Chapter 4: The Forest's Stillness

As the sun continued to rise in the sky, the town of Aszamen disappeared behind them. Mustang and Edward journeyed north-east, past Fisk, and approached Egmuridcu. During their hike, they found no signs of people permanently staying in the woods, but they did find traces of campsites in-between the two destinations.

It took almost five days, but they finally made it to the small city just before mid-week. The plan was to stay two nights in town, and then they would continue their journey north toward Yoxeqa.

Just outside the city limits, Mustang stopped and turned to Edward, "The rumors suggest that the rebels have been seen in the area just south and east of Yoxeqa, so just a bit north of here. We'll keep our cover as traveling alchemists on survival training as we hike north."

"Why can't we take a train? It's cold staying outside."

Mustang gave Edward a sideways glance, "Because now we need to keep an eye out in the woods more than ever for the rebels. Although we can't confirm that the earlier campsites we found were from the rebels, we need to look into it more. We started in Aszamen to help throw off suspicion, but it turned out that the rebels could even have a link there."

Edward groaned, "This is tedious."

"It's a reconnaissance mission. These missions are always tedious," Mustang smirked, and Edward rolled his eyes. Edward's next question almost made Mustang sigh.

"Why is it us again?"

"So that you can receive some training, and so that we can keep our group small. Since I'm your commanding officer, and the group is so small, they want me here since I have the most experience."

Edward scoffed, and Mustang glared, but they continued their walk into town.

The city was small, and it looked like everything was centered around a small-town circle. The grey-brown brick of the buildings almost matched the charcoal-grey cobblestone, making the town gee drab, especially under the cloudy sky. The people who milled the streets were dressed warmly and only thought about making their way out of the cold, into their warm homes for a good night's meal and rest.

Hawkeye had reserved a room for them here, too, for which Mustang was grateful. Edward sulkily followed Mustang to the Inn.

Once Mustang and Edward made it to the Inn, they picked up their key at the front desk, and after they made their way through the halls, they disappeared into their room. Edward immediately flopped on the bed by the window after he dropped his bag on the floor and fell asleep as soon as he was down.

Mustang watched in amazement but put his pack neatly in a corner. He then moved Edward's bag to the side so Edward would not trip when he woke up and inevitably stepped on it. Mustang then pulled off Edward's boots and, without moving him, draped an extra blanket over the sleeping alchemist.

The things Masters do for their Apprentices, Mustang chuckled and then prepared for bed himself.

Mustang woke to someone murmuring during the night. Over the few days that the two Alchemists had been on the mission, Mustang noted that Edward seemed to have a nightmare every so often. But Edward would either settle down without waking, or he would wake up, rollover, and go back to sleep.

This time was different, though. This time, Edward sat bolt upright in bed, sweating and breathing heavily. Mustang merely watched through half-lidded eyes.

Edward shook his head as he tried to dislodge the dream from his head. The creation from when he and his brother lost their bodies remained in his vision despite waking up. Edward clutched the blanket he did not remember grabbing before he fell asleep and pulled it closer.

Edward glanced over at Mustang. He hoped he had not woken the older alchemist and relaxed when he thought the man was still asleep.

Thank goodness, the bastard probably would never let me live it down, freaking out over a nightmare?

Edward did not know why, but the thought made his chest tighten, and his eyes almost burn. With one last glance at Mustang, Edward slipped under the covers. Mustang continued watching discreetly. He did not want to cause the youth any embarrassment.

It takes a lot of courage to ask for help. Not that Fullmetal lacks courage, but he's just so stubborn.

Gentle breathing from Edward's bed indicated that Edward had once again fallen asleep, and Mustang soon followed.

In the morning, Mustang gave Edward the freedom to explore the city with a warning to stay out of trouble and keep to their cover story. Edward merely snorted and rolled his eyes.

In Egmuridcu, Henry was given a break to do as he pleased before going into the woods for further training. They would leave the next day. Mr. Whitmore was going to take the day to replenish their supplies before they left.

"I'll meet you with the supplies, here, at the Inn tonight. We'll pack and leave early tomorrow. Remember to keep an ear out for any discussion of the rebels. You should act curious about what's going on in Yoxeqa since that's where we're going.

We're not staying here long since the story is that we're on survival training now. If we stay too long in every town, it will draw attention to ourselves. If anyone asks, your survival training ends in Yoxeqa. We'll spend some time there before returning to North City. We'll also be exploring the immediate area. This should give you some leeway into a conversation to find out about any news from there."

