Trouble

Sigurd - Gran 757

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Of all the times for my temper to get the best of me… it had to be when there was a time limit! And it wasn't even my right to be so angry! It was Jamke's! After all, Sadima had killed his father! He had mercilessly wounded King Batur and then left him to bleed to death. Not that King Batur didn't cling to life with everything he had, just to see Jamke one more time. Just to warn us and tell us what he knew. A strong man, right up until the end...

However, I hadn't focused on that. Though what King Batur conveyed to us with his last breaths was important, beyond important, all I could focus on was Jamke cradling his father, his hands coated in blood after just a second of pressing into the fatal wounds. Jamke, begging for his father to hold on for a little longer because there were healers, and King Batur apologizing to his son with his very last breaths. Jamke's scream of pain when his father's heart stopped. It lingered in my head and so, I hadn't killed Sadima when I had the chance. I had wanted him to suffer, just a bit, for the pain he caused. And he had used that chance to escape, to head to the camp, and now I just had to hope beyond all hopes that my mistakes wouldn't… that they wouldn't…!

"Sigurd, it's going to be okay." Though Deirdre struggled to keep up with the pace, she caught my hand and managed a smile for me. "I… I'm sure of it," she managed, the words shaking. Her eyes, however, held both love and belief, and my anxiety just melted away at the sight. She was so calming and so soothing… I felt like I could make it through anything, if she was with me. "B-besides, Sadima is nothing compared to… um…"

"Yes, I can't let this shake me," I replied, smiling for her. Her own smile grew. "Thank you, Deirdre. I needed to hear that."

"Oh, no, I just…" It was difficult to tell if she was flush with a blush or exertion, but I was sure it was both. "Um… eek!" She stumbled, but I caught her. "Thank you…"

"Deirdre, are you okay?" Quan asked, appearing beside me. He and Ayra joined Deirdre and me for this mad dash back to the camp, while the rest of the army secured the castle. Jamke had been with us, but split off a while ago. "Sorry to drag you along, but we might need Silence…"

"I'm just fine," Deirdre reassured, smiling shyly. Ayra long pushed past us, sprinting towards camp while the three of us slowed a bit for a needed break. "I'm pleased to be of assistance."

"Scared?"

"Why would I be? I'm with Sigurd."

"Yeah, you're a perfect pair. You say cheesy things with a straight face just like him." He elbowed me in the side. "I'm going to get you to spill how you two met one of these days. Alcohol is a lovely thing for that."

"But it's so much fun to frustrate you!" I joked, feeling settled again. Yes, this was all my fault, but when I was with everyone, I knew nothing could stop us for long. They were my strength and I thanked the gods every day for them. "Better catch up to-"

"Guys, you should see this!" Ayra's voice echoed back, and I bolted down the path when I recognized the fear threading through the words. I caught up to her before long, and saw her standing rigidly at the edge of camp. "See?" she whispered, when she saw me. I gripped her shoulder and frowned when I did see. There were a couple of bodies, and there was blood on the ground, but the camp itself was strangely… empty. It was devoid of anyone. No guards, no messengers, no soldiers… nothing living at all… "Where are they?"

There was no answer, and we both remained exactly where we were until Deirdre and Quan caught up. Then we wandered the camp, weapons drawn. I yelled angrily for Sadima, but only my voice seemed to echo back. Sensing I was unsettled again, Deirdre held my free hand to reassure me, and tugged me towards the one place in the camp that should've been full. But it wasn't. It wasn't at all.

"Even the infirmary is empty…" Quan murmured, peeking inside. It was a mess, with beds knocked over and blankets strewn about. And not one sign of the numerous patients. "Did they run?"

"I… I hope that's the case," Ayra whispered shakily. Her sword trembled at her side, and I could only wince. I should've left Arden to guard the camp. If I had, then… "Shanan, where are you…?"

"If they ran, they probably headed for the river." Quan let the tent's flap flutter shut and then stiffened. "Does anyone hear that?"

"Hear…?"

"There's some sort of scuffle that way," Deirdre whispered, pointing towards the supply tents, kept at the farthest point of the camp. Not a good place to hide, but if… say… an enemy wanted to steal a weapon… "I think."

