Everything turned out exactly as Byleth had suspected it would. As soon as Mercedes met up with Jeritza and the initial awkwardness had passed, the girl was wonderfully able to manage the whole situation with both tact and compassion and by the time that the curfew bell rang for the evening the siblings were clinging to each other supportively and mumbling heartfelt conversation. Byleth had never felt so much of a third wheel in her life.

With a stack of marking to do, Byleth had placed herself down on the window-seat as far away from her guests as possible and had done her best not to listen in to the flow of the private conversation that was taking place, while remaining vigilant to any potential problems - although she needn't have worried on that account.

For a short time, early in the evening, Byleth had tried to engage Sothis in conversation to distract herself from the proceedings, but the girl in her head was far too busy eavesdropping shamelessly and unapologetically.

'I honestly don't understand how you can be so uninterested in this unfolding drama.' Sothis snorted.

'Because it's none of my business.' Byleth replied stoically.

'Poppycock! Jeritza made it your business when he asked for your aid.' Sothis disagreed.

'You really are quite brazen in your pursuit of entertainment.' There was a note of distaste to Byleth's words.

'And you are just as dull as ditchwater.' Sothis accused. 'Now will you shush and let me listen!'

Eventually, and with no small amount of well-hidden relief, Byleth was forced to gently remind Mercedes that the last bell had tolled, and she needed to get back to her own room.

'This is all going to take a while to process.' Mercedes admitted as Byleth escorted her safely home. 'I think it is probably a good thing that we will be heading out on mission in a few days.'

'You are okay, though?' Byleth asked.

'Oh, yes! Very much so. It's just I need some time coming to terms with the knowledge of exactly what my baby brother has had to go through…' Mercedes sighed. 'Perhaps we can use some of our travel time to talk things over between us too.'

'Of course.' Byleth agreed. 'Although, you must have noticed that I am not the most emotive of people Mercedes… I wish you had someone you could confide in who was better at all this than me.'

'I don't know…' Mercedes smiled gently to herself. 'I think you do just fine, Professor…'

When she returned to her room, Byleth found Jeritza still there, curled up defensively on her bed, and clinging tightly to Colin.

'I think that went well, all things considered.' Byleth hazarded as she entered.

'Does she hate me?' Jeritza whispered. 'Who I am now?'

'Don't be dumb!' Byleth risked a quick pat on his head. 'You did a really good job of keeping yourself together.'

'That's not at all condescending.' Jeritza grumped at her, glowering. Byleth grunted back at him and moved away, over to her table and her stack of marking. There was a moment's silence. 'Do you still have some work to do?' He asked quietly.

Byleth nodded. 'I need to clear this paperwork before I get dragged off on our mission this month.'

'Good. Can I stay here a bit longer then?' Jeritza wouldn't meet her eyes. 'Only because Colin is really good company.' He muttered in explanation, stroking the happy furball gently.

'I guess.' Byleth looked at him speculatively. 'Do you happen to snore?' She inquired.

'No! I hardly rest that much at all. I can assure you that I won't fall asleep now – least of all in the presence of someone else!' He insisted.

Byleth smirked. 'Want to wager on that?'

'You will be the one paying up.' Jeritza replied flatly.

'Mhmm.'

'A bag of lemon-pips.' He declared.

'You're on!' Byleth agreed.

Jeritza was asleep before she managed to finish grading her first paper.

'That's gratitude for you.' Sothis huffed as Byleth covered the slumbering swordsman in a blanket.

'He was exhausted and emotional.' Byleth smiled. 'If Colin is a balm, then it can't be a bad thing. I know Jeritza told me he liked cats… but it appears that he REALLY likes cats a whole lot more than I realised.'

'Hmm, well, I didn't think he was being entirely truthful about only coveting the cat's company…' Sothis mused. 'But then what do I know? I am just a disembodied voice in your head…'

Once her work was finished, Byleth pulled the sleeping roll out that she used while camping and made herself up a bed by the fire as Jeritza slept on.

'Why don't you just kick him out?' Sothis asked as Byleth settled herself down after leaving Jeritza's dagger on the table beside him to find when he woke up.

'He'd just be embarrassed and surly.' Byleth smiled. 'Let him creep out when he wakes. I can, of course, tease him about it later…' She added wickedly.

It was just after dawn that Byleth was awoken by a string of muffled curses, although she kept her eyes tightly closed and stifled her grin at Jeritza's inventive and rather dismayed language as he dragged himself off of the bed and strapped his dagger back into its hiding place on his person. She became perplexed, however, when he fell silent and then nearly jumped from her skin when his hand came softly down on the top of her head, almost as if he was scritching a cat between its ears.

'I know you're awake.' He murmured, so close to her face that she could feel his breath. 'You are far too disciplined not to be.'

'Goddess!' She exclaimed, her eyes shooting open. 'You move a whole lot quieter than I thought possible.' Her appreciation of his skill was obvious.

That brought a slight huff of a laugh. 'I owe you a bag of sweets.' He observed, standing up and crossing to the door. 'By the way…' he turned back briefly before leaving. 'It's you that is the one that snores…' And with that, he was gone.

'I do not!' Byleth grumbled to herself.

