heal you in stages. You will, however, be pleased to know that you were the worst of our wounded."

"Yay." Finally, I thought to actually turn my head and look, and I saw her dunking her hands into a bowl of water and running them through my hair carefully. "What are you…?"

"Oh, you had a lot of blood encrusted in your hair, darling. Your dress was ruined, by the way, as were your boots. I think your armor is among those being checked to see if it can be fixed. Last that I heard, Gerik was mending your gauntlets, while Joshua cleaned and tended to the dagger you keep hidden within."

"That doesn't quite…"

"Hmm? Ah, yes, why I'm cleaning the blood out of your hair." She smiled tiredly. "Well, my knights arrived and though I love them, they had wanted to chop your hair off because so much blood got into it. But it's so pretty that I insisted that I could simply wash and brush it out. I needed the break anyway." She held up a lock for emphasis. "And I was right! I've got almost all of the blood out with minimal tangles. I win!"

"Oh. Thank you." I managed to lift an arm then, and I noticed all the bandages. "I'm covered, huh?"

"You are. You won't be battling for at least a few days. Granted, I don't think we'll hit a battle until we get to Jehanna Hall, but still."

"I see." Noticing my words were finally not shaking or slurring, I decided to finally ask about my poor wyvern. "Brynhildr?" After all, that was not a name you said when everything was slurring together.

"She's perfectly fine. She picked up very few injuries, mostly just where Genarog held onto her to make sure she couldn't use her full strength against him." She giggled and set her bowl of water to the side. "At the moment, she's growling at him, but they're getting along. I think. Cormag didn't seem too worried. Just said something about Genarog being sheepish and Brynhildr asserting dominance."

"So, Cormag is with us?"

"Of course! After all, we are the side of righteousness!" L'arachel phrased the words dramatically, but softened quickly. "More seriously, how could we not let him join? He lost his brother, after all, and to the very country he was supposed to serve." She sighed gustily. "I am a bit worried about Genarog, but well… Glen's body had apparently been mangled by Valter's wyvern, and so he thought Brynhildr had been the one to kill Glen and… well…"

"It's fine. Wyverns are wyverns."

"You truly have a hero's heart, Emma." She smiled brightly, and I decided to not even bother trying to protest. It wasn't some 'perfect kindness'. It was just basic knowledge. Wyverns did what they wanted; Brynhildr had proven that many times. If I condemned Genarog, then I'd condemn Brynhildr. Besides, I was more grateful to notice she made no mention of 'attacking Eirika and Ephraim'. "Regardless, yes, Cormag fights with us now. Innes insists he be watched, just in case. Tana volunteered."

"Surprised Innes is letting it so easily."

"He has a little sister. He won't admit it, but I saw sympathy in his eyes. I think he'd break if he lost Tana." She glanced over her shoulder and shook her head. I managed to lift myself up just enough to see the back of someone in white-blue armor disappear behind a curtain. That's when I noticed I was in a 'separate' section of what had to be the infirmary. "One of the Rausten knights, Emma, coming to check in."

"Right, you mentioned that." I let myself lie back down, groaning as the pain washed through me. It was duller than earlier, thank god, but it was no less aggravating. "So, the cat's out of the bag?"

"Yes, yes, I revealed my title. I was pleased to see they were surprised!" She giggled, and I didn't have the heart to point out that they likely had been more surprised by her bombastic reveal. I knew it had been dramatic, at least. It was her, after all. "Joshua pretended as well, the dear, but I told him you'd already let me in on his knowing. I also told him how much I appreciated his playing along, though. It really was the sweetest."

"I see." Yeah, I definitely didn't have the heart to tell her. "Will your knights follow us?"

"They will." Her cheer faded. "I do worry. Rausten and Jehanna have not gotten along in many, many years, and bringing in some soldiers could be taken… poorly. To put it mildly. Really, we should get permission from Jehanna's royal family, but Queen Ismaire is in trouble. Joshua reassured that it would be okay."

"Well, he's our expert in Jehannan politics." But, really, I had to fight to keep from laughing. So many things were going to be absolutely hilarious once the others knew.

