A week and a half passed with preparations for the journey to Gureveigan mingling with arguments for and against using what they found there. Basch and Rasler, the ones who did not intend to come, were also the ones most against using nethecite for destruction. Vossler was for using it only as a last resort, as was Noah although he had slightly broader ideas about when to use a last resort. Ashe seemed caught between them, pale and quiet under the weight of the responsibilty; they all knew the final choice would rest with her. She was not the only one affected either, Rasler pored constantly over the maps and Noah and Basch found their conversations punctuated with so many tense silences they started avoiding each other. So Noah was alone when a young knight hailed him.

'What is it?' he asked. He did not know the man, and suspected the man did not know him either. He had addressed Noah as Captain fon Ronsenberg, which was usually resorted to by those who couldn't tell him from Basch.

'There's a young man asking for Al-Cid Margrace, sir,' said the knight.

'He's in Rozaria, as far as I have heard. Why would anyone look for him here?' asked Noah.

'I don't know, sir. The young man was very insistant.'

'Hey, you found Al-Cid yet?' The one asking the question was less a young man than a boy, he looked about fifteen. With his sun bleached hair and his accent he was also clearly Dalmascan, and most likely from Rabanastre itself. There was no chance of his being a Rozarrian spy, quite apart from the lack of subtlety.

'I told you to wait by the gate,' snapped the knight.

The boy shrugged and put his hands behind his head. 'Uh, sorry. I'd kinda been waiting a while already. So, is he here?'

'Why do you wish to know?' asked Noah.

The boy looked uncertain, but still met his eyes with brash confidence. 'It's private, sorry.'

'You have private business with a son of the Emperor of Rozaria?' said Noah.

'I'm just the messenger. C'mon, can I see him now?'

'He is not here.'

The boy's face fell at that. He looked worried, and glanced around him as if seeking an answer to what to do next.

'Tell me why you wanted him and I will see what I can do. Who wanted to see him?' Noah asked. He wondered if Al-Cid's "little birds" might have used the boy as a messenger. It seemed unlikely.

'It really is private. Can I get a message to him, somehow? Someone's life could be at risk.'

The boy was clearly serious. But who would come to Al-Cid for help with their life at risk and come to the wrong place? Someone who knew he had been in Dalmasca, but not that he had left. Someone who knew him well enough to believe they would be helped, and who couldn't defend themselves. Someone who a child like this one would not only run messages for but feel protective of. Someone young, then.

'Larsa,' said Noah.

The boy's head came up with a jerk. 'You know him?'

'Yes.' Noah turned to the knight. 'Go and fetch my brother.'

Once the knight had left he turned back to the boy. 'What is your name? And how did you come to meet Larsa?'

'I'm Vaan. And I picked him up at the aerodrome, or he picked me up, I guess. Said he wanted to be taken to Al-Cid. He was really upset, so I said I'd help out. I don't know why he's looking for him, though. He's with my friend, Penelo, right now.'

Noah asked more questions, and by the time Basch arrived had only discovered that Vaan knew nothing about Larsa and very little about anything. But Larsa here, alone, meant a threat from inside Archadia. Lord Vayne, perhaps, or surely Larsa would have gone to his brother for help.

'I was told you wanted me,' said Basch as he reached them.

Noah turned to him and explained. 'If his life is in danger we should go to him at once,' he finished.

Basch frowned. 'Lady Ashe should be informed.'

'Later. If Larsa is truly in danger we must first get him under guard. At present he is without protection.'

'And we have spoken of his whereabouts,' said Basch. 'Agreed. But he will not come with you.'

'Nor with Vossler. And dare we send another?'

'Not when wolves may hide among us. Let us go.'

'So…you're coming with me, right?' said Vaan. 'Okay, just checking. Follow me.'

They set off through the city together, Basch watching Vaan thoughtfully. They had gone quite some way before he spoke.

'You look familiar,' he said, quietly.

'I had a brother. Reks. Maybe you met him,' said Vaan without looking up.

'Reks. I remember him, he was in my regiment in Nabudis. I am sorry.'

'Huh? What are you sorry for?' asked Vaan. 'He wanted to fight for Dalmasca. I really miss him, but I know its no one's fault he died. I'd like to fight for Dalmasca too, do you think I'm old enough?'

'No,' Basch and Noah said at once.

'Penelo's brothers are fighting, and they're not much older than me.'

'What would your parents think, to lose two sons so soon?' asked Basch.

'My parents are dead, they died in the plague. I live with Penelo's family now,' said Vaan.

'I'm sure her family would sooner not lose you, either,' said Basch. 'Especially with their sons already at war.'

'Yeah. I worry about them, too. Do you know how long the war's going to last?'

