Author's Note: The first camp chapter in this arc and last chapter are probably a bit shorter than my usual affair, but Birds of a Feather with both Eliwood and Hector's perspective before they meet up will likely increase the word count of that one a bit more than usual so it'll all work itself out in the end.

We won't yet touch upon the year Will and Wallace spent traveling. I plan a section focusing on Will's training with him and Lucius, but this chapter I felt it was better to spend time Illustrating events leading to both Elbert's disappearance and The Black Fang's movements.

One last thing. Halfway through we switch from Eliwood's team to Hector and Matthew, but the conversation Matthew has with Hector is essentially a mirror of Will and Eliwood's conversation. I just thought writing it twice would be silly.

P.S. From now on updates will be once a week on Wednesday. If I get sufficiently ahead I may change that, but once a week on top of my school work feels right.

Chapter 35: The Passing Year

Having managed to traverse a decent distance from the small village where they had encountered the bandits, Eliwood's group soon found a decent place to make camp. Due to the softer ground and lack of grass, several merchants likely made the area a camping space on their way between trading markets.

Lowen had prepared several extra tents for their journey, which Eliwood was quickly finding himself grateful for. With Will, Wallace, Dorcas, Rebecca and Bartre, their little group of three had almost tripled. Thankfully, each of the tents was large enough to handle three people at once, though he insisted Rebecca be allowed her own tent for privacy's sake.

"You don't have to worry about me, Lord Eliwood." Rebecca had tried to dissuade him.

"It's common courtesy." Eliwood said. "If there was only one man in a group of several women, you wouldn't place him in a tent with two women, would you? I feel it's simply a sacrifice one must make."

"Well, as long as you're sure…" Rebecca said. She had to admit sharing a tent with any of the men present did put her a little on edge. While Lord Eliwood and Will had been kind to her, she didn't know them very well. The Knights (which comprised Wallace, Marcus and Lowen) had that horse smell she had never gotten very used to. The Brutes (Dorcas and Bartre) were even worse than that, sweat pouring down their faces after the long march. She had heard Dorcas had a loving wife and young daughter at home, which did ease her fears around the larger man, but it didn't mean she'd enjoy sharing a tent. "Then I'll accept graciously." She bowed.

"You've got to stop that." Eliwood said, scratching his nose embarrassedly. "I know I'm your lord, but I'd prefer if we could try and be friends. I'll be counting on your bow in battle, after all."

"I couldn't possibly!" Rebecca exclaimed. The two continued their conversation as Will excused himself.

Wallace, Marcus and Lowen were sharing one tent. Dorcas and Bartre were in the second while Eliwood and Will took the third. The fourth was Rebecca's, and even then they had two tents to spare. It wasn't a bad set-up, he had to admit. Their clothing and rations were also well prepared. Each member only had two or three outfits total, but there would be plenty of streams along their path to Laus to keep them clean and watered.

Wallace had already submitted a training schedule, and Will had to admit he could find no faults with it. It left them plenty of time to march, and could only be easier than the breakdown training Wallace had put him through. Marcus had submitted a full weapon report to him as well, and while they didn't have many back-ups if their current weaponry broke, they had plenty of items to help maintain them.

Marcus had a silver lance, a weapon that was rare even at the highest priced shops. He also had a steel sword, which while not as impressive got the job done nicely. Lowen had an iron sword and lance, both of which were extremely reliable in combat. Wallace has his trusty axe, which hadn't degraded at all from the year before and a steel lance for longer reach. Most of the time he'd take the front with his axe, so Will was glad neither seemed to be in any immediate danger of breaking. Dorcas and Bartre both had axes. Dorcas had a hand axe, a different one from the year before but of the same make and model, and a back-up steel axe in case his hand axe got lost in the fight. Bartre had an iron axe which was especially sharp and dangerous looking, especially when he swung it so wildly while attacking. Will had been lucky (or unlucky, depending on your perspective) to come upon him training only a tad bit earlier, nearly getting a nasty cut in the process. Rebecca's weapon worried him the most. Not only was it old and worn, it was made of rather weak looking timber. Rebecca had assured him it was fine, but Will figured he should make room in their rather sizable budget to get her a more reliable bow. Her arrows, on the other hand, were of an even higher quality than Wil's. When he had learned Rebecca made them herself, his suspicions about Wil's childhood friend returned in full.

