"—orders were clear!"

"You said to capture their leader, Lady Gloucester."

"I meant Claude!"

"Claude was not among the enemy forces, milady."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, milady. We do our work well. The Duke was nowhere in the encampment."

"…you're dismissed. Get out."

Leonie opened her eyes slightly as she came to, watching a woman leave the tent. The only other person in her vision was Lysithea, who stared at the ground, face scrunched in thought. Talk about the last person she expected. Hell, the last time she'd seen Lysithea had been at the academy. When had she even last spoken to her?

She tested what bound her hands behind her. Rigid manacles held her firmly around the tent pole she leaned against on the ground. Potentially not secure, something she could exploit?

"Oh, you're awake."

Leonie swore under her breath. "I suppose I am."

Lysithea walked over, pulling a chair with her, and sat. Since Leonie was on the ground, she found herself looking up to meet Lysithea's gaze.

"Was that your plan?" Leonie asked. "Sneak soldiers in as refugees and kidnap me?"

"It was meant to be Claude," Lysithea murmured.

She chuckled with grim amusement. "Claude wouldn't have fallen for that."

Lysithea's eyes narrowed. "Where is he? I was told he was leading your army. Are you playing decoy, or something?"

"Sorry, you won't get me saying anything," Leonie said without hesitation.

"Maybe we can reach an agreement," Lysithea suggested. "Your army, they're fighting without you right now. No leader to lead the charge. We can stop this if you surrender and give me Claude."

Shit, she didn't have good options. "I'm sure they've got the right people leading the charge, I don't fight anymore," Leonie said, stalling to think.

A flicker of surprise. "You don't?" Lysithea said.

That gave Leonie pause. "You didn't know?"

Lysithea shook her head. "I don't know too much about what you've all been doing these past five years."

Could Leonie use that? Somehow? Had to stall for more time. "Yeah, one of your people carved me up real well at Garreg Mach. I don't—fighting's not my thing anymore."

Was she imagining the concern on Lysithea's face? Leonie looked again, and whatever it was had vanished. "Carved you up?"

"See for yourself. Unbutton my shirt, look at the scar."

Lysithea leaned forward, carefully. She popped the buttons and revealed Leonie's wrapped chest. As she worked downwards, she gasped.

Leonie had gotten so used to the scar she'd forgotten how disgusting it looked. The long red stretch of skin spanned from beneath her breasts to her lower abdomen. Ladislava hadn't just hit her, she'd arced the blade to cut upward, destroying much of her chest. Puffy, ugly, scarlet scar tissue remained, a constant reminder that she just hadn't been quick enough.

"Who did this?" whispered Lysithea.

"Ladislava," Leonie said. "I almost bled to death. Then as we escaped Garreg Mach I took another hit to the head. I don't…remember much from that point on," she admitted.

"Ladislava?" Lysithea's eyes widened. "I assume you heard she died at Myrddin?"

"Really? Who got her?" Leonie asked, surprised and not the least displeased.

"Lorenz, if the reports are true. He caved her skull in after she killed Judith von Daphnel."

Leonie froze. "You're…that's not true. It can't be true." Impossible, Balthus hadn't said anything about her.

Lysithea stopped. "Did you…know Judith well?" she asked, voice soft.

"Fuck," Leonie gasped, breath hitching. "Fuck, Judith."

"I'm sorry," Lysithea whispered. Then, equally as quiet, she asked, "Did anyone else get hurt like you at Garreg Mach?" There was concern in her voice. Genuine concern.

Leonie didn't respond at first, gazing at the ground, nearly despondent. While she waited, Lysithea rebuttoned Leonie's shirt, taking a last look at the vile scar. She returned to the chair.

"Thank you for telling me," Leonie said hoarsely.

"Of course," Lysithea said.

"Everyone else at Garreg Mach," Leonie closed her eyes, thinking back, "we mostly got out fine. We…Annette died." She hadn't even been lucid for the news.

It was Lysithea's turn to go glassy eyed. "Shit," she breathed, rubbing her eyes. "Who killed her?"

"The Death Knight—Jeritza," Leonie said. "It was hard on all of us." Some more than others.

"I didn't know," Lysithea whispered. "No one told me."

"Edelgard didn't?" Leonie frowned.