'That depends on how quickly we are willing to end it,' said Noah.

Basch sighed and turned away, while Vaan just looked confused. Fortunately they reached Penelo's house before he could demand an explanation.

'Hey guys, I'm back,' said Vaan, as he stepped through the door.

Noah followed and saw a girl sitting on a couch beside Larsa. He was looking earnestly at her when they came in, but a moment later had slid down from his seat, landing on his feet with his sword out. He stepped in front of the girl, presumably Penelo.

Noah held his hands out, empty. 'I mean no harm,' he said.

'Larsa? I thought he knew you?' said Vaan.

'Vaan, who are these people?' asked Penelo at the same moment.

'I am Captain Basch fon Ronsenberg, and this is Captain Noah fon Ronsenberg. Are your parents here?'

'They're working,' said Penelo, watching them mistrustfully. 'They haven't met Larsa yet.'

'Please, do not harm these people. They do not know who I am,' said Larsa, still holding his weapon out with a despairing determination.

'Do you truly believe we would harm our own citizens for helping you?' demanded Noah.

'I believe you've mistaken our intent,' said Basch, more calmly. 'We came because we heard your life was in danger. If you allow it, we will take you to see Lady Ashe.'

'And if I do not allow it?'

'Then tell us what you would have us do.'

Larsa's eyes flicked from Basch to Noah and back again. 'I wish to speak with Al-Cid.'

'He is not here,' said Basch. 'He returned to Rozaria without stopping here.'

'He left us shortly after we left Archades,' added Noah. 'He had no interest in our mission beyond destroying nethecite. And he was…displeased with how I had treated you. I am sorry.'

'What did you do to Larsa?' Penelo stood up and placed her hand on Larsa's shoulder.

'He used me as a hostage and threatened to kill me,' said Larsa. 'I was forced to betray my country, even Al-Cid tricked me.'

'But he's the one you want to find, right?' said Vaan.

'He is the only one I can go to.' There should not have been so much bitterness in the voice of one so young.

Basch knelt down before Larsa, ignoring the sword blade which was now at his eye level. Noah remained standing, entirely willing to leave this to Basch.

'I do not believe my brother would have killed you,' said Basch. 'His intent was to prevent your calling the guards, there would have been no chance of that with you dead. I know he frightened you, and I cannot agree with his actions, but I do not think he would have harmed you then. And I know he will not now.'

Larsa considered this, then slowly lowered his weapon. 'Will you send a message to Al-Cid?'

'Lady Ashe will,' said Basch. 'If you will come to the palace to speak with her.'

'Your friend can come with you, if you wish,' added Noah. Penelo's hand had tightened on Larsa's shoulder, and he was leaning slightly into her without realising it, now he pulled away from her.

'I will come alone,' he said.

'Are you sure?' asked Penelo. 'I wouldn't mind coming with you, you know.'

'I have no right to ask you to face danger for me. I owe you a great deal already.'

'You don't have to ask,' replied Penelo. She looked at Noah. 'I'm coming to the palace.'

'Me too,' said Vaan.

Penelo turned on him with a long suffering expression. 'Vaan, someone's going to have to tell my parents where I am.'

'Oh yeah. So why do I have to stay?'

'Because I've already said I'm going with Larsa. Just wait here and be patient, you can catch us up at the palace.'

'Vaan and your parents will be able to join you later,' agreed Basch. 'Come, let us go.'

He led and Noah brought up the rear, Larsa clinging to Penelo's hand in between. Noah turned back as a thought hit him.

'Vaan, do not tell anyone Larsa was here.'

'Yeah, I got it. I'll stay quiet.'

They had travelled half the length of the street when Vaan called after them. 'See you later, Penelo! Take care, Larsa!'

Noah caught Basch's eye, they both shook their heads and looked away.

Larsa, with Penelo allowed to stay, was left to talk with Ashe and Rasler. Amost as soon as the door had closed on them Basch walked away.

'Where are you going?' asked Noah.

'Unlike you, I still have duties here. I am going to my post.'

'My duty is to accompany Lady Ashe when she leaves.'

Basch hesitated and half turned back. 'I fear duty has become a matter of choice.'

'Meaning my choice to leave, or yours to stay?'

'Either. We are sworn knights, these matters are for our Queen to decide.'

'She chose to leave the choice to us, in questioning that you question her judgement.'

'Aye, perhaps.' Noah waited for Basch to walk away, but instead Basch turned fully and walked back to him. 'If she takes only those who most believe in her mission they will counsel her to use what she finds.'

'Then come. Put your own view to her, you need not expect me to change mine to accomodate you.'

'You were worried about Larsa, earlier. That we would not be there in time and he would have no one to defend him. Yet you would have dropped nethecite on his home, even before he had left it. Will you not think on that?'