"True. Gerik mentions Joshua's more versed than some nobles he's worked for. Joshua pointed out that many nobles prefer not paying attention to the laws so that they can do what they want." L'arachel's cheer fully faded briefly at that before returning. "Well, that's a discussion for another day. You're awake, and since you are, and do not appear to be in need of more sedation, you can actually rest in your own tent, providing you promise to be very good and not move from bed?"

"L'arachel, I guarantee you. I'm not doing anything. Except maybe a bath." Plus, you know, bathroom and basics. I mean; that was a given. "Wait, can I take a bath with the bandages?"

"If you're careful. They'll need to be changed anyway, so we can just time it with that." L'arachel smiled sweetly. "Are you dealing with your period now?"

"Thank all that is holy, no. Though, knowing my luck, it'll start tonight, but it's been… I think it's only been two weeks since my last. So, I should be fine?"

"Oh, good, one less thing for you to worry about." She slipped an arm under my back and helped me sit up and swing my legs over the side. I winced at each movement, feeling rather like broken glass was stabbing me, but nothing seemed to bleed, and L'arachel seemed to be satisfied. "Okay, let's see if I can find someone who can-"

"L'arachel, are you still back here?" The curtain moved aside again, revealing a tired Ephraim who didn't wear his armor for once. He froze when he saw me sitting up. "…Emma?" he whispered. I smiled slightly in response. "You're awake?"

"Just now!" L'arachel giggled. She clapped her hands and stood up. "Oh, but did you need me for something?"

"Uh… oh, yes, Natasha was wondering if you could come back and do rounds so that Moulder could finally take a break." Ephraim continued staring right at me. "I was coming back to check on Emma, so…"

"Thank you, Ephraim. Yes, I absolutely can, and you can help in return." L'arachel's smile grew. "See, Emma can actually go to her tent, but I don't want her going alone. Can you escort her?"

"Sure, I can. I'm not busy at the moment." Ephraim smiled finally, and my own grew, even as I made sure to keep silent. I felt a little embarrassed by his undivided attention. "Anything I need to know?"

"Just keep an eye on her stamina, and if it looks like anything has reopened, get someone at once." L'arachel smiled and walked away then, without another word.

Ephraim and I stayed there in silence for a while before he stepped forward. "Here, let me help you up," he whispered, holding out his hand. I took it carefully and tried to simply use him as a grounding to stand up. Unfortunately, he had to pull me and, even then, I stumbled, so he had to catch me. "You okay?"

"I'm in a lot of pain, and I think this is going to be more of a limp than a walk," I retorted, a little more caustic than I intended. He didn't seem to mind, though. "But I would like to walk. I would like to go to my tent, since I'm allowed. So..."

"Okay." He shifted so that he had an arm around my shoulders, and had me lean against him. "This okay?"

"We'll see." I did make sure to smile at him. "Let's try this?"

Carefully and slowly, we left the infirmary tent, taking a 'side path' set up using curtains to help with patient privacy. I wondered why, but then I noticed others dressed in a white-blue uniform and realized it was likely something Rausten did. I wasn't sure of why it would be important, but it did make leaving easier, especially since I was limping fairly badly. Thankfully, if oddly, our camp was… rather empty.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, voice breathy. I was already struggling, even with Ephraim bearing half my weight. "It's never this quiet."

"Chores, repairing things, scavenging supplies from the enemy, patrols to make sure we're safe…" Ephraim listed off easily. He kept our steps slow and steady, only half-paying attention to the road. He mostly watched me. "Those of us not doing those things are in meetings to prepare. Or were. We're taking a break."

"I see." I winced as a particular sharp pain lanced up my leg, but a quick glance showed nothing had reopened. "So, Cormag is staying with us."

"He is. We could use another flier always, and having two wyverns means things will only be safer for you." He tightened his grip on me and pulled me closer, taking more of my weight on him. "He pulled Eirika and me to the side to explain the real reason why he was here. That he blamed, and still half-blames, us for his brother's death and planned to kill us before Genarog and Tana made him calm down to think."

"But, as expected, you let him stay."

"Well, I can't blame him. I know I'd go on a rampage if I lost Eirika so violently, and Eirika pointed out that she went on a very ill-advised mission into enemy territory just because of how scared she was of losing me." He made to shrug, but stopped himself. "We decided that if he's willing to give us a chance, we should give him a chance. I think he's startled by how many of the army sympathizes, though."

