November 8th, 1958
They had to spend the night in the town of Kuskin. Edward knew it was killing Al to do it but they didn't have any reliable way to know which way to go. The people were being entirely uncooperative; out of fear it seemed. At least that told them that the alchemists' sphere of influence extended this far. Hopefully that meant they were closing in.
It had been a long night. The town's small inn had only three available rooms. The Drachman officers had taken one, Riza and Roy another, and Tore had camped out on the floor of Ed and Winry's room. Alphonse had refused a bed, preferring to stay downstairs.
Ed was worried about his brother. Not that he expected Al to be okay with what was going on, but this wasn't the optimistic Alphonse Ed was used to, or even the pragmatic one who focused on the task at hand and pushed through even when he was dealing with strong emotions. No, when Al's emotions got out of hand it was normally short, explosive, and reason would return. This simmering anger and clear anxiety wasn't healthy, and while Ed couldn't call it out of character, it was unusual enough to be cause for concern.
The answer was simple enough; find and save Elicia. Al needed his wife. Ed just wished that were as easy as it sounded. If Al did finally lose his temper and his patience it was not going to be pretty.
When Ed came downstairs in the morning it was barely six. Winry was still asleep, recovering from the recent ordeal. Tore was passed out cold on the floor, snoring like a dog.
His thoughts had kept Ed from sleeping in. They intruded too early. He found Alphonse sitting at the bar in the dining room, staring blearily into what proved to be a cup of coffee.
"Drowning your problems?" Ed quipped as he dropped down next to his brother.
"Buzz off," Al replied flatly.
Ed sighed, keeping his own temper in check. Winry was safe. Elicia wasn't. He understood his brother's worries. He could be patient with Al's rather accurate portrayal of Ed's own lousy temper. "Well I can tell you didn't sleep last night," he replied. "Are you holding up okay?"
Al harrumphed. "What do you think Ed?"
Okay maybe this was familiar behavior; it was Al sulking. Great; at least a funk was something Ed could deal with. "Okay stupid question. Did you sleep at all?"
Al shrugged. "Passed out on the couch for about an hour in there somewhere. Mostly I've just been sitting here."
::That's his eighth cup of coffee though,:: the kind elderly woman who owned the place commented as she came out of the kitchen.
::How do you know?:: Al looked up, startled.
She picked up the pot from the counter and shook it. ::Pot's empty. It holds eight exactly.:: Her expression became softer and more sympathetic. Eyes glanced between Ed and Al and the door.
Ed looked around. The room was empty save for them. It wasn't even dawn yet; it was dark outside and they seemed to be the only ones awake in the building.
::Can you keep a secret with your lives?:: the woman asked softly.
Ed was immediately alert. ::We have before,:: he replied. Did she know something? Was this the break they needed?
The woman hesitated before pushing on. ::Take the left fork in the road,:: she blurted out. ::That's the one that bastard takes when he comes through here. We never see his cargo but you can hear them from time to time. They threaten us and all the towns that way to keep quiet. Otherwise it's our folks that go missing.::
::Do you know anything past that?:: Ed asked, knowing he might be pushing things.
::Not much,:: she admitted though she looked regretful. ::But my nephew lives in Alahovka. Tell him Auntie Mila requested he tell you anything he knows and he'll help if he can.::
She had Al's full attention. ::Thank you!:: he exclaimed, then shushed himself. ::Thank you so much,:: he repeated more softly.
::Get your lady back,:: Mila replied with a soft smile. ::Take a piece out of those men for us if you get the chance. If the stories they say are true, I've no doubt you can handle it.::
::There are stories of us out here?:: Ed asked curiously. Fame all over the Continent… not exaggerated in the least.
::Even beyond tales of an alchemy duel on the border years back:: she grinned, eyes twinkling. ::For all you're alchemists, you're clearly not the type we have 'round here.::
::If what we're hearing is true, ma'am, than the ones you have around here are the worst sort of people, even without alchemy,:: Ed replied. ::I promise, no one will know where we heard anything.:: The last thing he wanted was for someone who was willing to help them to get into trouble for it.