'I have thought. We simply disagree. There are children in Rabanastre too, and their parents do not plot to strip away the homes of others.'

'Once I could have said the same of us.'

With that Basch did turn and leave, for the duties that Noah was currently no part of. Although he hated to admit it, it was uncomfortable being in the palace with no place to be. With the routines of fifteen years stripped away, and no men under his command to consider, he had little idea what to do with himself. Still, Vossler was in the same boat and he would not yet have heard of Larsa's arrival.

Vossler listened to the news thoughtfully. 'So, Larsa is here alone. You suspect Vayne of threatening him?'

'Suspect, yes. We shall know soon.' Noah leaned against the balcony on which they stood. Below he could see Ffamran painting the Strahl, a laborious task for one man. Noah thought he might offer to help later, since he had so little to do otherwise. 'Either way it will delay our leaving.'

'House Solidor has few members left. The emperor is an old man, and Vayne may well be killed in battle,' said Vossler. 'The tides of fortune could be crumbling Archadia's shores.'

'There would still be Lord Larsa, house Solidor will remain. And so, I fear, will Archadia.'

'There was a time when none knew that he was here but you. As eager as you are to destroy the empire, I am surprised you called for Basch so soon.'

Noah thrust himself away from the wall, his fists clenched. 'There is a difference between destroying a nest of wild cockatrice and slaughtering a chick. Just what are you accusing me of thinking?'

Vossler raised his hands. 'Nothing. As I said, you clearly never considered it. You are an honourable man.'

'My brother would disagree.' To Basch the difference between being willing to use nethecite against the empire and wishing to assassinate Larsa would be negligable, and his scorn was a hard burden to bear.

'He would be wrong.'

'Captain Azelas, Captain Noah fon Ronsenburg, Lady Ashe wants to see you in the conference room,' said a young soldier, arriving at their balcony. They thanked him and went to obey, with any luck they would hear what had happened to Larsa.

'Then the Emperor Gramis is dead?" said Vossler. This was the first thing Ashe had told them, and it was hard to imagine what could follow it.

'Yes. Larsa says he saw Vayne order the execution of a judge, Drace, who accused him of killing his father. She also accused him of murdering his brothers and of having designs on Larsa's life. Larsa himself believed it well enough to flee after what he had seen,' said Ashe.

'Vayne did this in front of his brother?' asked Noah.

'No,' said Ashe. 'Larsa seems well practised in giving his guards the slip. I think he was spying on Vayne at the time, although I doubt he sees it that way.'

'So Larsa seeks asylum with us. This is hardly a safe place for him,' said Vossler.

The sound of a strafing run outside emphasised his words. The punch of bullets shot hard enough to knock holes in buildings, and the distant cries of those too near them. The defence, constantly stretched thinner, had failed again.

'If we cannot leave we should resume our duties,' said Noah, distracted from the matter at hand by the cries of Rabanastrans they were not currently protecting.

'We must leave, time runs ever shorter,' said Ashe. 'Our message must reach Rozaria soon, they are the ones Larsa asks for asylum.'

'And we remain here until it is granted,' said Noah.

Ashe nodded. 'A few weeks, no more. I cannot do less than my duty.'

'You never have,' Noah replied and was answered by a warm smile, seeming to melt all the ice that had so recently enclosed her.

'Ffamran wishes to come with us when we leave,' said Ashe.

'As well, since he now owns part of your birthright,' said Vossler. 'Otherwise I would sooner do without him.'

Noah shrugged. 'He can shoot straight, and think straight also. And his airship is faster than any I've seen elsewhere.'

Ashe laughed. 'You should tell him that, it would cheer him greatly.'

'The skypirate's feelings aside, what preparations need we make?' asked Vossler.

'They are made. Work on mist techniques if you have time, otherwise get some rest. I will need you both in full health.'

'You will have us so,' promised Noah, to quick agreement from Vossler.

'Dismissed then, captains. I shall talk with you again soon,' said Ashe. The knights saluted and left.

The first week passed with little incident. Penelo was often by Larsa's side, joined by her parents at times. They were being compensated by the palace for the time they must take from working, but Noah suspected they would be relieved when Larsa was off their hands. Vaan, by contrast, had attached himself to Ffamran. He took Ffamran's claims to be a skypirate at face value, and while he was suspicious of Ffamran's tales of wild exploits he suspected exaggeration not complete fantasy. Ffamran, for his part, seemed glad of the attention as well as willing to take advantage of his admirer. Noah found Vaan painting the Strahl while Ffamran watched. Vaan looked happy as a Giza rabbit.

'I'm going to be a skypirate when I'm older. Ffamran says I can join his crew,' he told Noah.

