Chapter 6
A Tree on a Slope
Paul stirred awake, and heard the cracking of wood.
He stiffened. The door had been opened, as silently as possibly. Louise could not have any reason to go away in the middle of the night, but much less to take so much care with the door. She could care less if she awaked him. So that means that whoever that person was, it did not intend anything good. Had Fouquet escaped to take vengeance? They had barely beaten her the first time, with four against one, and just because he had managed to trick her and knock her out before she could do anything. This time could be different.
He heard the door closing, and soft footsteps. Paul closed his eyes, and rolled around on the pile, touching Derflinger´s sheath with one hand, idly, as in his sleep. Then he drew Derflinger and spurt into action. He charged at the hooded figure in the darkness, and it let out a high pinched yell and took step back. Before it could move away, or do anything else he grabbed it and pushed it against the wall, the edge of the sword against its throat.
"Don´t move." He breathed, harshly, thought is hand trembled. He was reminded of Guiche, of the moment he had his life on his hand and chose to end him- the sound of skin tearing, the smell of fresh blood. It all sickened him. "Don´t you dare move."
"No, wait, I am…" Paul froze. That did not sound like Longueville.
"Familiar?! What´s wrong?" He heard Louise stir on the bed, two loud claps later and the light came on. He saw the face of Princess Henrietta through the shadows of the hood. Derflinger fell for his hand and clattered upon hitting the ground.
"Henrietta?!" Paul took a step back, and put his hands over his head.
"I am sorry, I didn´t mean to, I did not know it was you."
"Is… Okay." Henrietta said, and she brought a hand to her throat, wincing. "I should have… called or something. Don´t worry."
"Familiar, what did you do?!" Louise screamed, got out the bed and knelled, still in her nightgown. "Your highness, are you all right? He did not hurt you, did he? I-I swear he will be punished. Y-you there, knell too."
"Don´t worry, Louise. Your familiar just wanted to protect you. It was my fault anyway. I should have knocked, but I just opened the door without asking. And please, stop acting so formally. We are friends right?"
"But still…Wait, how did you open the door, your highness? Is locked. No even magic should be able to open it."
"Uh. Headmaster Osmond gave me the keys."
"O-oh, okay." She stood up, pulling down the hem of her nightgown. "Why? I mean, of course you can visit anytime you want, but why ask the headmaster for the keys where you could just knock?"
"Is not that simple, Louise. I had something to tell you, in private and well… I wanted to make sure of it as best as I could."
"What, Princess? If I can help you, I will. You know that."
"I… I am getting married to the Emperor of Germania."
"C-congratulations?"
"I can´t be helped." Henrietta smiled, weakly. "It can't be helped. It must be done to solidify our alliance."
"So that's why..."
"It is alright, Louise. I have always known I could not marry the one I love." She signed. "Those two-faced Albion nobles do not want Tristain and Germania to become allies. They have been searching frantically for anything that would interfere with the marriage, and they have found it. Is… A letter I have written some time ago. If those Albion nobles get their hands on it, they would send it forward to the Germanian Imperial Family as soon as they could. And when the Emperor reads the letter, it all will be over. Tristain will have to face Albion alone."
"Where is it?"
"It's in Albion, with Prince Wales. But he… he has no chance. Sooner or later, he and the letter will fall to the rebels."
"Then, what can we do?"
"Take the letter out of Albion. That´s the only chance Tristain has."
"You…" Louise held her breath. "You are saying…"
"I know it's terrible, asking you to go to Albion while the nobles and the royalists are at war, but I can trust you. I know that, I really do and that means everything to me. So, please help me, Louise." Terrible? That was putting it mildly. She was sending a schoolgirl into a war zone, her supposed friend at that. And he too, of course. This was far beyond terrible. Sick, just plain sick.
"You don´t need to ask. You are my princess and most of all my friend; I can´t never turn you away. I-I do my best, Princess. Just leave this matter to us."
"Thank you, Louise." Henrietta said, with misty eyes. She lift both of her hands to her face, and gently wiped out her tears, laughing softly. "Thank you."
"Do we leave tomorrow morning, or now?"
"Tomorrow." There was a pause. "We have heard that Wales has set up cam somewhere around Newcastle." Henrietta put on hand on her pocked, and took it out what looked like a letter. She presented it too Louise and she took it with reverence. Really, it was almost cute. If that did not mean he was irreversible going to be thrown into a warzone. "Give this too Wales, please."
"Understood." Louise said, standing straight.
