In this chapter: Puck flies around aimlessly, Farnese and Schierke angst. Still no chapter-specific warnings to worry about.

Protect or Fight, part 2

"Maaaan, it sure is good to be home," said Puck to his old friend Theoditus, stretching his wings. "Haven't seen a familiar face in weeks, if you can believe it!"

"I didn't notice you were gone," said Puck's old friend Theoditus. "What's your name again?"

"Speaking of familiar faces," said Puck to his old friend Theoditus, "do you know where Evarella and the others are? I've been flying around on my own for ages, and I really miss my humans. Not that you can tell them that! 'Cause if I know my humans, finding out I missed them will give them the wrong idea and make them act even MORE high and mighty compared to us elves, and well, I guess they technically are higher and mightier than us, size-wise, but that's no excuse…being born big doesn't make a person special, yknow?"

"I don't know," said Puck's old friend Theoditus. "I mean, I don't know where Evarella and her humans are. At least not now. They left a few days ago, seemed real upset too…"

"LEFT?!" said Puck to his old friend Theoditus.

"…I guess because those other, horrible humans invaded last week and kidnapped their friend…"

"INVADED?!" said Puck to his old friend Theoditus. "KIDNAPPED?!"

"I was awful scared myself, to tell the truth," shivered Puck's old friend Theoditus. "They got in by using some terrible non-elfin magic, and if our spirit walls were any less sturdy I bet they would have let those big ugly monsters following them come in too, without even a 'please' or a 'may we have the honor of stomping our stupid big-winged big-horned demon guy feet all over your sacred home, oh venerable elves,' NOTHING. It's like proper etiquette has become a thing of the past. Sickening, isn't it? Hey, where'd you go? Yelling guy? Hello?"

Puck's old friend Theoditus shook his head sadly. Etiquette really HAD become a thing of the past, if even elves were happy to fly off in the middle of a conversation without so much as a farewell.

Meanwhile, Puck, already miles outside of Elfhelm, and having quickly forgotten all about his old friend Theoditus, was equally as dismayed by the turn for the impolite the world had taken. Drat, he cursed as he fluttered wildly up and down the countryside, searching for any sign of human, drat, drat, drat! First Guts, now the rest of them…everyone keeps wandering off into danger without me! It's so irresponsible! There's no way Ishidoro will remember to do his swordfighting exercises without me there to remind him. And Evarella's probably acted like Queen Elf the whole time I was gone. I bet those guys are already sorry they left without me!

Having thoroughly scoped out all the land that he could between Elfhelm and the ocean's shore, Puck miserably flapped his wings and set out flying over the water, back the way he'd just came. Back the long, long way to Midland.

How am I ever supposed to find you again, Guts?

"How are we ever supposed to find her again, Serpico?"

Farnese stabbed furiously at her broiled cod with one hand, using the other to direct a steady flow of energy into the swirl of air at the other end of the ship. Schierke was down there doing most of the work; she'd maintained its power since they first set sail, pushing and pulling the water alongside the ship to speed their voyage. Farnese would bring her a bowl of stew when she was finished with her own meal. That was all her master did these days: manipulate the sea and eat Serpico's stew. She didn't talk much. Or sleep.

Farnese knew how she felt.

Serpico squinted at her kindly. "Undoubtedly the witch's locating magic will be strong enough to get a read on Casca's whereabouts when we get closer to Midland. Since we won't know until we get there, though, all we can do for now is wait, and try not to think about it. Is there some way I can help my lady temporarily distract herself?"

"I don't want to distract myself, Serpico! And I don't want to wait. Guts is out there on his own somewhere, risking his life to defeat the man who hurt Casca, and he left me with one amazingly simple task to do: watch over her in his stead. And I failed."

"Well, my lady, I do recall him giving you that task back when Casca was incapable of watching over herself. Since that is no longer the case, I'd think your competence as her caretaker one way or another has very little to do with her current predicament - "

"Her current predicament? Damn it, Serpico, how can you be so fucking calm? She was taken away by a monster, one so strong we know he even survived facing off against Guts. We have no idea why she was taken or what they could possibly be doing to her as we speak, and you call it a predicament? A predicament?! When she might be…might be…"

Serpico put down his own plate and moved behind Farnese to touch her shoulder, but she hit him away violently, flinging fish everywhere.

"Don't coddle me, Serpico! Don't you fucking coddle me. And stop looking at me like that, like I'm the one who needs comfort. I'm not some fragile maid in danger of breaking, damn it!" The hand holding her knife tightened imperceptibly. "I just need to find Casca again. Once Casca's back with us, everything will be fine."

She was clenching her utensil so tightly now some of the energy she'd been conjuring to aid Schierke leapt into her fist, as if magnetized. "Casca…"

Steam started rising from the hilt.

The tip of the knife glowed red.

Farnese let out a low moan, but did not let go.

"Lady!"

"Farnese!" The ship lurched to the side fiercely, and suddenly Schierke was at her side as well, prising Farnese's fingers off the hot metal. "If you're going to let your emotions run so uncontrolled, you won't be of any use, magically."

"I'm-I'm sorry, master." Farnese, flushing with shame, realized that the energy streaking out of her left hand had spiraled out wildly and was probably what had thrown the entire ship off balance.

"There's really no reason to blame yourself, for what it's worth," Schierke murmured gently.

Farnese looked up with surprise.

"They were much stronger than us, you know? We couldn't have stopped them, probably not even if we'd prepared for their invasion. Besides, if anyone here's even a little to blame, it's me."

"What? Master, how can you -"

"I sensed the presence of Zodd and the others, coming towards Elfhelm, but I didn't think they meant us harm, so I didn't do anything about it. Maybe if I had we could have warded them off, at least long enough to try and get away."

"Master, that's absurd. You couldn't have known they were demons, or that they were King Griffith's soldiers. You couldn't have known they were coming for us, for Casca…could you?"

"I…I did know they were demons, and soldiers, Farnese." Schierke stared down at her feet, looking miserable and haunted. "I just didn't know they were the dangerous kind, or the kind working for Griffith. One of the humans, I sensed her more strongly than the rest, and she's someone I've met before. I thought she…I thought…Anyway, I misjudged her, terribly, and that miscalculation left us all in far more danger than we needed to be. I assure you it won't happen again."

"Master…"

"Don't blame yourself, Farnese." Schierke gave her a sad little smile, then scooped some stew into a bowl and walked back towards her perennial station at the ship's prow. "I'll work the water on my own the rest of the night; you focus on healing that hand."

Farnese stared after the hunched back of her master, suddenly looking so much less like a mage and so much more like a girl, for a long time. She didn't notice the warm presence that had never left her side, or the warm hand stroking soothing patterns into her hair, till the moon was high in the sky.

Author's notes: This will probably be the only update that comes this quickly - I'm usually a terrifically slow writer - because it's probably going to be the last update without any sex! :) I'm pretty nervous about writing the sex, even though that's my prime directive in writing this fic and everything. We'll see how it goes!