Chapter V: The First Strike, Part I

Lithe 2, 706

"So Lindow," Quinn began, "have you ever been to Burgundy?"

"A few times, for jobs," the thief replied. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering what it's like."

Lindow let out a small laugh. "Well, if we're talking about Burgundy, then we have to talk about the food. There's a reason their chefs are named the best in the world- even the bread is a world apart." He smirked. "Plus, the women aren't too bad on the eyes, either."

"Okay…" Quinn replied slowly. "But, I was thinking more about how it compares to Bannon."

"Hmm… well, the weather's nicer for one thing. Not always cloudy like it is here. And it's not as flat. Especially out west, where we're going."

Quinn shook his head. "I don't mean that either," he said, looking over. "What are the people there like?"

"Ah, that. Well…" Lindow scratched his head. "Once you do enough travelling, kid, you'll find out that people have more things in common than they do differences."

Three weeks had passed since the day of the ceremony, the day King Oswald had been assassinated. The day after, Uther had departed to travel across Bannon, and raise an army to oppose Burgundy. It didn't take long for the first soldiers to arrive in Tristan- now, tents and pavilions of all sizes blanketed the fields south of the city as far as the eye could see. All manner of people came- men and women, young and old, from nobles honoring ancient vows to serve their king, to mercenaries selling their services, to simple villagers wanting to show their patriotism.

But the sudden influx of people to the city had brought a number of problems with it- namely, crime. Mother Agnes had said that aiding the the city guards in maintaining law and order would demonstrate the Order's commitment to defending Bannon. Quinn thought that fighting in Burgundy would be enough, but in the end, deferred to the older woman's judgement. At the moment, Quinn and Lindow were patrolling atop the city walls at the south end of Tristan, watching the enormous camp.

Quinn stopped, and looked out over the wall. "I didn't think so many people would come."

"It's not that surprising," Lindow replied. "Plenty of people here in Bannon hate Burgundy for what they did in the last war. And I'm sure the Burgundians haven't forgiven Bannon for breaking away and becoming their own kingdom."

"I guess…" Quinn said, leaning against a parapet. "I just don't get it, though. All those things happened such a long time ago. How can you hate someone so much, for doing things to people that you've never even met?"

For a few moments, Lindow was silent. "People are slow to forget," he replied in a low voice, "and, even slower to forgive. That's… all I can really say." The thief looked around, looking for something to steer the conversation elsewhere, when something caught his eye. "Well. Would you look at that?"

Quinn followed Lindow's gaze- to his surprise, Ingrid was atop the wall as well, leaning against the battlements as she looked out over the camp. He hurried over, calling, "Miss Ingrid!"

"Miss Inquisitor," Lindow said as he followed Quinn. "We weren't expecting to run into you out here."

Ingrid didn't reply.

Quinn stepped forward. "What's the matter, Miss Ingrid?"

"I don't like this," she replied in a low voice.

Quinn let out a small sigh. "Miss Ingrid, you said you weren't upset about me taking Lindow as a retainer."

Ingrid looked over. "It's not that. I still don't agree entirely, but if you believe this man can help us, I'll respect your decision." She looked out over the camp once more. "It's our situation with Burgundy I don't like."

"Seems like you know something the rest of us don't," Lindow said. "So spill it."

Ingrid was quiet for a moment, as if to gather her thoughts. "I was in Burgundy for half a year, gathering intelligence. In all that time, there was no indication that Burgundy was preparing for an invasion."

"Well, maybe they were just waiting for the right moment," Quinn said. He pointed to the encampment outside the walls. "I mean, look out there. It's only been three weeks, but Uther managed to raise a pretty big force. The last count says there's eight thousand men out there."

Ingrid sighed. "You don't understand the logistics of raising an army, Quinn," she replied. "An army isn't just soldiers- those soldiers need food, weapons, armor, medicine, all manner of supplies. Especially if they're planning a large-scale manuver, like an invasion. You simply can't hide something like that. There should have been shortages and higher prices all over Burgundy as resources were diverted to supporting their soldiers- Bannon hasn't even sent its army abroad yet, but we're already seeing both." Ingrid glanced at Quinn. "Or, have you not noticed?"