"Many of us either lost family, or have family we love to pieces." Actually, that was probably all of us, but I didn't know enough about everyone's family history to say that. "Plus, we're mostly a group of hopeful idiots. Who else would fight against an empire that is winning a war?"

"You're part of the group, you know."

"And I'm probably the biggest idiot for it, but there you go." I winced as another sharp pain spiked through my leg. "I need to sit down."

"Over here." Ephraim led me off the path and sat me on some boxes that didn't look to be ours. "Rausten's knights also brought as many supplies as they could carry. Pontifex Mansel sends us his blessings and reassures us that he's strengthening the defenses around Rausten's sacred stone."

"That's good, I guess." I sighed, wincing. "Ugh… this sucks." I looked down and checked to make sure there was no blood on me. I noticed then that I was wearing a red shirt with a short white skirt and white boots. The clothes reminded me of what Eirika wore; the boots reminded me of Tana's. I wondered if they'd lent me their clothes.

"Which one is giving you trouble?" Ephraim knelt down and gently touched my legs. "No blood either way."

"Yeah, I think it's just pain from the scrapes. Or bruises. Or my body letting me know how little it likes being so close to death." I said the words lightly, intending for them to be a joke. But that last sentence made it all very, very real. I almost died. I very much almost died. Not even a 'oh, I looked death in the face'. I was used to that now. "Ah…" But almost dying, literally almost dying, having to rush to a healer in order to be saved… sure, I'd gotten close in the past. I'd had the 'oh, I need to get to a healer or I will be in trouble' thing before. There had been the spider-monster thing. Valter. Various other battles.

But this time, I really had almost died. This time, I had almost died, and I actually cared now if I lived or died. And with that realization came shaking and tears.

"Caught up, didn't it?" Ephraim whispered. He stood up and wrapped his arms around me, letting me cry into his chest. "I was wondering."

"Guess I was stuck on the 'oh, hey, I live'?" I joked. The words wobbled and more tears slipped down my face. "Gods, that… that was terrifying. I've fought Valter, and still, that had been… that had been far, far worse." Though, it was darkly amusing that some of the worst frights in my recent life had come from the riders of Brynhildr's brothers. Hell, both of them even left scars! Or I assumed. I highly doubted I was getting out of this without scars. "Damn it."

"Are you cursing yourself for being scared?"

"I'm kind of cursing myself for caring, since I didn't use to? Or, well… no, that's not quite right. I don't know. Can I just curse life?"

"Sure." Hesitantly, he tightened his hug, and I leaned more into him, grateful for the warmth and comfort. "I'm sorry."

"For what? My near death experience?" I shook my head and tried to reach up to wipe away the teas. Failing that, I just leaned more into him to let his shirt take care of it. "Nothing you could do."

I know. That's why…" He laughed bitterly, one hand reaching up to run through my hair. "Ha… isn't this ridiculous? I'm praised endlessly for my strength. I pursued strength so that I could protect people, and so that no one would have to die for me. So, that I could find personal glory and leave it all behind. Yet I've not been able to do anything. My father is dead. My country has fallen. My sister has to break her heart to fight. And the only thing I could do when you almost died was watch in horror, and coordinate the army so that others didn't fall."

"Good. That's what you should've done. You've a job, a duty, and you need to see that through." I closed my eyes, finding myself relaxing. A few more tears fell, but they soon calmed as well, as did my shaking. I still felt that fear, but it felt a little more controlled. I felt a little safer. "As for the rest… well, much as I grouse about you not being there, Ephraim, I can admit that the only thing you probably could have done then is help with evacuations. Maybe your father would've survived, but considering how stubborn you and Eirika are, he probably would've stayed anyway. And died because he was overpowered. Renais's fall was inevitable the second Grado struck."

"But…"

"Now, if you had been there, you and Eirika could've worked on a plan together. That said, though, if you hadn't, well, just think. We might not have learned about them wanting the Sacred Stones because Eirika never would've met Natasha in Serafew. Or we would've learned about the monsters later because we didn't pass through Za'ha woods. Not to mention the people in our group who would've died or been with the enemy."

"Like Myrrh. She'd been captured when I found her, so…"

"See? Though I think it was stupid to go off on your own still, irresponsible as all hell, good came from it. We've made it work." Shyly, I reached up and gripped his shirt. I wanted to hug him back, but I hurt too much to try. "As for Eirika, she chooses to fight because, like you, she doesn't want to send people into danger without facing it. There were a thousand and one ways she could've helped without fighting, but she chose this because she's even more stubborn than you."