"She told me that I shouldn't concern myself with heretics," Lysithea rambled. "Did she know? Was she trying to protect me or something? El…why?" She mumbled the last question and Leonie didn't think she was supposed to hear it. "I didn't hate any of you. I don't. I just…El…"

"She's important to you, isn't she?" Leonie guessed. Memories of seeing the two together came back to her. It wasn't surprising that they were something.

Lysithea's breath caught. "Yes. Yes, she is."

Leonie offered a smile. "I'm glad you found somewhere you belonged, then. I know the Deer weren't for you."

"Yeah," Lysithea said, uncertainly. "How can you be happy for me at a time like this? I have to kill you, Leonie. I can't go back to her empty handed."

Her blood chilled, but the half smile didn't die. "We just have different things we're trying to protect. I can't fault you for that. You've always fought for what was important to you."

She received a faraway stare from Lysithea, who said, "You've changed, Leonie. A lot. What the hell has happened to you to make you this way?"

"A lot," Leonie parroted, with a shaky laugh. "Been a long time since the academy."

"I…you seem well, all things considered," Lysithea said. "I think Jeralt would be proud."

Leonie opened her mouth to respond but a soldier burst into the tent. "Report, milady!" he cried, saluting.

"At ease," Lysithea said, turning to listen. "Let's hear it."

"Milady, they're fighting."

"What?" Lysithea asked.

"Fierce, milady. Never seen anything like it."

"Who? Explain yourself," Lysithea commanded.

The soldier swallowed. "The Riegan forces, the refugees, they're fighting harder than we anticipated. Like feral animals. They're chanting a name, all of them."

"Whose?"

"We think it's 'Leonie'."

Lysithea's eyes slid to the woman in question. Leonie couldn't breathe. What were they doing out there? What had happened?

"And our forces?" Lysithea pressed, turning back to the man.

"Holding, but they're starting to gain ground," he said. "If they keep up like this, they might beat us back."

"Return to your post. I'll come assist after I finish here," Lysithea said, turning back to Leonie.

"Milady, we need—"

"Now!" she ordered, snapping.

He yelped and fled her wrath. Lysithea returned her full attention to Leonie. "What did you do with your army to make them fight like that?" she asked.

"Nothing," Leonie said, shocked. "How could I? I'm here."

Lysithea folded her hands. "I think they're coming to rescue you. Perhaps capturing you was a bigger mistake than I though."

Leonie's eyes widened. The words struck a chord deep within her. Were they…were they really? Lysithea had to be wrong, or the soldier's report was. Surely they weren't shouting her name.

But what if they were?

An opportunity appeared.

"Then let's negotiate," Leonie said, sitting up straighter.

"What?" Lysithea said, confused.

No time for doubts, Leonie, she hissed to herself. Time to act!

"You'll sustain too many casualties to hold Derdriu if you keep this up," Leonie said, praying what she said made sense. "Lord Edmund is still in the capital with a token force. Inconsequential, but enough to hold the city from you if you take heavy casualties." She had no idea where Edmund was, but she hoped Lysithea didn't either.

It was a blatant lie, but it was all she could come up with. Think, Leonie, what would Claude say?

"If you can't kill Claude and you have to bring Edelgard something, then you need Derdriu," Leonie guessed. Then she gambled with the truth. "Claude's at the front, right in the middle of our army. There's no way you're getting to him. You only have one option if you want to make Edelgard overlook your failure to kill him."

Lysithea stiffened and Leonie knew she was on the right track.

"So, negotiate with me. Let's reach an agreement," Leonie continued, hoping it didn't sound like begging. "We can walk away from this, both happy."

"And what is it you want?" Lysithea asked slowly.

Leonie breathed. "I want my family safe. My friends, and the people I've been taking in for five years. Stop the fighting." Leonie hesitated, knowing what she had to say. "Kill me, it'll take away what they're rallying around."

Her eyes bulged. "You…you're serious about this, aren't you?" Lysithea whispered. "How…"

"Kill me," Leonie repeated. "We'll fall apart without me and you can waltz right into Derdriu. Just please, I ask—no, beg—that you don't hurt my family. Shamir, Ferdinand, Felix, Balthus, the rest—no one. Please just let them live."

