Memoirs of the Holy War

by Naryfiel Lilith

It was a war that spanned across two generations. It was a war that tore Jugdral to pieces. It was a war between those who only did what they thought was right. It was a war manipulated by those who had suffered too much. It was a war filled with tragic mistakes and crippling hope. It was a war immortalized by the survivors, and this is their tale. (FE4 Novelization)

11. Chapter 7) Stay

Chapter 7) Stay

---

Thus we spent the night. I wasn't certain how much sleep Sigurd actually got, since he was still awake when Deirdre and I dozed off, and had 'woken' before either of us once the klelia blossoms opened at sunrise. They were very pretty, with dark blue edges slowly fading into a white center. I barely managed to keep from commenting how similar to Sigurd they looked, since he favored white and blue clothing. There was no need to make Deirdre blush more, especially when Sigurd managed to turn her face beet-red without even trying.

Instead, we picked a blossom and then picked our way through the trees to return to camp. I hoped everyone was well.

---

I have decided I say what's on my mind too much when in the company of Sigurd. Too many times, I thought aloud when around him, and consequently was forced into unexpected conversations.

"Oh, you gave antidotes to your patients?" Take now, for instance. According to Deirdre, we were close to the safe path and, from there, we would figure out which way to walk to return to the camp. I had wondered about how the patients were doing, and hadn't realized I'd said the words aloud until Deirdre asked her question. "That was very smart!" she chirped, smiling warmly at me. "It may be a spell, but Poison is aptly named. I read the broad-spectrum antidote is very good at curing its effects."

"I think its more 'luck' than 'intelligence'," I demurred, not wanting to explain how most of the work had been done by a dead person. After all, I remember being told Evans's doctor had succumbed to the plague. Back then, I had assumed it was because they had worked with the sick and dying, and simply caught it from them. It would not have been the first time a healer took ill while treating the sick. Now, I wondered if it had been deliberate, to keep them from discovering the truth. "This reminds me. You learned light magic, and the theory behind dark, but did you learn about the elemental magics?"

"Oh, yes! It was part of our basic education!" Well, that was a distinct difference from the rest of the continent. "In fact, I learned to read from magical theory books."

"You should chat with Azelle. He's a mage, and likes discussing theories." I made sure to smile when she appeared hesitant. "He's also my little brother, so I can promise he's nice. Truthfully, he's on the shyer side, but he can become quite animated when speaking about interesting topics, like magical theory." He also adored folklore and no doubt would want to pick her brain about the stories she knew, but he could introduce the topic himself, once he became comfortable.

"Your little brother, huh?" She smiled shyly. "I think I would like that. No one wanted to discuss theories with me back in the village. I... understood them too quickly, and would read too far ahead. Th-then when I tried to tell them about it, they thought I was showing off..."

"Sounds exactly like Azelle." I remembered he wrote how Tailtiu always bemoaned how 'ahead' he was with his lessons. "We'll make introducing him a priority, then, after you meet those closest to Sigurd." I may have said more, but my foot found a hidden root and I immediately tripped. Deirdre caught me before I fell. "My apologies..."

"It's no trouble! I used to trip all the time." Now, she moved through the woods like she was a spirit herself, with absolutely no sound at all. Only her surprisingly clingy hair showed she wasn't. It managed to get caught on a shrub not two seconds later; I helped her free it. "One of these days, I will cut my hair short like the others."

"Why do you wear it long if they kept theirs short?"

"I... well..." She smiled sheepishly. "I heard my mother had long hair." Ah, so she wanted to emulate her. In that case, would it catch as much with frequent brushings? "Sigurd, are you well up ahead?"

"I think my toes have been bruised to the point of numbness from all the hidden roots and rocks, but otherwise, yes," Sigurd joked, twisting to smile at us. Though Deirdre was the one who knew the way, after we walked three times into spider webs and I nearly twisted an ankle thanks to a leaf-covered hole, Sigurd insisted on being in front. I had no idea why; I assumed it was related to the chivalry most knights pretended to follow. "I have not led us astray, have I?"

"No, we're following the klelia quite nicely," Deirdre reassured with a smile. She 'subtly' held onto my arm as we continued to walk. "In fact, we should be on the road just past those trees."

"Really?" Sigurd looked a little skeptical, but sure enough, we stepped past the trees and suddenly found ourselves in open space. "Wow, there was... absolutely no indication at all." I supposed the dense foliage made a mess of our depth perception. "No wonder most those who wander in are lost."

"Some end up in our village, and we help them return. Or, well..." Deirdre shrugged. "Some stay. Those ones tend to be people who were running away from home, or came into the forest to die. I think that's where the stories of us kidnapping people came from. But we don't. Promise."

"Of course not. Given how your village needs to hide, kidnapping people is the worst of ideas. That brings investigations." Sigurd turned to help Deirdre and me onto the path proper. "Now we need to figure out which way to walk. I don't see any signs of passage, so my guess is we're ahead on the path."

"Then we'll need to head that way." Deirdre pointed down the path. "That's the way to Marpha."

"Taking your word on it, dear." Sigurd set forth confidently, conveniently ignoring how red Deirdre turned. It was amusing how easily he could make her blush. "I imagine when we find the others, there will be a war meeting. Deirdre, Alicia, one of you two mentioned the staff Deirdre is carrying was called 'Silence' and it blocks magic?"

"I-it keeps someone from speaking, which prevents casting." Deirdre walked closely to me as she explained. "It does not block magic."

"Ah, that'll change the half-plan in my head. Still, it sounds like it will be key to protecting... hmm?" Sigurd suddenly stopped walking and when Deirdre and I caught up, we saw why. An out-of-breath Lord Oifeye was up ahead, dirt and mud staining the hem of his pants. "Ah, we must've been closer than I thought. Morning, Oifeye!" Sigurd smiled and waved, both gestures carefree and easy. It was a very normal greeting, not a greeting one would expect from someone who technically had been missing for a night. "I'm sorry. I stepped away to cool my head and... whoa!" And none of it mattered to Lord Oifeye. Lord Oifeye just screwed up his face like he was about to burst into tears and nearly tackled Sigurd off his feet with a hug. "Oifeye?! Are you all right? Did you have a nightmare?" So, whatever explanation Sigurd planned to give had to wait, as he was much too busy trying to comfort a silently crying Lord Oifeye. "Easy, easy... it's all right..." Sigurd returned the hug and stroked Lord Oifeye's hair. "It's going to be all right..."

"Oifeye, what made you rush... oh." This was when unexpected-arrival-number-two showed up: Mister Finn. He stared at us, looking a little dazed, before smiling brightly. "So, that's why..." he breathed, voice thick with unshed tears. They shimmered in his eyes, and one even slipped down his face as he turned back down the path. "Lord Quan! Lord Quan, up here! Lord Sigurd and Lady Alicia are safe!"

Thus, arrival-number-three appeared, an absolutely breathless Prince Quan who looked as if he had not slept a wink. "You're... both all right..." he whispered, staring at us. Then he breathed out slowly and sagged, like he was releasing all the worries he'd built up since yesterday. "Ah, thank you, Gaia..."

"Hmm? Quan, are you well?" Sigurd asked then, looking up from Lord Oifeye. He was noticeably confused. "You look like you didn't sleep. Was it too cold for you? Ethlyn stole an extra blanket, but maybe that wasn't enough."

"This is... just like when you waltzed back in after that damn flood." Now exasperation seeped into Prince Quan's voice. "Does it really not occur to you how worried we were?"

"About...? Oh, being attacked again! That makes sense; I should've-"

"Sigurd, I love you, but one more word, and I think I will hit you." Prince Quan was definitely exasperated now. "Let's... just return to camp. Please. Before Ethlyn has another fit."

"Why would she-?"

"Camp. Now." He grumbled something under his breath, and pointedly turned his attention to me. He paused for a half-second, no doubt noticing Deirdre, before deciding to simply focus on me and get answers later. "Lady Alicia, I am pleased to see you are safe, especially since you no doubt had to deal with Sigurd's obliviousness." I smiled and shrugged. I really had nothing to say to that. "Are you well enough to walk?"

"I am," I confirmed, stepping to the side just enough for Deirdre to better hide behind me. I knew she needed a little more time to brace herself. "Might you lead the way?" Prince Quan bowed and did just that, walking briskly down the path, with Mister Finn jogging to catch up. Sigurd followed more slowly, mostly because Lord Oifeye refused to let go for even one second. He still had his face buried against Sigurd as they walked side-by-side. I, however, turned my attention to Deirdre. "Deirdre, the first one was Lord Oifeye, Sigurd's squire and a distant cousin. The second was Mister Finn, Prince Quan's squire, and the third was Prince Quan himself. He's one of Sigurd's best friends, and the husband of his little sister, Lady Ethlyn. Prince Quan and Mister Finn hail from Leonster, in the Munster District to the south."

"Right, those were some of the names Sigurd mentioned last night," Deirdre whispered, still hiding behind me. Prince Quan and Mister Finn had disappeared from sight by now, but Sigurd had noticed we hadn't followed and now waited for us. "Oh, there's going to be a lot of people."

"Yes." Hesitantly, I reached down to squeeze her hand. She squeezed back. "You'll be fine. I promise."

"Right, I just... need to dive right in. Like diving into a cold lake." She took a shuddering breath and nodded. "All right. Let's go."

We walked slowly, to give Deirdre as much time as we could. Prince Quan and Mister Finn actually had to return and make sure we didn't get lost again. But, eventually, we made it back to camp and it was... very lively. This was mostly because Mister Finn happily, and innocently, announced our safe return to the whole camp, and just about everyone swarmed Sigurd within two seconds of him stepping within the boundaries. The only thing I could say about the group was they were polite enough, barely, to not dislodge the still crying Lord Oifeye from Sigurd while excitedly greeting him. Though, this may have been because the first to reach him were his three personal knights.

"My lord, you must stop giving us heart attacks!" Sir Naoise scolded, tears in his eyes. Next to him, Sir Alec nodded vigorously, a scowl on his face, and Sir Arden wept openly and without shame. "How do you always end up in such trouble without us? There was the flood a couple years ago, and now this! I'm grateful you returned safe both times, but this will not do!"

"I did as I usually do, which is as I wish, and ran into problems," Sigurd laughed, mostly to hide how confused he was by the turnout. He glanced at me over everyone's heads, and I simply waved and led Deirdre away from the crowd. We, thankfully, had not gotten caught. "Admittedly, that seems to be how I always end up in trouble, but nothing for it."

"My lord, this is exactly the problem!" Sir Naoise scowled and Sigurd simply laughed again. I noticed Lord Oifeye now only clung to his shirt, and was finally just sniffling. I should give him some headache medicine later. "It... ah, there you are, my lady. We made sure you had a spot." I couldn't see who he was referring to, but the sudden shriek of 'stupid brother' told me anyway. It was kind of the knights to ensure Lady Ethlyn could make her way through the crowd.

Shaking my head, I moved a little more to the side as the crowd bloated, and Deirdre kept very close to me to avoid the crush. Her wide eyes hinted she was already overwhelmed by the number of people, which struck me as odd since it was less than Marpha. Then again, her trips to Marpha no doubt were 'quickly in, and quickly out', so perhaps she never noticed how crowded it could be. Part of me wanted to ask, but I decided against it. She could tell me later, if she wished.

"So, the one who was scolding is Sir Naoise," I whispered to her instead, helping her with names. She nodded to show she heard, though her attention remained on the crowd. "The one next to him, wearing the white cloth on his head, is Sir Alec. Beside them, crying, is Sir Arden. They are Sigurd's personal knights and are intensely loyal to him. They are not above pointing out when he is being ridiculous, as you can see and hear."

"What's the difference between a 'personal knight' and regular?" Deirdre asked me, tilting her head curiously. Through the crowd, we could barely see Sigurd stroking the hair of someone. I guessed Lady Ethlyn, though I still couldn't see her. Was Lord Oifeye still with him? "Or, well, I suppose I'm more curious about their different duties."

"I fear I know little, but I believe they swore their oaths to Sigurd, not his house, and that is why they remained behind when the rest marched with Lord Byron." I was about to suggest she ask them directly, once she had been introduced to them, when something thudded into my leg. Well, when 'someone' thudded into my leg, as when I looked down, I found Lord Shannan had firmly attached himself. "Ah, Lord Shannan?"