Now that Ingrid mentioned it, Quinn had heard people griping about sudden increases in the prices of… almost everything. Not to mention, meals served at the Abbey seemed more scanty than usual.

"An invasion of Hessen would need months of preparation, and an appropriate level of supplies," Ingrid continued. "But I didn't see any signs of that kind of stockpiling happening in my time in Burgundy."

"Well, I doubt any of us expected the Burgundians to strike at my brother directly," a familiar voice replied. "In his own castle, no less."

Quinn, Ingrid, and Lindow looked to source of the voice, to see Uther approaching. Two people flanked him- on Uther's left was Gwin, but on the right was a young woman that was unfamiliar. The three came to a stop a short distance away. "And yet, it is so," Uther said.

"Captain," Ingrid said. "You've returned."

"Our call to arms was a resounding success," the captain replied. "According to Parliament's most recent count, we stand twelve thousand strong.'

Lindow let out an impressed whistle. "Not bad for such short notice."

The captain gave Lindow an odd look, before continuing, "…Indeed. There's been no shortage of people willing to march against Burgundy. So many, in fact, we've had to turn a fair portion away- we simply don't have enough ships to carry all of them." Uther's gaze focused on Ingrid. "Parliament has also agreed to Mother Agnes's proposal, and will set aside two-and-a-half thousand men for a secondary force."

"Two-and-a-half thousand." Ingrid's expression darkened, and she folded her arms over her chest. "That's less than what Mother Agnes asked for."

Uther looked out to the camp. "Parliament has declared that the army's first priority is defending Hessen," he replied. "They'd initially planned to send only a thousand men to Fort Guyenne, but I was able to convince them to send more. That said, if our mission is a success, it may convince Parliament to give the secondary force additional support."

The captain looked back to Ingrid. "I also have a message from the good Mother herself: she's chartered a ship from the Guild to carry the vanguard to Fort Guyenne. It will be departing in two days. She asks that you prepare yourselves accordingly."

Ingrid touched the beak of her cap. "Thank you, Captain."

Uther turned, but before he could walk away, Gwin hesitantly said, "Uh, Boss? There was something else you wanted to do."

"Hmm?" Uther turned back. "Oh, yes. I wanted to introduce you to my second-in-command. This is my lieutenant, Fiona." He motioned to the woman. "She, along with Gwin and Julius, will be accompanying me into the field."

The woman stepped forward, toward Quinn. He looked… down at her slightly. That was rather surprising, as he couldn't recall meeting a woman so short- even Gail, who was shorter than him, could still almost look him in the eye. Her eyes and her shoulder-length hair were brown- the same color as Gwin's- and her armor had a faint red tinge; while it had seen more wear than Gwin's, it wasn't as battered as Uther's. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Quinn," she said. "Gwin's told me all about you." She gave a sideways glance to Gwin. "Though it seems my brother neglected to tell you about me."

"Hey, we had a job to do, Sis," Gwin protested.

"You're Uther's second in command?" Quinn asked, shaking the woman's hand. It wasn't that he didn't believe her- despite her height, if her grip was anything to go by she must have been incredibly strong. "Then, why didn't you come with us to Tol Castell?"

"Someone needed to stay behind and protect Tristan in my absence," Uther replied "And there are no soldiers under my command who would be more fitting for that role. Fiona is one of the finest knights to ever come out of the Dalish Guard- indeed, one of the finest soldiers Bannon has ever fielded."

Fiona nodded, smiling with satisfaction as Uther praised her, until Gwin said, "Don't praise her too much, Boss. Her head's big enough from all the praise Dad gives her."

Fiona's attention snapped to Gwin, her expression twisted in anger. "Why you-! Come here!" With incredible speed, she leapt and grabbed her brother, wrapping her arms around his neck and forcing him to his knees.

"Aaah! Sis, my neck isn't gonna-" There was a crack. "Gaaah!" Gwin flailed, but couldn't escape from Fiona's grip.

"If anyone's got a big head here, it's you!" Fiona snapped. "Mouthing off like that!"

"Alright, that's enough you two," Uther said, stepping forward. "Save your aggression for the Browns."

