"Aah! Sofronia your the best!" Alfred gushes as he looks over his now fixed Sky Blade, good as new.
"Well it wasn't easy, believe me. That sword is a lot older than it looks, where'd you get it?" She asks, brown eyes inquisitive.
"It was a gift," He smiles sadly down at his beloved sword, "from my father."
"Huh. Well, whoever made it really knew their stuff, the magic wasn't damaged at all, even though you split the runes. That takes skill."
Alfred's not sure if she's talking about the magic thing or him breaking the runes.
"Thanks. Seriously. I don't know what I would have done if you couldn't fix it."
"Yeah, well just be more careful next time." She grins, "But now that your sword is fixed, I assume that means you'll be off?"
"Yup!" He beams.
"Good, then that means I can have my forge back." With that, she waves as she wanders off, leaving the knight feeling like he's just been kicked out.
Not that it really matters. He sheaths his Sky Blade, switching out the Earth Blade to be his backup, and grabs for the saddle.
"Artie!" Al shouts as soon as he finds the wolf.
Arthur, after getting used to all the towns people staring, took to wandering off on his own. Usually he'd just be outside somewhere lying in a snow bank, but this time Al found him once again being used as a climbing frame by the towns kids.
As soon as he saw the saddle, the wolf huffed, narrowing his eyes.
'Oh, not again.'
"Come on, it wasn't so bad."
Knowing that there's no way around it, Arthur just huffs, gently shaking himself free of the children as Alfred holds the saddle out to him, giving in to his fate.
Though, he begins to wish they had done this inside, as not only the children, but everyone around stares as he let's Al saddle him, still hating every second of it.
"Wow..." A small boy gasps in awe as he watches the knight securing the belt around the wolf's underside.
"Alright, I think we're good." He nods at his work, "Mind letting me up?"
Arthur glares, but lowers himself anyway, immediately standing a bit quickly as soon as Alfred is on.
"Ah! Hey!" The knight complains as he's jostled.
'I can't believe I let you put this ridiculous thing on me. Again.'
"Hey, it works." He tells him, getting situated better.
Arthur doesn't say anything back to that, they both know it's true.
With a short wave to the gathered crowd, Arthur charges off, and soon they're back out in the open snowy expanse once more.
For the next two weeks or so, the pair travel south, heading ever closer to Alfred's home and birthplace, the Capital. As the days pass, and they journey further, the snow lessens and gives way to grassy plains and old forests, the temperature gradually warming. Towns grow in size, and more and more people populate the area. They pass through a few, bartering any skins of animals Alfred had managed to save from Arthur after a kill on the road.
It certainly was an odd experience for the wolf, who has only ever known deep snow and jagged rocks all his life. As they had slowly walked through patches of melting snow, soft mud and tufts of grass began to replace all that the wolf knew.
'What... is this?' Arthur asks as he stops, eying the small patch of green grass warily.
"It's just grass. Have you seriously never seen grass before?" Al asks, smiling bemusedly as he leans over the wolf's back to look at the grass he's cautiously pawing at.
'I've seen plenty of plants that grow through the snow in the lower plains, but none like this.'
"Huh, I guess that makes sense."
Now that he thinks about it, he really never saw much grass in the Ivory Expanse, even during what counts as summer there.
"Well, best get used to it." He shrugs, sitting back, "We'll be seeing a lot more of it from now on."
'Is it safe?' Arthur wonders, and Al can't help feeling amused at the wolf's worry.
"Yeah, it's safe. I mean don't eat it if your not a herbivore, but it's fine to walk on."
Still somewhat wary, but trusting Alfred's knowledge, they continued on.
Another thing Alfred learns, is that Arthur does not like getting dirty. The wolf complaining loudly and for long periods of time whenever they run into a particularly muddy area. From what he can tell from the wolf's angry tirades, the hate comes from a mixture of not liking the cold, wet feeling that sinks through his fur to his skin, actually making him feel cold, and the idea of being dirty in general. But mostly it comes from worry at how it covers his natural white camouflage.
But Al reassures him, in the snow his white fur blends in, but once they get into the forests and plains, it'll make him stick out more, so the mud would actually help him blend in more with the new environment. This seems to work, if only a little. But it doesn't stop the complaining.
A few days later, they reach a forest that Alfred knows very well.
"Sweet, we're in the outer forest." Al grins happily as he jumps down off the wolf.
Arthur, now half covered with mud sprayed up his sides, looks to the knight questioningly.
"You can't see it for all the trees, but just past here is the northern gate to the capital." He's practically exuding happiness at the thought of being so close to home, "Come on, let's hurry!"
He excitedly jogs through the woods to the well worn path that leads to the city, Arthur walking slightly faster than normal to keep up. His excitement is cut short when not ten minutes later, Arthur suddenly stops, ears flicking forward.
'Wait.' He warns, and Al knows that tone of voice.
"What is it?" He whispers lowly, reaching for his sword.
Sure, these Woods may not be as dangerous as the frozen wastelands of the north, but that doesn't mean they can completely let down their guard, all manner of creatures could jump out at them at any moment.
Out the side of his eye, Alfred watches the wolf as his ears flick about, eyes narrowing as he picks out on sounds beyond the knights range of hearing.
'Something's coming. Sounds like hooves, a lot of them.' He growls lowly.
