Chapter 6-Matthew: Shadow's Request

No sooner had they left Badon, then the weather took a turn for the worse. Dark clouds hung over head, constantly threatening to drop an ocean of rain, or fill the sky with thunder and lightning. Threats which it made good on at irregular intervals.

Of course, while most were cursing it, this dark weather suited Matthew's mood just fine. Ever since his 'conversation' with Guy, he had been in the most foul of moods, and couldn't even muster the energy to disguise it. And to make matters worse, just as they were leaving, the damned assassin and his pet mage caught up with them, ostensibly to start a new life in Pherae.

The spy snorted, he didn't believe that for a second. That bastard had killed Lord Elbert, Leila, and God alone knows how many others. They called him the 'Angel of Death' for Elimine's sake! People like that don't just stop killing because some idealistic little brat tells them to! No, he was probably just using the girl as an excuse to get into Pherae and finish off what he started with Lord Elbe…cursing at himself inwardly, Matthew locked down that line of thinking. If he was going to betray us, he'd have done it at Dragon's Gate, before we killed his master.

Forcing his thoughts away from his hatred of Jaffar, Matthew let his depressed mind wander, though he knew it was a bad idea. As they always did, his mind turned to Leila. He saw visions of their time together, the few moments they had when neither one was on assignment. He remembered the days they spent egging each other on to more daring and dangerous stunts, stupid things that neither would have attempted if it were not to impress the other. He closed his eyes and remembered her bloody corpse, and the numbness he felt when he buried her…

A single tear slowly rolled down the side of a young man's cheek as he wiped the blood away from his lover's cold face. "Leila…how could this happen? You…you're too good to slip up like this. Idiot…" forcing a half smile, he gingerly lifted her lifeless body and set her down in the shallow grave he had dug, "when I wished for this to be your last mission, for you to put this life behind you…this isn't what I meant."

Leaning down, Matthew gently kissed her forehead, and stared at her face for a long moment, wondering why no more tears would come. Finally, he drew a silver ring from one of the many pockets inside his cloak, and slipped it onto her finger, "I was too slow. Too afraid that you would refuse. I know you can't hear me now, but I won't let that stop me from saying this," taking a deep breath, the spy let four little words that he had rehearsed so many times in his mind flow free, "I love you, Leila. I want you to know that, and always remember it, though I never said it while you were still here. I want you to wait for me, wherever you are." Standing up, he took one last look at the woman he loved before he began to cover her with earth.

As he finished, he turned his back on the grave and began the walk back to his lord's side, "I'm sure I won't be far behind."

Of course, he hadn't expected to live through fighting against someone like Nergal. But, here he was, still alive. The spy began to let his mind wander again, but found his thoughts interrupted by a sharp and entirely too chipper voice.

"Matthew!"

Matthew groaned as Serra picked her way through the mud to come bother him. Maybe if I just don't answer her, she'll go away.

"There you are, Mr. Mopey! I saw you over here looking so sad, so I decided to come and cheer you up by letting you bask in my beauty! Isn't that generous of me?" Flashing the thief a smile, the annoying cleric fell into step beside him and linked her arm in his, "Here, you can be my escort for the time being. I know you aren't used to such important jobs, so I'll explain it to you. All my escort really has to do, is whatever I say. See, it's really simple. I'm sure you'll do just fine."

With a sigh, Matthew just kept staring at the road ahead, refusing to give her the satisfaction of even rolling his eyes at her, "Shouldn't you be cowering from the rain? Wouldn't want it to mess up your hair or anything." It was, of course, already a bit late for that. Serra, like everyone else, was thoroughly soaked from head to toe, and her pretty pink pigtails were no exception.

To his surprise, the vain cleric simply laughed it off, "Oh don't be silly Mathew. You should know very well that beauty such as mine could never be ruined by something so simple as a bit of rain or mud. Of course, I'll need to dry off and clean up before we reach Pherae. I wouldn't want all of those noblewomen thinking that this was the newest fashion and ruining their best dresses with mud. Not just anyone can pull this off, after all."

Despite his morbid mood, Matthew had to stop and give Serra a completely incredulous look. He could hardly believe the sheer vanity of this woman, speaking as if she were the absolute center of all fashion and culture in the entire world. And of course everyone else already knows it! Finding himself at a loss for words, the spy could only chuckle and shake his head.