Edward nodded and escaped the confines of the room with an air of excitement. Mustang himself soon left the small room and made his way to the shopping district to gather supplies and information.

Outside, the frigid wind made the cold air even less welcoming. Clouds covered the sky, and a thin layer of snow, which fell during the night, blanketed the ground. The snow on the roadways was half-melted, and in some areas, along the edges, the snow had turned onto a brownish slush.

As soon as Edward escaped the room, he made his way through the town to the small library. He wanted to see if they had any interesting books on alchemy.

As soon as he was through the door, Edward stomped his boots to rid them of the muck and rubbed his arms to warm himself before he proceeded further into his cathedral.

The inside of the library was warm. Rows and rows of books lined the walls and floors, making a maze of aisles throughout the room. Random pockets of open floor had either tables and chairs or soft, cushy couches waiting for someone to sit down in with a good book. The smell of old books, paper, and ink hung in the air, making Edward smile.

When Edward entered, the librarian had spared him a glance, but since Edward walked purposefully toward the section marked Alchemy, he merely smiled and went back to sorting books. The only sounds that disturbed either were the sounds of softly treading feet and the shifting of books and pages.

Meanwhile, Mustang stopped by the post office first. As he entered, he greeted the postwoman. Inside, the cool tiled room was sparse, with only a small table for customers to use, a long counter that cut the room in two, and many little cubbies, some of which opened into the back room, lined the wall behind the counter.

Mustang was to send another report to Northern Command. Again, he also decided to send a copy to Eastern for Hawkeye. In both, he promised to send the next report as soon as they reached Yoxeqa. He quickly paid for his postage and, giving his name, asked if anything had come in the mail.

"I told some of my friends that I would be here around this time, so they should send word if they wanted to reach me."

The postwoman smiled pleasantly, "As a matter of fact, Mr. Whitmore, you do have a letter. I'm glad you found your way here alright to receive it. Farther north, things have been a bit stressful as of late, and only last week, according to the news, a human trafficker was found in Aszamen to the south. It was quite the story. Maybe the military will actually do something about the unrest north of here, in Yoxeqa."

"Oh, there's been some issues there? The news outlets haven't talked about it much."

The woman gave Mustang a small, sad smile, "Yes, no one really cares about what goes on up here where it's cold."

Mustang frowned. The woman interpreted it as sympathy and sought to assure him.

"We're fine here. Most of the violence has been small in scale, and mostly between here and Yoxeqa."

Mustang nodded in response, "how much? My apprentice and I are traveling in that direction, and it would be good to know if we should take a different route."

"Your apprentice?" The woman titled her head to the side, "are you an alchemist, by chance?"

Mustang smiled, "Yes, I am. My apprentice has the day off today, and he's exploring the town. Should I be worried?"

"Oh no," the woman laughed, "but I would take care to avoid the area east and north of here. The rebels have attacked people on the road between here and Yoxeqa. It's almost a straight shot, but I hear they have stolen some supplies."

The woman paused, and with a thoughtful expression, added, "Although, they have been a bit quieter these last few days."

"So, if my apprentice and I are in the woods for survival training, we should head west toward Yodgy first, then toward Yoxeqa?"

"The woods?" The postwoman gave Mustang a worried look, "I would avoid the woods, but I guess if you swung west first, toward Yodgy as you say, you might be okay. You would also be less out in the open than on the road…" her voice trailed off.

"Don't worry! It's survival training, and it can be easy to hide in the woods. Although I guess that works in both of our favors," Mustang laughed and gave the woman his most charming smile, she blushed, and he added, "so long as you don't tell anyone, I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Of course," she tittered, the crimson deepening on her cheeks.

Mustang bowed, "well, I should be off. I have several things planned for today, but your company was most welcome and warm, and your knowledge of the area, most helpful."

The postwoman smiled, "yes. Have a wonderful day."

Mustang left the post office to brave the cold once more. Outside, he located a coffee shop, and once seated with his coffee, directed his attention to the letter.

The letter for Mr. Whitmore from a presumed lover, in code, detailed that the military had not been able to extract any information from the supplier. However, it also assured that it seemed that the supplier was unaware of their involvement, but to none, the less take care.

Mustang thought back.

The military took him on Wednesday, and we left on Friday. It took five days to get here, and we arrived yesterday. It's Wednesday again. We were only in town three days before we discovered the trafficker. Well, they have had him for a few days, so they should have any information he knew. I guess it will be fine.

Mustang rubbed his face with his hands.

