Chapter Seven: Desperate Times

"But the enemy is quick to plot
And strike, I must be quick in answer too.
If I am slow, and wait, then I shall find
That he has gained his end, and I am lost."
– Oedipus the King, Sophocles

Lelouch watched as Rivalz saddled up the blue roan that one of the guards had used, continuing to glance back at Lancelot. He wanted to take the other horse because Lancelot was trained for battle like Gawain. The problem was that Lancelot was recognizable. Suzaku had been very noticeable during his time as the captain of the guard. Gawain, on the other hand, looked like most of the horses favored by the rich men of the north, so he could slip by easily. The guard's horse would be equally as invisible as they journeyed back to Avalon.

Besides, Lancelot would need to be somewhere were Suzaku could get to him. Lancelot and Gawain were the only things that Lelouch had to pay Suzaku with for his loyalty, and even that felt cheap. There was nothing else he could do. He hoped that their prior promise to help Rivalz would keep Suzaku from doing something stupid. There was a chance that Suzaku and Rivalz could make the border and escape to Nippon. Both of them would be safe there. With the confusion that would follow the death of Calares, they would certainly have the time to run.

Lelouch looked away as Rivalz finished, reaching up to pat Gawain's nose. They would leave as soon as Rivalz clambered onto the horse. Suzaku was already perched on the back of Lelouch's saddle, the eagle's head tucked under his good wing. From the way that he had acted that morning, Suzaku wouldn't be too active. It would at least give his wing the chance to heal.

Gawain jerked his head up, Lelouch looking up at the sound of hooves. C.C. was leading the second horse left, the bay, out into the yard. She raised an eyebrow at the two horses, holding up the reins of the bay. "Do you want this one?"

"Keep him as thanks for your help."

C.C. snorted and backed the bay up. "Why? You wouldn't let me."

"I'm not in the practice of staying in debt."

C.C. stared at him for a moment before walking up to him. "Then let me tell you that you are making a mistake. Wait."

"For what? Something else that won't work?"

He got a glare for his comment, C.C. leaning forward to get closer to him. "Listen to me for once. Do what I say and you will get everything that you want."

"And if I don't?"

C.C. sighed and shook her head. "Will I still be able to leave this mountain?"

"Yes." Lelouch tipped his head towards where Rivalz was still trying to mount his horse. "You can run with them, as soon as Calares is dead. There are plenty of other places that will accept you."

C.C. snorted. "Alright then, but I'm coming with you."

She turned away before he could tell her to stay at the villa. He didn't want to have to watch out for C.C. as well as Rivalz. The witch could take care of herself, but she was another person that Lelouch had to slow down for.

He knew that C.C. was trying to slow him down, still trying to swing him towards her way to breaking the curse. Lelouch was long past the point of caring, especially when it was such a small chance of breaking the spell. He had seen what Suzaku had scrawled with the last of their ink. 'There must be a day without a night and a night without a day.' Lelouch had snorted and nearly ripped the page out. It was impossible magic; something that he had never expected from C.C. Lelouch couldn't stomach anyone messing with him and Suzaku any longer. He had gotten tired over the past two years, far too tired for anything by the end that he saw ahead of him. It was the only thing left.

Lelouch threw the reins back over Gawain's head, turning his back on the villa. C.C. would catch up with them, or she wouldn't, he didn't care anymore. He was sure that C.C. understood, she was the same way. So many of the ones that she had had loved were dead and, as much as she pretended that she didn't care, it probably still hurt. Lelouch could understand that much. When there was nothing left, loneliness had a tight grip.

He swung up onto Gawain's back, settling himself in the saddle. The stallion sidled, probably trying to get back to the barn where Lancelot was. Gawain would be very disappointed, but the horse would recover. Lelouch looked up at the sky, frowning. It was late in the morning, and there were miles to cover. Without the reports from the scouts, Jeremiah wouldn't know where to look for them, but that would mean that Jeremiah would be scouting frantically for them. The best was to avoid any search groups would be to ride just over the border, but that would lessen their chance of finding a town where they could resupply. All of the towns in Nippon were further south than Avalon. The quickest route would be to travel straight to Avalon, and they could only travel until sunset.

"Come on Rivalz."

The man glanced back at him, Lelouch watching as Rivalz take a deep breath before scrambling awkwardly onto the blue roan's back. Rivalz rocked in place for a moment before cramming his feet into the stirrups. He looked over at Lelouch with a nervous smile. "Could we take it slow?"

