5: The Knight of the Bow

"Maybe Saber is an idiot? History knows many idiots with great swords."

"O-hooo, that was close!" Archer did not wait and used this moment of confusion to evacuate higher to the containers, far beyond the reach of Lancer's weapon. "I didn't really mean… Well, I meant it, but didn't expect that you will actually help me. It would be sad to be defeated so early in the War, don't you think? Anyway, my Master wants me to withdraw, so… See you later, big guy!"

After saying that, he vanished – not into spirit form, just disappeared from their sight.

"Ha, ha, ha! This is ridiculous!" Gilgamesh laughed at loud, clearly enjoying the show. "I didn't expect this war to be so amusing! Fine then, I'll let you fight each other and the ones, who survive till the end, will be allowed to challenge me. But I have enough for today. After all, you must dose your pleasures carefully to have them for longer." Even during the dematerialization, his shoulders were still shaking with laughter.

Saber lowered his weapon, but kept staring at the tip of Arturia's lance. She was still ready to pierce his chest and the view alone made Siegfried shiver. The swordsman suspected that he could stand pretty well against the King of Knights, but what about the true power of her Noble Phantasm?

"Explain yourself." Arturia's voice echoed under the helmet, not pleasant, sounding like if it came from the abyss itself.

"I know how it looks like, but it's just another curse. It's probably because of my legend of a wish-granting knight. I cannot ignore the call for help, even if I want to. Some conditions must be fulfilled, but…" He shrugged, aware of the fact, how stupid this explanation sounded. "Let's say that he was lucky enough to activate it by accident."

Lancer did not make a move, not convinced. At this moment Irisviel's phone started ringing again.

"It's for you, Lancer." She handed the device to Arturia, who had to dispel her helmet to use it properly.

"It's me." Kiritsugu was breathing heavily, like after a long run. "Don't attack Saber, he didn't betray us. He has a curse on him to help, when he's asked to."

It was exactly like Siegfried had explained just a moment ago, so Arturia had no reason to not believe it. She nodded and confirmed shortly:

"Understood. You should have told me sooner about it. And… Master, may I ask you something?"

"What is it, Lancer?"

"Master, why are we using this thing? You can speak right into my mind, using magic."

"Because most mages are traditionalists and won't be able to hear us. They would detect any magical conversation immediately. It's actually safer this way."

"If you say so…"

"Anyway, we can still use this mess to our advantage. Now enemy Masters are sure that you and Saber are sworn enemies. Let them think this way."

"As you wish."

She gave the phone back to Irisviel. Saber smiled, seeing that Lancer returned to her casual outfit, and did the same thing.

"I'm sorry. This was... unfortunate."

"Let's just hope that no one will use this curse against you," Arturia answered, coldly but without negative emotions. Irisviel smiled behind her back and used some healing magic on both Servants. They parted ways for now, to analyze the information gathered during the battle.

Saber sighed, admitting that Gilgamesh was right in at least one thing.

This will be a very interesting war.

Kiritsugu hesitated for a while. Maybe he should just get rid of the problem and let Lancer crush Saber, here and now? Illya wouldn't be a Master anymore, she would leave Fuyuki and live a peaceful life far away from this mess. And no one would use Siegfried's curse against Lancer again…

Judging from Saber's reaction, Arturia was able to kill him. But, if they start to fight seriously right now, using all they've got for everyone to see, it will be a tactical catastrophe.

Kiritsugu took a deep breath. He should cast his emotions aside and focus - one wrong decision and they may lose everything. It was too soon for such final solutions. Saber will help them clear a path to victory or at least uncover the weaknesses of their enemies.

Running to change position as quick as possible, Emiya called to Lancer to give her orders. Then, far from Assassin's spying eyes, he lit up a cigarette, thinking. The clash turned out to be as informative as it was chaotic - some useful details about their enemies had been already revealed. Berserker was powerful and might be a threat for Lancer, considering her specific fighting style, but Saber could annihilate him with ease. Archer somehow managed to poison Arturia and her mount; Kiritsugu needed to examine her before deciding what to do next. The strange Servant of Tokiomi Tohsaka seemed to be the most troublesome, so taking down his Master should be the safest way to defeat him.

"What now?" – Maiya asked, joining Kiritsugu behind the corner of the building. They needed to adjust their tactics to new circumstances.

"When you want your prey to leave its nest, you set the forest on fire. I'm going to smoke them out of their burrows."

Rider stared at the golden mist in place, where the King of Heroes stood just a moment ago. Waver wished he could read the mind of his Servant now, not sure what Iskandar was really thinking. Rider even stopped drinking the cheap wine he had brought with him, truly concerned.

"Oh? That was a strange turn of events just now…"

"What do you mean?"

