Chapter Ten: Desperate Measures

"If you believe in life, Litavis, you must believe that all evil passes. If you believe hard enough, then what you most desire will come to be."
– The King of Bro Arc'hant, Peter Berresford Ellis

Milly fidgeted in the war room, trying not to pay attention to Nunnally and Euphemia's quiet conversation. Nunnally's plans for her future had gone beyond what Milly could help with. She didn't know the families that the two were talking about; her knowledge was confined to the north and the nobles there. Unfortunately, all the nobles that were still left in the north were all loyal to Emperor Vincent and all believed that the emperor's continuous routing of magic users would keep them safe. It was enough to make Milly want to laugh.

Their problems had nothing to do with magicians or witches and everything to do with harsh winters and attacks by the few remaining members of the clans that had been driven into the mountains, though the latter had slowed down over the years. If any of them married into the vi Britannia family, then Nunnally would immediately by shoved to the side and forced to take her proper place. If Nunnally couldn't fight that invasion, then neither could Milly.

She sighed and glanced out the small window, watching the sunlight play over the corner of the garden she could see from where she sat. The weather was getting chillier now, dipping down towards the temperatures that would bring snow. What Milly wanted more than anything was to go to the stables and take her horse out for a ride, but she was sure to be stopped before she left the courtyard.

Jeremiah had talked to Nunnally the night before, revealing the news from Stowden and then confined them to the castle and the village in case the demon was already close to Avalon. Milly understood the need for their confinement, but chafed under it.

She was used to being able to do whatever she wished. Her mother rarely cared as long as she had a proper escort. Her father was too busy trying to settle his debts and invite rich nobles to marry her. Milly didn't mind the latter, not when she was guaranteed a good time with the few men that came to court her. Her father seemed to be aiming for southern boys, which meant that few of them wanted to come up to the north and Milly's mother didn't want to risk her going down to Pendragon. There were too many rumors of war that her mother didn't like. Milly didn't care either way, although it meant that she would be stuck at Ashingford until she was an old spinster, but that suited her just fine. Ashingford didn't need a lord and lady who would run it into the ground again.

Milly set down her stylus, staring at the blank wax tablet in front of her. What she should have been doing was working out a way to pardon Rivalz when he was brought back to her, although it was probably better to prepare Rivalz for a fair trail. Either way, Milly wasn't sure if she could win her case. She rubbed her hands over her face, trying to pull her thoughts in order.

She still wanted to help Rivalz to prove to herself that she could do something other than bask in the luxuries that her father brother in. Milly knew that she could, but saving a condemned man was completely different than avoiding a party. For one, it was a grander gesture. For another, it would enforce the knowledge that she would look out for her people. The problem was that she didn't know if they would want Rivalz back.

Without the business with the demon, Milly would have said yes. Rivalz had committed a minor offense of stealing. It would have been easier to trace the offense back and find the rich man who had sent Rivalz to Avalon. But Rivalz had been seen with Lelouch, he had become Lelouch's apprentice in the rumors. There was no way to separate Rivalz from the magic that he had been rumored to have anymore. Writing to the emperor would get her nowhere, not with the sermon she had listened to the night before. What little tolerance the emperor had for magic was gone completely.

She could try to sneak him back into Ashingford, but he would be found eventually. Or her decision would be overturned completely, because she was just a woman. According to many sources, she wasn't in full control of herself.

Milly pressed her fingers against the table, stopping herself from reaching for her stylus and throwing it across the room. It wouldn't be the proper thing to do in the face of her dilemma, and it would disturb Nunnally and Euphemia. Milly didn't want to explain her situation to them, because the answer would come out the same either way. It would be safer to spirit Rivalz away somewhere, even to fake his death if she had to. She couldn't accept that an answer though, it meant that she had failed. She had promised his mother that he would be able to return home, not to some foreign country. She wouldn't lose only Rivalz if he left, but the one cloth maker in Ashingford would be lost as well because she would go with her son.

She pressed her fingers to her forehead, letting out a long sigh. There had to be an alternative. Nunnally had found one with her situation. It was still marriage, but it was one that would get Nunnally everything that she wanted. And the whole of the north was sure to hear how the lady of Avalon handled the situation with the demon. There had to be something like that for her, but marriage wouldn't get her anything but a favor. No favor was big enough to allow the emperor to overlook Rivalz's use of magic.

She wasn't aware that she had groaned until Nunnally and Euphemia looked up. Milly blushed but refused to look away, hiding her chagrin with a smile. "I'm guessing the two of you are having better luck?"

"Passably." Nunnally looked back down at the wax tablet that she and Euphemia were working from. "It's easy when only two of the families have marriageable sons."

"Gino Weinberg is no longer available?"

"Outwardly yes." Euphemia smirked. "But he's been lurking around the Statdfeld house recently. There might be a match there, so it's better to avoid a misunderstanding."

Euphemia leaned back over the tablet, poking at Nunnally's arm until her cousin surrendered the stylus. Milly watched as Euphemia began to write quickly, amazed at the speed. It was a small distraction from the way that Nunnally stared at her. She was aware that she was just stalling until Nunnally lost her patience and began to ask questions. It was a wonder how much Nunnally had blossomed during the entire affair; Milly had just never expected it to be turned on her.