A sudden gust of wind swept across the top of the wall. One that Quinn recognized, as it far from natural. He looked up, to see a figure in black arcing across the blue sky. Everyone else stopped to watch the figure as well, wariness apparent on their faces. But when the figure landed, they could see it was not another assassin. Rather, it was a girl. A girl with dark skin and blonde hair held by a black band, wearing a sleeveless black shirt, black shorts, and a long black scarf. In her hands was a book of spells that she quickly tucked away as she ran up to Quinn.

"Quinn. Take me with you," Gail said.

"Again?" Quinn muttered in exasperation, before saying firmly, "Gail, Professor Isaac said no."

Gail scowled and stomped her foot. "I'm not asking Professor Isaac! I'm asking you!"

"Alright." Quinn crossed his arms over his chest. "…No."

"Grr!" Gail's attention snapped to Ingrid. She pointed at the inquisitor. "Ingrid! Tell Quinn to take me with him!"

Ingrid replied flatly, "I apologize, but Mother Agnes named Quinn as leader of the vanguard. As such, all decisions pertaining to the selection of vanguard members falls to him."

Gail angrily stammered for a few moments, before her attention turned back to Quinn. She pulled back her foot and kicked Quinn in the shin as hard as she could. "Gah!" Quinn dropped to one knee, cradling his leg. "Ow! What was that for!?"

She ran from him, shouting, "Stupid! You guys are jerks!" She pulled out her tome, but rather than taking aim at Quinn or Ingrid, she pointed at the ground beneath her feet. There was a rush of wind, and a spiralling column of air sent Gail sailing into the sky. She landed on a rooftop within the city after several moments, before launching herself again with another column of wind.

With a groan, Quinn rose to his feet. Gwin and Fiona stared silently at the girl's rapidly shrinking figure, Fiona's arms still wrapped around Gwin's neck. "Who was that?" the brother asked.

"Lover's quarrel?" Fiona suggested.

"What- no!" Quinn stammered. "That was- she, uh…"

Ingrid stepped forward. "That girl is a student of one of the Order's Archons," she said. "She was brought here from the Arcane College for her own protection. Though it seems she disagrees with the Professor's decision."

"Well, putting that aside," Uther said, turning his gaze back toward Quinn and Ingrid. "We should be on our way. We don't have much time, and we have our own preparations to make."

"Indeed," Ingrid replied. She then looked to Quinn. "Come, Quinn. We should return to the Abbey."

The group split in two, and went their separate ways. But as they walked away, Quinn could hear the conversation between Fiona and Gwin:

"Hmm… I never thought you'd have an eye for Dorics, Gwin."

"What're you talking about?"

"That girl from earlier. You were staring."

"Ghe-wha?" Gwin spluttered. "I-I wasn't…"

Fiona laughed. "Still, she was cute. I think Dad would be happy for you if you brought home a girl like that."

Gwin sighed. "Don't you think I'm a bit young to be thinking about settling down…?"

Two days later, the vanguard's ship launched on schedule. The ship would not only carry them to Burgundy, but also scout the enemy nation's naval defenses, finding the best route for the secondary force to follow. To avoid enemy ships, they would have to take a long, circuitous route far from shore.

Quinn, Lindow, Julius, Gwin, and Fiona were gathered in a cabin below deck, seated on various cots and hammocks. "…Come on, Julius. I know our job doesn't seem as exciting, but it's still important," Gwin said.

"I am well aware of the importance of our mission," Julius replied. "I was merely disappointed to learn we would not be serving on the Hessian front. There is word that Professor Isaac is commanding the forces there. So, I had hoped that I would finally have a chance to meet him face-to-face."

Lindow looked to the priest. "You must really have it in for this Professor guy. You bring him up all the time."

Julius narrowed his eyes slightly, and adjusted his glasses. "I assure you, I harbor no feelings of hostility towards the Professor. Rather, he is a person I admire greatly. I consider it my life's goal to meet him as a fellow mage."

A brief silence settled, before Julius said, "Quinn. I couldn't help but notice that you have been rather quiet. Is there something troubling you?"

Quinn, who had sitting with his hand resting on his chin, shook his head. "I've been trying to figure something out."

"Lay it on us," Lindow said. "Maybe we can help."

