Oooooo I hate how this never turns out right here!!! Anyways. . on with the show...

Beatrix turnes out to be pretty bad tempered, don´t ya think? What the fuck am I doing...? They don´t seem to be communitcating very well.

Reviews anyone?



Chapter #5

//A journey //

'What?!'

Blank stared at Zidane with disbelief.

'Wait, wait, wait, WHAT!?'

Zidane only stared back at him, his hands folded over his chest and Garnet standing beside him. Blank shook his head.

'What?!'

'Stop saying that!' Beatrix, standing beside him, said irritably.

'You heard what I said, didn´t you?' Zidane asked Blank with a tone of superiority.

'I heard you but I don´t understand you!' Blank answered.

'It is for the best of everybody if you just went away from Alexandria for a while!' Garnet tried to reason with him. 'We just can not sit by and watch more women get killed without a obvious reason!'

'So you´re banishing me from the kingdom of Alexandria!?' Blank half- shouted, his voice nearly sounding like a shriek.

'No, we´re not banishing you, boy, we´re just making precautions!' Zidane answered him, his chin held high.

It´s raining up your nose, boy! Beatrix thought, but said nothing. She did not want to risk saying something she would regret. (A/N: It´s a saying in icelandic. If it rains up somebody´s nose he cocky!)

'No, not banishing me! Just sending me out to my death!!' Blank said, turning away. He felt betrayed.

And kind of stupid.

'Come now, Blank!!' Zidane shouted. 'We´re sending Beatrix with you, you know!' He pointed at Beatrix who was obviously shocked.

'What!?' she yelled. 'Why am I being sucked into this!?' She stared at the Queen who only stared at her feet.

'Because we aren´t going to send Blank 'out to his death' as he said!' Zidane answered her. That really irritated Beatrix and she stared at him with cold eyes. 'You´re going with him for his protection!'

'I didn´t mean I couldn´t defend myself, but one against maybe a hundred isn´t a good odd and one more on my side doesn´t really make a difference!' Blank said with a tone that sounded like he had accepted the fact that he was going away, but had not realized it yet.

Beatrix glared at him.

'Not saying that you can´t fight!' Blank added.

'This is just rediculous!' Beatrix exclaimed. 'And where are we supposed to go!?'

'That is up to you!' Zidane answered. 'Lindblum, Burmecia, Treno, we don´t care! Just get out, allright!?' He sounded angry.

'Yes, this is a real good way for a king to behave! Whenever there´s a problem in your kingdom just dump it on the neigbour!' Blank said sarcastically, looking at the floor and holding his head with one hand. Zidane gave him an evil look.

'And you´ll be taking that maid with you!' Zidane added.

'Who?' Beatrix asked.

'The one who spoke during dinner.'

'Veranda?' Blank asked surprised, looking at Garnet. 'Why?'

'Oh, so you two know each other? What a coincidence!' Zidane said, sounding very sarcastic.

'It´s not like I know her, we´ve met! But why is she going too?'

'You´ll need a maid.'

'Yes, because we can´t take care of ourselves.'

'You won´t have to do all the dirty work or carry any luggage.'

'Because we aren´t used to that! Come on Zidane, do you think I´m gonna let a girl carry all my luggage!? There´s something more to it, so just tell me!'

'She´s going with you and that´s FINAL!' Zidane shouted, his face red with anger. 'Now - get - going!!' He stamped down his right foot like an angry sheep and pointed at the door.

Blank looked at Beatrix, who looked back, and sighed in defeat. Then he turned and walked out the door with Beatrix at his heels.

'God, I hate that kid!' Beatrix whispered.

'What?' Blank said, not sure if he had heard her right.

'Oh, nothing!' Beatrix answered, screaming at herself in her head. Do NOT think aloud!!

'Who´s going to tell Veranda?' he asked her.

'Let them take care of that!'

'Yeah, maybe they´ll forget!'

'You don´t want her to come?'

