TRIGGER WARNING:
- AMPUTATION

Chapter Sixteen
Drowning

When Vaike had come to Chrom looking for another one of their friendly little competitions they somehow ended up in a cooking contest. Chrom, admittedly, had very little experience with cooking, but surely it couldn't have been that different from roasting bear on an open fire.

However, with one bite alone from Chrom's goulash Vaike's head slammed onto the surface of the table. Chrom inspected Vaike to find his eyes had rolled back as far as they could go, and he was drooling out of the corner of his mouth. Perhaps Chrom should have gone easy on the seasoning… and maybe he should have made sure the tomatoes and beef were still good. But it looked like Chrom had won, regardless. No one said the winner had to make the best dish, with Vaike down for the count, Chrom won by default.

"There you are!"

Chrom whipped around to find Maribelle walking to him in long strides. "Some of us, I'm sure you can guess who was just about ready to tear this castle apart looking for you," Maribelle ranted. "You would think someone of your class would be easier to find, even in a foreign castle. I'm not sure why no one thought to look in the-"

Chrom tried to suppress a smile. At first glance, Lissa and Maribelle's friendship was a particularly odd one. But Chrom knew they clicked together through moments like this. "Maribelle. Was someone looking for me?"

Maribelle sucked in a breath. She bit her lower lip and cast her eyes downwards. "Y-Yes, I'm afraid," she said while wringing her hands together. "You're… You're being summoned to the castle infirmary."

Instantly, Chrom's brow furrowed. "Why? What's wrong."

Maribelle's hands shot up, fingers outspread, as though trying to defend herself from a dangerous blast. "Now, I'm afraid I don't know the whole story," she said quickly. "Do keep in mind I only know the barest of minimums."

"Which is…?"

Slowly, Maribelle inhaled, then blurted out quickly, "Anali collapsed in the library."

Chrom went cold. "What?"

"Khan Flavia and Khan Basilio are waiting for you at the infirmary. They would know more about it than I."

"Show me, please."

"Of course."

He followed Maribelle through the hall, which suddenly felt longer than they were less than an hour ago.

Anali collapsed?

But she looked perfectly fine the last time Chrom saw her. She looked rather tired, yes, but so wasn't everyone else. Actually, now that Chrom thought about it, Anali did look pale. And she was trembling, something Chrom chalked up to the rain. But was that enough to make a person collapse?

Why was he worrying? Anali just overworked herself. The past couple of days were no easier on her than they were Chrom himself. Yes. That's it, she just overworked herself. And Chrom was going to be told that Anali needed to take it easy.

The Khan's waited in the hallway with an older woman in white clerical clothing. Flavia stood, impatiently tapping her foot as she stood with her arms over her chest. Basilio was a little more held together but was distressed. His good eye wandered to find Chrom approaching them, he exhaled, "There you are."

"What happened?" Chrom asked immediately.

"A Plegian yellow-back happened, boy. It would appear Anali was on the receiving end of one."

A Plegian… what? That black lizard that bit her the other day? But Anali was just fine after that. "I've heard of them," said Flavia, "the victim dies a slow, painful death."

A slow, painful death? "So, Anali is dying?" demanded Chrom.

The Cleric cleared her throat, stealing the attention of all three of them. "With the medicine we have here at our disposal, the best we can do is make her as comfortable as possible. The venom from a Plegian yellow-back makes the body overheat, which is what ultimately kills the victim. Now, there is a chance we could reduce the fever and Anali could fight it herself… If she was treated as soon as she received the bite. From my understanding, that was two days ago. I'm honestly not that optimistic her body can fight it-"

"Shut up!" Chrom snapped before he could stop himself. Why was this woman talking as though it were over and done with? They just said Anali collapsed, she wasn't dead, they could still cure her. "Just… Just shut up! Why the hell are you wasting time telling us all of this when you should be giving Anali your full attention?! She's the one who needs it! Shouldn't you be doing everything you can to keep her alive?!"

Basilio's lips pulled back, he understood where Chrom was coming from. But a man does not talk to a woman of the cloth like this! So, he ground his fist into Chrom's head. "Calm down, boy! Don't go shooting the messenger, got it?"

Chrom grit his teeth while he rubbed his head. Yes, he was being childish, getting angry at the cleric was not going to help anyone. She was just doing her job, everything she could. If anything, Chrom was angry with the situation. "Olga," Flavia began, addressing the cleric. "Isn't there anything that can be done?"

Olga nodded. "As I said before, we don't have the proper medicine for her. But it does exist in Regna Ferox. The best remedy for a yellow-back bite is the yvaine blossom. And I just happen to know a woman who grows them."

Thank goodness, there was a chance. "Where is it?" asked Chrom. "I'll get it myself if I have to."

"In the village Thranduil, look for a woman named Tatiana. She is used to people asking for her flowers just for this sort of occasion. If you ask, I'm sure she will give you as many as we need."

"Thranduil…" Basilio said thoughtfully. "To get there and back is a three-day journey, provided you leave early enough and don't run into trouble."

Turning on his heel Chrom walked down the hall. "I'll get it in half the time," he said firmly.

When Frederick heard about the situation he had some reservations. For starters, Chrom was insistent about getting the blossoms in a day-and-a-half, maybe in even less time. And then when the Prince declared that he would go alone Frederick sat him down and calmly suggested they gather the Shepherds then explain that Anali is sick and possibly dying. He would ask for volunteers to go and to stay, then they would leave for the village in the morning.