'Better than being a soldier,' said Noah. He leant against the wall next to Ffamran, Vaan looked far too cheerful to need any help, although Noah doubted the whole airship would ever get painted this way.

'I'm still going to be a soldier first,' said Vaan. 'Then I can be a skypirate after we beat the empire.'

'Perhaps,' said Noah, unwilling to quench such optimism.

'I know it's not that easy,' said Vaan, to Noah's surprise. 'But believing in it's got to count for something, right?'

'Faith never worked for me,' said Noah. 'I wish you better luck.'

'Only the weaker country need rely on faith, and it's a poor substitute for numbers,' said Ffamran.

'But if we all fight for what we believe in then at least we're doing something,' said Vaan. He turned to Noah, paintbrush dripping white paint on the paving slabs. 'You fight for Dalmasca, and I would too if you'd give me a chance. If Larsa's old enough to be the emperor, I've got to be old enough to fight.'

'Lord Larsa is not the emperor, his older brother is,' said Noah. 'And the position of emperor is quite different to that of a soldier.'

'But that knight said if Larsa died House Solidor would be destroyed,' protested Vaan.

Noah frowned. 'Who said that?'

'Your friend, his name's Vossler, I think. Last night I heard him talking to some other guys, he said Larsa was the final lynchpin of the empire.'

'Vossler said that?' Noah frowned. Vossler had, a week ago, said something similar to him. He had implied that without Larsa the empire would crumble, and almost accused Noah of wanting to kill him. Or had that been a suggestion? 'Where is Lord Larsa now?'

'Huh? With Penelo in the palace gardens, he wanted to show her a rare flower or something,' said Vaan.

'Take me to them, now.'

'What's the hurry?' asked Ffamran.

'Now. Lord Larsa's life may be at risk,' said Noah.

Vaan nodded and led them off at a run, although he looked puzzled as to Noah's reasoning. Ffamran followed with a sigh that suggested he was just coming along to see what the fuss was about.

The gardens were large, without Vaan they would never have known what part to head for. Noah half suspected he was being foolish, but the risk was too great to delay. Larsa should be under some kind of guard, but with his ability to slip away from surveillance who could say. And the foliage of the gardens would grant fine cover for a shot.

Larsa was with Penelo beneath an apple tree, the leaves casting spangled light across their faces. Noah paused out of their sight, there seemed to be no danger about the peaceful scene. Vaan continued though, running up to Penelo and taking both her and Larsa by surprise.

'Vaan, what are you doing here?' asked Penelo.

'It's not my fault, Noah said Larsa was in danger,' said Vaan.

'Did he say why?' asked Larsa, standing up.

A sharp whistle and splinters of bark flew everywhere. Once they realised it had been a shot they all burst into motion. Vaan pushed Larsa down, almost on top of Penelo, Noah ran to shield them and Ffamran ran for the bushes the bullet must have come from. The second shot came with Noah still only half way to the children, half Vaan's top was red in an instant. Ffamran levelled his own gun at the bushes, there was a frantic rustling but no third shot.

Noah flung himself to the ground before Vaan, he struggled to pull his own top off, thankful that he was not wearing armour. He pressed the wadded fabric against the wound, staunching it.

'Vaan, can you hear me?' he demanded.

'Yeah. It hurts,' said Vaan faintly.

'Good. Penelo, fetch a mage. Go.'

Penelo nodded and obeyed, tears streaming down her face. Larsa went to follow, but Ffamran caught his arm.

'You're the one they were shooting at. She's safer if you stay here,' he said. Larsa turned back towards them and Noah saw the cut across his cheek. It was probably caused by a bark chip and did not go deep, but it was closer to the eye than Noah would have liked.

'Lord Larsa, would you let me look at that cut?' he asked.

'It's nothing,' said Larsa, looking at the barely conscious Vaan.

'A mage will get here soon,' said Noah. 'Let me look.'

'As you wish.'

Noah had Ffamran hold the fabric against Vaan's wound and stood up to check on Larsa. He felt Larsa flinch when he placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, but Larsa did not pull away. The cut was further from the eye than Noah had thought, and although it was bleeding badly it was very shallow. Larsa was pale with shock, and the pain of the event seemed likely to scar although the eye would not.

'What happened here? I heard gunshots.' Basch's voice was both unexpected and deeply welcome. Noah turned to explain, and saw Basch stopped at the edge of the glade with horror etched on his face.

Noah saw himself suddenly through Basch's eyes. His hands were coated in blood. Vaan lay on the ground with his top soaked through with blood which Ffamran was trying desperately to staunch. He stood with his hands upon Larsa, there was blood on Larsa's face and some had trickled down onto his neck. With an oath, Noah strode from the clearing and away.