"Ah, also…" Henrietta looked down, and took out a ring for her right hand. It was tiny, red and looked like it was worth a fortune. Then, she gave it to Louise, too. "This is a Water Ruby that my mother gave me. If you have any money problems, you can sell this."
"H-henri..." Louise looked down, and bit her lip. "Understood."
Paul did not go back to sleep. He closed its eyes and trashed around the hay pile, trying to forget the threat that loomed over him, but it was no use. He had be seen to the middle of a warzone, with only Derflinger and magical runes, by the whims of a teenager princess. He was as good as dead. What where the chances, really? Maybe the princess could grow some sense and sent one or two people with them, at least, but they were still pretty fucked. Dangerous didn´t even begin to cover it.
So he thought about leaving.
It was not the first time he thought about it, thought before it had be a stupid move. If he did, he could be lost in a world he didn´t understand, blind and not knowing how to survive, with the only chance he had to get back home lost. Now, it was still the same. But he now had Derflinger, and an ancient sentient sword had to have some knowledge of the world, right? And even if he didn´t, it was not like staying to go and fight in Albion was a better idea. You're your poison. That was what it amounted too. That was what it amounted too since he was summoned, really. He was just realizing it now.
So, what? Being a fugitive for the rest of his life, Derflinger on his back, without a chance to see his mother and his father again and his house and everything? Or go with Louise to a very dangerous mission, and have a chance-at least the hope-of going back to his world? Life or home. Life or home.
Damn it.
When he saw sunlight streaming through the window, he sat up, grabbed Derflinger, put him back on his back and waked Louise. He helped her dress out, and followed her out the tower and into the courtyard. He had expected to be leaded into the stables, but they got out of the academy instead, and in front of the entrance gates there were two horses, tied to the wall, prepared for travel.
"Uh, master?"
"What?"
"I don´t know how to ride a horse."
"S-seriously? How did you get around then? You just walked everywhere or what?"
"I never had any need to travel, master, so my family didn´t teach me." That lied had come so quickly, that it was like it was the truth. It was scary, sometimes, how distant his world really was.
"Uh." She grumbled, and crossed her arms. "Fine. We leave one horse here, and we ride together. But don´t get touchy, familiar. If you need to hold to something, grab the horse."
"Yes, master." Louise unhooked one horse for the wall, put one foots on the stirrup and sat on the saddle. It looked about as natural as all of those Western protagonist, who seemed like they could ride with their eyes close or their hands tied behind their backs.
"Come on, familiar." Paul clumsily put one foot on the stirrup, grabbing the saddle with his other hand. Then he carefully sat on the saddle, grabbing its sides with his hands, nearly rubbing against Louise´s back. It was uncomfortable as hell. Louise grabbed the reins of the horse, and made it walk forward.
Then, something fell for the sky, just a blur and landed on the ground. It was an avian creature, with long, extended wings, a beak and a long, soft looking tail nearly hidden for view. Paul recognized the thing instantly as one of those creatures that had accompanied the Princess carriage. On the top of it, there was a rough looking man, with a blue hat, long gray hair and a mustache. He jumped down to the ground, landed lightly on his feet and stepped forward towards them, hands extended at his sides.
"Ah, it has been such a long time, Louise." The way he said her name made him feel sick. It fell so… possessive.
"Yes, Viscount. It has really been a long time."
"Come on, don´t be like that. I know we are here under orders at all that, but I am so happy anyways. I have always wanted to visit you, but my work couldn´t allow it and now… I finally can." The man smiled. "It wonderful, right?"
Louise fidgeted on the saddle.
"Viscount…Please, don´t be like this. Not in front of my own familiar…"
"Oh, yes. Sorry." The Viscount looked at him, and tipped of his hat. "I am Jean-Jacques Francis, Viscount of Wardes and Capitan of the Griffin Knights. What´s your name, familiar?"
"Paul Davis, sir."
"A swordsman, and polite too. How nice. That's rare these days, no matter where it comes from." Wardes nodded, and turned away to Louise. "Well, come with me, Louise. What are you waiting for?"
"I am sorry, Viscount, but…"
"Come on, at least call me Wardes, dear." Paul stiffened. Dear? This man had to be twenty five, at least. How could he call a schoolgirl dear? This is the kind of shit that made him wonder if he should have run on the first day.
"…I am sorry Wardes, but my familiar doesn´t know how to ride a horse, so I will be with him on the ground."
"So responsible, Louise. You really have not changed. That makes me glad." He smiled. "Very well. I watch you two for the skies, then."
Then he turned around, walked to that beast and jumped on the top of it. When he raised his hands, Paul saw he was clenching reins that were wrapped around the neck of that thing, like it was some kind of horse. Then, Wardes and the griffin took up to the skies.