"Shannan, why are you... ah, that's why." Not long after, Lady Ayra rushed over, surprisingly followed closely by Lex. "We heard you had returned and were coming to greet everyone when he suddenly bolted in a different direction," she explained with a rueful smile. "I suppose he figured it better to hug you now and wait for the crowd to thin before he hugged Sigurd."

"Azelle should be here soon," Lex added, his voice surprisingly hoarse. I frowned a little at him and he shrugged. "What? He was in the middle of... wait, no, not what you're frowning about. I've been telling Shannan stories since sunrise. Kept him from panicking."

"It wasn't since sunrise. You've told him stories since sunset yesterday." Lady Ayra scowled up at him. "I told you to go rest once he went to sleep."

"What if he woke and wanted another story?" Lex shrugged her off and rested a hand behind his head to briefly stretch his neck. "Anyway, Azelle was making me tea when we heard, so he's finishing up so we didn't have a fire. Pretty sure you wouldn't want that as a 'welcome back' present."

"No, I would prefer to avoid fires," I agreed, not... quite sure what to say. Truthfully, I had only half-expected Azelle and Lex to come greet me. Lord Shannan and Lady Ayra were a surprise. "I do apologize for disappearing."

"From what Finn said, it's Sigurd's fault," Lex immediately dismissed, even waving a hand. Lady Ayra, however, frowned. "What? It is. She went looking for him, and he obliviously wandered into the woods." There was no way to even try to argue the point there. "He'd be the first to admit it. Probably is right now. Poor Ethlyn. She spent so much time crafting a lecture, and I think her tears drowned it."

"I'm certain she's just relieved he's well," Lady Ayra murmured, with a slightly bitter smile. Lex and I both stiffened when we realized why. She, no doubt, would give anything to reunite with her own brother one more time. But it would... it would never happen. "Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring the mood down."

"No, I really should've worded that better." Lex shrugged and smiled awkwardly. I hid my discomfort by stroking Lord Shannan's hair. He hadn't budged from my leg. "My bad."

"Since when do you apologize?"

"When I accidentally put my foot in my mouth. No point in apologizing when it's purposeful." He pointedly turned back to me to 'conveniently' ignore Lady Ayra's scowl. "Also, who's the lady hiding behind you, Alicia? I know I haven't seen her before. She's distinctive." Yes, Deirdre was quite striking, especially with her delicate features making her stand out no matter who was near. They were apparent even as she tried to hide more behind me. "Did you two get lost in the woods and recruit someone? Because that does sound like something that would happen to Sigurd."

"Sounds more like a tale."

"That only reinforces the whole 'this would definitely happen to Sigurd' comment, Ayra." Lex grinned and Lady Ayra only scowled further. "We're getting distracted. Alicia, who is... ah, no, there's another distraction." Now, what was he talking-?

"Sister!" Ah. Azelle was here. I hadn't seen him approach since Lex blocked the path. "Sorry, I was making tea and... oh, never mind," he rambled breathlessly, smiling in relief. "How are you? Are you tired? You're probably tired. Do you need anything? I was making tea for Lex, but I can make you a cup too? It won't be nearly as good as yours, of course but-"

"Azelle, remember to breathe," Lady Ayra deadpanned. It sparked a laugh from Lex and a yelp from Azelle. "That will conveniently give her time to answer."

"Er... right, sorry..." Azelle looked away sheepishly. "And I'm sorry. I interrupted something, didn't I?"

"Why are you apologizing for coming to greet your sister? Is this a thing in Grannvale?"

"Huh? No, I'm not... umm... sorry..."

"I should count how many times you apologize in a day. Might be amusing."

"Record is thirty-two in an hour," Lex 'helpfully' revealed. It led to more yelps from Azelle, and a peal of laughter from Lady Ayra. Deirdre looked between the three of them in confusion, and I mostly ignored them to continue fussing over Lord Shannan, who kept his face buried in my thigh. "Tailtiu and I got bored after that." He grinned and then pointed to Deirdre. "All right, with the distraction out of the way, I remain curious about... oh, Soteria of the Shield, what the hell?" Now, what distraction were we getting this time? The answer was 'Lady Ethlyn'. She practically flew over here, from my view, and wrapped me up in a hug tighter than any I had ever received.

Very confused, I awkwardly patted her on the head and peeked over to the crowd still surrounding Sigurd. I no longer saw the three knights, and given Sigurd had both hands up in a placating fashion, I guessed Lord Oifeye was no longer clinging to him. Instead, Sigurd was now dealing with a very irate Lady Edain, with an equally exasperated Sir Midir watching the show.

"Do you have any idea how worried we were?!" Lady Edain's scolding briefly wafted over the crowd so we could hear even at this distance. "If something happened to you because you came to Verdane chasing after me, I...!"

"You're doing a very good job telling me all about it, Edain," Sigurd quipped then, perhaps to try and make her laugh. Unfortunately, even from here, I saw Lady Edain's expression darken. "Uh... so..."

"Sigurd, you absolute imbecile!" That was... loud. It even echoed off the trees. It was almost a shame I didn't hear the rest, but I had other things to focus on then.

"Glad Edain is better able to word what I wanted to say," Lady Ethlyn chirped, stepping away from me and bringing my attention back to her. Despite the chipper tone, she looked... to be blunt, she looked terrible. I didn't think she slept at all last night, and her face was swollen from long bouts of crying. Even her hair, normally neat in a ribbon-tied-ponytail, was haphazardly pulled back. Without thinking, I reached behind her to fix it. "Ah, thank you! I'd still been abed when word reached me. Took forever for me to sleep. Only managed it after drinking the tea mix you made me." She looked around curiously, no doubt wondering why Lex appeared annoyed, before focusing on Deirdre, still behind me. "Oh, blessed Neit, take me, where are my manners?" She managed a bright smile for Deirdre, and I caught Lex's sigh of relief over finally learning who she was. Lady Ayra and Azelle simultaneously elbowed his sides to keep him from actually commenting. "I didn't even see you."

"She is hiding a little," I demurred, glancing over to Sigurd once more to see he was still being yelled at by Lady Edain. Even if he weren't, the crowd remained as large as ever, and it did not look as if it would disperse any time soon. This left me in an awkward situation, since it would be terribly rude to not introduce her now. It was even worse considering Lady Ethlyn was the one asking now, and Sigurd earnestly wished Deirdre meet his little sister first. So, the best course of action was likely... "Regardless, Deirdre, this is Lady Ethlyn, Sigurd's little sister." I stepped and twisted to the side, as much as I could without dislodging Lord Shannan from my leg, and gestured to Deirdre. Azelle, Lex, and Lady Ayra all looked confused as to why I focused on introducing Lady Ethlyn alone, but I hoped they would soon realize why. "Lady Ethlyn, this is Deirdre, Sigurd's fiance."

"Oh, hello, it's very nice... to meet..." Lady Ethlyn slowly trailed off as the words processed. Curious, I glanced at Azelle, Lady Ayra, and Lex and saw all three gaping. "Um... Lady Alicia, could you repeat that last part?"

"Deirdre is Sigurd's fiancé."

"Fiancé."

"Yes."

"Sigurd's."

"Yes."

"Sigurd's fiancé."

"Yes." There was a very long moment of silence. Lady Ethlyn stared as if I suddenly developed the pox, unable to fully comprehend what I said. Poor Deirdre squirmed as the silence stretched on and on, and quickly hid behind me once more.

Then, finally, the pieces thunked into their proper places and Lady Ethlyn shrieked, "FIANCE?! WHEN DID HE EVEN COURT?!" The answer was 'he did not', but I would never tell. "SIGURD! WHAT THE HELL?!" She rounded on the crowd, just as Sigurd miraculously wriggled out. I guessed he took advantage of their distraction, since Lady Ethlyn was being very loud. "SINCE WHEN DO YOU HAVE A FIANCE?!"

"Since... yesterday, I suppose," Sigurd answered blithely, joining us at last. He made a point to take Deirdre's hand to kiss it, and Deirdre shyly stepped closer to him. "But Alicia, you told?"

"It would have been rude to not answer," I explained with a little shrug. I reached down to ruffle Lord Shannan's hair, as he kept clinging through all this. "I also feared Lady Ethlyn might not be the first to learn considering the circumstances."

"Oh, I'm not scolding. If anything, I'm grateful you were able to humor my request. Where did this crowd come from, anyway? I'm glad to be loved, but why were so many worried?"

"Yes, whyever would any soldier be worried about their leader suddenly disappearing into the night?"

"Okay, point taken."

"Whoa, no, you two do not get to distract from the topic at hand!" Lady Ethlyn shrieked, coming right back into the conversation. Her color was very high, and she looked equal parts frantic and annoyed. Poor Deirdre ducked behind me once more, instinctively hiding from the loud noises. "Sigurd, you kept her secret?! From me?! I'm your little sister!"

"I seem to recall you and Quan keeping a similar secret from me," Sigurd noted lightly, with a giant grin. He was having fun with this. "In fact, I even recall-

"That was different!"

"Because it was you?"

"Because you got swept away by a freaking flood the day I tried to tell you!"

That was when I slid away, as best as I could since Lord Shannan still held my leg, mostly to give Lady Ethlyn more room to flail as she bickered with Sigurd. Besides, thanks to her volume, word spread very quickly and Lord Quan appeared in a rush with a surprisingly childish sulk, no doubt because he had just been teasing him about marriage and yet Sigurd hadn't said a word. ...Of course, that was because Sigurd wasn't courting Deirdre at the time, but I would take the secret to my grave until and unless Sigurd and Deirdre told someone first. Besides, at the moment, reassuring Deirdre everything was fine was far more important.

"I promise, Deirdre, she is not mad at you or your presence," I told her firmly yet softly. She eyed the trio warily, worst-case-scenarios clearly whirling through her head. "She's mad because her brother hid such a pretty sister-to-be from her."

"You're teasing me," Deirdre mumbled, ducking her head. I caught the shy smile, though. "...Do you think she'll accept me?"

"So long as you make Sigurd happy, which you do simply by existing, she'll adore you. They both will."

"You're certain?"

"Absolutely."

"Um... Lady Alicia?" Lady Ayra's surprisingly tentative voice drew my attention then and I twisted to see she looked even more tentative than her tone. "Are you... all right?" she asked softly, peering at me closely.

"Yes? I thought this was established already," I replied slowly, wondering if I gave the impression otherwise. Was she referring to how Lord Shannan kept clinging to my leg? I certainly did not mind. "I suppose I never did properly answer Azelle's questions, but I thought it implied."

"Well, yes..." Now that I looked, I saw she wasn't the only one looking at me worriedly. Lex was too, and even Azelle was frowning. "But I thought..." She trailed off, and I tried to think of the last time she was so lost for words. "Well, many of us thought..." She glanced over at Sigurd and Lady Ethlyn, still bickering while Prince Quan playfully clung to Sigurd and continued to sulk about 'secrets', and very slowly, I pieced together what she was saying.

As soon as the final piece 'thunked' into place, I couldn't help but start laughing. I truly couldn't. It was just too preposterous and nonsensical.

"See? I wasn't the only one who thought it," Deirdre grumbled, realizing why I was laughing faster than the rest. We attracted quite a few stares, and I knew it was improper, but I couldn't stop! "I bet most of your army did too!" Now I was laughing harder. I had to spare a hand to cling to her so I would stay upright!

"Er... is everything all right?" The only reason I managed to calm even a little was because Lord Shannan finally lifted his head and rested his chin on my leg to look up at me. "What's the funny thing?" he asked, smiling sweetly. "I want to know so I can hear you laugh again!" Now how was I supposed to answer? Trying to explain only made more laughter bubble out!

Deirdre, thankfully, had little problems telling him. "It's a misconception most everyone had, but apparently both Alicia and Sigurd find so ludicrous they cannot help but laugh and laugh until they're as red as her hair."

"What's the mis-ception?"

"...Th-that is..."

There was no helping it. I kept on laughing, this time as Deirdre tried to explain to Lord Shannan what I found so hilarious, and Lady Ayra, Lex, and Azelle looked more and more awkward as they too realized why I was laughing.

Everyone in this army was absolutely ridiculous. I loved them for it.

---

It took longer than I was willing to admit to finally stop laughing. From there, I had planned on heading straight to the infirmary, but I quickly encountered unexpected obstacles. Namely, I had more people come greet me and express their relief I had returned safe and sound. It was as baffling as it was time-consuming, not helped by how Lord Shannan refused to let go of my leg. I still wasn't certain how Lady Ayra convinced him to let go, but eventually, she did, taking Deirdre for a tour around camp while she was at it, and I was allowed to check on our patients at last.

