---
It was during the battle at the Dragon's Gate that I saw her again. The pegasus knight that had captured my attention with her deadly grace and skill with a lance had just finished off a knight that had been about to bear down on me. I smiled in thanks to her and then noticed an archer behind a wall, aiming an arrow through a slit in it. My smile left and I raised a hand, calling out the enchantment I knew that would cause thunder to crash through the roof of the building and into the archer. I heard a scream and smiled slowly once more as I saw the arrow fall from where it had been pointing from. Perfect, I thought to myself, even as I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I glanced to the person that had grasped my shoulder and then the fingers gave a gentle squeeze. "My thanks, sir Erk." she said quietly, and then our tactician's voice came from far ahead. There were cavaliers attacking Merlinus' tent? With a groan, I turned and sure enough, there Merlinus was screaming like crazy, trying to keep our goods away from the men attacking him by somehow dodging several attacks. With a sigh, I ran off towards the tent as even more knights appeared, and the rush of air beside me told me that the pegasus knight had received the same orders from Mark.
I couldn't help but to smile as I saw her position herself in the air before one of the cavaliers, and then urged her steed forward, the pegasus diving and the lance in her hand striking the man off of his horse as he was struck perfectly. The man didn't move, but the horse ran off quickly. A pair of cavaliers turned to avenge their comrade- however, a bolt of magical Thunder took that number down to one. I smiled a little- I could tell I was getting stronger with every battle now. But, then I watched as the cavalier feinted at Fiora, only to dodge around her and rush at me!
There was no time to waste, I thought, as I got out my book. But no, it was too late even then to prepare a counter attack at this range. The lance that the rider carried was thrust out towards me, and I couldn't get out of the way quickly enough as I cried out in pain, a flash of cold striking through my breast, only to be replaced by a warmth that I knew couldn't be good. I staggered back, clutching the tome of Thunder in my hand still as I breathed out the enchantment to call upon the magical thunder again. It was mostly out of instinct that I brought my free hand down three times, a glowing rune appearing before me, and then it was gone as I twirled and brought my hand down once more.
There was no escape for this man, I thought to myself, as I watched the powerful bolt of Thunder crash down upon the cavalier that had attacked me. I smiled grimly, but then fell to me knees, shaking slowly. My body refused to acknowledge that it had been struck, even though there was now a large hole in my robes and blood seeping down on them from my body. It would soak right into the red color of my robe, I thought to myself, even as I dropped the book from my hand. I heard someone yell something, but I couldn't understand what was being said. My eyes closed, and then I couldn't see anymore, either.
---
When next I found myself waking, I was surprisingly warm. The first thing that I attempted to hear was any signs of battle that there might have been. Was the battle still being waged against Darin? Damn that old perverted man, I thought for a second. The second thing was, when I opened my eyes, quite a shock. It was dark out! There were a few candles lit beside where I had obviously been resting, though this wasn't quite the largest shock of all. One of our pegasus knights, little Florina, was watching over me.
I slowly moved to sit up, and then winced as I felt some pain from the wound I had received during the battle. The battle was obviously over by now... there was something in the air. Something not evil, but something else. Depression? There were no sounds of anyone's laughter or anger at jokes being played upon them (something I had grown accustomed to, thanks to Matthew). My hand went to where the wound had been, only to find that someone had bandaged me quite well. I gritted my teeth- please tell me that it hadn't been Serra.
I looked to Florina, and I couldn't help but to smile. There was a beauty in the young knight that could not be denied- I could not any longer blame Sain for his attempts to get close to her. Of course, they all had ended in failure, but the fact remained that her cuteness had a way of entrancing some of the men in the group. I'd even caught Hector looking her way, from time to time... and I'd seen her watching him, too. She looked to be asleep, I thought to myself, as I saw the even movements of her chest up and down, her eyes closed and how her face was turned downwards slightly, chin pressed lightly against her breast. I then lay back down, and closed my eyes. Why was I so tired? It was so strange... or so I thought, as I heard footsteps bring someone into the tent that I was now resting in, and that Florina was watching me in.
