Chapter Three: In Strange Company

"Upon my word, there's a knight in white armor, a devil, a demon, who's going to kill more people today than we could bury in two acres of ground. Don't go near him if you don't want to die. So help me God, no steel or iron can withstand his sword!"
– Lancelot from the Vulgate Cycle, trans. William W. Kibler

Jeremiah looked around the camp, shaking his head. Their defeat the day before had been humiliating and it had also threatened his place as captain. No one had appointed him captain after Suzaku had been killed, Jeremiah had just stepped into the position. He had not been questioned mostly because there had never been any challenge to his authority, not until the prisoner had escaped. Now he had to deal with the backlash from the double failure.

He eyed the men carefully. Out of the seven he had left, four of them were from the original pureblood foundation that Charles had brought with him. Out of the sixteen that had originally followed the prince, those four were the most desperate because their families weren't going to pull them out of the guard for a marriage. They would have to gain that prestige on their own, which would mean that Jeremiah had merely become an obstacle to their desires. But he was not going to be removed so easily.

The position of captain of the guard should have belonged to him after the old captain died peacefully in his sleep. But then Lelouch had used his magic to convince Lady Marianne that Suzaku should have the position, a foreigner over her own countryman. The very thought still made Jeremiah angry. He had thought that Lelouch had respected him for his skill, but the fact that magic had been used made the entire situation make sense, Lelouch hadn't been in his right mind. Magic made everything that Lelouch had done make sense.

And Marianne had been such a good lady of Avalon, Jeremiah had had high hopes for her children. Nunnally was fine, but she was nothing like her mother. Nothing like the woman who had invited him into her bed without hesitation and had fought without fear. For a few brilliant years, Jeremiah had thought that he would win a marriage out of Marianne, to become lord of Avalon and, most importantly, be happy. But then Lelouch had ruined it all. And the boy was ruining it for him again, except this time Jeremiah would get the pleasure of killing Lelouch himself. No impertinent bishop was going to stop him this time.

He stood up and brushed off his pants, aware of the wary stares of the rest of the guard. Jeremiah lifted his chin, ignoring their calculated looks. "We'll ride to the east. They'll have to leave the forest sometime."

Kewell rolled his eyes and sat back. "And if they don't? They can both use magic so they'll be thick as thieves in there."

"Then do you suggest that we follow them in, right into a trap?" Jeremiah used one had to gesture at the forest. "Go ahead and lead us into a trap. The rest of us will go around and set up an ambush for the fugitive."

That quieted Kewell down, Jeremiah glad that he had managed that much. Out of all of them, Kewell was the most dangerous. He had a family with more of the connections that the family could use to get him into a better place. Jeremiah would do better to just send Kewell back, to reassure Nunnally, but that would mean letting Kewell out of his sight. He would just have to put up with the man for a while longer.

He turned to point at one of the few guards that had been born around Avalon. "Ruskin, where would be best place for an ambush."

Ruskin frowned and stood up, shielding his eyes. He finally made a motion towards the east. "There's only one place where the Kinver River doesn't have high banks, that's the only ford. If we wait for them there, we will catch them."

"Good." Jeremiah made sure to glance at Kewell so the man understood that he would not be rewarded for his statements. "Five us of will go to that point. The other two will go into the forest and scare them out, keep them moving towards us. As soon as they cross the river, you will rejoin us. Kewell and Ruskin, you will go into the forest. Mount up!"

He turned to hide his smile at the look of dismay on Kewell's face. There was no glory to be gotten in the place where Kewell was going, so Jeremiah had saved himself from competition for a little while longer. But Kewell was sure to take Bishop Calares' side when they returned to Avalon, anything to cross Jeremiah. When they returned with the fugitive, Jeremiah would turn his focus on how to keep Kewell from usurping him.

Jeremiah untied his mare and led her away from the rest. He slung the saddlebags in place, hearing the jingle of metal as the other guards collected their gear. There were grunts from the others as they settled into their saddles, complaints as they were unused to riding hard all day. Jeremiah would have to change that. If something like this happened again, God forbid, then he wanted a team that would be able to chase down the criminal faster. He didn't want to have to blunder aground again. Avalon and the bloodline of Lady Marianne deserved better. He swung up onto his mare's back, looking over the whole group before gesturing.

Ruskin peeled off from the group, circling around to head into the forest. Kewell was slow to follow, Jeremiah watching him go. At least Kewell could still take orders. He turned his attention to the rest of the guard, Jeremiah urging his horse to take the lead, the rest of them following after. He kept one eye on the forest as they rode out; watching as the high banks of the Kinver River began to form, taking them away from the forest. The demon had chosen his hiding place well, but he wouldn't be able to hide forever. The bishops had had his shot and, although he had bought them a much needed peace, Calares had failed. Jeremiah would not suffer to have two magicians running free on his hands, not with the safety of Lady Nunnally at stake.

