AN: Fire Emblem is owned by Intelligent systems and Nintendo
"But it is… !Captain Jeralt?! It is you!" Claude watched as the man with the brown hair rushed over to shake the hand of the man that helped save them. His silver armor and long cape had dirt on it from running through the woods, probably in search of them, the young heir thought as he watched as Alois grinned, "Goodness, it's been ages!"
Claude crossed his arms loosely as he watched. Thoughts whirled in his mind. "Well now, isn't that something?"
"Isn't what something?" Shez tried to act aloof, her eyes casting a glance of displeasure at the blue-haired woman and her father. Claude caught the tone and smirked lightly as he turned to look over his shoulder at her.
"Seems our commander of the Knights of Seiros knows the leader of the Mercenaries that saved us."
Shez perked up at this comment and looked over at him. "He, what?!" She went over next to him and he motioned at the trio, talking.
"See for yourself." The young heir observed the scene with interest. If Alois knows this Jeralt, then this could be useful for me. I better keep this tucked away for later. He glanced at Shez, who wrinkled her nose. "Something bothering you?"
The purple-haired girl scratched her chin. "No… Well, yes, but not really." She sighed. "I guess it explains a lot."
The boy blinked and tilted his head. "Explains what exactly?" He smiled. "I can't read your mind, you know. I'm not that talented."
Shez shook her head, smiling, and seemed to think about the thing, then added softly, "Not that long ago I crossed blades with Jeralt and his companion over there. They bested my company, so I was wondering where she got her skills," the young woman cupped her cheek and looked down at the ground deep in thought, "but if she learned from a former knight of Seiros, it would explain a hell of a lot."
"I take it there's more to this story, but I'm not gonna ask… for now." Claude commented and went back to watching Alois and hearing Jeralt sigh. The man was clearly exasperated, but he got it. Alois was a lot to take in. Alois motioned to him with a bit of dismay but also excitement, it was clear to Claude that the two had to go way back, no way was the Commander acting like this around just any old person, even if his cheerfulness and terrible puns were given to anyone in earshot.
"Don't you recognize me?" Alois pouted slightly. "It's Alois! Your old right-hand man!" He laughed, "Well, that's how I always thought of myself, anyway." The commander shook his head and put his hand to his forehead. "It must have been 20 years ago that you went missing without a trace." For a second Claude caught a hint of sadness go through the Commander's blue eyes, which was quickly replaced by delight as he grinned, "I always knew you were still alive!"
Still alive? So what happened there, I wonder, he thought, as he tried to appear like he was checking his remaining arrows in his quiver. His green eyes thought were always shifting to the body language of the three adults. The girl seemed to give no sign she fully understood the situation like him and Shez it seemed. On the other hand, Jeralt was tense, and not enjoying this conversation one bit. Or rather, it seemed to Claude that it was less that he wasn't enjoying it, more because of the discussion. That man is definitely hiding something.
Alois, though, didn't seem to register any of this language in the slightest and barreled on. Jeralt shook his head and rubbed his temple. "You haven't changed a bit, Alois. Just as loud as ever."
Alois laughed some and grinned. "My men tell me that, too."
"That doesn't surprise me at all," the mercenary intoned and glanced at his companion, then shifted his stance and his voice had a hint of annoyance in it. "And drop that 'captain' nonsense. I'm not your captain anymore."
Jeralt motioned to his men, who were cleaning up after the bandits and checking to see if the town's citizens were okay. "These days I'm just a wandering Mercenary," he crossed his arms. "And one who has work to do."
"I see," Alois nodded, not fully registering what was being stated as he was giddy to have found his old friend.
Jeralt gave him a short clap on the shoulder and then turned to check on the others, his hand on Byleth's cloak and ushering her to come with him. "Goodbye, old friend."
"Right… Goodbye, Captain," Alois declared and Claude counted under his breath, noting that Shez had glanced his way.
"And in three… two… one…" The brown-haired boy closed his eyes and gave a little gesture with his fingers as Alois gaped.
"Wait!" The commander moved to follow. "That isn't how this ends."
"Right on cue," Claude chuckled and watched Alois hurry to catch up with Jeralt and Byleth.
"I insist you return to the monastery with me!"
His green eyes went wide. Now this was something he didn't account for, and his head swiveled to look at the trio again. He cautiously watched Jeralt's reaction. The blonde mercenary sounded resigned, as if knowing there was going to be no way to get out of it.
"Garreg Mach Monastery…" Jeralt heaved a sigh. "I suppose this was inevitable."
Shez stared and muttered, "Just like that? He didn't put up much of a fight, did he?"
"No, he didn't, and I wonder why," Claude agreed with her as Alois beamed at the duo. The Commander's blue eyes turned onto the blue-haired girl beside Jeralt and he spoke plainly.
"And how about you, kid? Are you the Captain's child?"
Claude could see her debating and read her lips as she leaned over to Jeralt. "Should I tell him we don't know each other, or that I'm a bandit?"
"Go with Bandit." Jeralt whispered back, and the girl nodded.
"I'm a bandit, he's taking me in."
Alois laughed and smiled at the two of them. "Great sense of humor, this one. Clearly cut from the same cloth as the captain."
Shez shrugged and shook her head. "I don't see what's so funny."
Claude let out a light chuckle as he eavesdropped a bit more. Alois's voice, though, made that fairly easy. He was sure most of the field could hear their conversation at this point. "I'd love for you to see the monastery, too. You will join me, won't you?"
Claude saw the girl nod her head in agreement. Really, what other choice was there if she worked closely with Jeralt, and she couldn't be that much older than them? The way Jeralt seemed protective of her, he was sure there was some sort of relationship going on there. Not romantic, more like a parent and child. But is she connected biologically to him, or is this a case of taking her in as a foundling?