"Just hang on." Lelouch rolled his eyes and turned Gawain toward the gate. The blue roan had looked the steadiest out of the two horses and Rivalz would be able to stay on well enough. He had managed to ride all the way to the mountains. "The horse will want to stay close."

He nudged Gawain forward, hearing Rivalz yelp as the blue roan hurried after. Lelouch glanced back long enough to make sure that Rivalz was still on the horse. The man was clinging to the horse, twisted around to stare back at the villa.

Lelouch was about to snap at him when Rivalz spoke up. "Isn't C.C. coming with us?"

"She'll catch up."

"Catch up? Lelouch-"

He tightened his grip on the reins, ignoring the way that Gawain tossed his head. "I don't want to talk about it. If you want to wait for her, be my guest."

Lelouch expected Rivalz to turn back, not for him to ride up next to him. Rivalz smiled at him, all eagerness and good will, something that Lelouch wasn't used to. Rivalz reached out for him, giving up when Lelouch leaned away and when he looked insecure about his seat. "I promised to help you, because I owe you."

"So why do you care about her?"

Rivalz shrugged. "She's helping you too. It makes sense that we would work together…unless she isn't trying to help us."

"No. She's…" Lelouch sighed. "She's supposed to be helping, but nothing has gone right."

Rivalz nodded and looked through the forest that they were riding through. Lelouch gave him a sidelong look before focusing on the trail. He had thought that Rivalz would argue with him, Rivalz had looked like the kind of man that would argue back. Instead, Rivalz remained silent, a change from what C.C. and Suzaku had been.

Lelouch shook his head. "Rivalz, don't bring her idea up again. The only way to get out of this curse is by killing Calares. I don't want to hear anything else on the subject."

"Right." Rivalz nodded. "And when she catches up?"

"Then we don't talk about it. C.C. will use this chance to get away. You should do the same."

"I'll just go back home. There's nothing to plan."

Lelouch restrained himself from telling Rivalz there was a high chance that Rivalz would never get home. He would still be wanted as a magician and nothing would change that. It was better not to anger or to chase Rivalz away until his job was done. And there was no point in discouraging Rivalz, not when Lelouch considered him a friend. As it was, Lelouch would try and get Rivalz out, because the man deserved it. Lelouch would give Rivalz the best shot he could at making it out alive, that was all he could do.

He glanced up at the sky, quickly finding the sun through the trees. "We'll try to make it to Stowden by tonight, so we can resupply."

Lelouch didn't give Rivalz a chance to answer, urging Gawain into a canter. He heard Suzaku squawk in protest, but Lelouch just ignored the bird. He wanted to get out of the mountains as fast as he could, and maybe past the town. Being anywhere near a town when he was a wolf was a bad idea, but Suzaku needed somewhere safe to rest. It was the best thing he could do for Suzaku. Everything else he wanted to do had been impossible, so it had to be done by proxy. Suzaku deserved better, and it was painful that Lelouch wouldn't be able to spend any of his last hours with the one person that was still close to him.

He leaned forward, hiding his face in Gawain's mane as the horse cantered on.

C.C. rifled through one of her trunks, pulling out the ingredients that she would need for the spell. Nothing could be made until she worked the counter curse, which meant that she would have to be careful about how she packed. She grumbled to herself before straightening up and checking the book again.

What she wanted to do more than anything was to kill Calares herself. He had used two curses that were very specific to break. Normally, they would have never been combined if real magicians had still been at work. It was almost enough to make her want to get out of Britannia, if she hadn't already made up her mind to leave. Her family, or what was left of it, was out of the country, probably tucked somewhere safely in Nippon or Zhongguo. That would be far enough away from all of the madness that was Britannia.

She wiped her hands off on her pants, looking over the saddlebag that she had packed. From what the book said, and what she had been able to figure out from her own guesswork, that would be all that she needed. Everything else would have to be left behind.

C.C. huffed and looked around the room. Before she had come to Aries Villa, she had made a point of keeping her possessions to a minimum. It helped when she had been on the move. As soon as she had felt that she was safe, she had started to collect the tools of her trade again. It would be too much to take with her and C.C. was not stupid enough to believe that everything would be safe if it was left alone. That assumption had been what had started the whole problem in the first place; desperate Britannians finding the books that her people had left behind. If she wanted them to be safe, she would either have to burn them or carry them all away.

Maybe remaining in the villa wouldn't be too bad. There was a town close by and she would be able to look after the books. C.C. could fix up the villa; make it more livable and less temporary. She doubted that she would even get to roam through Britannia like Lelouch thought she would. Aries Villa could be home, certainly better than a country she knew nothing about. It was an option to consider.

