Chapter 9) Hound
Everything is packed. We're heading to reinforce Noldion, and praying that Noldion still stands, and most of the population still lives. There is even more panic now than during the frantic chase after Lady Aideen, when all this began, likely because before, it had been just 'one' attack. This was basically a civil war, but they'd all turned against one duchy.
My ginger and stimulant supplies dwindle in the hours before the first group leaves. I simply do my best to warn everyone of the side effects, and do not judge. I'm tempted too.
Far before dawn, the 'first group' readied their gear to set off. I wandered through the lines, doing last minute checks on all of them. They greeted me with smiles and boasts of confidence. I gave them smiles in return, and made them promise to be as careful as possible, particularly the ones that had only been recently ill or injured. This whole situation had my stomach in knots, and I worried desperately for the few I knew in Noldion. There was not even a rumor of how bad things were. I had no idea if Lady Lachesis, Lady Grahnye, or Lord Ares were well. I even worried for Lord Eldigan, as it would be 'easy' to execute someone you'd imprisoned. Lord Eldigan's popularity kept him relatively safe, but if King Chagall was, by any means, intelligent, he was probably forging evidence even now…
"The warriors of Augustria will be a step up from the Verdanite barbarians." The casual words caught my ear and I stepped around some knights to see Lord Quan speaking to Sir Finn. "So, you need a proper weapon," Lord Quan continued, handing Sir Finn a strange looking lance, one that almost seemed to glow, and had a strange 'webbing' within the 'blade' part. "Go on."
"This is a Brave Lance!" Sir Finn yelped. He took it hesitantly, eyes wide. "It's so light…"
"That's why it is said to give two strikes for each time you attack. Well, that and a little bit of luck and maybe some magic." Lord Quan shrugged. "I will admit to not quite understanding. I just bought it."
"For me?!"
"Yes. Your birthday is next week."
"But, my lord, this is…" Sir Finn looked to the lance again, and shook his head. "It's simply too much…"
"You are a valuable knight of Lenster, or will be once you finish your training. You must have a suitable weapon." Lord Quan smiled. "I have high hopes. If it troubles you, simply work to reach the point you feel worthy for it."
"I… yes, sir…" Sir Finn bowed. "I'll try."
"Good." Lord Quan's smile grew and then he walked off, going to Lady Ethlyn to help her, and flirt.
I lingered back, wondering if I had a right to… well, do anything. But Sir Finn looked so small, and a little frazzled, so I found myself walking towards him. I waited for him to notice me there, and studied his pale face as he tried to smile at me. Then, impulsively, I reached out and tugged him into a hug. "Please, be careful," I whispered. He stiffened briefly before relaxing, shaking slightly. "That's all I ask."
"I promise," he mumbled. He looked a little better when he pulled away. "I'll… do my best…"
"...Finn, I simply want you to stay alive." I reached up and fixed his collar. "You don't have to ever do your best, so long as you live."
"...Okay." His smile was sweet, if a little confused. Lord Quan's words still weighed heavily on his thin shoulders. But he looked less like he was about to faint. "I need to check my horse."
"Of course. I'll see you in Noldion." I gave him a smile and walked off, trying to think of what else to do. I ended up catching sight of Sigurd kissing Deirdre goodbye, and wandered over towards them to support Deirdre.
"Ah, Alicia!" Sigurd called, waving. He had a giant grin on his face, while Deirdre was blushing deeply. "Everything check out?"
"Yes, though it does seem as if you're trying to kill Deirdre with embarrassment," I deadpanned. He simply laughed, while Deirdre ducked behind me. "For shame, Sigurd."
"Sorry, sorry!" His cheer faded slightly. "I'll do my best to end the fighting before you arrive."
"Ah, that way I can tend to the injured immediately." I crossed my arms. "Try not go so quickly that you cause reckless deaths. I can heal a wound. I can't bring back the dead."
"I'll… try. We'll have to go fast if we're to have a chance."
"I know. That's why I said 'try'." I hesitated a bit before shrugging and reaching out the hug him. He yelped briefly, but returned it easily. "Stay safe, idiot. I don't want to deal with having you as a patient, and if you make Deirdre cry, I'll get you back."
"As it should be." He pulled away and laughed, looking quite touched. "We'll be off. I'll see you in a few days."
"All right." I stepped back, and reached down to take Deirdre's hand as she smiled and leaned against me. She trembled as Sigurd mounted up and ordered his knights to charge, but she kept up her smile and waved everyone goodbye as they disappeared into the horizon, a cloud of dust kicking up behind them.
"...Everything will be okay, right?" she whispered. She tightened her grip on my hand, and I knew she was worried about 'the Catastrophe'. "Right?"
"Yes, it will," I replied, keeping my words firm. "We must believe in them." I smiled at her. "Come on. We need to double check our own preparations, and spend some time with Prince Shanan and Lady Altenna."
"...Right!" She gave me a brave smile. "Let's do this!"
The walk to Noldion was… surprisingly quiet. Perhaps it was because everyone was so tense, but there was barely even conversation. I watched everyone in 'my' group closely, checking that no one was wobbling or limping, but I didn't really notice anything that would require my attention. I did notice Lady Ayra instinctively looking around for Lex, and Lady Aideen seeming a little droopy with Sir Midir away and in danger. But Azel chatted with Lady Ayra, prompting little rambling rants about how Lex was an idiot, and Deirdre shyly distracted Lady Aideen with talks of dresses and fashion.