"You really do love them, don't you?" Lysithea said, as if realizing something for the first time.

Leonie's grin felt sadder than any number of tears she could shed. "Yeah. I'm not much of anything anymore. Broken. Beaten. Battered. Can't fight, can barely function on my own. But for some reason, none of them care. They still love me. And I will do anything for them." The tears came as she finished speaking. She sniffed, trying to muster her voice again to keep talking.

"Please," was all she could manage.

"They're lucky to have you," Lysithea whispered. She moved back to the ground, kneeling before Leonie. "Leonie, I am so sorry."

"You know what you have to do," she begged. "Please, Lysithea. Just give me this one thing. Let me keep them safe. You're a good person, your vow means something."

"I promise. I accept your proposal," Lysithea murmured, tears of her own falling. "Goddess, Leonie, you've become so strong."

Leonie's laugh came out warbled. "This is strong? No, this is just making the best of a situation. Strong would mean truly walking away."

A hand cupped her cheek. Lysithea smiled through tears. "Thank you, Leonie. You, Raphael, Marianne, the three of you were always kind to me even when I treated you like trash. I didn't deserve it, but you were still kind."

Leonie closed her eyes. "You were a Deer, Lys. Part of the herd."

"Were," Lysithea said, mournfully. "I can stop your heart easily, Leonie. It…it'll be quick. Painless."

"Thank you. Thank you, Lys."

A shaky hand withdrew from her cheek. Leonie could feel the warmth from lightning crackling in Lysithea's hand.

She kept her eyes closed. Leonie didn't want to see this, to look into Lysithea's face for her last moment. No, she thought of the rest of them.

Ferdinand, Shamir, Felix…and Balthus, now. They'd been good to her. Raphael, Marianne, Hilda, Claude, Ignatz, Mercedes, Catherine, Dorothea…Lorenz. All of them.

And Byleth, she wept anew. She'd never get to see her old teacher again. Never got to ask her if she was proud of her.

Sylvain, Ashe, Petra, everyone else.

"I hope to see you all again, someday," she whispered in prayer. "Thank you. Thank you all." And she waited until the end.

It didn't come.

Leonie slowly opened her eyes, seeing Lysithea in the same position as before. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

"Killing you…is as hard as I feared it would be," Lysithea admitted. Her hand, still pulsing with electricity, shook violently.

"I won't hold it against you," Leonie said. She bowed her head. "If…if something more painful is easier, then do it."

She stared at her. "Why? Why are you helping me?" Lysithea asked. "I'm going to execute you, and you're trying to make it easier for me?"

"I imagine whichever of your people killed Linhardt feels regret," Leonie murmured. "I don't want you to end up like that."

Lysithea's hand stopped stone cold.

Slowly, methodically, she said, "What do you mean 'your people'?"

Leonie blinked and turned her head up to see Lysithea's eyes boring holes into her. "Edelgard's people killed Linhardt. Did…you not know?"

"The Church killed Lin," Lysithea said, matter-of-fact. But her voice still shook.

Leonie shook her head. "No, that doesn't make any sense. He was prying into Monica's business. He must have gotten too close, and Hubert killed him. Monica worked with your people, not the Church's."

"You're lying," Lysithea snarled. "You—"

"Why?" Leonie asked. Her tears stopped. "You're about to kill me. Why would I lie?"

"This is baseless," Lysithea protested, in denial.

"It's not. Didn't you wonder why Ferdinand defected? He overheard them talking about it." Leonie bit her lip and took a stab in the dark. "Wasn't it odd that Ferdinand suddenly fell out of love with Hubert?"

"No…" Lysithea moaned, the electricity in her hand going out.

"Ferdinand came to our side soon after," Leonie explained. "Petra was thinking about it too—"

"He was my friend!" Lysithea screamed. She slammed her fist into the ground and electricity discharged into the dirt, going inert.

"Lysithea?" Leonie whispered.

"Why?" she croaked, almost too quiet to hear. "He…he was brilliant. And she…and they…"

Leonie stayed silent, not daring to interrupt.

"Why does that have to makes sense? Ferdinand was a patriot." Lysithea spoke quickly, like she was running through dozens of observations. "I wondered why he'd leave. The only reason I ever came up with was if he became disillusioned with Edelgard…" She quieted. "I need to speak with El."