She lifted the bag over her shoulder, carrying it out to where the others were. It was too much for one horse and C.C. was sure that she would need a cart. A cart would provide some kind of cover for her as well. No one looked twice at a woman with a cart, not when they assumed that she was just taking her wares to market. There was a cart that she used for her supply runs, and Lancelot was trained enough to pull it.

C.C. nodded to herself and walked out into the courtyard. She wasn't surprised to see that Lelouch and Rivalz were gone. Lelouch was trying to beat her to the end by leaving first, but she had the advantage. She could travel for as long as she wanted and Rivalz would slow Lelouch down as much as he could. She believed that Rivalz would keep his word, because Rivalz was that loyal. He was a rarity for that. Loyalty was as easily passed along as money these days. If Lelouch wasn't going to keep Rivalz around C.C. would, because she liked him. It was refreshing not to be judged for who she was or wanted for her skills alone.

She dropped the bag with the others, going around to the barn. She would hitch Lancelot up and bring along the bay. She could always sell the extra horse if it turned out that she wouldn't need it. C.C. had a feeling that she would be the only one riding out of Avalon alive when Lelouch was done. It would be a shame if that were true, she had promised Marianne that she would watch over her children. The promise hadn't been in so many words, but it was understood by anyone from their family. They looked after each other the best that they could. There wasn't much she could do beyond that.

Lancelot looked up as she entered the makeshift barn. The grey snorted and stretched his nose over the door, C.C. shaking her head. She gave the grey a pat as she passed. "You'll see your friend soon enough. We're going after the fools." Lancelot snorted in answer, C.C. laughing. "Yes, they are that. It's a good thing you got stuck with me. We're the smart ones."

She pulled out the equipment for the cart. C.C. slipped the bridle over Lancelot's head, leaving him to stand while she fitted him out with the rest of the way. Then she led him out into the yard, feeling Lancelot pull a little in her hold. But he remained by her side, standing still as she hitched him to the cart. C.C. pressed a hand to Lancelot's chest, the horse shaking his head and going still. Sometime, she would have to thank Suzaku for the training he had given the horse, hopefully before he disregarded the plan that Lelouch had thought up for him.

Most of the bags were tossed carelessly into the back with her bedroll. The last two were lowered carefully into place, the ones that held the supplies that she would need. C.C. tucked them into place, glancing around at the extra room that she had between her bags and the supplies that she always kept in the wagon. If she was searched on her way, she would have to depend on the knife that she kept in her belt. She passed by Lancelot, giving him a pat as she went to retrieve the bay.

She led out the bay, tying him to the back of the cart, double checking the knot to make sure that it was secure. Satisfied, she stepped up into the front bench. C.C. gathered up the reins, clicking her tongue to get Lancelot to move. The grey flicked his ears back before walking forward. There was a moment when the cart rocked before it eased into motion, C.C. hearing the bay snort as he was forced to follow.

C.C. kept her eyes forward, not wanting to look back at the villa. It wasn't like she had any doubts about her own life. Out of everyone, C.C. was sure that she would get out alive; it was a knack that she had. And it wasn't like she was attached to the villa in any way. It was a roof over her head and a safe place to hide, but it was a ruin after all. There were better things to do with her life than live in a ruin.

Haliburton, Waldstein, Dalton and Weinberg.

Those were the only families that had been in support of Marianne that wouldn't draw unwanted attention to her. Nunnally didn't want there to be a protest that she was marrying down when she began to allow the heirs to court her.

Nunnally made a face and sat back, paying with her pen, needing something to do with her hands. The whole process made her feel slightly sick. It was too fast and she was treating herself like nothing more than a bargaining chip. It made her angry, Nunnally huffing and tossing her pen to the side.

She crossed her arms on the desk and dropped her head onto them. Nunnally turned her head to look at where he pen had fallen. Nunnally only looked up when the door opened.

Milly poked her head in, looking surprised. "I thought you would be out by now."

"I had…other things to worry about." Nunnally pushed herself upright again. She brushed her fingers over the roads burned into the wood, not quite able to follow them all the way to Pendragon from where she was sitting.

Milly laughed and sat down in the chair beside her, Marianne's chair. While she met with the others Nunnally always made sure to sit in that chair, it gave her the right image. But Milly looked far better in that place than Nunnally ever had.

Nunnally continued to poke at the road as Milly leaned forward with a broad grin. "Do we need to make up a battle plan?"

"No, I have something."

"And you're not happy about it."

"There are many things I'm not happy about." Nunnally sighed and pulled her hand back. "I should be out there."

