Well, here I am with the next chapter! This took a little be longer than I thought it would, but, it's better than nothing right?
Oscar: At least it didn't take you more than a month.
FireEdge: That's always good. Also, I hope you all agree with the way I've decided on showing Geoffrey. It was hard for me to get a grasp on his personality (from what I've seen in the game), so I'm improvising a little.
Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.
With A Bit Of Magic
Chapter 2
The warm night was silent, save for the chirps of crickets. The dark navy sky was speckled with little stars and a half moon graced its features; there was not a cloud to be seen in sight. Even if the air was heavy and smelt like metal, leather and sweat, Geoffrey still found this evening to be very relaxing.
In his hands, he held an arrow. The fletching was tattered, but the rest of the arrow was still in good form. Balanced on one knee was a small knife, feathers and glue. Picking up the knife, he began to carefully pry the old feathers out from their sockets. So intent was he on his task, he didn't notice someone settle across from him, on the other side of the small fire he had built behind his tent.
"Ah, you are talented, Geoffrey," Calill spoke, stroking her chin with a manicured finger. Geoffrey's hand stopped momentarily, but he didn't startle; years of training made him learn not to jump when surprised. Not taking his eyes off of his work, he spoke,
"Thank you, Calill. To wield a weapon properly, one must know how the weapon works, and how it is built. When I was a page, my teachers taught me how to make weapons; from fletching arrows, to forging sword blades."
"Knight training must have been tough," remarked the sage. "Though, not so tough that you passed and became such a great knight! Or perhaps, that is why you are such a remarkable knight." The paladin couldn't help but smile.
"Many thanks for the compliments, but I'm not so worthy of such a title." Calill frowned, watching the man in front of her. He was usually a humble person, but he definitely seemed a little dejected today.
"Well, I'm sure you probably know why I'm here tonight," she said, settling her skirts about her carefully as she crossed one leg over the other. Still without straying off his arrow, Geoffrey answered,
"I can make a guess, but I don't think I really know what you want to talk about."
"Not too chatty today, are you?" replied the sage. "No matter, I'll get you talking soon enough. So, my dear friend, why were you so distant today? I've never seen you so inattentive that you'd walk into someone!" At this, Geoffrey finally put down his arrow, and carefully removed the tools from his knee. His soft turquoise eyes looked up to meet her clear blue ones.
"Well… this morning, I finally came to a realization. I knew that it was there all along, but I tried to deny it. I couldn't any longer, and I've decided to move on, but it's harder than I thought it'd be…" Calill didn't need him to say anything else. It was evident what he spoke of.
Watching as he started to pick up his arrow and turn it between his fingers, Calill couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him. The paladin before her was suffering from a classic romantic tragedy: unrequited love. Though she would like nothing more than to see Geoffrey happy, she had to think of the feelings of Elincia, also. Only a complete dunce would not be able to see the clear affections that the princess held for their general. Ike was a very lucky man.
"Of course it must be hard for you! You are giving up the love of your life!" Calill answered, not entirely sure what else she could say to console him. "But… you're a strong person to have finally let go. It may take some time, but you'll get through this. Then, before you know it, you just might even fall in love again!" She hoped that her last comment would brighten his mood.
"Perhaps… though I highly doubt it."
"Don't be that way! Princess Elincia may be one of a kind, but there are more fish in the sea! Don't insult the other woman out there by thinking that she's the only 'perfect' one!" snapped Calill.
"Uh… I-I'm sorry, Calill. I shouldn't be acting this way, I know," Geoffrey stammered out, pink with embarrassment. "Maybe we should both retire; I think I'll be better in the morning." Seeing that the conversation was finished, Calill stood carefully and brushed off her skirts.
"Well then, good night, Geoffrey." With that, she left. Watching her go, he sighed. How could she think that he'd be able to fall in love again? He knew that she was most likely right, but at the moment it was hard to believe. Elincia had always been the only girl he'd ever been interested in, from when he'd first met her so long ago as young children. His heart had been so set on her that he'd denied all others who admired him.
Picking up his tools, he started to carefully stow them away. Once he finished, he took a small pail of water and doused the fire, kicking on some dirt as an extra precaution. Feeling downhearted and weary, he slowly walked back to the front of his tent, his head bowed. As he turned the corner of the small structure, he felt someting solid bump into him.