I stepped into the 'main' infirmary tent quietly, and lingered in the entrance way to observe all of them. To my intense relief, the difference was apparent. Most slept easily, with the barest of coughing, and the few who were awake were in the terribly awkward stage of healing where they were not well enough to move about normally, but were well enough to be frustrated over it. Thankfully, they could commiserate with their fellows, grateful to be alive after their experience. Still, I could see some beds were empty, beds I knew were occupied when I left yesterday. Had the antidote not been enough? Had it simply been too late? Maybe the antidotes hadn't worked at all and...

"I should've known you would run here." Lady Edain slipped to my side with a smile, hands clasped behind her back. "Most would at least try to get a meal first," she gently teased, with a giggle. I could only tilt my head. Why would I need to eat? I wasn't hungry, and I was worried for our patients. "Well, as you can see, everyone is recovering well. Surprisingly, most only needed a single dose of antidote." Ah, so it had worked, then. "A couple needed two. Those who needed more... unfortunately, they didn't survive the night. I'm truthfully not certain how much they managed to choke down."

"Still, most survived, and that was all we could hope for," I murmured, turning my attention back to the patients. The ones who chatted... yes, they had been those who had been the least affected. What caused the variance? Had there been research in the past? Should I look into it? "So, I am glad." I would, later, ask how many died. I wanted to add it to the total tucked in my heart. I counted all of our dead, after all.

"I'm amazed, personally. I never would've thought of using an antidote." I couldn't claim the credit for that. Most of the work had been done by Evans's doctor. I had only found the notes and extrapolated from there. "How did you know?" ...The question was expected. As she just said, most would never think of using an antidote to treat a magical assault. Yet, it made me still anyway, as I tried to think of how to answer.

My first instinct was to simply tell her. After all, she was a healer, and one I trusted greatly. But other thoughts screamed through my head to beat the instinct down, each colder than the last. This was dark magic. Dark magic was only used by those of Loptr, the very ones who were hunted. If people knew, would there be an increase in hunts? ...I knew the answer. Of course, there would. There would be an influx across Jugdral, and I dared not think of the ensuing bloodbath. How many would die? How many would be innocent? How many would be people simply trying to live their lives, even if their beliefs differed?

How much more danger would Deirdre be in?

"...Might I tell you later, Lady Edain?" I whispered at last. I could not speak louder. I was afraid to do so.

Thankfully, Lady Edain simply smiled. "I'll wait," she promised. I wished I had the words to say just how grateful I was. "So, do you want to make your usual rounds?" The thought was tempting. Yes, I could see how most were well, and I trusted Lady Edain's judgment, but given how peculiar this all was... "Oh, Jamke, what are you doing here?" I almost asked what she meant, but then I turned to see Prince Jamke striding over. He looked a little harried, but otherwise well, save for the cuts on his arms I knew had not been there yesterday.

"I was looking for Lady Alicia, and for some reason, didn't think to come here first," Prince Jamke answered with a shrug. He focused on me for a long second before turning his attention to Lady Edain once more. "Since neither of you are flitting between the patients like hummingbirds, I'm guessing everyone remains stable?"

"They do indeed," Lady Edain confirmed, with a smile and clap. I tried to figure out the hummingbird comparison, but came up blank. Did they flit about? I wasn't certain I had ever seen one. "And what of you? You refused healing last night for your cuts since we weren't certain how everyone would fair overnight."

"Edain, I don't need a healer to tend to them. They're just from some grabby thorns." He shrugged off the concern, even as Lady Edain frowned. "I only got them because I couldn't see my footing anymore. That's why I turned back."

"Yet you were hurt trying to find Sigurd and Lady Alicia. How can I not be concerned?" Lady Edain frowned worriedly, and I realized then why I didn't know the cuts. Prince Jamke had tried to chase after us, but the lack of light forced him back. In that darkness, he had been injured. "Still, if you insist..."

"I do, but I thank you for the concern." Prince Jamke focused on me then, surprisingly enough. At least, it was a surprise until I remembered he'd been looking for me. Perhaps I was more tired than I thought for my mind to be so scattered. "Forgive me, but yesterday, Finn told me you wished to speak with me about something important. Do you have time now?"

"Ah, yes, I do," I replied, glancing at the patients. Truthfully, I wanted to tend to them, for my own worries, but I also wanted to tell Prince Jamke and Sigurd about the connection to Evans as soon as possible. I did not know how 'important' it was to the current situation, but I did believe it was necessary to figuring out what had happened here in Verdane. "Lady Edain, would you mind if I stepped away?"

"Not at all!" Lady Edain reassured with a smile. It did not hide her concern, but she was careful to appear relaxed. "I did a check-up on everyone a little while ago and none seemed so bad off they needed your direct attention. I'll do another to be certain and send for you if that has changed."

"Thank you." I turned back to Prince Jamke and hoped I appeared as calm as a healer should. "Then we should find Sigurd. I wanted to tell you both this."

Finding Sigurd was both easier and harder than it sounded. It was easy, as everyone kept one eye on him, but difficult, because he kept moving around to greet and check on people. I swore Prince Jamke and I wandered the entire camp before Sir Naoise told us he was in his tent. Of course, when we arrived, I hesitated to 'knock', certain he was either resting or spending time with Deirdre. Still, since we had already wasted this much time, I worked up the courage to finally 'knock' and, upon hearing a faint 'come in', stepped inside. Then I nearly walked right back out when I realized Lady Ethlyn was with him. Did I mishear? Prince Jamke lingered back, so perhaps I did.

"Ah, Alicia, hello," Sigurd greeted without a care. He was pressing a damp cloth to Lady Ethlyn's scrunched up face, cleaning it after what was likely another bout of tears. Her eyes were redder than they had been earlier. "Is everything well?"

"As far as I am aware, yes, it is," I answered, frowning as I took in the scene. Without thinking about it, I strode over to the tea-making-station in the back corner and set about brewing Lady Ethlyn some tea for the headache she no doubt had. "I must apologize. I thought..."

"For what? I told you to come in." Sigurd tossed the used cloth into a random corner and found a dry one for Lady Ethlyn. She made another face at him, but let him fuss. "How are the victims?"

"They are recovering well." Thankfully, Sigurd kept a ready stock of headache remedies, so this would be ready quickly.

"Is Deirdre well?"

"She was when Lady Ayra and Lord Shannan took her for a tour of the camp." Why must water take so long to boil? It was a shame I could do the same trick Arvis and Azelle could with flames. But I… I couldn't. "Regardless of what you said, do I need to come back later?"

"No, no, since if you're here, and it's not about the patients or Deirdre, then it must be what you wanted to talk about yesterday before I got us lost. We've delayed long enough, and I'm sure Ethlyn wants more time to think of synonyms for 'idiot brother'." He grinned and kissed the top of her head; Lady Ethlyn promptly, if half-heartedly, whacked him in the shoulder. "See?"

"If you are certain..." I looked at Lady Ethlyn, wondering if she felt slighted. But Lady Ethlyn simply smiled, a touch rueful, but a smile nonetheless. "I have tea making for you, Lady Ethlyn, so please drink it. It should help with the headache I'm certain you have."

Lady Ethlyn perked up at the thought, and waved us goodbye as we stepped out to join Prince Jamke. Then, it was straight to my tent, not allowing anything to distract us. To my slight relief, the inside was the same as yesterday, with my bags in the corner and the small table still set up. I had wondered if I would need to find the papers again, but quickly discovered they, too, were almost exactly as I had left them. The only differences were they were weighed down with something heavier, a dagger I most definitely did not own, and a small note in spidery scrawl was left next to them. I picked it up to read, and found myself smiling at the words: 'I did not want them to be blown away, so I used something heavier. -Finn'. He truly was the sweetest. I'd need to return the dagger to him later.

"This is what I wanted to discuss," I explained, setting the note and dagger to the side. Then I handed Prince Jamke and Sigurd the list I made of the symptoms. "These are the symptoms experienced by those who were hit by the magical assault. Those marked with one star are symptoms most victims complained about. Two stars represent the particularly bad cases, and three stars are the ones only felt by those who eventually died."

"No wonder you described it as an epidemic," Sigurd noted, glancing through before giving it to Prince Jamke to hold. Prince Jamke read it much more carefully, tapping one of the last ones on the list. I had a feeling I knew exactly which one: the bone-breaking pain. It was... a very distinctive symptom. That was why it had been the key to all of this. "If anyone else had told me, I think I would've had their head examined."

"I treated them and still feel like I hallucinated half of it." Still, that wasn't the point of this meeting. If it were only this, I could have simply told them. "If you are both finished with that list, I would like..." I found the list of symptoms written by Evans's doctor and handed it over to them. Prince Jamke took it directly this time, holding the two papers side-by-side. "I would like for you to read this."

"This isn't your writing, Alicia." Of course Sigurd noticed that detail immediately. "Yet, the list is near-identical." Sigurd and Prince Jamke both frowned over the lists. "It's not Ethlyn's or Edain's writing either, so who wrote this?"

"These are the notes left behind by Evans's primary doctor." I spoke quietly and softly, and both men stiffened instantly as they figured it out from just those words. Still, I continued. "They are the symptoms experienced by those who suffered from the plague which ripped through the castle town a year or so ago, and all the medicines they tried to cure them." I looked to Prince Jamke then, noticing how pale he had turned. This... this was the main reason I had wanted to tell him. No matter my... less than cordial feelings for him, I truly believed he needed to know. "You mentioned Evans's previous lord had attempted to look into those rumors, yes?"

"He had..." Prince Jamke answered slowly, his voice tight and shaking. He looked over the notes, as if seeking some sort of difference between them, something which might suggest a different conclusion. Sadly, he did not find one anymore than I had. "The plague killed him, and made it impossible to send messengers." His grip tightened on the pages, enough to crumple the edges. Sigurd rested a comforting, and steadying, hand on his shoulder, his own expression grave. "But these symptoms... match the attack we suffered yesterday." His hands shook and his grip tightened further. I worried he might rip them on accident, and wondered if I should take back the notes Evans's doctor left. He could rip mine as much as he wanted, but I did not want to lose those precious notes. "It wasn't a plague at all."

"No, it was not," I confirmed sadly. They had been attacked, viciously, to keep the truth hidden until everything boiled over into war. I wondered how it hit so many. Did they cast it individually? Did the spell mimic a real poison which they used instead? Did they cast it in the water and somehow it lingered? I doubted I would ever learn. "Considering everything, I can only conclude Sandima is behind both incidents. Here, he wished to demoralize us."

"Whereas in Evans, he wanted to force us to war. To force us to suicide against Grannvale's armies. Why?" That was certainly a question. I did not know why Sandima would manipulate so many if he was only searching for Deirdre. Could he have hoped the chaos would mask the search? Was it revenge for the hunts? "Another answer I need to rip out of his lying throat, it seems." Prince Jamke was silent for a moment before he handed me back the lists. I set them on the table once more and absently smoothed them out. "This is dark magic, isn't it?" He guessed that quickly. "There are stories here in Verdane on how the Loptrians used their dark magic to drive a city into a frenzy, or drown them in pestilence. Had quite a few hunts sparked thanks to the latter."

"While I would never claim to be an expert in magic, given how this one is so outside my knowledge, I can only conclude the same." Deirdre had also confirmed it directly, but there was no need to say it when this would suffice. We didn't need anyone wondering how Deirdre knew. It would only make it harder for her to keep her secret.

"Right..." Prince Jamke closed his eyes. "I think I already know the answer to this, Lady Alicia, but who all knows?"

"If you are asking who knows the connection to Evans, then it is only us three." I glanced to Sigurd, and saw him thinking furiously. I had no doubts he was thinking the same as I was, how best to protect Deirdre's secret while also giving Prince Jamke as much information as possible to make sense of this dreaded mess. "If you are wondering about the use of dark magic, then it is us three and Deirdre. Sigurd and I discussed it around her." Though, truthfully, I would not be surprised if more suspected.

"I see." Prince Jamke was silent for a very long moment. "Already, there are stories among the Verdanites of how this war must have warped some of the spirits and, in their madness, they attacked anything and everything near." He spoke very slowly, picking each word with care. It did not hide how much his breath, and voice, shook. "I will encourage them further. We cannot let others know this is dark magic. I dare not think of how many would be hunted if it became known."