The voice that I heard next was familiar to me. "Florina... hey, Florina, wake up." came Fiora's voice, and the lavender-haired pegasus knight fell from where she had been sitting cross-legged beside me. I barely managed to keep myself from smiling as I heard the younger knight crumble onto the ground before she let out a squeal and attempted to stand up quickly to make up for the clumsiness that she had just shown. I heard a stiffled giggle come from one of them- it was most likely, of course, Fiora had done that. "Florina?"
Florina replied meekly to her sister. I wouldn't doubt that she was looking to the ground with a face as red as my robes were, to tell the truth. "Yes, Fiora? What is it?" the younger knight asked. I was shocked, to the point of wanting to gasp, but I fought the urge. It was obvious that I was thought to be asleep by the two who stood over me. They probably were to speak of something of importance, and didn't want anyone else to hear. I couldn't help but to feel guilty, but I couldn't just pretend to wake up right now. Could I?
"Try not to get too far ahead of the line..." were Fiora's next words to her younger sister. A protective sibling? Obviously, she was speaking about when they were in battle, of course. Well, I cannot say I know what it is like to have one, but I couldn't help but to feel a little jealous towards the pegasus knights. They were actually family. All I had were foster parents who were of the most prominent house in Etruria. What would it be like to actually have a brother or sister? "You can always ride behind and back me up, you know..." Fiora continued, and again I had to fight the urge to respond to the sister's words myself. I really wanted to smile... it must be nice to have someone that was willing to fight beside you who happened to be family.
"Thanks, Fiora." came the younger knight's steady and quiet voice, and I nearly had to strain to hear her words. "But... I..." and her voice got even fainter for a moment. I heard a gentle gulp, and then she spoke in a clear and yet stronger and louder voice. "I have to do it my way. You can handle it out there alone, right?" she said, and there was a pause that made me think that her older sister had nodded at the question. "Well, I need to be sure that I can, too." she said, and I smiled a little bit, despite myself. Beautiful.
"Oh..." Fiora began, and I had to fight the urge I had to put an end to the slight argument, here and now. After all, hadn't Florina meant what she said? It sure sounded that way to me! "But I worry about you. When we were in training, you used to get so scared..." she commented, a thoughtful sound to the young woman's voice.
"Yeah, but I'm fine now." Florina quickly replied, which surprised me. I think it surprised her sister as well, from the forceful sound behind her words. What had come over her, I wondered, and I couldn't help but to wish I wasn't pretending to be asleep at this point.
"Really? But the Caelin knights are all men, aren't they? I just think of you, all timid and scared among them..." the elder girl said, and I couldn't blame her for those thoughts. After all, I had seen Florina's reaction to the Caelin knights back when I had traveled with Lady Lyndis and Mark, and Fiora's words struck quite truthfully. "So, Florina... You really don't mind it?" she asked now, and I could almost see Florina's face move side to side as she would deny that she minded the fact that she was among men. "Didn't they give you a hard time for being a woman? Now, if they did, I want you to let me know. Because I will tell them a thing or two..." and her voice trailed off, a hard edge to her words as I waited to hear a response from her little sister.
"I-I'm fine. Lady Lyndis took good care of me..." Florina said quietly, and then she also continued quickly, before her sister could retaliate in any way. "And everyone was really nice..." I heard her say, and then there was a most unpleasant sensation in the back of my throat. When was the last time I had had something to drink? I couldn't help it as I turned onto my side and curled up slowly, hands raising towards my face as a small fit of coughing made its way past my lips. My eyes opened slightly as I coughed, and I could tell that the two women were surprised at my sudden waking up.
"Oh? Well, I still worry." the older knight replied, even as both women smiled to each other before kneeling down beside me as I attempted to uncurl and sit up. I sighed softly, hands clutching at the wound that had been inflicted on me. It was gone, of course, by this time. "Shh... Sir Erk, are you feeling better now?" Fiora asked me, and I nodded slowly to her. The smile that the two sisters had shared was gone now as I looked to the women. Florina was watching me, seemingly afraid or still terminally shy as she always was.