::I believe you,:: she nodded. ::Now, would you boys like some breakfast?::
The response came in chorus. :Yes please!::
November 9th, 1958
The cold weather and the constant driving were getting to Edward. In Central it occasionally got cold enough to make his joints ache. Up here that was turning out to be a lot more common. It didn't help that he was spending so much time cramped in the back of the truck. He had aches in places he never would have even a few years ago; cramped muscles, and the long schedule and lack of sleep was taking more of a toll than he had been prepared for.
I'm beginning to see why Roy hates getting old. Ed stared out the window when there was no conversation. There was little enough of late. Most everyone was absorbed in their own thoughts and conversation was limited to necessities. Ed shifted his hips to try and find a more comfortable position, grunting as a muscle complained.
"Are you all right?" Winry lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him questioningly. She had remained snuggled up against him since they climbed into the vehicle hours ago. They were both reassured by the contact. Riza was doing the same with Roy.
"Fine," Ed replied, smiling self-consciously. "Just a little stiff."
"Me too," Winry admitted. "What I wouldn't give for another long hot soaking bath."
"When we get back I'll have to arrange that," Ed chuckled softly. A large tub, big enough for two, with lots of steaming hot water and Winry...completely bare. And afterwards they'd curl up and...
"Remind me not to get an adjoining room," Roy snorted as if he had known Ed's thoughts. Ed suspected Roy probably did, but only because he was sure Roy's ran along similar lines in regards to his wife.
Tore shuddered in front of them. "Aren't you too old for that stuff?" he asked, sounding mildly horrified but also intrigued. Given his age, Ed was willing to forgive Tore the likely unintended insult.
Roy snorted a laugh. "Kid, there's no such thing."
The tips of Tore's ears blushed red. "Oh," was his only verbal response.
As Ed shifted one more time the truck came to a stop. ::We should walk from here,:: the Lieutenant said. ::If our directions are correct than the alchemists' laboratory is just up around the bend.::
::So we sneak,:: Ed nodded. They were going to need the element of surprise; especially going up against other alchemists. There was no way they didn't expect some kind of rescue attempt. At least, not unless they were arrogant enough to think themselves too well hidden to find. Ed had to admit that this was pretty far out there.
It took about half an hour to creep through the rocks up towards their intended target and it was late afternoon when they reached the summit and peered cautiously over the ledge.
Tucked in a fold of mountain rock stood what looked like a small fortress. Few windows, few doors, a rectangle of concrete and stone with one end stuck into the mountain itself. Tracks in the snow by one door marked it the main entrance, and one recently and repeatedly used.
Edward tried to ignore his stomach as it growled audibly. "Damn it...I'm so hungry!"
"Shut up, Ed," Roy replied. "If your stomach gives away our location you'll have to hope they get to us first or I'll kill you myself."
"Good luck trying," Ed replied, focusing on what lay before them. Judging by the marks in the snow, there were two entrances easily marked, and likely windows on the other side. Within a minute he had formed a plan. He dropped back down behind the rock outcropping and Roy followed him. "All right," he looked around at their assembled party. "Here's the plan."
"Don't any of the rest of us have a say in this?" Roy grumbled.
"Wait till you hear it before you argue," Ed shrugged. "First, I want a big distraction at the main entrance. Roy, take the Lieutenant and the Major, that's your job."
"What will the rest of us be doing?" Al asked.
"I want you to take Riza and Winry in through the second entrance about two minutes after Roy sends everyone in there running to see what the fuss is up front," Ed looked to his brother. "That way your way should be relatively clear to hunt down Elicia with minimal interference."
"What about you?" Roy snorted.
