Chapter 13) Flight Toward Freedom

So decided, we organized the group onto three ships, the first of which was piloted by Geese. Expertly, he led us through rivers and straits, bringing us to Caledonia with ease, and it was not long before Castle Edina was within sight.

Here, men from the Isles were rounded up and locked in prisons, to be sent to the mines and worked to death. We have to hurry. According to Elphin, we're at the time of month where they ship people off.

If we are to save them, we must act now.

"I feel so sorry for Rutger and Sue!" The journey might have been skilled and short, but even with the gentle, if hasty, travels, Rutger and Sue were still horribly seasick, the only two in the number. "We should ask the locals for seasickness remedies," Lilina continued, leaning back against my legs. I had to nudge her forward so I could continue brushing her hair. "But, Irene, are you sure you want to be here?"

"That is a very odd question, Lilina," I replied, focusing on my task. Lalum had procured some sort of 'hair oil' the locals used that helped keep hair soft and strong even with the excess of humidity we were experiencing. "Are you asking about us coming to Castle Edina?"

"No, I'm talking about you sitting with me on the boat instead of going to Sue." Lilina leaned her head back briefly, to look at me, and I tilted her face back forward so I could continue to work. "Are you sure you don't want to go take care of her?" I hear the hidden words sleeping in her tone. 'Your dad is gone, so why are you not with your family?' I think I needed to have a talk with her, and Roy, about Dad's death. He was their 'uncle', after all.

"Oh, of course I want to." I almost had all the tangles out now. "But I know she'd feel guilty, so I went to do work, and now I'm tending to you." In my tone, I added the words 'besides, you are my family too.'

Her laugh told me she heard the unspoken words, and I smiled. "Because my hair and this humidity do not mix well!" Her hair was frizzing all over the place. "Well, quite a few people's hair and the humidity aren't playing nice." No, they weren't. Sue and I escaped, but others? Even Elen, who wore a cleric's habit, was having issues. "Is the humidity going to be a problem?"

"Yes." We were already experiencing heat fatigue and exhaustion among the soldiers, and that was without running around in armor, bashing people's skulls in with metal sticks. "Ekhidna is doing what she can to help us prep for a fight in the heat, but we're likely going to be fighting in waves."

"So, heat is an issue."

"Cramping, weakness, clammy skin, dizziness, nausea, and potential death." I had read how heat killed more than arrows in summer fights, and I could believe it very easily now. "Plus, we also have some illnesses going through the army…" Many people crammed together, and multiple exposures due to helping villagers resulted in a lot of sickness. We actually had to delay a couple of days due to some sudden infections. "I feel so bad for them…"

"That's right… we lost a couple due to cholera shortly before leaving, didn't we?" Not only that, but we had to leave the infected behind in the care of some locals before setting off, just to lessen the chances of being caught with cholera on a ship. "How did they get it so quickly without us not noticing?"

"From what I've read, cholera is an illness that only affects a handful of people." Many carriers of the illness were asymptomatic, but they could still pass it on to others who were not so lucky. That's why we had to be careful on where all of our waste went. "I imagine as we all keep fighting, more and more illnesses are just going to spread through." It didn't help that none of our 'main' healers knew more than the basics are curing illnesses. The Church kept a tight leash on who knew, even among their own. "I wish we had a bishop." But even Klein's group didn't have one. They had been healed by those attached to the Isles already, which means we couldn't trust them.

"That's sad." It was sad, not being able to trust. That's why I chose to trust Miredy and Galle, even now. "Still, at least the view is pretty."

"Yes, it is." Finally done brushing, I set to braiding her hair, to keep it out of her face. "The Isles in general are very pretty, almost as pretty as the plains." Yes, they were. Low hanging branches waved at us as leaves rustled in the wind. Flowers bloomed all along the shore as we passed. We were able to relax, almost as if we were in our own little world, thanks to Geese's expert instructions. "But we are being much too sad and serious. Come, tell big sister Irene about your attempts to woo Roy."

"Irene!" Her shriek caused quite a few people on the deck to look at our little corner in worry, but I could only laugh. "You are horrible and mean."

