Chapter 6) Spirit Forest


With Prince Jamke's aid, we rally the troops and march forward to Verdane Castle. After some discussion, it is decided that some remain behind Marpha to protect the civilians, while the rest, including me, head off. The journey is long and slow, due to there only being a handful of paths that horses can travel. The forest itself is strangely quiet and muggy. It almost feels as if we have stepped into another world, a world we had no part in.

I have a bad feeling about all of this.


"Are you okay, Lady Sister?" Azel asked as we rode. He and I were sharing a horse for the morning, since I and some of the other unmounted, not-good-with-horses people tried to switch up who we rode with. Some, like Lady Aideen, never switched, and she happily rode with Sir Midir. Lady Ayra tended to be paired up with Lord Lex through the shenanigans of Sigurd, who delighted in their constant bickering, even as the rest of us worried they'd start drawing weapons. "Lady Sister?"

"I'm just fretting over Lord Lex and Lady Ayra again," I replied, twisting to smile at him. "They are… well…"

"Oh, no worries. Lex is just having fun. She's easy to tease. But the second she makes it clear that it's gone from teasing to bullying, he'll stop outright or dial it back." He grinned. "Tailtiu made sure of that!"

"Tailtiu is the youngest daughter of House Freege?"

"No, she's the middle one. Ethnia is the younger one, and the only one to not inherit the Tordo silver hair of the bunch. Bloom is the eldest."

"Ah, yes, that's right. But you're best friends with her. Tailtiu, I mean."

"Yeah, though she can be a bully sometimes." He made a face before shrugging. "But she's super nice. I hope you can meet her, Lady Sister. I've told her about you, of course. Something about bonding over being the 'middle girls'?"

"Oh, dear, I hope I can live up to her expectations!" Truly, though, what I focused on was just how… happy he was, calling me 'Lady Sister' in front of everyone. He practically beamed, and that was almost enough to make me cry. I could only pray that Arvis would not be too… well, I sent a letter off to him, explaining everything. I hoped everything would be okay. "I hope Arvis is all right."

"I'm sure Lord Brother is just fine." Azel said the words so certainly that I just had to smile. "Oh, but you're worried about rumors." He smiled. "Don't worry. Lord Brother will be fine. He'll balance out what you want with what he wants. He'll probably just ignore the rumors. That way he doesn't confirm them, and thus put you in a bad situation, but he also doesn't deny them, because I know he'd never want to deny it. He always talks about you so happily back home."

"Does he?" I smiled slightly. "I trust only with you and Aida, yes?"

"Yep." He grinned. "He was super excited when we got your letter about completing your healer training. Sadly, he and I don't really have that good of a hand for it, but Aida actually had to tell him to shut up because he wouldn't stop babbling about it."

"That certainly matches the letter I got." I laughed as I remembered it. I kept that letter in my things, just because it was so rare to see, or rather read, him acting so childishly excited. "He's so silly sometimes."

"I think he can be scary. But, then again, he's had to be both brother and father to me. He got to be just a brother to you." Azel fell silent, glancing up at the swaying branches above our heads. "Lady Sister, do you think that, once this is over, you can visit Velthomer?" He looked at me pleadingly. "I'm sure we can come up with a cover story, but I'm sure you'll love Velthomer, and really, it would be hilarious to surprise Lord Brother! And you can meet Aida and Cyas and-"

"Breath, Azel." I laughed a little as he went red. "Oh, goodness, what am I to do with you?" I sighed, nodding. "Oh, very well. If you can come up with a story, and if no one needs me, then I will visit Velthomer." I held up a hand as his eyes lit up. "But only then, and only for a week, at most. I have my duty, and I am Prince Shanan's primary caretaker."

"Okay!" He beamed. "This is going to be great! We'll shock him silly!" He started humming off-key, likely making plans before even thinking about the cover story he'd need to concoct.

Shaking my head, I looked over at the others, taking note of everyone before focusing on Prince Jamke, up front with Sigurd. He was the one leading us through the forest and, no matter how genuine he seemed, I just had to wonder if he was leading us into a trap. I could not trust him, after everything, and yet… it seemed like everyone else was perfectly fine with it.

It just seemed impossible that things would be so… straightforward.


Eventually, we reached a part of the forest just before it opened up to the approach on the castle. From there, we set up camp and everyone made plans. The mood of the soldiers was surprisingly cheerful, possibly because we were reaching the end of the campaign at last. Then, it would be reconstructing and the like, the job of politicians and diplomats, not simple soldiers. Their job was almost over. Mine, however, was just beginning, especially since Sigurd insisted I join him, Lord Quan, Lady Ayra, and Prince Jamke for a little War Council. I wasn't exactly certain why, but Sigurd was insistent, and I didn't feel like debating.

