Author's Notes: Ah, the lackadaisical... Wait, never mind. There is nothing lackadaisical about life now. Still, there is the writing spree. This chapter was written the day after Chapter 9 was posted. If you haven't noticed yet, I'm trying my hardest to do an update a month, to give you something new on a semi-regular basis. So I don't know, things in my life might actually be relaxed by the time this is posted. Such is the way of the world, after all. We cannot know the future. Well, those of us who are not the heir to some weird future seeing guy from practically prehistory.
Hyne's War: Chapter 11
"Nida!"
They hadn't even been in Winhill for two minutes before the shout came, as it always did. Sometimes Nida arranged his trips to the village, as he had the most recent one, to avoid this very thing. Yet this visit he meant to be seen, meant to have a chance to find out a few things, and so he had strode into the village and waited for the shout.
"And you're telling me that outsiders aren't going to know we're here after that?" Seifer said, and Nida just had to chuckle.
"I must warn you, Ariel is a bit excitable," Nida said, but that was all the warning he could manage before the young woman that went with the shouting voice appeared. Nida had just enough time to brace himself before a pair of arms were thrown around his neck, and Nida was pulled into an almost bone-breaking embrace.
"Nida! You're here! And you didn't tell anyone you were coming. That's just mean! How are we supposed to celebrate your return if you never tell us you're coming?" the young woman asked, a playful pout on her face, though it did not touch the obvious smile in her bright green eyes.
"Ariel," Nida gasped, as best he could, "air..."
"Oops!"
Immediately Ariel released Nida, and he took the chance to draw in a full breath. One of these days, Nida always told himself, he was going to get the better of the hugs Ariel loved to give, but apparently today was not that day.
"You've gotten bigger. And more beautiful. Your mother must have to beat the boys away with a stick," Nida said at last as he looked at her. The words were true, maybe more so than Nida hinted. Her brown hair had grown longer and now framed her face beautifully, and at last Ariel had seemed to have grown into her body, no longer seeming as awkward on her long legs as she had before the war.
"That's Jema's job now," Ariel said, her grin only growing.
"So the fool finally got the courage to try to woo you?" Nida asked.
"Only after Tiran told me that Jema liked me."
For a while Nida joined Ariel in her laughter, only to be cut off by the sound of Seifer clearing his throat. Ariel's laughter stopped abruptly, and she turned her attention towards Seifer, frowning slightly. It was almost amusing to watch her try to size Seifer up, and even funnier to watch the way that Seifer almost squirmed under the intensity of Ariel's curious gaze.
"Seifer, this is Ariel, an old and dear friend of mine."
Ariel contemplated this for a minute, and then held out her hand to Seifer, which the blond promptly took and placed a kiss on the back of. That, of course, started a new fit of giggles in Ariel.
"It is a pleasure," Seifer said, the most charming of his smiles coming into play. Just seeing Seifer turn that look on Ariel almost made Nida want to smack him.
"Your friend's quite the charmer, Nida," Ariel said, finally withdrawing her hand. "Better not let Jema see that. He might try to 'defend my honor' or some such nonsense. And from the look of it, he wouldn't have a chance against your friend. Another SeeD, I presume."
"Of course. And don't worry, Seifer wouldn't do something to cause you problems."
"I'm surprised, though," Ariel confessed. "Last time you visited, it was with that charming red-head. What was his name? Emile?"
"Elijah," Nida corrected, "and I'd rather not talk about it."
"Ah... I'm sorry."
"Not as much as me. But it's in the past."
"Right. Well, what brings you to Winhill, then? Just another visit?"
"Actually, I'm kinda trying to avoid someone."
"Oh? That sounds interesting. Tell me all about it."
"Fat chance, you gossiper." The words made Ariel pout, just as Nida had known they were. Good, if she thought she shouldn't talk about it and still pried it from Nida, she was certain to spread it far and fast to the other villagers, though in a watered down version. "Well... You see, I just got out of a relationship with this girl. She's been, shall we say, a little too persistent since I broke it off..."
"You've got someone stalking you? Interesting. Well, worry not, I'll make sure no one tells any outsiders they might see that you're here. Okay?"
"You're the best Ariel."
"You say that now, but you might not mean it in a few minutes."
"Oh?" Nida couldn't help but ask, though he thought he knew why.
"Yeah. It's almost lunch time. And you know I have to haul you home with me or mother will get quite mad. So you've got to come to lunch at home."