"There, I think that'll ease him." Chulainn's voice brought me out of my observations, and I turned to see he had done what I'd thought impossible: calm the horse that was carting some of my infirmary supplies. "He's simply nervous," Chulainn continued, gently petting the horse's side. "He knows something is wrong."
"I'll take your word for that," I replied, eyeing the horse warily. It had nearly headbutted me when I'd tried to figure out what was wrong. "I'm surprised you got it to calm."
"I like horses." He took its reins and tugged slightly, urging the horse to continue walking with the others. I awkwardly fell in step beside him, making sure he was between me and the horse. "I like riding them more, though."
"You ride?" That surprised me. It tended to be only the rich who rode, or those who worked for the rich. Horses, I knew, were very expensive.
"Oh, I don't ride the ones here. They're too tame." He said it with such a straight face that I gaped at him. "Wild horses are more spirited."
"I am convinced you are simply telling me a tale." It was difficult, though. He always kept so stoic. "Regardless, why do you not ride one into battle?"
"Partly, I never got the training for such a thing and partly because I dislike seeing them injured." He pet the horse's neck with a small smile. "I don't think Liath Macha minds me not riding him, though, when there's a cart attached to him. He's no chariot horse."
"Who?" It took me a second to realize what he'd even said, much less what he was referring to. "Did you name it?"
"Him, yes."
"It could've already had a name."
"He likes this one." The horse leaned over and nuzzled his face. "See?"
"You are impossible." I sighed heavily, feeling almost out of sorts for some reason. "When did you learn to ride?"
"As a child." His cheer faded slightly, and his expression blanked. I recognized it as him trying to talk around things. He was strangely honest, and rarely if ever lied, but he hid quite a few things about his past. "I'd take a friend along."
"Did you?" I smiled, and pretended I didn't notice him talking around things. "What was your friend like?"
"A spoilt brat." He said it so dryly that I couldn't help but laugh. "She was terrible at riding, but loved the feeling the wind rushing past her, and so she always begged to ride with me. And she'd always throw a fuss if I didn't go straight into a gallop."
"Really?"
"Yeah." He shrugged. "She and I actually got into an argument about it, last time I saw her. She'd wanted to go fast, I'd wanted to go easy because the horse had been acting funny, and she stomped off to sulk and leave with her brother."
"What happened to her?" I thought I sensed eyes on us, and glanced back to see Lady Ayra giving us a strange, yet unreadable, look. "Did she get sick?"
"No." His voice became a little clipped. "Shit happened, and then I became a gladiator."
"I see." A little awkward silence fell, and I hesitated in how to fill it. After a moment, though, I decided there was only one thing that was fair. "I didn't have friends, growing up. Others did, but I was often left alone." I had only been 'tolerated', until my healing skills proved that I was 'useful'. "I had my older brother, and eventually my younger, but they lived away."
"No friends, until you were a healer who could help them." His expression relaxed slightly, still stoic, but not as much of a wall. "Then they loved you."
"I wouldn't call it 'love'. I wouldn't even call it 'like'." 'Amicable respect' might've been a better summary. "So, I suppose the idea of having even an argument with a 'friend' seem a little odd to me."
"Do you not argue with your brothers?"
"We communicate mostly through letters, and the few times we're face to face, we simply… don't." I shrugged, smiling wryly. "There is an old 'argument', I suppose. My older brother wishes for me to live with him, and I do not want to be involved in the politics, but it's so old that we go through the motions, and just agree to the stalemate. Nothing, at least, like the one you described."
"Now that seems odd to me. Then again, I had friends before everything, and you were alone until you came here." His eyes lit up slightly and he smiled a little. "What did you do in your free time, then? Study?"
"I read, and I sewed. I made medicines…" I shrugged, laughing softly. "Really, my habits haven't changed since I was little. If I'm not healing, I'm working to make later healing easier."
"No wonder you do not socialize."
"I do not need to hear that from you."
"I socialize. Some. I went out for drinks with Alec and them."
"Is that why Alec came to me for hangover remedies this morning?"
"It's not my fault that he tried to keep up with me, and then didn't notice I wasn't drinking nearly as much as he thought I was." He chuckled and I reached up to muffle my own laugh. "Ah, your hair ornament is coming loose." He reached over and gently began fixing it, unpinning it briefly to pin it back better. "That's a very elaborate ornament."
"It was a gift, so now I am obligated to wear it." I held still, feeling a little embarrassed. It really was far too expensive. "It doesn't suit me, does it?"
"If you mean in terms of color and look, then it suits you very well." His fingers lingered in my hair. "But, it seems more elaborate than your preferred wear, so I suppose in that sense, it does not 'suit'. You should wear more expensive clothes."
"My clothes get blood splattered too often for me to justify buying anything but the cheapest I can get, while still looking put together."
"I think the army owes you some more expensive clothes." He smiled slightly. "But you like the cotton."
"...Yes, I do." I frowned at him. "Is there any point in bringing that up?"
"No, not at all." His smile widened, just a little. "It was just a fun distraction."
"You're impossible." I rolled my eyes, and resigned myself to another silence, less awkward than the one before. However, King Jamke began pushing his way towards us, and his expression was grim. "What is-?"
"Injured," King Jamke informed me curtly. He showed no signs of battle, though he did look quite harried. "There's injured ahead, civilians from Noldion."
I didn't even bother asking further. I just snagged my staff and medicinal pack from the cart and rushed ahead, walking as quickly as possible. I half-thought about running, but worried that a running healer might cause a panic. A healer at a dead-run always meant something horrible had happened.