Rivalz fiddled with the end of the reins, not sure what to do with them. Technically, Lelouch was leading Gawain, so he didn't even need the reins, but it made him feel better. Gawain was a sweet horse, but he was also big, whether Rivalz was on the ground or on the horse's back. But it was probably good that Lelouch was leading his horse, because Rivalz didn't even know how to ride and he was still half asleep.

He had been woken up early in the morning, Lelouch pushing him to leave as quickly as they could. Rivalz had made an effort not to look at the two bodies on the ground, just focusing on getting Gawain ready to go. He hadn't wanted to be there when the wife had come out of the house. The husband's death could have been easily explain, his throat had been ripped out by the wolf. The son's death looked too purposeful, the shot too the neck too precise to be accidental. They wouldn't have to pay for their stay, but Rivalz still felt bad about sneaking away. The woman was owed some explanation.

A curse from Lelouch made him look up, Rivalz watching the man step carefully around an eroded part of the path. He relaxed slowly as Gawain picked his way around the dangerous section, his eyes on Lelouch's back. He kept expecting to see Lelouch use his magic at any minute, despite the fact that he hadn't. Besides, Lelouch had come to save him. It made no sense that his rescuer twice over would take him away only to kill him. Rivalz had learned how magic could twist a man's mind, but Lelouch seemed like he was in complete control, so different from the stories that Rivalz had heard about him.

Rivalz sighed and looked around, watching the fog move through the forest. He might have called this magic if Lelouch's cursing didn't tell him otherwise. In any case, it was good cover. Jeremiah and the rest of the guards would have difficulty finding them now. Although it was equally as likely that they were lost.

He reached down to pat Gawain's neck, soothing himself more than the horse with the motion. Rivalz looked down at Lelouch, feeling guilty. He had been riding since they had left the woodcutter's house that morning. It was probably time to switch. Gawain was Lelouch's horse after all. He cleared his throat, a bit unnerved when both Lelouch and his eagle turned to look at him. "You should ride now."

"There's no point." Lelouch sighed and dropped the reins. "Neither of us can see where we are going. It would be better to stop before we walk off the banks of the river."

"But the guards…"

Lelouch chuckled, walking back to stand by the stirrup. "Jeremiah would have sent men after us."

"Then why are you so calm?"

Lelouch paused in the middle of rifling through the saddlebag. "Because I know him. Jeremiah may be ruthless but he's a fanatic. Out of all of the guards he could have taken, he would have chosen purebloods, the ones that came from deep within Britannia. One or two may come from around here, but only serve as scouts. Jeremiah will be as lost as the rest of us if he is in the forest, or he will be stuck waiting until we come out. Knowing him, he won't keep up a watch after night falls, so we can sneak past then." Lelouch paused for a moment before shrugging. "Or you can. I'll take the longer way around to be sure."

He pulled a cloak from the saddlebag, holding it out to Rivalz. After Rivalz hesitated for a moment, Lelouch tossed the cloak up to him. "I've made my living dodging better and worse guards. You can trust me on this."

Rivalz sighed and slid off Gawain, taking the cloak and wrapping it around himself. With the fog well and truly in place, it was chilly, but he was sure that Lelouch wouldn't agree to a fire until he was sure that they were safe.

He turned to watch his savior, Lelouch talking quietly to the horse. In the end, he didn't know much about Lelouch, just what he had seen of the man. Rivalz scratched the back of his neck. "You seem to know a lot about this kind of thing."

"I've been doing it for two years." Lelouch tied Gawain to a tree. "I should be good at this, or I'd be dead. There's no one already to help me."

"It helps that everyone thought that you were dead."

"Yes." Lelouch laughed, although it sounded fragile. "That did help. And there were always countries willing to willing to help, even after they learned that I can't do magic."

Rivalz nodded, freezing when he realized what Lelouch had said. "You can't."

"I've never had the knack. Funny how rumors will spread." Lelouch sighed, settling back against one of the trees. The eagle fanned its wings in annoyance, Rivalz watching as Lelouch spoke softly to the bird.

It was the only time Lelouch seemed soft, all the other times Lelouch was abrupt or just a bit rough around the edges. The bird seemed to calm him, for whatever reason that was. Rivalz wasn't going to push on the issue. It didn't matter in the end.