"And that is about all I know of the defenses," Prince Jamke explained, setting his pen down. He'd done his best to make a detailed map of the entire castle, both inside and out. "I do not know what changes Sadima made, and I'm sorry for that. When I was last in the castle, I was focused far more on trying to convince my father to stop this pointlessness." He sighed. "If only I had investigated more. I do not know what trials await."

"What you have told us is invaluable, though," Sigurd reassured. He smiled briefly, but it soon faded. "If anything, I should be apologizing to you. This has to be painful for you."

"No more painful than what you all endured when I attacked." Prince Jamke shook his head. "No, this is something I should've done sooner. Regardless of how much I love my father, I am the prince of Verdane. Now, I am the Crown Prince of Verdane, actually. I have a duty to my people to end this pointless war."

"...Right, your brothers…"

"We never got along. I mourn their passing, but I know very well they attacked you first. By our laws, their lives were forfeit, and, this way, I didn't have to be the one to execute them." Prince Jamke smiled, but it was pained. No matter how much he tried to shrug it off, even if they didn't actually get along, their deaths still hurt. "I should check on my men, though."

"Certainly." Sigurd smiled again, and he turned to the rest of us. "So, what do you three think?"

"Personally, I think that if we have an infirmary area set, I need to leave to make sure it is prepared," I answered, seizing the easy way of escape. A simple healer really didn't have much role to play here. "No matter what you plan, there are going to be a lot of injured, and I need to make sure we're ready for them if we're to ensure minimal casualties."

"She has a good point, Sigurd," Lord Quan added, either because he also didn't see why I needed to be here, or because he realized I just wanted to leave. "You'd be amazed at how long it takes the healers to get everything ready. I made the mistake of not listening to the healers bringing that up during my first battle, and I remain forever grateful that they told me exactly where to shove my arrogance and went ahead." He flashed a grin as Sigurd burst into laughter, while Lady Ayra and Prince Jamke politely chuckled. "I think Miss Alicia has already given us the numbers we can field?"

"I have, and divided them between those I thought could take full duty, light duty, and those that can be fielded in an emergency, but most of those are people who broke their legs tripping over roots and the like." We left most of the injured back at Marpha Castle, after all. "So, it had better be a very bad emergency to rally them."

"So the healer says with a look of 'everyone better be dying'," Lady Ayra deadpanned. It made the group snicker. "Please go on. I'm sure Shanan will wish to help, as best he can." There had been an extensive amount of debating, bringing Prince Shanan so close to the battlefield. Ultimately, however, it was decided it was best to do so, since we had no idea what the soldiers remaining in Marpha would do if they learned the Crown Prince of Isaach was there.

There was a few more murmurs of polite nonsense and then I walked outside the tent, holding back a sigh as the muted, humid hair bashed my face. At least we could see the sun here, thanks to the slight thinning of the trees. It was a small comfort, but one nonetheless.

Gentle laughter caught my ear, and I turned to see Sir Midir fussing over Lady Aideen, specifically over the bandage on her face and how her robes kept catching on thorns and shrubs. Lady Aideen was the one laughing, teasing him over something with a small, sweet smile, and Sir Midir looked fondly exasperated at whatever she said.

"So, that's the knight she was talking about." Prince Jamke stepped out beside me, crossing his arms. "She talked to Dew about him," he continued, almost absently. "Feared he was dead."

"He took grievous wounds trying to protect her, but your brother pulled quite a few tricks," I answered. His wince made me wonder if I should've kept quiet about his brother, but then I decided that I really didn't care. I was allowed to be a little petty. "Are you upset?"

"About…?" He gave me a confused look before he became shocked and rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, after everything, I don't…" He shook his head. "I saved her from what I knew would be a bad fate. Yes, she interested me, and I wished to meet her again, but that was not why I saved her. I'd probably refuse her feelings if any somehow sprung, just because of how… odd everything is."

"My, my. That is quite noble of you, more than I would expect."

"You really don't like me."

"I am a healer. I heal people." I gave him a long look. "However, that means I was the one who healed, and tried to heal, those you attacked. Your men also locked Lady Aideen, Lord Shanan, and myself in a room. You could have killed them."

"They could've killed you."

"I don't care about that, much." I only had two people who would mourn me, after all. "Regardless, however, I have my duties and you have yours." I stepped back and curtseyed. "Pleasant day to you."

"That has to be the first time that phrase ever sounding so much like 'screw you'." Prince Jamke sighed. "Good day to you, Miss Alicia." He walked off, and I sighed a little at my own childish antics. It wasn't proper for a healer to act that way, yet I really couldn't help it. If my teachers could see me, I'd get the worst of scoldings.

"Wow, is today a 'Vala frown day?" Lord Lex walked up, clapping me over the shoulder. "You and Azel both are showing off your brooding capabilities," he continued, teasing. "Is it a contest?"