'No, you don't.' Sothis agreed merrily. 'I have a suspicion that he was actually attempting to make a joke.'

~0~

Byleth's first morning with the Lion's was an unusual change of pace for the Professor. Freed from the confines of having to stay to a normal study plan, she had been looking forward to the initial classroom sessions before the House set off on their mission. When she arrived to commence the preparations though she found that her class was strangely subdued.

Ignatz was sat at the back with Ashe, both of them obviously nervous and quiet. Felix was sulking that they weren't immediately undertaking weapon's training. Mercedes simply looked tired. Dimitri, Ingrid, Annette, and Dedue were attentive, but it was only the small redhaired mage that displayed any kind of enthusiasm while Sylvain sat back in his chair with a satisfied smirk and his hands behind his head 'enjoying the view' as he put it.

'We will be traveling at speed due to the distance.' Byleth had a map pinned up to the board, that Catherine had supplied her and was marked with the places that they would be stopping on the journey. 'That means we will also be traveling light. We will require to hunt the majority of our food once we make camp each evening.'

'A good job we have two bowmen along then.' Ingrid said seriously.

'Oh!' Ignatz exclaimed, barely above a whisper. 'I haven't ever hunted game before…'

'I don't see the point in this mission at all.' Felix pouted. 'If we are not going to be engaging in combat, why do we have to go all this way? I'm sure there are better things we could be doing with our time.'

'The Archbishop expressly requested that it was the Lions that undertook this excursion.' Byleth replied levelly. 'I can only assume that it is because the situation is taking place in the Kingdom and thus is a Kingdom issue to deal with.'

'Indeed, it is the responsibility of the Crown to be represented in the matter even though it is the church that is directly being insulted.' Dimitri supplied.

'Yeah, well, I don't see why the rest of us should have to suffer too.' Felix muttered.

'Every experience can be a good learning experience.' Byleth interjected stoically. 'Although we will be mainly traveling, we will be able to practice our teambuilding and support techniques. We are only a small group, so it is also possible that we will encounter wild animals or monsters on our journey. A number of the places that we will be passing through are quite wild.'

'And we will get to camp! Under the stars with a big fire and tents!' Annette sang happily. 'I think it will be a fine adventure!'

'How many Knights will be with us?' Ingrid asked.

'Catherine is planning on taking along one other.' Byleth replied.

'I suppose it will at least allow me some time to persuade Lady Catherine to spar with me.' Felix grumbled.

'It is a shame that we won't be fighting.' Ingrid agreed. 'I would very much like to see her in a real action scenario. Her reputation as a Knight is exemplary.'

'She looks pretty good in that white armor too.' Sylvain added.

'So…' Byleth doggedly continued. 'On account of the foraging that we will require to do in order to eat, I have managed to get us time arranged in the greenhouse with the head-gardener who will be talking us through some of the edible foliage that is indigenous to the regions that we are traveling through.'

'I'd have thought you would already have a good knowledge Professor.' Dedue noted.

'In honesty, it's not a region I am familiar with at all.' Byleth replied. 'Jeralt hates inclement weather. We only ever went anywhere cold if it was necessary.'

'Does that mean you have never seen snow?' Mercedes asked curiously.

'No.' Byleth shook her head. 'I have only heard tales of how awful it is.' She added.

'It does take some getting used too.' Dedue murmured.

'I would hate to go through a year without it.' Ingrid retorted.

Byleth shrugged. 'I understand it is too early in the year yet anyway.'

'You really must come and experience snow with me… us… in Faerghus at some stage, Professor!' Dimitri exclaimed his face flushing red.

Sylvain chuckled. 'Really your Highness?' He smirked. 'You have seen our dear Professor's aim with a rubber ball, and yet you think it would be a good idea to invite her somewhere will she will have easy access to snowballs? Not terribly bright in my opinion.'

Felix perked up. 'That would be awesome.' He decided. 'A real challenger for once!'

'I fear we have drifted from our subject again.' Byleth complained. 'Look, it's not like I am particularly looking forward to this journey either you know. Riding horses is quite literally a pain in my arse.' Sylvain sniggered. 'However, it is an unfortunate reality of life that we have to do stuff that we might not actually want to.' Byleth continued, ignoring Sylvain completely. 'We can either sulk about the whole thing like a bunch of spoilt kids, or we can accept our duty, support each other and maybe actually learn some stuff and have a bit of fun on the way.'

'I promise not to allow you to ache too much.' Mercedes spoke up. 'I do have magic fingers, after all!'

'I'm looking forward to cooking over a camp-fire.' Dedue admitted.

'I will get to see a part of the world I don't know very well.' Byleth added.

'I just hope this situation can be resolved quickly and easily.' Ashe spoke up in a ghost of a voice.

'I'm not even considering complaining.' Sylvain shrugged. 'Accompanied by such a bevy of beauties into the wilderness? It will be a pleasure!'

'When will we be going to the greenhouse Professor?' Dimitri inquired politely.

'First thing this afternoon.' Byleth grunted in reply. 'Afterwards, I suppose we could make our way to the training hall and begin some weapons practice.' She added.

'Well, finally.' Felix smirked.