Chrom was insistent that they leave as soon as possible but ultimately agreed. During dinner, Frederick relayed the news to the others. He asked for volunteers, but also encouraged several to stay behind to watch Anali, and help the Khan should Ferox be under siege. Tharja just about shot onto her feet with a hand in the air. "I volunteer to stay!"

There was a bit of an awkward silence after that before volunteers for either side flooded out. Chrom was somewhat happy with the outcome. At least Donnel, Elaine, Libra, and Nowi would be staying at the castle as well. At least it wouldn't just be Anali and Tharja.

Because time was not exactly something they could afford they were going to travel lightly and make haste. The goal was to be quick but be reasonable. But there was a minor problem; they lacked a tactician now. "I think Virion might do as a substitute," Stahl pointed out. "He is usually Anali's opponent for her strategy game."

"Quite true," said the blue-haired archer. "However I will admit that you will have my head on a pike after but one conflict."

"We're aiming to avoid conflict," Chrom assured him. "But if it is unavoidable I will turn to you for assistance at minimal."

"We're gonna die…" he heard Gaius mumble.

Chrom tried to ignore his jape. The Shepherds fought plenty of battles before they found Anali, one possible battle without her guidance was not going to kill them. However, it would be comforting…

Everyone was encouraged to turn in early, but Chrom, instead, found himself in the infirmary. This time around, he actually saw Anali. She was asleep, curled up and shivering in one of the cots. Olga explained the victim often suffered from severe chills. The evidence of a fever was written all over her face, from the flush that traveled from ear to ear, to the sweat on her brow.

There was a basin of water and cloth by her bedside table. Chrom contemplated for a moment on whether or not he should do something. He ultimately decided against it, given how 'gentle' he could be, all he would do is succeed in waking her when she needed as much rest as she could get.

Tendrils of hair fanned out around her, no longer in their usual pigtails. She must have had three blankets over her, but she was still shivering, and the red in her face suggested she would be warm to the touch. Anali looked so… fragile now. She was suffering, and there wasn't a damn thing Chrom could do about it.

It was almost four months to the day since they first met, and from Chrom's perspective, their relationship suddenly became a complicated one. He was beginning to realize how light he usually felt when Anali was near him. Even if they were having a serious discussion, it was like he could share anything with her and she would listen without judging. He wished she could do the same with him.

This sudden complication could ruin their friendship, however. That was something Chrom was not willing to risk. This would be the one thing Chrom would keep to himself, it was better that way. But seeing Anali like this, sugaring and vulnerable, just made him feel so powerless again. If she died… if she died…

"Just…" Chrom uttered under his breath. He pushed his bangs back, struggling to find the words. Carefully, he brought his lips to Anali's ear and whispered, "Don't let go… I can't lose you, too."

It was dark, nothing to light the way, no sign of the moon, nor the stars. She was standing in a few inches of water, as though it were just after heavy rain. She was vaguely aware of how clean the air smelled, fresh with a ting of water. She walked forward, her steps echoing the splash with each step.

A sudden scream startled her. She whipped around to see a little girl running in her general direction. The girl stumbled slightly, but she quickly caught herself and continued. Anali couldn't see the girl's face, her bangs covered her eyes, but her pigtails trailed behind her. She could hear the girl's pitiful whimpers. Decency declared that Anali go help her, but she found that she couldn't move her legs.

The girl abruptly stopped as the water rippled around her. Three hands shot out from the water and the girl screamed. Anali felt two hands hold her arms down at her sides, a third hand wrapped itself firmly around her neck, then squeezed. She tried to shake her arms free, to pry them out and remove the third hand from her neck. But all three proved too strong for her.

Like the ground beneath her feet had vanished, Anali was dragged underwater. As though choking to death wasn't enough. To some relief, she felt the hands on her arms leave her. The hand around her neck began to form an arm, and then a body. Anali couldn't make out any defining features, just long hair floating around their person. When the figure opened its eyes, Anali was met with three sets of glowing red eyes.

"WhY dO yOu StIlL rEsIsT?"

Anali woke up, coughing and hacking. She sat up, still heaving with one hand around her neck. She felt something rub against her back, a hand perhaps. "Easy," Flavia said over her coughing fit. "Easy there."

Anali cleared her throat a few times before she allowed herself to breathe. She had a vague recollection of where she was, Castle Ferox's infirmary. Likewise, she had a vague recollection of her situation. Anali got the basic idea, she was ill and could potentially die. "So, you finally decided to join the living," Flavia joked from her bedside. She had pulled up a chair to sit beside Anali's cot.

"Where's… where's Chrom?" Anali asked, shivering. "We should… discuss strategy…"

"He's not here. Chrom and the others have gone in search of a flower to make into an antidote for you."

"What?! No!" Those idiots! What were they thinking?!

Anali tossed her blankets off and swung her legs over. Immediately, Flavia stood up and placed both hands on Anali's shoulders, forcing her back down. "Let me go!" demanded Anali. "I have to-"

"Anali, I swear if you don't lie down on your own I'll have the oaf sit on you!" Flavia said firmly. "They're still in Feroxi territory, so the most trouble they'll run into is Risen."

Laying back, Anali pressed her palms to her eyes and fought back a few sobs. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid," she choked out. This was her own fault. She had to go and get sick, now the pending Exalt and his army were putting himself in needless danger. "They should have just made a break for Ylisstol and left me behind."

Flavia unsubtly scoffed. "Okay, don't even think of pulling that 'woe, is me crap.' It doesn't look good on you. Or anyone else for that matter."