A groan that Jeralt let out drew his attention away from his thoughts.
"What's troubling you, Captain?" Alois gave the man a puppy dog look as they stood there. "You' aren't about to run off again, are you?"
Jeralt gave him a sharp look that seemed to give Alois pause. "Even I wouldn't dare run from the Knights of Seiros."
Shez glanced at Claude as the two walked away, followed a second later by the blue-haired girl. "Hey, just a question, but aren't the Knights of Seiros, you know, really skilled? What's someone like him doing with them?"
Claude smiled. "Looks can be really deceiving." He waved at Alois and motioned for Shez to follow. The commander stopped and motioned to Jeralt that he would catch up in a moment
"Hey Commander Rangeld," Alois stopped walking as Claude walked over. "You have a moment?"
"Of course Master von Riegan." Alois gave a short bow to the boy. "What can I do for you?"
Claude gave Alois a well-placed grin and motioned to Shez beside him. "Well, I just wanted to inform you that the mercenary that stands beside me was also a big help tonight. If not for her then, we might have been cut to the quick several times." He wasn't lying, just embellishing some. "And I figured that a reward for such kindness would surely not be without cause, and I mentioned we would pay her for her services."
"Yes, I remember we just met, and thank you again for your help," The commander seemed thoughtful and rubbed his chin.
"No, it would not indeed." Alois spoke and grinned. "On behalf of the church of Seiros, I thank you for your help to the leaders of the three houses. So if you wouldn't mind waiting over there with them, you can accompany us back to camp in a few moments."
Shez looked over at Claude startled, "Wha… What? Wait, I didn't agree to…" She heaved a sigh as the man walked off humming to himself and she rounded on Claude. "You did that on purpose. Are you trying to avoid paying me?"
He held up his hands and gave her a charming smile. "Nope, it's just that we're a little light on gold at the moment."
"But I heard you say the bandits were chasing you for your gold." Shez accused him and he grinned.
"Were you spying on us?
"I… no. No, I was not." Shez frowned, embarrassed at being caught. Claude grinned at her and chuckled, patting her shoulder.
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." He motioned to her as he moved. "Come on. Let's go back to the others. I'm sure they'd like to introduce themselves to you, too."
Shez pursed her lips but followed as requested. They walked in silence for a bit, and he glanced over at her. The girl was cute when she seemed annoyed. He smiled some as they reached the others.
Dimitri was talking quietly to Edelgard as Claude approached and waved to them. The blonde turned and looked at him. "We were wondering where you wandered off to, Claude."
"Is everything alright?" Edelgard asked, and he nodded.
"Just fine," Claude smiled. He motioned to Alois. "Just was talking to the Commander about making sure that Shez here was paid properly for her help. After all, it's not every night you get to fight with the heir to the Alliance, a prince and a princess."
Shez's eyes went wide as she stood there, mouth slightly agape. "Wait! H… Hold on a minute. You three… You three are seriously the Imperial princess, the crown prince of the Holy kingdom, and the heir to the Alliance?!" She moved back some and tried to make herself look a bit more presentable. "Should I bow or something right now? I feel like I should be bowing."
"No need for that, please," Dimitri replied and Claude laughed.
"Bow all you want."
"Claude," chastised Edelgard and smiled at the purple-haired girl. "But yes, that is correct. We owe you a debt for your help there, Shez. The least we can do at the moment are formal introductions."
"I agree," Dimitri said and Edelgard started.
"My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg, princess of the Adrestian Empire, and I thank you for your support out there."
Dimitri gave a light bow to her, and Claude smirked slightly. It was typical of Dimitri to follow the rules of decorum, even in a strange situation such as this.
"I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and I offer you my most humble gratitude for your help back there. But I have a question for you."
"You can ask her, after I get a chance to introduce myself too," Claude chuckled and Dimitri nodded with a soft apology. He shook his head. "No problem."
"So I'm Claude von Riegan, grandson of the leader of the Leicester Alliance." He grinned. "So now that we have that out of the way, again, thanks for helping us back there. We couldn't have won without you."
Shez shook her head and smiled at them. "It wasn't just me, you know, that was a team effort. And without Jeralt's instructions, I'm not sure it would have been as easy as it was. He really knows a lot about strategy, it seems. I hear he has a title too right, the Blade breaker."
Edelgard seemed curious about her comment. "Yes, I take it you've heard about that title from your time with other companies, then?"
Shez gave a short nod. "Yeah, though I've only been on the field against his men once, and…" she pursed her lips. "It did not go well for my team."
"I see. So is that why you were so upset with the young woman that was with him then?" Dimitri inquired. Claude glanced at him slightly as he watched the young prince's stance shift ever so slightly.
So that was the question you were wondering about. Her connection to Jeralt's… whatever she is.
Shez seemed hesitant, then spoke in a low voice, "I'm upset because that's the Ashen Demon, and her… Jeralt's company was the one who was opposite my company when we last fought." She took a breath and Claude noticed her muscles seemed to tighten some as she spoke quietly. "My Captain, she had a goal to eventually beat Jeralt, but that didn't happen, and during the fighting, that girl killed her." She cupped her cheek and closed her eyes as she continued.
"Most know of her as the Ashen Demon, a fighter above all others. Terrible to behold if you're on the opposite side of her. I'm sure you saw how she fought against those bandits." The trio nodded. "Well, that is what I had to face, and I can't just stand here and be okay with my captain's killer."
Edelgard nodded slightly. "I'm sorry to hear that, and I understand. But if your companies were opponents, there is little that could be done. I'm sure if your captain had the chance she would have killed her too, correct?"