"That does not answer my question~"

"You know exactly how it goes!" Lilina groaned, and tried to lean back. I nudged her forward, so that I could still reach her hair. "He's oblivious!" Yes, he was. I wondered if he got it from Uncle Eliwood. I wondered if he got it from Aunt Ninian. Then, I wondered if it was just a Roy thing. "B-besides, it isn't as if I know how to flirt."

"Does anyone?" I certainly didn't.

"Well, certainly you don't." I knew she was pouting. "How goes things with Klein?"

"Nowhere because I'm not trying?" I had the crush, and I was almost certain it was unrequited, so why bother? I didn't want to chance making things awkward with him, especially right now when we were both part of the War Council, and thus were leaders in the army.

"You should. Try, I mean."

"Why? So you can laugh at my fumbling."

"Well, partially." She tried to tilt her head back, again, but I nudged her to get her to stop. I was almost done. "But also because one, I think you're wrong, and two, even if I didn't, it's rather mean of you to just assume you know exactly what's on his mind." …Was I seriously getting lectured by a fifteen year old on romance? "You should try!"

"I like my dignity where it is, thank you."

"What dignity?" She laughed at my squawk before suddenly bursting into a coughing fit that made my blood run cold. "Ugh…"

"…" I leaned forward, so that I could look her in the face. "Have you been coughing a lot recently?"

"No, I don't think so." She looked right at me, smiling reassuringly. "I'm fine."

"…If your cough persists, even into tomorrow, I want you to get checked."

"Okay." Her smile turned wryly, and I smiled back, hopefully reassuringly. It was a scary thought. I hoped it was something simple.

"We're here!" someone called. I tied off her braid, and helped her stand up. "Prepare for battle! They're already on the move!" Here we go then.

I hated the heat. I hated humidity. Father Sky, what I wouldn't give for a good rain, or even a nice crisp wind. I was so grateful that Ekhidna had insisted on us bringing extra water bottles for the fight. Even with them, we had lost people to the heat.

"Allen, damn it, stay in formation!" One of these days, he was going to get someone killed with his reckless charging. "Zealot, Tate! I need all Ilians to fall back!" Tate's group was doing rather well, probably because they had been fighting in these conditions, but I could see them starting to flag. No matter how much they traveled to train, that didn't change that these conditions were not good for a people adapted to cold. "Shanna, that includes you!" Shanna was doing the worst, likely because this was the first time she had fought in such conditions. "Deke, make sure she listens! I can see her about to-!"

For a brief second, I thought my heart stopped as I saw Shanna fall off her pegasus. She just slipped off, too dizzy to stay on. I saw Tate immediately shift formation to try and catch her, but she ended up just out of reach…

Then I saw Allen charge forward, breaking out of his formation to trample an enemy and dive off his horse to catch Shanna before she hit the ground. That was…

"Lance, cover them!" I shouted, riding over too. Lance immediately got his group, and Allen's to surrounded the two, so I didn't bother paying attention as I dismounted, water and my pack of medicine in hand. "How is she?"

"Breathing," Allen replied with a smile. He had a gash on his head, and I could tell by how he moved that he was horribly bruised. But he looked so proud of himself. "I'm sorry for breaking formation, but I knew I could get her."

"In this situation, Allen, that is most forgiven." I immediately checked Shanna's pulse, noticing it was a bit fluttery. She also wasn't conscious. "The earlier time isn't, though."

"Of course. That was me making a mistake. This was deliberate."

"Is she okay?!" Tate ran over, stoic calm gone as she crashed to her knees next to us. "I got her pegasus," she informed us, hands shaking. I was really glad to hear that no one was going to have to catch a falling pegasus. "Is she okay?"

"She'll need to get to Elen and Saul now, but I think she'll be fine," I replied. Tate breathed a sigh of relief, and I smiled to reassure her. "Allen, you head back to, and get checked. Lance can take over your group for now, but you did just catch her."

"I'll take them both." Carefully, we all stood up, and Tate bowed. "Thank you so much. Both of you."

"W-well, I didn't really do anything…" I was just ordering them to get healed. "Allen's the one who pulled an Uncle Hector." Both of them looked confused and I couldn't help but laugh. "See, during the Campaign of Fire, Aunt Florina fell off her pegasus and Uncle Hector caught her. He also caught her pegasus." I shrugged at the blank, vaguely amused, looks. "They apparently fell one after another. Ask Marcus for more context. I think he's fallen back with Wuotan to help guard the healers."