"Tore and I are going to sneak in from the back," Ed replied, a small smirk coming to his face. "We'll be searching in a different area to help cut down the time it takes to find Elicia. And if we do a little damage on our way in and out..." he shrugged. Frankly, he hoped to do a lot of damage. "It's likely there are other people in there that need rescuing too," he pointed out. "If you can save them, do so."
"Of course," Riza replied, her reply lacking the sarcasm that would have come from her husband. She had a new gun, borrowed from the Drachmans, to replace her lost weapon and she looked ready to use it if necessary.
Winry did not reply verbally but her expression said clearly that she was ready to go save her friend. Tore looked nervous but he was trying hard to look confident. Ed didn't call him on it.
"All right. We get in, get Elicia, get out," Ed nodded. "Move in half an hour. Let's go."
Ed lost sight of the other two groups barely a minute later as he and Tore slipped cautiously off into the rocks and snow-covered brush. He avoided walking in the snow as much as possible. "Best we don't leave signs we're here unless we have to," he whispered to Tore.
The kid nodded, his face screwed into an expression of tense concentration as he did his best to follow Ed's more practiced movements. "Did you mean what you said about getting other people out?" he asked softly.
Ed couldn't help smiling just a little. "Of course. That's what we do isn't it?"
"For the people," Tore said the words as if they suddenly meant something a little different to him, something new.
"There's a few things you need to know before we go in," Ed explained, still keeping to a whisper as he slid behind an outcropping.
"Rules right?" Tore sighed.
"Rules you'll follow if you'd like to survive," Ed confirmed. He had to keep reminding himself that he had been in situations this dangerous at Tore's age plenty of times. So had Ethan, tagging along on some of Sara's missions. This was perhaps more dangerous than some of them, but not by much. What worried him was that Tore did not have as many years of training as he, Al, Ethan, or Sara had at thirteen. "Follow my orders; no hesitation, no questions. Keep low, keep quiet as much as possible, and be ready to see things you'll probably wish you never had."
"Oh is that all," Tore replied, then dropped the flippant attitude. "I got it."
From there on out it was quiet. When they were around the other side of the building, Ed looked out again. The area was deep in late afternoon shadows but he saw what looked like a little service area in the back. Not even a door really; more of a large ventilation shaft. Perfect. "We're going in that way."
Tore stared at their entrance point for a moment. "It's awfully small. Are you sure we'll fit?"
Ed resisted the urge to hug the kid. "We'll fit," he replied. He pulled out his watch. Twenty nine minutes. One minute more, then less. "We'll wait for a minute after we hear the signal, then take off for that vent."
Tore nodded. "What will the signal sound like?"
Ed watched the second hand. "Five, four, three, two..."
In the distance the sound of a door squealing as it was blasted off its hinges, followed immediately by gunfire, carried to their ears. "That would be it," Ed smirked. He had known Roy would be good for a distraction!
Silently, Ed counted down the seconds. Down below, he saw three figures dart across the space and vanish in the shadows. He knew those silhouettes. "All right. Go."
Together he and Tore slipped and slid down the rocky embankment and darted for the wall at top speed. There was little to be done to avoid leaving snowy footprints now but they would be found soon enough inside Ed was certain.
Panting, they hit the entrance at the same time, With a clap, Ed transmuted the grate, given them the opening they needed. He crawled in first, Tore right on his heels. The vent - fortunately - did not lead into a long crawlspace, but brought them out almost immediately in a non-temperature sensitive store-room that was stacked full of shelves. Ed stood up, moving over so Tore could join him. "Looks like cheap refrigeration of alchemical components," he whispered.
"So what does that mean?" Tore asked.
"It means we didn't have ridiculously good fortune and stumble straight into where-ever they hold their subjects," Ed replied with a shrug. "We could be near their experiment labs, their holding cells, or their flipping cafeteria."
"Well you did say you were hungry," Tore gave him a cheeky grin.