"Oh, I-I'm sorry…" a voice mumbled, recovering from the collision. Somewhat surprised, Geoffrey looked down to see the girl that he had met earlier that day.
"Ah—" He was about to say something, mostly about that morning, but the green-headed girl had already turned and started to rapidly walk away. "Uh…" Frozen with his mouth half-open, he stared at the retreating back.
Well… That was certainly strange. The paladin had never met such an odd girl. She seemed so shy and quiet, how had she found herself to be in the company of Calill? But she was quite pretty, his mind added absently. Geoffrey hadn't seemed to notice that his brain had made that comment, for he turned into his quarters and got ready to sleep. However, he felt that his depressed mood was somewhat lifted and he slept a peaceful and dreamless slumber.
"Well, well, my dear knight. You seem to be in better humour today," the blonde sage chimed, settling herself on the top of a nearby barrel. Geoffrey smiled, as he began to buckle on his chest plate.
"Yes, indeed I am. I think a good night's rest did do me some good," he replied, tightening a strap and folding it under the steel buckle. "By the way, I ran into that friend of yours last night. The one I bumped into yesterday morning."
"Oh, really?" Calill inquired, raising a brow delicately. Nodding, Geoffrey pulled on his left gauntlet.
"Why was she out so late? General Ike employs her as a main unit; she should be getting enough rest."
"You're one to talk, my friend! You're the one who was up all night sighing over your lost love," she retorted, rolling her eyes. Normally, she wouldn't have said such a biting remark, but the sage knew that Geoffrey would be able to take that comment. She wasn't sure how she knew it, considering the short amount of time since he had given up on Elincia, but she just did. And after all, how could she be wrong? She never had been before.
"Hmm," the knight mumbled, focused on his stubborn gauntlet as it wouldn't buckle on right. As suspected, he didn't even flinch. "Ah! There we go!" Calill sighed; it seemed that Geoffrey hadn't even heard her.
Hearing the call to line up and prepare for battle, the sage stood and nodded to her companion before heading off. Geoffrey pulled on his second gauntlet and ran over to where the horses were kept. Jamming on his helmet, he swung onto his white mount. Making sure that his steel bow was there, he hefted a silver lance from a nearby rack.
"Where would you like me positioned, General?" Geoffrey asked as he approached Ike. The blue-haired mercenary thought for a moment, looking around the battlefield. They were approaching the base of Marhaut Range, and the treacherous cliffs looked menacing.
"Take the far left path. I'll be sending some more troops to back you up in a second," Ike decided, already turning to give his next set of orders.
Getting a better grip on his weapon, the paladin nudged his horse towards the left area. Approaching an ascending path, Geoffrey looked up the cliff. So far it seemed quiet, but experience told him that there was an ambush waiting for him. As his instincts predicted, a cat laguz suddenly leapt from the cliff above him.
Rearing up, his stallion's front hooves kicked at the cat in front of him, whinnying ferociously. The laguz let out an angry yowl as the warhorse's sharp hooves dug into its shoulder. Twisting the reins to the left, his horse turned his upper torso clear as Geoffrey thrust his lance down into the back of the cat. Gritting his teeth, he yanked his spear back and stabbed again. The cat was quick, however, and managed to jump back; his weapon just grazed it. Then, with a strength and speed belonging only to laguz, the beast sprang at Geoffrey.
Scrambling away, his mount suffered a light slash from the cat's claws. The paladin's mind briefly wondered where the others were as he hooked his lance through the back of his saddle and pulled his horse further back as he switched out his bow. Steering with his knees, Geoffrey deftly nocked an arrow and let loose. Before the arrow had hit its mark, he had already started to nock the next one. With two arrows protruding from its body, the laguz still charged forward, thought not as lithely; stumbling slightly. Before the cat could land, it coughed and collapsed to the ground below with a javelin jutting out of its chest.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Geoffrey lowered his bow and turned to see who his saviour was. There stood Nephenee.
"Thank you," he said, hiding his surprise. Who would've thought he'd run into her again?
"Uh… It was nothing… Just doin' my job…" she replied quietly, stepping forward and pulling out her javelin. He noticed that she had a slight accent. It wasn't unpleasant; rather, it felt like it belonged with her voice. Hearing more footsteps, he turned his head to see Rhys and Mia. Finally, more troops.