"Yes, I feel much better now. What has happened? Why did no one wake me?" I asked of her, and both knights looked to the ground. Something terrible must have happened, I considered, as I watched the two. What? Did someone die? I felt my heartbeat begin to go faster as I began considering the terrible possibilities. Wait... Guy? Could my friend have died? No, he wasn't dead. The air had a much more depressing tone in it than the death of one of the warriors in the group could actually provide. Something else must have happened. The two knights remained silent, and I could tell that something awful had happened. What exactly, however, I wasn't sure of yet. "Wh... who died, Fiora? Florina?" I asked quietly now.
Fiora began to speak, but a clear voice from outside the tent came to answer my question instead. "Eliwood's father, the Marquess... he was killed in the Dragon's Gate, Erk." the voice answered, and then the flap of the tent was lifted as Lady Lyndis walked in. She wasn't exuding her usual energy that she was nearly always 'bursting' with, as Matthew had termed it. She was more... docile, now, I thought to myself. I was shocked- this was the man that we had been searching for! But, he had died? How did she know where he died, unless... I looked to the ground and sighed softly before shaking my head.
"I... I see, milady. Thank you. How... how is Lord Eliwood?" I asked her, looking back up after a short moment. Lady Lyndis shook her head slowly, as if to tell me several things at once. That the man had no wish to be disturbed, I could easily understand.
"He hasn't said a thing since his father died, Erk. I wish he had not had to know what this is like, for I already know the pain of losing a father. We will make Nergal pay for his dark deeds, with his life." she said, and then Florina was beside her as Lyn looked away. The look in her eyes... the sadness ran deep within her. Despite her energy and normally positive attitude, the young woman was still troubled by her past, by the death of her parents. I heard a soft sniffle from Lady Lyndis as Florina tried to cheer her up, giving her best friend a hug.
I looked to Fiora, who was watching me as I found her eyes, and I blinked in surprise as I felt a little it of heat rise to the surface of my cheeks. "Ah... Fiora? Is something the matter?" I asked her, and she shook her head quickly before rising to stand. Strange, I thought to myself, as she quickly walked from the tent. Why hadn't she said anything? Perhaps this tragedy had affected her as well... It certainly seemed to have affected one of the Lords of our group, after all. A call came from outside the tent, and I immediately reacted with a slight growl in the back of my throat.
The sound of that sickeningly sweet voice. I knew that sound, those words. Only three people in the camp could possibly be cheerful at all at a time like this, but only one of the three would actually call out my name like that. I glanced over to Florina and Lyn, who were quietly whispering with one another about something, and I sighed, looking down to the blanket that had been draped over me while I had been asleep. "Damn." was the only word I could say, as I drew the blanket up and covered myself quickly, lying back down.
My eyes closed as I heard the tent flap open up, and I breathed quietly, attempting to mimic being asleep as I heard soft footfalls make their way closer to where I 'rested.' I tensed quickly, though my mind attempted to make my body relax slowly... If I was right, then I knew I was reacting perfectly well to the threat at hand. The only problem was that it would ruin the illusion of being asleep. Fortunately, I heard a subdued voice come from elsewhere in the tent. The only person with a voice that spoke so quietly, that I knew, was Florina, and indeed it was she who came to my rescue this time.
"Umm... Serra?" she said, and I sighed very softly. I heard a shifting of feet as Serra likely turned to see the pegasus knight, and I smiled a little. I'll have to try harder to become Florina's friend, from now on. She was quite observant as to who I did not like speaking with or being around, obviously! I felt a hand on my shoulder- it wasn't Serra's hand, was it? If I could use anything more than a kitchen knife, I would perfer serving 'finger food' to a wyvern than be touched by her, even if I was injured or hurt in some way.
"Get some rest, Erk." came the voice, and I relaxed to the touch of the one that had said that to me. It had Lady Lyn's voice that reached my ear, even as Florina distracted the pink-haired woman from hell. How she was possibly a cleric of Saint Elimine was beyond me. The feeling of warmth left my shoulder as I rested there, and then the sound of footsteps faded as Lady Lyndis left the tent with Serra, Florina, and myself within it. I could hear Serra speaking with Florina, and I had to force myself to stay still as Serra attempted to list a number of things to Florina that she seemed to think that Florina admired her for. I could tell beforehand what Florina would admire such a brash girl for, but...
