Despite internet issues, here we are! Happy Friday.

Aurora - I'm posting the one-shot you requested as we speak (a fluffy one shot of Avatar x Lon'qu). It's called How You Remind Me. I think writing that taught me I'm very good at angst haha. I hope you enjoy it anyway!

/Zen

After I was through seeing to the inventory with Cordelia – which took less time than I'd thought – I found myself heading towards the sparring ring. Like pretty much everyone else in the camp.

"Ah, Arkelle is coming to watch show, yes?" Gregor asked, one eyebrow raised. Cheers and chatter filled the air, like there was some sort of party going on.

"Might as well see what everyone's talking about," I said. Two sleepless nights in a row were beginning to wear on me, but I was as curious as the next person.

Gregor's big rough hand braced me for a second as I wobbled. I shook free.

"I'm not going to fall over," I told him wryly, pushing my hair back from my face and rubbing my eyes.

The mercenary shrugged. "Lots to be thinking, probably does not make for much sleeping." He gave me a devilish look. "Gregor has cure for this."

"No," I said, "no more of your old-well-tasting drinks. Please."

He feigned hurt, one hand to his chest. "Oh, but is good! Really works, Gregor swears it. Gives many good dreams too," he added with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.

"I think I'll take my chances," I told him with a laugh. We rounded the corner and came to the sparring area. Even Miriel was there with her notebook open and pen darting across the pages. Ricken leaned over the short weapons' rack set up on the left side of the area, bright-eyed and taking in every lunge and each block.

Sully and Chrom were really giving them something to watch. They used practice swords, which was just as well because with the force they were using they would have taken a limb off with anything else. I was surprised the wooden blades did not break. Both wore sleeveless tunics, sweat soaked through the backs and streaming down their faces.

I smiled. This was good for everyone – Chrom included. Good for morale, and good to give him an outlet for his frustration. It made my hands itch to practice again. Cordelia had found me a better sword, one inlaid with silver in the handle. Its comforting weight hung at my side.

The crossing of the practice swords was loud in the small clearing. From one stance to another, the two moved quickly. Chrom was a little more graceful, but also more showy. He'd been taught by the finest tutor's Ylisse could offer, no doubt. Sully put all her strength and energy into each attack, rarely on the defensive. If she did parry, she turned it into a thrust that swept the wooden blade close to Chrom's throat.

Chrom swung between them, pushing Sully's blade aside. The red head dodged a step backwards, narrowly missing his followup which would have taken off her nose most likely. Spinning right she brought her sword upwards with a stroke that could have gutted any of the Risen from the previous night. Chrom twisted aside, his sword flowing through the turn and aiming for her neck. With a grin, Sully threw herself into a backwards roll. Murmurs of approval rose among the watchers.

I slipped away from Gregor and saw Lon'qu standing a little apart from the others, next to Ricken. Maybe he's pointing out stuff from the fight, I thought. But no, he seemed content to let Ricken watch and learn for himself. I stepped up next to him.

"How long have they been fighting?" I asked.

The swordsmaster glanced at me without turning his head. He stood stiffly with his hands clasped behind his back and watched the two practicing sullenly. "For several long minutes. A mistake will be made soon."

"Not Chrom," Ricken piped up. "He never makes mistakes!"

"Everyone gets tired."

I looked up at Lon'qu's face and raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter with you?" I asked. "You look like you lost a bet and aren't the least bit happy about it."

He shot me a look that ought to have skewered me where I stood.

"Don't make me go find more figs," I warned, raising my eyebrows and crossing my arms.

He let out a heavy sigh, although the dark look on his face did not change. "You could say I lost a bet. It appears I have much to learn."

"Well you can't have bet on these two," I said, gesturing at Chrom and Sully as one ducked a wide swing made by the other, "since they're still going at it. What kind of bet? With whom?" Then I saw Gregor watching us from off to the side, just a casual glance, but that was all I needed. I groaned. I knew Lon'qu had a bone to pick with the mercenary. Something that had to do with Regna Ferox and who was the better swordsman.

Sometimes men were frustrating.

Lon'qu followed my glance and stiffened. Then he sighed again and some of the tension melted from his shoulders.

"Look," I said, "whatever it is, you can deal with it. Make it a goal. Work towards it."

"All the practice in the world – " He cut himself off with a frustrated shake of his head. "It does not matter."

"It does," I argued, turning to face him. I drew myself up to my full height, although I was still a fair bit shorter than he was. "It matters to you, so you can't just brush it aside like that. But don't dwell on it until it poisons you either. That's just foolish."

The corner of his mouth lifted in what could almost pass for a smile. "Heh. Straight to the point. You really have a way with words, don't you."

"Hey," I said, a grin replacing my frown as I pointed at his face, "was that a laugh?"

His expression flattened. "No."

"It was, don't deny it!"

A disappointed moan went up from the gathered crowd around us. I turned and saw Sully had landed the practice sword across the upper part of Chrom's shoulder. He went down on one knee as I watched, but held tight to the sword in his right hand. It lay alongside Sully's side, and her face screwed up in a wince.

"That," Lon'qu said, "is how you want to lose a fight if you must lose."

"But he didn't lose," Ricken protested, turning to face us. He tipped his head back a bit to meet Lon'qu's eyes.

"It is always a loss if you are struck."

"But –"

"Always," Lon'qu repeated.

Ricken frowned hard before turning his attention back to the ring. Chrom and Sully both stood now, shaking hands and grinning. Vaike was there, slapping them on the back. Maribelle butted in, waving her staff around and making sure that everyone was alright.

"Was good fight," Gregor said, appearing from nowhere and clasping one big hand on my shoulder.

"Yes," I agreed. "It was good for everyone."

The sellsword nodded, glancing at Lon'qu who was pointedly looking anywhere else but at him. "You should get some practice too, yes?" Gregor suggested.

I rolled my eyes. "I think I'm good," I told him.

"Lon'qu says practice is as necessary as breathing," Ricken said, turning around again. Chrom was re-buckling his sword belt to his waist, still talking to the others but no longer doing anything the boy was afraid of missing. "He says you can't hope to live if you don't practice every day."

"Does he now?"

"Lon'qu very serious," Gregor agreed. "And very true. All should practice. Come," he added, extending an arm to Ricken, "tell Gregor what else Lon'qu has been teaching."

The boy went eagerly, speaking quickly before they'd even got out of ear shot. Lon'qu took a step after them, but I stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Let them go," I said. "He's not doing any harm."

The swordmaster glared after the other two, his jaw clenched tight. "He thinks he is so much better –"

"Who, Gregor?" I asked with a chuckle. "No he doesn't. He just likes to meddle."

Lon'qu didn't look like he was going to let it go. I glanced around, noticing how everyone else seemed to have drifted off as well, returning to their tasks. As I watched, Miriel snapped her book shut and walked off with Frederick.

"What about that match?" I asked, turning back to Lon'qu.

"Hm?"

"The match you wanted," I said, moving into the now-empty area of the ring. "Practice is as necessary as breathing?"

He hesitated a moment then followed me into the area. We unbuckled our belts without a word, lying them next to the rack which held the practice swords. The wooden handle was smooth under my hand, the weight a little heavier than I was used to.

"Ready?"