Ashen Wolves

Part I: White Clouds
Chapter 3: Mock Battle (Opening Act)

The morning arrived with little fanfare. Byleth expected to wake with some difficulty given his new surroundings, but surprisingly nothing had changed. He still rose at the time he usually did and went about his daily business. Before classes would begin, he would clean himself off at the public baths in the town below Garreg Mach, inspect his weaponry and then go about his training routine. He threw one punch after the other, practicing various hand-to-hand combat techniques his father had taught him before moving on to swinging a wooden sword with a weight attached to its hilt, making it as heavy as a regular sword.

It was strange. He would have thought he would still be adjusting to his time here, but nothing changed. He was still practicing his technique as he always did, uncaring of the passing glances of his work colleagues, priests and the students that caught him in the middle of practice. He would receive some unexpected attention in the form of students that wanted to spar with him, but he accepted it nonetheless. He often sparred with his allies in the Sword Bearers when he was in the middle of his own training exercises. That said, the students did not last very long. They lacked the stamina and strength he was used to facing.

This only reinforced his beliefs that most of the students at the Officer's Academy had yet to set foot on the battlefield. They didn't have the same feelings of tension and wariness the few students underneath the House Leaders' command had. Whether that would remain true during his time here or if such things changed, he didn't care. All he was asked to do was train the students under his care and prepare them as best he could for the trials ahead of them, whatever they may be.

On the subject of the Ashen Wolves, Byleth managed to complete the syllabus and training regimen he created last night with the help of Hanneman. Granted, he and Manuella only helped point out the flaws and revised certain ideas for the lessons students would be taught in the classroom, but he appreciated their help nonetheless.

After he completed his daily training, he set the training equipment back where he found it and washed his face with a nearby bale of water. Once the water clinging to his hair and face were wiped away, he made his way to the room where his students were waiting for him.

Byleth barely left the training grounds and turned the corner when he saw something that made his brow furl in confusion.

Not far away was a group of students, one of which he recognized as Balthus. The towering brute was glaring daggers at the two in front of him while another fearfully hid behind his large frame as though he were a shield. Like the other Ashen Wolves, the student was wearing a white uniform with silver-gray accents instead of the black-and-gold one he saw most of the time.

The former mercenary was too far away to see what was going on, but judging by the irate expression the older man was sporting, Balthus was not happy. The two students in front of him stared at him mockingly with an aristocractic flare. Byleth found red strips of cloth dangling from their waist, marking them as students from the Black Eagle House.

Seteth's warnings from yesterday came to mind.

Was an altercation brewing? If so, should he intervene before things got out of hand? In the middle of his internal debate, Byleth saw another Black Eagle student approaching – a familiar face with a look of indignant anger. Upon Ferdinand's approach, his fellow students stiffened and began walking away in a haste, though not before giving the two Ashen Wolf students a dirty glare.

Byleth watched them until they were out of sight. Once they were gone, he walked over to Balthus.

"Oh, Professor!" Ferdinand saw him and smiled. "You're up awfully early."

Byleth shrugged, nodding at Ferdinand in greeting before he turned to Balthus. "What was that about?"

"Wow, not even a hello?" In spite of having said that, the older man was smiling pleasantly. "Ah, that was nothing. Just some of snot nosed brats trying to pick a fight is all. Saw 'em picking on this guy when I got here and told them to back off."

"I'm sorry…" the meek boy behind Balthus apologized profusely, head bowed. "I promise I'll make it up to you, Sir Balthus!"

Balthus waved his hand in dismissal. "It's fine! Don't worry about it. Just let me know if those guys come back around, and I'll give 'em a nice beating. Sound good?" The meek student nodded and thanked Balthus again before he walked away. After the student left, Balthus sighed. "Sheesh… No offense, Ferdinand, but the guys in your house are assholes."

"I sincerely apologize for their uncouth behavior," Ferdinand said sincerely. "I had thought Edelgard had straightened them out the last time they tried to pull a stunt like this. It's rather vexing how uncouth they are, really. As nobles, they should act with grace and be accepting of others, not belittle them for things outside their control. Still, I'm amazed you withheld your anger. I would have thought that you would slug them in the face."