Fashion Sense? Breathtaking beauty? Please! She was wearing the robes of an Eliminean cleric, and her beauty paled in comparison with some of the other women in the group that Mark had managed to assemble. She didn't even match up well with Lady Louise, I thought to myself, and then I felt myself shiver a little, even underneath the blanket that I was wrapped up in. Serra had just said something about making the young pegasus knight like her in no time. Please no! Elimine save us all, if this cleric could ever manage to corrupt the young knight that much!
---
It was a few days later when we managed to get back to the shore that we had landed on Valor at. Dart and Legault led the way- Legault had been a part of the Black Fang for such a long while that he knew the lay-out of the island rather well, and Dart had a sense for the ocean as well. We didn't run into any more Black Fang forces- whatever had happened in the Dragon's Gate obviously had dealt a blow to the 'Fang as well. Why else would we not be attacked on our way from the island? It was when we arrived near the shore that Guy found me and we both began to dread that particular problem that was beginning to make itself known to us both as we watched the waves.
The rowboats were on their way, thanks to a signal fire that I had lit- the wood was so wet thanks to the rain the past few days that only magic could have lit the firewood. We waited now, Guy and I speaking with one another for a short while before he went elsewhere along the beach to practice his swordplay. Alone now, and thankfully hidden from sight at the moment, I sat on a piece of driftwood while attempting to relax. Soon enough, I would probably lose whatever I would eat once we set sail for Badon again.
Dammit... I hate boats. I sighed softly as I looked across the water and to the ship, where I could barely make out the rowboats coming to shore. I hadn't felt too good on them before, and I could only hope that the effect of the seasickness would be lessened this time around. I looked to the sky, clouded over with dark rain clouds, and wondered if it would rain soon, or if it would just taunt us at this point. There was little for me to do now except dread the passage back to the mainland- once there, hopefully I will never get on a ship again! My thoughts then wandered, going over the events of the past few days.
I had had to cook the other day, along with Lowen, for the troop. Lowen and Mark were the official cooks of the camp, really, though several of us were always stuck working with them so that there would be enough food to go around to everyone else in the group. There was not that much game on Valor, but somehow we managed to find enough to keep everyone fed well enough. Eliwood walked ahead of everyone, staying to himself- Lady Lyndis, Lord Hector, and even Ninian remained close to the front, to keep an eye on our young leader. Mark was there as well, remaining close to the front, but of course he was carefully protected, as per Eliwood's orders.
I closed my eyes for but a moment before I shivered a little, a breeze kicking up a little sand from the dunes on the beach. When my eyes opened, I saw the red-haired lord staring out over the ocean, in the direction of Badon and Fargus' ship, the Davros. What could I say to the man? Should I say anything at all? Indeed, there was so very little that could be said to Lord Eliwood, and I knew little of what could be said that might help him to feel better. This was something that no book could teach someone, nothing that could be simply taught without experience to allow me to know what to do. With heavy steps, I stood and walked over to our group's leader.
He was so lost in thought that he did not even realize that I was now standing beside him after a moment or two. I glanced to him, dark strands of purple hair streaming along my cheeks. His cheeks were wet- he had been weeping. No jesting, I told myself, as I watched the young lord gaze out over the open sea that we would soon be sailing upon. That much was obvious. What was I doing? This was something that none of the others had dared do yet- as far as I knew, not even Lady Lyndis nor Lord Hector had attempted to get close to Lord Eliwood since we had buried his father. And then, I know that I should not have done, but I did. I spoke to him.
"Milord... forgive me." I began. I looked straight ahead to the ocean now as well, aware that he was now looking to me. But before he could speak, I continued. "I am sorry for the loss of your father. I knew little of him and never met him, but..." and I swallowed slowly. Eliwood didn't say anything, watching me still as I gazed out over the waves. What was I saying? "I cannot do anything to ease your pain, milord. I came before only to provide Lady Priscilla my services, but since then I have come to think of most everyone in this troup as a friend. This includes you, milord. I hope you can find your peace... but remember, there are still others who care for you here. Speak with them, if you can. I know there is little I can say or do to help, but if you need someone to listen, milord... You know where you can find me." I told him, and then I turned.