Quinn looked at the floor as he thought. "Well… I understand why Burgundy would want to assassinate Oswald. Bannon and Hessen are allies, so they'd want to distract Bannon while they invaded. But what I can't figure out is why Burgundy would want to invade Hessen in the first place."

Gwin leaned forward on his cot. "Huh? Didn't you study any history when you were at that… Magic College?"

"We were just starting on history when I was called back to Bannon," Quinn replied. He looked to Gwin. "So, if you know the reason why, I'd like to hear it."

Julius stood with a small smile. "Please allow me, Quinn. I happen to be well-versed in Aurean history, and I would be more than happy to-"

But Fiona interrupted, "Until the year 551, Hessen was a territory ruled by Burgundy. But, after the Second War of the Ronde, and Mother Agnes appeared, the region was made independent, to act as a buffer between Navarro, Burgundy, and Doria. If Burgundy were to invade, it would most likely be to reclaim territory they see as rightfully theirs."

Quinn looked to Julius. "Is that right, Julius?"

Julius didn't reply for a moment, before saying flatly, "…That is correct. I should have expected no less from Uther's second-in-command."

"Wait, hold on," Gwin interjected. "The Second War of the Ronde ended…" Gwin counted on his fingers. "…over a hundred and fifty years ago. Does that mean Mother Agnes has been alive that whole time?"

"Indeed she has," Ingrid replied. Everyone jolted slightly from the inquisitor's sudden appearance. "The Rings of Power seem to confer unusual amounts of longevity to their wearers, at least those who aren't killed in battle. And as the Bearer of the Fire Emblem, the most powerful of the Rings, it seems only appropriate that Mother Agnes would live longer than even the average Ringbearer."

Ingrid then turned her attention to Quinn. "Apologies for the interruption, Quinn, but I need you to come with me. Captain Uther wanted to discuss our course of action after we land in Burgundy."

Ingrid and Quinn left the crew quarters, and made their way through the ship's tight corridors to another room near the stern. The room was small, packed with rolled up parchments and books. Uther was inside, closely examining a map laid out on a table before him- it took a few moments for Quinn to realize it was a map of western Burgundy, where they would be landing, enlarged to show detail.

Uther looked up as Ingrid and Quinn entered, "Good, you're here," he said.

Quinn stopped at the edge of the table. "You wanted to talk to me, Captain?"

"I did. We need to discuss how we're to take the fort," Uther replied. "Unfortunately, our spies have little information about Fort Guyenne and the surrounding region, and what we do know is likely outdated."

"Well, let's start with the obvious," Quinn said as he looked down at the map. "What do we know about the fort?"

"Little, unfortunately," Uther replied. "Guyenne was one of several forts built along Burgundy's western border to form a defensive line against Kherson. From that, we can surmise the bulk of its fortifications will be concentrated on its western wall. We don't have any current information on the fort's condition, but the woodlands to the south should mask our approach and allow us to make an assessment."

"What happens after we take the fort?" Quinn asked.

"Once we disembark, this ship will send a chart with its route to the fleet in Tristan," Ingrid replied. "We're to hold the fort until the secondary force arrives."

Quinn made a quick tally in his head of the members of the vanguard- six people in all- and looked up to Uther and Ingrid. "Can we hold the fort with so few people?"

"It is much more difficult to attack a fortress than it is to hold one," Uther replied. "Even if our meager force outnumbers the enemy, they can keep us at bay for quite some time, assuming the fort is in good enough condition." Uther folded his arms. "If I'm honest, I'm hoping Guyenne will be in serious disrepair, if not abandoned outright. Taking it will be difficult without any siege engines if it's not."

"And if we aren't so lucky?"

Uther looked down at the map. "…Then, we try to bring down the main gate. There's a small road approaching from the east." He touched a road marked on the map with his finger. "And, the gate will be positioned where it would most difficult for the enemy to reach it, so the gate will most likely be there."

"It seems like you have everything figured out, Captain," Quinn said, scratching his chin. He wondered for a moment why Mother Agnes had put him in charge of the vanguard, when there was already an experienced military commander to take the reins.