Lelouch looked up, his fingers still stroking over the bird's back. "They never seemed to be as surprised as you. Perhaps it was because I was helpful in other ways. Do you know how many rebellions sprung up in the past two years?" When Rivalz shook his head, Lelouch just smiled. Apparently something showed on his face because Lelouch laughed. "I have to earn a living somehow and my skills are only in the political field. I'm not much good for anything else."

Rivalz opened his mouth to deny the statement, but he quickly snapped it shut. There was no reason that he had to know everything about Lelouch. The man had just done him a favor; there was no need to know anything further. He sighed and leaned back against Gawain, patting the horse. "Are you leading a rebellion here? Do I need to run?"

He meant to laugh, but the look on Lelouch's face made him snap his mouth shut. Rivalz shifted nervously in place, jumping when Lelouch spoke up. "It's personal."

"Going after the people who really killed your mother?"

"Yes. And the one who did this to me." Lelouch gestured with his free hand to Gawain.

Rivalz turned to look at Gawain's saddle, staring at the sword that was attached to the saddle. There was another one on Lelouch's hip, neither of which he had seen Lelouch use. Rivalz sighed and stepped away from the horse. His eyes lingered on the crossbow hanging from the saddle. Rivalz touched the edge of the bow, wanting to derail the conversation. He didn't want to know everything about Lelouch. He wanted to be able to go their separate ways when the time came.

He plucked at the string. "Thank you, by the way, for last night."

That got Lelouch to sit up. "What?"

"There was a wolf attack." Lelouch shivered, Rivalz hesitating for a moment before pushing on. "The husband…he came after me when I came from the woods. The wolf followed and tore out his throat. I was going to shoot it, but you took the crossbow from my hands."

"I wasn't…." Lelouch shook his head, his attention going back to the bird. "I wasn't there. Someone else must have done it."

"There was no one else around." Rivalz tensed when Lelouch looked back at the sword on the saddle. He felt his stomach twist, Rivalz reaching out to touch the sword, only to jerk his hand back as the man spoke.

"That was Suzaku's. I gave it to him when he became the captain of the guard. He had it the night we had to run."

Rivalz had known how the story had ended, but Lelouch was alive, so there was a chance that the story had changed. "What happened to him?"

Lelouch shot him a glance, pulling the bird closer to him. "He was killed. The idiot stayed behind to defend me and got himself killed." He nearly choked on the last word. The eagle trilled, the sound enough to bring Lelouch back. He stroked over the eagle's feathers. "I kept the sword because I thought that something might happen, that someone might be able to fix this. But I had no luck."

Rivalz nodded slowly, unable to look away from the sword. The sword could have any number of curses on it, either through intent or the combination of so many spells. Two years was a long time to search for a miracle and not get anything. He shivered and rubbed his arms, suddenly frightened. There were all sorts of stories from his childhood, the ones that he and his friends had told each other at night when they had snuck out. If magic could be done so easily, then there was no reason the other creatures couldn't exist.

He drummed his fingers against the saddle, looking back over at Lelouch. "Do you think that it could have been him last night?"

"Suzaku still watching over me?" Lelouch smiled, tipping his head to look at the bird. "That would be a nice thought. My own knight in shining armor. If you see him again, tell him that he's missed."

"Why would I?"

"He seems to favor you." Lelouch scratched under the eagle's beak. "He must know that you can help us."

Rivalz stared at Lelouch, fighting the urge to run. This was the unsteady Lelouch he had been waiting for, but this wasn't magic that Rivalz was seeing, it looked more like grief. Maybe something about the stories was true, at least about Suzaku, but the idea didn't calm him. It just made Lelouch desperate, and desperate could mean anything. It would be in his best interest for him to leave. He would owe Lelouch later, but that was for the better than dying now. He had his mother to worry about.

He glanced over towards the forest. The fog was still thick enough for him to get lost in it and Lelouch would never be able to find him. He could continue with his escape without any problems. But, to do that, he would have to ignore his conscience and Rivalz had never been able to do that, he was too much of a bleeding heart. If he ran away, then he would never find out what happened to Lelouch, and it would haunt him for the rest of his life. Lelouch hadn't done anything to him, the man had rescued him. If he still believed that Suzaku was alive, that was just a small thing. Grief could do strange things to people.

Either way he thought about it, he was in a bad situation and, magic or not, he would prefer to have Lelouch on his side. To go to Jeremiah would mean his death and he was not ready for that.

Rivalz wiped his hands on his pants, dropping down to a crouch by Gawain's front legs. "So what do we do until then?"

"Sleep." Lelouch pulled the hood of his cloak up and settled back. "We won't be getting much tonight. We'll catch something to eat later."

"And what if Jeremiah sent people after us?"

Lelouch held up his right arm. "The eagle will wake us."