"Why's that such a bad thing?" Seifer asked. "We haven't eaten in a while..."
"Yeah, well you won't have to for quite a while afterward," Ariel chuckled.
"Ariel's mother believes that if you haven't had three square meals before one o'clock then you're underfed. Sometimes I think it's a wonder that her and Ariel are always so thin. Last time I visited Winhill for a weekend I almost picked up a whole twenty pounds."
"That's because you don't work out enough," Ariel said as she wrapped herself around one of Nida's arms. "Come on, you know she'll only be worse if she finds out later that you didn't eat with us."
Nida heard Seifer start to laugh as Nida found himself pulled in the general direction of Ariel's home. The only thing that made it bearable was the fact that Nida knew just what they were in for, and he was sure Seifer wasn't likely to enjoy it as much as he thought.
"I couldn't handle another bite," Seifer said, raising his hands protectively over his plate.
"Nonsense!" was the response from Gail, Ariel's mother, who was all but threatening Seifer with another plate of pasta. "You're nothing but skin and bones!"
"And muscle, and arrogance, and attitude," Nida chuckled, earning himself a dirty look.
"You're not helping," Seifer growled.
"He never does," Ariel helpfully offered.
"Gail," Nida said, knowing that the older woman insisted on going by her first name only, "to be honest, I could really go for a good cup of tea."
At the suggestion the woman beamed, and without another word she flowed off into the kitchen. The relief was only a temporary thing, as it took only a minute for Gail to return with her best teapot, sugar, cream, and four cups on a tray. Soon Nida found himself sipping some of Gail's homemade spiced blossom tea. It had been too long, in his opinion, since he had the pleasure of a cup, and he added only the slightest bit of cream to cool it. Nida closed his eyes as he savored the flavor, that of flower fields and rich spice, the taste of living in Winhill.
"This is good," Seifer said, pulling Nida from his blissful enjoyment of his own cup. "Where can I get some of this?"
"No where but this fine lady's kitchen," Nida said, setting his cup down for a minute. "I've been asking Gail since I first arrived at Garden to allow me a portion of her stock. She makes this herself, and it's the best tea I've ever had. Sadly she chooses to use it as a way to lure me home once in a while instead."
"If you had it with you at your Garden, you'd never come and visit," Gail said, smiling at the compliment to her tea.
"Except every time he ran out he'd have to visit," Ariel pointed out. "And knowing Nida, he'd happily have two cups a day."
"Absolutely. I'd have to beg Squall for some time off once every other month so I could fetch more."
"And how is Raine's son?" Gail asked, opening the conversation at last to the gossip Nida wanted. Gail never spread news without good tea, and Ariel was always more chatty when she had some of Gail's tea in her belly.
"Relatively fine, as ever. I can't get enough out of him to learn much of anything, though," Nida admitted after another sip.
"Stressed," Seifer offered. "Damn fool should take some time off, but you know he never would on his own."
"He should come here," Ariel suggested. "The villagers would love him, I know it."
"We were hardly overtly kind to him when he was here during the war," Gail pointed out. "The poor boy probably thinks we have no fondness for him."
"You didn't know who he was," Nida said, trying to comfort her. "Winhill is understandably cautious of outsiders, and something I am happy of. The fact that it took so long for Seifer here even to find out that there was a cottage he could stay in..."
"Oh dear," Ariel cut in, "someone suggested he stay at your cottage? That is hardly appropriate. We should have asked..."
Nida rose and hand and shook his head. "Don't worry. As I said earlier, Seifer's an old friend from Garden. I would have allowed him to stay if I knew he was in the area."
"Why didn't you?" Gail probed, and Nida just smiled in response.
"I'm a private kind of guy," Seifer said, half smiling.
"Ah, I see. Not unlike the other visitors to Winhill recently," Ariel said.
"Other visitors?" Nida asked, sipping his tea and feigning indifference. It was hard to do, though, and there was no way to be sure that the women didn't see right through him. They had known him so long, and the fact that he had come for this information must have made him more transparent than normal.
And yet, Ariel just sighed, sipped her own tea, and spoke. "There are two people staying at the mayor's house. A young man, just a bit older than me, and a woman about the same age. Guests of Andria apparently."
"Andria?" Nida asked. The idea of the mayor's wife knowing people from outside of Winhill was odd. And if they were visiting her and claiming to be guests, they were most definitely not Esthari officials sharing their concerns with the mayor.
