What of Kith and Kin?
Garland Moon
With her arm bound tightly to keep her shoulder still and her sword holstered on the opposite side from usual so she could more easily draw it offhanded, Byleth felt somewhat uneasy as she finished yet another meeting with the Margrave; unbalanced, off-kilter.
She did not know if that was because of her physical limitation or what she'd just learned about Miklan. Miklan Gautier.
She'd agreed to the follow-up job the Margrave offered regardless. To round up the last of the thieves that had been part of Miklan's group. However, she made it clear that beyond that she'd have to begin planning to re-join the Blade Breaker. Two of her swords had split off to try their luck on the more lucrative roads of Leicester for the summer trading season and she didn't have Jeralt's knack for recruitment. Any further large-scale jobs would have to wait.
Margrave Gautier had seemed to accept that easily and readily enough, though she had the feeling he had marked her for something more. Perhaps she ought simply be glad he'd set aside whatever reservations he may have had that only the Ashen Demon, and not the Blade Breaker, had answered his call to thwart whatever plot Miklan had been raising an army of thieves for, before it was enacted.
"His own son…" Sothis mused in her mind "I cannot imagine what sort of madness would draw families apart like that. Kin should stand together… I wonder what became of my own family, I must have had one…"
Byleth's face remained set as she strode back to the camp, but internally she sent Sothis a wave of understanding.
She missed her father too.
~o~*~o~
It was harsh. Calculated. Efficient. Multifaceted; beautiful and cruel.
When Hubert learned of it, if he hadn't somehow already, he would approve -though grudgingly.
Sending the Blue Lions to help supress Lonato's rebellion was a masterstroke on the part of the Church. Even if they would only be joining the rearguard and not facing the Lord themselves. Edelgard couldn't help but admire it, although her stomach turned at the thought that she may one day have to employ such tactics of her own; to use her allies so ruthlessly that they would fear to turn against her. She would do it of course, if she had to. And she could acknowledge that it took a formidable will to issue such an order without flinching.
For all his sternness and fastidiousness, Seteth was well meaning, with a soft touch for those under his purview. She had enough of a read on him to be fairly certain he would have advised against this course. Sent the Eagles or the Deer (or no students at all, if he could manage it) to this particular battle. It was kindness he hid under his brusque manner; it may prove his undoing.
No, the Archbishop's advisor had no hand for cruelty, this assignment was all Rhea.
Immaculate.
~o~*~o~
It was troubling to say the least –that so soon into the year he, they, would be exposed to his failures, his Uncle's failures. None of the Blue Lions would be surprised by the state of the Kingdom, not with Uncle Rufus spending his days philandering worse than Sylvain; but open rebellion against the Church? A fracturing between the Central Church and the Western; in the Holy Kingdom? Even his Uncle, dissolute though he was, must have noticed that, must have made some effort at mediation –how had it grown to this stage so quickly? What was fuelling it?
If he could only have taken the throne already, then perhaps he might have stopped whatever mad crusade Lonato was driven on before it reached this point.
Ashe lingered in the cathedral, and Dimitri was glad that Mercedes did too –he certainly had no answers to offer the boy. And less by way of comfort. Even Cassandra's –Catherine's presence was not as reassuring as could have been hoped. Almost the reverse.
The whole class was quiet in the weeks leading up to the mission. Grimly focused on learning how best to fight and kill, under Hanneman's solemn instruction.
Grimly hoping that perhaps, this time, they would not have to.
~o~*~o~
So of course they did.
Thunderbrand burned strange trails into the mist as Catherine fought apart from them, making herself a target. A will-o-wisp actively hunting those lost in the fog. But the light of it didn't cut the gloom for those further back.
The enemy rushed them, focusing on the few torchbearers –the obvious targets, lit up as they were. Dimitri jumped to Annette's defence as an axeman came bursting out into the open, charging towards her; swept at his feet and pierced his side in a flash.
It was only as the man slid, gasping, off the lance that Dimitri realised he was militia.
Little more than civilian.
How many of the voices in the gloom were people caught up in the tide, hoping only to defend their lord?
His people. His people and he –he had done this before. Had earned a distinction for putting down a rebellion like this. For cutting through people with no chance of withstanding his strength and training. His people, who were not being properly attended to in his Uncle's regency. His people, and by his own hand their voices joined the dead chorus that called for justice.
"Your Highness!" Dedue called, stepping in to deflect an arrow that might have taken him through the eye in his abstraction. Dimitri pushed his doubts aside for the time being and advanced once more, focusing only on the blood-rush of battle. A slash across the neck and the axeman on the ground was put out of his misery.