"Not gonna lie, I was pretty damn tempted. But I figured that'd just give Edelgard and the Professor more trouble."

Byleth's lips thinned. "Has Jeritza done anything?"

"Sir Jeritza has done his best to straighten the more troubling students in the Black Eagles out, but he is mainly preoccupied with training us for the upcoming mock battle. The Ashen Wolf House is participating this year as well, yes?"

Balthus smirked. "Damn right we are. And I intend on kicking all your guys' asses."

"I humbly accept your challenge!" Ferdinand grinned back before he turned to Byleth. "Well then, Professor, I shall see you again." He bowed and left the classrooms in favor of reuniting with his own social circle.

Balthus sighed as he left. "Sorry you had to see that, Professor. Those guys'll probably come back for round two."

"Is there anything I can do?" Byleth questioned. "Aside from a lecture and a slap on the wrist?"

The older man shook his head, otherwise grateful for his teacher's offer. "Nah, we're going to be fine. Trust me, Professor, guys like that are all bark and no bite. Anyway, it's almost time for classes to start, yeah? Looking forward to seeing what you got in mind for us!"

Byleth stared impassively at Balthus' eagerness. He imagined that, out of the four, he would be able to endure the training regimen he had planned out.

When the bell chimed and signaled the beginning of classes, Byleth went about his new tasks. The first thing he did was impart some of his knowledge to the students from his experiences as a mercenary as best he could.

For Yuri, he taught him what to expect in the event he was to take charge of a small army or a battalion of soldiers. Gathering men who could swing a weapon and kill someone or cast a spell or two was easy; it was having the authority to lead them into battle and to give orders that would separate the leader from an incompetent grunt. The quickest way to earn respect among your men was to prove that you were just as capable as the rest of them out on the field and could hold your own in a fight. More importantly, you had to prove to them that you were fit to lead them and stand at the head of the soldiers without fear. Yet in spite of imparting this knowledge, Byleth felt that Yuri already had a level of understanding in what he was telling him based on how utterly bored he looked, though the latter still listened with rapt attention.

Balthus was a bit trickier. The man was a brawler at heart. He said so himself during their first meeting, so teaching him pointers on how to improve his hand-to-hand combat skills seemed rather redundant. Instead, Byleth focused on something else. Being able to throw a heavy punch that could stagger or crack a man's skull open was easy; it was being able to receive blows that could otherwise prove fatal that determined how good they were in a head-on fight. With that in mind, Byleth offered some pointers and possible exercises involving the use of heavy armor. Personally, his experience with heavy armor was little save for the few times he had to don it, but he offered what advice he could if it could help improve his defenses.

Constance was the most eager to learn. She made it clear she was willing to learn anything, be it practical or theoretical, that could possibly aid her in her restoration of House Nuvelle. Her experience with magic and her applications were ingenius; Byleth knew little about magic, but he had seen enough from his allies and fellow mercenaries to know what she could do was beyond anything a skilled magician could perform. She was also capable in aerial combat, courtesy of having trained with Pegasus since she was young. Unfortunately, she suffered the same problem as Balthus. Her magical talent offered little in the way of defense, and enemy forces with magic comparable to her own or armed with bows and arrows could put an end to her. Before they could get to that, however, she needed to learn how to defend herself in the event she could not use her magic. He chose to start her off slow and start with a spear, since it had the longest reach out of all the weapons he trained with, and it was light.

Hapi was the most difficult in Byleth's opinion. It wasn't her cynical or aloof behavior that was the problem. Rather, the problem came in the fact that she already had experience, much like Yuri. In terms of magical potency and power, she equaled Constance. In terms of weaponry, she already knew her way around a spear, aware that she might not be able to use her magic to get her out of a bind. She was also capable of fighting on horseback, though she admittedly had problems with Pegasus for reasons she couldn't quite explain. Like all mages, she was somewhat lacking in defensive measures, but unlike Constance who styled herself as a magic bag of tricks, Hapi was sorely lacking in healing-related spells.

"Faith's not really my thing," was what Hapi said when he suggested she should learn Faith Magic. Her expression gave away little, but the way she subtly glared at a passing Knight of Seiros implied there was a bad history between her and them.

