Alright, just a warning that this chapter is going to be where the T rating comes in, there's some graphic violence in it.
I unfortunately didn't have time to edit this chapter much before its release, I apologize for the rougher quality. I'm not sure whether it will take one or two weeks for the next one, considering for the next few days I'll have effectively zero time to write, but I'll do my best. Keep an eye on the update dates in this fic's summary.
It had been four days since the lords had left the monastery, and far from being reassured, Byleth's sense of worry had become overwhelming. It had impeded her ability to teach a class when she noticed the empty spots occupied by the lords not just in the classroom, but in the dining hall, the halls, the cathedral.
So it was with shaky steps that she arrived at the Audience Chamber when summoned one night, and the grim looks on Seteth and Rhea's faces made her swallow a sob. Was her intuition wrong? Had they arrived safely in Faerghus?
"We've brought you here with news," Rhea began, inviting Byleth closer with an open hand, "and you need not inform your students yourself. Seteth and I will have a meeting with all who reside here in the morning. I only thought that you should know first… I can sense that you are deeply troubled with the whereabouts of your beloved students."
Byleth nodded, feeling a cold sweat on the back of her neck. The silence seemed thicker than usual before Seteth cleared his throat and spoke clearly, but with his usual grim seriousness gone. His voice had an unsettling air of uncertainty, if not fear.
"We received a report from the king that no one who departed has arrived yet. They were expected last night, or this morning. They have received no word from the lords themselves or those they were traveling with. Therefore… Professor, Rhea and I have concluded that they must still be somewhere along their route."
"But… are they okay?" Byleth couldn't help blurting, but far from being reprimanded for interrupting, as she'd expected, Seteth sighed heavily and paused for an uncomfortably long moment before replying.
"We cannot be certain of that, Professor. We only know that they have not yet reached their destination. But their safety is paramount, as you will no doubt agree. As such, Rhea and I have dispatched two search teams to find their carriage. One will search during the daylight hours from the air, and a second team will search by horseback. As soon as they find a sign of the lords, they are to send word to use immediately. Yet… even in the most optimistic case, we will not hear back for several more days, at least."
Byleth realized she had tears in her eyes only after Rhea's hand caressed her cheek and felt wetness. The Professor stifled a sob as she said, "I knew it… Something bad happened, I'd been worried about them ever since…"
"We have reason to believe now that this was not a true mission," Rhea continued, her calm voice slightly more soothing now, "and we will be focusing all of our efforts on uncovering the true motives of the one who summoned the three lords as soon as they are found. Please rest assured, Professor, that we will inform you immediately when we hear of them."
Byleth nodded, sniffling a little. "Yes… I apologize, I just… I'm so worried for them. The area they were traveling through…"
"Yes, it is fairly remote," Seteth finished for her, "but the search team of pegasus knights and wyvern riders will be able to sweep the entire area in a day's time. Should they find any sign of the carriage, most will stay for assistance and a few will return to us with the news."
He did not add that there were parts of the wilderness that were so thickly forested that they could only be effectively searched from the ground, and the team on horseback would take weeks to do so. It felt dishonest to keep such a fact from Byleth, but having her panic would disrupt morale for all of the students. They were to wait for news now, and try to remain calm.
"We apologize for such grim news, Professor."
Byleth nodded again at Rhea's apology, and replied, "At least… at least now, I can feel a little more certain."
"Indeed," Seteth answered, his voice a little stronger now. "You are dismissed, Professor, and we will deliver word to all the students during the morning, so do not trouble yourself with such a task. And if I may give advice… Dimitri, Edelgard and Claude are among our most capable and talented students. I'm sure you've come to understand that about them. Even if they are alone… I trust that they will be able to survive long enough for us to find them."
Byleth could feel a small surge of hope at that, for she knew it was true. She bid Seteth and Rhea a good night and returned to her quarters, but before she entered her bed, she sat on it for a long time and gazed mutely at the half-moon shining in a clear sky.