"This... would place more blame on King Batu," Sigurd pointed out softly, voice heavy with reluctance. I knew why; the more blame King Batu shouldered, the more Verdane would suffer for breaking the treaty. "Sandima-"

"My father made his choice," Prince Jamke immediately spat, the words like stones. When he opened his eyes, I saw they blazed with a quiet, sudden fury, one directed at everything and nothing. "Sandima may have manipulated the circumstances, but my father still made the choice. No matter what Sandima's crimes are, and they are many, my father must be held accountable. That is the price we royals pay, as our decisions affect the lives of hundreds." No longer did his words shake. He spoke clearly and concisely, and I slowly realized he had come to this conclusion already. He had already thought long and hard about all of this. The revelation of the dark magic only solidified his decision. "If Sandima wants to act a stereotype, let him. I will not let others use him as an excuse to slaughter innocents, and I think all three of us can agree there will be nothing but massacres across Jugdral if we let it be known dark magic was used here." ...Yes, it would. I thought the same earlier. "Sigurd, I know you are truthful and righteous. I know your reluctance is because you wish to give my people justice, and all the answers they so rightfully deserve." Prince Jamke looked over to him with a slightly broken smile. "But, in this case, I must beg. Let my father take full blame, to protect my people. My father's actions have spilt enough blood."

"I..." Sigurd winced, and I was certain it hurt his heart. But, eventually, he nodded. "I will yield to you, Jamke. You are the most injured party, and these are your people, not mine. I am rubbish at lying, but I will speak carefully. I promise you this."

"Thank you." Prince Jamke suddenly swayed and Sigurd quickly caught him. "Ah..."

"You need to sit down. We have a war meeting later, but there's still time." Sigurd may have glanced at me, but I was already in the corner digging through my medicine bag. "Alicia, do you mind...?"

"We should brew him this," I said, pulling out one of my tea mixes. It was one of Father Eirik's recipes, a calming mix useful for those who suffered a mental shock. "Do you think I can use some salt to also make him a salty tea?" He needed more than just 'calm'; he needed 'comfort'.

"Might as well take advantage of being the leader," Sigurd quipped with a wry smile. He wrapped an arm around Prince Jamke's shoulder and started to lead him out. "I'll get him to his tent, if you want to make it for him. If the kitchen staff hesitate, tell them I gave permission."

"I will."

It didn't take me long to make the tea. Truthfully, It took me longer to figure out where the kitchen tent was, but thankfully, Sir Arden escorted me when he saw me wandering. Even more thankfully, the cooks did not protest when I took some of their salt, even if they looked confused by the request until I explained it was for Prince Jamke. They kindly let me use a corner of the tent to make the tea, and Sir Arden graciously offered to deliver it, leaving me free to do whatever I wished. After a moment of thought, I decided the best use of my time was to return to the infirmary, and headed in that direction... only to find myself slowing when I caught sight of Lady Edain chatting happily to a bewildered, but elated, Deirdre. Now that I thought about it, I wondered if Lady Edain's odd friendliness was because she thought Sigurd was courting me. That would... make the most sense. No doubt Lady Ethlyn's cheer had been for the same reasons. It was... a little painful... to think about, but there was nothing to be done about it. It was what it was. So, I had best continue on to the infirmary and...

"Oh, Lady Alicia!" Just as I took another step down the path, Lady Edain happened to whirl and catch sight of me. "There you are!" she greeted me brightly, beaming even. I swore I saw sparkles shining around her once again. "Won't you have tea with me this time?" All my thoughts stopped at the question. I... I had just figured it out. It had made sense. It had made perfect sense. So, why was she asking me? Why would she? "Please?"

"...I fear I do not know much of tea etiquette, Lady Edain," I murmured, defaulting to my healer calm to hide how my mind whirled. She drooped at the perceived refusal, and I... "If you can forgive such, then I will join you." I made myself smile to hide my confusion. "Perhaps it will do the soldiers well to not see me hovering over the victims."

"You will?! Marvelous!" Lady Edain was back to smiles in an instant, and she clapped and laughed in palpable delight. Somehow, there were even more of the illusory sparkles around her. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun! I'll gather my things! You two meet me at my tent!" Then she was off like a bolt of lightning, humming all the while.

"Thank you..." Deirdre suddenly breathed, and I focused my attention back on her. She was distinctly pale, and she kept fussing with her hands and sleeves. "She ambushed me out of nowhere and asked," she mumbled. "I accepted out of shock, and I do dearly want to talk with her, but being the sole focus of her attention was making me queasy. I am not used to such... brightness."

"I fear I am not either," I admitted with a small, reassuring smile. She immediately smiled back. "I will gladly serve as your shield, though I am confused why she invited me."

"Well, you're very nice, very pretty, and very smart?" She said the words very easily, and I could only tilt my head at them. "I can think of many reasons, personally, but I won't list them all. For now, we should probably follow like she said, yes?"

"Yes, that might be good." I hesitated a moment before awkwardly offering her my hand. She took it quickly, and her smile brightened. "Let's find her tent then."

---

Lady Edain was a flurry of movement when we arrived, somehow completely rearranging her tent until it resembled a 'sitting room' as closely as a tent could. There were even cushions; I swore she materialized them from nowhere. Deirdre and I lingered awkwardly in the entrance way until she declared herself 'done', and then found ourselves seated around a small table while she brewed the tea. I offered to do it, but Lady Edain refused on account of my 'being a guest'. I... truly couldn't remember the last time someone made tea for me. The closest would be the medicinal teas Father Eirik would brew when I was ill and, even then, if I had the strength to pour it on my own, then I was left alone to do so. It was a very far cry from how Lady Edain sang cheerfully as she poured the tea.

"I apologize for no sugar, but I promise this is a sweeter tea, so it shouldn't be needed," Lady Edain 'explained' with a smile once all three of us had our cups. Her tea set was rather fancy, certainly the fanciest I had ever seen. It looked like something Arvis might try to buy me. Where did she buy it and how did it not break on the journey? "Ah, I really have none of the proper fixings..."

"Edain, please, don't fret," Deirdre reassured with a smile. She clapped her hands together to hide how they shook. "I don't know what you mean by 'proper fixings' anyway."

"Perhaps, but I do hope I can gather everything for the next tea. I really want to thank you properly. The stories you told me after you dropped me the apple helped soothe my rattled heart." Lady Edain's smile was as bright as the sun, and somehow, Deirdre's was even brighter. "Ah, right, Lady Alicia, I should mention Deirdre is..."

"Oh, she knows! Apparently, someone in the army dubbed me the 'apple fairy'." She also had told Sigurd and me she had spoken with Lady Edain. It hadn't been hard to figure it out from there.

"I think Azelle did, and you certainly look like a fairy with how delicate you look." Lady Edain laughed and Deirdre tilted her head. "I'm saying you're very beautiful, Deirdre. Probably the prettiest in the army."

"Th-that isn't true!" Deirdre's face went bright red. "You and Alicia are right here! Then there's Ethlyn, who is the absolute most adorable person I have ever seen."

"Isn't she? She's been that way since she was a baby. I threatened to steal her from Sigurd when we were small. Since it was back when Sigurd tried to emulate Byron too much, all stoic and everything, he tried to pretend he didn't care." Ah, was this what Sigurd meant when he told Arvis how Lady Ethlyn once thought he hated her?

"Sigurd? Stoic?" Deirdre frowned as she tried to imagine it and shook her head. "That seems... not him."

"It's really not. He overcompensated and once sent Ethlyn running away in tears." Lady Edain sighed, smiling slightly. "She ended up slipping down an embankment, if you can believe it, and got herself caught right by the river with all these sharp rocks. Sigurd spent hours looking for her, and actually ended up confined to his bed because of how mangled his legs got."

"His legs?" Deirdre's eyes widened. "Wait, from the rocks?"

"Ethlyn was trapped by sharp rocks and fast water, so Sigurd waded in to carry her to safety. After running around like a maniac trying to track her. He stopped trying to be the stoic after that. Much too difficult." Lady Ethlyn grinned when Deirdre smiled a sweet little smile. "Yes, he's been the knight in shining armor since we were little. Always running into trouble. I didn't think anything would top him running into a burning building to save Ethlyn when she got trapped, but invading another country just might do so."

"Invading? But that implies conquest, doesn't it?" Deirdre tapped her cheek in thought, and Lady Edain gave me a surprisingly bitter look. I could only smile slightly in commiseration since, technically, we did conquer Verdane. We had no intentions of doing so, but we ended up taking control. It was not a comfortable feeling for any of us. "Ah, never mind that. Burning building?"

"About four years ago, Ethlyn was visiting Sigurd at the Academy in Belhalla when it caught fire and she ended up trapped on one of the upper floors. Despite common sense, Sigurd rushed inside to find her. Eldigan followed him, and ended up with quite the nasty burn on his upper back and shoulder when he shielded Sigurd from some falling beams." Lady Edain turned more fully towards me with an impish smile. "It's rather similar to what happened to Lady Alicia back in Marpha." ...I wished I could deny it. "But that's a different story. How did we get onto this topic?"

"Ethlyn's adorableness?" Deirdre gave me a worried look, but I shrugged it away. All was fine now. Mister Finn only had a small scar from it. "Wait, no, I remember! I was talking about how everyone here is pretty!"

"Ah, yes, I said you were the prettiest."

"And I say that is nonsense! Ignoring you two and Ethlyn, there's also Ayra! She's-"

"Why did I hear my name?" Lady Ayra, it turned out, was right here and poked her head into the tent at that precise moment. Lady Edain jumped a little in surprise, while poor Deirdre squeaked. "Dare I ask?" she asked dryly, looking distinctly unamused. "I am morbidly curious."

"We were talking about how pretty you are," Deirdre mumbled, mostly out of embarrassment than anything. Lady Ayra's face immediately blanked. "A-anyway, what brought you near? Did we bother you?"

"No, I was just looking for Lady Alicia and happened to pass by. She's not in the infirmary, you see, so I have no idea where else..." Lady Ayra trailed off when she noticed Deirdre looked right at me. "Ah. You're here."

"Is everything well?" I asked, concerned. Was Lord Shannan hurt? He had seemed fine earlier, but he was still learning his limits. "Should I-?"

"No, no, as far as I know, everything is fine," Lady Ayra reassured quickly. She almost seemed amused by something, but I had no idea what the joke could be. "It's just my paranoia. You did disappear for a night, after all." Lady Ayra shifted so she was standing a little straighter, holding the flap open. "First time you weren't easy to find."

"My apologies."

"For what?" Lady Ayra shrugged it off. "Regardless, that was all, so I will-"

"No, no, stay and join us!" Lady Edain suddenly insisted, waving her in. Somehow, she pulled another teacup from thin air, or her sleeve, and set it down across from her, between Deirdre and me. "We're just relaxing and having tea."

"I... what?" Lady Ayra 'replied', stunned. Then she rapidly shook her head. "Oh, no, I barely have enough manners for Isaach's tea, much less Grannvale's."

"I don't care about such things. It's not a proper tea anyway; I have no sweets nor fixings as I was just bemoaning." Lady Edain poured the tea for her. "Sit, sit!"

Not even Lady Ayra could win against Lady Edain's enthusiasm. She tried, of course, but before long, Lady Ayra had joined us, sitting on another cushion I was convinced Lady Edain materialized from nothing. Conversation paused as we all drank our tea, and it was interesting to note all four of us held our teacups differently. Lady Edain pinched the handle with her index finger and thumb, resting her other fingers against the cup to balance it. Deirdre looped all her fingers around the handle, and held the cup with her other hand as if afraid to drop it. I rather casually held my cup with one hand, three or four fingers around the handle, because I was used to multi-tasking. Lady Ayra, at least at first, ignored the handle entirely and picked up her tea by the cup itself. As one could expect, she set it back down quickly, with a scowl.

"Is the tea not to your liking?" Lady Edain asked politely as soon as the cup hit the table again. Lady Ayra glanced at her, while Deirdre pulled her supporting-hand away from the cup to check how reddened it was from the heat. The answer was 'very'. "I fear I do not have much of a selection, but..."

"No, the tea is fine," Lady Ayra answered, eyes flicking down to the tea. She touched the side once more, frowning. "I did not expect it to be so hot so quickly. Your teacups heat too fast."

"Do they?" Lady Edain looked surprised. "Are they not like this in Isaach?"