I was completely unaware that my cheeks were very red as I walked away from Lord Eliwood, and back towards camp. My magic was all I really knew... that, and Serra's personality, anyway. What was I doing, attempting to help Lord Eliwood outside of any sort of battle purpose? There was very little, if anything, that I could actually do to help anyone who had been hurt so badly. Priscilla and even Serra would be better choices to have listen to someone's problems. I was simply a mage, not all that powerful really, that was attempting to learn more of the world through trial and error.
I was greeted back in camp by, of all people, Matthew. "Well now Erk, looks like you've had quite the day, eh? Should be even better later, don't you think?" he asked, and I shuddered. Obviously, the thief was referring to my last outting on the ship before we had even made it to this isle. He chuckled softly and shook his head slowly. "Nice try with Lord Eliwood, Erk. But, I don't think that he'll be feeling any better until we're off this accursed island. I know I won't be..." he trailed off, and I nodded slightly. I'd heard from others that a woman named Leila had been found dead in the forest not too far from here , and that Matthew had cared for her a lot.
"You might be right, Matthew." I told the thief, and simple smiled a little before moving back towards where Lowen was drafting people to help with the food preparations. We'd have a meal before actually going to sea again, perhaps even persuade Captain Fargus to join us for some red meat instead of the normal white meat that pirates were known to practically live off of. We knew that, with traveling for so long the past few days without very little time to stop and rest a while, that there was need for a break of at least the afternoon. One would be hard pressed, in this weather, to determine the time of day that it actually was.
Then I heard a familiar voice. And then another voice that was speaking with the first one. I looked around, near the 'kitchen' tent that had been set up, and found Sain speaking with Rebecca. "... We knights are honor-bound to protect fair maidens..." he said, and I rolled my eyes before raising a hand up for my palm to meet my forehead as I sighed. There goes the green-knight once more, I thought to myself, walking away as Rebecca replied that she was no one's maiden. Good for her... She was a little younger than I am, I remembered. Sain was what, nearing twenty years old? What good could possibly come of such an attempt to woo a younger girl?
"I see that you find his attempts as amusing as I do, sir Erk." came a familiar voice, and I chuckled softly as I looked up to dame Fiora. Then I nodded as I saw the bemused smile on her face and grinned in return. She just winked and looked to where the wound I had been given back at the Dragon's Gate had been. "And I also see that you are feeling much better now. Does it still bother you at all?" she asked me, and I had to shake my head at her question.
"No, not at all, thank you, Fiora." I replied, smiling a little bit. Was she being protective... of me, perhaps? I still had that hole in my robe and shirt thanks to the hit that had knocked me out- one thing I was not all that capable of doing, unfortunately, was sewing. I blinked and looked to where she was looking, a bit of red appearing on my cheeks as I heard her chuckle lightly. "What is it?" I asked her, looking back up to the green haired woman who was standing in front of me.
"Oh, nothing at all, sir Erk. I am just a little surprised that you have not fixed that little tear in your robe yet, 'tis all." she replied, and I sighed softly before shaking my head. Of course, she would be surprised. I was a mage after all, and was supposed to know all sorts of things, not just magic. But, it is magic that I knew and little else, and most anyone in the troop knew that. Only the newest recruits, such as she, and someone like Bartre (whose stupidity surpasses anyone I've ever seen before) would not realize quickly that I did not know as much as I would have liked.
"I don't... really know how to sew." I said quietly, looking back to the ground. I knew it involved needle and thread, but I carried neither with me, and I was not about to ask one of the girls here. That usually led to dealings with the pink haired one, and that very thought caused me to shudder. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see Fiora standing closer, smiling softly to me. What?
"I see... you truly are like my little sister. Here, now. Take off your cloak and shirt, and allow me to fix them for you." she said, that same gentle smile on the young knight's face. My face flushed red once again at the sound of being compared with Florina in such a regard. Was I really that timid? No... Or at least, I don't think I am. Fiora seemed to see the disappointment and confusion in my eyes, and she just grinned slightly. "Well, perhaps I shall come by later to find you and get at least your robe. You may catch a cold if you were to go without anything on otherwise, I should think." she told me, and I nodded slowly. I'd be able to live with that.