And as of now, we have a little over two and a half more weeks before we're supposed to return. We'll spend about four days getting to Yoxeqa. So, we'll have plenty of time to scout the area around Yoxeqa before we have to leave, about at least fifteen days, depending on how long it takes to get there.

Mustang folded the letter and slipped it in his pocket. He took the coffee in his hands and leaned back, enjoying a moment of peace before he had to brave the cold once again to buy supplies while keeping an ear open for any more information about the unrest only a few miles to the north.

As lunchtime rolled around, Edward, for once, noted that his stomach rumbled with hunger, so he left to find some food.

Edward stood by the food-stall window and ordered his lunch. Now that he was thinking about it, Edward realized he was famished. He also knew he had to go and find at least one person who he could ask about Yoxeqa.

I'll never hear the end of it if I don't, and then I'll have to listen to Mustang rant about not gathering information.

Once he had his meal, Edward noticed some benches nearby where some men were sitting and eating their own lunches. Edward sat on the bench nearby and listened to the men talk, eavesdropping on their conversation. It mainly revolved around the oncoming winter and train supplies, as well as news from the south, concerning a particular human trafficker.

Edward almost scoffed aloud.

South? Aszamen's hardly that far south of Egmuridcu. Now, Resembool would be farther south than this freezing place.

Edward shifted and gained the men's attention, "Is there any news about the area around Yoxeqa?"

"Yoxeqa?" One of the men gave Edward a skeptical look.

"I'm an alchemist. I'm headed that way with my master," Edward rolled his eyes, "on survival training. We'll be hiking there through the woods."

The man chuckled, at Edward's eye roll, "It's a good thing you are an alchemist and traveling with your master. You'll do better than most of us. Stay to the west when you head toward Yoxeqa. There's very little talk of the rebels there. They seem to have some connection with those Drachman thugs and are trying to use the border where Drachma and Amestris meet in the desert."

"Oh, really?"

The man nodded, "yeah, but you should be fine if you're careful. They're a bit farther east of here and north. So, if you make a loop westward and come into Yoxeqa from the west, you should be able to get there safely."

Another man pitched in, "yeah, those rebels are a bit of a pain. They ambushed my load of grain between here and Yoxeqa. We have to import food from warmer areas in the south up here. Normally, one might send it by train, but my family and I have made an honest living for generations transporting grains without the trains.

"Those rebels mostly take money and food supplies. Haven't heard anything about weapons, but they did have a few when they stole my truck and grain. Nothing special, though, but a gun's a gun, and when it's pointing at you..." The man shook his head as he trailed off, thinking about his lost merchandise.

A third man pitched in, "Doesn't mean they don't have 'em, though. Things more than guns and pistols, that is. They just might be watin' to use 'em."

All three men nodded.

The third man nodded at Edward, "I didn't hear why you were goin' north. What's a kid like you doin' goin' that way?"

Edward inwardly grumbled but barely maintained his composure. The men grinned at Edward's red face as he ground out, "I'm headed north on survival training with my alchemy master. And, I. Am. Not. Little."

"Ah, you're an alchemist?"

Edward nodded.

"Well, you did combat trainin' too? I've heard some alchemist do, especially those State Alchemists who work for the military," the first man snorted.

Edward merely smirked, "the military? Ha, like I would. I've learned some self-defense, but alchemists are supposed to be for the people."

The men nodded approvingly.

"No good comes of that, the military using alchemists," the second man commented.

The men soon became distracted as they continued the conversation concerning the issue of state alchemists, and Edward, face almost hidden in his bangs, ate the rest of his lunch slowly. His conscience burned guiltily. After he finished, he waved goodbye, thanked the men for their help, and escaped back to the library.

That's enough for today. Mustang'll take care of the rest. Maybe the librarian will know something.

Mustang stopped by various shops throughout the afternoon to buy the supplies they needed for their hike to Yoxeqa. The shopping proved the perfect starting point for talking about the rebels and asking if anyone happened to know what danger they posed.

Most of the shopkeepers said the same thing. The rebels rarely caused trouble but had a noticeable presence. They would attack shipments for supplies, and some people reported they had seen them headed farther east, toward the border, but no one knew for sure if they actually did cross over the border at all.

"They've put some in a right pickle, they have," complained one older gentleman. "They took a friend of mine's whole shipment of meat. They seem to take mostly food from us folk. We don't hear about anything else, but the road's not exactly safe these days. You're an alchemist, you say? Maybe you could do something if it wasn't just you and that young brat you say you're traveling with. He's you're apprentice, you say?"