She expected Milly to push, because that was what Milly did. Instead, Milly just nodded, sitting back. "Well, I have good news. My mother has sent reinforcements over. Captain Gottwald is assigning them places to guard. Apparently, he wants to have a line of men stretching from Avalon to the mountains and all along the border. I think it might be a bit much for what we have, but I don't have the power that you or Captain Gottwald has."

"No…" The change of topic was more than welcome. Anything was better than contemplating marriage to a stranger. "I'll have to talk to him about it. We don't want to be too spread out; it will just hinder us in the end. We should do that soon."

"Of course, but only after you tell me what that was about." Milly gestured at the pen that was on the floor.

Nunnally blushed and looked down at the floor with a wince. "I'd rather not."

"Now or later, but you have someone to talk to."

Nunnally smiled nervously, but nodded in agreement. She had Milly and, when she came, Euphemia. Both of them would be safe to talk to, and Nunnally desperately wanted a council that she could trust. Bu that council would have to wait until after Lelouch was dead. Milly and Euphemia would try and find her another way out, and she wanted to avoid that at all costs. Calares and Jeremiah worked well enough for what she needed to do.

"It will have to be later." Nunnally leaned back in her chair, waving at the servant who was waiting by the door. The man nodded and walked into the room, easily scooping her up. Milly followed after her, keeping in step with the servant.

Nunnally raised her arm to cover her eyes as she was carried out into the sunlight. She shivered in the chill air. From what she could tell, the snow would come early. Nunnally was sure that the mountain passes were beginning to freeze up. But the real start would come with the river to the northwest of Avalon froze over. That would be when winter was well and truly upon them.

They would have to work faster if that was even true. Nunnally didn't want to lose men to frostbite or the freezing temperatures that would come at night. That would just contribute to the rumors about Lelouch. If it got to the point where the people believed that he was immortal, then it would be harder to catch Lelouch. No one would want to rush off to their deaths. It was up to Nunnally to keep them safe and to convince them to charge after Lelouch now.

She motioned to a wall, about to give the order to set her down when a horse and rider crossed their path.

Nunnally heard Milly shout out a warning even as the servant pivoted to protect her. She yelped and clung to the man, peering over his shoulder to see who had nearly collided with them.

The page dismounted quickly, clutching at the reins even as he bowed to them. "I'm sorry, my lady. I didn't pay attention."

"Just…watch where you are going." Nunnally glanced at the horse, taking in the lather on the animal. "Did Jeremiah send you out?"

"No." The page looked surprised. "The bishop asked me to look after some routine matters while you and Captain Gottwald were busy."

"What was it?"

"Just to ask a trapper to keep a look out for wolves. Routine things only."

Nunnally eyed the young man for a moment before waving him on; catching the smile of gratitude that he sent her way. She watched him go as she was set on the wall, waving the servant away. Milly hauled herself onto the wall beside her, the two of them watching the guards mill around.

Jeremiah was nowhere to be seen at the moment, which Nunnally had expected. She had left him in charge of the whole arrangement, because he had more experience than she did. It would keep her involved while making sure the operation was a success. Apparently, it had been a bad idea on her part, because Jeremiah was doing something beyond what she wanted. It was like what Calares was doing; slowly taking over the little duties she had when she wasn't paying attention. If she continued like this, she would lose any of the power that she had gathered.

She sighed and shook her head. "I don't want to do this."

Milly leaned closer to her, making it easier for the two of them to whisper. "Do what?"

"There's just so much to do and I want to be able to trust people…and I need them to trust me."

"You have me."

"I need more than just you. More eyes and experience." She tightened her grip on her fingers. Nunnally wanted to wait for Euphemia, but there was no time. "I can trust Jeremiah, but not Calares, and I can't have him watched."

Nunnally jumped as Milly reached over to take her hands. "Then you have to be smarter than he is. Just talk to me."

She bit her lip, looking around at the courtyard. She had delayed as long as she could, had done all she could to stay. Everything she had done thus far had been as herself, as Nunnally who were cautious and needed others. What she needed to do was think more like Lelouch or Marianne. Lelouch would have gone straight for the attack; her brother had been far too impatient at times. Marianne was the better choice.

Her mother would have chosen a spot to have the confrontation, would have forced the demon to a place where she was sure that she would have the upper hand. Nunnally would have to do the same thing. First, she would have to speak with the captain of Milly's guards and Jeremiah. When she had talked to the two of them, she would choose the spot. But the plan would be solid no matter what. The demon would be driven into a trap and captured. Then he would be brought back to Avalon for quick justice. There was no need to draw the affair out, not when the demon could escape. If they didn't have the man power for the job, then she would ask for volunteers. Nunnally was sure that people would want to help, just to keep their families safe.