"You know Wil?" She had asked in surprise.

"Ah, yes." Will had said, not expecting such a direct response.

"Do you know where he's gone? He used to write me while he and Dan were traveling. Then all of a sudden he stopped! I've been worried like crazy about them!" Rebecca pushed closer to him expectantly, which made him a bit uncomfortable.

"Uh… well, I can't say I ever ran into Dan." Will said. Rebecca's face fell considerably. "Wil mentioned him while we were traveling together, but he said Dan had headed back home. I didn't realize that meant your village."

"Wait, Dan headed for home?" Rebecca asked, confused. "And that long ago? Then why… why hasn't he made it here? What could've happened?" She walked away, muttering to herself worriedly. Will felt a little guilty about it. He hadn't meant to make her worried. Though it was true if Dan had started heading home nearly two years ago now it was unthinkable he hadn't made it. Will made a mental note to keep his ears open for any information about him for her.

That left Eliwood and himself. Eliwood's rapier was thin and delicate, but well maintained. He worried that a single misplaced stab could break the weapon, but Eliwood seemed to prefer it to ordinary swords and was quite proficient. Will would need to watch Eliwood spar with the other members of their group with some practice swords to get a better feeling for his combat style. Even so, it might be best to pick up an extra sword just in case. Finally, there was Will's own stock. At his side was strapped the Killing Edge, which was fairly new. Hopefully he'd be the least active in battle, which would keep his weapon in the best condition. On top of that, he still held the book of anima magic he had obtained from Mark over a year ago. Much practice had yielded some promising results, but even then the anima magic he could use was no better than a distraction. Better was the Shine tome Lucius had passed to him before he left. Will found light magic was somehow the least taxing on his body. He had never been a great follower of St. Elimine, even now he believed more strongly in the gods of sky and earth like Lyn, but light magic worked very well for him. Perhaps because it was quick, requiring less incantation and not necessarily doing large amounts of damage. Shine itself was the kind of spell he appreciated, the quick fire in bursts of four feeling much more natural than he had expected. Even so, using magic was a good way to get himself targeted, so it was a strategy he may not be able to employ much until they found another magic user to join their group.

Yes, even though their band was nearly thrice Eliwood's original intent, Will certainly planned to expand it if he could. At this moment, he desperately wanted two or three more members. A healer, such as Serra, would be a godsend. That would keep injuries to a minimum and prevent them from using too many vulneraries. Then, two magic users. He'd settle for one, but two would be better. One anima user and one light or dark user. Anima was his preference for a mage after working with Erk, though having Lucius back would have also been nice.

A short time later, Will and Eliwood found themselves sitting around the fire. Having finished his inspection, the night had truly begun, with most of the others going to bed while the two took first watch. It gave them a chance to talk.

"There is much I'd like to talk about." Will said, throwing an extra log onto the fire. "However, I think it's best we start slow. Why did your father set off on his mission in the first place?"

Eliwood nodded. "To do that, I suppose I should start when I first returned to Pharae. After seeing Dorcas to his village, I headed back to the castle. When I got there, I naturally went to my father to give him the full report."

Eliwood sat at the table, his father next to him. After relaying the events of the Taliver alliance, his father fell silent. "What is it, father?" Eliwood asked. "I know the involvement of this Mark wasn't mentioned in the initial reports, but I believe you understand why Will chose not to mention it."

"It's not that." Elbert sighed, stroking his mustache thoughtfully. "It's that the Black Fang were involved with them at all."

"Well, Will did classify Mark as a rogue element." Eliwood said. "He was the one supporting Lundgren's bid for power as well. The poison being fed to Lord Hausen was a diluted form he often used in assassinations, or so I've been told."

Lord Elbert continued to frown worriedly. "It is true the Black Fang are essentially assassins these days." Elbert mused, more to himself than Eliwood. "Even in their early days they were infamous for their political assassinations of corrupt nobles. They would help the poor of all countries greatly. However, that seems to be the mentality of a group now considered the 'Old Fang.'"

"How do you know this?" Eliwood asked.

"Rumors, mostly." Elbert said. "Though there are always grains of truth to be found. A few years ago the policies of the Fang began to change, and these days they'll take any job for money, and no longer seem to be helping the poor. That's what concerns me."