Then, a question came to mind, though Quinn hesitated to ask it for a moment. But in the end, he added, "Captain, since I'm already here, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"What is it?" Uther said.

Quinn hesitated again. "…There were rumors among the men that you refused to let Parliament hold a funeral for Oswald. Is that…?"

Uther looked up. His face was set into a hard scowl that made Quinn shudder. "I'll tell you what I told Parliament: I will lay my brother to rest when I've returned from Burgundy victorious, and restored the peace." He leaned forward. "And not one moment before."

Night fell. The sails were furled, and the anchor was dropped. The ship had yet to leave Bannish waters, so it was unlikely they would encounter any enemy vessels. Even so, the vanguard would take turns keeping watch, and Quinn was chosen for the first watch. He patrolled the deck, carefully scanning the dark horizons for any approaching lights, listening for any break in the silence. But the world beyond the short range of his lantern was completely black, and quiet, save for the faint light of the stars overhead.

But the silence was soon interrupted. Not by the ripple of sails or the sloshing of waves, however, but by a strange shuffling from the side of the cabin on the deck. Quinn approached the sound slowly, lantern raised to illuminate the area as much as it could. He found the source of the sound soon enough- a barrel, wobbling slightly as something inside moved about.

A muffled voice in the barrel muttered, "Stupid dockhand… did he have to drop me right on my butt?" The barrel's lid fell to the deck with a clatter, and a girl stood up, with her back turned to Quinn. She was blonde, with dark skin, and wore black shorts, a black shirt without sleeves, and a black scarf.

"Gail," Quinn said flatly.

"Aaah!" Gail jolted, but quickly relaxed when her gaze fell on Quinn. "Oh. Quinn. You're just the person I was hoping to see."

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I told you-" Gail stumbled slightly as she climbed out of the barrel. "I'm here to help."

"No, you're not. When we land, you're staying on this ship and going back to Tristan."

"But why!?" she demanded. "The Professor and Malcolm are helping! So, it's only fair I do my part, too! I can do this! I know I can!"

"Can you?" Quinn stepped towards Gail, looking her in the eye. "Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me that you're strong enough to kill someone?"

Gail faltered for a moment. "Wh-What?"

"This isn't one of the Professor's class trips, Gail. We're not going to this fort to politely ask the Burgundians to leave. We're going to fight. I don't want to fight the Burgundians. I don't want to kill them. But I will, if the choice is to kill the enemy, or let one of my comrades get hurt."

For a long while, Gail looked away in silence. Then, she turned to Quinn and said with an unexpected amount of firmness, "I can do it. I'm not afraid. I…" She took a breath. "I know what death looks like."

Quinn walked to the edge of the deck, and leaned against the railing. "So did I." He lowered his gaze. "But, seeing death is one thing. Killing someone… taking another person's life is something completely different." Quinn looked back. "I thought, because I'd seen death, that I could handle it. But… I was wrong. The only reason I could go through with it… was because of this." He held up his hand, showing his Ring.

Gail didn't say anything.

Quinn's hand fell back to his side, and he looked out over the ocean. "Look," he began. "I know you feel like you're being left out. The Professor and Malcolm are leading the soldiers in Hessen. I'm fighting with Miss Ingrid and the others here. But the Professor gave you a job. And that's to keep yourself safe. If you do your job, then it means we can do our jobs without having to worry."

Gail looked down, kicking at the deck. "It's not fair, though," she muttered. "The Professor is always saying that the only way a person can grow is by pushing themselves past what they think their limits are. But how am I supposed to grow if he's always trying to protect me?"

For a long while, the two were silent. But then, Quinn looked back, and said, "If you think you're strong enough to take someone's life- if you can bear that burden, then I won't stop you from coming with us."

"Quinn?" Gail asked in surprise.

"I have to say one thing, though: if you do come with us, you're with us until the end. You can't back out halfway, alright?"

Gail leaned against the railing next to Quinn, and looked over with a coy smile. "C'mon Quinn, when have I ever backed out on something?"

Quinn gave a small smile in return, before pushing himself away from the railing. "Come on. We need to wake up the others and tell them you're here." He sighed. "I just hope Miss Ingrid won't be too upset."