Mustang nodded but could not get a word in edgewise, and the man shook his finger at Mustang.

"Hmm, you'll have to keep the whipper-snapper safe, you hear? You're the one with the experience now, and you're teaching him, so it's your responsibility."

"Yes, sir."

The older man nodded, "well, stick to the west like you said. There's this small town, not even on the map, out there where some of my friends live, and they haven't seen a thing. You be careful now."

Mustang nodded again and thanked the man before leaving his shop.

Avoiding the rebels sounds like it would be easy if we intended to avoid them completely. We'd just head west first, but we have to actually look for the rebels. At least we know they're there and that we need to be careful.

Later that night, Edward and Mustang met back at the hotel. There they shared what they had learned. Edward had managed to talk to some of the people in the library as well as the librarian after his discussion at lunch, but he had little success until he left the building again for dinner. Mustang had had more success talking to the various shopkeepers, who knew people who had to deal with the occasional attacks from the rebels. After exchanging the information they had gathered, Mustang shifted the conversation.

"I was surprised to hear that you hadn't caused some form of destruction, Henry."

Mustang emphasized Edward's cover name.

"I thought we were on a reconnaissance mission? If I went about destroying things, I would get an earful from you about maturity."

"Yes, yes, you would have," Mustang chuckled.

Edward sat on the bed and glared at Mustang while Mustang turned back the covers of his own bed. Both had also found dinner on their own before returning, so there was little to do but go to bed so they could be up bright and early.

"Well," Mustang paused awkwardly, Edward still sat and stared at Mustang, "good night."

Edward made a face that bordered on confused and indignant, but then shrugged, flopped backward, and said, "yeah, g'night."

In the morning, Mustang ordered a cab to take them to the small city's Northern area. They could walk, but they also wanted to keep their departure inconspicuous due to the rumors surrounding the rebels. Both Edward and Mustang remembered that they had been warned to take their utmost caution in the woods.

Edward mused over the words said to him the previous day.

"It's a good thing you are an alchemist and traveling with your master. You'll do better than most of us. Stay to the west when you head toward Yoxeqa. There's very little talk of the rebels there. They seem to have some connection with those Drachman thugs and are trying to use the border where Drachma and Amestris meet in the desert."

In the cab, Mustang and Edward made their way to the north of the town. Once there, Mustang paid the driver, and after the driver had pulled away, they made their way into the woods once more.

Unseen eyes watched Mustang and Edward as they disembarked from the cab and disappeared into the woods. The eyes that watched them the day prior and had known they were coming. They could see past their cover. They had almost missed the two alchemists' departure, as they expected them later, and expected them to stay longer in town, but they found the two alchemists none-the-less, and now, they were ready.

After some hiking, Mustang and Edward were much closer to the northern mountains, and their elevation had risen. The snow here covered the ground almost year-round, late into early spring, and always began to stick to the ground in late fall.

"We're almost as far north as Fort Briggs now. With the oncoming winter, and as we move north, we'll experience more snow and cold," Mustang commented.

Edward merely groaned and rubbed his port.

Mustang watched curiously, "does the cold hurt your automail?"

"No, it can't hurt my automail, but it is cold around where the metal meets the skin."

"Did you talk to your automail mechanic about cold weather? Does it need special work due to the cold?"

"Why would I need to do that? It's not like I haven't experienced winter before."

Mustang took a measured breath, "Yes, but winters up here are much colder than in Resembool, which is pretty far south. Now that I think about it, we're probably almost directly north of it now. It's one of the closest cities to Ishval, and that's pretty far south-east."

Edward just rolled his eyes and let a breath out through his nose, "Yeah, well, I didn't think it would be a problem."

"It could be, and you need to be the one to know these things. It is your automail, and you need to be responsible enough to take care of it yourself."

"I know that!"

Edward exploded in a yell that made the birds in the nearby tree fly off in a flurry of feathers. It was the first big explosion of the mission. Both were surprised they had made it this far with so few arguments.

Edward seethed, I don't need this bastard telling me how to be mature!

Mustang merely met Edward's glare.

He's grown up a lot. He's much too old for his age, and he needs to be, but even so, he is just a kid.

Mustang suppressed the smirk. He could be civil and mature when he needed to be. Mustang would never have made it to Colonel at such a young age if he could not keep his temper, and he was on a mission. So, Mustang took a deep breath, let it go, and moved forward without addressing the outburst.