"Milly, I need you to find the man in charge of your guards. Tell him that we will meet as soon as his men are settled, in the war room please."

"War room?" Milly leaned forward with a smile. "Am I invited?"

"Of course. We are allies, and you are my council now, one of the few people that I can trust."

Milly stood up with a nod, walking off into the courtyard. Nunnally sighed in relief, looking down at the ground. Part of her plan was almost finished, which just left her with one thing to do before the meeting. She had to be one step ahead of Jeremiah, even if she trusted him. Three possible points of attack, just to prove that she was thinking like a leader. She wouldn't be able to lead them to capture the demon physically, she could prove that she was as good a leader as Marianne had been.

Calares would not be asked to attend. She wouldn't be asking him to sit on her council any longer.

Nunnally sat back, smiling to herself. She wouldn't let Calares take her one victory away. Nunnally took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.

Haliburton, Waldstein, Dalton and Weinberg.

All of them were military families; all of them would help if she needed them. Maybe that would make it easier. If she got to know the man first, maybe the idea wouldn't be so disgusting. Maybe it wouldn't be a transaction.

Nunnally turned her head to look back at the crowd in the courtyard. She couldn't stay out for too long, she had attacks to plan.

Rivalz swayed along to the rhythm of the horse's walk, sure that he was over exaggerating the motion. Lelouch made it look so easy, riding with only one hand while the other held the bird. But Rivalz had ridden Gawain all the way to Aries Villa holding Suzaku, so he could manage the mare after that.

He grabbed for a handful of the blue roan's mane, using it to steady himself as they rode down another hill. From what he could see, they would be coming out of the foothills soon. By then, it would be a little past midday. At the pace Lelouch was pushing them; they would reach the village long before sunset.

And maybe that would be a good thing. Rivalz tipped his head back to look at the sky. Clouds were beginning to gather, but whether it would rain or snow Rivalz didn't know. He would prefer to have a roof over his head in bad weather than to have to wait it out. They didn't even have the benefit of a forest or a ruin this time.

He looked down, staring at the blue and gold saddle cloth that was on his horse. The badge of Avalon, the gold eagle on a blue field. Rivalz hesitated for a moment before reaching down and ripping the bandage off. It would be too noticeable when they rode into the village and he was obviously not a guard from Avalon.

He dropped the badge when his horse shied at the motion. Rivalz reached out to pat the mare's neck. "Hey, easy. It's okay."

The horse snorted and settled, Rivalz bouncing with her trot. He gritted his teeth and slowed the horse down a fraction, glancing up to see Lelouch looking back at him. "I'm making sure that we won't get caught."

"Good thinking." Lelouch's attention went back to where Suzaku was flapping weakly on Lelouch's fist. The eagle was obviously trying to fly, but his injured wing still wasn't moving right. Rivalz could hear Lelouch making soothing noises at the bird, trying to keep him still.

Suzaku finally calmed, Lelouch lowering his arm again. Rivalz shook his head at the two of them, still not quite sure what to make of them.

C.C. had said that the two of them were living a tale, a twisted one. From what little Rivalz had learned of the tales that the women in Ashingford told to each other they all seemed to center around true love and overcoming magical obstacles. Rivalz could see the latter, a complicated curse counted as a magical obstacle in his book. It was the former that he had yet to see, although he had only seen the two of them individually. Rivalz supposed that it was hard to find love in a bird. But he would take her word for it, even if it nagged at him.

Rivalz cleared his throat, fidgeting with the handful of mane that he still held. "How's Suzaku?"

"Restless, but he'll settle."

Rivalz stared at the eagle, doubting very much that Suzaku would sit back and just allow himself to get carried around. All the other times, Suzaku had been flying every chance he got. Maybe that was where the love came in, where Lelouch saw it in the bird. It was in the way that Lelouch would hold onto Suzaku at every chance that he got. And it was in the way that Suzaku would go out to meet the wolf despite the danger. That was loyalty, and love maybe.

He managed to settle into the saddle, riding the trot in a way that didn't feel like his insides were shaking. Rivalz glanced up at Lelouch again, hesitating before urging the blue roan forward. He didn't want to push too far, but there were some things that he felt like he needed to know.

Gawain pinned his ears, the blue roan snorting and backing off. Rivalz dug his heels into the mare to keep them even. It took a moment of posturing between the two horses before they settled into stride beside each other. The calm pause was enough to encourage him to let go of his handful of mane. He flashed Lelouch a triumphant smile, not surprised to see that Lelouch was paying more attention to Suzaku.