"Mmm..." Lady Ayra studied the teacup thoroughly, taking the question as seriously as she did everything. "In terms of design, I think these are a little thinner. But, truthfully, there's a specific crafting technique used to keep them from heating and cooling quickly. We could pour boiling water in them and then carry the cup immediately with our bare hands." That was interesting. Why would they come up with the trick? "I do not know much about it, as I am the farthest thing from a craftsman, but according to our stories, a fairy taught our ancestors in the aftermath of a natural disaster, when they struggled to bring hot water to field medics."

"Ah, so it was developed to help with cleaning and sterilization?" I asked, my interest thoroughly piqued. If our own were like this, it would help greatly with triage. "Does this technique also keep things warmer for longer?"

"I believe so," Lady Ayra answered, thinking carefully. After a moment, she actually dipped her finger into the tea. "Yes, it did. In Isaach, trying that would have scaled me."

"Please refrain from purposely hurting yourself in front of two healers."

"Is it not the best time?" Though she sounded serious, a slight, mischievous smile crept onto her face. "You could heal me quickly."

"Not during teatime," Lady Edain 'corrected' with far more dignity than necessary. She quickly grinned to show she was joking. "Unless someone is dying, no one is healing during tea." Lady Ayra gave her a look before pointing to me. "Yes, not even Lady Alicia. It's a rule of teatime."

"We sure she'll obey?" Lady Ayra asked dryly. I... tried to decide if I should be offended or not. "Given how much she works?"

"I think we can enforce it between the three of us." Lady Edain was all smiles. "Now then, so the teacups in Isaach are different. I never would've expected that. I know there's different types of cups, of course, but I thought they were all made the same."

"To be fair, I think it's something with glazing and firing, but don't quote me on it. As I said, I'm no craftsman." Lady Ayra tilted her head then and leaned back to push the flap of the tent open. "I think I hear..."

"Heeeeey, Edaaaaiiinnn~!" The sing-song call heralded the arrival of Mister Dew, and was the only warning any of us had before he hopped inside the tent. "Whoops, forgot manners again," he laughed, clearly not repentant at all. Lady Edain's answering giggle hinted she didn't mind. "Anyway, have you seen Lady Alicia, Lady Deirdre and Lady... Ayra...?" Mister Dew blinked slowly, perhaps realizing for the first time Lady Edain had guests. "Oh, you're right here. Convenient!" He plopped down between Lady Edain and me, with a bright smile. "Message from Lord Sigurd. He wants you three at the war meeting." ...He wanted me at the war meeting? "The one that's happening... now."

"A war meeting already?" Lady Edain asked with a frown. She sipped her tea, equal parts confused and displeased. "Surely it's not that late. I would've thought Sigurd was still placating Ethlyn and Quan."

"Think Lord Sigurd used the meeting as a distraction." Mister Dew shrugged. "And like I said, by now it's probably started. Couldn't find anyone, for once. And I thought Lady Alicia would be the easiest."

"Oh, and I finally got to have tea with her too." Lady Edain sulked, but made a point to ruffle Mister Dew's hair. "Why must duty have such terrible timing?"

"Mister Dew, are you certain Sigurd sent for me and not Lady Edain?" I asked, mostly because there was no way to answer Lady Edain's question. At Mister Dew's nod, I found myself frowning. "That is strange. Lady Edain usually serves as a healer's voice at such meetings." Lady Edain had some training as a knight, after all, before she decided to change vocations. It gave her a unique insight into battle planning, one I frankly could never have.

"Perhaps it's because you figured out how to treat our patients?" Lady Edain suggested with a smile. The thought only made me frown more as by this point, Sigurd was well aware I 'figured out' nothing. All I did was use the notes left behind by a dead person. "So, you could provide a unique insight into the assault?" That was also questionable, but it did help me remember one key thing. I was one of four people in the army who knew about the dark magic. Did Sigurd want my help in case we had to talk around it? Though if Deirdre was also there, then perhaps I was asked to be her shield. "Regardless of why, it's probably not a good idea to keep everyone waiting. I'll watch the patients."

"Very well, then." At this point, protesting would probably cause more problems. "I do not suppose I could at least finish this cup?"

"Oh, yes, go ahead!" Lady Edain's smile brightened until I swore I saw sparkles again. Maybe I should have someone check my eyes. "I'm so glad you like it! I'll be certain to make it for next time!" 'Next time', she said. But since this was likely going to be the final push of the campaign, I... doubted there would ever be a 'next time'.

There was absolutely no way I could say such a thing, so I simply smiled and finished my tea. Then, Deirdre, Lady Ayra, and I followed Mister Dew to the 'war tent', the largest tent in camp where all sorts of meetings took place. As Mister Dew had warned, discussions were well underway when the three of us entered. Sigurd was at the head of the table inside, with Lord Oifeye standing just behind him. Prince Jamke was at the opposite end, perhaps as a show of equality in leadership. Prince Quan stood on Sigurd's right, commenting about something on the map pinned to the table, and Azelle and Lex stood together next to him, listening closely. This left only the left side open for us three late arrivals and, after a moment, Deirdre shyly took her place to Sigurd's left, across from Prince Quan. Since she had a tight grip on my hand, I ended up next to her, across from Azelle, and Lady Ayra slipped into the remaining spot across from Lex and to Prince Jamke's left.

"Ah, I see Dew finally found you three," Prince Quan commented, his smile only slightly annoyed. Sigurd reached over to poke his arm, and Prince Quan scowled at him. "What? I'm not yelling."

"Quan, you can't be fussy about punctuality, especially when the meeting was called for at the last minute," Sigurd scolded, soft smile easing the words. At least, they eased them until said smile took a distinctly impish air. "Not everyone arrives two days early to a function, after all."

"I have told you a thousand times I misread the date!" Prince Quan's scowl deepend and Sigurd muffled a laugh. "Bah, this isn't the time for this. We were discussing how best to move forward."

"Yes, and we agreed follow Prince Jamke's plan. We will send some soldiers back to meet the bulk of our forces and check if they have been similarly attacked." Sigurd leaned over the table and traced out the path through the Spirit Forest. "Meanwhile, we will press on and establish a main camp once we are a day's travel from the castle. At that point, a small force led by Prince Jamke and myself will head to the castle in hopes of negotiating, while the main camp prepares for our reinforcements." Sigurd looked up at Lady Ayra. "Shannan will remain in the main camp. It's much too dangerous otherwise."

While I had no doubts Lady Ayra had some sort of reply, I didn't hear. Deirdre subtly tugged my sleeve then, and leaned in close to whisper, "why was he brought again? He's so very young."

"He suffers from panic attacks and simply does not feel safe until and unless he can find Sigurd, Lady Ayra, or me," I whispered back, remembering that particular discussion. The three of us had spent a good couple of hours debating it before finally deciding. Though, truthfully, there were more reasons besides the panic attacks, but...

"Poor dear..." Deirdre visibly drooped. "I wonder if there's some sort of token we can make to help him when you three simply cannot be reached?" Now there was a thought. I should ask Lady Ayra. "Ah, that's a discussion for later. What of these reinforcements?"

"Did we not mention it? Our army split into two, with the majority of our soldiers leaving a few days after us." So, assuming they traveled at about the same rate, they would meet the main camp in... three days. The question was 'would they join after everything was over or would they find themselves in pitched battle the second they reunited with us?'. "I think the talks are continuing. We'd better pay attention."

I was right. Not only had the talks continued, they had shifted to a new topic. "The main issue moving forward is going to be whatever the hell hit us," Lex was pointing out. The mood of the tent became heavy, and I noticed Prince Jamke and Sigurd shared a look. "I think we can all agree it was some sort of spell, but not one I know of. So..." I could see Lex piecing things together even as he talked. He knew more about magic than most would think, with Azelle and Tailtiu as his best friends, and he was far more clever than he liked people to think. Yet, to keep our promise to Prince Jamke, we had to minimize any talk of dark magic.

"I believe I've heard of a spell like this," I brought up, thinking very quickly. I couldn't lie. Lying here would undermine my intent, even if no one saw through it now. However, I knew from Arvis how one could tell the truth, and still have it be misinterpreted. I had a great amount of practice to keep him from worrying so much. "At the least, I know I've read of similar victims. So, while it is an unusual spell, it's not unheard of." No one needed to know I only heard of the spell yesterday, from Deirdre. No one needed to know what I read was the notes left behind by Evans's doctor. All I had to do was use words I knew were true, and hide behind my healer's mask to keep calm and confident. "Regardless, it is a spell, nothing more and nothing less."

"Well, nice to confirm it's not some new spell or anything, but it will still rip us to shreds if we're not careful." Lex sighed, but thankfully let the matter rest. "So, I think it does remain the main issue and the one we absolutely need a counter for if we're to make any sort of progress."

"W-well, I... I do have my Silence Staff," Deirdre explained softly, doing her level best to speak calmly. She still stiffened and paled at being the sole target of so many people's gazes, but I squeezed her hand under the table. "As the name implies, it prevents a person from speaking, so it can be used to keep mages from casting spells. It's best used on a single target within sight, but if needed, I can overload it for a broad-cast or attempt to follow the spell." There were several blank looks then. "Um..."

"All right, I'll be the one to interrupt because I have no qualms admitting I know nothing about magic," Prince Quan sighed, even raising a hand in 'surrender'. Deirdre immediately smiled sheepishly. "Where to even start with questions? Maybe the 'follow' part?"

"Ah, that is..."

"You mean 'follow the resonance', yes?" Azelle helpfully supplied, smiling a little. Deirdre immediately smiled back, relieved he knew what she was talking about. "Quan, when a mage casts a spell, their own magic is amplified by the tome. One can tell who cast what spell by sensing for the residual magic left behind. We call it the 'resonance' of the spell. This is how mages differentiate which spells are cast by friends or foes."

"Oh, I remember you and Tailtiu rambling about this now," Lex commented, mulling it over with a rather thoughtful look. "Think there was something about siege tomes being different when it came to it?"

"Not necessarily different. Think more 'amplification'?" Azelle's eyes were shining; I remembered how excitedly he wrote about his lessons. I would always write back he should be a teacher. "Sister, you sensed the same thing I did right before the attack, yes? The heavy and cold dread?" I nodded to confirm. I doubted I would ever forget anything about the attack. "What I think now is we sensed the resonance of the caster as the spell prepped above us. Siege tomes have a lengthy preparation time, and those who are sensitive to magic can sense it build, if they aren't distracted by other things." That was certainly one explanation, and I supposed even if I had no formal training, being of Fjalar's blood automatically made me 'sensitive' to it. "Because of that, though, it also lingers for a while. Makes it very easy to track or, in this case, have the staff's power 'follow' the resonance back to the caster. I imagine it will be weaker than a direct cast."

"It very much would," Deirdre confirmed with a smile and a nod. I could see some confusion still in the others' expressions, but they at least trusted Azelle and Deirdre enough to accept they knew what they spoke of. "It won't, however, break the staff like overloading would."

"Still would be dependent on the caster hitting us again, which I can't say I like," Azelle murmured, frowning thoughtfully. Even now, his eyes shone. "However, overloading might be too messy. It's like a Final Strike, but with staves."

"Final Strike?"

"It's a thing for Fjalar's inheritors. We burn our blood for a last burst of power, and turn the surrounding area into hell for friend and foe alike." He paused. "Well, overloading the staff is a little less messy, since if you're by the caster, you won't be touched. But otherwise, friend and foe alike will be hit in a radius determined by the caster's magical strength."

"Might be interesting to hear a battle without screams," Prince Quan quipped, more focused on the map than anything. I wondered if he was guessing how much 'range' Deirdre would have before realizing how ridiculous that would be. He hadn't seen her use any spells. None of us had. "Also, thank you for conveniently answering my question of 'what is overloading?'. With that said, you said the staff would break. Is it as dramatic as a Final Strike? They say naught but ashes remain."

"The staff fractures into pieces, but can be repaired," Deirdre explained, stepping closer to me for some reason. Her grip on my hand tightened. "There is no direct danger to the caster, save exhaustion, but the shards are sharp. I would no doubt mangle my hand."

"Well, we can't have that. That would make it harder for Sigurd to kiss it, and where will we all be without that bit of adorableness?" Prince Quan grinned at her, and she immediately blushed to the roots of her hair and ducked behind me. Sigurd, for his part, simply rolled his eyes. "So, best case is to get you as close as possible to see him and stop the assault. Is it possible for you to... damn it, what was the term? You and Azelle just said it."