Shez nodded, "Yes. Part of the job and all that."
"But at the moment, there is no need to attack her." Dimitri pointed out softly and Claude looked over at the two of them. "She was on your side, or rather you were on her side, and given she doesn't seem to recall the incident you mentioned, it might be wise to wait and see what is going on. There may be a reason she's not acknowledging it."
Claude nodded and looked at Shez, hand on his hip. "Gotta agree with the two of them, Shez. Even if you see it as a slight, it was a fight paid for by two sides, right? Her job was to take you guys down, I assume, and she did just that."
"She told me to stand down before we fought." Shez muttered and Claude grinned.
"See, she gave you an out."
"Meaning her goal was to defeat only your captain." Edelgard nodded. "Hard to fault her if she gave you the chance to walk away from the fight."
Shez groaned and Claude smirked slightly, "Hey I'm sure she'd love to square off against you at another time. But right now I don't think is the time."
"Yeah, I guess." The purple-haired girl looked them over, then glanced over her shoulder when Byleth came over to join them. "Oh? What brings you here?"
"I wanted to check in on all of you." Byleth clarified and, while her face remained neutral, Claude could see she was smiling some in her eyes. "I'm glad to see no harm came to any of you, and you as well, Shez. My father told me you helped us, so thank you for that."
Shez cringed slightly and sighed. Claude held in a giggle. This girl doesn't know how to deal with her enemy being friendly with her at all. "No problem, I guess."
Byleth nodded to them, and Edelgard opened up to her first.
"I appreciate your help back there. Your skill is beyond question."
The blue-haired girl shook her head. "My skill is nowhere near my fathers, but thank you for the compliment."
Humble, interesting. Okay, so she doesn't think she's that good and Shez says she's one of the best. Claude thought to himself as he moved over to Shez to show some solidarity to the girl. She seemed to relax then, which was better than her being riled up by the one that joined them.
"You're clearly an experienced mercenary. And your father… that would be Jeralt, the blade breaker?" Edelegard went on, "Former Captain of the Knights of Seiros. Oft praised as the strongest knight to ever live. Have I missed anything?"
Byleth seemed a bit confused as she shook her head. "I didn't even know he was a captain, let alone being part of…" she pursed her lips and wrinkled her brow. "The Knights of Seiros? Who are they exactly?"
Claude raised an eyebrow. She had no clue how her father was connected to the Knights? Now I have to know what this man told her growing up.
"You know, it would be easier to address you if we got your name. You've heard ours." He smiled at her and the blue-haired girl nodded.
"Byleth… Byleth Eisner, at your service." She gave a nod to the three of them.
Edelgard and Dimitri glanced at each other and the princess spoke up first, confused. "You haven't heard of the Knights of Seiros? The most famous order of knights in all of Fódlan?"
Byleth shook her head. "No, I haven't. To be honest, I didn't even know my father knew anyone like them."
Claude watched as she furrowed her brow and then shook it off. "It's just one more thing about him I'll have to learn more about when he's ready to talk."
"You must have led an interesting childhood if you didn't know about who your father was," Dimitri smiled at her and she nodded
"Yes, we've traveled extensively, but something I just haven't read about, or learned about. Not that he's stopped me from, but we've been always busy with jobs. There's no time to read much outside of tactical and cultural books." She explained and then paused. "Other than the normal, math and sciences that one would need to know about."
"Of course." Claude nodded and motioned to her father and Alois, who were still talking. "So, you are coming to the monastery, right?"
"Yes, after we settle things with the men. Alois is insisting." Byleth told them, and the brown-haired boy grinned.
"Of course you are. Once we leave camp, then and are on the road, I'd love to bend your ear as we traveled." He put his hand on his hip and smirked at her, "I'm sure by now you've realized that the three of us are students of the Officer's Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery."
Byleth nodded. "Yes, you mentioned you were in the woods for a camp of sorts." She glanced at Dimitri. "Dimitri mentioned it to me, training and socialization?"
"Heh. That's right. You're sure fast on picking up on things," Claude told her and sighed. "We were going to do some night training when those bandits attacked us. I definitely got the worst of it."
"I thought you were looking for a village." Shez offered, and Edelgard shook her head.
"That was a slight cover story." Edelgard put her hand on her hip. "We heard some noise in the woods and went to look, only it turned out a part of those bandits were lying in wait for us. They attacked and Claude ran off."
"I wasn't running off, more like a strategic retreat. I'm not someone who should be in the front line." He looked at Shez and Byleth. "Anyway, we got lost trying to get back to the camp, and headed for Remire Village as the Princess explained it wasn't too far from where we were."
Byleth cupped her cheek. "Well, this is Remire Village, at least the old one. The new one is farther down the road."
"Well, what do you know, Edelgard? You got us here, just like you promised," Claude teased her and the princess huffed some. He shook his head. "Everything would have worked out though if these two didn't follow me and ruin my plans."
"And what plans were those?" Edelgard questioned him with narrowed brows.
"To lure some of them away and let the others get behind them, clearly," Claude explained to her, rubbing his forehead. Like she couldn't see that a mile away. He went on, "But because of them running after me, every single one of those bandits chased after us. The whole thing was utterly ridiculous."
"You sure you weren't trying to avoid fighting?" Shez intoned with a haughty, knowing look. Claude rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"I assure you, on my grandmother's grave, I wasn't trying to avoid a fight."
"Ah, so that's what you were thinking, Claude," Dimitri mused, his face as polite as ever, but Claude detected a hint of sarcasm in there. "And here I thought you were acting as a decoy for the sake of us all."
So his Royalness has some bite to him when he wants to. Nice to know he's not as sweet as everyone seems to think. He grinned at Dimitri, but his attention turned to Edelgard, who was quick to snap, her irritation showing.