All at once, Gail paled. "Oh," she said in a small voice. "…I forgot about her. "

Quinn put a hand on Gail's shoulder. "Until the end, remember?"

"Absolutely not," Ingrid said sternly.

"What!?" Gail cried.

"Miss Ingrid, that's-" Quinn began.

But Ingrid interrupted: "You were ordered to remain at the Abbey," she said, pointing to Gail. "And Quinn… you may be the leader of this vanguard, and nominally my superior, but you do not have the authority to interfere in matters pertaining to another Archon's retainers."

"Hey, it's not like I asked Gail to follow us," Quinn protested.

Ingrid stood. "Be that as it may, she's going back to the Abbey. I'm taking her to the brig." She crossed the cabin and grabbed Gail's shoulders. "Come along now."

"Aah- hey!" Gail protested as Ingrid pushed her. "You don't have to be so rough!"

Things were going… about as well as Quinn expected them to. After waking Ingrid and bringing her to the deck, he presented Gail and explained what had happened. Though she was doing an excellent job of hiding it, from her tone and the tremble in her hands, he could tell that the inquisitor was fuming.

"Miss Ingrid, Wait."

Ingrid stopped, but didn't look to him. "Quinn, Isaac made his decision. I trust that after all this time, you know the Professor well enough to trust his judgement."

"I trust the Professor. But, Gail followed us even after he ordered her to stay at the Abbey. Even if we turn around and take her back to Tristan, she'll just try to follow us again. If she's gonna be out here away from the Abbey, she should at least be someplace we can keep an eye on her."

Ingrid didn't answer.

"If anything happens to her, then… I'll take responsibility for it."

Ingrid continued to say nothing.

"Come on, Miss Ingrid. When we first met, you asked me to trust you. And I've done that for these last three years. So can't you return the favor and trust me with this one thing?"

Once again, Ingrid was silent. But then, she mumbled, "So we've started playing that card, have we?" She then looked back. "Very well. But Quinn, protecting her will be your responsibility. Not the vanguard's- yours, and yours alone. And if something were to happen, them you'll be answering to Professor Isaac."

"I won't let anything happen to her," Quinn replied firmly.

Ingrid let go of Gail. "I'm holding you to that."

As soon as she was free, Gail sprinted over and leapt on Quinn, almost knocking him to the floor. "You did it!" she cried. "I didn't think you'd convince her!"

Quinn staggered under the mage's weight. "Gail, quiet down! You're gonna wake everyone up!"

Six days passed. According to the Guild navigators, the winds were unusually favorable, and they would arrive sooner than expected. The ship had yet to encounter any other vessels, enemy or otherwise, but was drawing dangerously close to waters disputed between Kherson and the Confederation of Ulrich, so they turned north toward Burgundy. It would take another day before reaching the shore. After the group had gathered their provisions and disembarked, Uther called them to gather round before setting off:

"As of this moment, we are officially in enemy territory. Your priority now is to keep yourself and the people around you alive. Stay vigilant- if anything happens, there won't be anyone coming to save us." He mounted his horse and took the reins. "Let's go."

And so the group set out, heading into the forest at the edge of the beach. Their progress was slow, as the horses had difficulty maneuvering through the trees and the underbrush. There was enough space between the branches overhead to allow sunlight to shine through, but the woods were strangely quiet- no birds sang, and they encountered no animals, large or small.

"It's so quiet," Quinn said.

"Animals tend to flee in the face of large troop movements," Uther replied.

"If the fortress is occupied, I do hope the fauna here will not inadvertently alert the enemy to our presence," Julius said.

They pressed on. The strange, slightly shaded sunlight filtering overhead gave the impression that no time was passing, regardless of how long one walked. But after walking for some time, Gail suddenly reached out and grabbed Quinn's arm. "Quinn. I heard something."

Quinn tried to pull free of her grasp. "Come on, Gail. Stop playing around."

The mage didn't let go- in fact, her grip tightened. "I'm not playing around! Listen!"

He listened intently- after a moment, though faint, he could hear a shuffling of dry leaves as something moved through the surrounding brush. It was fairly close, and seemed to be moving around the group rather than toward them. Meaning, whatever it was had found them long before they became aware of it. "What is that?" he asked.

