Interlude – Silvail


Chagall is dead. Agustria, technically, has fallen. The last of the royal family died, after all. But all hope isn't lost. Lachesis, for instance, could take the throne. She had the blood of Hezul in her veins, his Holy Blood. Eldigan might've been the better choice, but his oaths took his head. Maybe, when Ares is older, he could take over? Perhaps he could rule, and return the Major Blood to Agustria's throne. Well, that's too much to suddenly put on a child. I'm sure Grahnye has enough trouble trying to explain to him why his father won't return. I hope we can see them soon. I'm sure she'll need the help.

We learned that Chagall sent Mystletainn back to Noldion, though not Eldigan's body. It's here, left to rot in some dungeon and so, we prepare a coffin and have our own private memorial. We'll send the body to Noldion soon, as we have to ensure the north is truly settled. We owe it to Eldigan, after all. We owe it to the people of Agustria, for overstaying.

Ah, there is so much going on. I look forward to when we can leave.


"Ugh, you'd think the spasms would stop by now!" Lewyn groaned. He glared at the ceiling, resting in one of the infirmary beds. "It's been days!"

"You performed magic using your own blood as a catalyst," I reminded him. I carefully mixed up some medicine at the table next to the bed. I ran out of my muscle relaxers at some point. I hoped no one had stolen them for their sedative properties. "If you weren't Sety's heir, you'd probably be dead, channeling that much magic through you."

"But it's been days!" He rolled onto his side to sulk at me, but hissed as his body seized up again. "Gods, damn it."

"Try to not stress yourself out. You need rest, in addition to the medicine." I paused briefly and leaned over to brush the hair out of his face. "You saved a lot of lives, doing that."

"Not all."

"No one can save anyone. Not even a god."

"…Isn't that blasphemous?" He smiled incredulously. "I mean; aren't you a priest?"

"I'm trained by the church, because the church has a monopoly on healing arts but I am a healer first and foremost. As such, my job involves looking the god of death in the face and telling him, 'not today'." I leaned back and shifted to settle myself better in my chair before returning to mixing up the medicine. "Well, at least, that is a dramatic way to put it, but I suppose it's the truth nonetheless."

"It's quite a bardic way to put it, and I am stealing that line for a song."

"Why would you write of a healer?"

"Some people need to. That way they can appreciate what a healer does." He grinned, eyes sparking with mischief. "Though, specifically, I'm composing songs about lots of people in the army. You're one of them."

"You're joking."

"Nope! It's fun!" He laughed, perfectly pleased with himself. "I'm also working actively on one about Lachesis and Finn. It needs some different lyrics to fit some of the rhythms."

"You truly love songs, huh?"

"…Yeah. My father did as well." His cheer faded, but not quite for sadness. 'Nostalgia' was closer, but there was a sense of pain in it still. "He taught me, actually. He taught me the flute, the harp, and how to sing. It was a game, and he used the music to teach me how to listen to the wind and the sylphs. He taught me how to use music to bond with them, so that I was not simply ordering them about."

"I'm surprised he knew so much, truth be told."

"Crusader-King Sety had been a bard prior to being a crusader. That's where I got the idea." He fell silent for a while, so I went back to concentrating on the medicine. "You're very strong, you know."

"Me?"

"Yeah. Not many people could hold onto an oath of neutrality when looking at someone they hated. Not many people could hold onto an oath of anything when faced with trauma and what-ifs." He laughed bitterly. "I mean; I couldn't do it. I ran. I was called to fulfill my oath to the people, the price to being born to such privilege, and I ran."

"I don't think it's very fair to compare a healer's job to a king's. A healer has only one job, mending the wounded. A king has many, many jobs if he wants to rule efficiently." I finished mixing the medicine and spooned out the dosage. "If a healer fails, only one person dies. If a king fails, many people die."

"I still ran from my oath. I find you strong for not running from yours."

"Then you won't run the second time. You know the price of regret." I mixed the medicine with water and passed it to him. "This will taste horrible, fair warning."

"Do any medicines taste good?" Lewyn sat up and downed the glass in one gulp. He promptly started coughing and half-gagging. "Oh, gods, that's vile even for medicine. No offense meant, but…"

"Muscle relaxers, like pain medications, are very easy to become reliant on and addicted to. I try to make them taste horrible to lessen the chances of it." I smiled slightly and took the glass from him. "I think it's working. I've not had to deal with a medicine addiction yet during the three years I've been with this army."