"His intentions were as clear as day." She turned on the blonde beside her. "You will prove a lacking ruler if you cannot see the truth behind a person's words."
Claude chuckled softly, watching as Dimitri turned on the girl beside him. "And you will prove a lacking ruler yourself if you look for deceit behind every word and fail to trust those whom you rely on."
"Oh joy. A royal debate between Their Highnesses." He leaned into Shez some who giggled some.
"I take it this happens a lot?"
"All the time," Claude sighed and spoke plainly. "I wonder how being completely predictable affects one's ability to wield power." He winked at her and continued, "Personally, as the embodiment of distrust, I'd say your little exchange smacks of naiveté."
He watched the surrounding reactions, with Edelgard snapping back, clearly shocked and annoyed by his accusation. Oh, this was too good seeing her react like this. The princess was one to never let on to a lot of her true feelings that much he could see. If this gave her a moment of humanity, well then, he was happy to force her to show it.
She put her hand to her chest then glared, "Me? Naïve? Tell me, are you actually incapable of keeping quiet, or is your lack of self-awareness a condition of some sort?"
Shez scowled, "Now hold on, just what are you implying here? You're the one getting all bent out of shape over such comments."
"This isn't your fight, Shez. Claude is always going off with such comments." The white-haired girl explained.
Dimitri quickly cut in, "In any case," he looked at his two companions. "Forgive our digression."
"That's okay. It seems the three of you have a rather, um… unique comradery." Byleth proposed as a peacekeeper. Claude wanted to laugh. Did she really think they were friends? Him with these two? Dimitri was fine but so innocent he almost felt sorry for him, and Edelgard, well, he had his suspicious about her and her attitude ticked him off. But he didn't want to add to the tension, so he kept that to himself as Dimitri went on.
"Miss Byleth, May I have a word with you, if you can spare a moment?" Claude snorted; the boy had stars in his eyes, and it was easy to see. And honestly, he didn't blame him. Byleth was an amazing fighter, as was Shez. Having either of them at the monastery would be a boon, better still if they ended up in Golden Deer with him.
"The way you held your ground against the bandit's leader was captivating!"
In more ways than one, Claude internally teased the blonde boy as he went on gushing.
"You never lost control of the situation. It showed me I still have much to learn."
Edelgard nodded in agreement. "Your skill is precisely why I must ask you to consider lending your services to the Empire." She looked at Shez, "And you as well; you have a great deal of strength and showed such courage out there."
"Thanks but…" Shez started and sighed as the princess went on.
"I might as well tell you now. I am no mere student. I am also the Adrestian Empire's ..." Dimitri cut in quickly as Byleth looked between them.
"Halt, Edelgard. Please allow me to finish my own proposition. The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus is in dire need of exceptional individuals like yourself." The blonde explained to them and Byleth seemed to nod lightly, as if she already knew that. "Please, do consider returning to the Kingdom with me."
"That almost sounds like a marriage proposal," Shez let out a sigh and Byleth blushed lightly and watched the trio, a bit confused by all of this. Claude knew that this had to be a lot for the two girls to take in. He'd sure as hell find it hard to figure out why they were asking such things if he was in their shoes. But if they were offering, he'd do the same.
"Whoa there! You two sure are hasty." Claude crossed his arms and gave a sly smile. "Trying to recruit someone you just met. Tactless, really." He moved over to between Byleth and Shez and put his hands on their shoulders. "I was personally planning to develop a deep and lasting friendship at the camp and then on our journey back to the monastery before begging for favors."
Byleth made a face. "There's no need for this. I was doing what was right. That's all there was to it. I'd rather you three not fight over me. Besides, my father is the one you would have to talk to if you needed work done. Not me."
Shez nodded, "Yeah, while this is nice and all, before I go agreeing to anything I'd need a full on contract, given that, so far, I still have empty pockets to fill."
"Honest and lovely, what more can we ask for in two fine mercenaries?" Claude took his hands away and stood beside Dimitri and smiled at the two kindly. "But it seems there's no time for niceties in this world. So, our two capable strangers, let's get right to it. Where does your allegiance lie?"
"What kind of question is that to be asking us?" Shez shook her head and looked at Byleth. "Can you believe this?"
The blue-haired girl seemed thoughtful. "I can't really say. I hardly know any of you. How can I pick like this?" She crossed her arms and seemed to be deep in thought.
Well, that didn't go over as planned, Claude thought and nodded. "No, I understand."
"We are sorry for putting you both on the spot. It was rude of us." Dimitri chimed in and Edelgard nodded.
"I suppose it would take more than some pretty words to convince you, and that's the way it should be. Loyalty shouldn't just come from one rescue."
Claude smirked. He would just have to work harder to win one of them over. He quickly brought up the question of why Byleth and her father were at the village and it lead into some small talk about the local area, which dropped the tension between the group; a nice change of pace, Claude figured.
It was not long into their discussion that Alois came sauntering over and smiled. "All right, that's enough with the small talk. Hello there, house leaders! Hello, brave mercenaries!" He seemed in higher spirits than when Claude left his side earlier and he looked at the group. "We've mopped up what's left of those rascally bandits."
"I wouldn't call Kostas that I'm afraid." Byleth commented and looked at Alois sternly. "He's not one to just let this pass over. He doesn't like to lose."
"Oh, I'm sure of that, but for now, what say we return to camp?" Alois looked to Byleth. "You'll be staying her to help your father, I'm sure, and then the two of you will meet up with us in the morning."
She nodded and thanked the knight before nodding to the three of them and walking off. Alois smiled at Shez, who blinked.