"Azel is…?" I began. But then I thought of Lady Aideen and winced. "Oh, I should…"

"Nah, leave Azel to me." He shrugged. "He's always told me that he wanted to become stronger so that he could meet, and protect, the sister that lives away from him." Lord Lex smiled wryly. "While I'm sure he'd lean on you, he might… well…"

"I understand." I sighed, though. I really wasn't that good of a sister to him. "I'm sorry. I leave him in your care."

"And, in the morning, I'll send him after you so that he doesn't mope and write bad sad poems." He grinned and I laughed a little, unable to help it. Azel was actually very good at poetry, but that was through a lot of practice. I had endured quite a few bad poems in the past. "Oh, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Stop with the Lord Lex. I went with it because you were hiding, but now you're not." He sulked a little. "You're Azel's big sister, and I've heard a lot about you, growing up."

"Oh, goodness." I sighed, mentally debated, and decided it was not worth the argument. "Very well, Lex, if you can forgive a few slips here and there."

"Yeah, no problem." He grinned triumphantly. "So, where do we need to start moving things? I'm assuming we need to, at least. Infirmary and all, and it's you."

"This way." I couldn't help but smile slightly at just how silly everyone was. This was such a strange assortment of fellows, and yet, they were more and more endearing by the day. "Fetch Sir Finn and Lord Oifeye, won't you? Prince Shanan should be with us as well, to make sure he doesn't get caught under everyone's feet."

"All right! I'm off to wrangle them!"

"No ropes."

"Oh, damn it, did Azel tell you about that?" He groaned and I laughed, covering my mouth with my hand to muffle the sound. "I tell you that it was perfectly reasonable!"

"I'm sure. But the tasks?"

"Right, on it."


Thanks to everyone's help, I had the infirmary set up minutes before everyone marched, far faster than normal, and even had time to walk to the edge of camp and see everyone off, alongside Lord Oifeye and Prince Shanan, who were going to be my helpers. A handful of soldiers remained behind to defend the camp, and gladly threw themselves into whatever chores I assigned to make things more comfortable and efficient for the infirmary.

"Miss Alicia!" Prince Shanan's job was to 'help watch' the road, really just keep himself out of trouble, and he happily rushed into the tent where I was mending blankets to 'report', normally asking about various herbs and flowers, or about little animals he'd seen. But, as I looked up, I saw a dark, almost frightened look on his face. "Miss Alicia, there's something weird," he told me. "Really weird. Super really weird."

"Oh?" I replied. I would've tried to tease him, but something about the look on his face told me I should take this very seriously. So, I set my mending to the side and followed him outside, and I frowned when I… saw nothing wrong. "So…" I turned my attention to him, and noticed his frown. "What was the strange thing?"

"It was right there!" His frown grew and he raced over to Lord Oifeye, who looked a little confused nearby. "You saw it too, right? The black little dots and-!"

The sky suddenly darkened, and I jerked my head up to the sky and could only stare as black flames twisted among the clouds, blocking out the sun. From the flames, a hideous, twisted skull emerged and it grinned sickly before opening up it's mouth. An ear-splitting screech made me automatically cover my ears, but it did nothing to muffle the sound as black light shot out from the flames like launched spears and fired arrows.

The screams that echoed back were sharp and clear, and made my heart break.

"...Prince Shanan, Lord Oifeye, I want you two to stay out of the infirmary," I whispered as I brought my hands down. I turned to face them, and saw them staring, wide eyed and unmoving. "That is not negotiable. I don't want you in here when they bring back the wounded. Go, and help with discarded armor and horses. Now." They both hesitated a little bit more. "Now." Finally, they both moved, though Prince Shanan made certain to first give me a hug before bolting away, leaving me to make last minute checks on the infirmary.

One minute after that, we got the first wave of victims.

The main thing I noticed was the black blood. All of the victims, apparently hit at random, were spewing it. Every other second, we had to toss out bowls and buckets of the strange, rank blood-like substance, and it stuck to our hands and clothes like burrs and burned where they lingered. We had to set up a second tent, just for them, for fear of this being some sort of contagious poison or disease, and set them off on haphazardly strewn blankets as their skin slowly discolored into a mottled purple and red.

At some point, Lady Aideen and Lady Ethlyn joined me in the tent, doing whatever they could to help, burning through staves in an attempt to save the victims. I had to snap at them to switch to medicinal herbs, and even temporarily ban them from even touching a staff, as no matter how horrific this was, they were not the only victims of this fight. There had been 'normal' fighting prior, meaning we still had soldiers bleeding from their guts, soldiers missing arms and legs, soldiers with their bones splintering from their skin. We still had soldiers screaming over their missing eyes, fingers, feet. We still had soldiers with their heads cracked open, with pieces of their armor digging into their skin. Chainmail links pressed deep into skin, pieces of armor burrowed deep under injuries. I threw those two at the more 'typical' injuries and worked on the ones who had been struck by… whatever sort of spell that was.