"It sounds like there's only one," Fiona replied in a low voice. "But they're… moving strangely."

The others began to draw their weapons slowly. "Is it a patrol?" Gwin asked.

"Unlikely, this far out," Uther replied. "But can't rule out any possibility."

The strange shuffling grew closer, and closer. A bush to the group's right rustled, and… a wolf with a black coat and yellow eyes emerged from the brush. It looked at them silently, before it let out a small bark and sat, showing no further signs of hostility.

The group lowered their weapons. "A wolf," Gwin said.

"Wolves aren't uncommon in this region," Ingrid said. "Though it is strange to see one alone."

Only, the wolf wasn't alone. The brush behind the wolf rustled, and a deep male voice asked, "What is it, Noel?" Then, a man… didn't emerge so much as simply appear behind the wolf. He was… enormous, wearing a dark green cloak, and a rough tunic and trousers the same color as tree bark. The hood of his cloak was drawn up over his head, though enough of his face was exposed that a bushy, black beard covering the man's chin could be seen. A roughly-made bow was slung across his chest, and a quiver of equally roughly-made arrows hung from his belt. "Hmm?" He looked surprised as he laid his eyes on the vanguard, as if not expecting them.

Neither the man nor the wolf had made any aggressive movements, but even so, Quinn warily gripped his axe. "Who are you?" he asked.

The man approached Quinn; despite his size, the crunch of leaves and twigs beneath his feet was almost completely inaudible. As the man towered over Quinn, he pulled back his hood and asked, "What do I look like to you?"

Quinn saw the man's face in full: reddened skin, burned by the sun; thick lips; a broad, flat nose; small, beady black eyes that nonetheless seemed to shine with an uncommon clarity; a heavy brow with no eyebrows; and messy, tangled black hair that reached his shoulders.

Quinn's first instinct was to reply: a bandit. But, that couldn't be right. A real bandit would've attacked by now, or at least threatened them. What's more, like wolves, bandits were never alone. But he certainly didn't look like a soldier, either. Just… a strange man, alone in the wilderness.

After a moment of pondering, Quinn replied, "Uh… a hermit?"

The man looked away. "A hermit…" he mused. He then looked to Quinn again. "I suppose I've been called worse." He pulled up his hood once more and stepped back. "I apologize for startling you. It's been quite some time since I've found people this far into the woods. Are you lost, perhaps?"

Quinn glanced over to the others. Uther remained motionless, but Ingrid gave him a slight nod. So, letting go of his axe, he turned back to the man and said, "Actually, we're looking for something. Do you know this area, sir?"

"Just call me Francis. No need for 'sir.'" Francis glanced back. "Noel's already introduced herself, it seems." The wolf barked again. "And yes, I am quite familiar with this region."

"We're looking for a fortress, Fort Guyenne. Could you tell us where it is?"

Francis pointed into the woods ahead of the group. "Fort Guyenne is just a few milia north of here. I can show you the way." The hooded man began to turn.

But Uther called, "Wait." Francis looked back wordlessly. "You have absolutely no idea who we are, or why we've come here," Uther said. "Why would you choose to help us?"

"You ask why I would choose to help a group of heavily armed strangers who vastly outnumber me?" Francis asked in return.

Uther didn't reply, apparently understanding the point Francis was trying to make. The group pressed on once more, this time with the hooded man leading the way. Quinn couldn't help but marvel at the man- despite his size, he made almost no sound as he crept through the underbrush. Even Lindow, who himself had a light step, remarked, "Never met such a big guy so light on his feet." The wolf, on the other hand, made all kinds of noise- kicking up leaves and barking at seemingly nothing as it circled the group. Gradually, the forest darkened, though it was impossible to say whether it was because night was approaching, or the woods were beginning to thicken.

But all at once, Francis stopped, holding up his arm. At his signal, Noel fell silent as well.

"What's wrong?" Quinn asked.

But Francis didn't answer. He simply pointed to something up ahead, and began to creep forward slowly. The vanguard watched, confused, before following again, trying to step as lightly as they could. Through the trees ahead, Quinn could see a clearing, with some kind of… mound in the middle. But as they drew closer, he realized what he was seeing was not a mound, but a stone wall, roughly a hundred peds across and eight peds tall, completely overgrown with ivy and other creeping plants. Fort Guyenne, he assumed.