They traveled at a good pace for hours, but without stopping to rest at any point. He already fell like shit half hour ago; now, he just wondered just how much it was going to take. He had nothing to distract himself but for looking around, and the landscape was monotonous. Nothing but trees, flowers, the occasional houses all huddled together and little else. Even looking out to that creature above and Wardes, with his cape blowing it the wind, got old fast. They had to stop twice to replace the horse, but since he did not do anything but stand around and wait for Louise, it's not like it changed anything.
"Familiar." Uh, that was new. She had not spoken a single word during the whole ride. Neither did Derflinger.
"Yes, master?"
"Are you wondering why…why does he call me like that? What exactly is our story?"
"Ah, yes. Why?"
"…Wardes is my fiancé. At least, he is supposed to be my fiancé. Our parents decided it when I was little, less that ten year old. And meeting him now… I mean, Henrietta didn´t even tell me she was going to send somebody with us, much less him. Is so weird, like I… missed something. This is the first time I have seen him in ten years, just like that." She shook her head. "Is strange, familiar. I should be happy, but I just fell… like I greeted one my classmates or something like that. Ah, I am not even making sense, right?"
"No, I think I get it, master. You felt disorienting by all of this."
"Disoriented?" She mumbled. "I suppose that is part of it, but… I just don´t feel anything for him, familiar. I mean, I don´t dislike him, but I-I don´t love him either. Yet he is my fiancé. Or at least, he is supposed to be."
"Why don´t just cut off the agreement off, master?"
"Is not that simple, fami…" Something went buzzing past, and Louise fell down, screamed and rolled on the ground. Paul lost his balance, and fell on his back and the horse sprinted away, whinnying. He reached for Derflinger´s handle, and drew the blade. The runes blazed, and suddenly it was like he had not be all day on horseback. He stood up and ran, as arrows fell in a neat line where he had been. He saw Louise, hunched over, an arrow on her shoulder, blood pouring for her wound. Paul ran towards her, dodging the arrows, picked her with one arm and hid behind the tress. He carefully set against the tree, while she grunted and moaned with pain, her eyes glazed over.
"Hold on, master." As more arrows went flying together, he heard the sound of flapping wings. Wardes was coming. Thank god. Paul looked out, for a moment, while they archers should be recharging their bows. He saw them, lined up in the cliff above, between the trees. He ducked back. Gandálfr runes or not, he could not do anything here, so he knelled at Louise´s side. She was panting, misty eyed, with one hand against the arrow stuck in her shoulder. The blood flowed for her wound, down her arm and to the ground, staining her shirt on the way. He had to do something. "All right, all right, everything is going to be fine."
He reached a hand to pull the arrow out, but hesitated. That could be bad. He could not remember exactly why, but he was sure he had read something about it.
"Derflinger, what should I do?"
"Break it."
"What?"
"Just break it. Trust me." Paul grabbed the arrow sticking out for Louise´s flesh, and snapped it half. Louise screamed at the top of her lungs, started crying and the wound bleed faster. "Hurry, bandage it, partner."
Paul tore off a piece of his shirt with Derflinger´s edge, slid her shirt down to reveal her shoulder and wrapped it around it. He watched it redden with Louise´s blood, slowly. Then, he held down his bile and slid the shirt upwards.
"She is going to be fine, right?"
"She is not going to bleed out, if that´s what you are asking, but the wound may be infected. Hell, it surely is infected. She needs a water mage. If not…" Paul was pushed, and he stumbled to the side.
"Louise!" Wardes said, choking as he knelled at her side. She gave no response; she just panted and grunted in pain, not even hearing him. "Louise!"
He looked down, and Paul realized he was looking at her shoulder. No, more like at the torn piece of clothing he had used as a makeshift bandage. He heard Wardes take a deep breath, and then he picked Louise up on his arms.
"We need to hurry." He mumbled, more to himself that to him. Then, he turned around and walked away, head held down. Paul followed Wardes to his creature, and he watched him set Louise down on the beat´s back with care. He turned his head to him, slowly. "Hop on."
Wardes jumped on the creature´s back, and took hold of the reins. Paul clumsily sat on the far edge, behind Louise.
"Grab her."
"What?"
"Grab her so that she doesn´t fall. But be careful. A wound, like that…" He signed. "Just be careful, all right?"
"Understood." Paul said, grabbed her and pressed her against him, while she writhed around in pain, moaning weakly. Then, they took off to the skies.