Pleased with herself, Serra poked her 'escort' in the ribs, "See? You laughed! You're already feeling better." Looking up at his face, she tried to catch the thief's eye, but he steadfastly looked ahead, refusing to let her see his eyes. "What's wrong with you, anyway? You were all gloomy and snippy the whole way back from Valor, and now that we're back in Lycia, you still aren't any better. You haven't told any stupid jokes, or mouthed off to Lord Hector, or even said anything mean to me for days!"

Matthew groaned and did his best to ignore her. Great, they were worried about him. He didn't want anyone to be worried about him. He didn't want any friends. That's why he sent Guy away. I hope he's alright. Now that he doesn't have that oathpaper hanging over his head, he should do just fine. I wonder if he'll head back to Sacae, or continue his training somewhere else? Maybe… the thief shook his head violently, what am I doing? Here I am, worrying about the person I chased away so that I wouldn't care about him! Gah! And now people like Serra are worried about me, when I'm trying to get them all to stay away. It's like everything I'm doing is backfiring on me!

Serra pursed her lips at Matthew's refusal to acknowledge her. She wasn't used to being ignored, but decided to give him a break and get his attention gently instead of bludgeoning his eardrums, "Matthew? Hello? I asked you a question."

I just need to keep busy, that's all. Continuing to ignore Serra, the spy began to plan how to achieve his goals in his mind, I'll ask Lord Hector for a new mission once we reach Pherae. I can even tell him the truth when he asks why. I just want to keep busy. If I have a goal, a mission, I won't have time to think about Leila. I won't have time to worry about Guy. And I won't be around for these numbskulls to keep trying to make friends…

Serra was beginning to lose her patience. Whatever had captured Matthew's attention, it certainly wasn't her, as her tall 'escort' continued to stare at the road ahead, even when she addressed him directly! Imagine the nerve of that! Taking a deep breath, the sweet little cleric decided that enough was enough, and he was going to pay attention to her whether he liked it or not,"Matthew? Matthew? I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

"Whaaaa!" His thoughts interrupted by a shriek of immeasurable volume in his ear, Matthew almost fell over in shock before jerking his arm away from Serra and dumping her in the mud, "You want me to be mean to you? Fine! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries. Now get lost." Without looking to see if she was alright, he stormed off to the side, ostensibly to scout around, though he really just wanted to be alone.

As the cleric picked herself up out of the mud, she stared at the retreating form of the tall thief while a few tears began to roll down her cheeks, "Matthew? What happened to you?"

The greeting at Pherae was tearful, both with joy and sorrow. Joy for the return of the young lords and their allies who had set out upon an impossible mission and somehow against all odd had succeeded, and sorrow for those that were lost along the way.

Eliwood, of course, had once again fallen into 'duty before all' mode, and made sure that all of his guests were properly seen to before he even went to greet his mother. Perhaps because he knew that once he did, he wouldn't feel up to dealing with anything else all day. The young lord had much to speak with his mother about. About the past, about the war, and, Eliwood smiled wearily as he finished his thought, about the future. The citizens of Pherae, and other Lycian lords would all insist that he be married soon, and thanks to Grant, he had an idea of how to make sure it was to a woman that he could be happy with. Thinking about the plan, he wondered just what Grant was planning in Bern, not even resting to enjoy his current victory, "How much do we all owe that man?"

Beside him, Hector blinked, "You say something Eliwood?"

"Just idly thinking out loud." Clapping his large friend on the shoulder, the redhead gave another tired smile, "Now, now that I'm back here, I can finally believe that it's over."

Hector scowled, "It may not be. Remember that morph Eagle's news?"

Eliwood blanched, and was about to respond when there was a knock on the door of the study. Deciding to postpone that unpleasant topic, he cleared his throat and answered the door, "Enter."

The door opened, an in stepped someone that Eliwood was very grateful to see, his mother. The Lady Elenora looked much older than the last time Eliwood had seen her. Her face was rather pale, and lined with grief and worry, and her long red hair was streaked with gray. She was thin, as if she hadn't been eating, and it pained the young lord greatly to see his dear mother in such a way. Moving forward, Eliwood gently took his mother's hands, before abandoning all sense of propriety and hugging her tightly, his face buried in her shoulder.