"Don't you get it?!" Anali snapped, she dropped her fist onto the mattress, feeling dizzy as she did so. "I'm supposed to be helping them win this war! But instead, I just put the new Exalt into potential danger because I wasn't watching where I stepped! I. Am not. Worth. The trouble!" Warm tears started to cascade down Anali's cheeks, all they did was chill her. "I'm just some nobody with no attachments like the others… They all have responsibilities and families to return to… I don't, no one will miss me, no one will care if I die here, and they all stupidly go out and… and…"

Couldn't those fools see she wasn't worth the effort? What were they even getting themselves into?

To Anali's surprise, Flavia reached out and whipped Anali's tears with the bed of her thumb. "Well, first of all," she began gently, "Chrom's not exactly the Exalt yet. Not officially anyway. And as for not being worth the trouble… I can think of a handful of people who would clearly disagree with that. Don't think for a second that Chrom ordered everyone to go on this mission. It was a volunteer mission. Even those who stayed behind stayed because they thought they could do something here while we wait. There are your attachments."

Sniffling, Anali allowed Flavia to dry her other eye, nor did she protest when Flavia eased her back down and pull the blankets over her. She supposed Flavia had a point, the Shepherds were her attachments. Anali really did love those moments when they were all in the same room. But what was one life when weighed against the masses? Wasn't that reason enough for them to just leave her behind when push comes to shove?

Elsewhere in the castle, Nowi creaked the door open to find Libra on his knees in prayer. He had turned a small, unused room into a makeshift chapel. It gave him a quiet area to offer his prayers for the safe journey of his new comrades and the full recovery of Anali.

A mischievous grin played upon Nowi's face. She tore the door open and launched herself inside. "Libra! Give me a piggyback ride!" the Manakete exclaimed. She wrapped her arms around the priests' neck, followed by hooking her legs around his center.

Libra nearly fell over with the unexpected weight to his backside. "Careful there, Nowi! I didn't hear you coming."

"Hm? Hey, what's this?" asked Nowi. She moved Libra's long hair to the side, revealing the neck behind it. "There's some kind of scar on the back of you-"

"Don't touch it!"

Immediately Nowi scampered back, keeping her hands to herself. "S-Sorry," she said quickly. "Does it hurt?"

"N-No, it does not," Libra replied hesitantly. Perhaps he had overreacted. "The wound has long healed…"

"So why don't you want me to touch it?"

"Because it might reopen a deeper wound that still causes me pain."

Confused, Nowi tilted her head to the side. "You mean inside your neck?"

The priest shook his head. "I'm speaking of a wound of the heart."

Her brow rose and her mouth formed a perfect 'oh.' "But… why does your heart hurt?"

"When I was a child, I was not raised by my parents," Libra explained. He paused for a moment to take a calming breath in. "In truth, I was abandoned by them."

Nowi gasped. "That's terrible! Why would your mother and father do that?!"

"Perhaps they hated me. Perhaps they had a better reason. I have no way of knowing. When they left me, I began to howl most piteously. I had clung to my mother so desperately I had to be forced off. Which is when I sustained the scar."

He was surprised to see large tears pool up in the corners of Nowi's eyes. Her purple eyes were usually quite large and expressive, but the look she gave him made her eyes much larger. Had she not been crying it would have been somewhat comical. "I'm sorry," Libra said with a kind smile. "I never meant to upset you. It is long in the past now."

"I don't care!" Nowi declared as she wiped her eyes. "I'm going to make you feel better!"

"And how will you do that?" Libra asked, somewhat intrigued.

"Just like a cramp," Nowi said with her pointer finger erect. "I'll just rub your heart until the pain goes away!"

The Manakete beamed, immensely proud of herself. But, slowly, her smile died as realization hit her; Nowi really did not know much about the human body. Oh, she knew that humans were much weaker than Manakete, or even taguel and that they needed food and sleep as much as she did. But Nowi did not quite understand where their organs were. For all, she knew she had a different anatomy than Libra. "Soooo… Where do humans keep their hearts, anyway?"

"I've spent many years trying to avoid what lies within mine," Libra confessed solemnly. "I admit, I am not sure I could find it if I tried."

"I can help with that, too! First, we need to find where your heart is hiding, then we can get rid of the pain together!"

On the one hand, they made some really good time for what was supposed to be a day and a half journey. Having left early in the morning they were just a mile or so away from Thranduil by early to mid-afternoon. On the other hand, what they found in that mile outside the village was a bit unexpected. There were caravans full of goods lined up on the side of the road. At the rear of the line, a merchant was patching himself up after what looked like a bloody fight.

Chrom leads his horse up to the merchant before he pulled on the stallion's reins to stop him. "Excuse me, sir," Chrom spoke up. "Apologies for intruding, but has something happened?"

"I'll say," the merchant said with a heavy sigh. He placed his tunic back on, wincing all the while. At length, he added, "A group of bandits have blocked the road to Thranduil. They're demanding a king's ransom in illicit tolls for those who wish to pass. A few of us have tried to band together and fight back, but they have clearly gotten the better of us. It's been more than a week since and none of us have been able to make our rounds in the village."

"Well, this is certainly not good," Chrom heard from behind him. He did not need to turn around to know it was Frederick. "Without the flow of goods, the people are likely to starve."

"Which we will not allow to happen," said Chrom. He dismounted his horse and looked up at the merchant. "Can you spread the word and ask them to stay where it's safe?"

"Aye, I can. If you think you are up for it, stranger. Last I heard, there was a maiden who already went in to fight."

At the halfway point between the caravan settlers and the village, a campfire was set ablaze. A group of four sat by the fire with a crate in the middle. Various items were littering the crate as the four played their game. One of the men, a tall fellow dressed in the armor of a Griffin Rider had on a smug smirk as he slapped his cards onto the table. "Royal flush!"