All thoughts of that, however, disappeared as I saw the small group of badly injured, and bandaged, people. I ran to them, but each person I tried to tend to shook their head and pushed me closer to the center of the group. I wondered why, especially given how many of them were in serious danger of bleeding out. But then I made it to the center, and saw why. Lady Grahnye was there, and she cradled Lord Ares to her chest, a Lord Ares who had blood on his shirt, a stained bandage underneath, and whimpering, crying, and sweating. The people here wanted me to tend to him first.
"Lady Grahnye!" I called, sliding to my knees to gain just an extra little moment of time. She looked at me in a daze, like she wasn't quite sure I was really here, silently crying. "Please, hand him to me." I held out my hands to her. "I'll do everything I can."
"Miss Alicia…" she breathed. She gave me Lord Ares without hesitation, and I quickly took off his shirt to look at the injury. It looked like an arrow wound. "Oh, thank the gods… we had to stop because everyone was so tired, and Ares…"
"I'm here, and the rest of my group isn't far behind, if they haven't caught up already." Some noise behind me hinted they were here. "What happened? Why are you here?" Asking her questions would keep her from panicking while I worked. There was something 'off' about the injury, and I needed to figure out what it was first.
"We got word that Elto was imprisoned, and then not even a day later, Heirhein's forces were attacking." She shuddered. "They hadn't been friends of ours for years, ever since Lachesis refused their heir's courting. But the others are reinforcing, and we had so few…" Her voice cracked. "Then, while we were trying to bring civilians inside the castle for safety, someone shot Ares. I've been trying to tend to him, but none of the medicines seem to be working."
"I see." A terrible thought occurred to me, and I brought up my staff to check if I was right or not. "How far are we?"
"We're not too far. Honestly, I'd hoped to be farther, as I'm certain they sent people after us, but..." She looked down worriedly at Lord Ares still resting in my lap. "Just… when he was hit, and Lachesis whispered she didn't know what to do and couldn't figure out how to heal him… well, that's when Sigurd and his reinforcements came. He cut a path straight through to us, and we showed him. Sigurd said you were on your way, Miss Alicia, and Lachesis suggested I take a group of injured to come meet you…"
"I'm glad you did." My hands shook slightly, from sheer rage, as I realized I was right. "That Elidiot or whatever his name is better be dead by the time we get there, or I might just go against one of the tenants of being a healer. The medicine wasn't working because Lord Ares is poisoned." To hide my shaking, I ran a hand through his hair, and smiled when he looked up at me with cloudy eyes. "I'll make it better, sweetie. I promise."
"Poisoned?!" She gasped, covering her mouth in horror. "They…"
"I'm going to pretend it was an 'accident', but somehow, I doubt it." But with the knowledge that poison was interfering with the injury, I used some medicines and my staff to clear it out and to get the wound to close. "There. It might scar, but…" I straightened and smiled at her. "But he should be-"
Something thudded into me. Absently, I quickly discerned that, whatever it was, it hadn't really hit anything vital. If I'd still been bent over, it might've caught me in the skull or eye or something, but since I was sitting straight, it was just in that awkward bit of flesh around the collarbone. It still made me numb, and all the air escaped my lungs as my eyes widened from the surprise.
Then the pain flooded me, and I hissed, doubling over, and trying to not squish Lord Ares in the process. That was when I saw the arrow and realized what had happened. I'd been shot, and likely because I'd been healing Lord Ares.
My ears roared, and it took me a second to realize that it wasn't just the blood and pain rushing through them. There were screams, and sounds of fighting. There was the sound of movement, and I looked up to see there was someone in heavy armor, running up with a lance aimed right for Lord Ares and me, and Lady Grahnye moved to shield us both as the person closed the distance far too quickly.
But then there was another bit of movement, a blue and gold blur out of the corner of my vision, with… with a trail of blue and white stars surrounding them, according to my hazy eyes, but that was likely just a hallucination brought on by the pain. The blur hit the enemy in one brutal hit, one that just cracked through the armor as if it were nothing but paper. As the shards of armor clinked down, the blur turned around and cut their head off with ease. The corpse hit the ground with a loud 'clang', one that seemed to make everything freeze, and I could only stare as the blur 'solidified' into Chulainn. He was heavily splattered with blood, all the way to his hair, and his expression was stony, his eyes like chips of ice. But it was him.
For some reason, though, I smiled at him. It might've been the pain, but his rescue… it made me think… it made me think of 'that question' and his 'answer'. 'Who heals the healer?' 'Who protects the healer?' It just… made sense to me, that he'd be right here when I needed the help.
He stared at me for a moment, before his expression softened, and his eyes warmed. He did not smile back, but I didn't need that to know he was glad he made it on time. His expression quickly hardened, though, as more enemy soldiers appeared, and he fell on them viciously, cutting through them with ease. I did not see the 'sparkles' again, making me almost certain that it had simply been a pain-induced hallucination. But he didn't need any sort of 'extra help'. He cut through them with a brutality that almost seemed more like a beast than a human, and some part of me wondered if one reason why he was always so stoic… was to keep 'this part' of him in check.
"Death's Hound…" Lady Grahnye's words caught my ear, and I glanced at her, a bit curious. "I'd heard of a golden-haired mercenary who was once a gladiator," she explained once she realized I was looking at her. Her hands were shaking, and I wasn't sure what all in this craziness had sparked the trembling. "One who wore blue armor and fought with a sword. He earned the name of 'Death's Hound' in the arena for how brutally he fought, and it was a name that followed him even as he bought his freedom and became a mercenary."