Given what Seteth and Yuri told him about the rather mixed reception to the Ashen Wolf House and the Church, Byleth had an inkling why she didn't like the Knights. Even so, he wisely kept his mouth shut, lest he anger his student.

With these plans in mind, Byleth felt it was time to give his students experience and proper training.

"Monster! Demon! Minion of evil!"

Byleth stared impassively as he watched a panting and sweating Constance hurl words of abuse at him. She stood across from him holding a spear, red bruises on her form. The blunt sword in his hand was well-worn and had seen combat long before he grabbed it. The leather bindings were falling apart and there were numerous dents and little dings in the blade's side. In contrast to his handling of a blade, Constance was comparable to a fish flopping about on land.

"Do you yield?" Byleth asked.

Constance glared at him with anger and renewed vigor. "Of course not!"

She pulled herself off the ground and assumed her stance; feet spaced apart, elbows bent and hands wrapped firmly around the shaft of her lance. Byleth studied her for signs of weakness, counting at least six different ways he could beat her before she could make the first move.

He momentarily glanced to the side, looking at Hapi and Balthus' progress. The burly man was covered in weights in either the form of ball-and-chains hanging from his wrists and ankles to thick metal plates on his shoulders. In Hapi's hands was a spear, though compared to Constance's form, hers was slightly better practiced and better guarded. That being said, in spite of the weights on Balthus' body, the man was still capable of making hard punches. It was only because of the additional weight on his body that Hapi was able to properly evade him, side-stepping his punches and striking at any part of his body that wasn't covered in armor.

The only one not present was Yuri, who told him he had other business to attend to. Byleth didn't question him and let him go with no fuss. Yuri was no child. He was an adult, so there was no reason for him to question his decisions or try to force him to do something he didn't want to do.

That, and he wasn't really sure what he could do to make him stay. Yuri had basic combat down to the letter, and his only real weakness seemed to rest on leadership skills. And it wasn't as though he had a big open field available for him to teach him how to command a small platoon, much less find the people willing to play the part. The other students of the House would eventually learn how to engage in combat, but Byleth wanted to take it slowly with them. He was sure at least some of the Ashen Wolves outside of the core four in front of him had combat experience, but he wanted to ease them into it first. Learn their strengths and weaknesses first before throwing them into the fire.

That, and it was either the Ashen Wolves under Yuri's command in a mock exercise, or the Knights of Seiros.

He let out a small sigh, remembering what happened when he asked Seteth for help in setting up a training exercise with the Knights of Seiros.

Had I known how much Hapi had it in for the Knights, I wouldn't have asked. He did not know what her problem was with the Knights of Seiros, nor was it his place to ask.

At the very least, the experience was worthwhile, since he now knew better than to set up a join training exercise with the Knights with his class anytime soon.

A week and a half later, the day before the Mock Battle was upon them.

"Tomorrow is the big day, Prof." Yuri smiled wryly, his eyes promising all sorts of mischief. "So, what do you think? Considering all the curses and slander Constance has given you all week and Balthus looking beefier than ever, do you think we have a chance at victory?"

Byleth hummed in thought. "Have the Ashen Wolves ever won the Mock Battle before?"

"A few times, but recently, it's been touch-and-go. In all honesty, the Mock Battle's more like a pissing match between Claude and Edelgard. Claude's a trickster and strategist down to the bone, and he's screwed over the Blue Lions and Black Eagles so many times Edelgard's made it a goal in life to bring him down a notch. Dimitri, being the colorful and pristine bastion of justice that he is, usually has to play peacemaker while keeping us from taking advantage of the chaos."

"Do you know who the other House Leaders are bringing with them?"

Yuri sighed, "That, I'm afraid, I don't know. If I to wager a guess, though, you can expect Hilda, Dedue and Hubert to be out there. They're glued to their bosses at the hip, but mostly Dedue and Hubert." The effeminate man pursed his lips and cupped his chin. "Hubert's as good with magic as Hapi is, not to mention he also knows Dark Magic. Compared to your typical Reason magical arsenal, Dark Magic isn't something you can underestimate. And Dedue's like a walking tank. Last year, he took countless blows from both Hubert and Hilda, and he didn't go down until after the fighting was over."