"I think we will. Thank you." The two walked off, Allen carrying Shanna, and I mounted back up. I noticed Zealot watching us worriedly, but he relaxed when I smiled. That's right; Shanna was his wife's youngest sister. He had to have been scared too.

"Well, I think that was my heart attack for the month." I turned and saw Deke walking up, sighing. "Tried to get her to go back earlier, but she wouldn't listen," he mumbled. I smiled sympathetically. "She good?"

"I think so," I whispered. He smiled back, clearly relieved. "You have a monthly allotment for heart attacks?"

"Considering you and Little Master Klein, I think I have to have one." He gave me a look. "Let's see… the spiders-"

"We were collecting them for research!" At least, that was how we justified it. I wasn't sure how we justified releasing them while Aunt Louise was hosting a tea party, though. "Besides, we didn't know one of them was venomous."

"You found five." Yes, we did. We were forbidden to go into the woods for a while after that. "And a snake." The snake had been an accident. "Regardless, not why I came over. Got a favor."

"Is that so?" I briefly glanced across the field, noting everything. A nearby village had been protected, so things were fine. So long as we ended this relatively soon, before the sun crested over our heads, we should be fine. "What is it?"

"Well, two things. One, Bernese soldiers are here." He grimaced at my incredulous look. "I was surprised too, but Rutger confirmed it. Not only that, but they're soldiers that actively participated in Bulgar's massacre."

"Where is Rutger right now?"

"Not far. I can get him. I want you to tell him to fall back and keep Lady Clarine safe." He looked worried. "Apparently, I got one of the ones that led the attack on his district, but I know he's hunting for others." Of course he was, but this wasn't a battle where you can let things like that… "He'll listen to you. He thinks he owes you, after all."

Was that so? "Why would he think that?"

"He thinks that if Lord Rath didn't give him his sword, he might have survived, and you might still have a father." …So, he thought… the same things I did. He felt the same guilt. "So, I know he'll listen to you. He's also just protective of Clarine anyway."

"Get him here, then." I made myself smile. "You're protective yourself."

"It's a habit." He shrugged. "Kid has issues, so I can't just leave him. But he needs to relax. Otherwise, I don't think he'll understand why Lord Rath gave him his blade." Why…? Oh, I knew. It was the same reason why Dad had given me his bow. 'Let me protect you from afar.' "I'm going to go get him."

"Okay." As he left, I looked around the field, noting where Clarine was. I had assigned her to Lance's group, but she had fallen back to tend to some soldiers suffering from the heat. I bit my lip as I noticed half of our forces were down. We needed to end this soon…

"Deke said you needed me?" Rutger's voice brought my attention back to the present, and I saw just how tired he looked. "What is it?" he asked, but I could only frown. "Irene?"

"Rutger, when was the last time you slept?" I whispered. I should have kept a better eye on him. Dad's death hit me hard, and hit Sue hard, but I should not have ignored what effect it would have had on him. Dad died so he could escape. That was an inescapable truth. "It looks like it's been a while."

"I can still fight." That wasn't my concern…

"Rutger, do you want some dreamflower?"

"…No." He shook his head. "No, I fear I might get addicted." Yes, that was a problem. Another was having too much. "They're supposed to give people good dreams, and I might just get addicted to that."

"I understand." I truly did. I had nightmares too. "But I want you to take it a bit easier these next few battles." I reached down and clasped his shoulder. "Dad saw something in you." He tensed, but looked right at me. "I think I can see it too." Rutger was skilled. He was skilled, and he was kind underneath all that anger. "So, if you feel there's a need to make it up to him, to me, to Sue, you're going to have to suffer through living, okay?"

"…Understood." He actually laughed a little. "Did you want to talk about that?"

"No, but we will have a discussion later." I settled back in my saddle, ducking under an arrow that flew my way without really thinking about it. "Clarine is tending to some soldiers. Guard her."

"Understood." He nodded, and ran over to her, finding her easily. I wondered if he had been keeping an eye on her anyway. I watched him kneel down to help steady a person as she healed him, and I saw her bright smile.

I really did think they'd be good for each other, in time. It was just going to take some work to reach that point, I think.

A bellow startled me, and I could only stare as a warrior, armed with an axe, crashed into the enemy from the northern side. Um… what was… okay, who was the loudmouth screaming and making himself a huge target?