Rivalz nodded, not sure how else to respond. He reached out, petting Gawain's leg as he settled back into a more comfortable position. The answer that the eagle would watch over them wasn't much, but he would trust Lelouch. For all he knew, the eagle was a gift from one of the people that Lelouch had helped out and was a little more than normal itself. Rivalz gave the eagle a long look, trying to see it as anything other than a common mountain eagle. The eagle tipped its head to the side, Rivalz giving up his search for something extraordinary.

He sighed and leaned his head back against the tree, staring at the sky. Rivalz had gone to church with his mother, he had believed everything that he was told, but he couldn't seem to muster up the same faith that everyone else could. Now seemed as good a time as any to get some sort of faith, because the odds didn't seem to be in his favor. He didn't seem to be following the rules that had been established too well. Not only had he committed a crime, but he was helping someone who had killed his own mother. Although Rivalz wasn't too sure about that crime either. If Lelouch really couldn't use magic, then why would he have killed his own mother?

"None of this adds up."

Gawain lowered his head and breathed into Rivalz's hair. Rivalz reached up to pet the horse's nose, keeping his eyes on Lelouch. Something was going on around and he didn't know exactly what was going on. It would be hard to keep himself safe if he couldn't tell that. Rivalz bit his lip, glancing up at the sky again before deciding to make the more noble gesture. "If you can hear me God, I just want you to know that I'm sorry for everything that I've done, if that helps. But I need you to look after my mother no matter what. She doesn't deserve anything that might happen to her because of me."

He paused in case there was an answer, exhaling slowly when there was none. Rivalz would take the fact that there was no answer as good news. He resettled himself against the tree, pulling the borrowed cloak more tightly around him. Until he could go home, he would stay with Lelouch, the far better option than running off on his own. There was another small part of him that was intrigued by the mystery of what had really happened to Lelouch. That was something worth following to the end.

By his count, there were seven available young men that would agree to marry Nunnally. Calares shut the tome he had been working from, rubbing his eyes to clear them. If he wanted better prospects, he would have to appeal to the emperor. But that would draw attention to his mistake and he couldn't afford the risk. The same danger existed with the young men, but Calares was sure that they could be directed another way. In any case, it was the worst possible situation that could have been handed to him.

He pushed away from the table, stretching out his back before he walked out of his cell. The church would be crowded with people at prayer, people who would demand his attention. Calares was not in the mood for playing his part as the bishop at the moment. He needed space to think, which meant the garden. He walked around the side of the church, slipping through the small gate there. Nunnally was more likely to be riding out with a group of guards to bring Milly Ashford back safely to Avalon than to be out in the garden, which meant that Calares wouldn't be disturbed by her either. He claimed the nearest bench and sat down, closing his eyes.

At least he had everything in Avalon under control, that thought alone did wonders for him. It was everything outside of Avalon that worried him, as it always had. His spy in the guard barracks had not been chosen to go with Jeremiah, so he would just have to wait, but there were other ways to control the guards. He would send out a man to find Jeremiah and get a report. The position of the guards would be easily found, the villagers loved to gossip.

The click of the gate made Calares look up. One of the alter boys from the church peered into the garden, scurrying over to him. Calares wracked his brain for the boy's name as the boy bowed but came up blank. There were always boys coming in and out of the church, some that would return to their families or go to the monastery, far too many for Calares to remember their names. The boy shifted nervously taking a few deep breaths before speaking. "The archbishop of Pendragon has just sent news that he will be coming to Avalon within the next three weeks. He is coming to hear the confessions of the priests."

Calares nodded and waved the boy away, smiling at how eager to leave the boy seemed to be. He shook his head and turned his full attention to the news that he had been given.

The arrival of the bishop from Pendragon gave him a time limit to finish up the business with Lelouch. Some part of him still wanted to make a show out of Lelouch, but it would be far better if he didn't. He would never had been much control of the situation when Lelouch was involved, he couldn't predict Marianne's son. With the time limit, he would give the guard a few more days to catch the fugitive before he employed his plan. He would pull the guard back long enough for Lelouch to be killed before sending them after the fugitive again. One of the guards would appreciate the glory of catching the magician, and would give him the chance to replace Jeremiah.

The arrival of the archbishop would also mean that Euphemia would be coming. She was bound to travel in the safety of the archbishop's entourage. That would mean Nunnally would be occupied on that end. All he had to do was to encourage the right families to send their sons. That, at least, was simple enough.

The soft chime of the bells startled him out of his thoughts, Calares counting the chimes. He sighed after the sixth, pushing off of the bench. He would have to conduct mass soon, meaning that the rest would have to wait until he was finished with his duties to the church. Then he would have to prepare for the bishop and Euphemia. Mrs. Lohmeyer could extend invitations through the appropriate channels. Calares brushed off his robes and walked out of the gardens, already rehearsing his sermon in his head.