"I wish she didn't have to."

"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride." I smiled slightly. "Besides, you idiot, what do you expect, running off on your own? I know you mentioned being raised to keep everyone apart, but that's not where your strength is. It never has been. You and Eirika have always shared your strengths, right?"

"Mmm, true." He laughed again, but this time, there was warmth in it. "But did you, cynical Emma, always ready to poke holes in my ego Emma, just not only reassure me, but say something wonderfully optimistic? Bonds are the real power?"

"I think it's a testament to how hard I hit my head." I opened my eyes and looked up at him. "Besides, Ephraim, you have the strength to keep people safe. No one has died yet."

"Well…"

"And, right now, I don't need to be 'saved' or anything. I needed someone to lean on. You're plenty strong for that." I looked down, hiding my face against his chest again. I didn't want him to see how embarrassed I was. "Or something. I don't know. It's weird complimenting you. I'm making like… no sense."

"It's weird hearing it!" He laughed, though, and his hand came up to rest against the back of my head again. "But, thank you. You made enough sense, I think. Maybe."

"Oh, shut up." I closed my eyes again, and noticed something. "You smell nice. What's this perfume?"

"Not sure. It's something Joshua threw at me. Well, one of them. I liked this one."

"Good choice."

Ephraim continued to hold me, until I was certain the tears and trembling did actually stop and not just 'pause'. I had a feeling I'd have horrible nightmares, even with practicing Valega, but for now, I was calm. Later, I'd have another breakdown, but right now, I was good. I would be okay. I repeated the mantra silently until I believed it, and only then did I pull away and smile. He smiled back and helped me up and together, we limped over to the tent.

To my surprise, though, Eirika was there, wringing her hands nervously, but she lit up when she saw us. "There you are!" she called, striding over. "Finally. I went to check, and L'arachel said you two were coming here, but…"

"I got tired on the way and had to take a breather," I explained, smiling sheepishly. I felt even safer once I saw her smiling. "But hi? I'd apologize for the near death experience, but believe it or not, this one actually isn't my fault!"

"You jumped!"

"Well, yes… okay, fine, I'll give you that." I sighed heavily. "But, and I guarantee you this, I wasn't surviving if I stayed in the saddle. For one thing, I was only half-strapped in!"

"Cormag mentioned that you had very good instincts on when to jump," Ephraim helpfully added. He smiled sweetly while Eirika scowled. "Oh, come on, Eirika. If you were in a burning building, what would you do? Stay among the flames or jump? Oh, wait, I know which one you'd pick."

"I was ten when that happened!" Eirika snapped. My expression blanked as I tried to figure out what the hell they were talking about. "Ten! And I didn't jump, I fell out of the building."

"Because you smartly ran from the flames. My point stands." Ephraim grinned. "Anyway, I do have work, but Emma, can I braid your hair before Eirika attempts and personally attacks me with how bad it is?"

Eirika grumbled insults at Ephraim under her breath, but I laughed and let him. I did enjoy it when he braided my hair, after all, even though I did plan on taking that bath some time tonight. But, I was sure he'd simply braid it again, afterwards.

Eirika helped settle me in with bunches of pillows and blankets. I'd protested, but she'd informed me that we had extras thanks to our reinforcements. I still protested, but only half-heartedly, letting Eirika fuss until she had to leave for another meeting or whatever. I closed my eyes and performed Valega, as closely as I could to try and steady myself, but found myself nodding off in the middle and decided to just sleep. It wasn't a very restful one, though. For the first time in a long while, I wasn't too tired for nightmares, and so I dreamed of all my potential deaths. Side ripped out. Falling and splattering on the ground, on the mountain. Bleeding out on the rocks. Bleeding out in the infirmary tent. Again and again and again. It was a relief to wake up, even if I was confused as to the reason.

"Hi, Seth?" I greeted, carefully pushing myself up. I yawned and rubbed my eyes, half-tempted to just flop back down on the pillows. "If this is about revising my training schedule, can we save that for the morning?"