"...His name is Chulainn," I told her firmly. "He is a good man."
"I'm sure." She nodded, and smiled at me. "Elto is also fierce in battle, but there are few I'd call kinder. I was simply… startled by Chulainn."
"Okay." I looked down at the arrow still in me, and tried to think through the pain. "I need you to get me L… Aideen. Get me Aideen." I thought that perhaps if I dropped the title, just as she had wanted, she might move just a bit faster. It was manipulative, but I needed that extra bit of speed to survive this. "I'm going to need help with this. It might be poisoned." It definitely hurt, and I half-wanted to pass out. But I had work to do.
"I'll get you a guard."
"I don't need one. Chulainn won't let anyone through." I nodded towards where he was holding off the enemy for emphasis. "I'm sure others won't be long. Please."
"...All right…" She ran off, and I closed my eyes, focusing on staying conscious and not ill while holding Lord Ares protectively.
It was harder than I would've liked, but I managed to hold on until Lady Grahnye and L... Aideen returned. Barely.
I'd been lucky; the arrow hadn't been poisoned. It was, likely, that they hadn't had time to apply the poison to the arrow before firing. So, instead, I just had a bandage across my upper torso, and shoulder, and some bits of pain as I worked on healing those I could. Aideen had wanted me to rest, but there were too many injured for her to take on her own, and I was the only other healer. I was just very thankful Lord Oifeye and Prince Shanan were still back at Evans. I did not want to think about what might've happened if they had been ambushed.
"How are you?" Chulainn asked me. He was one of the last to be treated, mostly because he'd jumped into a nearby river to clean up before submitting to a checkover. It resulted in me giving him a lecture on how improper cleaning of injuries could lead to infection, and a lot of people, mostly the civilians, eyeing him up because wet shirts clung, and he'd removed his armor to make it easier for me to treat his injuries. I had to actually chase a few away to assist some of the others when they offered to 'help' me. I had no patience for such nonsense. There was nothing special about shirtless men. "How is your injury?"
"It's been tended to," I replied, working on cleaning the last of his injuries, one on his arm. My tone was a little clipped, but that was because I had to deal with some other 'helpers' who really just wanted to ogle Chulainn. There were others more injured. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't take out my exasperation on you."
"It's fine." He gave me a little confused smile. "But why are they…?"
"I don't know." I shrugged, and shifted a bit. He and I were sitting on the ground a short distance away from the rest of the group, with my medical kit next to me. His armor, and sword, were next to him. "I guess it's because you're handsome and well-built, and they're being silly because they're relieved to be alive."
"...I am?"
"Yes, yes, I suppose. I'm not really the one to ask. I see people in all sorts of states, and I'm often stripping them down to reach the injuries." I shrugged, still cleaning his injury. It was a shallow cut to his arm, so that was why I'd left it last. I tried to not focus on the faint scars lingering around his wrist, just as I'd ignored the scars across his abdomen, torso, and back. It was hard, though. These ones looked far more deliberate, and I… didn't like the thought. "Does this burn?"
"A little." His smile grew slightly. "I suppose that means infection?"
"With this medicine? Yes. You must've washed some moss or something into it when you jumped into the river." I gave him a look and he actually squirmed a bit. "This is why you have to be careful when you bath in rivers."
"I… just thought it would be harder for you if I was covered in blood."
"I would just do as I do with everyone else. I would wipe the blood off, and then do a check for blood-borne diseases. You will submit to that as soon as I get my staff repaired or go get one from whichever box we put them in." There had been so many injuries that Aideen and I had run out of charges in our staves. I'd almost gone to get one more, but Chulainn had been the last one, and his injuries hadn't strictly required one.
"I think we labeled that one with three stars."
"Ah, yes, that's right." I put down the medicine and began winding the bandage around his arm. As I did, though, I remembered when he'd saved me, and what Lady Grahnye had said. "Chulainn?"
"Hmm?"
"Does the nickname 'Death's Hound' mean anything to you?" I glanced at his face, and saw it blank. This time, though, it was the blankness of someone trying to remember. "Does it?"
"I… oh, yes, now I remember. Yeah, that's something I've been called. I forgot all about it. Then again, no one ever called me it to my face." He shrugged, unbothered. "I was called 'dog' a lot in the ring. It's my own fault. I was only a gladiator because I accidentally killed some lord's hound in self-defense. I was then 'his' until he got a new one, and then thrown into the ring for him to win money. Then as I won, they began to fear me. Made it easier to buy my freedom, that fear."
"You seem so…"
"I like dogs." He shrugged. "They're loyal, and caring. Overwhelming sometimes, though. They're silly."
"...We can get you one? I mean; I think we have some around Evans."
"I know. I feed them." He actually smiled, and there was a trace of boyishness to it, a ghost of the smile he must've had before… whatever happened to him happened. I had a feeling 'gladiator' and 'mercenary' were the least dark parts of it.
"I see." I smiled back, tied off the bandage, and set my hands in my lap. "I almost forgot. Thank you, Chulainn, for coming to my rescue."
"Oh, I was just the fastest. Others were heading that way too. Jamke, for instance, had an arrow."
"Ah." My smile fell as I thought of him. I still hadn't thanked him for saving me from Sadima. I was still just… horribly uncomfortable around him. I couldn't get past it. I knew I really should. He had proven himself a good ally, many times over. He had literally saved my life. But I couldn't move past how he'd killed some of our soldiers, had nearly killed Aideen, Lord Oifeye, Finn, and Prince Shanan. I just…
"What did he do?" Chulainn, however, just looked curious. "You avoid him."