"I take it I'm coming with you to the camp, then?"
"Right you are," Alois gestured, swinging his arm and fist in an affirmative manner.
"You heard the man." Claude told Shez with a grin. "We'll wait out the night together and make for the village in the morning. Especially if you want to get paid."
"I know, I know, you're short on the pocket change right now," Shez rolled her eyes and gave a nod.
The fox like grin Claude gave her showed he knew exactly what he was doing and was proud of it. Claude noticed Edelgard shake her head and Dimitri watch after the Ashen Demon as she walked away. It had been an interesting night.
"Well, now, with all that settled, I need to get you three back to camp. After all, if I don't finish my assigned tasks, I'm mission the point!"
Claude shook his head as Edelgard stifled a groan and Dimitri tried to look distracted by something else. Shez just stared at the man as he explained, "Get it? Missing? Mission? Come now, this is good stuff!"
"Dad jokes? Honestly? Who would have thought that would be my payment tonight?"
Claude laughed and patted Alois on the arm. "That's our Alois." He took hold of Shez by the arm and guided her away from the others. "Come on, let's get moving before he really gets going."
The hike back to the camp wasn't that long and through it all Shez seemed quiet in Claude's opinion as he watched her walking with the commander, who was telling her about his former Captain, and that she informed him about the passing of hers, though she didn't say who had done the task.
It was still dark out by the time they made it to the camp and the house leaders were soon swarmed by their fellow students. Shez was moved away by the guards to get her checked out, and he made his way over to his tent with Hilda and Lorenz beside him as they walked. The pink-haired girl seemed rather excited in her bouncing steps, and the tall, purple-haired, elegant boy seemed nonplussed, but there was some concern to how tightly he held himself erect. Both were signs to Claude they had been genuinely worried about him. It was a kind of nice feeling knowing he had at least two people he could trust in the school.
"Where did you run off to, Claude? We were actually worried?" Hilda was saying, and he smiled at her.
"Oh, were you worried about my safety?"
"Well, yes, but no worries. If anything should befall you, House Glouchester would be all too ready to take up the task of finding a suitable new leader for the Alliance." Lorenz told him with a smile and Claude snorted.
"And by that, you mean taking over." He sat down next to the fire that was going.
"Guilty as charged," Hilda laughed as she joined him and looked at Claude. "So who's the girl that came with you?"
"Yes, she is rather lovely. Don't tell me the bandits captured her." Lorenz joined them and stared wide eyed. "Is she some displaced noble?"
"No way, she's not dressed like one. But maybe a princess in disguise?" Hilda mused with a smile, not at all believing her silly story. Claude chortled as he stoked the fire a bit with a stick.
"Nope, neither."
"Then why bring her back here? Was she one of the bandits?" Lorenz glanced toward Alois's tent. "I couldn't imagine anyone like her being associated with that group of unrefined thugs."
"Not sure about that one. She knows them, but she's not a thief." Claude leaned back and seemed to be deep in thought. "She's a merc."
"A mercenary?" Hilda's red eyes went wide, and she covered her mouth slightly. "No way! She is too cute to be a merc."
"Well, she is one." Claude rolled his bow shoulder as he went on and the other two listened. He explained their trip through the woods, finding the village, and then running into Jeralt the Blade Breaker and his crew. How his daughter, one Byleth Eisner, helped them out, and that the girl he'd come in with, Shez, was a mercenary that had allied with them to fight Kostas.
"And Alois said the church would pay her if she came back here."
"After you told her, you and the others had the funds to do so yourself." Lorenz pointed out. "Typical."
"Hey, I never said I would pay her myself. I said we would pay her. There is a difference." Claude told him directly and gave a lazy smile. "Besides, I know the church is good for it, and it seems they're getting a boon out of it."
"They are?" Hilda asked curiously. "And what would that be?"
"Jeralt himself," Claude smirked. "Seems at one time he was part of the Knights of Seiros."
"Really? Well, that is interesting." Lorenz nodded and stroked his chin. "I should write to my father and see if he knows anything about this. One of his cousins was part of the Knights years ago. Perhaps he knows of this Jeralt."
"Yeah, that would be helpful. It also seems that Shez has a bit of a grudge against Jeralt's daughter. She has a name of the Ashen Demon," Claude muttered to himself. "Would be really useful to have both in our house, don't you think?"
Hilda nodded, "Well I know one person who will be excited to know about this. Leonie. She's a fangirl of Jeralt the blade breaker."
"Why am I not surprised you know that?" Claude glanced up to see Shez wandering around and talking with the different members of the other houses. She seemed calm and collected, even when dealing with the likes of Ferdinand Von Aegir. She eventually made her way over to the group that was sitting there and smiled as the three stood up.
"Well, hello again. Getting settled in the camp?"
Shez shook her head. "I'm so not used to this. Alois explained to me I'm coming with you to the monastery in the morning. He first revealed they don't have the means in camp to properly reward me well. Let's just say that what I thought was going to be reward money has become something a bit more… political."
"Hush money, no doubt," Lorenz expressed to her with a grimace. "I am sorry you have to deal with that. But it's not surprising. With the attack happening, the Knights were supposed to be watching us to make sure no such harm befell the students."
"From what Claude told me, he was the reason they ran off," Shez mentioned to him and Lorenz nodded his head.
"Correct, but to the leaders of the Empire, the Kingdom and well our own Alliance, such things can be seen as less a simple mistake and a more diplomatic crisis that could lead to the Academy being closed down."
"You mean to say that no matter what, even if it's a student's fault, the Church gets to pay the price?" Shez inquired and Claude gave a strict nod
"Pretty much, yeah. So what else did he tell you?"