Annette pressed forward and the fog closed in behind them, shrouding the trail of corpses left in his wake. An axe, a sword, a bow; it made no difference, he killed them all even as he grieved for them. Soldier or civilian.
Somewhere off to his side Felix let out a yell. There was a wet gurgle and the sound of another body hitting the earth. A moment later the fog cleared.
Lonato was before them. If he would retreat, if he would surrender, then they could stop this madness without further bloodshed! If he fell, then at least –at least it would be finished.
Lord Lonato was not interested in parley so long as Thunder Catherine stood on the field.
Professor Hanneman called out, instructing the lances up front –effective anti-cavalry tactics. Dimitri took point with Ingrid and Sylvain rallying round to flank him.
Ashe got there first.
~o~*~o~
Byleth and Sanderson observed the town from a vantage point halfway up a neighbouring hill. "What do you think, Ashen One?" Sanderson asked, sprawling across the grass, propped up by one arm, waving the other hand airily at the buildings below "Shall the boys and I kick back while you go to town? Probably only take you half a day to bring the curtain down."
Byleth shook her head "Too many strongholds." She said, marking them with the precise care of someone using the wrong hand for the task on the map spread between them. "At least the civilians are hiding. We could have used a caster, through." Idly she wondered what element(s) would answer her call if she ever learned to tap into the anima of the world surrounding her.
"Fire, most certainly." Sothis chimed.
"Well, I guess your dashing, loyal men will just have to do the work then." Sanderson continued "I do hope the Margrave is showing proper appreciation for our performance."
"Finders keepers." Byleth informed him
"Wait, really?" Sanderson sat up sharply.
"So long as you find it on a bandit. Plus our standard fee."
"So, the issue is that lunk of armour on the south-side." Sanderson insisted, suddenly all business and focused on the map. Eyes sharper than Byleth's at a distance flicking between her notations and the town before them "And further over, that mage on the south-east. Nothing on the north side is any issue for us of course, so do we hit the challenge while we're fresh or rout the north, then head down with our backs clear but probably banking on a second wind to finish the job?"
"Can you see any other entrances? We could take the south-west, but both north gates are pinned down."
Sanderson scanned the town carefully "It looks like there might be a gate in the east wall. A garden gate or the like –single person type affair. Just at the boundary between those houses and the plaza. Not guarded."
Byleth marked it on the map then studied it, considering their options.
"We'll need to divide. A party to each side, sweep these three strongholds and herd the rest down to the armour. Regroup there for the last assault."
"A dramatic climax to be sure. Difficult to coordinate that once we're on opposite sides of the town though, Ashen One."
"Difficult." She agreed, calmly, standing and using her teeth to tug free the knot of her sling, stretching out her arm and swapping her sword back to its customary position "But we're Jeralt's."
It didn't even register on the list of rousing speeches throughout the ages, but Sanderson grinned and felt himself buoyed along by her words nonetheless, even considering the dearth of them. Aura of confidence that one, he thought, solid, dependable; just like her Father.
~o~*~o~
Lonato was dead.
It had been Catherine in the end. The old Knight had been so keen on riding her down, no tactics Dimitri or Hanneman called out could have prevented him clearing them on his way to her.
It had been Catherine in the end. Thunderbrand arcing one more trail of light to end the battle.
But Ashe had still drawn arms against him.
He could still feel the bowstring tense against his fingers. The kiss of wind on his cheek as he'd loosed the shot. The stab of guilt and relief when it pinged off a pauldron and spun whirling uselessly down like a sycamore seed only to be crushed beneath the charge of hooves.
His knees had turned to jelly and he sunk to the ground, head bowed, unable to watch as it ended. He focused on a leaf on the road an inch or so ahead of him, counting the veins on it as the sounds of plate scraping and screams and mail clinking and hoofbeats echoed around him over the beating of his heart, the tightening of his throat, the numbness in his limbs.
Some indeterminable time later a hand clasped his shoulder and he at last looked up into the concerned eyes of his Prince.
"My siblings." He whispered.
Dimitri's hand tightened in an assuring grip. "We'll go find them, together."
Ashe nodded, looking down at that leaf for a moment more.
Then he climbed to his feet.
~o~*~o~
Effective, Edelgard thought once again as she observed the Blue Lions troop solemnly back into the monastery, turning to succour from the Church to ease their pain. The very Church that had set them to it in the first place.
Ashe's head was bowed, Sylvain was silent, Ingrid walked with a hesitant step -even the sharp edges that usually defined Felix's movements were softened.
Ruthless, beautiful, cruel.
Dimitri's fists were clenched, his jaw tight, but even he bowed his royal head alongside Catherine and Professor Hanneman as Rhea greeted them.
Immaculate.