"...He simply nearly killed some of… my friends…" I shook my head. "I can't… I try, but…"
"Take your time. Trust and forgiveness are earned, and everyone has a different 'threshold'. He lost a lot from you because he hurt some of the few people who care about you." He gave me a reassuring look. "You said you were alone. It makes sense that you would be less forgiving to those who you actually befriend."
"...I'm not sure if that's you saying it's okay to be petty, or if I'm just a petty person and should accept that."
"You are very hard on yourself."
"I don't think that's something I should be hearing from you, mister."
"Miss Alicia! Sir Chulainn!" Lady Grahnye's voice made both of us look up, and we saw her waving at us. "If you're done, we can return to Noldion!" she called. Lord Ares was asleep in her arms, exhausted by everything. "I'll show you how we can sneak in!"
"We'll be right there!" I called. I packed up my medical kit, and Chulainn quickly snapped on his armor and hooked his sword on his belt. When he stood, he offered me a hand up, which I took after a moment, a little startled by the assistance. I really wasn't used to such things. "Is everyone well enough to move?"
"Those who aren't are in the carts of supplies you brought." Lady Grahnye smiled, and it looked cheerful enough, though I saw the fear in her eyes. If the battle wasn't already over, or didn't end shortly after our arrival, sneaking in was going to be very difficult. Dew, the only 'thief' and sneaky one of the army, was with Lord Oifeye and Prince Shanan. "Follow me."
Despite her words, it did still take us a bit to coordinate our little group to move forward. Some of the faster and quieter of our group, such as King Jamke, Chulainn, and Lady Ayra, went ahead to scout. Azel and Deirdre kept close to me, with Deirdre actually clinging to one of my arms. I noticed some others in the group giving me worried looks, most noticeably Aideen, but she remained with the more heavily injured. Besides, as we walked, we soon heard the sounds of fierce battle. Horses whinnied as metal crashed on metal. People screamed through the pounding of hooves on dirt. We saw nothing, but I could imagine the field all too easily as a mess of churned, bloody mud, with corpses all over the place. It wasn't a very nice imagery.
It was even worse as we crested a hill and actually saw the battlefield. Now we could see the ruined houses they fought around, the smoke of barely deadened fires. Armor and weapons glinted in the sunlight, and there was so many that they almost blinded me.
Through the glare, I quickly hunted for a spot of blue hair in the mess. I found one towards the 'center' of the field, but soon realized it was the 'wrong color' for Sigurd. Based on the bits of armor I could make out from here, I guessed it was Finn, and he was fighting… he was fighting someone that even I knew was strong, and likely stronger than Finn should be fighting.
Time slowed as I was quickly proven right. His opponent, whoever it was, scored a brutal, messy hit to Finn's abdomen, slipping right through his guard. I could've screamed; I almost did. Then I saw Finn swing his own lance and actually strike whoever it was straight through the head, a strange 'second wound' hitting near it to just… split the head wide open. But time still ran slow, like molasses, as Finn slipped off his horse and fell to the ground. Two eternities later, a yell went up, revealing that the one Finn had killed was Elliot of Heirhein, the leader of the opposing forces.
Gods, that was not what I meant by Elliot being dead when we arrived. That wasn't even close.
The infirmary was a mess. Haphazardly set up bits of blankets and pillows for beds, some hay to soak up all the blood, and more chaos than usual because of having to set up 'my' things while healing were the least of my concerns. There were many injured, especially among the civilians, and it did not help that some more, like Sigurd, were injured because they'd tried to do the nice thing and help the Heirhein soldiers, and they'd tried to kill them in return.
One thing became all too clear. Noldion was hated. I tried to listen to rumors, but all I could hear was… pettiness. Heirhein hated Noldion because Lady Lachesis refused the now-dead Elliot and he had felt entitled to her because of 'flirtations', which I was sure existed only in his mind. A castle in the north, Anphony, disliked Noldion because Lord Eldigan had discouraged the high taxes their lord forced on his citizens. A castle to the east, Mackily, was a little more neutral, but viewed Lord Eldigan as an 'upstart' for throwing his weight around as the Hezul major, all done just to prevent a war.
Growing up, I had always heard Augustria as the 'country of knightly honor'. I supposed it showed, clearly, just how far corrupted most leadership was. Lord Eldigan was probably the only 'knight' left in the whole country, and that… being the only 'honorable' one in a mess of corruption and manipulation didn't end well, normally.
I shook my head free of such thoughts and focused again on my current patient, Finn. Things had finally calmed, so I was giving him a second check over, before going to give Sigurd a preliminary report on what was going on in the infirmary.
"You really should sleep, Finn," I whispered, bringing the blankets over him again. It had been touch and go for a long while. Abdominal wounds were always messy, and Finn's had been deep enough to actually to damage organs. Thankfully, though, I'd gotten to him quickly enough to save him. "You're going to have a hard recovery."
"Mmm… sorry…" Finn mumbled. The pain medications made him groggy, but he still did he best to look at me. "Asked to be… careful… but…"
"..." I ran a hand through his hair, and smiled. "You're alive, Finn. I will forgive you for anything and everything, so long as you stay alive."
"But…"
"Hush. You're forgiven. Now rest. I want my best sweeper back in perfect condition as soon as possible." I let my smile widen to better show I was teasing, and he managed to smile back. "Just rest, Finn. You're fine."