Milly tried to fiddle with her stylus, pretending that her attention had gone back to her task. Her apparent distraction did not fool Nunnally; Milly could still feel her friend's gaze on the side of her neck. Finally, she looked up and shrugged. "I can't think of a way to get Rivalz back to Ashingford."

Nunnally dropped her gaze, a sure sign that she was holding back a comment that she knew Milly didn't want to hear. It didn't matter to Milly, because she could guess what it was. She saw Euphemia look up briefly, a confirmation that Euphemia was paying attention as well. Neither of them offered up a solution, because it was the same either way. Milly groaned and pushed her hair back from her face, wincing when her fingers got tangled in a knot.

She pulled her fingers free of the snarl, setting her hand down on the table so she wouldn't be tempted to set her hair to rights. It would be another distraction, and then she would get nowhere. If nothing was ready by the time that the demon was caught, then she had wasted her time convincing Nunnally to let Rivalz go back to Ashingford with her. It would be kinder to Rivalz to have him hang in Avalon rather than get his hopes up.

A touch to her hand made her look down; watching as Nunnally gently squeezed her hand. "Milly, I truly am sorry about Rivalz and, this may sound bad, but he is only one person. The fact that you've tried so hard must count for something."

Milly shook her head. The effort counted for very little, it was the result that mattered. The people around Ashingford would love her for trying so hard for one of their own, if it had been anyone but a magician. And, even if she proved that she would go through such lengths for all of them, a constant failure to save what was hers meant nothing.

Her reasoning went beyond the practical as well. She had spent so long living in a mind set where everything that Rivalz had done was important, because anything could mean getting him back, that she felt that she knew him. It was stupid, because Milly was very much aware of the fact that she hardly knew Rivalz Cardemonde at all. He had always been one of the servants lurking in the shadows, if not one of the more helpful ones. To her knowledge, the Ashingford steward had never shouted at him to stop lazing about or complained about him.

Better yet, he wasn't one of the people who just stared at her during the parties and feasts that her family held. There were always the noblemen and rich peasants who would just stare at her the entire time, looking that were heavy with expectation rather than admiration. Rivalz would just glance at her and smile, which meant more than the stares that she was usually given. He probably didn't bother to look because he was just another servant, but Milly appreciated it.

There were thousands of other little things that Milly half remembered, tiny little incidents that had never amounted to much or would do much to prove that Rivalz wasn't a magician. But they reminded her that he had been there for her, so she had to return the favor. There was no option for failure.

Milly looked up at the sound of tapping, tensing when she realized that Euphemia was staring at her. It wasn't quite at her, the vacant look in Euphemia's eyes telling Milly that she was staring through her. Milly cleared her throat, surprised when the tapping stopped abruptly. Euphemia blinked before breaking out into a smile, Milly not sure what to think of the reaction. It was probably a plan that Euphemia had thought up to help Nunnally's problem, but not her own.

Euphemia held up the stylus, using the tool to point at Milly. "You are sure that he isn't a magician."

"Yes." Milly slumped forward. "The captain of the Ashingford guard reported his initial arrest as theft, which would have lost him a hand. By the morning, he had been accused of magic and taken off to Avalon."

"None of this passed by your family?"

"That I know of."

"Then start there." Euphemia beamed at her, the expression not wavering even when Milly shook her head. Euphemia reached forward, tapping on the table with the stylus. "The law for the realm is that all accusations of magic should be brought to the church or the lord of the land, or the steward if the lord is not available. The accusation is final in most cases, but there have been some that have been tossed aside as jealousy or someone trying to steal land. Most of them actually, but most lords don't want to bother with looking into the lives of the peasants. Since no one in authority was notified of Rivalz's accusation until after he had been moved, the charge of magic became null and void. His only crime is theft, which is far more forgivable."

Milly stared at Euphemia for a moment, nodding along slowly. Euphemia made sense, although most of what she was talking about was far above what the peasants usually cared about. But it would be enough for any of the other nobles who demanded to know why Rivalz hadn't hanged yet, enough for her own parents.

She looked over at Nunnally, surprised to see her friend shaking her head. Nunnally motioned at the table and the little markers that showed where their guards were. "You'll still get caught up in this. The rumors have tied Rivalz with the demon."

"So we just untangle them." Milly pushed her chair back, beginning to circle around the room as she talked. "People assume that they are in league with each other because they are both magicians. Well, Rivalz isn't a magician. We'll have a trial to prove that."

"But that won't prove it to the people."

"It will if he says that he went with the demon because he was under a spell." Milly stopped her circling, leaning on the table. "After all, everyone knows magicians can control minds. The demon controlled Suzaku Kururugi's mind until his death, right?" She didn't wait for Nunnally to nod, already circling again. "The demon needed another servant since Suzaku was dead; a ghost can't make that good of a servant right? So, if he was under a spell, he's an innocent victim instead of a malicious perpetrator. An arrangement could be made by the trial to keep Rivalz the use of his hand as long as his pay goes to the man he had wronged…with a good amount reduced, since false accusations were made."