'I don´t want to go, and I think she doesn´t either.'

'We´ll see.'

'Later'

And they each walked slowly to their chamber.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Veranda was packing.

Damn it girl!! It DID cost you your job!

Her suitcase was on her bed and she was stuffing it full with clothes and other necessary things. And she was seriously pissed.

Some messenger boy had brought her a letter from the King that said she was to leave the kingdom immediately. She was to pack her stuff and be ready at the palace entrance by morning, and it was somewhere around 22:00 hours now.

She had been expecting something to happen after she spoke during dinner, but she was not prepared for something of this magnitude. She was being kicked out of the kingdom? And for what? Speaking up a little in the dininghall and then apologizing as if she was saving her life. That stupid, stupid royalty!

She paused.

No, don´t think like that! That won´t do you any good!

She started shoving socks and skirts and trousers and shirts in the suitcase, mumbling to herself, cursing herself. She wondered where she was going to be sent. Hopefully not back to Treno. She wished to be sent to Burmecia. She had always wanted to see that country.

But she was still mad. At herself and at her employee for being this harsh. But she still felt like she had it coming. She sat down on the bed after closing her suitcase.

All ready, she thought. Now there´s only waiting left. Remember your place and all will be fine!

And like that she sat for a long time, her head tipped forward and her short, almost black, hair hanging over her face. And she did not move until she went to sleep almost two hours later.

*~*~*~*~*~*

'Bye-bye now!' Eiko shouted after them.

Blank turned and waved. He only had one backpack and his sword strapped to his back. Beatrix beside him looked extremely grim and moody so he did not risk talking to her. She was wearing her formal general uniform with a backpack and her sword, Save the Queen, sheathed by her hip, her one eye looking so furious that Blank feared it would start shooting fire.

Veranda was at the other side of Beatrix looking very sad. She was dressed in a dark blue shirt and tight jeans. She had brought a suitcase, but since they were going to travel on foot that would not work, so Baku borrowed her a backpack and she had to leave some things behind. That had not made her any more cheerful.

Garnet had just stood there while they were getting ready and heading off. She had not said a single word. Zidane had been ordering guards around like he did not even see the three of them and Beatrix had been giving Steiner some orders. Steiner was to control the law enforcement in Alexandria during Beatrix´s absence and frankly he was a bit jittery. And Baku and the Tantalus gang had been giving Blank great advises the whole time. They were also to stay in Alexandria. Zidane had taken a brief pause from ordering guards around and explained the concept of this action to them. Blank was to leave to kingdom to find out wether the murderer was really after him. If he was she too would leave the kingdom. Beatrix and Veranda were just to go with him for his aid.

Blank knew that this was a false reason, at least the part about Beatrix and Veranda, but did not say anything. He was glad to be going away.

Why?

He did not really know.

This killer could not be after him, so he would just get away from all this ruckus for a while. A brief vacation was very much appreciated, but why did he have to bring Beatrix and Veranda along? He was not really comfortable around them. Beatrix was so bad tempered and, well, scary. Veranda was just a mistery to him, and he did not know her at all. Blank was not comfortable around people he did not know but had to spend a lot of time with.

'Where should we go?' he had asked Beatrix.

'Lindblum!' she had said firmly. He had not disagreed with her. He had not dared to.

Why Lindblum? he asked himself now. It´s not only the kingdom farthest away from here but also my hometown. I don´t wanna bring a pack of crazy serial- killers there, if they´re really after me that is. Why does she want to go to Lindblum so badly, anyway.?

He had taken a copy of the three letters with him and examined them. All of them said something about 'a sick mind' and most talked about a 'he' and 'a heir'.

They´re really obsessed with this, he thought. But he had gotten tired of reading them over and over again not finding anything to help him catch these bastards so he put the copies in his rucksack.

Now they just walked in silence.

'Sir Blank?'

'Yes, Veranda?'

'Where are we headed?'

'Lindblum.'

She sighed.