"K…" His eyes were slowly losing focus. "You're… a nice big sis… jealous of Azel…"
"...Well, you can think of me as your big sister if you'd like." The words were odd to say, but they didn't feel uncomfortable. I supposed at some point, I did sort of 'adopt' Finn as another 'little brother', because of all the medicine lessons, and all the times he helped me and Prince Shanan. "Okay?"
"K…" He nodded off then, smiling sweetly. I wasn't sure he'd even remember the conversation when he woke up again. But I would, and I supposed I could tease him a bit more, like I did Azel.
It was probably an odd time to realize that this army had become my family, a bit. But it felt 'right', like I'd come to that conclusion before, unconsciously. If I thought of them like that, then many of their 'strangeness' no longer became so 'strange'. I still disliked being spoiled, but it was like Arvis and Azel. They just did it, and I rolled my eyes and let them get away with it.
I checked him and some of the other badly wounded before giving myself a cursory wash, and a change of clothes, and heading off to give Sigurd a preliminary report. It was important for a healer to look 'clean' when not job. There was no need to freak out the people in the halls. A messy healer brought only worry, almost as much worry as a healer at a dead run.
It didn't take long to reach the study Sigurd was using. Apparently, Lady Grahnye had him set up in Lord Eldigan's study, to his discomfort. But it was easy for people to remember, especially the panic Noldions, and it wasn't far from the infirmary. It was also easy for the sounds of arguing within, and as I opened the door, I quickly realized just who was arguing: Sigurd and Lady Lachesis.
"Please, Sigurd!" Lady Lachesis pleaded. She looked ready to cry. "I've had enough of simply waiting around!"
"Lachesis, you're not trained for an army," Sigurd countered. He looked conflicted, and glanced at Lord Quan. Lord Quan had his hands up in the air, shaking his head. "You just don't want to get involved because you know Eldigan will kill us."
"Eldie would understand!"
"And what of Noldion castle?"
"Grahnye is here!"
"Ares was nearly killed."
"That's why I want to fight! I want to keep them from reaching here again, instead of just waiting for word!"
"I don't suppose you can finish this discussion when both of you aren't exhausted," I suggested, gently interrupting the argument. All three whirled to face me, and I made sure to smile. "I'm here to give a report, Sigurd."
"Ah, yes," Sigurd murmured. He leaned against the edge of the desk, and I noticed that the chair didn't look like it had been pulled out. He hadn't sat at the desk. He had just stayed near. "You sent Oifeye earlier…"
"That was for the first round of things, to give you an idea of what we were dealing with." Truthfully, in the mess, I had forgotten I had even sent Lord Oifeye off. I'd mostly done it to keep him busy, as he was doing what he could to help, but we were completely overrun and he had been running out of things he could do. "Do you still have the numbers?"
"Yes, right here." He picked up a piece of paper, and for a moment, I tried to think of when I would've had the time to write anything. But when I took it, I quickly realized what had really happened; Lord Oifeye had written down the numbers himself. "I'm guessing then you're here to clarify the unknown?"
"Yes." I skimmed the note, feeling the urge to wince when I saw the actual numbers. At the least, I needed Lady Lachesis in the infirmary for now. Aideen and Lady Ethlyn were not enough, and we were running low on medicine. "We have fifty more dead, about a hundred more that could die at any moment, and the rest are injured. I'll get those exact numbers for you when you are ready to leave."
"Unfortunately, that'll be in the morning." Sigurd grimaced at my incredulous look. "Heirhein is sending more. We already got word on that. We must meet them, quickly, and Noldion cannot take another assault. They were taken completely off-guard, and had no defenses set up."
"Which is why I want to help!" Lady Lachesis insisted. She scowled. "I helped when I was in Evans! Miss Alicia said so!"
"That… was a different campaign," Sigurd mumbled. He still looked conflicted. "Regardless, Alicia, I'll need those numbers tonight."
"I'll do what I can, but it will be impossible to get an accurate count until the morning, and even then, it depends on when you leave," I replied. I resigned myself to no sleep tonight. "Oh, there is one I can say easily, though." I looked to Lord Quan, who seemed surprised. "Finn will remain here."
"Oh, he'll be fine with a bit of healing and some rest," Lord Quan scoffed and I felt my temper burn. He was known for his pride, and his dismissal of things that he should probably take seriously, yes, but I was a healer, and this was Finn! I had literally just told him to consider me his 'big sister', and if there was one thing I'd learned from Arvis, it was that the older siblings protected the younger ones. "He's my squire and-"
"And I am the Chief Healer of this army." I kept my voice quiet, calm, even. But something in my demeanor must've alerted him that he'd just said one thing too much because he instantly looked panicked. "That means I have final authority on the health of everyone in this army. You, and Finn, are part of this army. I have the final word on whether or not someone is ready for combat, Lord Quan, not you or anyone else in this room. My word overrides even Sigurd's."
"W-well, yes…" His eyes darted around, desperately looking for some sort of shield. "But…"
"Finn will be staying here, in the castle, where I can keep an eye on the injury that tore through his abdomen and damaged internal organs. If you insist on fielding him despite my order, then you may purchase a coffin for him and find another healer to deal with your cursed pride." I put a lot of venom in those last three words and he flinched. "If you want your pride to kill yourself, that is your own business. I have no right to order you otherwise, so long as your health remains good, though I will remind you that you have a wife, a child, many friends, and an entire country that would mourn your loss. But you will not kill Finn because of your pride. I will not let you, especially right now. Do you understand?" I glowered when there was no response. "I asked if you understood."
"Y-yes…" Quan mumbled. He looked down, like a child scolding for not doing his chores.
I refused to let that pass. "I didn't hear you. Repeat that. Clearly."