As I worked, I noticed something that I thought might be key. Despite how horrific it looked, the actually damage did not… it was a lingering effect, meant to take a soldier out, but the damage did not escalate. Those who did not die within the first five minutes were miserable and aching, but fine. That was why healing staves simply had no more effect. It reminded me of the tales of dark magic, of the nightmarish things the Loptyrian Cult had inflicted with the magic they learned from the Dark Dragon. It reminded me of the horror stories told even now, to justify the hunts for Loptyrians.

Some part of me, for the first time, thought those hunts might've been a good thing, but the rest of me wondered if they'd learn such horrific spells if they weren't told by everyone and everything in the world that they were evil, sick, wrong, and thrown to the side to let fester while they suffered the losses of family and friends. I had no idea what to think, and so, I just did my best to stop thinking and keep on working.

Finally, after what felt like forever, I determined that while they would have to be watched, no one left in the second tent was in a great danger of dying. So, I quickly washed the black blood off, noticing the red welts that dotted my skin where the blood had made contact with my skin, seeping through my gloves and clothes. After checking that they were simply welts, I threw the dirty dress and gloves into the fires, not trusting them to even be cut down and boiled into bandages, and changed into some clean clothes before peeking into the 'main' tent. When I was certain Lady Aideen and Lady Ethlyn had things under control, I left to go tell Sigurd what I had determined.

It took a bit of walking, more so because now that I was away from my patients, my exhaustion was catching up with me, so my vision was a little grey around the edges. But I managed to find Sigurd, only to see him in the middle of what seemed like an argument with Lord Quan. I lingered back, hesitating at coming closer, but then I noticed Sigurd was actually bleeding from an arm injury. So, deciding that my job as a healer meant I definitely should be interfering, I marched forward, only to see Sigurd turn and race away to the forest, like an overly dramatic twit. Lord Quan looked ready to chase, but then he saw me and, after a moment, bowed his head in a silent 'please, help him'. I tried to smile reassuringly as I passed by, jogging a bit to try and catch up to Sigurd. I didn't think it was a very good one, though.

"Sigurd?" I called as we entered the trees. He continued forward, either not hearing me or ignoring me. "Sigurd." He kept on walking and, like an idiot, I kept on following, even after we left the bustle of camp completely behind, swallowed up by the trees. I couldn't even hear them. "Sigurd!" He walked aimlessly, making turns at random moments, and going just fast enough that it took most of my concentration to even keep up. "Sigurd!" Finally, I felt my temper snap as he just. Kept. On. Walking. "...Darn it, Sigurd!" I grabbed a fallen branch from nearby and threw it right at his head. Of course, it only hit his back, but that was enough to startle him and make him whir to finally react to mel. "It's about darn time!"

"Alicia?" he said, looking really confused. "Wait, what are you-?"

"I've been following you to try and give you a report and heal your wounded arm, but you were too busy moping about everything to listen or pay attention!" I stomped over to him and glowered. "And now we're lost, by the way, unless you actually were paying attention to where you wandered about, in the Spirit Forest of Verdane, infamous for being darn hard to navigate!"

"...Oh…" Guilt flashed over his face. "I'm sorry. And now you're away from-"

"They're stable!" Finally having enough, I snagged him by the arm and dragged him down by a tree, crouching by him and pushing up his sleeve so that I could deal with the injury. "By the gods, if they weren't, I wouldn't have given chase. I wouldn't have even left." My movements were crisp as I cleaned him wound. Thankfully, I had some basic medicinal herbs on me, as otherwise, this would be infinitely more tedious. "But everyone is stable. It looks worse than it is. Those not already dead are just guess is that it was just a long range magic attack meant to demoralize, and gods damn it, you walked right into it."

"I know, and I sent them-"

"I'm not talking about that." I reached up and bopped him lightly on head, more to startle than to do any real damage. "I'm talking about now. He wanted to break you, and you're breaking. Is your resolve to save Verdane really so weak?"

"I…" His eyes filled with tears and he bowed his head. "But all of them… death in battle is… there was a dark mage, and I should've-"

"What? You should've what?" I shifted so that he could cry into my shoulder. "Tell me."

"More precautions. More-"

"What precautions? What did we have that could've actually done anything?"

"I…"

"I'm sure Lord Quan already said this, but given what we knew, you did what you could. But if you're going to let yourself falter just because of this, then what's the point of keeping on going? What's the point of staying here in Verdane and not going straight home?"

Lord Sigurd didn't reply. He just leaned into me and cried as I continued tending to his injury. What he needed, more than anything, was time to cry, and someone to make him think. Lord Quan tried, but no doubt Sigurd had lashed, considering how everything, and that only hurt both further. But I had a slight advantage in this; I had knowledge about the patients and the injuries and I hadn't been on the field, being the one to give orders, just as those two were. I was the outsider, and sometimes, you needed the outsider to repeat a friend's words, so that you finally believed them.