Lelouch woke up to the sound of someone moving clumsily through the undergrowth and the eagle moving around on his hand. He sighed and pushed back the hood of his cloak, looking out into the forest.

The fog had started to clear up somewhat, but not enough to give them away. It would still make the bit of travel they had left difficult, but it would also impede Jeremiah. He was not about to waste his one chance to slip past the Avalon guards. They could reach one of his hideouts in the mountains and be safe.

Lelouch lifted his hand, the eagle taking off to seek out food. It would probably gorge itself before bringing back the kill. Lelouch hadn't managed to train the bird thoroughly, not even with the help of the people he had met in his travels. Then again, they had all through that the eagle was his familiar and had been afraid of training it. Lelouch had never gotten around to telling them that the eagle was nothing special, because admitting that hurt.

He ducked his head and took a deep breath, calming himself before standing up. He turned toward the source of the noise, slightly surprised to see Rivalz. "You're still here."

"Of course I am. Did you expect me to run off?"

Lelouch kept quiet, because it was exactly what he had expected. After the panic of finding the bodies and seeing the crossbow bolts, he had been a little off. It had been hard to shake off the feelings of gratitude and envy. Rivalz might have seen Suzaku and he would never get that chance. It was just easier to talk about Suzaku like he was dead, because then he could almost convince himself that it was true. It was easier than the truth.

Rivalz snorted and dropped to a crouch. "What kind of man do you take me for? You rescued me from Jeremiah and that wood chopper, and don't say it was Suzaku, because that's impossible. Until I repay that debt to you, I can't leave."

Lelouch was surprised how the simple statement relaxed him. It had been so long since he had traveled with another human for company. Usually his few jobs would be the extent of his interaction with other humans. Even a nearly complete stranger was better than the monotony of his existence. Although, he was sure Rivalz wouldn't like the way to pay off his debt.

He leaned his shoulder against the tree, watching as Rivalz built up the fire. "You should have run."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going back to Avalon."

The sticks tumbled out of Rivalz's hands as the man gaped at him. "No, I just got out. They'll kill the both of us."

"I have to."

"You won't get the castle back. You're outnumbered."

"That's why I have you" Lelouch leaned forward. "You escaped. Out of everyone that has been in that castle, you got out. You let me in and I will call your debt done. You can run from there if you want to."

Rivalz didn't meet his gaze, focusing instead on the sticks. "You won't get your inheritance back. You can't even do magic if you get into a tight spot."

"That's not why I'm doing this."

"Then why?"

Lelouch stared at Rivalz. If the man had wanted to run, he would have done it already. Instead, he was trying to talk Lelouch out of it. Lelouch smiled to himself, walking over to where Gawain stood. He patted the horse before pulling his sword free. Automatically, his hand slid into the proper grip, Lelouch shaking his head. He turned the sword onto its side, offering it to Rivalz. "I want revenge."

"For your mother?"

He nodded, sitting down on the ground. "I want to kill the man who did it, the one who made me into…"

"A demon."

"Yes. I want Bishop Calares dead for all of that."

Rivalz jerked the hand that had been reaching for the sword back. "The bishop? He couldn't have."

Lelouch glared at Rivalz, a bit disappointed when he recoiled. "You don't believe me?"

"Well," Rivalz chuckled nervously, "it's a bit much. He's the one bent on getting rid of all magic. Why would he kill someone who agreed with him or accuse someone innocent of using magic? It doesn't make sense."

"They say magic corrupts people, but how hard it is to corrupt someone like Calares." Lelouch sighed when Rivalz continued to stare at him blankly. He drove the point of his sword into the ground, leaning forward. "What better way to get rid of someone who had seen something that he didn't want anyone knowing about?"

From the look that Rivalz was giving him, Lelouch was sure that the man didn't quite believe his story. He hadn't expected anyone to. Calares was well established in the north and his version of events would not be questioned. Lelouch would never know what his mother and Calares had been talking about, but it didn't matter anymore. He just had to kill the bishop and everything would finally be done. Nunnally could have Avalon; she was managing the castle far better than he could have.

He trailed his fingers over the engraving on the hilt of his sword. "You don't have to believe me, just get me into Avalon and, if you are still unsure, then put my fate in God's hands. I'll die if my cause isn't right."

"I don't think it works like that."

Lelouch smiled. "I don't either, but it has helped some people before."

Rivalz shook his head. "No. I might not believe you completely, but I'll help you, to pay back my debt."