It was a good place to start, and it was quickly proven correct. However, it was correct in one of the worst of ways. Because we did find Sadima, but he was holding Alicia hostage. A visibly scared Alicia, which screamed just how terrified she really was. I could only wince when Sadima taunted, "You should've just killed me, Baldur brat!" After all, he was right. I should've. And now Alicia was paying the price for it.

So, what else could I do but drop my weapon when he demanded it? And hold still when he said to. I knew that Sadima was focused more on me, so as soon as I was hit, Quan and Ayra could react and save Alicia. Now, hopefully, the spell wouldn't kill me, just hurt really bad, but it was a risk I had to take. I was the leader of this army who made a mistake, and Alicia was the healer who volunteered to help with all this trouble and pain. And Alicia was a friend, a dear one. I couldn't risk her. I just… couldn't.

"BACK OFF!" However, Alicia's shout startled… well, all of us. Including Sadima, though that could've been because Alicia had screamed right in his ear. "Don't you dare!" she continued, struggling in his grip. At first, I thought she was screaming at Sadima, but she looked right at me, with eyes that burned. A defiant, fierce fire that nothing could quell. You often saw a quieter version when she was saving lives, but this wasn't quiet. It was 'loud' and piercing, like the sun during a summer's day. "Sigurd, don't you dare just stand around! Fight back! You're supposed to be saving Verdane from this madman, right?!"

"Shut up, wench!" Sadima growled, twisting his hand. The spell lashed across Alicia's abdomen, the blood staining her dress. Not really an usual thing to see, her in bloodstained clothes, but it was the first time it had been her own blood, to my knowledge. "Or you really will die!"

"You think I'm afraid of death? I'm a healer!" And Alicia kept on struggling. "I fight death every day and win!" She actually managed to bite Sadima's arm and he threw her into a torch. It fell on her, but she seemed mostly uninjured. Vala's power? Didn't matter. I was already running for Sadima, not even bothering to scoop up my sword just to have those extra couple of seconds to reach him before he cast another spell…

But it ended up not mattering. Because just as I reached Sadima, an arrow thudded right into his skull, between the eyes even. I couldn't help but smile as the body crumpled, not necessarily because of the death, but because I knew who had shot it. When I looked behind and up, I was proven right, because there was Jamke, crouched in the branches of a very tall tree. He must've been swinging from branch to branch to get a better view of the area. Or something.

"Made it," Jamke sighed, sitting on the branch now. Though it was hard to tell because of how the shadows fell across his face, I thought he might be crying. "It took a while to get a good line of sight. I'm sorry for taking so long."

"It's fine," I reassured, waving the apology off. Absently, I saw Quan and Ayra poking Sadima's body, making sure he was actually dead. "Hey, you happen to see-?" Deirdre's gasp made me whirl and I saw Alicia buckling. I barely caught her in time. "I've got you…" Seeing how she was on the edge of consciousness, I picked her up. And saw the bruising on her neck. Sadima had tried to strangle her first… "I've got you, Alicia."

Man, I really did just drag her into trouble, huh?

With Sadima dead, and the castle secured, the fighting was over. So, as typical when you had a large group of people together, the army threw a party to celebrate. I laughed and joked with all the soldiers, listening to their stories of home while keeping an eye out for any potential trouble. After all, there was alcohol, and some people were belligerent drunks. I worried briefly for Oifeye, but a quick check proved that he and Finn were asleep in the War tent. Another quick check showed that Shanan was asleep in the infirmary, as was Azel and a few others who helped out. Surprisingly, no Alicia, but that was because she did have a weakness! She couldn't say 'no' to Deirdre, it seemed.

"So, if we want you to be social, we just have Deirdre ask you, huh?" I teased when I found her hiding on the edges of the crowd. There was a large fire and people were dancing. I saw Quan actually teaching Deirdre, to my amusement. "Good to know, good to know."