"I yelled at Quan," Lord Sigurd whispered, confirming what I suspected. "He tried to comfort me, but I lashed out and said a horrible lie."

"Then, if we manage to get out of here, you can apologize, again, and he'll probably apologize for speaking poorly," I replied. I grimaced as I realized I had no bandages on me. "You have a knife on you?"

"Yes?" He pulled one from his boot and handed it to me. "Why?" He yelped as I started cutting strips of cloth from my dress. "H-hold on a moment!"

"We're in the woods, lost, and you're bleeding." I tied the makeshift bandage around the injury. "We'll have to keep a very close eye on it, but at least it's clean."

"...Thank you." He started laughing suddenly. "I just realized. I think you lost your temper with me."

"I very much did." I sighed. "Look at what you all do with me. I'm a professional healer, acting like this."

"No, I think it's good!" He laughed harder. "I've worried a bit over how calm you are!"

"It's part of a healer's job to remain calm. You want a healer panicking in the middle of putting someone's skull back together?"

"Well, no, but…" He just continued laughing before calming down. "Ah, I'm a fool. No wonder you lost your temper, with me acting like this." He shook his head. "I've never really 'lost' a battle before. I've had hard victories, yes, but I always managed to come through with the aid of my friends. This time, though, it was a total loss, and here I am moping. I'm pathetic."

"While I'll agree with the fool part, and that you are acting pathetic, I am obligated to inform you that the healer's recommendation for dealing with this spiel of self-pity will likely be a sharp blow to the head if it continues for much longer." I checked that the bandage was secure and sat back on my heels, giving him a weary look. "Believe me, I am both tired and aggravated enough to do it, even if I have to break one of the branches above us to get a strong enough hit to get through your hard skull."

"Ouch." He snickered a bit, but it faltered when he glanced at my arms. "These red marks…" He took my left arm gently, pushing up the sleeve to study the welts. I felt a little touched that he'd made sure to not bare the arm that had my Holy Mark, even if it was far 'worse'. "How did you get these?"

"The black blood. I did a check, but there's nothing that suggests they're anything more than they appear." I shrugged, and held still as he cautiously prodded around the welts. "I'd recommend touching them, just in case, but if anything, I'd guess it's just an additional thing to freak people out."

"I see." He sighed, still staring at the welts. "I'm so sorry."

"Yes, you are, and you should be. But now you know, so…" I trailed off as he suddenly brought his hand up. "What is it?"

"Something's coming." He stood up, and pulled me behind him. He held the knife I'd used to cut my dress, and I realized that was really his only weapon. "Don't worry. Eldigan taught me a lot of tricks, so if it's an attacker, I can disable them and we can run."

"What, exactly, does he know about knife fighting?"

"A great deal, since Eldigan used to sneak out to taverns and start bar brawls for fun." He tensed as the shrubs nearby began to rustle, and I chose to not comment on the mental image of the prim and proper knightly lord of Noldion starting bar fights on whims. "So, if this becomes a fight, you should…"

Whatever I 'should' have done was never quite explained, as the shrubs and trees rustled a bit more, and out stepped a very familiar looking girl with silver hair and purple eyes. "Oh!" she gasped, shifting so that her staff and tome were behind her back. "I… hello?"

"Hello," Sigurd replied automatically, just staring. "I'm… glad to see you again, actually."

"I'm… glad to see you too." She smiled shyly. "Both of you. Um… would you like some help?"

Those two continued to awkwardly talk, but I could only stare because what were the chances of this happening? Seriously.


The girl's name was Deidre. She'd told us that as she led us to a nearby lake, where we could soak our feet as she made us a quick meal with some local plants. She'd called it 'simple fare', but I honestly found it delicious, and I could tell Sigurd would kill to be able to eat it every day for the rest of his life, and not just because Deidre was the one who made it. As we ate, we explained to Deidre a bit about just what we were doing here.

"So, in summary, I'm an idiot, and poor Alicia has to deal with me," Sigurd finally finished, laughing a bit. He laughed harder as I rolled my eyes. "So, what brings you here, Deidre? I heard you lived in the forest. Are we near your home?"

"No, not exactly," Deidre whispered. She scooted a little closer to the fire, which Sigurd had started. "My village is much deeper in the woods. But even if you know where it is, you have to break through the magic to get through."

"Magic?"

"It sounds like wards," I answered. I set my empty bowl to the side and held my hands up to the fire. "It's a subset of light and dark magic, I think? You don't hear too much about any magic besides healing in the church."

"Yes, it is!" Deidre confirmed. She flashed a bright smile and her eyes sparkled a bit. "The elders use a combination of both to shield the village. I don't know why, though. They don't tell me much of anything."

"I'm surprised. Not many even know about wards nowadays except in stories, much less practice it."

"The village has always been a little strange." She shrugged. "I think that, at least, and I live in it."