Hector cleared his throat, and made his way towards the door, "I'll leave you to catch up on things. Eliwood, you know where to find me if you need me. And for Elimine's sake, let Marcus and Isadora handle things until I've left. You need the time to rest still."

Pulling himself away from his mother, Eliwood chuckled softly and wiped a tear away from his face, "You would give me orders in my own house Hector?"

"Damn straight I would, and you'll obey them too, if you know what's good for you." Stepping past his friend, Hector stepped out the door with a polite nod to the Lady, and made his exit.

No sooner had he left the room then Hector's mind was going full tilt, doing his best to make plans and to think of situations before they arose. Already he was missing Grant, never realizing just how much he had come to depend on the Etrurian until he was gone. Still, Eagle had made quite clear that this wasn't over yet. Someone needed to stay on top of things, and Hector was determined that it wouldn't fall on his friend's shoulders. Eliwood's done enough. I'll handle Nergal this time. As soon as we get back to Ostia, I'll send Matthew out to gather information. I feel bad about not giving him a break, but I don't see much other choice. Hells, I can't even give him a break here. A small smile managed to escape from the otherwise hard visage of the young lord as he thought of what else he needed Matthew for, Oh well, I doubt he'll mind being bothered for this.

Hector's long stride quickly carried him to the one place he thought most likely to find his retainer. With polite nods to the guards, he took the stairs to the battlements three at a time, and had his efforts rewarded by the sight of a lone figure standing atop the wall, his ragged brown cloak whipping about the wind as he stared out towards the plains.

Before Hector could even open his mouth, Matthew had turned and hopped down from his perch, "What can I do for you, m'lord? Run a message to Ostia? Go keep an eye on the situation in Bern? Not much for the knights to do now that the war's over, but this is where my work really starts," with an impish smile, that seemed almost out of place on his weary and thin face, Matthew made a flourishing bow, "No rest for the wicked, right m'lord?"

Hector blinked, stricken speechless for a moment by Matthew's forthright attitude. "Uh, right. That's you and me both. But I don't need anything more than some legal advice until we reach Ostia. You can relax at least that long."

Matthew frowned, "Legal advice? Wouldn't you be better off asking Lord Oswin for that, m'lord?"

Hector snorted, "I don't need to know how to follow the law, I need to know how to make it bleed. And for once, an axe doesn't seem up to that task."

Even in his dark humor, Matthew had to chuckle, "Then a very sturdy law it must be, m'lord. So what seems to be the problem?" This was exactly the kind of thing he needed. A distraction, something to take his mind off of things.

"Eliwood has all the details. It's some plan of Grant's that we don't quite know how to work. Let's give Eliwood some time to catch up with Lady Elenora, and we'll talk about it after dinner in the library. In the meantime, go brush up on laws concerning marriage, especially noble marriages."

Matthew just quirked a smile, "This has got to be good. I'll be in the library then, m'lord."

"Well, how about it then, Matthew? What have you got for us?"

The spy grinned as his lord entered the library, accompanied by Lord Eliwood and Lady Elenora, "Quite a bit, m'lord. I've found all kinds of loopholes, the only trouble is which ones to use. If you'd be so kind as to lay out Grant's plan, I can put the pieces together and make this whole thing work."

With a slight smile, Eliwood sat down, "Thank you Matthew. You've been invaluable to us during the war, and even now you're still doing more than your share. I'd like to apologize for ever doubting you and the necessity of your position."

Absently, Matthew waved off the lord's praise, "Don't worry about it. Now, the plan?"

Chuckling, Eliwood pulled out a bit of paper that he had the foresight to write Grant's instructions down on, "It seems overly simple, but I'm not sure how to go about it. Well, this first part is easy, I just have to knight her. After that though…"

Hector took this opportunity to sit down and put his own two cents in, "After that he's supposed to make her a noble. Something called 'peerage'. I don't remember my brother every doing something like that, or any lord, for that matter. So we don't know how it works."

Nodding, Matthew flipped open one of the many books on law that he had been perusing, "Right here. What peerage basically is, is a lord granting noble status to a commoner. Once Lady Fiora is a noblewoman, you can wed without any trouble at all. Unfortunately, here in Lycia, that requires the approval of at least four other lords on the Lords Council. Obviously Ostia and Caelin won't be a problem. That leaves two more. I suggest Tuscana and Laus."