Nunnally was frowning. "Nobody will believe it."

"They will if Lelouch says it himself." She saw Nunnally wince at her brother's name. Milly sighed and went to kneel by Nunnally's side, carefully placing her hands on the armrests of Nunnally's chair. "Demon or not, he's still your brother, the same one who would do anything for you. Get whatever confession you want out of him, but make him agree to free Rivalz. Make it a request from his little sister instead of the lady of Avalon and he will give in. Do it as a favor, Nunnally."

"I…" Nunnally looked around the room, her gaze lingering on anything but Milly. After a few moments of silence, Nunnally slumped and nodded. "I will do my best. I'm not sure if he will listen to me."

"Try is all I ask." The nod she got was not encouraging, but it was a nod nonetheless.

Milly stood up and went back to her seat, picking up her stylus and beginning her own nervous rhythm. The idea would have to be introduced to her parents soon so they wouldn't forbid it out of surprise. Milly was sure that they would argue against it, but it would be easy to goad her father into going along with her plans. A timely reminder of what her grandfather would have done always worked well for her. Then she would need their steward to start looking into matters, so all was ready when Rivalz returned.

She finally had a plan and Milly was so giddy with relief that she could laugh. She wanted to, but she could feel Nunnally's sad stare on her side, something that Milly intended to ignore. Nunnally meant well, Milly was sure of it, but she was not going to be stopped on this. Nunnally didn't quite understand because she was adored by the people. The residents of Ashingford preferred Milly over her parents, but that wasn't enough. They would never stand by her as the people of Avalon would and Milly intended to change that. If her grandfather had done it, there was no reason that she couldn't. Then, no matter what her parents did, she would be fine. She would have a bright future if she had to drag it in herself.

"It's appalling what has happened here."

Calares nodded, tuning out what else the archbishop of Pendragon had to say. Instead, he distracted himself by looking around the village, hoping to catch sight of something to distract the archbishop with.

Instead of waiting, as Calares had thought he would do, the archbishop had insisted that they ride for Stowden as soon as their breakfast was finished. Apparently, waiting to cleanse the village of evil influences couldn't wait. The archbishop had given him a long winded explanation that Calares had mostly tuned out, but had gotten the basic thought behind it. Because the demon was loose in the countryside, it was better to cleanse quickly and leave an area that the demon would no longer be able to return to. Calares had his doubts about the effectiveness of the plan, considering that it was based on the latest fad in Pendragon and the fact that a simple blessing had never stopped Lelouch before, nor any other magician. But it made the people relax, Calares could see it in the way that more were coming out of their houses and conducting their business.

At least the trip had managed to clear the fear from Stowden.

It had also given him the chance to examine the body to be sure that it was Luciano Bradley and not a case of mistaken identity. Calares sighed and looked at the cart that they were borrowing, Luciano's body already loaded on with a shroud over it. At least he was spared the bother of having to deal with the man himself, although he keenly felt the lack of a tool at his disposal. He would have to find others that he could spirit away from Pendragon or provide safety for. The clans were already massing in the south, maybe it would be a good time to try and welcome some up north, just to make sure that he would continue to have the advantage. There were plenty of abandoned villas in the mountains that they could use as bases.

"Am I right?"

He shook himself out of his reverie in time to nod. "Of course your grace."

The archbishop puffed himself up with the reply, continuing his leisurely stroll through Stowden. "Then again, I would have expected it from a place like this; the demon's influence has spread into the very soil of this place. No wonder so few magicians are caught here. It's through no fault of your own, Calares, but of that demon. First, he corrupted the emperor's own brother and then killed his mother. Everything is broken up here for sure."

"We are in the process of fixing it."

"And you are doing fine job of it." Calares grunted as his shoulder was slapped. He rubbed it surreptitiously, trying to ease the ache. The archbishop didn't notice, but kept gesturing around the village. "I must admit that the way you keep your church concerns me, but in the face of all of this, I see now why you have let it fall by the wayside. Catching the demon is more important, and something that the emperor wants to see finished."

He went quiet as they walked past a few of the guards that had drifted away from their position to help the people of Stowden. Calares watched the archbishop eye the two uniforms that the guards wore, sniffing haughtily before walking away quickly. He didn't resume his tirade until they were well past the guards. "But I don't trust this plan that Lady Nunnally has concocted. There's too much at stake to be left to chance."

"I agree." There was nothing else that Calares could say, whether it was the truth or not. "But I do not intend to let them go alone. There should be someone on the field from the church and I will go. Someone has to protect the guards and nullify the magic."

His answer made the archbishop smile. Apparently, that was all he had been trying to get from Calares to say. Calares tried his best not to flinch when the archbishop rested a hand on his shoulder. He put on his best mild expression, allowing himself to be pushed over to where their horses and small group of guards were waiting for them "Good. I would go myself, but I want to keep moving. I want to start confessions two days from now. I will move on across the north from there. I will not get caught up in another winter here. I still remember the one that I experienced as a novice, and it was horrible. I don't know how you survive up here; it would reduce most sane men to animals."