"Funny," Ed crossed the room to the door and put an ear to it, waiting. He heard noises, the electric hum, the sound of heat in shafts as well perhaps, and then footsteps and voices, but all muffled and moving away from them. "All right. Let's go."
"Just a second," Tore said, crouching down by a panel in the wall and opening it. "How about we save ourselves the trouble of dealing with any alarms and cause a little havoc?"
Ed's interest was piqued. "What did you have in mind?" He crouched down next to his student.
Tore had removed the cover and was drawing a transmutation circle on an electrical box. "Just a little power surge." He finished the sketch and laid his hand on the circle. A moment later it glowed and a shock shot out through the system. Something revved and then Ed heard the sound of bulbs popping, wires overloading, and suddenly all the humming sounds inside the building died outright. If the room they were in hadn't already been dark save for the daylight filtering in, they would have been plunged into darkness.
"Electricity," Ed looked at Tore, feeling a little startled. He knew Tore had been playing with electrical alchemy ever since Will and Ren had sent him that Cretan book, but he'd only ever seen the kid create sparks or power small things. "Nice work."
"Thanks," Tore grinned proudly and stood. "That should complicate things for them."
Ed slowly opened the door and looked around the hallway. It was completely empty. Good. He listened. Without the electricity he could hear better as well. He had to give Tore credit for imaginative thinking and alchemy. "Let's go left," he said finally. That led towards the part of the building encased in the mountain face itself. If they had lower levels, that was as likely a place to have them. Also a good place to put anything that they really don't want broken into.
The halls were dark but not pitch so. Doors had been left open and from time to time a window somewhere let in diffuse light. Ed's eyes adjusted quickly. Tore stuck close behind him as they moved on down the hall, then another, poking their noses into doorways and seeing what was there. It was mostly supply rooms in that part of the stronghold. For a stronghold it was. They moved on, finding sleeping quarters, not much better than barracks in a couple of rooms, and small private quarters that seemed to belong to a small handful of alchemists. "It looks like Tamirov has students, or conspirators," Ed snorted softly as they moved on. They finally reached the end of another hall that ended online in stairs. "As stereotypical as this is," Ed commented, "I'll bet we'll find Elicia if we go down."
Tore shrugged and nodded, then froze. A second later he tapped Ed's shoulder.
Ed turned to ask what and stopped as he caught it too - the sound of footsteps coming quietly down the hall behind them; the steps of more than one person. He nodded, one hand on Tore's shoulder as they slid up against the wall, waiting to see what came around the turn. Ed pressed him palms together, waiting silently.
A shadowed figure came around the corner and only a startled, "Brother!" said softly, stayed Ed's hand.
Ed let out a soft sigh as Winry and Riza joined Al. "No luck I take it?" he asked as they approached.
"Elicia's definitely not on this level," Winry nodded, whispering.
"Did you have any trouble?" Ed asked.
Riza shook her head. "We had to knock out a couple of inattentive hired thugs but that's all."
"There's no upper level," Al added. "At least not with any entrance we found. There might be an attic of sorts."
"But it's unlikely to hold experiments," Ed knew what Al meant. "We just found the stairs down."
So down they went as a group. In the distance still they heard muffled shouting, gunfire, and explosions. "Trust Roy to make one hell of a distraction."
"He's always been good at that," Riza replied, smirking just a little.
They reached the bottom of the stairway and Ed - at the front - listened for several seconds before moving cautiously out into the hall. He knew the sounds that came to his ears and they made him shudder. "Chimeras."
He had only to utter one word but Al nodded, looking grim. Tore's eyes went wide. Ed moved forward down the hall, Al and Tore directly behind him with Winry and Riza serving as rear-guard.
"There are lights down here," Tore suddenly gasped, barely remembering to whisper.
Ed paused. He was right! "Gas lamps maybe, or a second power supply," he nodded. "We may not be alone down here."
