No Longer Alone
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Franz stood at attention as the muffled sounds of discussion floated through the shut door. After successfully escorting both princesses to Castle Frelia, the General had ordered him to keep outside the room while he, Princess Eirika, and King Hayden entered a discussion centering over the next course of action.
That was one of the downsides of being mere knight, he supposed. Close enough to the courtly proceedings to intrigue you, but unable to really access anywhere.
Franz's eyes shifted slightly as he heard the sound of laughter down the hallway. Two of the palace maids scurried past, deeply engaged in conversation. They rounded a corridor, but not fast enough to drown out a peal of laughter that came from the younger of the two.
Shifting his weight slightly – Latona, this was boring – Franz leant back slightly, trying to pick up what he believed was King Hayden's voice. Tilting his head back as far as he believed he could without appearing totally obvious to anyone who happened to pass by that he was eavesdropping, he was barely able to catch the tail end of the conversation.
"Hmph. Same foolhardy determination as your father. What am I to do with that, eh? … Vanessa."
He heard an affirmation, and then the King said something else Franz couldn't quite catch. He leaned forward again, until he was standing normally. Given King Hayden's remark was likely towards Eirika, she was going off… somewhere. As a knight of Renais, he'd be oath-bound to follow her. Not that he had much idea of running off somewhere on his own anyway. Knighthood was his life.
The doors to the inner chambers abruptly swung open, and General Seth strode out.
"At ease, Franz." He said in response to the young knight's salute. "We're to leave, fully armed and supplied before the passing of the next watch."
"Yes, sir. Our destination?"
Seth hesitated a full second before replying. "Renvall."
"Renvall?" Franz sputtered. "B-but that's in Grado!"
Seth nodded. "Yes it is, Franz. Get whatever you believe you need and meet Princess Eirika at the courtyard within twenty minutes."
"Y- yes, sir." Franz said lamely to the General's already departing figure. Sighing, he turned and began walking back to his assigned quarters. It seemed as if everything he knew was currently in freefall.
"Sir Gilliam! You will be traveling with us?" Franz asked. The solemn knight nodded. "I have been assigned to travel with the lady Eirika. I will do my best to aid her in her journey."
Right. Her journey. A journey that involved cutting through Renais, entering Grado, and searching around the Renvall area for her brother. With less than ten soldiers under her command.
He supposed her plan had some merit (The General was endorsing it, after all.), but every time he tried to figure those merits out, he instead started recalling his lessons from tactical training. In fact, he mainly recalled this one lesson near the start of his apprenticeship that had been entitled 'Don't go charging into enemy territory with less than ten soldiers, moron!', or… something to that effect.
Snapping out his reverie, he noted that Princess Tana was talking to Princess Eirika. The Frelian Princess seemed unhappy, he noted.
"Franz." He turned and saw Seth already mounted on his warhorse, armour shining in the midafternoon sun. Franz nodded and swiftly mounted Neige.
The princess looked over her ragtag band of fighters and let out a soft sigh. Then, raising her hand and her voice, she gave the command. "Move out!"
Two days later…
Amelia supposed the widening of the innkeeper's eyes and the sudden hush at the bar had largely to do with the fact that she had stumbled in at what could only be described as an ungodly hour. Added to the fact that she was currently covered in mud and dripping wet, she looked much like she hadn't seen a decent bath in years instead of a mere three days.
But, she reflected, that was probably what falling down while attempting to ford a rather muddy river would do to you. Walking over to the innkeeper, she out on the best smile she could muster. "I'd like a room… with a bath, please."
The innkeeper looked dubiously at her, then extended a hand, palm upwards. Rolling her eyes, Amelia dug into her pack and pulled out fifteen silver coins – enough for the night's stay.
"This way, miss." The innkeeper spoke gruffly as he led her into a back room.
An hour later, a far cleaner and refreshed Amelia sat down in her room, biting her lip as she traced a tiny path on her map with her finger. She should reach Serafew in three to four days, depending on travel conditions.
Briefly, she wondered if she should go down to the bar area and attempt some interaction with the other patrons, but ultimately decided against it, since an early start tomorrow (or later today, as it were) would be required to increase chances of reaching the next roadside inn, and also because a young, nervous girl probably wouldn't be welcomed by those downstairs.
Sighing, she flopped onto her bed, rolled over, and tried to get some sleep.