He had pressed his legs tingly against the sides of the creature as he felt the rush of wind, the blowing of his clothes, but he still fell dizzy, like he could fall in any second. That his hands were on Louise, instead of the creature, didn´t help matters in any way. His hair blew against his eyes, and even breathing was painful. He thought he could pass out in any moment, or puke or something, but somehow nothing happened. It was an unbearable ride, but nothing happened.
Wardes sent down the creature at an inn, and then he could breathe again. Paul took a long deep breath and mounted down, with Louise on his arms. Wardes left the creature standing around, untied, for some reason and went inside the inn. Paul followed him. Wardes bought a room for the three, and explained Louise state when the owner took notice of her. Paul had to carefully carry Louise upstairs, and set her down on the bed. He touched her forehead with one hand, putting a few strands of her hair aside. She was burning up.
"I am going to call a friend of mine, a water mage. Stay here with her, and help her if she needs it." Wardes said.
"Why a friend?" Wardes looked at him, and then shook his head ruefully.
"A local water mage could ask too many questions, familiar."
"No, I know. Don't treat me for a fool… but, how long he is going to take to get here? What if something happens to her in the mean time? Our first priority should be her safety, not what doubts a random water mage could have, what could he talk about and to whom."
"I know. I know, but I can´t do anything. I am the Capitan of the Griffin Knights, one of the princess personal knights. My duty is to her Highness, even while my heart rests with Louise. We just have to hope for the best."
"…Fine." Wardes went out of the room, and Paul was left waiting on Louise´s bedside. He watched her as the shadows of the room grew, while she turned on the bed, beads of sweat running down her face, making small, pitiful sounds of pain. When the only light was the one of the lamp, the door opened. Wardes strode into the room, accompanied by man with blue hair, a wand on his hand. He went to Louise´s bedside, next to Paul but he still seemed like he had not even seen him. The man waved his wand around, muttering, stopped and then started going in circles, a hand on his chin.
"What´s going?" Wardes asked.
"Nothing. I am just working. You know me, Wardes. Calm down."
"…I am sorry." Wardes signed. "Is just hard."
"I understand." The man stopped in a minute or two, waved his wand around and Louise wound started closing right in front of Paul´s eyes. Louise cried out in pain, and Wardes almost rushed towards her, but the other man put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. "Wardes, don´t be stupid. The pain will fade eventually, and she is no longer in any risk. So, calm down."
Wardes backed off, looking ashamed and oddly vulnerable.
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry. Thank you, Richard."
"Don´t mention it, just sent me my standard fee as early as you can."
"Eh, of course." Richard and Wardes exchanged goodbyes, and Richard left the room, leaving the three alone in silence. Wardes left out a deep breath, then: "Come out. We have to talk."
Paul did not want to do it. He did not like how Wardes sounded, at all-heavy, like the words were a weight on itself-but is was not like he had any choice. It was not different for following Louise around, the headmaster or even the princess. He just had to deal with it, and move on. Paul sat up, and followed Wardes out of the room. He closed the door behind them, and pushed Paul against the wall.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He screamed, more shrilly that he could have liked to admit but shrilly all the same. Even with Derflinger on his back, he could only wondered just how far things could go and just how powerful Wardes was in comparison to Fouquet. Did he stand a chance?
"What´s wrong, you say? What is wrong is that Louise is in pain, and is your fucking fault! You are her familiar, you are supposed to protect her, but you did not do a thing." Wardes snarled, and went Paul moved forward he pushed him against the wall again, like he was handling a new born. It was frustrating, and humiliating. All of it was. It was just a more violent version how of Louise threated him, he recognized that, but it still made his blood boil. He had no right to push him around, he had not right to expect him to shut up and just take the blame for the near death of a person. "Not a single thing. How could you let that happen? I trusted you. I put my fiancés life in your hands, and you show me nothing but how incompetent you really are. You should have pushed her out the way, you should have done anything but let her be hurt. You…"
"What about you, Wardes?" Paul screamed, took a step forward and pushed Wardes back. All that ferocity went out of him. "What about you? You said you could watch us for the skies, and look at what a fucking good job you did! I nearly died, and if was not there Louise could have be killed by the archers before you got a fucking clue! What about that, eh?"
"You…" Wardes trembled, teeth chattering. "You piece of shit!"
And then he slapped him. Paul was pushed back, and his head slammed against the wall of the inn. He heard something break, like a stick and fell his mouth fill with a coppery taste right before he fell to the floor, on his ass. Paul coughed, his jaw burning and spit out blood. His blood. That bastard had made him spit blood! Wardes took a step forward, and Paul hastily drew Derflinger for his sheath, pointing the blade at Wardes neck. The runes blazed, and Wardes stopped.