"Ah... well, thank you, dame Fiora." I said, still blushing as I watched her smiling face. How was I supposed to react to such attention, I wondered to myself as she moved to turn away... and then she seemed to shrug and turn around, quickly pulling me a bit closer. The sudden movement caught me off-guard, and I stumbled towards her as she must have expected, for then my cloak was off my body and in her hands.
"I shall have this fixed up for you in a short while, sir Erk." she said to me, giving me a pat on the back before wandering off towards the tents that had been set up for the women of the group. I just watched, blankly staring after her retreating form as I shivered from the cold of the air surrounding me. I just nodded slowly and looked around after that, wondering if anyone had actually seen that. It did not seem as if anyone had been paying attention to us, fortunately... at least, that's what I thought until I saw Kent and Sain talking. Sain was looking over at me, possibly as if he had been watching both myself and Fiora... oh great. There would be rumors flying all about camp about as soon as he was finished speaking with Caelin's commanding knight.
With that in mind, I beat a hasty retreat towards the shore again, passing Matthew again along the way. He gave me a strange look, and I couldn't blame him- we had known each other for quite a while, really, and it was certainly rare that I was ever without my red cloak. I found my way back to the same place I had been before, and seated myself on the piece of driftwood as I gazed out over the ocean once more. My arms wrapped around myself, hands at my sides as I huddled there to try and keep warm. I didn't want to be anywhere near the fire right now- most of the troop would be found there, after all, and going there without my cloak on would likely arouse suspicion and wonder among most of the people that knew me well. Besides... that would be where Sain would begin his rumor-making, most likely, for that same reason.
---
It was less than an hour later when I was found huddled on the driftwood by a rather unlikely person. I hadn't really spoken with her since leaving the Dragon's Gate, actually, but when I found my view of the ocean cut off by a body, I raised one of my hands to my hair and swept my fingers through it as I saw who it was. Rather, both of them, at least. "You see, I am quite able to track down your man, Priscilla." came Lyndis' voice, and I chuckled softly. Her man? If Lyndis had said that to Serra, I would likely have attacked... I would never be able to hit the swordswoman from the plains, of course, but the act would have made me feel better at the least.
"Yes, so you are, milady Lyndis. My thanks, for your help." she said to her, and Lyn smiled to the red-haired girl gently before looking at me sternly. I was surprised, she had never looked at me like that before... I had seen that look in her eyes only when directed at Sain, actually. What had I done to deserve that look? Then she smiled slowly, as if recognizing my reaction. Priscilla just stood there- young and pretty, she was also rather naive, too. She watched me, as if needing to say something to me, but probably not sure about doing so with Lady Lyndis nearby.
"You should be near the fire, Erk. I know you like to be by yourself, but you are not wearing your cloak, and I can tell that you are quite cold." she said to me, and then she lifted up a package that I hadn't seen under her arm a moment ago. I smiled to her, and nodded slightly in response as I saw the carefully folded blanked in her hands. "Here, wrap yourself up in this, Erk. Priscilla would like to speak with you, so I think I shall go find myself a sparring partner... have you seen Guy about?" she asked, and I nodded, pointing her down the beach in the direction that Guy had gone in about an hour ago from now. "My thanks, Erk. Keep warm, now." she told me, smiling before she headed off down the beach, leaving me with my young employer.
Priscilla just smiled a little at me, waiting until Lyndis was far enough away that she would not hear what the young girl was gonig to say. I, on the other hand, was a little cold as I wrapped myself in the blanket that had been brought out to me, and not truly in the mood to be very patient, unfortunately. "Lady Priscilla, are you alright?" I asked her, smiling slightly to the girl as I motioned for her to sit beside me, if she wished. With a smile on her face still, she shook her head demurely.
"Ah... yes, Erk, I am fine. Thank you, for checking on me." she said to me in reply, and I blinked. Had she not something more that she had wished to say to me? Hard to tell, really... Ever since joining with Eliwood's troop, she had been staying near the man called Raven that had joined us in the battle after we had joined Eliwood. I knew of her mission to find her brother, and the man certainly retained features that were very recognizable in Priscilla. Both seemed rather stubborn, both had red hair, and they just seemed... well, natural, when beside one another.