"No one changes sides so easily. Saber and Lancer must have met before."

"Hmm…" Waver tilted his head, trying to unravel this strange intrigue. "Then why Saber saved Archer? It makes no sense."

"Who knows? Maybe he changed his plans? Or it's just a trick to confuse us? We must observe them closely to find out." Rider shrugged and stood up. His magnificent cape was waving in the wind, when he reached out his hand and pointed it towards the harbor. "But there's something even more important we must do first, boy!"

"W-what?" The young magus sweated; such sudden display of excitement did not bode well.

"Just look at them! How gorgeous they look in these modern clothes! As a king, I cannot allow myself to be left behind, when other heroes move with the times! I need to wear something like this, too!"

Waver blinked, not sure, if he understood.

"You want me to buy you some modern clothes? And if I don't? You'll refuse to fight or what?"

"Great idea!" Iskandar gave him a wide smile. "Finally we started to understand each other."

His Master had no words for this and just facepalmed heavily, thinking, that maybe entering this war was not such a good idea.

"Um. You did well, Saber. I knew you're the strongest."

Illyasviel rolled in her bed, visibly pleased. She was wrapped in a blanket, so the maids couldn't notice a small, shining crystal ball in her hands. Irisviel had taught her daughter how to use this kind of magic and now Illya improved enough to observe her Servant, at least when he was involved in something important.

"And if I become the strongest Master, this war will end quickly. Mother and Kiritsugu will come back, and everything will be like before." The girl smiled at the thought and caressed the slippery surface of the ball. "That's why you must try hard and never give up, Saber. I will do the same. That's why…" She yawned, trying to keep her eyes open, but, after a long day of training, she was too tired to resist the overwhelming sleepiness. "That's why…"

Illya yawned again, pressed the crystal ball tightly to her chest and fell asleep. She smiled in her sleep, dreaming about walnut buds in the winter forest.

"Why did Saber save you?"

Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald glared at his Servant, still confused after the last battle. He was sitting in front of the TV in his well-protected apartment and treated himself with a bottle of chilled champagne.

"I don't know. I just asked him for help."

Kayneth sighed.

"There must be a reason."

"Maybe Saber is an idiot?" Archer shrugged. "History knows many idiots with great swords."

Lord El-Melloi already got used to strange comments of his Servant and did not really care. It was something not truly angering and innocent enough to let it go unpunished. Controlling a Servant with Independent Action skill without using Command Seals could be difficult sometimes, so Kayneth decided to be rather cautious.

He didn't like the thought of Archer plotting against him. This Heroic Soul was like his beloved yew tree: poisonous, elastic and almost impossible to break. Moreover, from time to time the green bowman managed to say something surprisingly logical for a simple tool, so listening to his babbling was not as pointless as it might seem.

Of course, Kayneth would never admit that he actually considered some of Archer's advices. He consequently kept abusing his Servant verbally, so he would never forget his role in their team, but had not yet dared to push him any harder.

"Maybe you're an idiot to let such a perfect plan fail, Archer? You had four Servants there, to poison and defeat them all at once, and look how it ended." He sighed and sipped the drink. "Well, it's not important anymore. I hope that you've learnt your lesson. Any clues about Saber's identity?"

"I haven't noticed anything special, except this strange shining pattern on his chest. He's a master swordsman, but most Sabers are."

There was something more, a barely visible detail. Saber was trying hard to hide it, so anyone less perceptive had no chance to notice, but Archer could clearly see, how nervous this big guy was, when someone tried to attack him from behind. The green bowman smiled and decided to not share this observation for now.

"What's so funny, Archer?" Kayneth raised one eyebrow, careful as always.

"Nothing. But I've just come up with a brilliant idea how to improve our tactics."

"Ha, ha! You? Making plans?" Lord El-Melloi looked at his familiar with superiority and a dose of disgust. "Fine, tell me then."

"You give orders from the back, I support from the back, so we need a tough guy to fight in the front line. Yep, this would be an ideal relationship."

"Oh? You mean an alliance with Saber? And how will you convince him to accept this ridiculous offer?"

"Maybe if I just ask him nicely…"

Kayneth snorted.

"Enough of your babbling, such things should be decided between Masters. If you are so useless, I will have to challenge Tokiomi Tohsaka and the Master of Lancer myself. You may look for the Master of Saber in the meantime."

"Finally you speak like a real man, Kayneth." Sola-Ui entered the room; she was clearly eavesdropping at the door. She sat on the table, crossing her legs. "But what if they call their Servants for help? It would be a shame to run away with your tail between your legs. Your reputation will be damaged badly, don't you think?"

Lord El-Melloi winced, hearing Archer's insolent chuckle, but also had to admit, that Sola-Ui was right.