The other three groaned as they threw their cards onto the crate. The Griffin Rider happily slid his winnings into his lap. "I wanna rematch!" snapped one of the players.

"And what are you gonna bet genius?" asked the game's winner. "I'd happily take the deed to your house if you had either."

"Daniil!" shouted one of the Griffin Rider's mooks.

"What?" the Rider, Daniil asked dully.

"One of our scouts spotted an approaching army."

"Those weak merchants again? Let them try."

"We've recognized them as the Ylissean army, Daniil."

Daniil's brow rose when he heard this. "You don't say." Standing up, Daniil rubbed his gloved hands together. "Well, let's see how much they're worth, eh? I'm getting tired of Thranduil anyway. What do you say, boys? We take everything these Ylissean's have and pillage Thranduil while we're at it? I hear Valm's nice around this time of year?"

A roar of cheers erupted from the group of thieves until one of them was cut off. The two close to him exclaimed in shock as blood gurgled out of his mouth. The man fell over, staining the snow beneath him red. The red-haired woman held her sword at her side, holding it in a reverse grip. She was dressed in red and yellow with a festive collar to match. "Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid this village is closed," the woman said with a flirty wink.

Daniil's brow rose with a keen interest as he looked the woman over. "Well now, aren't you a fetching lady?" he asked, pulling his axe out. "And fetching ladies such as yourself tend to fetch good coin."

The woman smiled, but there was a clear sense of mockery behind it. "Careful, love," said the woman. "Us traders are known to make some very deep cuts."

In a flash, the woman's blade sliced through the nearest bandit. Damiil's band suddenly broke into two. A small percentage surrounded the woman in red, who did no more than smirk. A tawny griffin landed beside Damiil. "You lot do what you must to her, but don't you dare harm that pretty face of hers," Damiil said, mounting the beast. "The rest of you are with me. And try not to damage the merchandise."

It was a risky strategy that Anali would never have put on the table. In all fairness, Virion had warned them. He quickly deduced that the Griffin Rider was their leader, so he had Cordelia and Sumia go for him. The non-mounted units would tackle the heart of the attack, while those on horseback would come to the aid of the red-haired maiden protecting the village.

The risk came from the fact that there would be no one on the ground to watch Sumia and Cordelia's backs. And all of the mounted units (not counting Maribelle) to come to the maiden's aid was a bit excessive. While it made sense in that they were faster than everyone else on foot, only one would have sufficed. The advantage of having a unit on horseback was lost to the group.

The woman, however, had done exceptionally well on her own. Her fighting style was vaguely similar to Gaius's but she still made it her own. What may have helped her was that she never stood still.

Cordelia adjusted her grip on her lance. It really seemed like the past few days consisted of one disaster after another. Her squad, Lady Emmeryn, Captain Phila, the failed rescue mission. That was not to say she blamed Anali's plan, it was quite good, it was just Gangrel had a wild card on him. And now they were off trying to find a cure for the tactician's infection when they should have been working on ending this war.

She really did not have a clear opinion of Anali, she seemed nice enough, but Cordelia simply did not know her that well. But Sumia liked her she had become fast friends with Anali, so she couldn't have been that bad. Even when Cordelia carried a bit of jealousy towards Anali, the one who got to dance with Prince Chrom himself during his birthday, she wasn't bad. Anali did allow Cordelia her privacy when Phila ordered her to go with the Shepherds. Cordelia had mixed feelings towards the tactician, but, in the end, she decided that Anali did not deserve to die like this.

But if Anali was ever going to come out of this alive, she needed those flowers in the village. The villagers needed the goods the merchants had and the merchants needed to trade or sell.

She took a chance and approached Daniil. A grin happened upon his face. "And the beauties keep piling on today," he said. "You'll have to forgive me when I bring you to market. Between you and the other one I'll have enough to live the rest of my life peacefully."

Pig.

"In that case, you'll have to forgive me," Cordelia said, aiming her lance. "For this!"

Her Pegasus knew what to do, and when Cordelia wanted him to take off. Just before she finished her sentence he had already sped forward. Cordelia forced her lance into Daniil's chest as far as it could go. Pulling it out, Cordelia rounded herself around in mid-air and forced the lance through the griffin's wing. "You… bitch!" Daniil choked out.

"Don't forget me!" Sumia shouted, almost cheerfully. Her own lance sliced across the griffin's wing, right where the joint was.

The griffin cried out in pain, and he fell unable to keep himself up. Daniil, still hanging on by a thread, reached out as they both fell. His eyes lost focus halfway down; both griffin and rider landed in a heap. As soon as the bodies hit the ground Daniil's either fled with their tails between their legs or fought back until they, too, were struck down.

The battle had finished within minutes. Murmurs came from the caravans before the merchants each got excited. They prepared their wagons to head into the village, at long last. Exhaling, Chrom placed Falchion back into its sheath. Virion's plan was not awful, there was logic behind it, but it was not exactly the safest for them. However, he could not help but notice that Virion kept himself as far away from the frontline as possible… where they really could have used him. "Milord," Frederick said. He guided Cecil beside him as he approached Chrom. At their side was the brave woman who attacked first. "This young lady wished to have a word with you."

"Just wanted to thank you for your help," said the woman. "The name's Anna. Some folks here and there like to call me the Secret Seller."

Chrom's brow furrowed. He was sure he had seen this woman before in the marketplace in Ylisstol. "Have we met before?" he asked dumbly.