"It's not," Seth replied, smiling. He sat down next to me and shifted the pillows to make it easier for me to sit up. "Princess Eirika was worried about you being left alone, and wanted to check in on you. However, she's also busy, and knew you'd be very annoyed if she put off work."

"More than 'very'."

"So, I am here to check in on you." He studied my face, still smiling. "You look like you've been attempting to sleep."

"It's been quite the valiant effort, yes." I sighed, shaking my head. "I'm hurt and tired."

"I'm sorry." A slightly awkward silence fell, but not for long. "This is my first time in Jehanna."

"Is it?"

"Yes. My father was from here, but he died when I was young. I thought about visiting in the past, but I started my training as a knight fairly early, and Renais never sends knights as messengers."

"Oh, right, Renais starts knightly training at twelve." I tugged the blankets a little higher on my lap, mostly to have something to do. "Did you learn anything from him? Your father, I mean."

"He's the one who taught me about the importance of remaining calm, though it took quite a few years for those lessons to stick."

"Well, you have some of the Jehannan recklessness, or did at least. How many songs are there?"

"Too many, and none of them mention that I was an absolute idiot." He groaned, facepalming. I snickered, pleased with myself. "Half of those things, I just fell into and the other half are because I didn't comprehend that I could die. Typical invincible teenager antics, except I had the wonderful luck of them being well known."

"I'm sure it must be horrible, having your reckless and strange luck be immortalized."

"Watch. If we survive this war, all of us will have songs, and you'll hate every second of it." He sighed, and gave me a look. "Please don't sing right now. You need to rest, for one thing."

"Sadly, I don't think I have the breath for a good one." Even now, I was struggling, like I'd gone through twenty of his drills. "A shame. I'd love to sing one of them. Or just sing at all, to repay Joshua for his Prayer Song."

"You can do that later, and if it is one of 'my' songs, you can do so away from my hearing." He sounded so grouchy that I just had to laugh again. "For now, though, I hope you'll listen to the healers and rest. It wouldn't do for you to stress your injuries and make them unable to heal."

"Like yours?" I let my cheer fade to fix him with a stare. He met it stoically. "You hide it, but I see it. How you 'endure' lance strikes, I mean. I remember how bad that wound had been. After all, I helped treat it."

"It's closed, and healed as well as can be." He smiled slightly at my skeptical look. "I did have Moulder and Natasha look at it. The only way for it to heal 'better' at this point requires some extensive surgery that we're simply not equipped to handle at the moment. Perhaps when we return to Frelia, I'll be able to, but for now, it's fine." He hesitated before reaching out and ruffling my hair. I made a face, but let him. "I'll be returning to my duties. You promise to behave?"

"Why am I being treated like a problem patient?" I sulked. "I'm very good at listening to the healers, unlike some."

"You're also known for pushing yourself if you think it's needed. And, admittedly, this is a time where pushing might be needed." He stood, and rested a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "So, we older ones are a little worried you'll ignore the pain you're in."

"Even if I did, I think all of you would jump on it in an instance." I made a face, and he laughed. "I'll be a good girl, though."

"Thank you." He patted my shoulder and left. I stuck a tongue out after him, just to be a little childish, and I half-thought he saw, but ignored it.

Left alone, I closed my eyes and tried to do Valega again. I focused on my 'wish', that my friends make it through this, and slowly extended that 'wish' to include things I knew they would want. With each little growth, my mind calmed. The fear of 'what could have been' clawed at my thoughts, but this time, I fended it off with that serenely growing wish. By the time I finished, I felt immensely better and far more centered.

"Are you done?" Of course, Marisa crouched in front of me, staring, nearly startled me back into the 'fear of everything' state of mind. "You were doing that meditation thing Saleh does," she murmured, still staring at me. I struggled to calm down. "You have that same calm about you."

"I'm pleased to see that it's working?" I replied. I held off asking why she just sat there instead of speaking up. For all I knew, she had. "Do you do something similar?"

"No, I found myself unable to do it. It's much easier to simply focus on my own goal." She shrugged, unbothered, and I debated asking what that goal was. "You look better than before."

"I imagine I was quite the bloody mess earlier."

"Pale and grey too. You were in a bad state. But we sang some Prayer Songs for you, and the gods listened and let us keep you, it seems." She shrugged again, but I softened, touched. I knew Joshua had sung, but I hadn't known the rest of them had. "Brynhildr is bandaged up. Not sure if anyone told you, but Joshua had us help him."