"I am so sorry!" The yelp made me look down, and I was confused to see Fir bowing to me. "Please forgive my father's antics," she hastily explained. So, that man was Fir's father? …Clearly, she took after her mother in looks. "I tried to tell him that I didn't need help, but he wouldn't listen."

"Fir, it's fine," I reassured. I reached down to ruffle her hair and she tentatively glanced up. "You should… spend time with him while you can…" I would give anything to speak to Dad one more time…

"…Right…" She gave me a sad smile, and I knew she was thinking of how I felt. "I'm sorry. He's just…" Well, I could see how he was. "I am glad to see him. I am just annoyed because he tricked me into saying yes."

"Understandable." I smiled at her. "Try to keep him from charging, please?"

"On it!"

The battle was won before long, thank you Father Sky, but we still had a lot of work to do. Namely, we had to save, and tend, to all the prisoners. The heat had not been kind to the would-be miners either.

"We need more bandages!" "We don't have any!" "Shred and boil the clothes of the dead. They don't need them."

No food and access to only contaminated water had done horrors to their health as well. They were kept in small cells, packed together, often beaten by guards, if not killed for trying to escape. The smell was horrible, and not just because of the corpses.

"You need to let that one go." "He's a child!" "He's dead."

Even with all the horror stories I had heard, I couldn't believe Etruria had done this. I couldn't believe anyone with any bit of morality had allowed this. How did this happen? Why did this happen?

"Don't come near!" "He's throwing up blood!" "He's scared of Etrurians, Clarine. Go to an unconscious one."

This was the accumulation of an almost forty-year-long-campaign. What had started as retaliation for the over five hundred deaths by the pirate king, Fargus, had led to this.

"We have to cut off the arm." "Where are numbing herbs?" "We don't have any. Hold and cut."

I had named Bernese 'monsters' for what they did to Bulgar. So, what word did I have for the Etrurians who let this happen?

"Lady Irene!" I barely glanced up from tending to a crying child. In order to save their life, I had to chop off his legs, and now I was making sure the wounds would close up. "Lady Irene, General Roy-"

"You will wait until I am finished," I ordered, voice cool and calm. I had no idea how I kept my temper right now, or how I kept my hands steady as I stitched and bandaged. I could only guess it was because if I couldn't, this child would die. Others would die. "Is that understood?"

"Y-yes, my lady." Whoever it was stood back as I continued to work, absently drying the child's tears whenever I had to pause. My hands were cramping; I had been at this for three hours.

Finally, I finished my work, and hugged the child, whispering to them as I stroked his hair. "You are a good child. You are a very good child." I could only hope he would survive. His body was in bad shape, and the stress of losing two limbs would not be kind. "Let's see…"

"Irene." The calm voice made me look up, and to my surprise, Wuotan was kneeling next to me, hands out to take the child from me. When did he get down here? "Let me take over for you," he requested, cradling the child to his chest easily. His free hand ruffled my hair, and I was reminded of Grandfather. "You need to get out of this hell." I glanced around, noting the chaos. There were still so many. "You must tend to your own spirit as well, Irene. Besides, you also need to clean up." He cradled one of my hands, and I noticed all the blood. "You will spread diseases if you continue to work like this."

"Right…" I whispered, drooping. I was so tired… "Why did this happen?"

"This is what happens when you convince a nation that they are better than others, and that other people are 'lesser', perhaps not even human." Wuotan's eyes were sad. "You see it in history often. It is an effective strategy for ensuring that people's morale does not falter in the face of atrocity. After all, it is much easier to kill an animal than a person. And Etrurians have a rallying point. In their eyes, those of the Isles killed a great many of their navy thirty-seven years ago, for no reason. Hate makes people do many things they would not consider otherwise." …Yes, I could understand that. I remembered the Sacaean I had kicked while they were down, on the way to Thria. "Go on up with the nice soldier, Irene."

"Okay." I tried to stand, but ended up slipping in blood and… something else? It smelled like something else, but I was too tired to think of what. "Ah…"

Wuotan used his free hand to steady me. "Be careful on the stairs." Yes, I might fall. "Might I have your pack?"

"Yeah, sure…" Oh, hold on a moment. "Do you know the herbs I use?"