Anna's eyes rolled up as she thought for a moment. Shaking her head, she replied, "Nope, can't say we have. I rarely forget a face."

"You're sure? I swear I've seen you selling goods in Ylisstol."

Her face lit up in realization. "Oh! You must have met one of my sisters."

Sisters? But they looked so identical. Even the way they style their hair was down to pat. "Yes, I know," Anna said as though she were reading his thoughts. "There's a strong family resemblance. I should also mention that we're all traveling merchants."

"With the same name?" asked Chrom.

"Yes, as a matter of fact," said Anna. She added with a wink, "That's part of the secret!"

"Family gatherings must be chaotic."

"True, but aren't everyone's? Still, without your help, I can't imagine what would have happened. So I will offer my services and aid you in return."

"Well, you do seem quite capable."

The village was bursting with life. People went from vendor to vendor with a large smile on their faces. The oil lights seemed to brighten up the rapidly darkening streets. "If I didn't know any better," Gaius began. "I woulda thought there was a festival going on."

"Considering how long the villagers must have gone without their essential goods it might as well be," said Chrom.

They walked alongside each other as they searched for Tatiana. While one of the villagers gave Chrom directions there was a high possibility she was trying to buy what she needed as well. "One question, Blue," said Gaius. "Any reason why Frederickson isn't the one doing the escorting instead of me?"

Did Gaius just call him Blue? "Frederick said he wanted to check something in the market. And I'd hardly call this 'escorting.'"

Gaius couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. That sounded a bit out of character for Frederick. Even though Gaius was still relatively new to the Shepherds he was well aware of the extremes Frederick was rather infamous for taking in order to do his job. "Maybe he just needed time to clear his head," Gaius thought out loud. He tilted his head in Chrom's direction. "And from where I'm standing, you need to do the same thing."

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "My head has never been clearer."

Stopping in his tracks, Gaius crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "Need I go over the last twenty-four to forty-eight hours, Blue?" he asked. His voice was controlled but there was a clear weight behind it. "Anali and the others might be willing to ignore it, but I find nothing honorable in the mutilation of a dead soldier."

Chrom visibly flinched at Gaius' words. In hindsight, it was far from his proudest moment. It was a struggle for Chrom to even remember his actions. The general never fought back, he simply accepted his fate. He went down easily, but Chrom decapitated him. And he tried to sever his limbs from his body. It all disappeared into a black haze, the most Chrom remembered was standing over the general then Anali trying to stop him. He did not remember it, but it was clear that Chrom had attacked her. Even if he wasn't in his right mind, he attacked her and it could have been much worse.

"I cannot justify my actions back there," Chrom said after a pregnant pause. "So, I won't."

"I'm not saying that being angry isn't understandable," said Gaius. "What happened in Plegia was pretty fucked up."

"What do you want me to say? I can't make it up to the general's family, if he has one, I don't know him. Do I make it up to Anali? Aren't I doing that now?"

"I think that's something you need to decide."

"Right now I've decided to save Anali."

"Because she's your tactician?"

"Because she's my friend!" Chrom snapped.

Where was Gaius getting off even implying that Chrom only valued Anali for her tactical genius? Did he really not believe he could have wanted Anali to live simply because she was Anali? Because she earned a right to live?

Since they first met Anali had nothing, no memories to revisit at night, no family she could think of. But instead of just hiding in a hole she went on day by day, creating new memories. In that respect, she was stronger than Chrom was, as he doubted he could have just forged ahead like that.

Most would joke about Chrom thinking Anali was some goddess of victory to him, but that was far from the truth. Anali was not without her flaws. She had a shy side to her and she preferred to keep her problems to herself and not bother anyone with her. And she actually did care about outward appearances. She was careful that she did not step over the boundaries of what was appropriate for her position. And Anali tried to give as much as she took, she couldn't just look a gift horse in the mouth and accept it, she had to 'repay' the person.

But Anali was also strong, there were many, perhaps Chrom included, who would have hidden in a hole were they in her position. Instead, she forged ahead and tried to make new memories. Of course, Anali had her moments when it became too much, but that was only human. And she made human blunders as walking in on Chrom the other day proved.

'Human' was the right word to describe Anali, not 'goddess.' Anali was strong, and shy, and brave, and vain, but caring, and clever, and funny, even a bit silly. And Chrom, he…

He loved her.

She had the world's problems on her back, but she still fought alongside Chrom and his Shepherds and carried them all to safety. Anali was perhaps the only other person in this army who carried a similar torch as he did. Perhaps Chrom had actually done a disservice to Anali when he asked her to join the Shepherds. She had her own problems to sort through, yet he ended up dragging her into a war.

But, Chrom could practically hear Anali's response if he talked to her about it. "You've already done so much, it's the least I could do."

From the beginning, Chrom always thought he had a certain bond with Anali. But without Chrom even realizing it, that bond blossomed into something else. And now he found himself loving Anali as though it were as natural as breathing. Now he found himself desperate to get the flowers before her illness could claim her.

Chrom was sure he was blushing something fierce, going by the sly grin that formed in the corner of Gaius' mouth. "So that's how it is."

"How what is?" Chrom asked on the off chance he could save face.

"So, where's this flower lady again?"

Chrom tapped the back of his knuckles against the door. "Hello?" he called loudly enough to be heard from the other side. "Tatiana?"

"That depends," said a voice from the other side, "who's asking?"

"Chrom of Ylisse," he said. "I've been told Tatiana grows yvaine blossoms. My friend is in great need of them, she's been bitten by a-"

The door immediately opened to reveal a little old lady. She carried a walking stick in her hand' she was dressed in old Sage robes. Her gray hair hung around her shoulders, her skin was very wrinkled and her eyes were so small and beady it was a wonder they did not get lost in her wrinkles. "Tatiana?" asked Chrom.