"What makes them odd, though," Gail said, leaning in conspiratorially, "is that Andria says that the young man is her cousin..."
Nida glanced at Seifer and felt the urge to smile at the confused look on the man's face.
"Andria has told us all, many times over, that she has no family. So someone she's suddenly claiming as a cousin is quite odd indeed."
"What's more," came Ariel's voice, "his arrival coming so close after her recent trip... Let's hope the mayor isn't so blind as to not notice this."
"An affair?" Seifer suggested, though Nida was sure that Seifer's thoughts had turned the same was as his own.
"So what does this mystery cousin look like? I would like to know so if I see him in town..."
Nida trailed off there, more than willing to let Ariel and Gail fill in whatever ideas they wanted to there. Still, he was worried, both hoping for and against the description of a man with hair like blood...
"Blue eyes, short black hair, about your height, Nida. Galbadian I think. He says his name is Joshua, and he is about your height."
So not Elijah then... Not that Ariel wouldn't recognize him anyway.
"Interesting. So Andria's met herself a young Galbadian man?"
"Not just that," Gail said, smiling, "He's apparently a SeeD from Galbadia Garden."
Nida all but froze with his cup of tea halfway to his mouth. "Galbadia Garden you say?"
Ariel nodded, "And the girl with him, brown hair and eyes in case you're wondering, she said she knew SeeDs as well. Told me that she knew you."
"Did she happen to share her name?" Seifer said, not even bothering to hide his near excitement.
"Lena."
As calmly as possible, Nida set his tea cup aside, turned his gaze on Seifer, and shook his head. Then he turned his attention back towards Ariel and Gail.
"Ladies, you must forgive me, but I am a bit tired from the journey here. I was thinking that I would head back to the cottage and recover a bit."
"You will join us for dinner, will you not?" Ariel asked.
"We'll try," Nida said, though he wasn't sure he was going to be able to keep that promise. Right now he had thinking to do, and a possible date to keep at the beach at sunset.
"So long as you promise not to try and make my stomach explode again," Seifer agreed, smiling his most charming smile.
"I can't make any promises there," Gail said. "Tonight is pork chops, and I have enough extra for you."
"See you this evening," Nida said, finishing his tea and standing. After a moment Seifer joined him, pausing for just long enough to kiss the hands of both of the women before following Nida to the door.
"What was that look for?" Seifer asked once they had left the house. "It's not so strange for a SeeD to be stationed here, is it?"
"It wouldn't be if the last one hadn't just finished his rotation, and Squall hadn't withdrawn any other SeeDs, remember? What's more, Joshua is a high level Galbadian SeeD, still below me, but he's still strong and influential. There is a good chance he's Zebalgan."
"Just because he's with Lena?"
Nida shook his head, "I can easily assume that Joshua wasn't on any of the missing person reports, correct?"
"Yeah."
"Joshua has the authority to slip out for a while and have no one say anything about that. Combine that with a lack of permission from Squall for him to be here, Lena's presence, and Andria's apparently 'vacation' at what might have been just the right time to have been Megill's retirement party..."
"Shit," Seifer said.
"I can't help but agree. Come on, I want to get to the cottage before anyone else sees us in the streets. Gail and Ariel are going to be focused on cooking and trying to figure out just what it means for you to be with me after me ending not one, but two relationships. But if anyone else sees us, word might get back to Andria."
"Do you really think..."
Nida didn't have to hear the end of the question to know his answer. "I never expected someone in Winhill to be with them, but I cannot ignore Andria in this situation. I would rather she just happened to take a vacation on coincidence and hope that the Zebalgans are trying to put pressure on her. But something tells me that isn't true. Something in me right now thinks she might have been one of the people in the first video."
"Nothing like having one of your commanders in a town to make sure that SeeDs aren't getting involved," Seifer sighed.
"It's something I'd do if I could."
"Me too."
"Come on, I've got some stuff to pick up at the cottage before sundown."
"Why? What's happening at sundown?"
"We're heading to the beach."
One thing that Nida had picked up from being a SeeD was the idea of keeping stashes of weapons and healing items wherever he could. Daphne's cottage had been no different. Seifer hadn't lived there long enough to find any of the stashes Nida kept: not the extra bo under the bed; the pouch of potions hidden under a loose stone in the kitchen; not even the handful of spell stones Nida had kept buried in a basket of decorative wax fruit in the living room. All of these joined the supplies Nida and Seifer had managed to gather before leaving Garden. Well, most of the spell stones, plus the few Seifer had acquired from Selphie, went to Nida. Unlike Seifer, he was unjunctioned, unable to cast, and in need of the extra support. They spent what time remained after that sharpening the blades of their weapons and gearing up for what battle they might face.