Calares cleared his throat. "It's not all that bad, your grace. There are things in life that you must get used to."

The archbishop shook his head, obviously not agreeing with him. The archbishop was from one of the richest families in Britannia, one that had been in the favor of the royal family for a while now. Calares doubted that the archbishop had ever suffered real hardship, even with the one northern winter that he had suffered through. Calares doubted that the archbishop had even been up that far in the north, none of the southern bishops enjoyed staying farther north than Pendragon during the winter.

He reached out for the reins of his horse, pulling the animal away from the archbishop. Calares swung up into the saddle with ease, carefully staring straight ahead as the archbishop struggled to get on his horse. It would be better not to watch the man's struggle onto the animal, because there was bound to be a lecture about showing the proper piety, even though the archbishop would never give up riding on his horse. That was a matter of station.

It was better to use the time to plan ahead. The archbishop would demand a mass before the confessions, a last great celebration before he left to continue to the next bishopric. There were two others in the north, but neither as close to the mountains as Avalon. The emperor had picked the perfect spot to exile his brother to. The archbishop had every chance of leaving before the snows piled up too high for anyone to travel.

Calares was sure that the archbishop would be relating harrowing tales of how he and his party fought through deep snows to get to the bishoprics below the capital to southern ladies within a month. Four months later, he would probably make it to where Schneizel was talking with the clans and trying to make some sort of peace with them. And then they would have to brace for what repercussions would come of that move.

Calares was sure that there would be a call for the nobles to assemble their armies. Schneizel was good at negotiating peace terms that would make everyone happy, but the emperor's involvement would just lead to war. Calares couldn't image Emperor Vincent going anywhere without his trusted Knights of the Round, and he was just as sure that the order would eventually go through to start exterminating those in the clans presumed to be witches. The peace negotiations would crumble and the rest of the nobles would have the distasteful task of providing the army that the emperor would use to stamp them out once and for all.

If such an attack were to happen, Calares was sure that there would be retaliation from the clans that still lived in the mountains, but the emperor wouldn't bother with them. The clans near Avalon were supposed to be Charles' problem, so it fell to Nunnally to keep them from war. That was the one thing Calares was sure that Nunnally could do well. She didn't have the stomach for combat, which meant that she would do anything to stay out of it.

He turned to look at the archbishop as the man finished heaving himself into the saddle. The archbishop pulled at his robes to get them resettled, giving Calares a baleful look. "It would be safer for these people closer to Avalon."

"Stowden was build before Avalon, it was meant to be the gateway into the mountains." Calares looked over his shoulder. Even on a clear day, no one could see the villas that the first nobles had attempted to build. They were all tucked away in the mountains, placed in what looked like strategic points. Maybe they could reuse them again one day, fortify the ruins and launch an attack against the country that bordered Britannia to the north. It was a thought to push along to the emperor as soon his business to the south was done. After all, he wanted to get rid of all magicians and there were still quite a few that were hidden away in the mountains.

Calares tapped his heels against the side of his horse, turning its head towards the road. Behind him, he could hear their guards mounting up. He was slightly appalled at the laziness of the men, but there were other guards around them, a few just double checking that the demon had really left Stowden. Calares had heard snippets of a discussion between the leader of the group and one of the villagers about sending out a guard to track the demon.

"The point still stands." Calares started as the archbishop rode up on his left. The man took a deep breath, leaning back on his horse like he was sitting in a chair. "It would be far safer to bring all of them to Avalon. No one is going into the mountains anyway. Resettle the people closer to safety."

He nodded like he was considering the question. Calares was sure that the archbishop would point the idea out to Nunnally, just as he was sure that she would reject it out of hand. There was no reason to uproot and entire village and move them closer to Avalon. The death of one trapper, a man that Calares would have had killed anyway, was not worth the risk. If the people of Stowden really believed that they were in danger, they would request guards before moving away entirely. It was not as dangerous as the archbishop obviously though it was.

Calares wished that he could point that out, just to keep the archbishop from bringing the idea up to anyone but him or Nunnally. The two of them knew how to handle unwanted advice. People like Jeremiah would just fly off the handle, and then Calares would have to deal with the fall out.

He winced as the archbishop launched into another diatribe about the people of Stowden, quickly returning to his favorite topic; the existence of the clans and why they should be wiped out. Calares rolled his eyes, staring up at the clear sky for a moment before lowering his eyes to the horizon. At least that had a deadline now, he just had to make it through two more days. Two more days, and then the archbishop would be gone and the demon would be as good as caught.

C.C. could see Rivalz wavering in the saddle, looking like he was going to come off any minute. She sighed, ready to slow Lancelot down, maybe even ask the grey horse to stop. If Rivalz wasn't going to be able to stay on the horse, then he might as well ride in the wagon. She didn't want to stop if he fell off, because she was bound not to notice until he had been left behind. They were already eating into their little bit of advantage that they could get.