"Sir Geoffrey! Boss said we're supposed to follow your orders, and we're to head to the summit," Mia shouted as the two approached.
"Let's move out then." Giving a nod, the small group ran up the slope. It was obvious that the enemy knew they were there, and it was better to rush them and draw them out then risk them jumping out at them when they were unprepared.
Geoffrey trotted behind Nephenee, letting the halberdier take the lead. He could back her up with his bow. Suddenly, they heard a rumbling sound and the ground beneath them started to tremble gently. The sounds of crumbling and grinding rocks sounded louder, and glancing up they could see a large boulder rolling down towards them.
"Holy cow!" Mia exclaimed, already scrambling out of the way. The auburn-haired bishop wasn't far behind. Geoffrey's horse neighed and reared up, somewhat spooked. Enemies it could deal with, but a falling rock? That was a different story.
Trying to control his horse, he could see that the boulder was coming alarmingly close. He had to run now or he wouldn't get out of the way. Just as he was starting to turn, he noticed that Nephenee was having difficulty with her footing on the shaking earth. On foot, she might not make it out of the boulder's path.
Without a second thought, his arm lowered and he caught hold of her arm. With a grunt, he half hauled her up behind him.
Startled, Nephenee could just register what was happening as her upper body was hanging off Geoffrey's saddle. Eventually, she finally realized what was going on, and she barely got a grasp onto the back of the saddle as the stallion leapt away. Though she dropped her lance, she managed to clumsily climb up behind the paladin. She had only ridden on a horse a few times before, and she nearly fell off as the horse started off into a gallop, aiming for the side of a nearby overhang.
When the horse made the sharp angular turn, Nephenee let out a yelp, and involuntarily grabbed hold of Geoffrey's waist. Noticing what she had just done, she was about to let go, but when she tried she was very close to careening into the ground. So, instead, she had to hold on tighter. She could feel heat rising to her cheeks, feeling the warmth of the paladin's back against her. The girl couldn't help but think how comfortable it was, but quickly snapped herself out of her reverie. She shouldn't be thinking like that! Especially on a battle field!
In a few moments, Geoffrey pulled up his mount, and they could hear the boulder rumble down the path and break on another mound of rocks. They both let out a heaving sigh. Then suddenly realizing that her arms were still wrapped around the paladin's waist, she quickly let go, trying to put as much distance as possible between them. Unfortunately, she put a little too much distance, and she tumbled off the tall horse.
"Oh! Are you okay?" Geoffrey cried, he had barely noticed that her arms had been around him, though he did vaguely feel the absence of the pleasant warmth. Swinging off with practiced ease, he knelt next to the halberdier.
Groaning, she sat up and rubbed her thigh. She had landed on her side and she could feel the stinging of cuts down her right leg. Feeling numb, but in one piece, she looked up through the opening of her helmet. Seeing Geoffrey's face so close, and full of concern made her face flush uncontrollably.
"Er… Uh…" Stumbling for words that wouldn't form, she felt much more relief than when they had escaped the boulder when Rhys and Mia ran towards them. As Rhys came to her side, Geoffrey backed away.
When the tingling feeling of being healed started to seep away, she warily stood up and shook out her stiff limbs.
"Thanks, Rhys. I feel much better now," she said to the bishop.
"Not a problem, that's what I'm here for," Rhys replied with a serene smile. "But we should probably start heading up again. We're starting to fall behind…"
"Yeah, now that that boulder's out of the way, we can go take out that ballista," chimed in Mia, looking up the range. "I think it's aiming at Jill and Haar, and they're busy taking out that big wyvern knight guy up there."
"Good idea. Let's go, and watch your step!" Geoffrey nodded curtly, remounting. He wanted to talk to Nephenee still, to apologize for the brusque rescue he had made. However, the battle was more important; he would find time to speak with her after this was all over.
Wandering through the bustling camp, Geoffrey glanced from left to right, but couldn't make out who he was looking for. It was difficult enough to try and find anyone at this time, when everybody was setting up their tents and recuperating from the just ended battle. He could see a large group of soldiers putting up the large mess tent; maybe he'd find her there.