"Follow the resonance?"

"Yes, that. Can you do it before the spell is fully cast?"

"Um..." Deirdre thought for a moment before nodding slowly. She was still behind me. "It's possible. If others can help me sense the build, then I would even say 'likely'."

"In that case, it might be worth it to bait out a strike," Sigurd murmured, looking over the map with Prince Quan. Prince Quan pointed to a spot on the road, and only then did I realize he had been speculating about this from the start. "Yes, that might work... Prince Jamke, your thoughts?"

"Might be better to be a little further north, if you want to try baiting," Prince Jamke said, pointing to a different spot on the map. I noticed there were fewer trees. "There's less cover, meaning he's more likely to take the bait, and we're less likely to get pinned by a tree. Remember, that spell hit everything."

"Fair point." Sigurd looked at me then. "How well did the antidotes work and how many do we have left?"

"According to Lady Edain, they worked very well, so we can treat this magic as a poison," I answered, thinking quickly. I would need to check the inventory directly, or have Mister Dew do it, but based on what Lady Edain told me... "It seems a single dose is enough to cure the worst of it. As such, we should still have enough for a small group." I worried of what we would do if the larger group had been hit. Were there plants in the forest good for treating poisons?

"We really had that much?" Lady Ayra asked, surprised. I didn't blame her. "With all the soldiers hit?"

"The ygg venom glands Lord Oifeye gave me in Evans were quite full, so I was able to make a very large batch." I smiled at Lord Oifeye, who had been silent through all of this, and was pleased to see his immediate shy smile and shyer blush. "We will not be able to supply everyone in the army, but as I said, we should have enough for a just in case scenario with our bait force."

"...I'm sorry, I got distraction by the 'venom' part." Lady Ayra stared for a moment, perhaps to see if I would take back the words, before sighing. "Medicine is magic. I will maintain this until my dying day."

That sparked a round of unexpected laughter, which lasted far longer than I would've thought for so serious a meeting. However, the laughs eventually faded to snickers and chuckles, and everyone mostly adopted serious expressions again. Only when everything was quiet did Sigurd speak again to continue the meeting.

"Alicia?" he called, turning towards me. "Will it be possible for you to follow our bait force?" Follow? Why would he... ah, no, I could piece it together. We had discussed numerous times our worry Sandima had hurt the nobles and servants within the castle. I knew Prince Jamke worried particularly for his father. Thus, Sigurd wanted me to follow to tend to any wounded within as soon as possible.

"I fear I will need at least one guard, just in case," I answered, already thinking of what I would need to bring. How would we split healing duties? Would Lady Edain remain behind in the 'main camp'? "I have no ability to fight."

"And you have a terrible tendency to fall into trouble." Was he truly one to say such? He jumped headfirst into trouble. "Lex, Ayra, can I count on you to escort her safely?"

"I was going to volunteer if you didn't ask," Lady Ayra replied, with a deceptively bright smile. I... I had a feeling by 'volunteer' she truly meant 'I would make sure I was the one no matter what anyone said'. I had no idea why, of course, but I could not shake the feeling. "I promise to not spark any arguments, Lex, if you won't."

"Aw, but it's fun arguing with you," Lex immediately 'complained'. He grinned as if he were joking, but I thought there was something serious to his gaze too. Did he actually find it fun? "But yeah, we can handle it, Sigurd." Perhaps the seriousness was only for the appointed task. It was hard to say.

There were a few more discussions afterwards, mostly clarification, and then the meeting officially adjourned with everyone dispersing to where they needed to go. After all, this was it. The end of this campaign was in sight. ...What would I do... when everything was over...?

---

Truthfully, many of us anticipated another assault before we left the Spirit Forest. It would only make sense. However, there was none. We made it through without trouble at all, and even the main camp was set up with minimal difficulties. All of our patients traveled well, and the majority of the victims of the Poison spell were even able to walk about on their own by the last day of travel. As such, I should have been spending my 'free time' studying and mending, as I always did. Today, however, I didn't.

"You want to make Shannan a toy?" Lady Ayra repeated, no doubt surprised by... quite a few things. For one thing, I had invited her to the tent I rarely used for tea to ask her this. "That seems... random."

"It is, but I promise there was a prompt," I explained, pouring her some tea. I used different mugs than usual, ones which were thicker than the typical tea cup, and hoped she'd like the tea. I knew very little of what kind she liked as she never drank any tea which wasn't medicinal. The tea Lady Edain served was the first time I'd seen her drink it for pleasure, and I never heard her thoughts on it. "During the meeting, Deirdre mentioned getting Lord Shannan-"

"You know; you saved his life. You can drop the title for him. And me, for that matter." Lady Ayra smiled ruefully, but there was a kind light to her eyes. "I'm not certain either of us would have made it this long without you and Sigurd. It rankles my pride to have you be so formal. I owe you too much."

"You owe me nothing. I never charge for my healing, and that includes debts." I sat down across from her. "Besides, tending to him has been a pleasure."

"You and Sigurd answer the exact same way." Lady Ayra laughed softly at it. "Before you ask, yes, I had a similar argument with him. So, I suppose I should use the same counter. It makes Shannan quite sad when those he likes use a title for him." That... oh, that was a low blow! "And if you drop it for him, you might as well for me."

"...I will agree if you reciprocate." I could tell I would lose this argument and none of us had time to fight a losing battle. "Ayra."

"Very well, Alicia." L... Ayra all but radiated smugness as she sipped her tea. I saw she gripped her mug by the cup part, not the handle, no doubt out of habit. "Now, what were you saying about Deirdre?"

"Right, during the meeting, I explained to Deirdre a reason why Shannan traveled with us instead of remaining safe in Marpha." She and I shared a look as we remembered another of our worries. Truthfully, we had feared it would not be safe for the Crown Prince of Isaach to be without his protectors. "Specifically, I told her about the panic attacks, since that is our official reason. She then wondered if there was some sort of token we could give him in those rare cases where you, Sigurd, and I could not be found."

"Or the slightly more likely scenario where all three of us are busy. Like when we were initially swarmed with refugees back in Genoa." L-Ayra drank more of her tea, thinking. "So, you thought to make a toy?"

"Yes?" Though the more I thought about it, the more ridiculous it sounded. I had never made one before, after all, and perhaps more importantly, I had never owned one. I just knew from watching others such toys could be a comfort. "I can think of something else if you think it would work better."

"No, no, a toy sounds perfect. A stuffed animal, perhaps?" Lad... Ayra leaned back in her chair, smiling and nodding. "A cat or a dog would be perfect."

"Would it?"

"Yes." Ayra smiled softly, gaze far away as she remembered something. "It should be of no surprise, but animals are very... valued? Honored? It's hard to describe it. Maybe respected is best. They're very respected in Isaach, because our guardian goddess is Tiamat." I knew a few tales of her, mostly what they taught in the Church. One in particular was how Tiamat of Beasts became so incensed by the Empire's forces she completely eradicated them with the most innocuous of things: butterflies. Apparently, insects counted as 'beasts'. "As you can imagine, most of the fairies are also associated with specific animals, and many stories tell of their companion beasts."

"So, this is where the cat or dog comes in?"

"Yes. Hestia of the Hearth is associated with cats, dogs, and wolves." That was an interesting triad. "Hekate of the Crossroads is said to be accompanied by a pack of dogs and wolves." So, maybe a dog would fit best? ...I didn't have much confidence in making a dog. "Actually, go with a cat."

"I was just thinking the same." I had seen more cats than I had dogs, so I should at least get the general shape right. "May I ask why you think so? Does Lo..." Ayra frowned at me. "Does Shannan like cats?"

"Like most of Od's blood, he likes all animals. He used to chase after them to try and befriend them, but he can't charm them like Setanta. Then again, few could, even in his own family." She winced in pain from the memory and shook her head. "Regardless, I was thinking it would be something new. He had a stuffed dog back in Isaach, which we unfortunately could not bring with us." Ah, yes, a cat was much better then. "Besides, dogs are also said to accompany Morena of Death, and this is supposed to bring only comfort. Though Morena of Death is said to be-"

"Dogs accompany death?"

"Hmm? Ah, yes." Ayra nodded, smiling faintly. "Morena of Death travels between the realm of mortals and Neit's realm of the Dead, with a faithful hound at her side. A beautiful crow serves as their guide, while a wolf borrowed from Hekate of the Crossroads stands guard at the boundary." Ayra frowned suddenly. "I need to hear more of Grannvale's tales. None of Lex's stories mention anything similar."

"That might be more of Azelle's expertise, since this would follow under 'religion'." Lex, like most of his house, wasn't exactly religious and only knew the most basic of the stories. "I do vaguely remember hearing Neit's reapers are often heralded by a wolf's howl, though."

"Your people would not feel comfortable in Isaach then. Wolves are everywhere." She chuckled, finding some amusement in the thought. "Anyway, to return to the original topic, a cat would work best. Shannan doesn't need to be reminded of death, even if Morena of Death is said to be the gentlest of all fairies."

"Is she now?" I suppose it made sense. With death being inevitable, it was nice to think of its embodiment as something kind and gentle.

Talk meandered briefly to other matters, mostly to finish off the pot, but neither Lady Ayra nor I were skilled with small talk and, so, she left soon after it was empty. From there, I went to work, and realized very quickly I had chosen to undertake a very arduous task. After all, before this, I had only made blankets and dresses. Making a toy cat was completely different, and my task was made harder because I did not have a lot of material to work with. I had to use spare paper for my notes to draw out my patterns, and I ended up snipping one of my dresses to have enough cloth and further removed the buttons from it to use as eyes. I didn't want to use things too threadbare to use for patients, after all. I wanted this to hold up at least for a little while. Besides, it was just a dress. I could do laundry more often to make up for its absence. This way, the threadbare cloth could fulfill another use: stuffing. Though I had to undo some of my stitches to place the stuffing inside as I had... forgotten the first time, for both the head and body. This was after, of course, I nearly forgot to stitch a face on the cat's head and somehow sewed one of the button eyes backwards and had to cut the threads to fix. I was just glad I had decided to make the head and body separately. It made it easier to stuff.

"Lady Alicia, where... wow, you're actually in your tent!" Around the time I was finally stitching the stuffed cat's head to its body, Mister Dew poked his head in. "Then again, I guess there's no infirmary for you to work in instead," he noted absently, glancing around curiously. His eyes immediately fell to the cloth scraps and mangled dress at the foot of my chair. "Uh... did the dress need an amputation or something?"

"No, no, though I shall further reduce it to scraps later," I answered, more focused on my stitches. There was no reason to waste perfectly good cloth, after all. I wasn't certain how good it would be for bandages, but it would be perfect for patches. "I needed decent cloth, so I took my scissors to it."

"Decent cloth? For...?" Mister Dew peered at the toy cat. "To make a kitty?"

"I'm glad it's recognizable." I shrugged. "But yes, I needed it for the cat. I'm making it for Shannan."

"You are?" Mister Dew blinked slowly, and an unreadable look flitted over his face for a second. When I blinked, though, he was back to his grin. "I'll go get him then!"

"Pardon?" Before I could think twice, Mister Dew was off like an arrow. "Ah..." This was... he wasn't truly going to fetch Shannan, was he? ...Yes, he was. Mister Dew was like that. If he said he was going to do something, then he was going to do it no matter what. "I... need to clean." I also needed to finish stitching this head on!

I had no idea how in the world I managed. But somehow, I did. I finished stitching the head, gave it a couple of tugs to prove the stitches were strong enough, and then I rushed about my tent to hide all the random scraps of cloth and paper lying about. The mangled dress ended up shoved under my blankets; I certainly had no time to properly cut it down. My sewing kit was jumbled into its usual container, to be sorted through later, and I had just forced it shut when Mister Dew returned.

"I brought him~!" he half-sang as he burst in, a breathless Shannan trailing and wobbling after him. "Okay, maybe we went a little fast for you." He helpfully steadied Shannan and I immediately gave my chair over to him. "Sorry..."

"N-no, it's fine," Shannan immediately reassured. It would have been much more convincing if he were not swaying, but he stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. I let it go for his pride, and got him some water. "I've missed running."

"We'll do shorter distances next time. Build up stamina." Mister Dew grinned and ruffled Shannan's sweaty hair. "But Lady Alicia, we're here!"