Suzaku was human by night, but he couldn't move. If he rode out with Gawain, he would lose Lelouch until the next morning. She knew Suzaku enough that, no matter what his hurry was, he was not going to let Lelouch wander off on his own. Especially not after the incident at Stowden.

She had slipped through the village in the early morning, apparently just after the body had been discovered. There had been a group of villagers that had tried to convince her that it wouldn't be worth the risk to continue on the route that she had chosen because the demon had been spotted riding off that way, and he had killed. Surely there were other routes that she could take.

C.C. had just given them a lie about a dying relative and not having the time. She hadn't wanting them looking too long inside the cart or at the horses. That would have gotten her in trouble quickly. At the same time, the trouble that Suzaku and Lelouch had caused at Stowden had been to her favor. It had given her the chance to catch up.

"If you're not going to make it, hurry up and get in."

Rivalz blinked at her, slowly shaking his head. "I'm fine."

"You look like you're about to fall off."

"I'm not going to." As if to prove his point, he sat up. C.C. didn't miss the way that he grabbed for a handful of mane, probably to keep himself upright. When she glanced back up at his face, Rivalz rolled his eyes. "How much farther?"

C.C. sighed and shrugged. She couldn't exactly track from a wagon, but there was only one route that Lelouch would have taken to Avalon. It was easier to travel by the river; there was a road and no people travelling. People rarely used the road after the river began to freeze.

It was frozen now, a ribbon of white to their right as they traveled south to Avalon. C.C. wasn't about to trust it, even if they needed to run from Avalon. During the winter, it was best to avoid the river altogether and sneak through the forest. The ice wouldn't hold anything heavy, certainly not anything that they would have with them.

In any case, Lelouch wouldn't have struck out for the plains, not when there had been guards all along the road towards the middle of the day. Rivalz had taken to riding between her cart and the river, hunched over and coughing. None of the guards had wanted to come close to him because of that. Taking off into the plains would be seen as odd, especially when there was a good road that led right to Avalon. Guards would go after anything that looked odd. C.C. just hoped that they were getting close to where Lelouch had chosen to camp for the night.

Rivalz rocked on his mare, the horse snorting and sidling away from the cart. For a moment, C.C. was afraid that he was going to fall off, but then the mare stopped. She was about to snap at Rivalz to get into the cart, when she saw someone was holding his horse.

C.C. tightened her hold on the reins, about to urge Lancelot into a canter when the person peered around the mare. She let out a sigh, not surprised when Lancelot abandoned the road to go sniff at Suzaku.

Suzaku laughed, holding onto Rivalz's mare with one hand while he used the other to pet the grey. C.C. peered down at him, watching his arm move. "How's the shoulder?"

"Stiff, but I can use it. Thank you."

"Anything to keep Lelouch happy." She pulled her blanket closer around her shoulders. With how cold it was getting at night, C.C. was sure that it was going to snow soon. She wanted to be somewhere with a roof long before that happened. C.C. had spent far too many of her days slogging through snow in nothing but rags, she was used to a little comfort. "Now, where have you camped? I'm freezing."

Suzaku turned with a nod, still holding onto the mare's reins. By the way Rivalz seemed to be slumped over the saddle; it was a good thing too. C.C. was sure that he was about to just fall off the horse and sleep where he fell. Then they would have to scoop him up and put him in the cart. And she needed him awake to appeal to Suzaku, he had gotten used to ignoring her.

She clucked to Lancelot, the grey following behind the mare as Suzaku led them a little ways off the road. The cart bumped and rattled a bit over the roots of the trees as they moved under them, C.C. getting a glimpse of light from a fire. She couldn't see Lelouch or hear him, but she could see the shadow of Gawain as he moved around on his tether. The black horse would be very happy now that he had company.

She pulled Lancelot to a stop, hopping down from her place and busying herself with getting the horses put away. Off to one side, she could hear brief moments of conversation as Suzaku took care of Rivalz. She thought she heard someone laugh, but she didn't bother to look over her shoulder. Her full attention was trying to see where Lelouch was. There wasn't enough cover for a wolf, which meant that Lelouch had tried to distance himself from the humans. That Suzaku had not gone with him meant that Lelouch had taken a route that Suzaku couldn't follow, probably across the river.

C.C. tied the bay off, checking her knot before walking over to the fire and claiming a spot for herself. Rivalz was already curled up on his side and tucked under a blanket, dead to the world. She was considering kicking him awake when Suzaku came and sat by the fire, wrapped up in his ever present cloak. She sighed and pulled her blanket into a more comfortable position, eying Suzaku.

He didn't look any different to her eyes, just the same kind of tired he had always been since they had rescued her. Exhausted and resigned, which meant that he would be sticking to Lelouch's decision. C.C. resisted the urge to nudge Rivalz awake. He needed sleep as well, and perhaps it would be better to work as a team instead of coming at Suzaku all at once. What they needed to do was wear him down, and it didn't look like it would take much to do so.

She cleared her throat, Suzaku looking up at the sound. For a moment, he looked nervous before he shook his head. "I would go and catch something for you, but I must have eaten on my way up. Don't know how, game is starting to get scarce."