"You use herbal remedies common to the plains. I know many of them myself." Being a traveling scholar apparently meant he knew everything. "Oh, you have caphredil."

"It's used to cure consumption." Fire Dragon Roses, as they were also called, grew only in Hanover's lands now. Supposedly, it was all year long, but I only knew of a patch that grew in a woodland meadow, during the fall months. "It's also got other properties."

"Such as reducing bleeding and promoting healing for more fragile tissues." Yes, that was actually one reason why it was used for consumption. Another property was that it increased the effectiveness of healing magic, somehow. "What was it they mean in Etruria's language of flowers?"

"'You are my sunshine'." The words were automatic. "Though some use it in the romantic fashion, its primary meaning is based more on 'hope'." The light in the dark… that was what Dad said… but at the moment, I felt like I was drowning in shadows. I also felt like I was drowning in blood, sweat, and other things that smelled horrible that I refused to name.

"That's right." Wuotan's smile was kind, and he nudged me towards the stairs, where the messenger soldier was now waiting. "Go find some sunshine, Irene. People are like plants. They wilt without light."

"…Thank you." I managed a smile and dropped my pack by him before finally following the soldier.

If they said anything, I didn't hear it. Instead, I bullied them into letting me wash up before they led me anywhere. I thought about changing my clothes, but decided against it. I couldn't remember where I had left them, after all.

So, instead, I let the soldier lead me to a study, where Roy and Elphin were waiting. Both looked appropriately horrified when I stumbled in.

"Lady Irene, sit," Elphin ordered, dragging me over to a chair and shoving me into it. It didn't take him much. Everything ached. "I… take it conditions were even worse than predicted."

"I am embarrassed, mortified, and horrified to be half Etrurian right now," I deadpanned. It was less because I wanted to be 'sarcastic' and more that I was too tired to put more force into it. "How can the same country that produced Mom and my family also produce…?" People who did things like this.

"…As painful as it is to say this, Lady Irene, but I cannot say your family is completely innocent." Despite the blunt, painful words, I couldn't even work up the energy to lose my temper. "The true face of what is going on does not spread, but the fact remains that they at least passively allowed the campaign to continue."

"I suppose that's true." Thirty-seven years. That was how long this 'campaign' had lasted. Grandfather had to have known some of it. Mom definitely had guesses. But Grandfather hadn't stopped it, and Mom… Mom had run away from it. For her sanity and happiness, Mom had run away from this. I had no answers for why Grandfather had not stepped in to at least try to stop it. Then again, I had heard that the one who managed to turn the former 'knight initiation' practice of killing 'bandits', really the poor or Sacaeans, into something illegal was him. Maybe he had just picked his battles. Then again, maybe that was just me desperately trying to think of a justification because I loved him dearly.

"I don't think Irene is paying attention, Elphin." Roy's voice dragged me out of my spiraling thoughts. "Welcome back, Irene," Roy teased, smiling wanly. I noticed he didn't really look at my face, but all the stains on my clothes. Maybe I should have taken the time to hunt down and change. It would have kept him from looking so sad, and so much like the world was crashing down around him. This had to be even worse for him. He was never really aware of how bad Etruria could be. "So, instead, let me change the conversation, Elphin?"

"I see no problem with that," Elphin replied easily. He gave me a concerned look before focusing on Roy. "What is it?"

"Well…" Roy's eyes narrowed slightly, tilting his head curiously. Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but you're someone of Etrurian nobility, aren't you?"

"That is…" Elphin did his best to mask his surprise, but I could see he was shaken. "What makes you say that?"

"The way you talk, and hold yourself mostly. You sound as if you're very educated, and you're well versed in the arts, which isn't a hobby those outside of nobility can pursue." He pointed to the lyre for emphasis. "You also hold yourself tall, and often seem to have to remind yourself to slump and make yourself smaller, like you're used to wearing your presence as your armor. I only really see that trait in Etrurians. Even Aunt Katri holds herself that way, and she hasn't lived in Etruria in twenty years."

"…An interesting observation." Elphin did his best to act nonchalant. I think it worked for Roy, but it didn't for me. I knew his nervous habits. "Is there anything else?"