"Makes sense." He looked up at me pitifully, with watering eyes. "Can I have normal water to try and get the taste out of my mouth?"

"Of course."

I'd just gotten him a new glass of water when Erinys poked her head in. "Sorry to bother," she began, bowing slightly to me. "I wondered if Lewyn…" She looked over at him and grimaced. "I thought I saw you wince earlier. Are you truly recovering?"

"I am," Lewyn grumbled. He nursed the water, scowling. "I'm just still recovering."

"It's been days."

"I am well aware, Erinys." He sighed, brushing his hair over his shoulder. "Sorry, I shouldn't be growling at you for that. It was my decision, and I don't regret it. I don't want to think of how many others would've died if I hadn't." He rolled his wrist, frowning. "Is lightheadedness normal after taking the medicine?"

"It's a common side-effect, yes," I reassured him. I carefully covered and put away the medicine. "Any others you feel?"

"My hand has a… not quite pins and needles? Tingling?" Lewyn reported. He set his glass down, still frowning. "Maybe a bit of weakness."

"Less common, but still a known one. Not one I'd consider 'serious' for the time being." I returned to him and gave him a careful check over. "No rashes, and no yellowing to your skin or eyes… any ringing in your ears?"

"No?"

"Ah, good. Let me know if you experience anything besides what you told me. Particularly fainting, unsteadiness, trouble breathing…" I smiled reassuringly as Lewyn paled more with each list. "Medicines. They're wonderful and useful, but you do have to watch for side-effects. The ones I mentioned are very rare ones, or ones associated with an overdose, so I have to check."

"Got it. I'll take care. And I'll think more carefully about doing this again, even though I still don't regret it."

"Good."

"He is getting better, right?" Erinys asked. She hesitated before brushing Lewyn's hair out of his face. She didn't notice Lewyn unconsciously lean into her touch, but I did. "I mean…"

"He is," I reassured. I smiled and straightened, smoothing the front of my skirt. "It wasn't a Final Strike, after all, but the process is similar. So, it'll likely be a little longer before he fully recovers."

"I see." Erinys looked at him sadly, hand hovering awkwardly over his shoulder. "Thank you, Alicia. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"It's my job, and this sort of thing is much calmer to work with than wounds. It's much cleaner too." I giggled, and brightened my smile. "I don't need to keep him for observation, but I do want him to keep resting, so if you could?"

"Certainly." Erinys smiled in relief and let herself touch his shoulder. Lewyn automatically leaned towards her. "Come on, you. Let me help you, okay?"

Lewyn pretended to protest, but he went along easily, letting her support him. They passed Ayra on the way out, and she gave them a worried look before turning back to me. "Is everything okay?" she asked. She rubbed her wrist, hinting to why she was here. "He's recovering, right?"

"He is," I reassured. I sat down again and gestured to her arm. "Bruise?"

"It's a bit stiff, but I think that's just be overstressing it. I should be fine, but if it gets worse, or doesn't get better, I'll let you know." She sat down as well, peering at me. "Honestly, though, I was coming to check on you. Lex thought you looked very tired earlier, but he had to go out on patrol with Azel and Beowulf."

"Did he?" I smiled ruefully, laughing bitterly. "Ah, I was up early explaining to some of the soldiers why I tended to Chagall." Thankfully, all the people I was actually friends with understood, eventually. It was everyone else, the ones who only knew me as the one who patched them up, that questioned me. "So, what's your opinion? Full honesty, I am quite curious."

"I think they're idiots for wondering why you did your job. One of the first things you ever said to me, Alicia, was that you were a healer and that you healed people, that you leave the politics to the politicians, and the fighting to the soldiers. And then you tended to Shanan, not only focusing on the wounds to his body, but to his soul." She smiled gently, laughing. "I find it far more confusing that soldiers are confused."

"I suppose they're not used to it. They're used to having to pay for a healer, among other things." I thought of what Travant had said, about how I actually 'walked the talk'. I'd never heard that phrase before, but I assumed it meant 'living up to what I said'. "But I take my oaths seriously."

"I'm just glad you didn't get taken advantaged of. I hate the idea of what Chagall would've tried if Finn hadn't been there."

"Considering some of the things Finn still grumbles about, something tells me I wouldn't have liked it much. But I'd rather not talk about Chagall. Instead…" I grinned at her and she fidgeted, guessing already that I was about to tease. "Speaking of Lex, do you want some contraceptives?"