'What´s wrong?'

'Oh, nothing, sir Blank.'

'Stop this sir business!'

'Alright, mr. Blank.'

Blank sighed but said nothing.

This is going to be a long trip! he thought as he headed down into the valley before him.

*~*~*~*~*~*

'Out to a place I´ve never been with mountains high and valleys green come with me lady, let´s go away let the forests of nowhere lead us astray!'

The voice came as quite a shock to the three of them. They had been walking in silence for about 3 hours now and had not seen the drunken man until they were almost beside him.

The man was wearing a green jacket and brown pants. A gray hat hung loosely on his head, about to fall every second, and he had a green wine bottle in his hand. His face was one of an old man, not possibly younger than 50, and his hair and beard were white as snow, or what was left of his hair. His nose was red and his fingers blue with cold (even though it was not really cold outside).

'Bring me a bottle of wine and some meat let´s sit by the river, sing, dance and eat with you by my side the world I shall roam and if I can help it, I will not go home!'

The man was not a good singer, actually there was impossible to hear a tune in this babble of his, and his tounge seemed to disobey him. He hung on a tree, leaning against it and holding himself up in a branch with the hand that was not holding the bottle. Blank stopped at the sight of him, measuring if he opposed any threat. But after a very short inspection he could not see any way of that man hurting them, he could not even stand up straight, so Blank walked towards him.

'Ho there!' the man called out to him as he saw him and started towards him on unsteady feet. Beatrix and Veranda stayed back a little. Blank walked up to him until he was about 5 feet away from him in the middle of the path they were following. The man was blocking his way.

'It is not common that people wander to these parts I tell ya, no sirrie, never they do! Not even during the sommer! I should know, I´m always here, I am! I´ve been kicked out of town, I have! Too much of a drinker they told me I was! I don´t understand why they say that, I´ve never been much of a drinker! Hit my kids they said I did! I didn´t, I swear I didn´t! And my wife! I love my wife-y very very very very very much and would do nothing to hurt her, not even banging her head against a stonewall or anything, like they said I had done, they did! Yes, strange it is, very strange indeed! Come ye from the kingdom!? I´m from there too, ya see! Or I was, until I remarried! Now I´m just wandering around here, by myself, I am! No one to company me, no sirrie! Long it has been since I´ve seen a single person. I only talk to the trees and flowers and some bears that seem to like the scent of my drink here! It´s a good thing I took these bottles with me though. I wouldn´t have lasted a day out here if it weren´t for them, I would not have. But it´s not wine, if you do think that! I know you think so, I saw it in your face, your eyes, your ears, everywhere! You suspect me of drinking, you do!? Now I´ll just tell you that I haven´t been drinking for ages, I have! Ooooo, you don´t believe me!? You´re gonna go tell the townsfolk, are ya? Well, I tells ya you aren´t going anywhere, I do! So you betters just do as I say, you betters! I´ll win ya in a du.'

'For heavens sake shut UP!' Veranda shouted.

'Yeah, shut up man. Just let us pass! We don´t even know who the hell you are!!' Blank shouted.

The man had been getting intense as he spoke and was not happy that he had been interrupted.

'My name is Fellonder Finkleberg, even though that won´t do you any good knowing, it won´t! ´cause I´m gonna slit your throat, I am!' and he unsheathed a dagger from under his jacket and pointed it at Blank with a shaking hand.

'Whoa, calm down man!' Blank yelled at the sight of the dagger. The blade was about 15 inches long and Blank could already feel it inside his stomach. 'We don´t want anything to do with you, we just want to pass!'

'And tell the townsfolk about me drinking, are you?' Fellonder answered and waved the dagger in Blank´s direction.

'Put that down, would ya?' Blank begged. 'We don´t even know what town you´re from! How can we alert some townfolk about some man that we don´t know if we can´t even find the townfolk!?'

'You won´t fool me that easily!'

'Who´s trying to fool you?'

'Now fight me!'