"The very one, Prince Chrom," the lady said, sinking down into a brief curtsy. "You'll have to forgive me, my hearing hasn't been quite what it used to be, but you were saying you need the yvaine blossom?"

"Yup," nodded Gaius. "A friend of ours was bitten by a Plegian something-or-other."

"And Olga, in castle Ferox informed us that you grow them," finished Chrom.

The old woman nodded. "That I do. Surprisingly enough they just thrive in this kind of weather. It's a bit ironic given the heat the yellow-backs just love." Stepping to the side, Tatiana gestured into her home. "Would you like to see them?"

"Thank you," Chrom said, giving Tatiana a brief bow of the head.

Tatiana's outdoor garden was cluttered with bushes bearing beautiful flowers. The largest blooms were almost the size of Chrom's fist, some of them were probably even bigger than that. The petals were a light blue that faded into white then finally a pale yellow like a star in the night sky. "Now, you have two options," Tatiana spoke up. "You can either take the blossoms now and have them when you leave, or you can wait to get them tomorrow morning before you leave."

"We'll take them now," Chrom said immediately. "My friend needs them-"

"I think we can wait until morning," Gaius cut him off.

Chrom glared at Gaius. "Anali needs these-"

"I think she can hang on until tomorrow," said Gaius. "We're losing daylight, fast. Leaving now will do no one any good."

He was right, Chrom didn't like it, but Gaius was right. They made good time today, they could probably make good time tomorrow. As much as Chrom hated it, he was going to have to trust that Anali was strong enough to hold on for as long as she could.

And she was. Anali was strong. She may have had her concerns about her situation, but Anali never sat around and moped about it, or even brought it up to strangers for sympathy; she went on with life. She made friends and fought alongside them. She recognized her own shortcomings in swordplay when they first met and took it upon herself to remedy that. She took charge of the Shepherds when she needed to without hesitation. Anali was going to hold on for as long as she could.

"He's right," Chrom finally agreed with a sigh. "We'll pick them up tomorrow before we return. Is there any way we can pay you for this?"

"No payment," Tatiana insisted. "I grow yvaine for occasions such as this."

Heading back to the front door Chrom realized he might have trouble sleeping tonight. He had no way of knowing what Anali's current state was, or whether or not the castle was attacked. Not knowing was going to drive him crazy. And then another thought entered his head. What was he going to say to Anali when he saw her again?

Anali was sweating so much she soaked through her linens and bedsheets. Elaine watched Olga as she placed a hand on Anali's forehead. Without another word, the elder healer rounded the cot, and slowly removed the blankets. Her injured ankle had swollen twice its size, the skin around the bite marks had turned black and started leaking puss, emitting a wretched smell.

Elaine's hands instantly clasped over her mouth. "Anali," Olga said loud and clearly, prompting her up slightly. "Anali, can you hear me?"

The older healer forced one of Anali's eyes open and started to check her pulse points. "We're going to need more hands," Olga said more to herself. She glanced over her shoulder at Elaine. "Get a bottle of the strongest liquor the Khan has. And bring Libra here."

Without another word, Elaine ran out of the infirmary, down the hall to the kitchens. It did not take too much to convince the kitchen staff to give her the liquor needed. Finding Libra proved to be a bit more of a challenge. After searching five rooms and turning out with nothing, Elaine felt like she might start crying. Why did this castle have to be so big?

She found Libra with Nowi and Tharja in the library. The Dark Mage looked like she was ready to either curse the two...or simply storm out of the room. It was kind of hard to tell what Tharja was thinking from one moment to the other. "There...you are..." panted Elaine; she hugged the bottle close to her. "We need your help. Anali's condition has taken a turn. Olga wants your assistance."

Nowi's hand went up to her mouth, eyes widening, as Libra stood up with enough speed that he nearly knocked it over. "Where is it?"

"This way."

When they returned to the infirmary, they were passed by a couple of stabled hands. The younger of the two looked haunted and queasy, Elaine decided he must have seen Anali's infection. There was a pile of hay on the floor on top of an old sheet. Anali was...somewhat awake, her eyes half-laden and she was muttering something, quickly and slurred. Olga was at the fireplace, holding a curved blade above the flames. She only glanced over her shoulder briefly to find Elaine and Libra in the doorway. "Get her onto the hay, carefully," she instructed. "Elaine put the alcohol in a bowl for me, and tie that fabric there around her mouth."

Elaine did as she was told, emptying the bottle in the bowl Olga left out. Libra, despite his delicate appearance, was a strong man and managed to gather Anali into his arms, with only a slight cry from her when her legs bumped into each other. After Libra placed her on the hay, he prompted Anali upright, so Elaine could tie the fabric Olga left out around her mouth. There was a knot tied in the center, making Elaine force Anali's mouth open to place it in.

Shortly after, Olga returned, with the curved knife, a strong healing stave, and clean cloth and bandages. She carefully placed the cloth and bandages within arm's length of herself as she knelt down. "Libra, hold her down," Olga instructed, looking him in the eye. She turned her gaze to Elaine and handed her the healing staff. "When I say to, use this immediately, we do this right, the healing process will go far smoother."

Elaine's hands trembled as she held the staff in her hands. It had a ruby red bauble on the top end, about as big as Elain's fist, under a golden décor that outstretched like a claw. It was only when Libra placed one hand firm on Anali's thigh, and the other firm on the opposite shoulder, did she realize what was going on. It was only then that she realized that she tied a gag into Anali's mouth.