"Usually Lelouch would have moved the two of you to a warmer place by now, so he could keep the both of you fed." As expected, he just shrugged. C.C. dropped her gaze to the fire, watching the embers. "Then again, there's no point for him to make the trip and then come back by himself."

"He wouldn't be able to, I wouldn't let him."

"It's not a matter of you letting him. It's the matter of him letting you." She chuckled at the look on Suzaku's face. "You both are too stubborn for your own good."

"That's not a bad thing. If we weren't, we'd still be waiting."

"Yes, but you wouldn't be walking to your deaths." That got a flinch out of Suzaku. She leaned forward, pushing a stick further into the fire. There was a crackle as a larger log was tipped over, the two of them looking over at Rivalz. The man just grumbled and disappeared further under the blanket. C.C. didn't take her eyes from him as she spoke. "I never thought you would be the one to do that, when it involved Lelouch."

"What makes you think that I'm going to let him kill Calares?"

"What makes you think that you can stop him?" She looked back over at Suzaku in time to see him flinch. C.C. leaned forward, done feeling out the territory. "As soon as the sun rises you can't protect him. Yes, you will get angry, but that is because you're an animal. They threaten what is yours and you attack, there's no middle ground. You won't stay and fight if you are threatened, you will run. The same goes for Lelouch, if he isn't killed on sight. No matter how much you try to convince yourself otherwise, Lelouch will be the one to attempt the kill, and he will die. And there will be nothing you can do about it."

Suzaku shook his head, although he didn't bother to deny what she said verbally. He would fight her until the end for Lelouch, she was sure of that. All she had to do was to get him desperate enough to take any chance that he could. He was a guard first, Lelouch's guard, before anything else. "There's a way for you to help him."

"A night without a day and a day without a night, right?" Suzaku snorted. "What help is that?"

"That is a spell that was written down after only existing through word of mouth for years. And it is old." C.C. huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's an eclipse, Suzaku, and it took me a few months to figure out when. If the eclipse happens, then there is no sun, but there won't be a moon."

Suzaku started at her for a moment, obviously thinking hard. He jerked upright when he caught up to her. "I would be human."

"Yes, but Lelouch wouldn't be a wolf. You could be there, guarding his back."

"And then curse would be broken."

"No, but you could break it." C.C. poked at the fire again, leaning back to avoid the sparks. "Then all you need to do is stand in front of Calares had draw attention to his crimes. It's simpler than the concoction that I have to make."

Suzaku eyed her warily before sitting back. "So, we wait for the eclipse-"

"No. Neither of you can work magic, so I have to work around that." C.C. didn't elaborate. Suzaku might back down if he knew the extent of what she was going to do. "As I said, the combination of curses put the two of you was complicated."

"Right. You work out your side of this, and then we wait for the eclipse. Then we just stand in front of Calares without being killed, and it'll all be over?"

C.C. nodded, leaving Suzaku to think that over. She knew that the idea of being able to defend Lelouch appealed to Suzaku, even he was still skeptical about the curse being broken. Despite Suzaku's familiarity with magic, he wasn't studied in the way that magic worked in Britannia; all he knew was that the clans had to work at it. Still, it was a far better view than Lelouch, who had every reason to hate any solution that used magic. And, from the way that he wasn't trying to argue his point again, she knew that she had him.

It was always a matter of finding out what was important and pressing until the person gave. Niceties and pleading could only get you so far. She had learned that the hard way.

She stood up, reluctant to leave the warmth of the fire, but wanting to get some sleep. There were more blankets in her cart, enough to provide padding and warmth for her to sleep for a few hours. She wanted to be up before the sun rose to make sure that Suzaku wouldn't change his mind. They would need to assure Lelouch that Suzaku was with them before doing anything; it was the sure way to get him.

C.C. adjusted her blanket, nodding towards Rivalz. "Don't let him sleep long, or he'll be useless tomorrow when we turn for the plains."

"Already?"

"We have a schedule to keep if we want to be in Avalon by the time of the eclipse. I can't plot out the next one with what I have here, but I can already tell you that it would be at least two more years of waiting. I don't think Lelouch has the patience for that." She threw a look back over her shoulder, ready to deliver the coup de grâce. "And you know that Lelouch has already made arrangements."

"For what?"

"For you." She saw Suzaku flinch, even as he stared at her. His expression was hopeful, like he was sure that she would explain more, but C.C. guessed that he had already figured it out. It was just like Suzaku to be stupidly loyal. She huffed, using one hand to gesture over at Rivalz. "He was asked to look after you when Lelouch finished with Calares, even to run to Nippon if he had to. If I remember correctly, Rivalz was to keep you there at all costs."

Suzaku clenched his jaw, the only sign that he completely grasped what she was saying. They both knew Lelouch far to well to deny that it would be something that he would do. And C.C. knew Suzaku well enough to know that he wouldn't stand for it. Lelouch was lucky that he and Suzaku couldn't speak face to face, because Suzaku would argue back as long as it took Lelouch to change his mind. She was sure that, in the few notes that that they passed to one another, Lelouch never explained more than he had to, which meant that Suzaku had to follow orders without question.