"Well, let's just say there wasn't much of a choice in where I was going in the morning." Shez explained to him. "But, as I told Alois, I'm not staying a moment longer than I need to. I have my own goals to complete."
Claude smiled. If one thing he'd seen with the Church, it was how good they were at covering up things like this. Not that it bothered him. He understood their reasons. The Alliance did the same things; it was just business as usual.
"Right, okay. So then, did you get to talk to the others yet?"
"Yes, I met the Blue Lions. They're a very nice bunch, a bit on the noble side. Then again," Shez chuckled. "They're all nobles in that house, practically. Except for Ashe, and I think Dedeu. But they seem like very nice guys." She seemed thoughtful. "Then I met with the Black Eagles. Edelgard is proud of her house, and they all have interesting personalities. I wasn't expecting a narcoleptic and an opera diva to be here, but well, here we are."
"So then, would you care for an escort to meet the members of the Golden Deer?" Lorenz asked with a smile. "It would be my pleasure to take a stroll with a woman as fetching as yourself."
"I, uh. What?" Shez shook her head and Hilda nudged the taller boy.
"Lorenz, sheesh. She doesn't even know who you are."
"Well, if she lets me show her around, I think she will get to." He huffed as Claude moved over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Listen you two, I'll be taking her around alright? She already knows me."
Lorenz appeared a bit dejected at the comment, but waved his hand. "Very well. I suppose I can't say no to the heir of the Alliance."
"Good, then let's start introductions with these two," Claude motioned to Hilda first. "This here is Hilda Goneril…"
"Hilda Valentine Goneril, to be exact," the pink-haired girl smiled. "I'm the only daughter of House of Goneril, and my brother is the Lord Holst, he's the head of the house and one of the Alliance's greatest Generals." Hilda looked Shez over carefully, "For being a mercenary to help Claude out of his little jam, you really don't look or act the part."
"What do you mean?" Shez questioned and Hilda smiled sweetly.
"Well, when I heard he'd been rescued, I was picturing a super strong bodybuilder with a devil may care attitude. But you're just a nice-looking girl with some good muscles on you."
Shez let out a hearty laugh. "Sorry to disappoint. I'm just an average gal. There's nothing special about me that you wouldn't find in other mercenaries."
"Still, what you did out there was really brave. Not sure I could do the same." Hilda commented and Shez gave an inquisitive look. Claude could tell the young woman was plying to get Shez to do things for her. Hilda pouted some as she looked over at Shez. "Too average, if you ask me. Talk about a letdown. I'm just joking, you know. You are pretty easy to talk to, so I couldn't help myself. I'm sure that you're going to be someone amazing to get to know. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for helping Claude out."
Shez seemed to smirk and Claude noted that into his little file about the girl's quirks. "And this is Lorenz Hellman Gloucester. His family is the second most powerful in the Alliance."
"Yes, right behind house Riegan, might I add?" Lorenz bowed to her and gave Shez a charming smile. "I wasn't expecting the famed mercenary of the woods to be such a lovely young woman. A brave soul who stepped unbidden to aid Claude. How very noble of you."
"Well, it was the only thing to do." Shez shook her head lightly, her hair swaying some over her shoulders. "Kostas isn't someone to mess around with, even if he's not the strongest bandit I've met."
"Well, as a noble representative of the Leicester Alliance, I must offer you my thanks. Perhaps you would like to share some tea with me some time later as a way of reward from our house to you?"
Claude could see the wheels whirring in Lorenz's eyes, and figured it would be better to steer Shez clear of his flirtations if possible.
"Right well, the night is not as young as we presumed. So I'm going to introduce Shez to the others, if that's alright with the two of you." Claude quickly pulled Shez away from the fire. "We'll be back soon, so keep the fire warm, you two."
As they walked away, Shez looked back for a moment at the two nobles and then at Claude. "They really are something."
"Yeah, they're both not what you would first think looking at them, or even talking to them." Claude explained to her. "Hilda is way more perceptive than she lets on, and while Lorenz is a flirt, his charms can really get people on our side when push comes to shove."
"So what about you?" Shez asked him as they walked side by side.
"Who me?" Claude pointed and then laughed. "I'm more curious about you, personally. Honestly, if you don't have anything better to do, I'd be glad to have you join us at Garreg Mach. You'd certainly spice the place up a bit."
Shez nodded and seemed thoughtful. "So, what about Lorenz? That makes you two seem so close?"
"Eh, I wouldn't call us close, but to be honest with you, my view of him has changed."
Shez stared at him curiously. "How so?"
Claude closed his eyes and spoke with intent, "At first I thought he was really serious and persnickety." He grinned then and winked at her, "But that image shattered pretty quickly once I noticed him chatting up every girl in the monastery."
"You don't say," Shez chortled, "And What about Hilda?"
"Well, like she said, she's the only daughter in her family. So she's had it pretty easy life growing up. I'd even wager cushy." He explained as he spotted some of the other Golden Deer students. "Which means she's gotten into the habit of slacking off and making other people do things for her, so just watch out for that."
Shez gave Claude a nod and a soft smile. "Thanks. I'll be mindful. But like I told you, I'm not staying."
"Keep thinking that," he grinned, and then waved at Leonie, who was checking on the weapons.
"Twenty eight, twenty-nine, and that's thirty," the orange-haired girl finished putting away the staves into a barrel as they approached and she looked up when Claude shouted to her. "Oh, hi Claude." She waved back and stared at Shez as they approached. "Is this the girl that helped you guys out?"
"The one and only Mercenary," Claude looked to Shez, "Shez I'd like you to meet Leonie Pinelli. She's one of our best fighters in Golden Deer and you two share a lot in common. She hails from Sauin Village."