"Oh, no, I find such things exhilarating," Alicia deadpanned, sarcasm dripping off every word. She gave me a dirty look when I snickered, and I had to fight to keep from outright laughing. Both because it was amusing and because… well… It was so different than she had been when she first joined, where she would've endured with her stoicism. I was happy she had become comfortable enough to not just be the calm healer around me. "Truly, it is thrilling."

"Isn't it?" I grinned and she pointedly ignored me, sipping her drink. "How are you doing?"

"I believe I made it obvious."

"Sorry, I meant your injuries." I could see the bruising on her neck still, and I knew she was bandaged. Her hair was also a bit shorter, but that was minor compared to the rest. Save that it served as another reminder of the danger she'd been in because of my stupidity. "How are you?"

"I am well. It's nothing that won't heal before long." She briefly touched her neck before going back to sipping her drink. I took a quick peek and saw it was the apple cider we set out for the people who didn't want to drink alcohol. She seemed to grab it whenever it was available. "If everyone is well in the morning, then it might even be healed tomorrow. We shall see."

"Then I'll hope that is the case." I thought about apologizing, but something told me that she would wave it off. So, instead, I tried to make a bit of a joke about things. "So, I know you've thrown something at me, but I think that's the first time I've seen you fight-fight. Sort of."

"I… have no training." She actually squirmed, clearly uncomfortable. "I was also very angry, and that… um…" And I had a feeling she was actually uncomfortable with the idea of hurting someone. Even someone like Sadima. "So…"

"I could tell you were angry." I grinned. "That's the second time you yelled at me!"

"I wasn't angry at you last time. I was simply annoyed." She shook her head and grimaced. I remembered how troubled she'd been about losing her temper at me before. I had a feeling it wasn't just 'walls', but also a genuine desire to be reliable and helpful. Which made me worry all the more, truthfully. "This time, I was angry at the situation."

"Because you were a hostage?" I winced. "I am so-"

"I will not be used." Her words were very quiet, but just as fierce as her yelling had been before. The fire in her eyes were equally fierce when they met mine. "I will not be used against anyone, especially someone I care about. I think I told you that, once."

"Something similar, at the least." I remembered. It was the talk we had after Jamke attacked Marpha, when we discussed her heritage. She had been worn and bitter about it, not suited to the festivities at all. Thus, I made sure to shift the topic. She needed more cheer in her life. A lot more. "So, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you just admitted friendship."

"Yes…?" She frowned a bit, but it seemed more like in thought than anything. "That is a very odd thing."

"Having friends?"

"Deirdre and I have quite a bit in common." She smiled bitterly. "We were only 'tolerated', growing up."

"That's…" Well, it definitely explained why she couldn't say 'no' to Deirdre. But it only confirmed what I'd suspected. She had long been alone, with only her brothers for any sort of bond. "Have you never participated in a festival, then?"

"I've attended. I met Arvis during a harvest festival, actually." Now her smile was kind, warm, and happy. I tried to think of when Arvis ever came down to Jungby and remembered a Harvest festival nine or ten years ago where I'd led him to Ring's office. It had been Quan and Eldigan's first time at a Granvallian festival. I wondered if it was the same one. "But I never really played any of the games or anything, no. I would watch the dances, but I most often spent the time studying."

"I'm somehow unsurprised." It certainly did explain why she was so skilled, and why she had so much memorized. "Well, in that case, you're long overdue."

"I'm… what?" She frowned, and frowned more when I took her empty mug and set it to the side. "What are you plotting?"

"This!" And I took her hand and dragged her right into the dancing to show her how.

The glare she gave me hinted to some sort of retaliation later, but I didn't mind. It was her letting down her walls, and honestly, I doubted the retaliation would be much different than what, say, Ethlyn or Aideen would do. I'd say it would be worth the trouble.

Author's notes: Will admit that I hadn't really thought about Sigurd's point of view during this scene in Chapter 7 of Memoirs of the Holy War, but while I was re-reading the chapter, I thought it might be fun to explore that, and have the two interacting at the party briefly mentioned at the end of that chapter. So… uh… here? The harvest festival Alicia and Sigurd mention shows up in Chapter 1 of Memoirs of Velthomer.