"Yes, Miss Alicia, I understand." Now he glanced up, but he quickly looked away when he saw how angry I still was. "I-"
"No. Quiet. I will hear no more from you today. I am extremely disappointed that you let your pride rule over your reason, considering Finn has a gut wound." I turned to Sigurd, who looked like he couldn't decide between being shocked and laughing. "I will return to the infirmary now. Lady Lachesis will come with me for assistance, since I'm up to my eyes in injured. Send if you need me, but I have people's lives to save and those numbers to get to you."
"Certainly," Sigurd replied. He left it unsaid that I had effectively recruited Lady Lachesis into our army. In matters of the infirmary, I held more authority than him, and I needed more healers. He and Lachesis could talk later of her joining the army as a fighter as well. I needed her now. "Try to get some rest."
"I will try to get some while keeping children from bleeding out," I replied, still feeling cranky. Thankfully, he smiled, aware that I wasn't mad at him. "If he complains-"
"I'll handle it. I'm used to it. Go on."
"Thank you." I turned on my heel and marched off, returning to the infirmary, still absolutely furious, barely slowing so that Lachesis could catch up.
Lord Quan's pride was going to get himself killed. His pride was going to lead him to make a fatal mistake, to overestimate himself and those he held faith in, and get himself killed. I just had to hope it didn't get others killed too. But I doubted it. He was a prince, and a leader. When leaders made mistakes, it wasn't just them that paid. A healer knew that all too well.
'Family' could be so aggravating sometimes.
Back in the infirmary, I directed Lachesis to keep an eye on Finn while Aideen, Lady Ethlyn, and I worked on others in the infirmary. I kept one eye on her, though, and noticed she was actually quite skilled with staves. If she gained a little more mental fortitude, she'd actually be a huge help in the infirmary. At the same time, though, that skill would make her an excellent field healer. I made a mental note to bring that up to her later. If she really wanted to join, I'd point out how she most likely would serve, and see if she thought she could stomach it.
But those were thoughts for another time. Eventually, we managed to get everyone we could stabilize and Aideen and Lady Ethlyn went to bed. I remained awake to stay on watch, and to figure out what numbers Sigurd would have for his morning charge. I hoped Deirdre would be okay, since I had little doubts that she'd remain here. This required a lot of speed, and we dared not leave Noldion on a skeletal defense.
"Oh, so that's how you heal that," Lachesis murmured, watching me tend to a little girl she called 'Jeanne'. Apparently, she was the daughter of one of the Cross Knights, one stationed away from here. She'd… had a brother, but he hadn't made it, and neither had her mother. But, with a little extra attention, she'd live, though she'd have a scar on her head from now on. "If only they could die twice. It's one thing to kill soldiers, but children… civilians…"
"This is what war is like, and why your brother wanted to avoid it," I whispered. I hunted through my packs and found a pink ribbon, likely stashed there by Lady Ethlyn without my noticing. I looked at it briefly, shrugged, and set it next to Jeanne. She could use it to hide the bandage on her head, if she wanted. "We're all stuck in a lot of madness."
"I suppose." Lachesis sighed heavily, drooping. "Gods, if only I had been stronger… if only I had been a better healer…"
"Lord Eldigan is to blame as well, for not giving you a better defense when he went to confront his king." I had little doubts Lord Eldigan hadn't already figured that out, though. "Most lived, Lachesis."
"But not all."
"...The first rule of being a healer is that you can never save everyone." I stroked her hair, hoping it would reassure her. "Death comes, and it is the job of a healer to fight death off. Our job is to look death in the eye and say 'not today'. Sometimes, death is intimidated. Other times, death scoffs. But, still, we save many death came for. That is what it means to be a healer. We tend to the injured, and keep death at bay for a little while longer."
"While a warrior's job is… to point death towards others?" Lachesis glanced at me, and she looked a little fragile. "To protect those under their charge? That seems… selfish."
"To be a warrior, or leader, one must pick a side. That side could be 'none', but they still pick. A healer, though, remains perfect neutral. They heal those who come to them, without letting their personal feelings come through."
"So, if Elliot had come to you, would you have healed him?"
"..." I fell silent for a moment, glancing back to where Finn was sleeping. "If he had come to me as a patient, then… yes, I would've. That's my job, to heal. Sigurd then could've used him as a hostage to force Heirhein to surrender, or that kindness might've made him pause." I shrugged. "It is my job, to heal people. If an injured is brought before me, I will tend to them, regardless of how much I want to kill them myself." Though, I would've been tempted. I would've been tempted to just let him die slowly, for what he did to Lord Ares and Finn. "However, what would've happened after he was no longer my patient wouldn't be my concern."
"I see." The look on her face implied she didn't quite 'see', actually, but she at least understood that this was important to me. "I'm going to check on Finn again. He… he only got into the fighting because Elliot targeted me, you see, and Finn was the closest one."
"Of course he got hurt protecting a princess. He's a knight in shining armor." I smiled a bit as she managed a weak laugh. "He'll be fine, Lachesis. His recovery will be rough, but he'll be fine."
"I'm glad." Her smile looked like it was hiding tears, but she quickly turned away and began fussing over Finn. I returned my attention to Jeanne, giving her one last check, before standing to go check on the next one.
A knock on the doorframe, however, caught my attention, and I turned to see Lady Grahnye standing there. "It's incredibly late," she chided, walking in. Lord Ares was in her arms, and he looked around curiously. "Are you never going to rest?"