"Sauin Village," Shez mused as she shook the girl's hand. She smiled. "I know of it, yeah. My mother's friend came from there. You have a strong grip."
"Thanks for that compliment." Leonie smiled at her and looked very pleased. "You're a mercenary, right? I'm actually gunning to become one myself–that's why I enrolled in the Officers' Academy."
"Really? Well, in that case, I hope we end up working together." Shez encouraged her and Leonie looked pleased as punch.
"Hey thanks, it's nice to hear from someone already in the field. I'll give it all I've got! And I'm sure you're doing the same, Shez. I'm going to work myself to the bone so I can be just as strong as the captain someday."
"You might not want to go that hard, Leonie," joked Claude. "We don't need you being a skeleton knight. That would scare Lysithea."
Leonie rolled her eyes, but grinned. "Oh, don't worry, I'll be way better than any cursed bag of bones that wanders around a night."
"Yeah, well, count me out of meeting with a wrath," Shez shook her head. "So who's this captain?"
"An old friend of mine. I hope to meet him again someday," Leonie told her and then glanced at the weapons. "Well, I have to finish this… unless you two want to stay and help me out. We can talk…"
"Oh, look, it's Lysithea and Marianne. Better make sure those two aren't worried about anything creeping into the dark. 'Scues us Leonie," Claude interjected and pulled Shez away. He'd rather avoid doing that chore if he could. She waved them off as she went back to the task at hand.
"Suit yourself Claude."
"So that was Leonie, huh?" Shez intoned as they made their way to the other two.
"Yup that's Leonie." Claude seemed thoughtful. "She's mentioned before about a captain, though I have to wonder if it's the same one we met tonight."
Shez stared at him. "You think it might be Jeralt?"
Claude shrugged, "Not sure, but I bet you two will have lots to talk about. You're both pretty frank, too. I just hope you're not as obsessed with saving money as she is."
"Well, not obsessed, but I do like to make sure normally I have enough in my pockets for an inn to sleep in and food in my belly. So if you mean like that, then yes, I am."
The brown-haired heir watched her like a hawk. His green eyes taking in every reaction. True, that wasn't what he meant, but it was good to see what she considered important. She wasn't one to just work for the gathering of money, so there was a sense of loyalty in her. This was going to be useful for him if he was ever going to gain her as an ally.
As they walked over to the two young women, Claude noticed Shez was staring at Lysithea. He glanced over. "Something bothering you?"
"No, just that both she and Edelgard have the same hair color. Are they related?" Shez asked him in a quiet voice, and Claude shrugged and shook his head.
"Not that I know of. They may be distantly. I mean, the Alliance spawned from the Holy Kingdom, so I'm distantly a cousin to Prince Dimitri. Make of that what you will."
Shez nodded as they came over. The girl with the braids was the first to speak up when they neared.
"Oh, hello Claude."
"And who is this?" Her companion with the white hair remarked. Claude gave another charming smile and pushed Shez closer to them.
"This is Shez. She's the mercenary that saved me and the others in the woods."
"Helped save. I didn't do it alone." Shez muttered and smiled. "Hi there."
"Hello," the girl with the braids verbalized so softly that Claude had to strain some to hear. The other girl nodded
"Shez this is Marianne von Edmund," he motioned to the first girl, "She's the daughter of the Margraviate of Edmund. And her companion here is…"
"Lysithea von Ordelia," the girl with the white-hair gave a nod to Shez. She held her head up high as she spoke. "I'm the eldest daughter and heir to House Ordelia."
"And our youngest member of Golden Deer," Claude teased her and avoided the death glare that she sent him.
"You're that mercenary that everyone's talking about. Shez, was it?"
Shez gave a nod, and Claude waited to see how this went. Lysithea was not the easiest to warm up to, and he wanted to see if Shez could get past her barriers. The more he could study the mercenary, the better he would get to know all her angles.
"You're not attempting to curry favor with children of the nobility in pursuit of some nefarious aim, are you?" Lysithea inquired of her, and Marianne glanced over at her younger friend with a bit of worry.
"Nope." Shez shook her head and stared at Lysithea. "Just saw folks in trouble and helped 'em out. I didn't even know they were noble until afterword."
"I see," Lysithea turned to face Marianne, who was looking away. "And do you think our mercenary friend is someone worthy of trust, Marianne?"
Marianne blanched, and Claude could see the panic in her brown eyes. The girl was a bundle of anxiety. Only topped by the Black Eagles student Bernadette, who wouldn't come out of her room for any reason. He watched as Marianne seemed thoughtful and nervous, playing with her fingers.
"What, me? I, um…"
"Trust takes time to build. Not exactly fair of you to put her on the spot like that." Shez commented and looked at Marianne. "It's okay to not have an opinion of me. It's natural."
"Well, either way," Lysithea huffed and pulled at Marianne's sleeve. "We need to be going. We're busy."
"Yes… I'm sorry. Goodbye. It was nice meeting you." Marianne told her quietly as Lysithea dragged her away. Claude watched them go and sighed, running some fingers through his hair.
"And that is Lysithea and Marianne. As you can see, one is rather shy around others, and the other is…"
"A bit of a brat," Shez commented, her eyes narrowed at the younger girl. "That girl needs a time out."
Claude snorted at her words and Shez glanced over at him as she had her hands on her hips, watching the retreating figures of the two girls.
"What?"
"Well, if you must know, you shouldn't ever treat Lysithea like she a child. I made that mistake the first week we were in class, and she nearly took my head off." He seemed thoughtful as they watched them go. "She's the youngest out of all the students of this year at the monastery, so I don't get what the big deal is. I mean, she has some amazing talents, but I guess her family pushed her forward because of it. Just another pampered noble."