"A change in leadership?" Eliwood asked. "That happens all the time, not just in assassin orders."

"Hmm." Elbert seemed to agree, but still held that same frown. Their conversation ended there.

"So, your father was just as concerned with The Fang as I am." Will said.

"Indeed." Eliwood nodded. "Though I'm not sure that's why he left."

"What do you mean by that?" Will asked.

"Well, it's true The Fang worried him, but work like that is left best to our spies, much like Matthew did for Ostia." Eliwood said.

"I suppose you have a point there." Will said. "Though spies who have infiltrated The Fang don't have a good track record of making it out alive."

Eliwood frowned. It hadn't been his intention to dredge up memories. "Is it true you can no longer remember her face?"

Will grimaced. "I visited Serra in Ostia to ask her professional opinion. She said she's unsure of what caused it, but the poison Mark used on me managed to reach a small section of my brain just before the antidote counter acted it. It luckily didn't affect any function for normal living or my tactics, but a portion of my memory is covered in strange black spots now."

"How so?" Eliwood asked.

"Faces, bodies…" Will said, waving a hand airily, "Even voices from more than a couple years ago begin to blend together a little. Serra thinks it won't affect my memory from here on, so say I'll always remember how I met Lyn on the plains, but the sections of memory that have been affected will eventually fade because they've already been… infected. That's the best way she could put it."

"So that means your time with your parents, and much of your time in the Fang…" Eliwood trailed off.

"Will eventually be too difficult to recall." Will elaborated. "It's part of why I've been traveling this past year. I wanted to find a way to discredit or affect the Fang before it becomes more difficult for me to do so."

Eliwood placed a hand on Will's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll help you however I can."

"Hey now, you should be focusing on finding your father." Will countered, chuckling. "Don't let yourself get sidetracked so early in your quest."

"Ah, you're right of course." Eliwood said, reddening in embarrassment. "I've heard so much about you from Lyndis it's hard to stay neutral."

"I'm sure she exaggerated my part in many events." Will said. "The most I did was get poisoned and create strategies."

"You helped Lyn save her grandfather, and kept everyone alive while doing it." Eliwood said. "I know a lot of it was luck, but your care in creating a plan with minimal risk helped create that outcome. The rest, as you no doubt proclaim yourself, is the skills of those you fought with and your trust in them to get the job done."

"Now you're embarrassing me." Will said, scratching the back of his head.

"So, why did Lord Elbert leave Pharae anyway?" Hector asked, plopping himself down in front of the fire. He and Matthew had gone through no small amount of trouble to set it up, the wind where they had decided to camp was rather uncooperative. After a couple hours, it finally died down, allowing the two to create a fire as well.

"You don't know, milord?" Matthew asked, slightly confused.

"I've tried to keep up on events." Hector grunted. "But all I remember is wondering why he decided to leave himself instead of trusting his intelligence network."

"Ah, well you would know much about not trusting your spies, wouldn't you milord." Matthew laughed.

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Hector growled.

"Yes yes, an ACTUAL Lord of Lycia generally would make better use of his spy network, that much is true." Matthew said. "But I suppose when Laus plans to make war with Ostia spies may not do the thing justice."

"War with Ostia?" Hector asked, surprised. His brother hadn't mentioned this at all when they had their little tiff in the throne room. "What are you talking about?"

"The rumors circulating Lycia right now aren't very good ones." Matthew said. "At first there were some rumors about The Black Fang and how they used to help the people but these days they didn't."

"No doubt spread by Will." Hector said.

"Right, well those quickly fizzled up when the rumors of Marquis Laus planning a coup began to crop up." Matthew said.

"Right, and why did that happen?" Hector asked.

"That's… not entirely clear." Matthew said, twirling his finger in the air. "One would assume it's because around that time Laus began to consolidate more power and weaponry around them, while raising taxes on the people and ignoring normal problems like bandits or fires."

"I suppose if a lord vastly changes the way he governs in a short time there are bound to be rumors…" Hector muttered.

"These rumors persist and seem to have weight because Laus is said to have met with other Lycian Lords, specifically Lord Santaruz and Lord Pharae." Matthew explained.