"Thank you." It was all he could ask Rivalz to do in any case. He wouldn't be able to promise to keep Rivalz safe, because he was sure that his revenge was going to kill him.

He pulled his sword from the ground; jumping as a half eaten rabbit was dropped from above. Lelouch sighed and looked over at the eagle, the bird perched on a nearby branch. He shook his head and offered his hand to the eagle. "I'll get us another one to eat, start with that one." The beginnings of a cramp in his stomach had him quickly adding, "Then I'll scout out where Jeremiah and the others are. If I'm not back, assume everything is clear."

He left before Rivalz could sputter out a question. Lelouch knew that his instructions made no sense, but Rivalz would have to deal with whatever happened on his own. Lelouch was sure that Rivalz would manage well enough. He brushed his fingers over the eagle's back to calm himself. There was still plenty of time, despite the fact that he couldn't see the sky. He would know far ahead of time, plenty of time to set the bird down.

Lelouch released the eagle, watching it weave through the trees for a moment before trailing after it.

Rivalz stared at the rabbit that still hung over the fire. He had assumed that Lelouch would come back, despite his instructions. But it looked like Lelouch wouldn't be coming back.

The fog had finally dissipated around the time the sun had set, leaving Rivalz feeling like he was too exposed. He had almost put the fire out twice already, afraid that he would be found. There were crossbow bolts left, but Rivalz wasn't too sure of his aim, which left the two swords. He wasn't going to take Suzaku's sword, not with the way Lelouch treated it like a relic. In any case, he could probably be hopeless with any sword. The only thing left to him would be to take Gawain and head for the ford, but that would strand Lelouch until they met up again.

He rubbed a hand over his face, trying not to panic. Lelouch had said that they would meet on the other side, but the plan hadn't been elaborated more than that. Rivalz wished that he had pushed Lelouch further on that instead on his plans for revenge. He sighed and shook his head. He would give Lelouch another hour or so before he would leave.

Rivalz crossed his legs, taking the rabbit off the spit. If he was going to wait, he might as well eat. He dug into the rabbit, hissing as he burned his fingers. Rivalz didn't let that give him pause, focusing on eating as much as he could. He didn't know how long he would go until he met with Lelouch again or how long he would go without food, especially with Jeremiah on his tail. Long winters with little food had taught him to always eat when he could.

The rabbit was rendered to a few scraps of meat on bone by the time that Rivalz was done. He wiped his mouth and fingers on his shirt as he looked around. Only then did he notice the way that Gawain was shifting nervously. Rivalz swallowed and looked around. He had taken the horse for the nearby stream before he had sat back down to wait for Lelouch. And the horse looked less like it wanted something than it was hearing something.

Rivalz stood up and kicked dirt over the fire, highly aware of the nighttime noises of the forest. Any one of them could be Lelouch returning, but it was more likely that it was the guards from Avalon. He would worry about meeting with Lelouch later. If the demon promised that they would meet, then Rivalz would trust him. Magic or not, Lelouch had managed to evade the best troops in the north for two years He could manage for one more night.

He stumbled over to Gawain, fumbling with the knot. His fingers were too cold to work properly and he had to avoid the horse as Gawain moved. Rivalz gave up, fumbling for something to defend himself with. It was one thing to leave Lelouch, but Gawain was defenseless and tied up. Rivalz was not about to leave the horse.

Rivalz pulled the crossbow from its place on the saddle, his fingers shaking as he loaded the first bolt. He swung the crossbow up, backing into the center of their little camp. He turned in a circle, listening to the sounds of rustling. There was no way to tell where they would come from. With his luck, they would rush him at the same time and Rivalz would be at a loss of what to do. He wasn't a trained soldier. He wasn't trained in everything.

The crossbow shook in his hands as Rivalz pivoted. He swallowed, slowly coming to a stop. From what he could hear, whoever was coming would come from right in front of him.

Of course he was attacked from the other side.

Rivalz grunted as he was tackled to the ground, the bolt from the crossbow thudding into a tree. He reached behind him to try and claw the man off, shouting when he was shoved into the ground. He turned his head to the side and gasped for air, seeing the second guard walk out of the woods. The guard chuckled and bent over to pick up the crossbow, looking it over. "I told you that I would find them."

"Good job. I'll be sure to remember you in my report." Rivalz grunted as he shoved against the ground harder. "Now, tell me where the demon is, because that's his horse."

The second guard looked nervous, but nodded. He retreated, still holding the crossbow. Rivalz watched the man go, struggling to see the man that was kneeling on his back. If he could come up with some kind of plan then he could run. It was the coward's way, but it would get him out alive and back to his mother.