"Aren't you one too?" Shez asked him and Claude just gave her a mysterious smile.
"And about Marianne, like I said, she's Margrave Edmund's daughter. I don't know a lot about her because she keeps to herself. I'll admit, though, I am intrigued by her. You saw the bags under her eyes?" Shez nodded. "Yeah, she doesn't get enough sleep, I think. Though no one knows what's worrying her."
"So, who else are you going to introduce me to?" Shez inquired. "It is getting late."
"Oh, I saved the best for last," he pulled her gently along down back to towards the fire. He looked about and spotted the two teen boys hanging out by Lorenz and Hilda. The four conversing animatedly (well Hilda mostly) with one another. As they came down, he waved to Lorenz, who nodded and then motioned to Raphael and Ignatz. The purple-haired boy acknowledge and showed to the built blonde boy and the boy with glasses that Claude wanted them. The two excused themselves and came over, the bigger of the two speaking first.
"Something you need, Claude," the tall boy expressed with a grin. "We'd be happy to help."
Claude gave a short nod and looked at Shez. "I'd like for you two to meet Shez."
"Please to meet you Shez, I'm Raphael Kirsten," the muscular boy shook her hand and Claude noticed her eyes go wide, but the girl grinned at him. "Are you a student from one of the other houses? I don't think I've seen you around before. It's always nice to meet a new face."
"No, sorry, I'm not with any of the houses." Shez admitted to him and the glasses wearing boy nodded.
"Then you must be the mercenary we've been hearing so much about! I'm Ignatz Victor, Pleased to meet you, Shez."
"Nice to meet both of you, as well." Shez smiled at the two boys and Claude was quick to jump in.
"Ignatz and Raphael are from merchant families, and both are studying to become knights."
"Oh, wow, that's really impressive. I've met a few knights on my travels that come from merchant families. They've always been really interesting to talk with." Shez mentioned to the two of them. Ignatz chuckled at her exuberance.
"Because of the nature of Leicester, we have more students from the commoner class than the other houses."
Raphael gestured happily, "Yeah, it's actually pretty common for common folk from the Alliance to sign up more frequently than from other areas. But that doesn't mean we're getting it any easier than the nobles that are here. We have to work extra hard."
"I see, so there're issues regarding class at the monastery too?"
"From the staff, no, but sometimes, some students…" Ignatz trailed off and Shez nodded.
"Yeah, I heard some interesting comments from Ashe, Dedue and Petra about that." Shez shook her head. "It's a thing all over the country, it seems."
"Doesn't mean we're gonna give up," Raphael told her and his friend nodded. "We're gonna be the best knights ever. And then go home and show our town." He looked at the shorter boy. "Right Iggy?"
Ignatz smiled, though Claude caught that sad look in his eyes that sometimes manifested. He didn't know what went down in the boy's head, but it only happened when Raphael spoke of them going home.
"Yes, of course." The glasses wearing boy caught Shez's curious gaze and smiled softly. "Raphael and I grew up together. Our families are close."
"Thick as thieves," Raphael laughed and then noticed the guards coming around. "Oh, looks like its lights out." He turned and presented Shez another hand shake. "It was really nice meeting you, Shez. If you're coming to the Monastery with us, we'd love to show you around and talk more."
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Shez answered and Claude bid the two boys a good night, seeing them off. Once they were gone, he turned to face Shez and gave her one of his more charmingly deceptive smiles.
"See, told you I saved the best for last."
"Okay, you were right. They were really sweet and cool." She acknowledged. "They seem close."
"Yeah, they are, and they get along with everyone in the house. Raphael is the more open of the two, a real friendly sort," Claude complimented the larger boy and crossed his arms with a mirthful sigh. "It'd be nice if he talked about something other than muscles. But I've yet to find a topic we can cover," He snorted. "Maybe food could be a good starting point." He seemed thoughtful as he looked up at the stars, "He's had it pretty rough though. His parents died in an accident, left him and his sister to live with his grandfather. She works at the family inn now, while he studies here. He's had it pretty rough."
"And Ignatz?" Shez inquired to him and Claude looked at her with a light grin.
"Ignatz likes the great outdoors." He tilted his head lightly. "Definitely more than the rest of us, anyway. He was excited about this trip and really examining things when we were coming out here in the day." The brown-haired boy pursed his lips slightly. "He's the second son of his merchant family, but he says he wants to be a knight."
"And you don't think that's true?" Shez asked puzzled and Claude shook his head as his green eyes looked down for a bit.
"Not that I don't believe him. I'm sure he thinks he wants to be a knight, but between you and me and the rocks, I don't think he seems suited for it, though. It could be his parents are making him do it. I mean, if one kid already is taking on the family business, you need to have the other do something right."
"I guess so." Shez affirmed and saw Hilda waiting for Claude. She had been sitting by the remains of the fire reading a book. "Well, looks like your classmate is waiting for you. So I'll bid you a good night Claude and see you later."
"Yup, see you later, Shez." He smiled as she walked away back towards Alois tent. He waved and then lowered his arm once she was out of sight. A pensive look crossed his brow. He was sure the others talked to her and gave her a tour, too. He could only hope that his Deer would win her over. Walking back to Hilda, Claude looked up at the night sky.
"Not long till dawn."
"Yup, and we need to set some sleep. A girl needs some beauty rest." Hilda told him and stopped before they parted ways at their tents. "Claude, is something bothering you?"
"No, why?"
"Well, it seems to me you look like you have something, or rather someone, on your mind."
Claude chuckled as he held up the flap to his private tent. "Oh, wouldn't you like to know? That's for me to know and you to find out Miss Gossip." He ducked inside before her book could hit him in the head.
