(A/N: I'm baaaaaack : ) Had this idea sitting for a while and finally decided to write and post it. As per usual, characters may not be portrayed and events may not be described accurately, since they are portrayed/described based on my own memory and interpretations. This is also—more than usual—an AU, although there are still some parallels/similarities plot-wise. I'm aiming for a 1,000 word-per-chapter average, but some chapters might just be ~special~ and longer (or shorter). However, pacing may not be the quickest and is a little wonky at certain points, since I don't want the chapters to be too long and I want to explore certain things in more detail than one chapter's worth of content. Without further ado, please enjoy the story!)
In everyone's lives, sacrifices had to be made. Whether it was as little as a trinket, or as weighty as a life—whether it could cause a brief change, or begin a permanent alteration to the entire world. If it meant changing the world, she would do anything within reason.
No matter the outcome tonight, she would have gotten what she wanted.
They were told that the security around the students, considering the newest house leader's social standings, was tighter than usual. It only led Edelgard to wonder what it looked like on a normal year, considering the knight leading them kept chatting and the house leaders themselves were allowed to stay near the back.
Edelgard walked furthest behind everyone, away from the sight of most of the accompanying knights; Dimitri kept pace a few steps ahead of her, with Claude close as well. By her own request, Hubert was further ahead—he didn't like the idea when she presented it, but things would go more smoothly if he wasn't involved. In the worst case scenario, he would be able to report to Thales in her place.
She would have been perfectly content if they stayed silent—she wanted to be prepared when they arrived. Her searching looks could easily be mistaken for sightseeing, if one forgot to consider the forest was too dark for it. Yet, despite little response from the other two, Claude still entertained conversation.
"So," Claude said, glancing back at the other two. He seemed to be catching on that they had their minds on other things, after a few failed attempts previously. "What do you guys want out of the academy? I mean, aside from the whole thing about looking better if you can say you graduated."
"…I have something I need to do," Dimitri admitted after a moment.
Edelgard nodded her agreement, and Claude looked back ahead of him.
"Look at that—we have something in common. What are the odds?"
"It would be stranger if we shared nothing at all," Edelgard pointed out.
She wondered if the silence meant all of them considered the same thing—the hope that those goals wouldn't overlap or contradict. Then again, she aimed to eliminate that possibility tonight if she could.
Edelgard cast a quick glance at the group ahead of her; she could faintly make out the person several steps ahead Claude. They'd be at their camp before long—they were running a bit late as it was, so those further ahead tried to urge those immediately behind them to hurry up. That command was only apparent to the house leaders due to the people ahead of them moving quicker. The other two didn't seem particularly concerned that they were falling behind.
Now or never, provided the bandits actually appear.
She made a short show of tripping and falling. Surprising her was Dimitri's hand reaching to help her before she even looked up. Claude also stopped walking, wearing an amused look when he turned around and saw her.
"Watch your step, princess," Claude teased. "If you're not careful, you'll ruin the fancy new uniform. Not to mention get dirt in that pretty white hair of yours."
Edelgard stood by her own accord, leading Dimitri to respectfully take a step back. She brushed herself off. "Spare the jests, Claude. I'm not as vain as you seem to believe."
"Oh, but you are easy to annoy," he continued. "As far as I can tell, you're an open book—as long as you're actually talking to me, at least."
"Perhaps you should wait to assess someone until you've known them for longer than a few days?" Edelgard suggested, failing to maintain complete friendliness.
Dimitri stopped them from carrying on the banter, stating what she had hoped would come from her acting.
"I've lost sight of the group ahead," he declared. "We should try to catch up to the others before we get too far behind."
"Agreed," Claude replied, nodding. He turned around, only to glance back at Edelgard. "They're…reallyfar ahead, apparently. The camp wasn't far from Remire Village—that's in the Empire, right? Any idea on how to get there?"
She knew they were far enough away to get separated—she was lucky, in a way, that they were lost as well. Even if she didn't have great knowledge of the area either, at least there was a chance for the plan to proceed.
"I can't say for sure," Edelgard said honestly, "But any direction is better than staying here. Let's just keep going straight for now."