"Not at all. That is my duty, after all." I replied, and smiled still as I felt warmth begin to build beneath the blanket. "You... are not tired?" I asked, my thoughts suddenly changing my those of taking care of the woman who had hired my services. I had not particularly been neglecting her, had I? I haven't been thinking solely of her lately, of course, or of simply protecting her. After all, Mark now had my services as well, and since she left the tactician of the group to provide my orders, I hadn't been around her all that much. We often were on seperate ends of the battlefield, after all.
"No..." she said slowly, and I inwardly winced. Oops! I must have come up with that out of nowhere, in her mind. Certainly true, I considered, and smiled a little as she continued. "No, I'm quite fine, really." she replied, and I nodded slightly. Something in her voice, I thought to myself. More than simply fine, it seemed. She didn't seem to have the urgency that she'd had at the beginning of our quest. Well, that was quite understandable, considering the consequences. We were dealing with a man that wanted to bring Dragons back to Elibe. Searching for a long-lost brother, though important, must be set aside when one is speaking about the fate of the world, after all.
But that didn't stop me. "Your feet are not weary? Your shoulders, are they not tense?" I asked her, out of instinct more than anything else. What was I doing? She was not one of my previous employers, a willful child that required dealing with in the most mundane of fashions. The young child had always complained, and since I would have been to blame if he was uncomfortable, I needed to take care of him in those fashions. Priscilla, for her part, watched me with skeptical eyes- thankfully, she was not looking at me as if fully doubting my sanity.
"They're fine, really." was her reply, and I nodded slightly. But no, I continued to talk. And in the process, I could see her eyes as they widened at my questions.
"And your belly, is it full? Your throat... dry?" I asked, and she shook her head to both things. "Are you sleepy? Or bored?" I again asked her, before she could speak to reply in her own defense. I blinked as I saw her look to the ground, as if attempting to collect herself. I didn't say anything more, waiting for her to respond now as I watched the pale-skinned maiden before look from the sandy beach and back to my face again after a moment.
"Erk?" she asked, and I cringed again. Damn, I overdid it, didn't I? At least I could recognize such when it happened, I considered, and nodded slowly to the troubador.
"Ah..." I started, and then blinked again before looking to the ground myself, my cheeks a little red from the embarassment I felt. "Yes, sorry. Hard to break old habits." I told her before I looked back up to her. Well, at least she wasn't viewing me with suspicion now, I thought, and gave her a sheepish smile, which she returned in much the same manner. I could see a question in her eyes, though... "My last lord was a willful child, you see. He would call me over the slightest things... That is the past now, though... of course."
Pricilla nodded, her red hair bobbing up and down alongside her cheeks as she looked a little thoughtful for a second or two. "I see..." she began, and then cast a glance skyward before letting herself look at me directly again. "Should... I be asking you to do more, then?" she asked me now, to which I could only smile softly and shake my head slowly to her in response. She was a good girl... but, as of right now, there truly was no need of her to ask me to do more than I have been, of course.
"Oh, no. No, this is just fine." I replied, and she nodded as I shivered, feeling more warmth within the blanket now as she watched me uneasily. I could tell that my overbearing questions upon her had likely done something to her view of me, to tell the truth- something that I didn't need to happen. She nodded once more afterwards and then wandered off back towards camp, leaving me to watch the water once more.
"Ah... I really can't say anything to girls without messing things up, can I?" I said aloud, once I was certain that she was far enough away that she wouldn't be able to hear me. What I didn't know, however, was that there was a figure on the hill behind me that had listened to our exchange. There was a small giggle that I could just barely hear, as I looked up to the sky, I saw a shadow that slipped away from my sight. When I blinked, it was gone, and I turned around to face the small hill. There wasn't anyone there. With a shrug, I closed my eyes, and relaxed. Come what may... even seasickness. I needed to figure out how to speak to the girls in this troop outside of battle.
That was when I made the decision to speak with Sain while on the boat about it.
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Author's Note: Well now... I know I'm not progressing very quickly here. I've done away with the normal 'support-based' pairings, however, by now, thankfully. What do you guys think? Please review!