Earlier that day, halfway across the continent…
There was a screech of steel against steel as Franz's sword blocked the axe blow from the brigand. The resultant force caused him to lurch to the right, stumbling Neige, and generally adding to the confused mood the band of travelers was in right now.
As Neige regained her footing, Franz made a stab at the thug he faced, which resulted in his sword being parried, and him nearly losing his grip on it. Gritting his teeth Franz changed tactics and stabbed again – this time directly at the bandit's hand which was holding the axe, which bore much more immediate results. The brigand howled in pain, dropping the axe in the process, which made it a lot easier for Franz to lash out with his foot and lay his foe flat on the ground.
Brigands, He thought distastefully. Now that Renais' knights are scattered or dead, they can move throughout the land without fear. His scowl changed subconsciously into a grim smile. Or so this group thought.
Bandits generally didn't bother with much training in combat, following the general philosophy that having a weapon made you deadly enough. This might have held true when terrorizing villagers, but it was markedly less effective against armed and trained knights.
General Seth rode past, blade swinging up in a smooth motion that cut deep into a bandit attempting to jump atop his horse. From above, the Pegasus rider Vanessa hurled a javelin with deadly accuracy, piercing the heart of a brigand as he tried to sneak an attack on the Princess. Sir Gilliam crouched to avoid the clumsy axe-swing of yet another bandit, and slammed the butt of his spear into his opponent's chest, sending his foe sprawling and coughing up blood.
The battle was already winding down, from what Franz could see. What few bandits that still could were more or less fleeing, with those still alive but unable to run were quickly being rounded up and detained until further notice.
"Franz." He heard Seth call. As Franz turned, Seth indicated the nearby villages. "Ride to them and inform them the threat has been dealt with for now. They can reopen their gates."
"Understood." Franz nodded, as he rode off towards the nearby settlements. The sun was already sinking in the horizon, he noted.
Approaching the first of the towns, he noted several wary villagers standing near the closed gates, holding pitchforks, axes, and various other farming implements. Upon seeing the emblem of Renais on his armour, they relaxed somewhat. "Is it safe, sir knight?"
Franz nodded. "The bandits have been routed." He called back. "Your village is safe."
Cheers erupted as three of the men began reopening the gates while the others headed back to the village to inform them of the good news. Smiling, Franz urged his steed on towards the next village.
It was just past nightfall when Franz finally made it back to the camp they had set up for the night. Weary from long riding and battle, he was glad to dismount, sit , and rest by the campfire.
"Franz?" Seth again. Nodding affirmation that he had heard, the young cavalier stood and made his way over to the General, who gestured towards a well-muscled man standing to his right.
"Franz, this is Sir Garcia, and his son Ross, from the village of Ide. They will be joining our troop for this expedition. I felt I should inform you."
Garcia…? That name sounded familiar. And the General had referred to him as 'Sir'…
"Begging your pardon, Sir Garcia, but… are you the same Garcia who was troop commander of Renais until ten years ago?"
A smile spread across the barrel-chested warrior's face. "Aye, that would be me. Why? Heard tales of me, have you?"
"No! Well, yes, but most of them speak glowingly of your fighting skill. It… it is an honour to be able to fight alongside you, sir."
Garcia barked out a laugh. "Hah! I see they've not slacked off on courtesy training for the recruits." He smiled down to Franz. "You'll make us a fine knight, boy."
Seth, who had been smiling slightly throughout the entire exchange, gestured again to indicate the youth standing slightly behind Garcia. "This would be Ross. We're lacking in tents, and the local villagers don't have suppliers, so you two will share a tent for several nights. This shouldn't be a problem, should –"
"Oh!" The startled cry came from the Princess, and Franz whipped around, hand already halfway to his sword hilt. He caught a glimpse of a navy blue cloak fluttering in the darkness before the trees swallowed it up. Aside from that, nothing seemed amiss…
Nevertheless, General Seth walked over to ascertain there was no damage done to the princess, while Franz watched curiously. As the General and the Princess conversed, he noted that Seth seemed to become more agitated with each passing moment.
Abruptly, he turned and strode – practically ran – towards his mount, while shouting an order to the troop. "All units, prepare to move out! We ride through the night!"
"What?" The question came from Father Moulder, the priest assigned by King Hayden to the band. "I'm sorry, General, but as the priest my first concern is the welfare of the soldiers. They've just finished a battle, and surely a fair number are not up for an all-night march."
"I appreciate that, Father, but there are more important things at stake now." Seth replied from atop his warhorse. "Franz! Vanessa!"