"Sorry. I just got… I got carried away." He looked down, towards his trembling hand, towards the runes. "Why are the runes…? Ah, never mind. Grab my hand."
Then, Wardes presented him is open hand. Paul stared at him, incredulously. He has screamed at it, accused him, insulted him, knocked him out with a punch, made him taste and spit blood and now he was supposed to take his hand, just like that? Paul slapped the hand away, and it resounded in the room like a gunshot. Wardes looked at him, shocked.
"Thanks but I can get out by myself." He said no really believing he had dared to do it, do to any of what he did. Being stupid could cause his death, he knew that since the beginning and he still fucked up. At least, it was not serious. If he had dared to do this too Louise… nothing good could have happened. But Wardes had to deal with it. Paul sat up slowly, grimacing in pain and holding himself with one hand against the wall. He wiped the blood out of his lips with the back on his hand, and sheathed Derflinger. "I find the bathroom myself, don't worry."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, of course."
"Okay, then." Paul passed Wardes, at hand cupping his jaw, his eyes watering and stumbled to the bathroom, trying to hold its pain down. He found the bathroom, cleaned itself out and spit out blood until he didn´t it no more. His jaw still hurt, but he touched it, moved it and it did not seem like that bastard had broken anything. He was all right. His body still shook, but Wardes was far away for him, and Derflinger was still on his back. Really, there was nothing to fear.
"I am all right." He said to his reflection on the mirror, and he sure was. Nothing more.
By the morning, Louise ´s wound had closed and she was back on her feet. Wardes insisted that she rest, however and that they could depart later in the day. Louise groggily accepted, and soon after Wardes left the inn. He said that he could be looking for the soonest ship to Albion. Paul was left alone with Louise, until there was a knock at the door. He opened, and a waitress strode into the room, pushing a cart with three plates. The waitress put two plates on the nightstand, and gave another to him. They ate in silence, then:
"Familiar?" Paul set the plate down, and looked at her.
"What it is, master?"
"Do you know how it feels to nearly die?" Paul stiffened. "You must. I know that. I saw it. I saw you stumbling to Guiche, with a gaping, bleeding hole on your chest. I saw your blood. And I saw you killing him. You have felt that… so, tell me one thing. I am alive; I am fine, so why does it still hurt?"
Paul just stared at her, not finding the right words to say, not even knowing if there were right words at all. He just saw Guiche´s face, is bulged eyes, the blood spilling for his mouth and how he writhed around in pain. He saw his eyes glazing over, his movements growing weaker until he closed his eyes and he was not more.
"It hurts." Louise said, slowly and deliberate, her hands trembling. "It hurts so much. I couldn´t hear it, couldn´t see it coming, couldn´t do anything but get hit and be a weight. I barely remember what happened after that, you know? I just remember you kneeling at my side, saying something I could not even hear, and a spike of pain, of course. That was the only thing that fell real. Wardes was there, concerned and then you took me in your arms. We flew, we came here, and that´s all. The rest is just the pain and the heat, growing and growing…" She choked up. "I couldn´t handle it, can´t handle it even now, so of can you keep on living like nothing happened? How can you live like somebody did not nearly kill you?"
"I… I don´t have any choice."
"I don´t, either. That´s what worries me. I have to go on, no matter what I fell, because I made a promise to the princess. I should have known better, but I did it anyway. And now I can´t take it back. Not just because of duty, or because she is my friend but because… everything else. I have no choice at all. I… We will all go to Albion, a warzone. That´s… That´s big. Horrible. I can´t even face a few bandits with bows, and I supposed to survive this?" Her voice broke, and started crying, quietly shaking. "I just want to go back."
She hid her face between her hands, and curled into a ball.
"Stupid familiar." She said, between sobs. "Y-you are supposed to comfort me."
Paul went close to Louise, and hesitantly slid his arm across her shoulder. She leaned into him willingly, buried her face in his chest and hugged him, shaking even harder. He held her like that for a long while, until she calmed down and then both pretend it had not happened, but it was still there all the same. A connection.
Wardes returned an hour or two after, informing that they would depart in the afternoon. They did so. Paul had expected to be leaded down into a harbor, but they keep walking uphill and it turned up it was a giant tree. He looked down, thinking how long he could scream until he hit the ground-just how long-and looked away. He had never been any good with heights. They were guided by Wardes through the stairs and ended in front of him a ship, just docked there in the air, with lots of ropes tying it to the arbor. They stepped on board, while somebody screamed orders for above as the sailors moved around. Soon enough, the ship took up to the skies, towards Albion.