Their search turned out to be surprisingly easy. The first thing they found was clearly the alchemical laboratory where Tamirov worked on his chimeras and several other experiments judging by the notes left open on the counters. Ed felt bile in his throat as he looked at the poor creatures in the cages. Many of them were simply classic Chimeras, some cruder than others, but all mixes of animals.
It was the ones in the back of the large room that made him want to vomit. Humans - or so they had once been - but no more human looking than poor Nina had been when she and Alexander had been joined. There were four, and none of them nearly so complete or well done as those that Greed had freed from Laboratory Five. No Martas here; just failed experiments that stared at them in surprise from wild eyes or lay unconscious in their captivity. They barely looked human.... save one male.
A shocked gasp from behind him made Ed turn and he realized that Tore's eyes were wide with recognition and horror. "Uncle!" he cried out, bolting across the room as fast as his legs would allow, dodging a surgical table and other equipment to reach the cage.
"Tore wait!" Ed reached for his student but he missed the kid's clothing by inches.
Tore hit the edge of the cage before he lost momentum. "Uncle!" he reached for the most human looking of the Chimeras, though all that reminded Ed of a man at all was the eyes, the nose, and the hair on its head which now traversed in an odd wave down its back. There was no sanity in those eyes, but obviously they remained unchanged enough that somewhere in what seemed to be a white bear, badger, human conglomeration was what remained of Tore's living kin.
If the thing had ever been Pierce Closson it did not react as such. It growled and swatted at Tore with big, oddly clawed hands.
Tore leaped backwards, dodging easily, his expression one of shock and hurt. "Uncle Pierce! It's me."
As the boy stood there, Ed closed the distance between them, resting his hand on Tore's shoulder. "He's gone, kid. There's nothing in that mind now of the man he was. You're sure it's him?"
"I'm positive," Tore replied, his voice cracking momentarily. "That...that's not my mother, but they had the same eyes."
"Oh Tore..." Winry's soft exclamation seemed clear in the room.
"Sorry," Ed didn't move. He could feel Tore's body trembling beneath his hand, though he could not have said if it was from sorrow or rage.
"If...if this is where he ended up," Tore finally continued, "than my mother probably came here as well but...I don't see her here."
"Maybe she's with their other captives," Al suggested softly, though Ed didn't think his brother believed that any more than the rest of them. Still, it was a nice thought.
"Doubtful," Tore replied. "But...but we can. We have to find Miss Elicia."
They couldn't free the chimeras. They would be a danger to anyone they came upon. Ed put his hand down and turned away. Tore was right. They needed to find Elicia and anyone who could really be saved.
There were cells down the hall. The first two were empty, but when they peeked through the bars on the third...
"Elicia!" Al jumped forward, slamming hard into the bars before he thought to transmute them open, which took only seconds. He was at her side on the floor in an instant, his face a mask of horror that Ed suspected they all mirrored. He heard the gasps behind him. "Oh...oh...Elicia." He grabbed her up in his arms, and tears spilled down Ed's cheeks.
It was Elicia surely and wholly human on the outside at least, but she lay on the cold stone floor, bound and naked, bruises patterning the skin from her knees to her neck, and her head was shaved bare, with marks where Ed suspected diodes or other strange devices he had seen in the lab had been attached. What kinds of experiments had been done he had no real clue, but anyone who would do this to Elicia.... Ed didn't bother to try and quell the rage he felt inside!
"Brother..." Al said urgently. "Brother she's not breathing! I don't think I...."
He was upset. Ed snapped back to business and hurried to Al's side. "Hold still a moment," he growled, laying a hand gently on Elicia's chest. I'll ask forgiveness later for the lack of propriety, he promised Elicia. There was little to feel. Ed clapped his hands together again and laid them down. He wasn't sure if he could do this, but he wasn't looking to transmute anything and he'd been part of the Xing doctors doing it to him enough. At least he could find out the extent of her injuries...or changes, though he shuddered at that thought.
"Ed what are you doing?" Al gasped, looking like he might grab Elicia away again at any moment.