Edelgard took the lead when the other two had no complaints. She kept one hand close to where she hid a dagger—she knew these woods weren't exactly friendly, especially for nobles wearing red, blue, and yellow—as she walked. She had ensured as much.
She noticed someone following them, and stopped first. Unfamiliar voices confirmed it before Dimitri or Claude questioned her.
"There they are—the noble brats! Quick, before they get away!"
She no longer doubted they would come, at least.
She was ready to fight in an instant, having prepared for this. The people in question—nothing more than common thieves with illusions of grandeur and strength—came closer, with their torches shining a little more light than what the moon provided.
Claude, upon noticing it, took out his bow; similarly, Dimitri drew his lance, and Edelgard already had her ax at the ready. It only took another moment before the Golden Deer's leader started to make a retreat.
"Claude!" Dimitri hissed. "What are you—"
The bandits coming closer cut him off. Edelgard took a few steps towards where Claude went. She needed everyone to stay in one place.
"We shouldn't get any more separated than we are," she said firmly. "We'll have a better chance at fending them off if we're somewhere with more open space regardless."
Dimitri nodded, and they followed after Claude. All that seemed to do, however, was make the bandits more aware of their position; it did nothing to deter them. Edelgard wondered how desperate they had to be for some undecided amount of money if they were willing to chase them in the dark.
They made it to a clearing after a few minutes. Almost immediately, all of the thieves came out and surrounded them. Edelgard knew that they wouldn't have been much trouble if there was a little more daylight or more open space; the thieves blended in well with the area, even when they were in a clearing. By contrast, the house leaders were remarkably easy to spot. The darkness around them prevented her from completely understanding the bandits' numbers, but she knew they were outnumbered by three or four people. The battle was in the thieves' favor.
As far as she could tell, each one of the house leaders had two bandits to contend with each. Quite possibly without fully intending it, they stayed relatively close to each other—they adapted quickly to each other's preferences and styles, which kept them from the greatest injuries. The thieves tried their best to separate them, but the three were able to maintain some level of teamwork.
It was hard to gauge the time while they were fighting, but after a little while some of the thieves began to fall back—that allowed the house leaders to spread out a little more, and gave them more room to defend. Afterwards, they fought the thieves off easily enough that the thieves all fled shortly.
Edelgard carefully surveyed the area, moving a bit further from the others.
"Don't go too far, princess," Claude warned. "We still need to stick together; can't wander off until we're in camp."
"I'm just making sure they all left," Edelgard replied, glancing back at him.
"We need to head back before everyone gets more worried than they already are," Dimitri pointed out. "We can keep a lookout while we walk."
"Just another moment," Edelgard said. The other two both frowned, but didn't protest otherwise.
She wandered a bit further away, unable to see much outside of the clearing. With no visible threats in sight, she turned back towards Dimitri and Claude.
Edelgard took a single step before she heard something behind her. She managed to step aside quick enough that the remaining thief—the one giving orders to the rest—didn't do anything more than graze her shoulder. It cut deep enough to sting, but she chose not to focus on it. The bandit didn't waste any time in turning back around and trying again.
She quickly took out her dagger, more easily in reach than the axe. The bandit leader moved faster than it took the other two to properly react; Edelgard could only take a step back before he charged again. He came dangerously close before dark magic hit him from the forest, knocking him over.
So Thales was watching after all. At least she knew their agreement was sound enough he wouldn't let her die—and, fortunately, it didn't seem like Dimitri and Claude saw what made the bandit fall.
The bandit didn't move, but she bent down to stab him in the chest for good measure. Dimitri and Claude came closer as Edelgard stood again.
"I think this one was the last," Edelgard decided. "Let's head in the other direction."
"You should do something with your shoulder," Dimitri suggested.
"You almost sound worried," Edelgard noted. Without thinking much of it, she lightly touched the wounded area with her other hand. It stung a little bit more and her hand pulled away bloodier than she expected, but she'd handled worse. The wound itself could be healed relatively easily by a mage back in camp. "It will be fine until we group back with the others. We don't have anything to wash it off with regardless."
Dimitri seemed to agree only reluctantly, and Claude now led the way with Edelgard in between the other two.