"I… actually, no, yes." Her face went red, but she nodded, grinning back. "We haven't gone farther than kissing, but I'd like the option. Better to have and not need, right? Need to be safe about it."

"Certainly." I laughed, amused. "Why don't I make some tea, and we'll go through your options?"

"Yes, sure, let's have tea to toast my death by embarrassment." Her face went even redder. "Actually, why don't I make the tea?"

"That sounds marvelous." I giggled, having too much fun. "They're in the back corner there."

"I intend to tease you about Chulainn, by the way."

"You may try."

In the end, she blushed far more than I did, so I won that little 'competition'. But we were both laughing, so I figured it didn't matter.


The sounds of wood clacking against wood caught my ear as I walked down the hall. I smiled when I looked out the nearby window and saw the sources. This window overlooked the practice area of the fort, where quite a few groups trained. Shanan and Chulainn practiced in one corner, with Chulainn focusing on helping Shanan adding kicks and punches to his fighting style. Not far away, Sigurd taught Oifeye a more honorable way to fight, with an emphasis on defense and guarding the legs. On the other side, Quan drilled both Finn and Lachesis in lances, taking care to fix Lachesis's grip and stance every once in a while and giving Finn more complex things to practice.

On the edges of the practice area, I actually saw Erinys. I wondered why she wasn't participating, but then I saw that she was sitting with Sylvia, and the two were playing with Seliph. My smile grew when I noticed how happy the three of them were, and how the two women frequently called out encouragement to the students. I still wondered how they got the job, but it was clear that they enjoyed it. Maybe they'd simply been at the practice yard prior, and they volunteered so that everyone could practice together. I'd find out later.

"Lady Alicia?" a quiet voice called. I looked away from the window to see one of the local villagers, one we temporarily employed as a messenger, run up for me. "This is for you!" they chirped, passing me a strangely heavy envelope. "Have a good day~!" They ran off then, clearly not expecting any sort of response.

"Be careful not to trip!" I called after them. They waved before disappearing behind a corner, and only then did I turn my attention to the envelope.

It wasn't from Arvis. I could tell that much simply by the handwriting on the front, and the fact that it didn't have my name on it. It was addressed to the 'Healer of Vala', with a small note mentioning 'healer with dark red hair' just to make sure it made it to me. I frowned over it, wondering who would call me that, but then I shrugged and actually opened it up to find the answers. My eyes instantly found a thin bronze bracelet. I picked it up curiously, and noticed it had a very simple design of two wings curled around a vibrant, yet subdue, blue-green stone. When I slipped it on over my glove, it was a little loose, but it fit well enough. I wasn't in danger of losing it, at least.

Confused as to who would get me a bracelet, particularly one of such simplistic beauty, I tugged the actual letter out of the envelope and carefully unfolded it. My eyes darted to the end, and I frowned when I saw the name: Travant.

'Quite the healer, to heal even someone you hate but to maintain enough will to leave them to his fate once you were done. I have to admit that I didn't think you'd hold onto that oath when dealing with Chagall. I simply ambushed and almost killed a few of your friends, but he has more or less ruined your lives over the past couple of years and did kill a friend. But you tended to him anyway, because that's what your oath says to do. Rare, that.

The bracelet inside has a special meaning to Thracians. The gem is called a 'dragon eye' and it's the one thing Thracia never sells. Thracians only give the gem to those who impress them or to those they owe their lives to, so any Thracian who sees the gem will help the wearer as best as they are able. Wear it yourself or give it to someone you want to keep safe from Thracia's dragon knights. We're all taught to watch for the gleam. It's bad luck to kill an owner, after all.

I wish you well in the wars to come, healer. Bad times are coming, and no doubt you'll be in the middle of it. Your oath will require it, and you clearly walk that path with your head held high. Try to make sure no one stabs you for it.

-Travant'

I read the letter a few times, mostly because I couldn't believe Travant actually wrote me letter and gave me a gift. And not only did he give me a gift, but it was one specifically to protect someone, either myself or someone I chose. It really made me wonder if Travant had been the one to tell Chagall that I held fast to my healer's oath, as a test for me. I didn't see why he would do that, though. But, then again, I could be completely off and Chagall simply couldn't comprehend that anyone would refuse the direct order of a king, even an enemy. Chagall had been stupid enough for it.