He rolled his eyes, looking toward the flat plains they were riding towards. The question that he wanted to ask was on the tip of his tongue, but he was sure that Lelouch would just ignore it. He would have better luck with Suzaku. Rivalz sighed and played with the excess reins in his hands. "Lelouch-"

"I'm not going to go with C.C's plan. I've made up my mind."

"I wasn't going to ask that." Rivalz glared at Lelouch. "I was going to ask what we were going to do after you kill Calares."

Lelouch glanced over at him; the only hint that he was nervous was the way Gawain sidled a bit. Lelouch nudged the horse back over. "I was hoping that you would look after Suzaku. There's a town just across the border in Nippon, Kasagi. Suzaku has relatives there. You and your mother would be welcome. Suzaku's family has good standing there."

Rivalz wanted to refuse immediately. He wasn't going to move his mother away when she had finally settled down. As a lesser consideration, there was Milly. Rivalz knew there was no chance that he would get to be anything but the outsider to her life, but he wanted to be there or leave by his own volition, not because he was ordered to. On the other hand, he could see Lelouch's point.

He couldn't quite make himself believe that he could just slide back into his normal life. Too many people would know him and he wouldn't just be allowed back in. The stigma would still be there. What Lelouch was suggesting was a way out and Rivalz would be stupid not to take the chance.

Rivalz sighed. "How to do expect me to stop him when he knows that you're dead?"

He didn't get the reaction that he was expecting. Rivalz had expected an answer, not for Lelouch to slump forward and stare at Suzaku. "Make sure that he doesn't come after me, do whatever you have to."

There was desperation in Lelouch's voice, far more that Rivalz had expected to hear. He could see how Lelouch's grip had tightened on Suzaku's jesses. Lelouch still didn't look at Rivalz, continuing in a nearly broken voice. "Watch him closely until you are sure that he won't come after me, and that's an order Rivalz Cardemonde. Keep Suzaku close and safe."

The order seemed ridiculous, especially since Suzaku was a trained warrior and Rivalz barely knew how to fight. He wouldn't be any help if they got into trouble; he still depended on Lelouch and Suzaku for his own safety. That alone was almost enough to make him refuse, but Rivalz didn't know if he would get a chance to. Lelouch was desperate after all.

It was a twisted tale; Rivalz was sure about that much. Nothing else would produce the events that he was experiencing.

Rivalz shivered and looked away from Lelouch, hoping that Lelouch would take his silence as an answer. He would try his best to keep Suzaku safe and away from Avalon, but it was all he could do. They had traded off favors so many times already that Rivalz was no longer counting. He would prefer to think of the favors as something he was doing for his friend, because he considered Lelouch his friend. And, because he was sure that Lelouch only had C.C. and Suzaku. Maybe one more would make Lelouch more likely to come back.

He licked his lips. "I will."

Lelouch nodded stiffly, drawing the arm that held Suzaku closer to him. Rivalz didn't comment, letting Lelouch have his moment because his calculations had been wrong.

There was love there, he was sure of it because Rivalz could imagine begging for his mother like Lelouch had, for Milly. It was all in the little motions, in the way that Lelouch curled around Suzaku.

He looked up as he heard Gawain pick up his pace, the black horse cantering away. Rivalz didn't bother to try and keep up. Lelouch would wait for him, Rivalz was sure of it. Lelouch needed time alone to come to terms with his decision, which left Rivalz time to plan out how he was going to get his mother to Nippon. There were too many factors to consider and then his promise to Lelouch. It might be a long time before he was able to return to Ashingford. None of the stories had anything positive to say about those who journeyed away from home. Often, they never came back.

Rivalz swallowed and kicked the blue roan forward. He didn't want to linger on the idea for too long. It was easier to just focus on their next step and the immediate danger. Better to look out of guard than to worry about how to keep Suzaku alive after Lelouch was gone.

He scanned the horizon, one hand on his horse's neck in case he felt himself slip. The blue roan was nothing like Gawain, she was slimmer and not as smooth. But he liked her well enough. Rivalz leaned over, choosing to pat the horse further up her neck. "Take care of me and I'll take care of you, alright?"

He got a snort in return, Rivalz not sure what the answer meant. He patted her neck one last time before sitting back, wincing at the jolt of his horse's canter.