"So I see," I noted, perhaps a touch dryly. Mister Dew only grinned more, even as Shannan looked at me curiously. "Well, Shannan..." I trailed off, both because of how awkward I felt and because I worried he'd be upset I dropped the title. Shannan's immediate bright smile, however, hinted he had wanted me to drop it for a while, much as Ayra had said. "I... have a gift for you." Before I lost what little nerve I had, I handed him the toy cat. "I apologize for the roughness. I've never made one before, you see."

"You made this for me?" Shannan asked softly. His eyes sparkled and he crushed the toy cat to his chest in a giant hug. "It's so soft..." Well, I would hope so. I liked my dresses soft.

"Yes, it's a... let's call it a 'reassurance'." I crouched down to smile at him. "I'm not certain if anyone has told you yet, but for this next operation, Sigurd, Ayra, and I will have to go ahead. Deirdre worried about the panic attacks you have and suggested making you something to hold in case you have one while we're gone. So, I made you this."

"To help me feel safe, even if I can't find you..." Shannan smiled at first, but it faltered. "Does... does that mean you're going away?"

"We're just going ahead." Of course, when this was over, he'd leave me behind, but I wouldn't point that out yet. He still needed a healer, after all. "If all goes well, you'll see us within the day."

"Promise?" Shannan freed a hand and held out his pinky. It took me a long moment to remember the concept of 'pinky swears' I had seen others do.

When I did, I awkwardly hooked mine around his. "I promise."

"...Okay." His smile returned, a little hesitant but sweet. "Then I'll hug this real tight until I can hug you. Thank you so much, Alicia!" He hopped off the chair then, still squeezing the toy cat. "Ah, I should show Aunt... wait, no, Deirdre first, since you said it was her idea. Then Aunt Ayra and Lex!"

Shannan raced off before I could stop him, and I worried about his stamina. I even thought about following to make sure he didn't collapse. But I ultimately chose against it, to not hover and smother, and because I had another concern. Mister Dew had not moved from his spot by the table. He just stared after Shannan, even after the flap of my tent closed and it was impossible to see him anymore. I could not parse out the look on his face as he stared. There was something hard to it, but also something sad and lonely. I again thought of the brief, complicated, expression he'd had when I first told him about the toy, and a single thought slowly wormed its way through my head. So, I returned to my blankets and pulled out the remains of my dress to study.

"Mister Dew?" I began, even as I mentally calculated how much cloth I had left. It wasn't a lot, but perhaps... "Do you... want a toy too?"

"Huh?" Mister Dew blinked a few times, jolted from his thoughts. "Uh..." Once his brain caught up with his ears, he squirmed. "It's not... necessarily the toy," he mumbled after a moment. "I'm... well, I was just thinking... guess maybe a little jealous? I grew up on the streets. Don't have any memories of parents and all. So, I was thinking if this is what family's like and..." He trailed off, unable to find the words he wanted to stumble over. "I'm happy for him, and I definitely am glad he doesn't have to go through what I did. But... um..." As he said, he was jealous. Why wouldn't he be? He was jealous, because he wished someone had treated him kindly in the past.

"Mister Dew." I hesitated before resting my hand on his head. "You never actually answered my question." He jumped under my hand, but did not move, so I decided to stroke his hair. "I cannot change your past. I'm not certain I would even if I could. Your past made you into the sweet boy you are today." I crouched a little so I could look him in the eye. "However, I can help with the present and future. I cannot give your past self a toy, but I can give you one now, if you want it. I'm not very good, mind, but I will gladly make it."

"..." Mister Dew was silent for a long, long moment before he whispered, in the tiniest voice I ever heard, "can I... can I have a bird?"

"You will have to help me draw the pattern, but of course, you may."

Mister Dew sat with me the whole time while I sewed, watching with sparkling eyes as the bird slowly took shape. I would not call it the best by any means, but his smile when it was finished was worth everything and more.

---

Very early in the morning, just as the dawn unfurled through the night sky, the initial/bait force left. It was terribly small, consisting of only Sigurd, Deirdre, Azelle, Lady Ethlyn, Prince Quan, Prince Jamke, and Mister Finn. Since I was awake anyway, I saw them off with a wave, and finished my own preparations. A couple hours later, when the sun peeked out from the horizon, I left with Ayra and Lex.

"The kid really didn't need to wake up so early to see us off," Lex commented, once he was finally awake enough to converse. He was very much not a morning person, and it had taken quite some walking before he was coherent. It made me glad the three of us had to walk, with him leading his horse, as I did not want to think of how he would ride while so tired. "Won't that hurt his healing?"

"Shannan is used to rising with the sun," Ayra explained, smirking ever so slightly. I think it amused her to see Lex so groggy. "His lessons usually started early. Besides, Alicia gave him morning check-ups."

"I thought those were after her morning rounds."

"What time do you think those were?"

"Long before I woke, obviously." Lex grinned and Ayra rolled her eyes. "He seemed nervous when he watched us leave. Kept clutching that stuffed cat." I had to admit; it had been both validating and embarrassing to see him holding it so close.

"I... fear my having to leave him behind to fight in Genoa left wounds on his spirit." Ayra noticeably drooped, exhaustion creeping in. She herself was not fully recovered, truthfully, but she was slowly regaining her strength thanks to her practicing. "He told me not to leave, and I did anyway." Then he had been thrown into the dungeons where Sigurd found him.

"...He'll be fine. He's perfectly safe. Oifeye and Dew are with him to keep him occupied, and Arden will remain in camp to protect everyone." Lex looked down at me, then. "You're very quiet this morning, Alicia."

"Isn't she always quiet when she's not talking to a patient?"

"Yeah, but she's literally walking between us and we're talking over her head. Well, I'm talking over her head. You're talking in her ear." Well, yes, she was. Ayra and I were of similar heights, and few were as tall as Lex. Most those of Dozel were quite tall and broad. "Actually, how did she end up in the middle anyway?"

"I wanted my right side free in case I have to draw my sword, and you have a horse."

"Fair." Lex reached up to pet his horse's neck, and I marveled at how well-behaved it was. Arvis's horse would've tried to eat the leaves and grass multiple times by now. "Still, we should drag her into the conversation! What's a good topic?" Lex made a show of thinking before scowling playfully at me. "You pick, Alicia. I know you like healing, doting on children, tending to your patients, and apples. Oh, and making teas." He paused. "Did I ever thank you for my tea mix? And did Azelle write about how Tailtiu was so happy about hers she danced about the room for a solid twenty minutes and we had to bullshit an excuse to Bloom since no one was supposed to know about you?"

"I fear I'm still confused by some aspects of that whole situation." Ayra shook her head. "Especially why your brother would agree."

"I already explained about Victor, Ayra." He did? When did this happen?

"No, I understand that part. I even mostly understand why she hid." Ayra shrugged. "Just... why would your older brother agree?"

"It's what I wished, so Arvis yielded," I explained, not certain why it was so confusing. It seemed straightforward to me. "He usually listens to me. I am the more stubborn of us." Since I did not want to discuss it further, I looked up at Lex. "You told her about my family situation?"

"Well, I wasn't going to let Azelle traumatize himself again over it," Lex answered bluntly, with an expression of 'no regrets'. "You clearly didn't want to talk about it either."

"I'm more curious on 'why'."

"Oh. She asked."

"I see." I turned my attention to her, and noticed Ayra look away sheepishly. "Then I suppose the next question is 'why did she ask?'. I will guess it has something to do with the gossip I avoided."

"There was a lot of chatter about it, kept quiet because Sigurd would glare at anyone who openly brought it up." Of course he had. He respected my secrets. Ironically, that was exactly why I had told him, and only him. "Ayra was wondering about the fuss and, more importantly, was worried there was a threat to your safety."

"Oh, I would've tended to Shannan regardless."

"Do I really appear so single-minded?" Ayra suddenly muttered, a disconcerted expression on her face. I tilted my head curiously, but she simply shook her head. "I know I made it abundantly clear Shannan is my priority, but..." She paused and then shot a glare at Lex, who grinned in response. "Not a word, Lex. Not one word." Lex actually started whistling innocently. "I mean it! One word and I'll-"

A sudden cold dread slammed into my bones right then, and I brought a hand up to silence the both of them. Both immediately tensed and looked around, with Lex tightening the grip on his horse's reins and Ayra dropping a hand to her sword. I made myself look up, just as before, and felt ill when I saw black light and darker fire slowly twist in the cloudless sky to form the outline of a skull. Unlike before, though, that was all it managed. A single blossom of silver mist twisted in the middle of the skull before it fully formed and dispersed it in an instance, sending a cloud of black spiralling back to the castle in the distance. As it faded, so too did the cold dread, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized what it meant. Deirdre's Silence had worked.

"Good, their theory worked," Lex mumbled, smiling proudly at the now empty sky. Ayra made a curious noise in wordless question as she relaxed, and he shrugged. "I definitely don't understand the details, but I do know Deirdre and Azelle stayed up late theorizing and plotting the most efficient way to use that resonance thing. Last-minute panic and all."

"Indeed, they were up so late, one could almost call it 'morning' when they finally finalized their plan and went to sleep," I confirmed, shaking my head in remembered exasperation. The two had used my tent for their work, so I had brought them tea and snacks multiple times through the night. I had also tried multiple times to get them to sleep, to be well-rested for the operation, but no, they decided to keep working. "This is why both were still half-asleep when they marched." They'd been so tired Sigurd and Prince Jamke actually discussed delaying a day, but worry for what Sandima might do led them to continuing anyway.

"Yet, somehow, despite you getting even less sleep, you were wide awake to see everyone off." Lex sighed gustily and I could only shrug. He... was not wrong, after all. "Never thought I'd see someone who could rival Arvis and my old man as a workaholic, but you just might be the champion, Alicia."

"Regardless, it seems all their planning paid off." I couldn't wait to tell Arvis. I knew he'd be thrilled. "We best hurry and catch up."

Lex rolled his eyes, noticing my clumsy deflection easily, but he let it go. Instead, we walked in silence, moving just a little faster to sooner catch up. I knew I wanted to praise Azelle and Deirdre directly, and I was certain Lex was eager to tease and cheer Azelle. Poor Ayra was forced to move quickly simply to keep up, but the smile on her face hinted she didn't mind. Perhaps she had her own reasons. But for our moods to be so high during an operation, we honestly should've realized things would become far too complicated. And it did, not long after we finally stepped out of the trees and into open sky.

Prince Jamke had described the area frequently and extensively these past few days, as it was the best suited for the 'bait' part of the plan. It was a short stretch of land between the Northern Spirit's Ring, the trees which surrounded the Spirit Forest but for some reason were not part of it, and the Royal's Blood, the forest which surrounded the castle town itself. By this point, since the spell had been successfully dispelled, it should have been a peaceful stretch with, perhaps, a brief pause to enjoy the sunshine. Yet though we did pause, it was not to rest. It was out of shock. There... were soldiers. There were soldiers, but they did not block our path. They did not head towards the castle. Instead, they chased after a large group of people, the ground bloody and muddied. If we had delayed even two seconds, we might have only seen the churned mud.

"...Ayra, can you handle escorting Alicia alone from this point?" Lex asked softly, already knowing what had to be done. He checked his saddle, tightening a few straps as he had not planned on riding today, with grim, steely determination. "If I remember the map, they're heading straight for a dead end." With those forces, it would be a 'dead end' in multiple senses if they didn't receive assistance immediately.

"I can, but will you be all right?" Ayra asked, watching him work. Yet even as she asked, even as she watched, she took my hand and began leading me down the path towards the castle. "You aren't... what weapon did you bring?" It took me a moment to remember why this would be a problem. Lex hadn't planned on battling today and, thus, only brought a single, basic ax. His stronger axes were hidden with the bait force's supplies because we had foolishly assumed he would only fight when we caught up with them.

"You think I'll need something stronger than an iron ax for that lot?" Lex scoffed and Ayra rolled her eyes. "Unless they're magic users, the Nal blood will protect me long enough for you two to get to the others." He looked down the broken path, where the soldiers had already disappeared from sight. Lex... he would have to ride fast to catch up and overtake them. "When the hell did this happen? There's no way Sigurd would've pressed onward if he knew."

"Sounds like Sandima pulled a trick once his main weapon was neutralized." That was the only explanation. Did the others even know? "Just... take no stupid risks, Lex." Ayra hesitated before adding, "Shannan wants to hear about the righteous thieves again."