They left before sundown, hiking for the place on the beach Nida had shown Elijah the last time they had come to Winhill together. The walk was quiet and long, Nida had preferred to be away from the village when he was with Elijah, not wanting to be judged because of his relationship.
Soon, too soon, they were coming up on the spot, and a chill started to fill Nida's heart. Everything around him was warm, from the sand under his feet, to the sun on his skin. And the closer he got, the more clear a silhouette on the beach became, resolving into the sight Nida had expected and feared. There on the sands stood a man, his red and black clothes looking warm against the red-yellow sea, yellow sand, and pink skies. It was like a dream, the dream, and far too close for it to be merely a coincidence.
"You were right," Nida heard Seifer's voice all but whisper from behind him, perfectly in time with what Nida had expected, but still he ignored it. "I guess this means..."
"Elijah," Nida sighed, the words coming almost unbidden to his lips as he took a step forward. His eyes were glued to Elijah, just as his hands were glued to his weapon.
"I knew you'd come for me," Elijah said, not yet turning. "No, that's not right. I knew you'd come to me. It took a lot to convince Boyce to allow me to join the attack here. His goal was to call you out, despite SeeD. He succeeded in that, but nothing he could do would win you, right?"
"I'm not here to talk."
"You're here to protect them? They aren't worth your time. You belong with us."
"Aren't worth my time? They are my friends. They were Daphne's family. They are my people. I won't let you harm a single one of them."
"And who will stop us?"
Nida raised the halberd before himself, gripping it tightly.
"I will."
"Not alone you won't," Elijah said, his voice almost sad. "You've never been able to beat me. Not really. Just give up, just come with me. Come to where you belong."
"Who said he's alone?"
When Seifer spoke Elijah whirled so quickly that Nida was sure he had to be somewhat dizzy. The swordsman's brilliant blue eyes widened as they came upon Seifer, then narrowed just as quickly.
"Almasy. Should have expected you to tag along."
"Elijah. Should have expected you to be a coward and run away after our last meeting."
"I prefer to call it a strategic withdrawal."
"Doesn't matter what you call it."
"Enough," Nida hissed. "Both of you. Elijah, stop this madness. Surrender now, tell us who else in Winhill are Zebalgan agents, and you won't suffer much."
"And if I don't?"
"Then Seifer deals with you while I call on the SeeD forces outside of the village and have them deal with Andria, Joshua, and Lena themselves. Cutting off the head as it were."
For a moment Elijah stared at Nida, and their eyes met. It almost hurt, looking into those eyes. They were almost cold, nothing like the warmth Nida was used to from them. All Nida could do was try to squash those feelings.
"You've never been a good liar," Elijah said, almost sounding regretful. "While I applaud your figuring some things out, I highly doubt you have the people to take on Joshua. While he might not be as high of a level as you, those of us who were in the militaries were ordered never to show how good we could be. Joshua is a lot better than any of your reports might imply."
Nida sighed and shook his head, but he knew Elijah was likely right. Which meant that there wasn't that great of a chance that he and Seifer could handle this on their own. So Nida did the only thing that was really left to him: he reached into his pocket.
Instantly Elijah slid into a defensive stance, and Seifer followed him a heartbeat later. Nida, though, ignored them both and drew out his Garden communicator. With a switch and a button the device came to life and Squall's voice instantly rang out.
"I'm going to..."
"Squall, we need that deployment of SeeDs right away in Winhill. High level, yourself included I think. Start at the mayor's manor. There you will find a Galbadian SeeD named Joshua, our wayward Lena, and the mayor's wife, whose name is Andria. The latter, at the very least, I believe is one of the robed people from the first video."
There was silence for a minute, from all parties, before Squall spoke again. "You're not alone." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
"Elijah. And before you ask, yes. Exactly. Now, if you don't mind, Seifer and I have some business to take care of."
"Good luck."
Nida smiled, "I'll do my best."
"I know."
Then the communicator went dead.
For a few more heartbeats there was silence.
"Shall we dance?" Elijah asked.
Nida smiled, lowered his halberd, and gripped it as tightly as he dared. "Just like old times."