"I think I'm simply overthinking everything," I finally whispered. I folded the letter up small and tucked it into a pocket. "I should just take it at face-value. I impressed him and saved his life, and so, he returns the favor." I held up my arm, looking at the bracelet. It really was beautiful, and it was simple enough to fit the rest of my preferred look. "Besides, how many can say they impressed the King of Thracia?" Of course, I couldn't explain that to anyone here. Well, I likely could, but I didn't want to. I had enough trouble with just Chagall.

I shook my head, smiling slightly, and tugged sleeve to fall over the bracelet. Then I continued my walk down the hall, carefully shredding the envelope into tiny pieces. I concentrated so much on that task that I didn't pay attention, and I managed to somehow bump my shoulder against one of the portraits on the wall. Tucking the shreds of paper in a different pocket, to throw away later, I reached up to straighten the portrait and found myself studying it.

Unlike most of the other portraits on the wall, this was of two people, a man and a woman. The man had a stern look about him, gold eyes narrowed slightly like he wasn't sure if he trusted the person he looked at or not. His hair was a similar gold, cut short and held back by a black headband. It matched his shirt and pants, simple and practical. It complimented the woman's dress, a pale blue dress with a silver, underbust corset as the only 'ornamentation'. Unlike the man, she had a kind smile on her face, lighting up grey eyes. White hair, or perhaps simply a particularly pale platinum blonde, tumbled down her back, even when pulled up into a ponytail. Both looked close, though. They leaned into each other, and the man had an arm around the woman's waist, while the woman rested a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Crusader-King Hezul and his wife, Queen Gwyneth." Footsteps signaled someone's approach, and I turned to see it was Lachesis. "In the picture," she clarified, toweling her hair. She wore different clothes than she had in the practice area, hinting she'd finished and taken a bath. "It's of Crusader-King Hezul and Queen Gwyneth, the founders of Agustria."

"I see," I murmured. I returned my attention to the painting, paying attention to Hezul. It was hard to see, but at the collar of his shirt you could see some gold markings peeking above, his Holy Mark. "They look happy, mostly."

"Hezul was said to be a stern and stoic man, but there was always a softer side when Gwyneth was near. By all accounts, they were very happily married." Lachesis looked up at the painting too, with a tired expression. "They say the Holy War lasted three years. Or as it four? Five? I can't remember."

"I can't either. I think every story had a different length." I shrugged. "Some even say it lasted fifteen, but I think the Miracle of Darna was four or five years before the end."

"And from the ashes that remained, the Jugdral of today was born. It's been only a hundred years since then. Hezul and Gwyneth have only been dead for about fifty years, roughly. And yet…" Her hand came up to touch the painting, and her eyes wavered. "Agustria has fallen. Their country has fallen. Agustria has…"

"It can rise again." I rested a hand on her back, and smiled when she looked at me. "It's just injured and needs to heal. It can be done. Trust the healer when it comes to wounds. It can mend, in time."

"…Yeah, you're right." She smiled back, relieved. "Thanks, Alicia. Really, that does make me feel better."

"I'm glad." I started nudging her down the hall, deciding that we desperately needed a subject change. "Now, then, you're clearly on break, and so am I unless an emergency comes up, because Ethlyn insisted on taking the afternoon shift at the infirmary. Do you want to talk about your relationship with Finn?"

"Among other things to bug a big sister about, sure!" She grinned, and I stared for a moment before smiling back, incredibly touched she'd even jokingly call me that. "Careful, though. I have bunches of questions!"

"I'll do my best."


"Thanks so much for helping me make medicines, Sylvia," I told her sincerely as I set up the tea and cakes. We were in a very sunny room somewhere on the second floor of the fortress, a parlor strangely out of place given the rest of the fort. "I'm also grateful you're helping me get through all of these."

"It's so hilarious that the villagers gave you and Sigurd so many sweets!" Sylvia giggled. She'd already devoured three of the tiny cakes, with the crumbs sticking to her cheek. "And all because they wanted to match your sweetness."

"I'm trying to figure out where they got all the sugar." I grumbled to hide my embarrassment. That had been the villagers exact reasoning, after Sigurd had sent his soldiers to help with repairs and I had tended to their injuries. "But thank you. I've never been one for too much sugar. The very thought makes me nauseous."

"It's no trouble. I like sweets. I rarely had them." She stuffed another little cake in her mouth, humming brightly. "And these are so, so good~"

"I'm glad for that." I sat down finally and sipped my tea, ginger and lemon for my stomach. "Have all that you want."

"Shouldn't the healer be warning against so much sugar at once?"