C.C. looked up as something cold drifted onto her face. She brushed it off, staring at her fingers before looking up at the sky. From the light of the fire and the dim light of the moon, she could see snow starting to fall. The flakes were small and were falling steadily, which meant that they could carry on through the night. C.C. doubted that they would stick for long, it was just too warm for the snow to stick, at least for now. She hoped that it held up long enough for them to break the spell and kill the bishop, the snow would help them get away. Under the cover of a heavy snow C.C. doubted that Lady Nunnally would send guards after them. The demon would disappear just as quickly as he had appeared the first time.

She shivered and turned away from the fire, trudging towards her cart. She was even gladder that she had brought it along now, because she would have cover instead of having to sleep out in the open. C.C. was old enough to appreciate the idea of something over her head and even ground under her back; let Suzaku and Rivalz deal with the gentle fall of snow and the roots that would be poking them in their backs. She was sure that both of them would eventually get a roof over their heads and a solid floor under their feet. C.C. didn't know where she was going to be in the next few years, so she was going to take her comfort where she could get it.

Suzaku stared at the ground, still on his feet from when C.C. had stood up. He heard the cart creak as she got in and the witch's sharp threat to one of the horses. Then there was nothing from her, which meant that she had said everything that she wanted to for him, at least until morning. She had said enough just to set him on edge and then walked away; it was just like her to do that.

He ran a hand through his hair, shaking it out when he was done. Suzaku glanced up at the snow falling down, clenching his hands by his side. What he wanted to do was to ignore what C.C. had said to him for the time being and find Lelouch. There was a chance that he could lure Lelouch closer to their camp so that he wouldn't be left out in the snow when he changed back. The last Suzaku had seen of the wolf had been Lelouch running off towards the river. With the river frozen, Lelouch could have crossed over to the other side, seeking out better places to find more of his kind. Suzaku could only hope that Lelouch hadn't gone too far. If they were on a schedule as C.C. said, they might have to keep Lelouch from wandering off.

Either way, he had to find a way to keep Lelouch close. They had to get to Avalon within a few days for the eclipse and there were guards nearly everywhere now. It was almost like the nights following their escape, when Suzaku had been afraid that a guard would stumble upon him or Lelouch. Either way, they would have been dead if they had been found. At least now Suzaku was better supplied than when they had first ridden away. He could do better than just digging a hole and keeping Lelouch in it for the night.

Suzaku took a step back, sinking into a crouch. A pit was his best bet for catching Lelouch anyway. If he dug it deep enough, Lelouch wouldn't be able to get out until he changed. He wouldn't be able to interrogate Lelouch like he wanted to, not until the spell was broken. He would just have to leave that up to Rivalz and C.C. Suzaku wasn't sure that Rivalz wasn't going to be able to berate Lelouch like he fully deserved, by he was sure that C.C. would be able to do it. As soon as the curse was broken, Lelouch was going to have to sit and listen to him.

If C.C. had not told him, Suzaku would have obeyed Lelouch's order to just continue with their plan. He would have helped Lelouch get into Avalon and had done the best he could to level the field for Lelouch. Then, while he would only be a bird, he would have stood by and waited. Suzaku had thought that the plan had just been that, as soon as the sun set, he would check to see if Calares was still alive and then take care of the last bits of revenge they still had left. But Lelouch had obviously thought different. Like Suzaku could just be expected to leave without a backward glance. He was a loyal soldier to Lelouch, sworn to defend his family. Nunnally had plenty of guards to look after her, Lelouch only had him.

And he only had Lelouch. He had thrown himself into protecting Lelouch to prove that he wasn't his father, that he was loyal to the place that they had found in Britannia. Lelouch knew it. They had spent hours talking after Charles had died, when Suzaku had sworn his loyalty to the family. Even knowing that, Lelouch was willing to send him away, and Suzaku wouldn't have known until it would have been too late.

It just made Suzaku want to scream.

But there were things that needed to be done, and he had to assume that someone would investigate the sound because there were so many guards around. Suzaku had thought that he had managed to get between two groups; they had been spaced almost evenly along the road. And they had been sticking together in groups instead of spreading out as Suzaku thought they would be, especially with the pacing between them. There was a chance that they could slip through the same gap the next day and strike out for Avalon. Suzaku guessed that they were only about a day away from the castle.

He looked over at Rivalz, watching the man sleep. What he should do was wake up Rivalz and get him to help dig a pit for Lelouch. Then again, a pit trap wouldn't be possible when they went to ride into Avalon. Suzaku guessed that they would be going in at night, when there wouldn't be much light for the guards to identify them by. What they needed was a cage for Lelouch, so he could be carried into Avalon safely. Suzaku was sure that C.C. would come up with an appropriate cover story if need be. Lelouch would be inside Avalon when the time came, and so would Suzaku if C.C's magic worked. Building a cage that would be sturdy enough to hold Lelouch for two nights would be the better task to focus on.

Suzaku reached out to tap Rivalz's leg. At first, Rivalz didn't move; it took another tap to get the man to sit up.