"Come back with us," Leonie found herself saying. "I'll vouch for you. Join us. There's always been a place for you in our herd."

"I made my choice a long time ago," Lysithea said, mournfully. "Now I have to live with it."

"Just because you left doesn't mean you can't come back," Leonie urged.

"I…" Lysithea closed her eyes. "I need answers. I need to make Hubert talk, I need to ask Edelgard why. Then…maybe. But first."

She reached around the tent pole and in a dark flash, the chains snapped.

"You're freeing me?" Leonie gasped.

"This war was built on his death," Lysithea growled. Her gaze was hard, older than it had any right to look. Her voice turned cold, chillier than permafrost. "My friend is dead and she used it to further her own gain. My wife ordered his death."

Wife? "But what about the battle?" Leonie gestured outside the tent, reeling.

Lysithea wrinkled her nose. "I'm done being a pawn, listening to her without questions. To Hubert, to Agarthans." She reached behind her, to her belt. When her hand came back into view, it held a wand. A Relic wand.

"Consider this repayment for the wretch that I've been. I couldn't save him, but I can save you," Lysithea said, turning and walking to the tent's entrance. She paused before leaving. "Stay in here, or I can't guarantee your safety."

"What are you going to do?" Leonie asked, standing up.

Lysithea sighed. "Burn them." She left the tent.

Leonie shuddered, nerves that had been held back baring their teeth. Adrenalin seeped away and true exhaustion from the conversation hit her.

First, she heard it.

It started as a whistle, faint, far. The ground rumbled next, slowly at first, but growing louder.

Then came the heat.

Corners of the tent ignited before she felt it, but less than a second later her skin began to sear like a supernova.

And finally, nothing.

Tentatively, Leonie walked to the entrance. She opened the flap.

Death and cinders as far as the eye could see. The entire Gloucester camp was gone, reduced to ashes and dust. Lysithea stood a mere ten feet away, the grass green around her feet, untouched.

She was looking down at the wand—at Thyrsus. Lorenz had spoken about it at great length. The Relic of his family that not only bolstered magical prowess but also its range.

"The entire command structure of the Gloucester army is gone," Lysithea said distantly, like she hadn't just annihilated the entire camp and its occupants. "The army will collapse. They'll probably flee. No one is left to reform them."

Leonie looked at the ground near their feet. A soldier's weapon, likely someone's who had been standing guard outside the tent, lay close to her. A short sword, easy to wield.

Lysithea's back was exposed and she was distracted with the sight in front of her.

"No Relic is that powerful," Leonie said, keeping the sword in the corner of her vision.

"No. But I am," Lysithea said, surveying her work. "When mixed together…we make quite the dancing pair."

Leonie glanced at the sword again and made her decision.

She approached Lysithea and rested a hand on her shoulder, and not a sword in the back. "What will you do now?"

"Steal a horse. I spared one on the edge of camp." Lysithea pointed to a horse that struggled against its reins, the sole survivor of the massacre. "Hubert didn't teach me whatever trick he uses to teleport, so I'll ride to Enbarr."

"Are you sure you want to go alone?" Leonie asked. "We…I'd go with you."

Lysithea turned to face her and shook her head. "Leonie, you've done enough. Go back to those who are looking for you. Someday, I'll return, and we'll fight as one."

Arms wrapped around Leonie in a momentary, but tight, hug. "Lysithea…"

"Leonie, thank you," she murmured into her chest.

She kissed the top of Lysithea's head. "Be safe. You'll always be welcome at my side."

"And I'll never forget it." Lysithea turned for a final time and, with a wave of Thyrsus, killed the still lit cinders in front of her. A path appeared on dead grass to the horse.

"Safe travels, friend," Leonie whispered as she left.

Author Notes: I've been building towards this moment for 54 chapters. Ever since Lysithea turned from the Deer, I knew this would be where we would end up in this story. I knew it'd be Leonie, and I knew Linhardt would have a part to play. Pretty much every time I mentioned Lysithea in this story, at least someone would bemoan how they wanted her to come home. Sorry it took so long!

I don't talk about chapter titles often, but I really love this one's.

Editing Notes:
8/24/2021: Minor grammatical adjustments.