"Checking vitals," Ed replied shortly. Then he delved into the alchemy, merely trying to see what was there and what wasn't. It proved to be much simpler than trying to heal anything. His time being healed had helped him learn to accept the ways of Xing's healing alchemy better than he had realized at the time. It was odd because he could not have said what he was looking for, but he found it soon enough, feelings of wrong in the bloodstream, trace elements that were in concentrations that did not belong there - the alchemist's work certainly. Ed didn't dare try to transmute them into something else, not in Elicia's body. The last thing he wanted to do was kill his little sister. Still, he had to do something. He felt back then, tired, and growled. "I'm going to need your help, Al. I don't think I can finish this on my own. I can't generate all the energy needed and guide a transmutation too."
Al looked nervous, but he nodded. "What are you going to do, Ed?"
"Damn it, Al, I don't know for sure but it's better than nothing." He flashed Al a grin he didn't entirely feel. "But you don't think I was just sitting there passively while they were working on me in Xing do you? I've got to do something, and I promise I won't hurt her, but I need your help. She's alive. I want to keep her that way."
"Careful, Ed." Winry said softly from just over his left shoulder.
"Don't worry," Ed tried to assure them all. Elicia's body was still too cold, too pale, and if she breathed it was too shallow for him to tell in the dim light. "Okay, Al. Let's do this."
Al clapped his hands together and Ed began again, feeling an odd moment when Al's alchemic power merged with his. All Ed had to do was guide it. He found the wrong places full of alchemical potions again, and this time he could tell that her body was trying to fight them back. Her heart was beating, her lungs gathering air ever so slowly. Her body fought weakly, but it fought. Using the energy they had, Ed guided it into those places, urging on the fight and offering replenished stores to her failing body. No, Elicia wasn't dead but if they hadn't gotten here...how long would she have lasted?
"Come on, kiddo," Ed whispered softly into her ear. "I was there when you came into this world and I'm not about to watch you leave it just yet. Besides…my brother needs you." Ed held the transmutation for as long as he could, taking stock of her body and lending it strength, letting it heal anything it might need to. It wasn't long before Ed was covered in sweat, despite Al's assistance. Finally Ed collapsed, leaning against his hands and panting heavily.
"Well?" Al asked, looking even more wrung out than Ed felt.
"She's alive," Ed replied, panting. "And she's still human...for now." That was what had worried him most. If they had already managed to make her a chimera, or started the process…. But they were lucky; her body was still fighting the substances he couldn't transmute without fully understanding their composition. "But she's sick and she's still weak. We need to get her out of her and get her to a doctor."
"She'll freeze like that," Winry scowled. "Riza, let's see what we can find to cover her."
Ed nodded as the women left, working to catch his breath. Almost any alchemical feat he might attempt felt like nothing...except when he tried to use Xing's style of alchemy. He knew it tired Ethan and Mei and Ren and the other doctors he had met, but it seemed to tire them so much less except for large transmutations. "Warmth is good."
Al was already undoing her bindings, cradling Elicia close, but she did not stir. "I'll keep her warm," he whispered, taking her into his lap and pulling off his coat, draping it over her battered body.
Tore looked even more ill than he had in the laboratory. "They're monsters," he growled as he looked on.
"They are," Ed agreed, making himself sit upright. "Let's get moving. We need to get out of here. Roy and the soldiers can't keep them all distracted forever."
Standing, with Al keeping Elicia gathered up in his arms, they headed back out into the hallway. Riza and Winry met them at the stairs with a battered blanket. "We couldn't find her clothes," Winry apologized.
Al gave her a weak, grateful smile. "That's okay, Winry. You tried."
"We'll take the exit you came in from," Ed said as they hurried up the stairs and down the hall. He knew that Al, and probably even Riza, wouldn't fit through the opening Tore and Ed had, especially not carrying Elicia.