Rivalz blinked at him for a moment before yawning. "Is it morning?"

"No." Suzaku glanced up at the sky, not surprised when Rivalz copied him. He tried not to laugh as Rivalz flinched back after flakes of snow landed on his face. He waited until Rivalz was done brushing them off before speaking again. "I need your help. We're building a cage."

Rivalz paused in the act of shaking out his cloak, staring at Suzaku. He hesitated before swinging the cloak over his shoulders and settling it in place. "For you or for Lelouch?"

"Lelouch. I don't trust the guards; they're all jumpy and cold. A pelt would come in handy, especially with it starting to snow, and nobody likes wolves." Suzaku caught the look that Rivalz shot him, choosing to ignore it. The wolf wasn't Lelouch, like the eagle wasn't him. It was just the closest thing he could get to his friend anymore. "And we'll need a way to get him into Avalon."

"I thought that was what I was for."

"And when night falls?" Suzaku waited for Rivalz's answer. He wasn't sure how much C.C. had told Rivalz about breaking the curse, but he doubted that C.C. would have left him in the dark completely. To deal with Lelouch, she would need all of the allies that she could get.

He cleared his throat when Rivalz's silence went on for too long. "You can get anywhere in Avalon, we still need you." Suzaku took a deep breath, checking the fire to make sure that it wouldn't burn out while they were out getting what they needed. "I'm not going to just let Lelouch die. I…I can't."

He wanted to be able to shout at Lelouch for waving away what he wanted. He wanted to be able to rage against his friend for the plan. He had given up everything for Lelouch, a chance to go back to Nippon as anything other than a coward and a traitor or the chance to remain behind in Avalon. Lelouch owed him for two years of his life, and Suzaku intended to make Lelouch pay those out.

Suzaku shook his head, gesturing with one hand towards the trees. "Try to stay out of the open. We'll need to find wood, branches. I'll figure out how to tie it together." He walked towards where Gawain's saddle rested on the ground, pulling Lelouch's sword out of its scabbard. "Use this if you have to. Might as well be used for something."

Rivalz cautiously took the sword, the end still pointing down. He shifted in place, lifting the sword slightly before letting it rest close to his side. It was obvious that he would be using it awkwardly, and it would be far better to have Suzaku standing by to make sure that Rivalz didn't hurt himself. He would join Rivalz by the river as soon as he found a way to bind the sticks together. The cage would have to hold together long enough for get to the city. If they had to, Suzaku trusted Rivalz to keep up with repairs during the journey over. After that, the cage could be left to rot or used for all he cared. All they would have to worry about coming out of Avalon was running as fast as they could.

He sighed and rolled his shoulders. They only had the night to get as much done as they could. Maybe Rivalz would be able to ride in the cart and finish up the cage, but they needed it to be done fast. Suzaku wasn't sure they could lure Lelouch into the cage as a wolf; he would have to walk into it as a man.

Suzaku walked toward the cart, hauling himself onto the back. He froze when C.C. moved, the witch lifting her head up. She glared at him for a moment before flopping back down. "Get what you want and be quick about it. Some of us actually need to sleep."

She flopped a hand in one direction, Suzaku looking around the cart. There were a few bags tucked into the corner, all of them protected by her body and the blankets she was curled up in. The rest of the equipment in the cart looked like good for barter or sale, a random arrangement. Thankfully, there was a bundle of rope in the corner. Suzaku smiled and slide back towards it, pulling it towards him. It didn't quite look like it would be enough, but Suzaku could make out a basket of ribbons as well. It wouldn't be the most solid cage, but there would always be someone watching Lelouch and Suzaku was willing to sit by and keep him calm.

He pulled his supplies out of the cart, hearing C.C's grunt of thanks. Suzaku nodded to her, even though he knew that C.C. wasn't paying attention anymore. He shouldered the rope and began to pick his way down to the river. Trees grew thickly along his banks, and they would find enough fallen branches or low branches that they could hack off. Better yet, the guards would not bother looking along the river, not while it was frozen and there was a chance that they could fall in.

Suzaku hurried across the road, ducking into the trees. He paused once under cover, listening for any howls from a lone wolf or the sound of Lelouch moving through the trees. There was nothing, like Suzaku had thought. Lelouch wouldn't be hanging around with so many guards, not even if he had some affection for Suzaku. But Suzaku had hoped that Lelouch would stay close, just to ease his own worry. He sighed and adjusted his hold on the basket of ribbons, moving through the trees to where he could hear Rivalz grunting as the man attempted to chop wood. He shook his head as he heard a yelp, hurrying up so he could prevent disaster. Suzaku was sure that Rivalz wouldn't appreciate any bodily injury just because Suzaku had dawdled.

He tucked the rope and the basket into a fork between two roots, glancing over to where Rivalz was prodding at a branch with the tip of the sword. Suzaku shook his head and walked over to take the sword. Rivalz seemed relieved, going off to walk along the back of the river to look for more branches. Suzaku watched him go, just to be sure that Rivalz wasn't going to stray onto the ice before hefting the sword and beginning to chop up the branch.