"But if it's so far away, what brings you here?" Sigurd asked. He smiled gently as Deidre shyly looked at him. "It seems strange to ask, but did you also manage to get lost?"

"N-no, I know the paths well," Deidre whispered. She fiddled a bit with her hands. "I'd… actually been following your group, from a distance. At first, I thought more scary soldiers had come, but then I saw it was you, and your friends, so I…" She shook her head. "Th-though, I do apologize!" She sounded flustered for some reason. "I… probably interrupted the mood for you two and all…" There was a very long bit of silence as Sigurd and I both processed what she'd said, and what she meant. We both came to the same conclusion at the same time and promptly burst into uncontrollable laughter. "W-why are you laughing?" Her face went red as Sigurd and I struggled to catch our breath enough to explain, but couldn't. "I… um…"

"We're not like that," I finally managed, wiping my eyes as I noticed I'd laughed so hard that I'd started crying. "We are not like that at all, and frankly, I've not interest in being involved with him like that. No offense meant, Sigurd."

"None taken!" Sigurd replied, visibly struggling to get his own laughter under control. "So long as you take no offense to my saying that viewpoint is mutual?"

"Of course!" I took a couple of deep breaths, in an effort to not start hiccupping. "But, that's the second time someone has thought that!"

"Second?! Who was the first?"

"Lord Quan!"

"Seriously!?" Sigurd collapsed into laughter, and I followed suit, unable to help it. Deidre simply watched us for a short while, before she started giggling as well, a relieved smile on her face.

Finally, though, we all calmed down, and she whispered, "I'm sorry for assuming, then?"

"It's fine," Sigurd dismissed, rubbing at his eyes. Like me, he'd laughed so hard that he'd started crying. "Apparently, even one of my dearest friends thought…" He started snickering again, but he caught himself quickly. "But… I'm glad."

"About?"

"You ran so suddenly last time. I thought I'd offended you." His smile faltered as she flinced. "I did, didn't I? I'm sorry. If you can tell me, so that…" He trailed off as she shook her head. "No?"

"No, that's not it." She bit her lip and tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm sure they told you in Marpha. They tell everyone. About the Girl of the Spirit Forest who will bring catastrophe." She tried to smile, but it was a broken one, brought on by old, old pain. "I didn't… want to bring that to you, to either of you. You're so nice, and…" She ducked her head. "So, I ran. You did nothing."

"What is this supposed catastrophe? Because, if I must be blunt, it sounds like a bunch of superstition to me, but then again, I am not from here."

"I don't know." She shook her head almost violently and twisted her hands in her skirt and she tensed up. "I don't know. It's just something, so I…"

"But, if that's the case…" The two started… well, it wasn't really an argument. It was more of a debate. I tuned them out and just watched them, as I had at Marpha.

Deidre leaned towards him, almost unconsciously. She wanted to be near him, but she was scared, because of that 'catastrophe'. She refused to look up, but she cried, both from fear and pain. Sigurd, however, purposely moved a little closer, still keeping a slight distance to not force her, but holding his hand close, silently saying that he was there, he wanted to be near her too. He looked right at her, with eyes filled with hope and pain. He wanted to with her, and he was hurt that she pushed herself away.

They really did seem like… a married couple, except they weren't even together. But I couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand seeing either of them in such pain. As a healer… as a friend… I couldn't stand it.

"I think they're using you as a scapegoat," I finally blurted. Both Sigurd and Deidre looked to me, startled. "I think a catastrophe is going to happen, no matter what you do." I thought of the stories I had been taught, and how certain I was that the gods had bonded these two together. This made me so uncomfortable, but if this was all true, then the two would be miserable without being near each other. That was something I didn't think any of us in the army could deal with, and I had to wonder if some of Sigurd's 'pathetic' reaction was caused by that soul-deep misery. "But they want someone to blame, ultimately, and you're very convenient, for whatever reason." I shrugged as they both stared. "But if that's the case, then why let it stop you? Why let them dictate your life, just because they want someone to burn at the stake when things go wrong?" I smiled encouragingly and shifted so that I was sitting right next to her. "What do you want to do, Deidre?"

"I…" she began. She hesitated, but when I nodded, I saw some sort of resolve enter her eyes. "I want… to be with you, Sigurd." She looked to him shyly. "I… I tried getting you out of my head, but I couldn't, and…"

"I've thought of you often as well," Sigurd whispered. Now he offered his hand and, when she tentatively place her own hand in his, he lifted it up to kiss it. "I will protect you. Whatever comes, I'll shoulder it gladly."

"Sigurd…"

"That means not wandering off lost in the woods with your poor healer," I instantly deadpanned. Both of them squeaked, and I smiled innocently. "Think of the scandal!"

"You…" Sigurd began. He sighed, smiling slightly. "Quan's right; you're way more mischievous than you like to let on."

"I am simply giving you advice, Lord Sigurd."

"Oh, don't start back up with that."

