The sun rose and dispelled some of the weaker creatures trying to claw at the fortifications put in place. Guts felt numb. Visiting the Hill of Swords was more difficult that he thought it would be. He had tried to be strong for Casca, but his own darkness had consumed him.

The beast had wormed its way forward. He didn't think Casca had noticed, so wrapped up in her own grief, but that didn't matter. Guts was still weak. He was still a danger to everyone he cared about. He still had a long way to go.

It was decided after a quick breakfast that they would go to the Hill of Swords as the rest of the group wanted to see it.

As the Hill came into view, there was something, or rather someone there. Flashbacks to his encounter with Griffith jumped to Guts'mind. But while this chance meeting was with someone who was a part of the band of the hawk, he wasn't the leader.

"Rickert?" Casca asked as both she and Guts stared at the boy- no, he was a man now. How much time had passed?

"...Casca?" RIckert seemed confused, "How are you- Guts?"

All three were overcome by emotion, but Rickert, always quick to adapt, spoke again.

"Is this- Is this really happening?"

A smile formed on Casca's face, tears pooling in her eyes. "Rickert. You're so-" She placed her hands on his shoulders, "Grown."

This broke Rickert, who rushed in to hug Casca, tears also staining his face.

Rickert did look older than the youth all those years ago, granted it had been more for him than for Guts and his group. His frame had broadened, although he still nowhere near Guts' scale. His hair was still long, probably a bit past his shoulders if let loose. He was a grown man now.

"Hey, forget about me?" Guts asked.

"Guts!" Rickert pulled Guts into the hug, surprising the branded swordsman. But he wasn't surprised enough to not hug back.

"How are you guys here?" Rickert finally asked.

"We could ask you the same thing." Casca said. "The forge was destroyed, you can't have been staying there."

"I wasn't." And then Rickert launched into his story of his and Erica's escape from the mountains and their time in Falconia. The rest of the group had joined the three and listened to Rickert's tale.

"Falconia is massive, and growing probably as well." He explained, "I can't even describe the scale everything, but it has enough room to house people and armies and hordes of the war demons. And Griffith-"

"You saw Griffith?" Guts asked urgently.

"Yes." Rickert answered slowly, "I did. He… wanted me to join him." The topic of Griffith put everyone on edge, Guts and Casca even more so. "I didn't. To say the least." Rickert let out an awkward chuckle. "And I escaped with Erica, a Kushan sorcerer, and the Bakiraka. We've been living with them ever since."

"The Bakiraka?" Serpico said, "Kushan assassins?"

"Yeah. They-" Rickert looked around. "Actually, it's top secret." He turned to Guts. "Is everyone here trustworthy."

"Probably." Guts shrugged.

"Probably?!" Isidro exclaimed, "I saved your life!"

"He's always been like that." Puck scoffed, pointing to Guts, "Un-grateful."

"You haven't met everyone yet, have you?" Casca asked, still shaken.

"Can't say I have."

They went through introductions and explained how Casca had gotten her mind back.

"Well I should be getting back." Rickert finally said.

"Getting back?" Farnese asked.

"To the secret I was talking about. Although I guess if you are all trust worthy I could bring you with me."

"I am very trustworthy." Isidro assured.

"How?" Isma asked. "There isn't any where near here and you don't have any horses."

"Well…" Rickert whistled and a flying demon circled down from the sky.

Everyone took a step back, hands going to weapons.

"Woah woah, it's okay-" Rickert said, either to the monster or to his friends.

"What is that?" Isidro asked.

"Its how we get around now. Really convenient." He scratched the back of his neck, "I'm not the best at flying, but after living with them for three years you kind of just pick things up. I can try to summon more."

Guts cast a glance at Casca and met her eyes. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded.

"Okay." Guts said, still skeptical, "Summon away."

…

"This is insane." Casca said. She was sitting behind Rickert, holding onto his arms with a vice like grip.

"Yeah, I guess you get used to it." Rickert said other nonchalantly.

"I don't know about that." She muttered.

"So I didn't want to embarrass you earlier, and honestly it's probably a good thing, but, did you put on some weight?"

This surprised Casca who glanced down to her stomach. It was still relatively flat, no longer as skinny and frail as it was when she first came back. And the there was her small baby bump. That was strange to see. With her clothes and chainmail on, it did just look like she gained some weight.

"Well being pregnant does that to you."

This caught Rickert off guard. "What?" He looked behind him at her again as if checking to see if she had another head. "Really? You're- And Guts-"

"Yes really, and Guts is the father."

"I mean, I didn't really think it could be anyone else, but is this good. Are you okay with it?"

"Okay with it?" Casca laughed, "I am very okay with it. I think it's saving my life."

"How do you mean?" Rickert asked skeptically, "The pregnant women I've seen never seemed super pleased with it."

"It's just, given my life purpose. I'm not just living for myself, I can't afford not to take care of myself or not ask for help because it's not just my life at stake anymore."

Rickert was quiet for a moment, "It was never just your life at stake, Casca." He said, "When we were on the run from midland, if you had died so would have many more, and then after everything… If you hadn't survived neither would've Guts. He would've just kept throwing himself into battles until he broke."

"He still does that."

"Well, yes." Rickert admitted. "But he has to survive so he can protect you."

Casca didn't reply.

"WEll. Either way," Rickert said, "I believe congratulations are in order." He laughed nervously, "This just reminded me of something. Corkus told me if I ever had a kid I should name it after him."

"Are you any closer in that aspect?"

"What? No- I just… How would you think he'd react if you named your kid Corkus?"

"Honored."

"No." Rickert corrected, "Guts' kid."

The laughter started as a snort, and then grew to all out guffaws.

"I think he'd rather die."

And that careless word sobered them both quite quickly.

Gently Rickert replied, "You're not wrong."

"I do this to Guts too, forget they're all… You know?" Casca tensed slightly, "I think- I think it bothers him more than he lets on."

"Guts is strong, if he had a problem-"

"He shouldn't have to be!" She exclaimed, growing emotional again. "Not with me at least."

Rickert, remembering his time with the hawks, and not wanting to deal with an upset Casca, especially not about a pregnant upset Casca, tried to lighten the mood. "I'm sure Erica has plethora of names to help you choose."

"Does she?"

"She was the type of girl who really cares about all of that, marriage and babies and stuff." He explained, "I had forgotten girls could be like that, what with you being the only real feminine force in my life, so it was kind of… different."

Casca found a smile forming on her lips. She didn't remember much, but Erica was her main care taker when she was in her regressed form and has always treated her well. It was a lot of respocibilty to place on such a young girl, but she was strong if nothing else.

"So Erica is well?"

"Better than well, I'd say." Rickert responded, "She really adapted fast, she was even young enough they could train her."

"To be a Kushan assassin? Isn't it related to the clan, I thought they didn't take well to outsiders."

"Well they don't, but we were special circumstances. She's an orphan, and we weren't going any where. She wasn't going to be a smith, and she couldn't just sit and watch me work. They had lessons for children." Rickert shrugged, "Those lessons just happened to also involve the basics of assassination. She can handle herself well now."

"That's… Good."

"You can talk to her when we get there." Rickert pointed to a far off mountain peak, "The base is around that way, we're still a ways off, you should try to rest, I'll make sure you don't fall."

Casca smiled. "Thank you Rickert."

She wasn't quite ready to relax when she was this high up, but appreciated the sentiment. Rickert had been such a sweet boy, and it seemed he'd grown into a thoughtful young man. Setting her sight on the peak, Casca steeled herself. She had a feeling the game would change once they arrived, she wasn't sure for the better or worse. Or if there was a really a difference between the two anymore.