"Here, General!" Franz acknowledged, already astride Neige.
"I am ready." Franz could detect weariness in the flier's voice, but that was overshadowed by her resolve.
"We three are the fastest of the group. Move ahead and scout for signs of a thief. According to Princess Eirika's description, he had blue hair, and a dark cloak. The rest of you, travel in the general direction towards the mountains; it's likely the thief was another bandit. That's all. Move!"
Without replying, Franz dug his heels into the side of Neige, and steered his mount towards the dark thicket. Odds were slim to none of him finding any sign of the thief in the gloom, but his General had commanded, and he would obey.
Early the next morning…
Dawns' first rays had all but pierced the thin veil of morning fog as Amelia made her way out the inn. Yawning slightly, she shifted her pack so that it didn't dig into her shoulder quite so much, and started her walking again.
I wonder what life as a soldier will be like. She thought to herself as she continued down the path. I wonder if what kind of commander I'd be assigned to… A smile graced her face. Maybe someone just and honourable like General Duessel. Based on reports, it was the General's personal retinue that had defeated the bandits that had raided Silva all those years ago. I want to be just like him when I grow up… a powerful warrior that cares for the people.
She frowned slightly as her train of thought shifted. I wonder what it's like to be a general in a war. Knowing that the lives of thousands of people depend on just about every tactical decision you make. I don't think I could ever handle the strain of that sort of responsibility.
"One step at a time, I suppose." She said out loud. "Whatever my lot is, I'll bear it."
The road led ever onward.
Franz shook his head wearily as he tried to get his eyes to focus. The all-night search had turned up nothing, and he now had a headache that made just about everything blurry when he looked at it.
"Sir Franz? Are you okay?" The question came from Vanessa. The Pegasus rider must have been as tired as she was, but she apparently wasn't letting it show.
"Fine… just… need a good rest." He managed before he yawned. "I wonder why the General was so insistent on us finding that thief." He continued sleepily.
"Time will tell, I suppose." The green-haired sky rider shrugged. "He must have some reason to – what's that?"
"Hm?" As Neige trotted after the gliding Pegasus, Franz caught sight of a strip of dark blue cloth caught on a low-hanging branch.
"Thus could be from our wayward thief." Vanessa theorized. "But we can't say for sure…"
"I can." Franz offered. "I saw his cloak last night. Same colour as this one, and in a straight line from the camp to the mountains." Glancing around, he noted a single footprint, pointed towards the mountains as well. "Yep. Probably our thief."
"Everyone," General Seth rode up. "The locals say they say a young boy matching the description of the bracelet thief. He was headed for the mountains."
"That poses a problem." Gilliam said from behind the two of them. Franz jumped slightly – he hadn't heard the knight approach. "The bandits know the crags and gullies of the mountains well. We could wander there a lifetime and never find their hideout."
"I agree." The delicate voice of Eirika also came up from the brush as she stepped through it. "We don't have time for this, Seth. The bracelet was a keepsake from my father… but it's not that valuable."
Seth seemed about to reply when they heard a soft, hesitant voice. "Um… e-excuse me?"
Franz turned. A pink-haired girl with a gentle face glanced around nervously as she approached them. "Are… are you all some sort of, er… mercenary troop?"
Seth took the lead. "Why do you ask?"
The girl hesitated a moment, then burst out, "Please! Y-you have to help Colm! He's gone off into the mountains!"
"Calm down." The Princess said soothingly. "Start from the beginning. Who's Colm, and why did he rush off into the mountains for?"
The girl seemed almost on the verge of tears, but then composed herself and nodded. "All… alright." She sniffled. "I'm Neimi. I came from a village called Lark, but… but it was attacked by bandits. O- only Colm and I…" Franz could tell she was fighting to hold back her sobs. "The bandits… they stole something from me… Colm said he would go get it back… I told him it was too dangerous, b-but he told me not to worry so much and went off anyway. If… if I lose Colm, I don't know what I'll… I…" The sobs she had been holding back finally broke free
The Princess's face had gone still, a look that spoke volumes of what she felt inside. But the only thing she asked was, "Can you lead us to him?"
That seemed to rouse Neimi from her cry. "Yes… um, it's this way…"
Seth nodded, and waved the rest of the troop to follow. Franz complied, even though he felt completely exhausted. Truth be told, he had no idea how much he would be able to contribute to the upcoming fight that he felt was certain to ensue.
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