"And Hilda?"

Yuri scoffed. "She might put on the frail and delicate act, but she's one of the few people at the academy who managed to rattle Balthus' brain. Try not to get hit by her ax, Prof. I'd hate to see your head rolling on the ground."

Byleth took Yuri's words into consideration. From the sound of it, the House Leaders' closest companions sounded formidable. That was to say nothing of the House Leaders themselves. Having seen them in action himself, there was no reason for Byleth to ask Yuri of their capabilities. The question now was whether or not he could form a strategy that could lead them to victory. He wasn't leading a band of experienced soldiers and sellswords this time; he was leading a group of children. Children who had killed and fought to stay alive perhaps, but children nonetheless.

An intriguing challenge, to be sure.

"Oh? Discussing strategy, are we?" Byleth turned his head.

Speak of the devil, he mused as he saw Edelgard, Claude and Dimitri approach. The House Leader of the Golden Deer was sporting a Cheshire's smile. "How about you let us in on your plans? I promise I'll let it go in one ear and out the other~"

"No chance, Riegan!" Yuri laughed. "It'll be a cold day in hell before I let you one-up me in a game of wits. Though since we're discussing strategy, why don't you enlighten us as to who you'll be throwing to us wolves. I promise, we won't be too rough on your friends."

Dimitri rolled his eyes. "As sharp-tongued as ever." The blonde prince bowed his head. "Rivalries aside, I do hope we'll have a clean fight."

"Dimitri, do you hear yourself?" Edelgard sighed with exasperation. "With these two, the Mock Battle will be anything but safe. I half-expect the forest to be set ablaze by the time the battle starts."

"We'll see, Edelgard." Dimitri seemed unconvinced, either having faith in the two or hopefully naïve. Byleth was inclined to think it was the former. "While you're here, Professor, might I ask how you're fairing here? I understand your being here was quite sudden. In all honesty, we were expecting you to be hired on as part of the Knights of Seiros alongside Sir Eisner."

Byleth shrugged. "I am doing well enough." So far, he hadn't had any real problems aside from the whispers and glares.

"I trust the students from our houses haven't caused you any trouble?" Edelgard asked suddenly in concern. "Ferdinand informed me some of the Black Eagles attempted to pick a fight with a student from the Ashen Wolf House last week."

"Trouble in paradise, Yuri?" Claude asked, his smile slightly dampened.

Yuri shrugged. "We haven't had very many troubles. Thanks for your concern, Edelgard, but we can handle ourselves."

"Even so, don't be afraid to ask for our assistance," Dimitri told him. "We will be happy to lend you our assistance."

"I'll keep that in mind, Your Majesty."

It was late in the evening when Byleth was returning to his personal quarters when he happened upon his father in the midst of a conversation. Though he was curious about what they were speaking about, he thought it would be rude to pry and carried on his way, only to be stopped when his father called out to him.

"Byleth, do you have a moment? I'd like to introduce you to someone."

The green-haired swordsman was surprised by this. He assumed he had met most of Jeralt's acquaintances, but it would seem he was wrong. Nonetheless, he approached his father and his friend.

It was a man around the same age as Jeralt himself, albeit less rough looking and had better hygiene. He looked to be a man of the cloth, clad in red-and-black robes with the cross of Saint Seiros around his neck, hair dark-brown and falling past his shoulders with soft eyes of the same color.

The second the man saw Byleth' his eyes widened. "My goodness… The resemblance, i-it's uncanny…"

Byleth frowned. "I beg your pardon?"

The man collected himself. "Ah! Forgive me, but your appearance… You look a great deal like your mother, Sitri." At this, Byleth's eyes widened. He could count the number of people who spoke of his mother on one hand. "Jeralt, is this young man…?"

"This is my son, Byleth." Jeralt patted his 'shadow's shoulder. "And my second-in-command with the Sword Bearers. Byleth, this is Aelfric; a close friend of mine back when I was with the Knights two decades ago."