"Laus!" Hector was on his feet in an instant, slamming his fist on the table, "What makes you think that we'd ask that treacherous son of a bastard snake for help!"

Before Hector could continue on his rant, Lady Elenora put a hand on his arm, "I think I understand what Matthew means. Young Eric will doubtlessly try to play the victim, claiming that he was bullied by his father into this mad scheme."

"That's such a load of..."

"We know, Hector. And so will the other lords. But they won't be willing to disinherit Eric over it. That would set a dangerous precedent."

Matthew nodded, "And say if Master Eliwood here were to put on a show of believing his 'old friend' Eric, in exchange for say, a simple vote of approval so that he can reward a war hero…" Grinning at Eliwood, he winked, "Eric's going to get off the hook no matter what we do, so we might as well turn it to our advantage."

As Eliwood chuckled at the whole thing, Hector sighed, sat back down, and buried his head in his hands, "Blood and thunder, I hate politics."

"You really are starting to sound like old man Fargus."

"Shut it, Eliwood."

The next morning found the castle back in low spirits, despite the return of the questing heroes. This was the day that the preparations for the funeral of Lord Elbert really got underway, and there wasn't a soul who could manage to be really cheerful about anything.

Matthew was in a slightly better mood than the day before. The distraction was what he needed. Only, it was done with, and now he had no protection from the paths his wandering mind would take. Not to mention that he had spent the entire morning avoiding Serra. It was defiantly time to go, which is why he was already loitering around the front gate, waiting for the lords to come back from their morning ride. He wasn't waiting long, as the cold weather had Hector deciding that it was time to get Eliwood back in the warmth of the castle long before Eliwood himself would admit that he was catching a chill.

A bit confused to see his spy waiting outside, Hector stopped his horse for a moment, waving Eliwood on inside, "Something the matter, Matthew?"

Matthew shook his head, "Nothing urgent, m'lord. But when you have a moment, I'd like to make a request."

Hector blinked and slid down off of his horse, "You're being polite. There is something wrong then. Out with it, I've got a moment now."

"If you say so. Well, I'd like to be given an assignment, then. Someone needs to keep an eye on Bern, and that kind of a job is right up my alley."

Frowning, Hector considered the request, "You want to go off on some mission before even making it home? And Grant's in Bern, anyway. He'll send word to us if anything looks like it's getting out of hand."

Matthew snorted, "I doubt it. He'll say that we've been relying on him too long and need to do it ourselves, whether he's there or not. And I'd rather be working then resting, anyway. This…" the spy paused, and looked his lord in the eye, for just a moment allowing Hector to see what lay behind his eyes right now, "this is how I deal. With everything."

"Hmm, you're probably right," nodding his agreement, Hector knew what Matthew meant. He had gotten to know his spy far better during the course of this war then he had in the years before, and knew that Matthew needed to deal with things in his own way. "I understand. Get going then, head into Bern and keep an eye on the situation there. Don't reveal yourself to anyone there, not even Grant and his forces. Just observe as much as possible, and try to stay out of things. But if you feel like you need to act for Ostia's best interests, then do it. I'll trust your judgment here, so don't go making a mess of things."

"Understood m'lord, no messes. That's your job, after all."

Hector just snorted and handed Matthew the reins of his horse, "Here, take this one. I'll make sure Eliwood is okay with it. Get whatever you need from Merlinus and then get to work. I'll expect regular reports coming into Ostia."

Nodding his thanks, Matthew took the reins of the horse and went to go get all the supplies he would need to make it into Bern. Now that he had the mission, his mind was already running with ideas of the best ways to gather information in Bern without garnering suspicion, what disguises he would need, what lies he would need to spin.

Only a couple of hours later, a lone horse and rider set out from Pherae, while a two men and a woman watched it go from the battlements of the castle.

"Lord Hector? Are you sure Matthew is alright? He was so different the other day."

"He'll be fine Serra. I hope he finds whatever he's looking for out there."

Serra blinked, "But you said he was going to Bern to spy? Don't you know what he's looking for?"

Beside Serra, Oswin just shook his head, "I'm not surprised you don't understand."

"What don't I understand? Come on, tell meeeeee!"

Sharing a long suffering look, Oswin and Hector turned to head back into the castle while Serra verbally assaulted them from behind…