"Eliwood's father…" Hector sighed. "And let me guess, shortly after their purported meeting is when rumors of his disappearance began to circulate?"

"Exactly, milord. You catch on quick." Matthew said with a sad smile. "Talks of a coup, vanishing lords, The Black Fang… you can understand why your brother was so worried."

"Yeah, well… that's not going to stop me from helping Eliwood when he needs me." Hector said. "My Brother can handle Ostia. I'll handle everything else."

Oswin breathed in deeply as he prepared for the ordeal to come. He didn't want to face what he was about to, but for Lord Uther and Hector he would brave many dangers. In the same way he would ensure Hector had the best guard at his side, he would have the best healer accompany them as well. When speaking of the best healer, there was only one choice in all of Ostia. Her staff was legendary for its healing, as well as the bumps one could get from denying her. The most silver tongued opponents cowered in fear away from her superior tongue. On top of all that, she had what one may think a superiority complex. She was good, and she knew that. It made her difficult to approach, talk to and most all, get on one's good side.

"Come in!" The bossy voice said in answer to his knock. Oswin opened the door, spotting the pink haired cleric easily. She stood near the door, but hadn't bothered to open it herself. Her pink pigtails went down past her shoulders, and her long white dress had no sleeves of any kind, showing off the white skin of her arms.

"Good evening, Lady Serra." Oswin said politely, bowing.

"Oh, it's you." Serra said, recognizing the knight. "What, does he need another checkup?"

"Well yes, but that's not why I've come to you." Oswin admitted.

Serra looked at him curiously, though with a small hint of annoyance. "Well?"

"Lord Uther has asked me to ask you a favor." Oswin said.

"And?" She asked.

"Please accompany me on a journey to help Lord Hector." Oswin said, bowing his head.

Serra sighed. Of course they would come to her. If the reckless younger brother was going on a journey, they would need a good healer. And who better than her, the one who helped Lyn reunite with her grandfather in Caelin? No one, that's who. Of course, that wasn't the entire issue here.

"My pay is provided for by Lord Uther and the Ostian House. Donations don't cover the cost of keeping our doors open to all." Serra said. "I'm guessing this request isn't one I can refuse."

"Lord Uther didn't tell me anything like that." Oswin said, his head still bowed. "If you want honesty, I'm afraid I've already given you all the answers within my power."

Serra sighed again. This must be why Uther sent his loyal retainer to ask her this favor. Not only was she under obligation to accept, but she wouldn't be able to get any real information out of someone as loyal as he. This really only left her with one option. To accept and hope the answers would come with time. "Fine. When do we leave?"

"Tonight." Oswin said pointedly.

"So soon." Serra griped, pulling a disgusted face.

"Lord Hector has already left. I have procured horses to help us overtake them, but we must head out soon or the trail will go cold." Oswin explained.

"I see." Serra said. She grabbed her staff from the nearby wall. "Give me ten minutes to pack, and I'll meet you outside."

Oswin bowed once more, before leaving the room. If all went well, by this time tomorrow they would be at Lord Hector's side.

"So much is happening." Eliwood said, shaking his head. In a way, he felt completely overwhelmed. There was so much information to carefully consider that he felt like he had nearly gone crazy staying in the castle. Perhaps that's the true reason why he had felt so determined to get out of there and at least try and accomplish something.

"Don't let it overwhelm you." Will said, as if sensing Eliwood's dilemma. "Take it one problem at a time. For now, it's important to do what we can."

"You're right." Eliwood said. "Thank you."

The two sat, keeping the fire stoked as the sounds of the night crept around them. It felt like they had talked for a long time, and yet not a lot of time had passed. They still had many hours until they would switch shifts with another team. As they sat, Will opened his mouth and began to hum softly. It was a soft, and slightly mysterious tune that Eliwood didn't recognize. Will opened his mouth, and begin to sing softly into the night air.

"The road goes on,

Forever and a day.

The mountains high,

The rivers low.

Father Sky,

Protect me from the storm.

Mother Earth,

Return me to thy arms.

Find my path,

And lead me to my home.

Where I,

Will find the one,

I love."

"It's a beautiful sound." Eliwood said. "Strangely uplifting and haunting at the same time. What is it from?"

"The Kutolah." Will said, with a small smile. "You'd be surprised where you end up when you let Wallace take the lead."