"Aside from that?" Roy shrugged. "Well, Irene's mad at you." …Ahaha… ha… "I can't really think of why, but if you were of nobility, high nobility, then that would answer that. I can place a few guesses as to what rank from there, based on what I've been told." …Roy, I would applaud you if I didn't feel so mortified. "But, honestly, most of it is a feeling. A strong feeling, but just one nonetheless."

"…And what would you do if you are correct?"

"Oh, nothing." Roy smiled sweetly, and I snickered at how off-balanced Elphin looked. "I'm sure you've got some reason. You can tell me when, and if, you feel comfortable about it." He pointed to me. "But you'd better apologize to her."

"I'm not accepting apologies for anything at the moment," I replied, making my tone as dignified as possible, much harder than it sounded. Roy looked confused; Elphin just sighed. "I cannot explain, Roy. It involves a secret that is not mine to tell."

"Okay," Roy said easily. He shrugged again. "Regardless, if that's settled, and if Irene is back with us, let's work on the next plan. How many did we lose?"

"Thankfully, not many." At least, it hadn't been many when I last received a report. "We'll have to see if anything catches, or if anyone gets ill from the civilians."

"But, we still have most of our force, then." Yes. Yes, we did. "Then, Elphin, Irene, here is what I propose." Roy's eyes suddenly blazed with fierce determination. It was enough to jolt a little energy in me. "We head for the capital. We liberate the Isles, once and for all. I think it has been proven that Etruria cannot govern them well."

"Etruria cannot even govern itself well," Elphin added, voice dry and bitter. I glanced at him worriedly, and he shook his head slightly. He would tell me later. That was always our little 'signal'. "But yes, the capital is where we must head if we are to have a chance of keeping the people here safe."

"Well, it shouldn't be hard to rally the troops," I pointed out. Despite everything protesting, the wheels in my mind were spinning. "Righteous fury goes a long way to generate momentum, even in the face of strong opposition." I closed my eyes, thinking rapidly now. It seemed that no matter what happened, I could maintain my ability to think. "Arcardo is going to run. There is no question about that. He's going to try and run, to pin the blame of those here. He'll try to do something to destroy any evidence to the contrary." I opened my eyes, looking at them both. "We have an advantage, though. Klein's been in there and, more importantly, as the general in charge of the campaign here, he had to have learned at least some secret exits."

"Secrets exits are so convenient for entering." Yes, they were. "General Roy? Shall we rally the War Council for a plan of approach?"

"Yes," Roy declared firmly. He glanced at me worriedly, but I nodded. I could think, and I could think clearly. So long as they didn't expect anything else from me, I could do this. "Send the messengers to gather everyone."

We were ending the Western isle Campaign once and for all.

Notes on Bartre

· Apparently a veteran of the Campaign of Fire, albeit one that never was close to Mom. Still, he greeted me rather enthusiastically.

· According to Marcus, even with the loud and reckless behavior, he is SOMEHOW CALMER THAN HE WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO. I can understand why Mom never talked much with him.

· Has the ability to take a lot of hits, and is very strong, but he's also clearly out of practice.

· I think I'm going to set him to training Wade and Lot, and maybe extend some of the overprotective fatherliness to others in need of it, like Gonzales. …Not me, though. I don't want a second father. I had the best one I could ever have, and I just can't…

· His affinity is thunder.

Author's note: This is chapter 11B, where you recruit one of four possible characters that later return in FE7, Bartre. Marcus and Merlinus were two others, but the fourth and last will not be seen for a very long while. And not seen at all if you get the 'bad ending'. Reference to Deke and Rutger's B support. (btw, Rutger, as a level one swordmaster, with an A support with Clarine and a B with Deke, has a base 60+ crit with an iron sword. God, I love how broken the supports are, and I love how IS gave swordmasters and berserkers a base 30 crit.)

Cholera, for those unaware, is a very virulent disease, killing within hours. However, only about…. Oh… 20% experience the acute, watery diarrhea that characterizes the disease, the remaining 80% experience mild or moderate symptoms. It's got a short incubation period, which means it can have potentially explosive outbreak patterns. Because of the severe dehydration, it can kill within hours. Iirc, it causes the diarrhea by messing with the salt balance in the intestines (very fun). [Expect more illnesses, and more fun facts about illnesses, as the campaign goes on.]

Also, humidity sucks. A lot.

Next Chapter – Interlude, Storyteller