Byleth looked at Aelfric curiously. Jeralt mentioned having few acquaintances on the rare occasion he spoke of his past, though Byleth had not met any of them. At the time, he never asked questions about what his father did in the past or who he knew. It was not his business or important at the time.

Now, though, he was starting to wonder what else he didn't know about his father. He didn't even know the man was the Captain of the Knights of Seiros until a few days ago. It made him question whether or not he really knew Jeralt or not if he knew so little about his past.

As Byleth pondered this, realization soon dawned on him and recalled past conversations from his colleagues and Seteth.

This was the person responsible for creating the Ashen Wolf House.

…he's not at all what I was expecting.

Regardless, Byleth bowed his head politely and extended a hand in greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And I as well," Aelfric smiled warmly and accepted the hand. "I must admit, when I heard the Knights of Seiros had a new Captain, I wasn't sure what to think. I didn't expect you to have returned here to Garreg Mach."

"To be honest, neither did I," Jeralt grunted. "But, It wasn't as though I had much choice in the matter. Alois stumbled on me and my mercenaries when we saved a couple of kids from the academy. Never thought I'd see the day when this place would end up teaching the future Emperor, King and Duke of the three ruling powers."

"Neither did I," Aelfric chuckled. "Is Byleth also part of the Knights of Seiros?"

"I'm a Professor here," Byleth answers. "I'm in charge of the Ashen Wolves."

Aelfric's eyes widen substantially and looked utterly stunned. When he recovered, his expression brightened and his smile turned wide. "Is that so? How are Yuri and the others fairing? The last time I came to Garreg Mach was during the Ethereal Moon, so I'm afraid I'm unaware of how things have been for them since."

"They have been doing well, I suppose," Byleth told him. "I'm still getting used to teaching."

Jeralt sighed. "Byleth was positioned to teach here by Lady Rhea. I was hoping she'd agree to have him join the Knights of Seiros, but she had the last say. Speaking of, the Mock Battle is tomorrow, right?" Byleth nodded. "Why don't you rest up for tomorrow? We can't have the kid in charge of the Academy's resident troublemakers sleep-deprived for tomorrow."

The green-haired teacher nodded in understanding, thanking Aelfric for the time to speak with him. He had hoped to get to know the man, seeing as how he was teaching the house the man founded, but that could wait for another time.

The two adults watched Byleth leave until he had returned to his living quarters and closed the door behind him. Aelfric's smile turned somber, the light in his eyes dimming. When he saw Byleth, his face had overlapped with another's; a woman who's smile could light up the whole room.

"…he looks so much like Sitri," he said softly, heart tightening at the mention of the woman's name. "For a moment, I thought she had returned from the dead. That boy's grown to become a fine young man."

"That he has," Jeralt bobbed his head in agreement. "I owe you my thanks, old friend."

"Whatever for, Jeralt?"

"You were the one who started that fire all those years ago, weren't you?" the Knights' Captain said. "You were the only one I told about Byleth's condition, much less my plans to leave the Monastery."

Aelfric smiled, "I have no idea what you are talking about. I simply happened to be in the area when it happened, nothing more. Although, containing that fire had proved to be quite a challenge. It was a good thing it occurred far away from any of the students and teachers' living quarters, nevermind the stables."

Jeralt stared at Aelfric for a moment. The two locked eyes and smiled at one another as though sharing a secret left unspoken, then laughing.

"It truly is great to see you again," Aelfric chuckled. "If this reunion is of the will of the Goddess, then I am most grateful for it, circumstances aside. I only pray your child will find their time here worthwhile."

"Maybe," Jeralt agreed. "Who knows? Maybe being around those troublesome kids of yours will be good for him, assuming he doesn't take on some of their bad habits that is!"

"Hmph. If Byleth develops any bad habits, it will be his drunkard of a father who has yet to pay any of his debts from the taverns," the monk countered with a grin.

The night continued and the two went about their separate ways. Come daybreak, a new day would begin. And with it, Byleth Eisner's first real test at the Officer's Academy.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: …sigh.

Alright, which one of you made a TV Tropes page for Ashen Wolves? No, seriously. I literally found one for this story while I was perusing the fan works page for Fire Emblem.

Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy to know this story is popular, but for fuck's sake, it only has a few chapters published. At least wait until there's like a dozen or so posted!

In other news, I'm really disappointed. A favorite fanfiction story of mine, Reach for my Hand, was discontinued and taken down for whatever reason. It was one of my favorite fanfics, to be honest. I was actually going to go for another re-read until I saw that I couldn't read it anymore. Does anyone know why it was taken down?

Also, small thoughts on the new cover image. It was a bit of a rough job, honestly, since I more or less pasted the character portraits on the Ashen Wolf House banner using 3D paint. It could honestly be better, but it certainly brings a little flair.

That, and I'm proud I actually made my own cover image, thank you very much.

As usual, special thanks go to Starlight's Poet for his contributions to this lovely fanfic. My next update will be Kamen Rider Zero-One: Edge of Dawn if anyone is curious. I have also posted the first chapter of that story up on SpaceBattles Forum and will publish the rest when all of Part I has been completed.

I am also looking into commissioning an artist and make a cover image for Kamen Rider Zero-One: Edge of Dawn. If anyone would like to volunteer or has any recommendations, please inform me via PM.

REVIEWS

romeoraiden: The length of each chapter usually depends on what I want to cover and where the characters currently are in the story. Also, I typically want to have three chapters at the bare minimum cover an "arc" so to speak. In this case, Chapters 2-4 focusing on the Opening Chapter of the game before the Kostas mission. And while the Ashen Wolves will be missing out on some good action, like Lonato's Rebellion and whatnot, they will tackle other missions like the Holy Tomb and the Flayn Missing segments, though the circumstances behind those events will be different. If we're being honest, I honestly felt like Part I was more for the Blue Lions than any other houses, especially seeing as how close to half of the game's chapters focused on characters or events relating to the Blue Lions.

Dracus6: Romance is not currently my focus. Whether or not Byleth or any character will be paired is up in the air. And don't you dare give me suggestions. Your constant nagging and refusal to offer constructive criticism or feedback on both myself and on Starlight's Poets stories has put you firmly in our shitlist. I'm sorry if I'm being rude, but if there is one thing I hate more than anything, it is when people like you ignore what we say and request as politely as possible. If you want to suggest something, like a fanfic idea, PLEASE DO IT OVER PM. NOT IN THE REVIEWS.

DHVF: Only six characters are joining the Ashen Wolves; three of which that were decided in the polls and three more that I have already decided upon myself in Part II. Dedue is not feasible since he is extremely loyal to Dimitri. The only way he's joining is if Dimitri decides to up and leave the Blue Lions, which he can't do since he's the House Leader. The same reasons for Dimitri also applies to Claude, though that won't necessarily mean he won't become an ally to the Ashen Wolves. As for Petra… We will see.

Riku Uzumaki: Never underestimate the vast reaches of an underground information network, especially in the hands of somebody as crafty as Yuri.

Bearzerker: To be honest, I was kind of nervous asking people who'd they want to have in the Ashen Wolves party since when I posted that poll, I hadn't seen the supports involving our band of misfits. Imagine my surprise when I found out Ashe and Bern both have chemistry with Yuri, and Lysithea with Balthus. Granted, her relationship with Balthus isn't as special as Ashe and Bern with Yuri, but I think I might be able to work it out somehow.

B1ackAshes: There is certainly more to Yuri. It also really helps that a lot of his personal life is so shrouded, aside from concrete details like him being raised in Faerghus or his mother being a prostitute. I could imagine him making up lies about his past, if only to throw off pursuers or add to the mystery of his allure. Regarding Flayn and future members of the Ashen Wolves, they'll each have their own amount of screentime when it is time. The future three members following Ashe, Bernadetta and Lysithea will join during Post-timeskip. Coming up with a background for the Ashen Wolf House wasn't too difficult, but giving a legit reason why it is disliked was another story. Regarding original storylines, there won't be very many. If anything, they'll be associated with the core members of the Ashen Wolves or just be Ashe, Bernadetta and Lysithea coming to know the Ashen Wolves better so they'll transition much easier when they transfer. I hope you will continue to enjoy this story.