"Fine then. Archer, you will attack Masters, not Servants," he decided after a moment of intensive thinking.

"Master, do I look like an Assassin to you?"

They both stared at Archer, clearly doubting his sanity.

"Well, he may be a poor fighter, but at least he's funny." Sola-Ui laughed and it was like another nail in the coffin of her fiancé.

"Enough fooling around, do what I told you and find the Master of Saber," Kayneth growled and dismissively waved his hand. "Begone."

Archer had a harsh comment on the tip of his tongue... but he also knew the limits of stupidity and only rolled his eyes.

"Damn aristocrats," he muttered under his breath and dematerialized with relief. It was going to be a busy night, but at least he won't stay in the same room with his Master any minute longer.

"Of all the toys Kiritsugu brought me, this one is my favorite!"

There were many things to say about Irisviel's driving skills, but Lancer kept her mouth shut. She did not really care, at least as long as Iri more or less controlled the steering wheel. Her Master's wife had too much fun driving, it would be rude and cruel to discourage her.

"Lancer, is everything all right? I mean – did that poison affect you badly?"

"I can't really say…" Arturia stopped, when another strange driving maneuver almost ended with hitting the railing. "I'm somehow weakened, but it shouldn't be a meaningful disadvantage on the battlefield. I'm only worried about Llamrei."

"I see. Don't worry, Kiritsugu will check your condition soon and he'll help you both, for sure. What the…?!"

Irisviel did not manage to hit the brakes on time, but, fortunately, Arturia did. The tires screeched and the car stopped just a few meters before an unexpected obstacle.

A strange man was standing on their way, a suspicious individual with bulging eyes. He gave out an aura of a Servant, so both women got out of the vehicle, prepared for the worst.

"I've come for you, my dearest Unholy Virgin." The stranger bowed before them, clearly expecting a warm welcome. There was only silence, so he added after a while: "Is it possible that you've forgotten my face?"

"Forgotten? I've never met you." Arturia's voice was like ice, cold and colorless. "Perhaps you've mistaken me for someone else."

"It's me! Gilles de Rais!" The enemy Servant looked truly shaken by her reaction. "I've been praying for your revival, waiting for our reunion, so we can avenge your death together, Jeeeeeanne!"

"Jeanne?" Irisviel glanced curiously at Lancer, but she only shook her head, having no idea what this madman wanted to achieve.

"So… God is afraid of you and our vengeance? So much to make you forget, why have you returned? How tragic! How lamentable! Curse you, God! But I'll make you remember, I'll make you awake, Unholy Virgin, my Angel of Retribution! My wish of reviving you was granted, I won't waste this chance!"

"Irisviel, should I crush him?" The barbed spear appeared in Arturia's hand. Lancer was already tired of this ridiculous 'conversation'. "I won't let him insult me any longer. It will be a pleasure to free him from his madness."

Gilles did not believe his own ears. Arturia's rejecting attitude must have badly hurt his feelings.

"Has your heart been that tightly sealed, Jeanne?" His voice was full of sadness. "Very well, then. Since drastic measures are called for, I will make preparations before coming again. I swear, I will free your soul from this curse."

He bowed again and dematerialized, leaving both women confused at the edge of the road.

"It was a wise decision to run away," Lancer said, with her eyes narrowed dangerously. "The ones like him infuriate me. He won't get a second chance to speak."

Archer had to admit, that he didn't expect a Saber class Servant to be this skilled in spying and deceiving his pursuers. The bowman had spent almost all day walking through the city and observing his target. Following a Servant is the best way to find his Master, right?

Well, not really. Actually, it seemed that the big guy had no Master at all.

Archer sighed, but did not complain. He was patient and observant, like a forest hunter should. Waiting for his prey to make a mistake was the easiest way to win.

His perseverance had been rewarded eventually, when he spotted something interesting on Saber's back, right between his shoulder blades. It usually remained hidden under the swordsman's long hair, but nature itself favored Archer this time, sending the wind to his advantage.

A scar? A mark? Could it be…?

There were no witnesses in this narrow alley, so Archer found the idea of performing one provocative shot extremely tempting. He was about to release an arrow, but Saber suddenly wrapped himself in a simple, grey cloak and… just disappeared from sight.

It was a nice attempt to confuse the enemy, indeed. Probably any other Servant, including Assassin, would be fooled by this trick. But not an Archer, with the sharpest eyes of all classes.

Why are you so nervous? The bowman smiled and stayed still for some time, pretending he had lost the trace. I really don't want to find myself on the wrong side of your blade.