Quickly positioning himself in a defensive stance beside Arthur, Al strains his ears to pick out on the approaching sounds. Going by the direction of Arthur's eyes and ears, whatever it is, it's coming right at them down the path. But they're down wind of it, so Arthur can't pick up any smells, Al knows, or the wolf would already have told him what it is.
He braces himself as he can here the clopping of hooves, Arthur dropping down defensively as well, ears back and teeth bared in threat, ready to attack. But as the sound grows louder, Al can hear the huff and rattle of a group of horses and riders.
He straightens, lowering his sword and signalling to Arthur to stand down.
And then he sees them, the Kingdoms Patrol.
A group of seven riders trot to a halt in front of the pair, all fully armoured, wearing the royal crest upon their saddles. And at the front of the group, is a face for sore eyes.
"Gil!" Alfred cries, face splitting in a massive grin as he hurriedly sheaths his sword, laughing in joy at the coincidence, "Man is it good to see you!"
Gilbert however, doesn't smile or grin, or even smirk down at him. He only gives the blonde a hard look as he orders, "Seize them."
"Wha?" Al gapes in shock as the other six riders move to surround them, "Gil, it's me!" He cries, not understanding why his old friend is arresting him.
Beside him, Arthur growls as they are surrounded, snapping at a horse that gets too close for his liking.
"Art don't-" He tries to calm the other, reaching to stop him from lashing out.
But his hands are suddenly pulled together and up over his head, golden chains of magic forming around his wrists and leading back to one of the riders behind him.
Seeing Alfred becoming trapped, Arthur lashes out, diving for the rider holding the young knight. But these are Royal guards, and before Arthur can even reach the rider, more gold chains form and wrap around the wolf's legs, pulling them out from under him and causing Arthur to fall to his side. Snarling madly, he attempts to stand but the riders move back, pulling on the chains and forcing the wolf's legs apart, preventing him from being able to stand.
'FUCKING! LET ME GO! I'LL KILL YOU!' Arthur screams, making Al wince as he rages, snarling and fighting back like the wild beast he really is.
But even his ability to snap and bite is taken away, as Al is forced to watch one of the riders weave a golden muzzle onto Arthur's mouth, only making the wolf angrier. Green eyes flashing as he struggles, but no ice of any kind forms. Instead, the chains glow and a current runs through them, shocking the wolf.
"Artie! Stop, stop it! Don't hurt him!" Al shouts desperately at both wolf and riders, looking to the only one not involved for help, "Gil?! Stop it! Why are you doing this?!"
Still with out an ounce of emotion on his face, Gilbert stares hard down at the knight.
"Alfred Feral Jones, you are in direct violation of the King's ruling, and are here by under arrest for treason."
"What? No, Gil! I can explain!" He shouts.
But it does nothing to help as Gilbert nods to the riders and Alfred feels the painful current run through the chains into him.
"Aaah!" He screams as his whole body cries out in pain, beside him, they do the same to Arthur, ten fold.
He drops to the ground as the pain stops, blearily looking back up at Gilbert.
The man frowns down at him, "You should never have come back here." Is the last thing he hears before blackness takes over him...
"Hmm, that is interesting.."
"Isn't it?" Sadık smirks lazily as he leans on the warm stone walls.
Across from him, the brunette sits back, contemplating all that the masked man has just told her.
"But why should I believe you?" She asks, expression guarded.
"Come now," He shrugs, pushing himself off the wall, "we're friends."
"That means nothing when it comes to you." She counters back immediately.
"Well alright," he confesses, taking a step towards the table she sits behind, "really, it's just good business having you in the know."
"And that means even less." She accuses, frowning, "Don't try playing any of your games with me Sadık, I know you too well for that."
"Of course you do." He raises his hands in a shrug as he continues his lazy approach, "But what can I say? Your Devil charms have ensnared me."
She scoffs as she watches him lean across the table.
"But really, take it or leave it, it doesn't matter to me." He grins at the woman's judging stare, "I just wanted to give you a heads up, so you'd be on the winning side."
"And which side is that?"
"Why yours Devil girl," He smirks, reaching a hand out to push her hair back, but is stopped as she grabs his wrist in a crushing hold.
"Don't lie to me." She snarls, "Who are you really working for."
It's a statement, not a question. They are both aware that each other knows of the informants lack of loyalty.
Sadık's smirk only grows, even as he feels the bones in his wrist snapping, he increases his skin temperature to blistering levels. The sound of bones breaking and the smell of skin burning does nothing to deter their stand off.
Still acting like nothing's wrong, he leans forward to whisper in the woman's ear.
"Believe what you want, but the time of the Western sunrise approaches."
The sound of footsteps nearing breaks their standoff, the woman releasing him and he casually steps back. He says nothing as he warps away to the sound of knocking.
"Mistress?" A voice asks form behind the closed stone doors.
"Yes?"
The door opens as she wiggles her hand, letting the charred flesh crumble and flake down to the table.
"You called for me?" A tanned young man asks sunnily, not seeming bothered by the sight in the least.
She frowns down at her healing hand for a moment, thinking, before snapping her head up to the other.
"Assemble your best men, I have a job for you."
Authors notes: Oh dear, maybe Alfred should have thought things through a bit more. Now Gilbert, of all people, has gone and arrested him and poor Arthur.
And what might be going on elsewhere? You'll just have to wait and see.
We're also introducing 2 more characters in this last scene, can you guess who they are?
Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you chose to celebrate! See you all in the new year.
R & R people.
Until next time, stay awesome!