"Well, you have a fiance now. We must be proper."

"I already told you that calling me by name as Chief Healer isn't proper at all."

"You two are silly," Deidre giggled, bringing the playful little argument to an end. I still saw fear in her eyes, but she leaned into Sigurd's touch as he reached up to wipe away her tears. "But, truthfully, it was not this love alone that had me following." Deidre smiled proudly and pointed to her staff, set up not far away. "I also want to come along because… I think I can help you. That was actually why I was so close. I really wanted to help."

"I'd take another healer in the infirmary easily…" I replied. I frowned a bit over the staff, though. It looked like none I had ever seen. "But that's not a healer's staff, is it?"

"Nope~" Now she laughed. "It's name is 'Silence', and so long as my magic is stronger, I can stop any mage from casting spells with it!" She clapped her hands, delighted. "And, well, I am quite confident in my magic. So, I can stop that dark mage for you!" She continued giggling as Sigurd and I stared, and all I could think was just how big of a coincidence this was. The gods… really were interfering heavily in her life, and in Sigurd's.

I could only pray that they'd have some happiness before everything went to hell. I had a bad feeling that was all these two would get.


After determining that it was too dark to safely travel, we decided to just camp out during the night. Deidre set up a ward to keep us safe, so that all three of us could sleep and not have to set up watches. It turned out to be a good thing, since Sigurd passed out before long.

"Is he okay?" Deidre whispered, hovering over him worriedly. She hesitantly brushed the hair out of his face, and smiled softly. "He just…"

"He's fine," I reassured. I dangled my feet in the lake nearby, a little too awake despite my exhaustion to really sleep. "It's just been a very long day. Fighting takes a lot out of a person, and then you had a lot of emotional turmoil."

"Oh, is that my fault?"

"Well, I wouldn't say entirely. The bulk of that is Sadima's fault." I smiled slightly. "Emotional exhaustion can be caused by both bad and good emotions."

"I suppose." She started playing with Sigurd's hair. "He's so adorable."

"I guess." I shrugged when she glanced over. "I'm a healer. I see lots of people sleeping. It's a thing."

"Healing always sounded so difficult." She cautiously crept over to me, and sat down, drawing her knees into her chest. "I could never get a handle on it."

"You seem to be proficient with staves."

"I know, but healing is something that always seemed to escape me, no matter how strong my magic got." She sighed a bit, and looked at me. "Do you think things will be okay?"

"It'll be difficult. You're going to become the Lady of Chalphy, which means a lot of responsibilities, and a lot of lessons to learn everything." I shrugged again. "But, other than that…"

"But what could he see in someone like me?" She sighed heavily. "I mean… he's so dashing, and kind! He's strong and courteous. He's like… like a knight in shining armor!" Her eyes sparkled briefly before it faded. "Meanwhile, I'm just…"

I was about ninety percent certain that this love they had was more of a compulsion from the gods that neither could really fight, but there was no way I was going to say that. "You're a kind hearted woman. We know this because you not only comforted Lady Aideen, but took the time to return to Marpha and check up on her. We know this because you had wanted to help a large group of strangers. Kindness goes a long way."

"Yes, but-"

"You are also very beautiful, and you took the time to take care of both of us. Your smile is dazzling."

"You're going to make me blush!" Considering she was red all the way to her ears, I doubted I was 'going' to make her, so much as I had already made her. "But… but…"

"You're also willing to deal with his naivety." I pointed to the sleeping Sigurd for emphasis. "He is loyal to a fault, reckless and impulsive when it comes to keeping those he loves safe. He does not deal well with loss, and feels his perceived failures very keenly, so you're going to have to deal with a lot of moping."

"B-but that's okay, because his smile is wonderful, like the sun after a terrible storm!" She paused, eyes wide, and I struggled not to laugh as she somehow went even redder. "Oh, that sounded… I mean; it's true, but it sounded… so… so…"

"It sounded like a cliche from a bad romance tale." I lost the fight and started giggling. "But seriously, I think you'll be fine."

"Really?"

"Yes, I really do." I quieted my giggling and smiled slightly, even as I made sure my tone was serious. "Historically speaking, whenever bad things happen, someone is blamed. Often, it's set up 'in advance', so to speak. But, most of the time, that bad thing was inevitable. Maybe in a different way, but it would've happen. They just want someone to kill to make themselves feel better. Sigurd wouldn't do that, though, and none of his people will do that either." I made a face. "We have Prince Jamke traveling with us, for instance, who actively attacked us, killing some of the soldiers, but everyone just accepts he's on our side because Sigurd says he is."

"Really?"

"Yes." I nodded. "Grannvale is also at war with Isaach, but we're keeping the last two survivors of their royal family with us, including the crown prince, because Sigurd extends his kindness to them, and that's enough for everyone." I sighed. "His kindness is likely going to get him killed, but I'm pretty certain that if that happens, it won't have anything to do with you."