"Are you ready to keep moving? I want to get another mile or so between us and Egmuridcu before we stop for the night. The distance between Yoxeqa and Egmuridcu is about two-thirds the distance between Aszamen and Egmuridcu, so it would normally take about three days to get there. I informed them I would report in four. Since we're looking for traces of rebel activity, it'll take a bit longer. However, we want to spend more time, spreading out from Yoxeqa then getting there."

Edward just glared at Mustang out of the corner of his eye and, with a "Yeah," continued walking forward, looking left and right while he walked.

They did not find anything they could directly link to the rebel group and found only a few traces that anyone had traveled through the woods before them. The next day was much of the same. Once they found a good place to stop, Edward dropped onto the log. His backpack slipped from his shoulder and plopped into the snow. Edward leaned forward and rubbed the port on his leg.

Mustang also dropped his bag by Edward.

"I'll go look for firewood. We'll make camp when I get back."

Edward only responded with a grunt but watched as Mustang disappeared into the woods. As he sat, he did not think of anything but his now aching port. The metal felt cold to the touch, and it seemed that the metal drew the warmth from his body.

Edward did not see the figure that stealthily approached from behind him, and when a dart pricked the back of his neck, Edward had no time to react. Edward slumped over unconscious into the snow, and rough hands jerked him onto his stomach, tied his wrists and ankles, and then lifted him over a broad shoulder to carry him away.

Mustang came back just as the man disappeared from sight. The sight of Edward draped over the shoulder of the large man caused Mustang to drop the sticks and branches. He ran forward, one hand tugged on an ignition glove.

However, a second pair of eyes took advantage of his distraction, and when Mustang felt the bite of the dart, he whipped around to search for his assailant. Mustang only saw one. He turned to face them and quickly snapped, only to feel the pinch of another dart from his left. His flames died.

Mustang stumbled and fell to his knees but attempted to stay conscious. A second figure appeared to his left to join the one in front of him. Mustang lifted his hand to snap again but toppled to his side, his vision cloudy. Mustang struggled, the world spun, and so did the figures as they approached. Soon they towered over him, and when one of the men gave Mustang a heavy punch to the head, he finally fell unconscious.

The two figures restrained Mustang, much like Edward had been, and then they dragged him in the direction that their companions had gone before.

The forest was quiet for only a little a while after the humans left, but once they were gone, the animals and birds began to move once more and broke the forest's stillness.

In East City...

Tucker stood outside the door to his commanding officer's office, his watch in hand. His commanding office was currently away, but the First Lieutenant had given him the watch. Just over one week ago, Tucker thought he had lost his chance to transmute a talking chimera. However, the loss of the merchandise showed him another path. Officially, his wife had left him after the failed business trip, but now he had his daughter and his State Alchemist license. Roy Mustang, the man who cost him the merchandise, had inadvertently given him an opportunity. Mustang had also become the officer to whom Tucker would report to as they both lived in East City.

He gave me the opportunity to make a talking chimera, even if it did die. Now, with only my daughter, we'll be fine. I'll have two years to find another way to make one, and I'll be able to pay off our bills. I can do this! I have the title and resources of a State Alchemist! I'll have to thank my new commanding officer the next time I see him when he returns.

Tucker smirked, or if he returns. I did, after all, warn the supplier about him. Although, since the supplier was caught, maybe nothing will happen to them.

Tucker bent his head and brought his clenched fist, wrapped around the watch, to his forehead. He hid his face, and a single tear of joy at his success trailed down his face. Tucker had all he needed. Nothing else mattered.

He had the watch.

Down that hall and around a corner, the observer stepped back and then disappeared down the hall. He barely concealed his laughter.

The observer moved down the hall and into a nearly abandoned section of the building. Red sparks crackled up the observer's body to reveal skinny legs covered by skin-tight black pants that stopped just above the knees, a bare mid-drift, a tight sleeveless shirt, a headband with a red triangle, and very long, dark, spikey green hair. Purple-crimson eyes sparkled with mirth at what he witnessed. Pure joy made him shudder at the mere thought of the betrayals.

Well, well, that little nuisance is taken care of. If he hadn't been successful with the talking chimera, he was going to start looking into how to reverse the chimera's transmutations, all for that pretty little wife of his. We couldn't have that now, now could we? He's distracted now, and the little wife is out of the way.

The leggy young man chuckled manically but still quietly. As two soldiers began to turn down the hall, the observer immediately changed his appearance to that of General Hukuro. The two soldiers passed, completely unaware. The observer then proceeded to make his way to the underground beneath Central, unseen. All the while, a broad, dark grin plastered on his face.

Thanks for reading!