But again, about ten peds from the break in the trees, Francis stopped, holding up his arm. He pointed to the top of the fortress's wall. Quinn followed his arm, and realized the vanguard wasn't alone. Three men stood atop the wall: two in the middle, and one to the far left, looking out over the forest in the west. They were speaking to one another, or to others inside the fort, but because of the distance, their words were indistinct.

"Damn. So the Burgundians are here," Quinn whispered.

Uther leaned forward, and replied, "No. Look at their equipment. Those aren't standard to the Burgundian army." Sure enough, on closer inspection, the three men didn't wear the wine-red tunics the soldiers at Tol Castell had. In fact, their armor could hardly be called "uniform-" the man on the left wore blue, while the men in the middle wore black and grey. Their armor too was very light, and ranged in condition from pristine to badly worn.

"So, they're not Burgundy," Fiona began. "But, they look too clean to be bandits. Who are we dealing with, exactly?"

"Mercenaries, most likely," Uther replied. "Sent to assess the fort's condition."

Gwin approached, as quietly as he could. "So what's the plan, Boss? Should we wait until they leave?"

Uther watched the fort for several moments. "They might not be leaving any time soon." He glanced at the others. "Everyone, fan out. We need a count of how many there are."

But all at once, the wolf perked up, and began to run away from the group, and toward the fort. Francis reached out and hissed, "Noel, come back!" But Noel didn't listen. She ran into the clearing, and began barking at the men atop the wall.

The two men closest- the man in black, with feathers in his hair, and the other in grey, a small kerchief tied around his neck- tensed for a moment, but relaxed as they looked down at Noel. "Huh," the man in grey said. "Don't see many wolves around these parts." He bent down, trying to wave away Noel. "Go on, get out of here!"

Noel did not obey. She paced at the base of the wall, and leapt up, barking all the while.

The man in grey grabbed a small rock at his feet, muttering "Pesky thing…" before throwing it down to Noel. The wolf was too quick though, and avoided it. Even so, Francis suddenly tensed up, and began marching toward the fort. "Francis!" Quinn called as quietly as he could. But the hooded man ignored him, and stepped out into the open.

The two men jolted, the man in grey almost falling when Francis suddenly appeared. "H-Hold it!" the man in grey said. "State your business here!"

"I'm not anyone you need concern yourself with," Francis replied. "I'm just a poor man trying to make a living. Though, I must ask you not throw rocks at my hunting partner." He beckoned, at at once, the wolf returned to his side.

"Alright then," the man in grey said warily, kneeling down at the edge of the wall. "I'd like to ask you a few questions, if you wouldn't mind…"

As Francis and the man in grey conversed, the man in black turned his gaze outward to the woods. Quinn shivered, and flinched slightly as the man's gaze swept over him and the others. But the man seemed to take no notice.

…at first. Then his gaze instantly snapped back, directly on Quinn. His expression changed to one of surprise, then… anger. "There's more of them!" he shouted.

The man in grey stumbled to his feet. "Where!?" But he quickly spotted the group as well. "Aw, jeez, it's them!"

The man in black shouted into the fort, "Guys we got company! Seiren, get the gate! Yuris, go get Quark!" The man in blue leapt down into the fort from the wall, while the feather man grabbed a bow resting at his feet, and aimed an arrow at the vanguard. "Don't think I don't see you out there!" he shouted, before letting his arrow fly.

Notes:

Gail: Another holdover from prior to the story's revision, Gail was inspired in both appearance and personality by Kat from the Gravity Rush series. Her role in the story was also carried over- a student studying at a university for magic who becomes acquainted with the main character. In the original story, she was accompanied by a character inspired by Raven from the same series, and both had much closer ties to Evangelyne, being one of the latter's many paramours. After the revision, the Raven expy was dropped, to eventually be replaced by Malcolm, and her association was moved to another Archon- in their case, Isaac. In terms of archetypes, she falls somewhere between Merric and Linde, specializing in wind, but whose natural aptitude compensates for her lackluster study skills. If she had a voice actor, it would ideally be Cherami Leigh.