Milly leaned against the balustrade, looking down at the bustling courtyard. Her grandfather's war stories made more sense now, their sense of bustle and rush. Milly herself could feel the energy from where she was and it made her want to join the rest of the Ashingford men. She didn't know how Nunnally remained still, not when she could see blue, black and gold mingling below. Then again, Nunnally had always been the calm one.

She drummed her fingers against the stones. There was nothing that she could do at the moment, just wait and watch. Nunnally had already delivered their battle plan. Milly had watched Nunnally shine in that moment, like Marianne had come back to life. Milly sighed and leaned forward into the wind, enjoying the cold breeze.

It meant that a storm was coming, which would keep them inside. Their guards would move no matter what, but the demon and Rivalz would probably stop. They would get the jump on them and the stress on Nunnally would end. She still had yet to figure out a way to convince the people that Rivalz was innocent shy of a pardon. The only one that her people would accept would be from the emperor, and he would never pardon a magician. Milly sighed and hung her head. If she could fix Nunnally's problem, then maybe she could fix her own.

Another blast of wind had her leaning back again. Milly shivered and glanced back toward the inside of the keep. She would go in soon; Nunnally would want to go to mass to pray for the guards and then dinner. Then the two of them would busy as they planned out their next move. She wasn't quite sure what that would be; Nunnally was the mastermind of their plans. Maybe then she could figure out what to do with Rivalz.

She went to walk back into the castle when she saw one of the guards point at something in the distance. Milly couldn't see what they were pointing at because it was blocked by the keep. It didn't stop her from leaning out as far as she could in an attempt to see what had been spotted. It was rare that visitors came north so close to the winter. Milly was tempted to run down and see who was approaching, but that would mean leaving Nunnally.

Milly glanced at the courtyard one last time before picking up her skirts and running inside. If Nunnally was following her usual schedule, then she would be in the solar, listening to the last business of the day. Nunnally wouldn't be disturbed in her solar unless it was of the utmost importance. Milly was willing to guess that people approaching Avalon was news enough.

Servants pressed themselves against the walls as she ran past. They were surprised to see her running more than anything else. Ladies had to act a certain way. The daughter of the Lord of Ashingford was expected to conform to those same standards and Milly enjoyed flaunting them. She shouted an apology to them, reaching out to grab a corner to study herself on a turn.

She slowed down as she approached the solar. She could hear the clerk's voice as he read off the accounts. Milly straightened her skirts and walked into the room. As she expected, Nunnally held up her hand to keep her back. Milly nodded and took a step back, listening as the clerk finished off the next few lines. Nunnally raised her head and spoke softly. "That's enough for now, but stay here. Milly?"

Nunnally turned her head as Milly stepped forward. Milly smiled at Nunnally, crouching down beside her. "Nunnally, the news will come soon with the guards, along with confirmation, but someone is approaching Avalon. A large group." She felt Nunnally flinch under her hand, Milly giving Nunnally's shoulder a quick squeeze for comfort. "Where do you want me?"

"Here." Nunnally motioned to her side, at the chair there.

Milly bowed and took her seat as Nunnally motioned for the clerk to continue. Milly settled back in the chair, listening to the cadence of the clerk's voice, but not the words. Her full attention was on the hallway, listening for the sound of the guards.

She didn't have to wait long, the clerk barely getting through the next line of figures before there was shouting in the hall. Milly covered her mouth as the shouts got louder, only returning to her position as one guard knocked on the door. Nunnally held up her hand to the clerk again, Milly watching as she took a deep breath. "Come in."

"Apologies my lady." The guard bowed as he entered. "But the forward scouts of the archbishop's party have arrived. They say that the rest of the party will be arriving within the day tomorrow."

"That's earlier than expected."

"The weather has been good, but that may change in the night."

"I have seen that." Nunnally gestured toward the window where the clouds were gathering. She sighed and gestured for the guard to leave. "Thank you. Make your preparations and I'll see to mine."

The guard bowed again and left the room. Milly watched as Nunnally turned to the clerk. "Please see to the preparations. They need to be finished by tomorrow."

The man backed out of the room, Milly hearing him begin to give out orders. She shook her head at some of the urgency in the man's voice. She turned to look at Nunnally, watching as he friend played with the end of her hair. Milly was about to urge her to speak when Nunnally looked up.

"Milly, could you stay close? I'm expecting hellfire and reminders of damnation from the archbishop when he arrives. It's his favorite topic."

"Of course I will. Me and Euphemia, you said we were your council." Milly reached out to pat his arm. "Tell me where you want me to stand and I'll adjust for decoration."

Nunnally nodded, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "The guards will move out tonight and the archbishop's men will replace them. But we can't let the archbishop get to the demon first or we will lose everything."