Riza, gun drawn, took the lead and for a while it looked like they might make it out scot free, at least until they rounded the last corner and came face to face with a group of four men. Before they could draw their weapons Riza had fired four rounds, disarming two of them and wounded the others - one in the arm and the other inside his thigh. Both of them went down howling and the others were startled enough by stinging hands that Ed had time to transmute the walls around them, locking them all to walls and floor, unable to move, but no needless deaths today.
"Run!" Riza shoved as they heard more running footsteps. "They've figured out Roy's not the only one here."
The door was open and they ran! Out into the twilight, into the fast-darkening mountains they ran across the snow towards the rocks. Ed insisted on falling to the back. Turning, he sent a surge of dirt and snow back against the building, barring the door completely. He heard the startled shouts of the people inside.
Not waiting around, Ed turned and fled after his family. Scrambling up the rocks, ignoring the scrapes his hand was taking, the bumps to his legs and body. When he reached the top he tumbled over, falling down behind a large rock. Panting, Ed tried not to voice the thought that briefly flitted across his mind. Damn it...I am not too old for this! He ignored the protesting muscles in his side that claimed otherwise. "Is everyone all right," he asked, sucking in the cold air.
"Unhurt," Winry confirmed, "As far as that goes. We've got Elicia bundled up as best we can. Let's get back to the truck."
"If we can," Riza replied skeptically. "The fight has moved, and Roy and the Drachmans took the vehicle with them. Look."
"Shit," Ed dragged himself over towards another ledge and peered over. Below he could just see the front of the building and the devastation wrought by the Flame Alchemist. There wasn't a bit of snow left on that side of the little valley, just rock and dirt and flaming piles that used to be the alchemists' vehicles, or those belonging to their allies. Further back, it looked like someone had trashed the military vehicle with a long-range alchemical attack.
The fight was still going on, though it looked like it would soon be over. The two soldiers were hiding behind a rock outcropping with Roy, and the only weapon still in use on their end was alchemy though there seemed nothing left to burn. Several scorched bodies lay in the ground, whether dead by gunshot or fire first there was no way to tell. As Ed watched, Roy gestured to the two soldiers, who started running back down the hill and out of sight. The remains of the alchemist's men retreated inside as soon as Roy gave them a moment's break. Within the stone walls, they likely did not fear burning. Roy turned and ran as well.
Ed dropped back down. "They're retreating. Let's meet up and get the hell out of here."
Together they made their way back down to where they had originally parked the truck which was now gone. It took longer, with Al carrying Elicia, but it was manageable. Roy and the soldiers met them there, exhausted but waiting. Roy's eye widened as he caught side of Elicia. "I should go back and burn the bastards for this," he growled as he hurried over to Al's side. Bundled in Al's coat, the blanket, and with Winry's hat on over her shaved head, Elicia's injuries were not immediately evident, but her still, pale form was enough to make every heart ache.
"We need to get her to a doctor before anything else," Riza cut in before anyone could explain. "What happened to the truck Roy?"
The Flame Alchemist fidgeted. "We used it to drive up quickly, as part of the distraction. That way they didn't know how many we had right off and it looked more like a military operation. I wasn't expecting other forms of alchemical fire."
Alchemist's fire; grenades in essence, but effective and clinging. Ed sighed. "Well let's get moving before they get organized enough to send a party out to hunt us down or realize what we've got."
The road was, fortunately, mostly clear of snow, but they had to be cautious. The party moved off the road, using rocks to hide themselves despite the slowness of movement. Ed didn't want to think about how long it would take them to get back to even the next town this way, but they had to make it. The travelers were grimly quiet, not daring to speak unless necessary, conserving strength as they headed through the mountains.
They trudged, Ed estimated, about ten miles, following roughly near the road, into full darkness before they had to stop. Al refused to let anyone else carry Elicia though he was clearly exhausted. They all were.
"But where will we sleep?" Winry asked, shivering. "It's too cold to camp."