"If you were at health risks, then I would. But you're very healthy, exercise regularly, and generally take care of yourself, so I see no reason for you not to indulge." Given the amount of sweets we all had now, though, I'd definitely have to watch everyone's health closely for the next few days.

"Yay!" Sylvia giggled again and returned to eating the cakes. "Oh, wait, which ones do you want?"

"You pick first. I really can't handle this much sugar." I smiled, watching her cheer and continue to enjoy herself. "I'm glad you're happy, Sylvia. Your mood has been down the past few days. If I'd known sweet would cheer you up this fast, I would've found a way to get you some sooner."

"Everything is better with sugar. If I could afford to eat something sweet like this, it meant I had extra money for once." She said the words lightly, but she did let her smile fade. "But drat, someone noticed."

"You come by every day to help me with medicine making, Sylvia. You let your cheer fade when you're concentrating on measurements."

"Well, measurements are important." Sylvia picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth. "It's nothing big, though. I'm really just moping about Lewyn."

"Is it because his recovery his slow?"

"Partly, but I know he's getting better. The spasms aren't as long, and they're not as frequent." She shrugged. "No, I'm mostly moping because of the simplest of reasons. I love him, but he doesn't love me back. Romantically, anyway. He loves Erinys. He won't admit it, but I can see it."

"Ah." I wasn't sure what else to say. "Are you okay?"

"I'm… I don't know." She smiled bitterly. "He's the first person to be kind to me. I want to stay with him. I want him to love me back. But I know I can't force it. And, I mean, Erinys is cool. She's nice. She took me flying yesterday, actually, and it was fun. She's fun. I like her lots. Hell, if I wasn't in love with Lewyn already, then I'd probably fall for her." She sighed gustily. "And he's happy with her. Mostly. There's some weird kingly, throny, whatever stuff going on, but you know, he's happy. His smile is brightest when she's around. And I'm glad for that. More than anything, I want him to smile and be happy, because he's kind and kindness should be rewarded." She groaned, dropping her head. "It's confusing."

"I think that's normal." I smiled sheepishly, though, feeling quite out of my depth. "I'm good at listening, but I am probably the worst person to go to for relationship advice. I had to get someone else to tell me I was in love with Chulainn."

"Really?" She looked up, surprised. "But you two are…"

"We make it work for us. But, the fact does remain that I needed my older brother to tell me, through a letter at that, that I was in love with Chulainn."

"That's ridiculous." She burst into giggles, and while part of me was miffed she was laughing at me, I did have to admit it was a relief to see her smile again. "I didn't think you could be so ridiculous."

"Oh, don't let anyone in this army hear that. You'll be regaled with all the ways they think I'm an idiot. They're just polite enough to not say it to my face."

"Nah, they just don't want the healer angry at them!" She giggled even more until she was breathless. "Ah, I needed that. Thanks, Alicia."

"I'm pleased to be entertaining."

"Not just that, though I did enjoy the laugh." She smiled warmly at me. "Thank you for listening, and thank you for letting me help you. I like making medicines. It's calming."

"Thank you for being willing to help. It frees me up." I smiled back and tapped my cheek. "You've crumbs here, by the way."

"Oh, seriously?" She rubbed at it, face going red. "All that serious talk, and I had cake crumbs on my face? Total mood kill."

"Alicia? Sylvia? Are you two still in here?" Azel poked his head into the room, looking strangely confused by something. "Hi, sorry to interrupt fun time," he continued. He sounded like he just couldn't process anything. "But we just got word that Madino is under siege from pirates, so we're having a meeting?"

"Pirates?" I repeated. I glanced at Sylvia, who shrugged in response. "You mean to tell me that, after everything we've gone through, we now have to deal with darn pirates?"

This was the absolutely ridiculous.


Author's note: Okay, full disclosure, while there is an official timeline for the backstory, I am going to play a little loose with it for my own (eventual) sanity. In canon, the Holy War of the backstory lasted sixteen years from the Miracle of Darna. Since I do plan on writing it (Gwyneth will be the POV char) and I don't want to try and write that long of a war, we're going with a much shorter timespan. As I said, for my eventual sanity. I'll be expanding the timeline for game-chapters 6-fina slightlyl as well, but that's just for pacing purposes. In-game-canon, those six chapters all happen in the space of a year, year and a half.

And now we go into the last part of Chapter 3. Pirates. Because every fire emblem needs pirates.

Next Chapter - Exile