Milly stared at Nunnally, not sure how to take what she had said. It was the most lively that she had seen Nunnally on the subject. At a loss of what to do, she nodded and stood up. At least they were in agreement about the archbishop. They were so close to getting Rivalz back, and she didn't want to fail now. If they failed, then she didn't know what she would do, but it would probably be a stupid move.

Milly walked out into the bustle of the hallway. She looked around before heading back to the balcony. She would remain outside until dark fell or it started to rain. Milly wanted to enjoy what she could before she was confined to the castle until the snow cleared. When that happened, she wanted to know that Rivalz was safe.

Luciano hung the last of his traps up and stretched, glancing over at the window. There was still enough time to buy some more supplies as he was running low. He didn't want to dig into his winter store. Besides, there was probably some business to stir up. There were a few rich men that would be interested in the furs that he had from the last season that were still in good shape. The rest he would send out with the furs from the new season, and none of them would know. For all of their education, the rich were stupid.

He walked out of his house, nodding his head as he passed a few people that he knew. The rest of the town was probably in the center, gathering what they could before whatever was weighing the clouds down finally broke. It could be anything this close to winter; rain, snow or hail. Whatever the case, Luciano wanted to be home before then. He didn't feel like shivering through the night quite yet.

He made his way down toward the center of Stowden, lifting his head slightly when he caught the scent of something cooking. Luciano dropped his hand to his purse. If it was cooking at the Eagle's Perch, then he would eat there. Anything from the Eagle's Perch was far better than what he had gotten while in Pendragon. It would be worth his time and money.

Put in a good mood by the prospect of good food, Luciano hummed under his breath. He picked up his pace, almost missing the sound of hoof beats until the horses were nearly on top of them.

Luciano jumped to the side with a curse, more for himself than for the riders. After being out of the Rounds for so long, he was becoming soft. That would be bad for the upcoming season, especially when he had to chase down his prey. Luciano ducked his head as the two horses passed; only looking up when he was sure that they had moved away from him.

He froze in place as he stared at the horses. The blue roan and rider weren't familiar to him, but the black and his rider they knew all too well. Apparently, a good dinner was not his only bit of luck.

Lelouch had just ridden into town.

Luciano quickly smothered a laugh. Chasing down that wolf wouldn't be too hard after all. He would only have to take a few traps in the woods and fields around Stowden and he would have Lelouch. Calares would stop bothering him and Luciano could enjoy his life in his small town. And the price he would fetch from Calares for Lelouch's pelt would be enormous, even more so if he could get Suzaku as well.

Luciano chuckled to himself and stepped out into the street again, keeping one eye on the horse. Lelouch's horse was a common enough breed in the north, but horses were rare in Stowden. There were a few rich peasants, but only one with enough money to afford to keep a horse of that breed. It would be easy enough to track the two of them.

He followed them at a distance, keeping close until they reached the barn close to the one inn in town. The barn had been built when there were still some people who hoped that the nobles would return to construct great villas in the mountains and bring business back. As it was, the inn at Stowden was running only because it was more tavern than inn.

Lelouch and his travelling companion entered the barn, not bothering to stop off at the inn. Luciano doubted that it would matter in the end. The owners probably didn't remember that the barn was their property, not unless their sharp-minded daughter took action. In any case, his prey would be settling in for the night. If he remembered the curse right, come sunset Lelouch would leave the other and retreat a good distance from them. Then he could act. Suzaku would have to wait until morning; he would be more valuable as an eagle.

He turned on his heel and started back to his house. Dinner at the Eagle's Perch could wait until his traps were set. If everything went right he wouldn't even have to go out. Lelouch would stumble right into the traps.

"Luciano!" He slowed down at the hail, smiling at one of his best costumers in Stowden. The man jerked his head in the direction of the tavern. "Aren't you coming? They've been saving this pig for before the first big snow."

"Later. I have a request from the lady of Avalon, but it shouldn't take me too long."

The man laughed. "You are far too serious. It's always all work with you. If that's the case, then maybe I can convince you to sell to me."

"I still have a few pelts left over, but only the best. I promise."

They laughed, the man sending him off with a wave. Luciano shook his head and continued on. There were a few wolf pelts that he wanted to get rid of, the ones that wouldn't match Lelouch's pelt. Calares was sure to ant to show off his victory and Luciano was merely playing the part of a good businessman by doing his best to facilitate that need. That he was proving himself valuable was more important. Valuable meant that he would be kept alive. Valuable meant that he could continue along in Calares' favor. Valuable was the key and Luciano specialized in the art.