Her breath was caught in her throat when Olga brought the curved knife a few inches below Anali's knee. She heard Libra muttering an apology to Anali, followed suit by a prayer as the blade dug deep into the muscle. With one hand, Olga used the knife to cut into the appendage, the other would grab a cloth rag, trying to clean the blood away that made it difficult to see.

And just like that, Anali's eyes snapped wide open, her screams muffled by the knot in her mouth. Her cries doubled as Olga started to cut through the bone. The sound made Elaine want to weep alongside her. Libra continued to mutter prayers and comforting words to her, though Elaine wasn't sure how present Anali was, pain or no.

"Elaine!" Olga shouted, pulling Anali's leg away from the rest of her body, leaving a trail of blood amongst the straw.

Obediently, Elaine activated the magic within the staff, a gentle glow surrounded the red bauble, matched a few moments later surrounded Anali's bleeding stump. As blood veins and the remaining femur magically repaired themselves, Libra removed his hand from Anali's thigh and sat back on his heels, brushing Anali's sweaty bangs out of her eyes, though she'd already passed out from the pain. As new muscle began to grow in, Libra carefully removed the gag. At long last, the flesh grew in, sealing the wound; Elaine nearly dropped the staff out of relief, and because her hands were trembling so terribly.

Was Elaine really so naive that she couldn't realize the amputation was going on until it happened? That kind of naivete was unbecoming of a healer.

She finally noticed that Olga had placed the soiled cloth in the bowl of vodka, and with a sigh of relief, Olga placed the bloodied knife in the bowl.

"Lissa!" Anali shouted, hurrying to her side.

Risen had overtaken Castle Ylisstol. The attacks were growing more and more frequent these days. It was only this night that they successfully breached the palace. If that wasn't a surefire sign that things were growing direr, then Anali didn't know what was.

"I'm fine," Lissa said, shaking her head. Golden tresses fell over her shoulders. She looked so much like Emmeryn with her hair down, wearing the green and yellow Sage robes over the crinoline she wore so long ago. "Never mind me, we have to keep the castle safe."

Slowly, Anali nodded. Lissa said 'keep the castle safe,' but what she really meant was 'keep them safe.' The castle could always be rebuilt if this nightmare ever ended, but one couldn't rebuild a life. They were safe right now, Anali had to constantly remind herself of that. They were safe, they wouldn't have to see any of these monsters so long as they were kept away from the safe house.

Anali whipped around, her blade collided with a Risen's axe several times. She turned inward, towards her back and dug the sword into its side. When she pulled it out, the Risen sank to the floor. Lissa's blood-curtailing scream nearly caused Anali to jump out of her skin, more so than any cry the Risen could have made. Anali whirled around, her blood instantly ran cold.

A little boy wandered into the battlefield, and a Risen Archer with several arrows notched onto his bow had taken aim.

Oh, gods…

A man suddenly hurled himself in front of the arrows as the Risen released. The man held the boy close to him as the arrows struck deep into his back, one by one. The little boy held onto the man's tunic, his eyes widened, tears spilled out of his eyes. The man muttered something to the boy before he fell to the side, taking the child with him.

Lissa, just as wide-eyed as the little boy, ran up to them as Chrom struck down the Archer. Anali took the little boy into her arms, Lissa held the man in her arms, ignoring the blood and arrows on his back. She sobbed into his neck as the boy tried to reach out to the man, asking him why he wouldn't get up, to stop playing around and making Lissa cry.

Gods, why…?

Chrom found that sleep came to him with great difficulty. Too many thoughts, too loud and vivid. By the time he did manage to doze off, it felt like he had only blinked and it was suddenly daylight out. Eager to get the flowers and head back to castle Ferox, Chrom dressed and headed straight for Tatianna's home. He realized about halfway to Tatianna's home that, for one she may have still been asleep, and for another, his Shepherds needed sustenance before they made their return trip. To Chrom's dismay, he ended up about facing and marching straight back to the inn before Frederick realized he was missing.

Breaking fast went painstakingly slow like the world was conspiring against him to make his anxieties worse. It was only when the kitchen was putting away the food that Chrom tried to head to Tatianna's house again. She had the yvaine blossoms picked and secured in two baskets. She assured him that Olga would know what to do with them, Chrom just needed to get them to her.

The Shepherds were ready to head back shortly after Chrom returned with the flowers. They returned to Castle Ferox that evening, where Basilio greeted them. "Sounds like you made it back in time, boy," the older man said, Chrom and Lissa each carrying a basket as they walked beside the Khan.

"What do you mean?" Chrom asked instantly.

"I heard her fever spiked in the night-"

That was all Chrom needed to hear, he sprinted down the halls with Lissa at his heels. Olga was in the infirmary with Libra and Elaine. Elaine had the same expression she did when she told them of Gangrel's siege on Ylisstol. "Excellent," Olga said nonchalantly. She took the baskets from the siblings.

"Her fever…." Chrom said.

Instantly, Libra glanced down, his gaze miles away from here; Elaine's face paled. "She took a turn last night," Olga explained plainly. Remember what I told you? Without the blossoms, the most I could do was make her comfortable. So, last night the infection got to a point where we were given little choice but to amputate."

Amputate? "A-As in… You..."

"We had to remove the leg," Olga said plainly. At his side, Chrom heard Lissa gasp, her hands fluttered to her mouth. "This didn't cure the situation, it just stopped getting worse. We haven't had much trouble since, so I am optimistic."

"Just..." his voice trailed off. "Just do what you need to."