But, after waiting for an hour after the tent was up and running (and taking his supper while he was at it), there was still no sign of the green-haired girl. The aftermath of the battle was really starting to catch up to him, he felt more tired by the minute. Returning to his tent and falling down on his cot was a very pleasant thought at the moment, but he continued to force himself to walk around the site.
He wasn't entirely sure why he wanted to talk to Nephenee so badly. However, he felt that if he didn't then he would feel guilty with himself. What for? He was not entirely sure. Maybe it was because she had fallen off his horse when he had pulled up so sharply. It must've hurt quite a bit if she had let Rhys heal her.
Coming out of his thoughts, he realized that he had reached the perimeter of the encampment. About to turn around and start another round, he spotted something move at the base of a tree in the near distance. Could it be an enemy scout? Debating whether or not to go back and grab a weapon or risk going unarmed, he moved a little closer.
From his position he could make out that the figure had a small build, and didn't seem to have any large weapons on it. The person was either a mage or perhaps a spy armed with a few daggers. Groping at his belt, he felt his short machete that he used for everyday use. It would be good enough; his sheer size should be able to take the person down if needed. Anyway, if he went back now, the person might escape before he returned.
Crouching down a little lower, Geoffrey snuck through the tall grass and clung to the sparsely spread out trees. Thankfully, the shadowy figure seemed to be preoccupied with something on the tree. Soon, he was less than fifteen feet away, and he could just make out who the stranger was. To his surprise, it was Nephenee.
What is she doing out here? Slinking in closer, he hid behind another tree; sneaking glances from around the thick trunk. He saw that she was holding a small bag; it was bulging with little bumps. Her other hand was reaching into the branches. A few seconds later, he saw her carefully put a small nut into the bag. She was picking… nuts?
In a few minutes, Nephenee seemed to be satisfied and she tied the bag with a piece of cord. Before leaving, she picked one more and popped it into her mouth. Turning away, she started back to the camp, humming softly to herself.
Watching her leave, he waited until she was almost to the camp before he moved himself. By the time that he entered the base himself, she was no where in sight. By now, he really was too exhausted to go find her again. Maybe he should've just talked to her when he spotted her by that tree… But he didn't want to make it seem like he had been spying on her or something along the lines of that.
Half stumbling back to his tent, he let out a yawn. Opening the tent flap, he stepped inside and nearly tripped. Looking down, he saw a small lumpy sack. It looked very, very familiar. Picking it up, he saw a small note attached.
Thanks for saving me. The beedle nuts are for you, I think you'll like them.
Be careful, the shells are real sticky, so hold on to the edges.
-Nephenee
Staring at the note in wonder, he slowly moved to his bed and sat down. Putting the small piece of paper down, he pulled open the bag and glanced inside. He could make out the dark round nuts. Reaching inside, he carefully pulled out one of the little nuts, holding on to the top and bottom of the edges. Despite the darkness of the tent, the small lamp on the ground that he had previously lit gave off light, letting him see the light sheen of sticky oil on the shell.
He wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to eat it. Was the shell edible? Or did he have to crack it open? Then, he remembered seeing Nephenee pick one off the tree and eating it right away. Shrugging, he put the small nut into his mouth and bit down tentatively.
The sticky substance on the nut had a sour tang to it and instantly melted off the outsides. The shell itself was only moderately hard and easily broke under his teeth, and tasted almost like roasted almonds. Geoffrey didn't expect what was inside the nut; its texture was quite soft and smooth and was creamy in flavour.
Swallowing the rest of the nut, he glanced at the bag again. They really were tasty, though they made his mouth dry. Retying the sack and putting it down, he took his water flask and took a quick swig. Then, lying down on his bed with a happy sigh, his eyes closed and he started to slumber off.
I really need to thank her now… But, if she's too shy to give me that gift in person, then it'll be hard to get her to talk to me. Maybe Calill will know something… He thought to himself before he finally succumbed to sleep, but just before that, he unconsciously added, she is quite pretty…
Hah, I finally finished. Ended up being a little longer than I thought it'd be (which is a good thing for you guys), but I liked how it turned out. I think the beginning was a bit rushed, with Geoffrey letting go of Elincia that quickly and all. But, I didn't feel like writing about him moping over his loss. I had a lot of fun writing the rest of it (post Calill scene), though. So, I hope you all like it.
Oscar: Please review!
--FireEdge--