"A healer's job is never really done," I replied with a shrug. I found a nearby chair to sit in and sat down before holding my hands to her. "Let me check Lord Ares again. I'm worried about that poison."
"You know, Miss Alicia, you saved his life. You can really just drop the title." She passed me Lord Ares without hesitation, and smiled at me. "I promise; he will not mind."
"I shall consider it." I rested Lord Ares in my lap, smiling as his eyes focused on me easily. I almost laughed when he reached up to grab my hair, but it faltered when he actually reached past and patted my cheek. His hand came away bloody. I'd forgotten how dirty I was. "...I should've cleaned myself up first."
"Relax. You're fine." Lady Grahnye's smile sweetened. "Your hands are clean."
"Of course." Sighing, I carefully checked over Lord Ares, and used my sleeve to clean his hand. He simply giggled and gurgled as I poked and prodded, apparently thinking it was a new game. "I'll want to check him again in the morning, but I do think he'll be fine."
"Thank you." Lady Grahnye tried to take him back, but he protested and reached up to grab my hair. "He does love your hair."
"I wonder why." I gently pried his hand off, and held it. "It's just red."
"Well, maybe that's why." Lady Grahnye laughed. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but Elto wears a lot of red. It's likely he just associates the color with him."
"That makes much more sense." I smiled down at Lord Ares, who smiled back. "Oh, right, I've been meaning to ask." I looked back to Lady Grahnye, putting on my best confused look. "Elto?"
"Oh, that." She laughed again, looking nostalgic. "When I first came here, we stopped at an inn along the way, and while I was there, I talked with a gentleman with blonde hair who went by the name of 'Elto'."
"Oh, I can already guess now. Sigurd told me Lord Eldigan would sneak into bars."
"Precisely." She grinned. "So, I simply call him by that unless we're in a formal setting, as a long-standing joke between us."
"Eldie thinks it's fun," Lachesis added, coming over to us again. She took Lord Ares from me and cuddled him to her chest briefly, as if reassuring herself that he was still here. "Oh, shoot, I meant Eldigan. I swore to not call him by that nickname."
"No, no, don't say that, Lachesis," Lady Grahnye urged. She held out her hands, and Lachesis passed Lord Ares to her. "It makes him sad that you no longer do."
"I can't be a child forever."
"No, but that does not mean you leave behind affection." Lady Grahnye's cheer faded. "But that's a good lead in. Lachesis, Sigurd told me you wish to join his army?"
"I do." Lachesis gave Lady Grahnye a pleading look. "Please? I'll be careful, I promise, and I'll listen, but I can't…" Her voice cracked. "I am a descendant of Hezul. I am supposed to protect Noldion. Yet when danger came, all I could do was plead for help. I need…"
"...You want to get stronger, and you believe you can gain that strength through helping him." Lady Grahnye sighed, and gave her a wry smile. "Well, you've always been stubborn, and it looks like Miss Alicia need all the healers they can get. So long as you promise to be careful, and to come home, then I'll plead with Sigurd with you." She held up a finger when Lachesis's eyes shone with happiness. "But you must promise. You are my family, even if it is by marriage. I love you dearly."
"I promise!" She lunged and almost tackled Lady Grahnye off her feet with a hug. "I extra promise! Thank you!"
"And you must write when you're away. Whenever that is."
"Promise!"
"Good." Lady Grahnye smiled, though she did look very sad and worried. "Oh, just stay safe, please."
"I will! As much as I can!" Lachesis beamed. "Thank you so much! I love you too, by the way. Don't forget that."
"I shan't." She laughed a bit, and then turned her attention to me. "Now, then, is there anything I can do to help? I do have Ares, but I can pass him to a servant if need be."
"Well, I won't say no to an extra pair of hands," I replied. I smiled a bit, and I knew it was tired. "Give Lord Ares to someone, though. I haven't babyproofed the place yet."
Lady Grahnye proved to be more than enough help, thanks to her own knowledge of medicinal herbs, and also her stories which helped keep us from overfocusing on the injuries, while not fully distracting us. I'd have to thank her, when I wasn't quite so tired.
Records on Azel:
Mage, Vala Minor, 18 years old
Younger half-brother to Arvis of Velthomer, and Alicia, the only known bastard of Victor of Velthomer. A shy, quiet young man, who has a strong sense of honor.
His Holy Mark is on his lower back.
Skilled with Fire Magic, though a frail disposition sometimes makes him slow in casting. His power, however, makes up for it.
Author's note: Technically, Finn is supposed to get the Brave Lance later in the game (after conquering Heirhein in game). Like in most games where the Hero/Brave weapons show, it allows two attacks. In FE5, it also boosts luck by 10, which when combined with a max luck stat and his ability of prayer, pretty much gives him a 90% chance to avoid a death blow. Finn is really hard to kill in FE5, and I abused that a lot when I played, even if Lance Knights as a whole were kinda useless thanks to dismounting. (I will be 'playing' the prayer/miracle skill as either lucky dodges or lucky hold to 1 HP; this is how Finn survives in chapter, actually.)
Alicia chewing out Quan is for foreshadowing an event that happens towards the end of the first generation. Also, some little mythology gags playing on Chulainn's name (Liath Macha, apparently pronounced 'Liya Vhaca' if my friend isn't BSing me, is the name of Cu Chulainn's horse in the myths or one of them, at least). FE Heroes canonizes that Lachesis will, at least sometimes, refer to her brother as 'Eldie'. Jeanne is one of the substitute kids for Gen 2, specifically Nanna's sub.
Next Chapter - Interlude, Noldion