Edelgard, Claude and Dimitri… Are you looking at the moon right now, too? Byleth wondered, wishing beyond a wish that there was a way she could transmit a message to them with only her mind. Wherever you are… Please stay safe. Please stay alive. Please come back to all of us. I… I could not bear anything else.
Claude and Dimitri shared the unspoken hope that Edelgard's sudden illness would pass quickly, like a cold. This hope was fueled when the following morning, she woke up, ate fish that they had caught and even helped a little with that day's fire, but her coughing had worsened. At one point, when Edelgard withdrew her hand from her mouth, she saw a few drops of dark blood and turned pale.
Perhaps she was taking strength from Dimitri, or seeing his newfound energy as a challenge. One of the two. Though it could be months before his injury would completely heal, Dimitri ignored the pain in his side as the pile of wood grew higher.
"You sure you should be out here, Edelgard?" Claude had asked as she stooped, but she was back on her feet in a moment, shaking her head firmly.
"I'm… fine," she had insisted, "I can stand up… I can help you two."
They both knew it was useless to try to convince Edelgard otherwise, so the work continued in earnest. It was still a warm day, but the sun was mercifully blocked by clouds every now and then. Everything seemed to be going fine for a moment, like the walk to the valley, until Edelgard, who had been standing by the slowly growing flames, was gripped by a coughing fit that left her wheezing on the ground.
"She's coughing up blood," Dimitri told Claude in a panic, swiftly lifting her off the ground and kneeling in the shade where they slept. Edelgard's breathing was fast and shallow, and faint tears of pain were in her eyes as her coughing spell continued.
"Try to calm down, both of you. Is it hard to breathe at all?" Claude asked softly, sacrificing a small piece of cloth he had to gently wipe away the drops of blood on Edelgard's lips and face.
She shook her head, "Not… unless I'm coughing."
"So you need to stay here, lie down, and rest. Try to breathe deeply, and don't suppress the urge. That will only make it worse. One of us will stay here with you, so if there's anything we can do…"
Claude's firm voice trailed away as he realized how little he could do. Edelgard finally fell silent as her coughing faded. Lying down seemed to be a small relief, because her breathing quickly became long, deep sighs, though her face was almost ghostly in the dim light.
"Please rest and get better, El," Dimitri said, and Claude could see tears welling from Dimitri's eyes. "We can't lose you. I won't allow it."
"I'll be back once the fire's going. Keep me updated, you hear?"
Dimitri nodded, staring fixedly at Edelgard's face. It was as if he hadn't noticed until now just how poor her condition was becoming. Her skin was ashen, that of it not studded with bumps and swelling, and dirt and blood painted her hands and face. With the cloth Claude had earlier, he wet it and began to gently wash away the stains, very gingerly, as if bathing an infant. Edelgard may have been awake, but she didn't speak or move.
What's happening to her? Dimitri thought over and over as he let the cloth cool her skin. I've never seen illness like this before… Will she be fine as long as she can still breathe? And what if she can't? What if her breathing fails while we're all asleep?
"Dimitri."
Her weak voice startled Dimitri so badly he cried out, and Claude lifted his head outside. Edelgard's eyes were open, and she tilted her head just enough to look at Dimitri's face. Her cracked lips slowly opened as she asked, "will you… trim… my hair?"
"What?"
Wondering if she was becoming delirious, Dimitri lifted Edelgard's face closer so her could hear her better. To his astonishment, she sniffed and a small smile touched her face.
"You heard… well. Cut off… my hair. It only bothers me now… can't… care for it."
"El…"
Dimitri knew how important Edelgard's hair was to her. She had always paid so much attention to it back at the monastery, experimenting with new styles often to see what she liked best. But he could see that it had become very tangled and dirty in the past few days, and without a comb or even a place to properly wash, he knew this was the best thing to do. It would grow back, anyway…
So once Claude returned, Dimitri had him help Edelgard sit a little. He took a moment to sharpen his dagger on a nearby stone, then warned Edelgard, "This may hurt a little, but I'll try my best… Claude, would you-?"