"Why don't you stick around, Prince Chrom if you're that concerned?"

Chrom wanted to, gods if he didn't want to. He wanted to be there when Anali woke up, he wanted to hear straight from her mouth that she was feeling better. But he was afraid of what he might do when she did, and what would happen after. He didn't need to burden her while she was recovering, and recovery had just become difficult.

"I'll have to decline," said Chrom. "My men and I ought to rest up."

Rolling her eyes, Lissa blew a raspberry. "If you say so," she said in a sing-song tone. "Do you need any more help, ma'am?"

Chrom shouted her name, prompting her to slowly crack her eyes open. She was on the floor, her vision fuzzy and mind just as clouded. She needed to blink a couple of times before her vision cleared. Chrom sprinted to her side and dropped to his knees. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and helped her sit up.

"You all right?" he asked instantly. Unable to find her voice, Anali nodded. Relieved, Chrom looked back at the gangly man on the floor. He must have collapsed again after casting his last spell, his body had begun to disintegrate into dark miasma. "That's the end of him…thanks to you, we carry the day."

Anali brought a hand to her forehead, she was still hurting; she was exhausted and she wasn't sure what happened now that the gangly man was dead. Did this put an end to his plans? To the attacks?

Without warning, her breath was caught in her throat, her head hurt from its deepest crevices, as though someone had forced a nail into her head. The pain was so intense she hardly noticed Chrom guiding her onto her feet; though she wanted to sit right back down. She wanted to yell out for help, but she couldn't find her voice. "We can rest easy now," Chrom continued, his voice distant and muffled to Anali's ears, "at long last."

Another spasm of pain pulsed through her head. She could feel the man's hand leave her shoulders, she grabbed a hold of his, wanting support. Her chest started to heave, she wasn't sure if she could actually breathe or not.

Finally, Chrom noticed the pain on her face. "What's wrong?" he asked. Still, she couldn't find her voice, instead opting to squeeze his hand and hope he understood what she was trying to stay. "Hang on! Hang-"

She could have fainted with the sudden absence of pain. Like a candle blown out in the wind, the pain was just...gone. She couldn't say how, or even why, she was just glad it was gone. The pure relief of it all was enough to make her want to sing.

To her confusion, Chrom sauntered back away from her on unsteady legs. Her heart stopped as soon as she saw the large orange-yellow volt of electricity penetrating his side. His hand held the volt, but he wasn't trying to remove it. Though it likely would not have done him any good; blood was seeping out of the wound, darkening his tunic.

Anali's chest started to heave again, watching helplessly as blood started to drip at Chrom's feet. Now terrified and cold, Anali looked down at her right hand. Small traces of electricity danced between her fingers. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked back at Chrom, shaking her head. "No..." she choked out, her tears spilling down her cheeks. "No… Chrom..."

"This is not your-your fault..." Chrom rasped. Blood had begun to drip out of the corners of his mouth. "Promise me… you'll escape from this place… Please… go..."

His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he dropped to his knees and collapsed to the floor. Blood pooled onto the floor around him. Anali's hands clasped over her mouth, muffling the sobs that finally escaped.

She heard the cackling of laughter echo around the chamber. She felt her lips twitch and her shoulders shake. Lowering her hands, the chuckle escaped, it built up until she started howling with laughter.

Abruptly, she felt herself sinking, sinking into the deepest abyss of the sea. It was like there was something on her shoulders pushing her down.

She suddenly found herself resting her head on the knee of a featureless woman. The woman was singing softly, her fingers running through Anali's hair, which was notably shorter than it was at present. It was a fight for Anali to stay awake because she loved this particular song. And she loved it when the woman sang it to her. But she was so tired…

Anali's eyes fluttered open to find Olivia standing at her bedside table, arranging a vase of flowers and singing something under her breath. A lullaby, it was obvious that it was meant to be sung by a parent to their child. It was a sweet tune, but it made Anali feel like crying.

Olivia eased herself back, studying the flowers in the vase. She finally noticed Anali was awake and her face flushed. "Oh!" she gasped, forcing herself to look away. "I-I'm sorry! I was trying to get this set up before you… Well..."

What Olivia did not add was that she caught Tharja trying to steal a lock of Anali's white hair while she slept. It was probably better that way.

"That song..." Anali began, her mouth was dry and her voice sounded strange to her ears. "I think I heard that song from somewhere… but I can't remember where..."

"It's one of my favorites from my childhood," Olivia explained. "Oh! You could probably use water!"

The pink-haired woman scurried across the room to a pitcher and a small handful of wooden cups. Slowly, Anali sat up, an act that hurt her head. With her hands braced against the mattress, she tried to scoot herself back and felt something… off. Anali wasn't sure how to explain it, but something felt off. She gathered the blanket in one hand and threw it off.

"I should probably get Olga," Olivia said, returning with a mug of water. "She'll probably want to check you-"

Anali screamed, startling Olivia so much she dropped the mug. Where her leg should have been, was a sweat-stained, bandaged stump a few inches below her knee. Bile began to rise up in Anali's throat. Blackness began to creep into her vision as she swayed. When she fainted out of the cot, it was Olivia's turn to scream.

Author's Note: Admittedly, I wasn't sure if the trigger warning was necessary. I didn't think the amputation was too graphic. But, ultimately, someone's 'not too graphic' is someone else's 'dear god make it stop!' Better safe than sorry.

So, when I first wrote this story, I actually wanted to amputate Anali's leg. I'd kinda built up the very real possibility, but I chickened out. I chickened out, plain and simple. And I regretted it ever since.