Ed flashed a reassuring smile. "That's what you think. You've got us with you this time, Winry." He walked over to the nearest stone cliff, clapped his hands together, and smacked them against the rocks. There was a flash, a flare, and in a few seconds there was an opening just wide and tall enough for them to get through. "Instant hotel. Sorry it doesn't have much in the way of amenities."
::It's better than freezing,:: the Lieutenant commented, looking awed.
They all made their way inside the dark cavern, and once they were there, Ed changed the entrance so that it jutted out more like a rock outcropping and bent so the opening was invisible from the road for certain. Then he closed it except for a very small hole to let in fresh breathable air. "There. Warm and cozy."
"Cozy anyway," Al commented in the darkness.
"Leave the rest to me," Roy said. Ed saw a spark as Roy snapped his fingers, and a moment later the smaller rocks in the room all began to glow like rocks that had been heated in a fire pit.
They gathered the stones into a pile in the middle of the cavern, and it was just enough light to see by despite the very dim glow that came from outside. It was almost as bright as a campfire, and given it was a small space, it bounced easily off the walls. Most importantly, they gave off plenty of heat.
Their little hiding place began to warm and everyone settled in around the edges. Ed sat down next to Al, hoping Winry would join him, but she went to Elicia first. "Let me see her, Al." When he hesitated, she smiled softly. "I'm the closest thing we have to a doctor right now. I just want to check on her after all the running around we've done in this weather. She's weak enough as it is."
Al gently uncovered Elicia enough for Winry to check the basics. Ed averted his eyes. The least they could do was protect as much of Elicia's battered modesty as they could. The two soldiers sat on the other side of the rocks, cleaning their guns, and Roy and Riza sat closer to the entrance, cuddled close. Tore, on the other side of Ed, sat with his back to Ed and his knees tucked up to his chest, hugging them tight with his arms.
Ed leaned over. "Are you all right?" He suspected he already knew the answer to that.
Tore's shoulders shrugged. "Should I be?"
"Everybody's different," Ed replied. "But even though it's not the first time I've seen the atrocities some alchemists are capable of, it still makes me sick."
"That... that thing used to be my uncle," Tore finally stammered out softly. "I know it. He wasn't great or anything but he was family. I... if he's like that than my Mom probably is too if..." he trailed off, but Ed didn't need to hear the rest to know Tore's thoughts. If she isn't dead. A sick woman subjected to such torments stood little chance of survival. Elicia was lucky she hadn't been in there long and was still worse off than Ed wanted to consider.
"If she was that ill, she probably never got turned into a chimera," Ed replied. It wasn't a lie, not really. She would never have survived the transmutation. "We still don't know for sure if she was ever even here. Could your uncle have been taken and not her?"
"Maybe," Tore nodded, seeming utterly un-cheered by the prospect. "I... can we talk about something else? I don't want to talk right now."
"Sure, kid." Ed sat back, turning around to find Winry had once more covered Elicia. "How is she?"
"Fevered," Winry replied softly. "Not too high I don't think, but she's still unconscious, and I don't think she's eaten in at least a couple of days. She needs water and I think we could all use a good meal."
"Too bad there's none of that to be had," Roy griped.
Ed sighed. He was exhausted, but only bruised and sore. This was something he could handle. "I'll be back in a little while," he said, groaning as he got back to his feet, "with water tonight and food by morning." He changed the entrance enough once more for him to slip through, sealed it, and trudged out into the snow. A rock bowl of snow to melt and a few rabbit traps he could handle. Surely there were some small creatures, rabbits or otherwise, that lived out here. Hopefully fat stupid ones that would be tasty cooked over a fire.
Ironic to be hunting rabbits now like he had as a boy, but Ed was grateful. An odd ache inside him made Ed pause in setting his first trap until he realized it wasn't physical. He missed Izumi. Once more training he had gotten from her teaching - however indirectly - was saving the life of himself and those he cared about.
He just hoped that Elicia could hold out long enough.