He raised his shoulders, about to buck the man off when there was another rustle from the woods. Rivalz looked up, about to ask what that was when he noticed the way Gawain was standing. The horse was still again, his ears perked up. Someone Gawain knew was coming, which meant that Rivalz was safe. He smiled to himself, getting ready to run. He would remove himself from the action before he got in Lelouch's way.

The second guard inched closer to the woods, standing up when nothing appeared. The guard turned to report, only managing to get a syllable before a sword sliced his throat open. The guard dropped the crossbow, clutching at the throat as he fell to the ground.

Rivalz stared at the body, his mouth open in shock. He only looked away from the body when someone stepped out of the woods. He flinched away from the man wielding the sword. It wasn't Lelouch; he didn't recognize the man at all. He felt the man on his back lean down, pressing him closer to the ground.

"You're supposed to be dead."

"So is Lelouch. Are you surprised at all?" The man grinned and flicked the blood off of the sword "But you weren't the most imaginative, Kewell."

"At least I was loyal."

"To who?"

Kewell didn't answer the question, he just charged. The man side stepped and tripped Kewell. Kewell sputtered and wiped the dirt from his face. "Suzaku!"

Suzaku just smiled, lowering his sword. "I'd run if I were you."

Rivalz cautiously got to his feet, looking between the two. He didn't know who Suzaku was talking to. He wasn't even sure what Suzaku was. While he shouldn't have been surprised about Suzaku coming to save him again, there was still a part of him that didn't believe completely. Suzaku Kururugi had been chased down and killed by Bishop Calares for helping Lelouch. There had even been a body, one that Rivalz remembered being burnt so Lelouch couldn't bring his faithful servant back. The story had made sense; all of it had made sense. At least until Lelouch had showed up again.

He took a step back as Suzaku walked forward, Kewell retreated as well. Suzaku circled around the guard until he was placed between Kewell and Rivalz.

"I told you to run."

Rivalz didn't have to be told twice. He turned and sprinted, flinching at the first clash of swords. Suzaku would be guarding his back, although Rivalz wasn't sure why his safety mattered so much. He was just an uninteresting man from Ashingford. He hadn't been able to get any straight answers from Lelouch, other than the fact that he needed to guide Lelouch back into Avalon. But his escape had been more luck than anything else.

He stumbled into a tree, panting for breath as he clutched at it. Rivalz glanced behind him, only taking a moment to catch his breath before pushing on. The ford had to be somewhere ahead of him. He would follow the original plan and sneak through while it was dark, meeting Lelouch on the other side. Maybe Suzaku would be there for him as well. Suzaku had appeared out of nowhere once before, perhaps he could repeat the miracle. Rivalz wasn't going to even pretend that it could be anything other than the work of magic.

He ran for as long as he could keep up the pace, not caring how much noise he made. Covering the distance was the important part; he could attempt stealth when he was safe again. Without the helpful light of the moon, Rivalz stumbled often, only able to make out the shadows of the trees and nothing on the forest floor. After he had fallen to the ground for what felt like the fiftieth time, Rivalz slowed down. There was no point in killing himself as he tried to escape.

Rivalz sucked in a few deep breaths, moving at a cautious pace. At least now he wasn't constantly tripping over sticks or on uneven ground. He kept glancing around nervously, expecting more guards or something equally as horrible. His escape from Avalon had been the only thing that had gone off without a hitch; everything else had been a chain of bad luck. And he still didn't have the sense to run when he should, to forget about Lelouch and the plans to enter Avalon.

It was easy to lose track of time as he walked through the forest. Rivalz just focused on moving forward, looking for a clear path that would lead him to the ford. He didn't find the path, but he came up on the ford from upstream, Rivalz stepping out into the open before he realized where he was.

He yelped and ducked back into the undergrowth, pressing himself to the ground. He hadn't seen any movement when he had stepped out and he couldn't see any from where he was at the moment. He just had to assume that it was safe. Rivalz swallowed and stood up again, looking around one last time before dashing into the ford.

The water was cold when he stepped in, Rivalz clamping a hand on his mouth to keep any sound from escaping. Rivalz shivered but continued on.

At its deepest, the ford only came up to his waist, something that Rivalz was grateful for. He couldn't imagine swimming the ford at night. He would freeze to death long before he reached the other side. As it was, Rivalz was hurrying along and splashing more than he should. But he was eager to get out of the water.

Rivalz clambered up the opposite bank, his hands slipping in the mud from all the travelers of the day. He gritted his teeth and hauled himself the rest of the way up, sprawling over the grass. Even as he panted for breath, Rivalz couldn't help the grin that crossed his face. He had evaded the guard on his own this time. Suzaku had held one of them off, but he had done the rest. Rivalz rolled over onto his back and gave the air a little punch in victory. He lay on his back for a while longer, catching his breath before he pushed himself upright.