Now, in the early evening, his prey was sitting on the roof of one of the houses in the foreigners' district of Miyama Town, observing a big, gloomy residence. Some birds were still singing and the weather was really nice, but literally nothing important had happened during his watch. Archer, already bored to death, considered taking a nap, when Saber spoke up suddenly:

"You may join me, I'm not going to attack you."

Archer clenched his teeth. What should he do? Show up and befriend the guy? Actually, it might work. Kayneth did not specify, how Archer should perform his task, only the result mattered to this haughty, annoying mage.

"How did you know I'm here?" Archer left his hideout and appeared on the roof.

"A tiny blue bird betrayed you." Siegfried glanced at the nearest tree. He couldn't hide a smile anymore. "It's been chirping all the time: 'Ro-bin! Ro-bin is cu-te!'."

Archer's face turned red, like if he was about to explode.

"H-how?!" He scratched his head, embarrassed. "Aaaah, I knew that birds are the worst… What a stupid little creature." He sighed. "So you understand the language of birds. And you possess the Cloak of Invisibility, not as powerful as mine, though... Not typical for a Saber, but it seems that not only my legend is totally crazy. Anyway, I think I know who you are."

"And I know who you are. The question is: what we're going to do with our knowledge?"

Archer sighed again, not really sure how to answer, then sat down next to Saber. Red sunset was slowly changing into deep blue of the falling night. The next round of the war was about to start soon.

"What a difficult guy you are… And why are you so confident, huh? I may stab you at any moment."

"It's not as easy as you may think," Siegfried replied calmly. It was not bragging or an empty threat, just pointing out the facts. "Besides, birds don't like evil people. This little blue buddy will refuse to serve a man, who stabs his allies in the back."

"A-allies?" Archer's jaw dropped, literally. Who was deceiving whom right now? "Hey, it's not that I owe you or something!"

"Of course not." Saber smiled. It remained unclear, if he was serious or not, it could be an advanced sarcasm as well. "But you liked being saved, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I felt like a damn princess!" Archer rolled his eyes. He did not expect this conversation to take such turn. "What are you doing here anyway?"

Saber looked at the residence below, which belonged to the Matou family. All lights turned on suddenly, so, from their vantage point, the two Servants could easily notice every detail inside.

"Just look at the corridor on the first floor. Three, two, one… Here she comes."

At this moment the door on the right opened and a little girl with a violet hair came out of the room. She was moving slowly, lifeless, like a machine or a pretty but broken doll. Her eyes were empty, even no pain remained in her gaze, just calm resignation.

"She suffers," Archer said and Siegfried nodded. He had exactly the same opinion about it.

"Every evening is the same. She's heading to the basement. I have no idea, what's going on down there, but I expect nothing good from the family that had summoned Berserker."

"Oh? So you're after Berserker, when everyone else is trying to hunt down Caster?"

"Not really. I've just found a trace by accident and ended up observing this house, that's all. But the Master of Berserker did not enter the building, he was just standing there, watching the girl. I guess that he prefers hiding in the canals, like a rat."

"Do not underestimate rats." Robin sounded surprisingly serious this time. "They're intelligent and can be dangerous, when cornered and forced to fight back." The girl had vanished from their sight and the corridor was empty now, but no one inside bothered to turn off the lights. "Berserker rather won't come home with his Master, so what's the point in sitting here? You can't help the girl anyway."

Saber did not answer, but there was something disturbing in his gaze. Robin quickly realized, that Siegfried doesn't know words like 'can't' or 'impossible'. After all, he was known as a hero, who has never been defeated. Archer sighed heavily, suspecting what was coming.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you? The heroic type, who's thinking he's going to save everyone. A tough guy with the biggest sword and the smallest brain. Aaaah, I really hate your kind!"

Siegfried ignored him completely, lost in thoughts. It seemed that he had made a decision already, but needed more information and a good plan to follow.

"You're truly insane. And I was going to offer you an alliance, stupid me…" Archer hopelessly shook his head, stood up and looked at the distant forest. "Fine, sit here as long as you like, but I'll be going now. Caster is heading to the Einzbern castle and my Master has just ordered me to ambush him. No fun, only work, work, work…" He put on his hood and checked his weapons, preparing for battle. "This Master is hopeless. He really wants to get additional Command Seal at all costs. He's fixated on power and likes controlling others. Cursed aristocratic complex of superiority! I'll be waiting for a moment, when he finally falls from his high chair and damages his head. Not that there will be any visible difference in his behavior after that…"

"You hate his kind, too?" Archer's ranting made Saber laugh. Perhaps he just liked the guy.

"Definitely. So, see you later."

"Wait. I'm going too." Saber stood up in one swift movement, took the keys out of his pocket and shook them in the air. "Give you a lift?"

Thank You for reading! Your comments and ideas help me a lot, You're the best!