"She asked you to do it, I believe."
Soon, a small heap of soft hair grew at Edelgard's side. It would have been difficult to cut with ordinary scissors, but the dagger swept through it easily, and it seemed to be a painless process. When he had finished, Dimitri had to smile a little. The short hairstyle suited Edelgard better than he'd pictured.
"Wanna see your new look?" Claude offered brightly, but Edelgard shook her head once. She was smiling as well, relieved to have one less thing to worry about.
"Thank you… Dimitri."
Another day passed with little change. The biggest event was when, at dusk, Dimitri left Edelgard's side for a moment to help Claude douse the fire, and the two of them laughed aloud at the sight of two small foxes looking nervously at the men from about a dozen feet away.
"I'll stay out here for a while… I'd like a moment alone. You watch El, okay?"
Claude nodded, a bit concerned for his friend, but Edelgard had started coughing again and he was out of sight in a moment. Dimitri watched him go, then turned his attention back to where he wanted it as he walked a short distance along the beach. The still water was quickly turning dark.
What are we going to do if she doesn't get better?
Dimitri looked across the small lake to the other side, trying to see as much detail as he could in the fading light. There were no roads or trails that he could see- and even if there were, he doubted he himself could make the long journey, let alone with Edelgard.
We can't spend more than a few more days here… We'll have to move sometime, to go back closer to where we were attacked. Why has help not arrived yet? Or… were they attacked, as well?
An unusually chilly breeze touched Dimitri and he shuddered. There were faint noises behind him, probably Claude coming to tell him to come back. With a sigh, Dimitri gazed once more at the deep blue sky, avoiding the sight of his reflection. He didn't want to see how dirty and insect-bitten he was- the pains were apparent all of his waking hours.
The bear came from behind, and the prince of Faerghus never knew it until the animal hit him with the power of five horses. Knocked onto his feet, Dimitri could do no more than scream as he felt hot, fanged jaws close around his head. With one shake, the bear thrashed him from side to side like a dog shaking a bone. Claws sank into the flesh on his shoulder as the jaws tightened around his head.
"What was that?"
Claude's head jerked up, and Edelgard feebly raised her own, her cracked lips rasping, "Dimitri…?"
"You stay here," Claude ordered, and grabbing his bow, he dashed out into the night. The sounds became terrifyingly clear at once. As soon as Claude rounded a corner, the horrible sight met his eyes.
Dimitri was lying on his side, his neck and arms twisted at terrible angles. The side of his face turned away from Claude was a mask of blood. And the beast stood over him, popping its jaws as it saw Claude, then backed away with a confused noise halfway between a grunt and a roar.
Claude had been in too many life-or-death situations before to lose his cool, but the arrow still missed the bear, landing at its heavy paw. Still, the startled creature huffed, then turned and sauntered away in a bound as its own odds of safety decreased.
As he knelt at Dimitri's side and gently turned him onto his back, Claude felt such a rush of nausea that he would have thrown up if his stomach wasn't painfully empty. Only one of Dimitri's eyes could be seen in his face; the other was gone, the fang of the bear seemingly having pierced it. Small holes from the fangs stood out starkly in Dimitri's pale skin. But he was groaning, tears of pain coming from his intact eye as Claude pressed a finger to his neck. He was still alive. For now.
"Gods, this isn't happening," Claude mumbled to himself, not knowing how he would even find the strength to carry his injured comrade back to shelter. Just a few hundred feet behind him, Edelgard was sitting up, but too weak to walk, and had heard the horror of the scene just as well.
In the 4 hours of sleep I managed to get last night, I actually dreamed I was on a road and about to be attacked by a giant bear. Then somebody drove past me at like a hundred miles an hour and scared it away. Relevant, I guess? I'm sleepy.