'No, I won´t!'

'Too bad!!' Fellonder shouted and jumped at Blank, suddenly stable on his feet. But he was not quick enough to surprise Blank. Blank only dodged his blow and grabbed the man´s arm, the one holding the dagger. Then he hit the man in his face with his fist. Fellonder, who was too shocked to defend himself, only took the blow and collapsed on the earth, dropping the dagger on the ground. He was totally knocked out.

'.wow..' was Veranda´s statement. Beatrix said nothing.

'Let´s go.' Blank said and walked away.

'What? We´re just going to leave him lying here?' Veranda asked, shocked.

'Why, yes, what else?' Beatrix asked her, walking after Blank.

'I-isn´t it dangerous to be lying around here unconscious? I mean, aren´t there any wild animals around or maybe even dangerous men? And what if he doesn´t even wake up?'

'Then there´s nothing we can do for him! If he´s dead by such a small blow he´s dead as it is!'

'Just leave him girl!' Blank shouted.

'But.'

Beatrix turned and looked at Veranda. Veranda shut her mouth and walked after the two of them inspecting the ground.

Remember your place! Remember your place girl! she reminded herself.

For the next few hours they walked in almost complete silence. The air was filled with anger, frustration and it felt awkward that they were not speaking. Finally Blank could not take it any longer, turned to Beatrix, who was still in a unhealthy mood, and asked;

'Why do you wanna go to Lindblum so badly?'

'Gotta investigate something.'

'What´s that?'

'Just something I´ve got to see too, someone I´ve got to meet.'

'Who?'

'Mind your own business!'

'Hey, come on girl,' She looked at him angrily and he knew he shouldn´t have used the term 'girl'. 'we´re all friends here! We´ve got to talk to each other, we´re traveling together, ya know, and I wanna know why we´re going home to Lindblum.'

'You´re hometown?'

'Yeah.'

'And you don´t want to go there?'

'No, not really!'

'Why?'

'Just because...'

'Hey, you want me to talk so you better do it yourself!'

*Silence*

'I don´t wanna bring any kind of danger there, that´s all!'

'Oh, a hero are we!?'

'No, nothing like that! It´s just, I know a few girls back there and if they were to be killed I would not feel right about it.'

Beatrix did not say anything, just stared at Blank who stared at a nearby tree.

'You blame yourself, don´t you?'

'For what?' he asked as casually as he could, which was not very convincing.

'You do! For Ruby!'

She could see him biting his lip.

'No, I don´t!'

'Well you should!'

This exclamation came as a complete surprise to Blank.

What did she say?

'She was killed because of you, after all!'

Blank could not believe what he was hearing.

'That is what you want to hear, isn´t it?' Beatrix asked him looking at him inquiering. 'That is what you want to hear so you can justify to yourself that it´s OK for you to go out there and kill whoever killed her! Isn´t it? Well, then it´s true! It is all your fault! Now, would you stop feeling sorry for yourself!!'

Beatrix walked ahead leaving Blank standing silent. But he soon snapped out of it and ran after her.

'That still didn´t answer my question!'

'What question?'

'What are we going to do in Lindblum?'

'We´ve gotta meet a person, that´s all you need to know!'

'I´ve met ´im?'

'Yes, you have met this person a few times, but that doesn´t really help you alot, does it?'

'Come on! I answered your question, the least you could do is tell me who we´re meeting!'

She turned to face him, looking at him with utter irritation.

'All right! It´s Mikoto. Now will you shut the fuck up!?' And she turned and walked ahead.

Mikoto? Blank asked himself. Why are we going to see Zidane´s little sister!?

But he did not dare to ask Beatrix any more questions.

'She´s got a bad temper, hasn´t she?' Veranda asked Blank as she slowly walked past him, without looking at him.

'Yeah, she does.' her answered and followed her.

That night they slept in their sleepingbags beside the road and the next day they continued their journey, the atmosphere not gotten any better.

*~*~*~*~*~*