He brushed his hands off on his trousers, glancing around before moving away from the river. Lelouch hadn't told him where they would meet, but Rivalz could safely assume that it was far away from the river. Rivalz wasn't sure of the cover, but he would find something and avoid any villages that were on the other side of the Kinver. Rivalz sighed and began to trudge down the road.

He should have realized that his luck wouldn't hold out and that he shouldn't have gotten back on the road immediately.

He felt a heavy weight on his shoulder for a moment before he was spun around, Rivalz yelping at the change. Rivalz stared up at the man, the demand on the tip of his tongue disappearing as he found himself looking at Jeremiah. He managed to snap his mouth shut, swallowing harshly.

Jeremiah grinned at him, patting his shoulder but he didn't let go. "Rivalz Cardemonde, it's good to see you again." He tightened his hold on Rivalz, the grin not leaving his face. "After all of this, you can't just run off, not after all the effort we've gone through."

Rivalz reached down to his belt for a weapon, very much aware that he was unarmed. He wished that he had taken something, just in case something like this happened. He just had his fists, but he would have no chance. The other guards were out there and running would just lead him into their hands. Rivalz squirmed, unable to just sit still, not when everything was telling him to run. All he got in response was a hard jerk on his shoulder.

Jeremiah steered him towards the ford. Rivalz heard the snort of horses, only making out the shadows of the animals. He reached up, hoping that Jeremiah would loosen his grip. Rivalz had no illusions of escape, not until the guards relaxed a fraction. He wouldn't be meeting up with Lelouch as planned.

"Peter, take him!" He was passed off to Peter, under a firm hold the entire time during the trade off. Jeremiah nodded and walked over to his horse. "We'll ride for another hour to give us some distance, and then we'll camp."

The order wasn't very popular from the groans that he heard, but the guards obeyed the order anyway. Rivalz was hauled up onto a horse, Peter clambering up behind him. He had expected to be tied up but, apparently, it was too dark for that. Rivalz didn't expect to be free long enough to do anything. He grabbed onto the pommel of the saddle and ducked his head. Rivalz tensed when Peter grabbed a handful of his shirt, holding him in place.

He didn't see the signal to move out, he just felt the movement of the horse as they walked away from the ford. Rivalz turned, trying to catch a glimpse of any thing that could help him. There was no rescue that would come for him, which meant that he would have to come up with something. Rivalz winced, but kept his eyes on the saddle. Even if his plan was bad, he didn't want any of them finding out about it. When they made camp for the night he would find himself a weapon, even it was only a rock. Then he would use it to kill the guard he was riding double with. From there he would just hang onto the horse for dear life and hope he was going in the right direction.

Suzaku ducked an elbow to his head, bending his knees to lunge at Kewell. The man side stepped the attack, Kewell glancing around before running off. Suzaku remained in his position for a moment longer, wanting to be sure that Kewell was really gone. He had snuck up on the guard once; he didn't want the tables to be turned on him. From what he remembered, Kewell was a good fighter, one of the best and one of the members of the guard completely focused on his own personal glory. Suzaku wasn't stupid enough to believe that Kewell would run because he was surprised to see his old captain. Kewell had more sense than that, which meant that Kewell had just been a distraction.

He turned with a curse, fumbling to pick up his scabbard from the ground. Suzaku slammed his sward back in, running off in the direction that Kewell had gone. He couldn't track Kewell, not well enough in the dark, and the sound of his own running drowned out the sound of Kewell's. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself faster. He might not have been as well trained as Kewell, but he had more determination, better stamina. Suzaku had been captain of the guard despite all of the people that had opposed him. He had pushed himself to be better than all comers.

Suzaku made a quick turn, feeling his feet go out from under him. He pulled himself upright, stumbling off again. By now, he had lost all track of Kewell, Suzaku panting for breath as he looked around. It didn't matter that Kewell was, because Suzaku guessed that he was going back to the ford where Jeremiah was. The fugitive would be caught and locked away.

He huffed and started back towards where he had left Gawain. As Suzaku saw it, he had two choices. One was to return to Gawain and ride after Jeremiah and the guard. He would get Rivalz back and put them back on track, but that would mean leaving Lelouch behind. The second way was to stay and wait for Lelouch. Suzaku wanted to take the first option, but he had to stick with the second. Lelouch had to know and Suzaku was next to useless more often than not now.

Suzaku rubbed a hand over his face, looking up at the trees. There had never really been an option of what side he was going to pick, he had known from the start. He sighed, looking back toward the ford. "He's going to kill me."