"You say it so certainly." She sighed and shyly scooted a bit closer. "I wish I could be so confident. When I'm near him, when he smiles, all the anxiety floats away, but I think of all the warnings…"

I studied her for a long moment before smiling slightly. "You love him, yes?" My smile grew as she nodded, face turning bright red. Even if the whole thing made me uncomfortable, I had to admit that they were adorable. "You love him enough to follow even though it's been… how many days exactly?"

"Thirty-three." She answered so quickly that I could only stare as she squirmed more. "I… um…"

"You… actually counted." For the sake of my own sanity, I decided right then to not ask Sigurd if he knew the actual days too. I didn't need to know how much she'd been weighing on his mind. "Well, regardless, you love him. Yes? Yes. So, just… focus on that one, for now. Figure out the rest later, and if this catastrophe comes, then panic and work to fix it, right? That's what you should do if you're a good and moral person?"

"I… well, yes." She peered up at me, smiling slightly as she brought her legs a little closer to her chest. "Will you tell me a bit more about the others in the army? Do you think they'll… like me?"

"I think so, yes." I smiled slightly. "Lady Ethlyn, Sigurd's sister, will likely squeal, before being shocked and tease her brother. Lord Quan, his best friend, will likely do the same. The rest will be quieter, but your beauty will hold their attention, and your kindness will win them. I'm certain of it."

"I hope so." Her smile turned wistful. "I've never really had friends, or people who liked me. Even in the village, people only tolerated me, since my mother broke the 'sacred rule' to never leave, and then didn't have the 'grace' to survive my birthing."

"So, you're an orphan, too? That answers my next question of 'should we get a message to someone'." I tried to make my voice light, but it felt a bit hollow. I knew what it was like, to be surrounded by people who only really tolerated you. It wasn't a very pleasant experience.

"No, not really. I don't have much I'd really call precious either. Just my Silence Staff and my circlet, really, though I do have my Aura Tome on me." She lifted her head up a bit more. "But you don't have parents either?"

"No. My father raped my mother, and she threw me away to the church to avoid me." My words were far blunter than I intended and I grimaced. "Sorry, that came out worse than I'd wanted."

"It sounds painful." The look in her eyes was sympathetic, though, without a trace of pity. "Did anyone really… um…"

"...When I was ten, I met my older brother. He's the only 'proper born' son in the family, you see, and I'd heard of him, but didn't think he knew me." I looked up at the bits of sky I could see through the leaves, and the twinkling stars. "But, he did. He'd apparently the three years prior trying to figure out exactly which church I'd been given to, so that he could meet me, and check up on me. Before then, I was just… another orphan in the church, one who had a talent for healing. He was the first person to ever really do more than… he was the first person to actually smile at me."

"He sounds nice." She smiled sweetly. "Will I meet him?"

"Eventually, yes, but it might be a bit. Politics are crazy right now, and he's in the middle of it all." I smiled back. "But, yes, you'll meet him."

"Oh, good. I'll tell him he has the sweetest sister and he needs to spoil her." She grinned and I laughed, unable to help it. "Can you tell me a bit more about Grannvale?"

"Yes, I can, but I don't know much."

"It's more than me."

"That's a good point." The two of us just… continued to chat while Sigurd slept nearby. It was hard not to be a little charmed by her, and she seemed to warm to me quickly, possibly because so few people had even been more than icily polite to her.

It was… fun. It was strangely fun, and I didn't quite know what to make of it.


Records on Lord Quan:

Duke Knight, Noba Major, 22 years old

Heir to the Leonster Province, a prince in his own right. His loyalty and confidence are typically the first things anyone says about him, though that soon might be replaced with stories gushing over how happily married he is.

Bears the Mark of Noba across his lower and mid back

A skilled warrior, but doesn't seem to take the threat of Thracia seriously, considering that he, the heir, came all the way up here to get involved in a war his brother-in-law was fighting. Hopefully, this lack of understanding won't bite him too much


Author's notes: The description of Fenrir, and the effects, are inspired by the Oosawa Manga, as is the decision to have an actual loss here for the FE hero. There is also no clear 'timeframe' between Sigurd and Deidre's meeting at Marpha, and their reunion in the forest in-game, but I'm going with over a month to… make things seem a little less contrived? (Love at first sight always creates problems.) Chapter One of FE4 is titled 'Girl of the Spirit Forest', btw, referring, of course, to Deidre. As if it wasn't obvious already she had an important part in the plot, right? Deidre being unable to heal is NOT something that occurs in game (healing is a pretty good way to get her some experience actually). I'm adding that in for my own reasons.

Oh, right, since this has come up in a couple of PMs: Alicia does actually have 'skills' like in game; specifically she has Prayer/Miracle and Charisma/Charm. It just doesn't really come up because she's never in combat. If you want to know her 'growth rates', just ask.

Next Chapter - Silence