"Thank you. I knew she was fine, but not how her injuries were."

"They weren't bad. Why we went with bandages." She stood then, stretching her legs. I wondered how long she'd been crouching. "Regardless, Tethys and Tana were worried, so I told them I'd come by since they were both busy." She smiled slightly. "I think you're going to have a lot of visitors. Should I tell them that you're sleeping?"

"Mmm… no, I think I'll pay the penance of worrying them and be somewhat social." I smiled back. "Thanks for the offer, though. I appreciate it."

"It's no trouble." She turned away and left, tripping over the threshold, though I pretended to not notice.

Not two seconds later, and I got another guest: Neimi who wanted to plan dinner with me, since I obviously wouldn't be cooking. Then Colm swung by, supposedly to make sure Neimi wasn't drowning me in tears. Saleh came by not long after they left, and helped me through another bout of Valega, since I was definitely knocked out of the state of mine. Ross, Amelia, Ewan. Franz. Lute and Artur. Joshua. Honestly, it felt like most at least stopped by to say 'hi' and 'glad you did not die!'. Well, Cormag didn't, but that was only to be expected. Eventually, Natasha stopped by, but she wasn't simply visiting. Instead, she helped me limp over to the bathing tent before dinner, when it would be much quieter, and checked over my injuries. A change of bandages later, and I actually joined the others for dinner, leaning against Joshua as they all sung and told stories.

It was only much later, after a comment Lute made over dinner, that I realized just what happened today and when I made the connection, I groaned and just decided to try and sleep to end the long day. I nearly died, yes, but not only did we get another recruit, another flier, out of it, but it was someone who could help me fly and fight better on Brynhildr. Freaking hell, why was Lute right about me being unluckily lucky?

Notes on Cormag:

A 20 year old former lieutenant-general of Grado's aerial forces, the younger brother of General Glenn who has joined us to ascertain the truth behind his brother's murder.

As befitting someone with extensive training, he is strong, fast, and skilled. His wyvern, Genarog, is significantly smaller than Brynhildr, which means that while he is weaker, he's able to make much sharper turns. He can't lift up a horse by himself like Brynhildr can, though.

When he's not angry as all hell, he's surprisingly kind and good-natured. He says it was a counter to Genarog, who does have a bit of a fast temper, and he had to learn how to calm quickly in order to make sure Genarog didn't maul people.

Author's note: So, yay, Cormag joins. In Eirika's route, only Eirika can recruit him, but Tana can in Ephraim's route, which is partly why she recruits him here. In-game, this is the chapter where you learn L'arachel is the princess of Rausten, but she really doesn't do a good job at hiding that she's at least a noble. This chapter reveals that Aias is an old comrade of Calleach's from his mercenary days, and given that Joshua is also a former friend/comrade of Calleach's, I decided it wouldn't be that much of a stretch that Joshua and Aias were at least on good terms with each other. The map is a survival map, and if you don't defeat Aias, then Calleach kills him instead with the reason of 'not being chained to the past'. I think Aias says in game that he was… either 'never wounded' or 'never defeated'. I'm going with the latter because 'never wounded' is definitely an exaggerated boast.

For a comparison between Brynhildr and Genarog, Brynhildr is bigger and stronger, while Genarog is smaller and more agile. Brynhildr can slam into things and use her greater weight and strength to crush things (or lift up horses), while Genarog can use much sharper turns. In terms of gameplay, it basically translates to Emma having a higher strength cap than Cormag, but a lower speed. Which, yes, is basically the opposite of in-game data: female wyvern lords had a slightly higher skill, speed, and res cap while males have a higher strength and defense; wyvern knights follow a similar pattern.

Based off his supports with Eirika, Seth canonically is only 'mostly' healed from the injury that Valter inflicted at the beginning of the game, with the distinct possibility of it never fully healing discussed. We'll also point out that even with this potential handicap, Seth is one of the most gamebreaking units in the entire freaking game, sooo yeah. Technically, there's another scene at the end of the chapter in game, but it's been moved to the interlude. You also have a second boss during the chapter, Pablo after he escaped from failing to kill Innes, which is where the second group comes from in-chapter, but Emma doesn't know him.

Next Chapter – Interlude, Jehanna