"He does like that one, huh? I'll tell him it again once we're all safe in the castle. Promise." He swung up into the saddle and, as carelessly as you please, waved goodbye. "And speaking of promises, I'll try not pull any arrows out this time, Alicia." He better not! "See you soon!"

He would, of course, use that as his farewell, and there was no time to linger. As soon as he rode off, Ayra drew her sword and raced down the path to the castle while still holding my hand. I tripped quite a few times, not able to keep up between her speed and my distinct lack of athletic ability, but I did not complain. Speed was necessary. At this point, the castle was closer, so we had to reach there as soon as possible to let them know. I could only hope someone could be spared. What if they couldn't?

We reached the castle town with minimal trouble, save for my aching legs and burning lungs. The town, however, was empty. It was empty, devoid of any life, and I wondered if the civilians here were the soldiers' prey. Ayra and I slowed a little, just enough to look around for anyone or anything. But neither of us saw... anyone. We looked and looked, and only saw what remained. A baby's sock was crushed into the mud. A child's doll was caught on a splintered barrel. A shoe was left on the threshold of a house. A jacket was hanging on a doorknob. Doors were left wide open, as if no one even had a chance to slam them shut.

"What... happened here?" Ayra whispered into the dead air. Though we should have kept running, for Lex's sake, dread made our steps heavy and slow. "When did this... wait." All at once, Ayra yanked me directly behind her and brought her sword up. "Someone is near." Someone was actually alive in this ghost of a town? I would say wonders never cease, but it didn't take long at all for the 'someone' to run around a nearby corner and reveal themselves to be Mister Finn. "Ah."

"Oh, you're... here already," Mister Finn noted awkwardly, forcing himself to relax. He'd brought his spear up as soon as he saw us, before realizing just who we were. "Wait, where's Lord Lex?"

"Protecting some civilians who were being chased. Or, well, I'm assuming civilians."

"So, that's where they went." A dark look crossed over his face, but he shook his head. "I... was sent to meet you on the road. We... we found King Batu." His tone was heavy, forcing his words to slow. Unease gripped my heart. If they were seeking me, he must still be alive, but in what state? "This way, please."

Mister Finn led us quickly, walking at such a brisk pace I had to jog to keep up. Ayra continued to hold my hand, to keep me from falling behind. The castle itself was... we walked right in, with no one stopping us, because it was as empty as the town. Our steps echoed in the halls, adding to the uneasiness swirling in my heart. What had happened here? What would we see? I tried to think of anything and everything, but came up blank. There were just too many possibilities.

Finally, we made it to the throne room, and found the others. Sigurd, Deirdre, Azelle, Lord Quan, Lady Ethlyn... they were all here. I didn't know their exact locations in the room, but I knew they were there. I suspected Ayra even talked to them, to relay why Lex was not with us. I didn't pay attention. I couldn't. All of my attention went to Prince Jamke on the floor, cradling his father to his chest, and as soon as I saw King Batu, I let go of Ayra's hand to rush over. I might have slid a little as I crashed down beside them, but I didn't care. I didn't care about polite greetings or anything. All I cared about was King Batu's condition and it was more horrifying than anything I could ever imagine.

Externally, King Batu's condition appeared simple. He was pale from pain, had difficulty breathing and talking, and had no strength to sit up on his own. There was a single pair of wounds near the heart, as if something had bit him, with barely any blood. One might even think he could recover. But it was just a facade. Internally... internally, he was rotting. I had no other way to describe it. His organs, his bones, his very blood... all of it was thick and heavy with necrosis. He shouldn't have been conscious. He shouldn't have been alive. But he was. He was, and he fought to stay awake, stay alive. More than that, he fought and struggled to talk, when only wheezes and choked gasps could creak from his throat. This was... beyond anything I had ever experienced or read. There was nothing I could do. There wasn't a way to fix this. There was nothing left to save.

"...King Batu..." I whispered, leaning in so he could hear me. His eyes immediately snapped to mine, desperate and searching. There was a plea there. "Do you want to sleep?" I heard Prince Jamke gasp above my head, but I paid him no heed. If I did, I might have missed King Batu's very slight shake of his head. Though, I could've guessed the answer anyway. Someone who wanted to 'sleep' would not struggle when in enough pain to drive ten people mad. "Then do you want to feel no pain?" His answer was even slighter, but he nodded. "Very well." It hurt my heart, to know this was all I could do, but I rummaged through my bag and found my strongest pain relievers. Automatically, I tried to calculate the dose before realizing it didn't matter. He was already dead. Neit had both hands on his shoulders. He was just... He was just waiting for King Batu to say what he desperately needed to say.

So, I didn't bother measuring. I simply opened the bottle and slipped an arm around his shoulders to help him drink. He coughed up a good bit. Given how his lungs were failing, it didn't surprise me. But he eventually got enough in him to take effect. His breath evened and his face was no longer scrunched so tightly. He even managed a smile, born from relief and gratitude.

"Father?" Prince Jamke called, noticing the change. I set the bottle down by me and devoted myself to 'pouring' as much of my magic as I could to 'make up' for the lost vitality. All I could do was buy time, but I would buy as much as I could. "Father, are you...?"

"A... temporary measure... as the young lady here... knows..." King Batu managed, his breath already turning ragged from just those few words. But at least he could speak now. "Sandima landed... quite the blow." Prince Jamke's head jerked towards mine, his expression begging me to refute the statements. But I could only shake my head and disappoint him. There was nothing anyone could do. I wasn't certain even the Valkyrie Staff could save him. "Kind of her... to ask what I wanted... before the end..."

"Father..." Prince Jamke's voice shook as he looked back to his father. "Please, you can't..."

"I am sorry... you must atone... for an old man's... foolishness... but you must... nonetheless." King Batu's smile warmed and, somehow, he mustered enough strength to reach up and pat Prince Jamke on the head. I had no idea how. "I let myself... be led astray. Let Sandima... abuse my trust. Let him win over... my eldest two. All so he could... seize control of... Verdane..."

"He wanted Verdane? Why?"

"For their plot... they wish to rebuild the Empire of old... they blight the world from the shadows... infect every corner... and I fell for their trap..." King Batu coughed violently then, blood splattering against Prince Jamke's armor. More blood dribbled down his chin and his neck. "I failed. I failed Verdane. I let myself be afraid... and I failed my people." Still, despite the blood, he kept smiling at Prince Jamke. "You'll... make it right, though. You'll... protect them. I know... you will... my sweet and wise son... my pride and hope..."

If this were a story, he no doubt would have died right then. But he didn't, of course. No, he said all he wanted and let his body slowly but surely collapse until finally, my magic no longer took. When that happened, I pushed myself up and stepped away to give Prince Jamke some sort of privacy to cry over his father's corpse. When I did, I found myself glancing at Sigurd and Deirdre. Deirdre did not return the glance; she was too busy silently crying into Sigurd's chest. But he locked eyes with me over her head and I could see the pain and worry in his. I wondered if he saw the same in mine.

Silence fell then, with no one wanting to break it. It was too heavy, too hard, and too sorrowful. But we had to. Someone had to. There... there were still many things left to do.

"We have to find Sandima," Prince Quan noted softly at last, tossing off the shroud of silence. I glanced around and noticed Ayra, Azelle, and Lady Ethlyn were all absent. "They left to reinforce Lex, Lady Alicia, while you were... buying King Batu time." This left a very small group to search an entire castle, then, and we had no idea what we would find within. Was it truly as empty as it felt, or were there more like King Batu, dying in utter agony? "But we cannot end this without Sandima's corpse."

"It might be best for me to set up a temporary infirmary then," I suggested, glancing again at King Batu's corpse. He was still smiling, even in death. "Perhaps I can use the courtyard?" Hunting for the castle's infirmary would waste time I could use to prepare instead.

"Yes, that'll work."

"...That will work especially since we do not know what traps Sandima would've left," Prince Jamke suddenly whispered. Prince Quan jumped at the sound, and I barely kept myself from doing the same. I... truthfully, I thought he would be oblivious to the world for a while longer. "We know the courtyard is safe, though. We walked right through without problems." Prince Jamke gently set his father on the floor, and stood up. Though he still cried, his eyes were as hard as steel. "How do we want to split up? No one should search alone with this bastard still running amok."

"Are you certain you...?" Sigurd began, rubbing Deirdre's back. It looked like she almost had her tears under control, but she still needed a few seconds. "You can..."

"I need to move. If I stay still, then none of it will feel real. What better way to move than to hunt him down?" Was I the only one who found the sentence disturbing? It was hard to say. "Please."

"...If you say so, but do not push yourself." Sigurd glanced at Prince Quan, who nodded. "You'll be paired with me, and Deirdre will go with Quan. Finn, can you escort Alicia to the courtyard?"

Taking the words as a dismissal, I smiled at Mister Finn and the two of us left the four to plan who would search where, and how often they would meet up to discuss. The corridor was... quiet. It shouldn't have been surprising, but I had become used to Marpha and Genoa, where even empty corridors had some sort of noise drifting from down the hall or through windows. It felt like we were walking through a tomb, and the thought made me ill. I hated graves. I hated graveyards. Was this how Verdane died?

We had just made it to the 'entrance hall', with the front doors in sight, when Mister Finn suddenly stopped and looked around. "What is it?" I asked, curious. From what I could see or hear, nothing was... more amiss. The silence and stillness were abnormal still, but there was nothing else.

"I thought I heard something?" Mister Finn answered, turning slowly to try and see what he might have heard. After a moment, though, he shook his head. "I do not hear it anymore nor do I see anything. I must've imagined it, being so desperate for some sort of noise."

"Are you certain?" I knew how keen his hearing was. It was certainly better than mine.

"Mmm..." He shrugged with a rueful smile. He wasn't certain, but he also wasn't certain he heard anything. "I don't think it's worth wasting your time. We should head outside." Mister Finn led the way forward, and we continued on, passing by some decorative pillars. "Do you want to set up in an open area, Lady Alicia, or-?"

It happened all at once. There was the barest flicker of movement in the corner of my eye, and suddenly there... there was blood. There was blood everywhere. There was blood everywhere, because someone had stabbed Mister Finn in the back and ripped it across.

"Finn!" I caught him as he buckled, bringing my staff up so I could heal him. I had barely managed to stitch the skin together, though, when someone yanked me by the hair. I didn't know who; all I knew was they wore long, dark robes. They were strong, too. Despite me digging my heels, determined to heal Finn even a little more, they dragged me down the hall with little effort. The last thing I saw before we rounded the corner was Finn desperately trying to stand, only to slip and fall in his own blood.

My captor, whoever they were, didn't care. They quickly adjusted their grip so they held me tightly and, despite how much they wheezed above my head, they moved with easy haste. They even managed to yank my staff out of my hands and throw it down a random hallway, though they clipped my arm in the process. A quick assessment proved it was shallow and would heal quickly, but in the meantime, I could use my blood as a trail. I thought about screaming, but just as before with Prince Munnir, my throat closed up and no sounds escaped. I was perfectly silent and calm, just as a healer should be, even in this situation.

Eventually, my captor's wheezes turned to mutters and, surprisingly, a laugh. "Finally, Silence has faded..." they breathed. The words made my thoughts freeze. If they had been the target of Deirdre's Silence, then this had to be Sandima. But how did Finn and I find him when the others went looking? "Damn that Baldr brat. What is with that line and causing trouble? Even their god is the one our lord hates the most." ...Loptr hated Neit the most? Why? That wasn't in the stories. Wait, this wasn't important. "Now, where's that damn staircase?" Stairs? Why would he be looking for stairs? Did... did he need to be high up to cast his spell? With Silence faded, he no doubt wanted to try again. So, he had grabbed me and...

Finally and firmly realizing what was going on, I brought my bleeding arm up to keep from leaving a trail. This made far too much sense now. If this was Sandima, then he intended to use me as a hostage. Either the others would hesitate to attack, or he could use me as a shield if Deirdre landed another Silence. Given the stories, I supposed it was even possible he planned on using me for a sacrifice. It didn't matter, of course. No matter what he planned, I would not be used. Truthfully, given how we were alone, I could solve the problem here and now, but I chose against it. I remembered how quickly Marpha's castle had caught flame, how quickly the fire had spread, and I did not want to risk any who might still be within the walls. Since he dragged me up a staircase fairly quickly, I knew I had the time to wait. Siege spells took a while to charge; I could ignite my blood well before he finished.

The staircase was narrow and winding, exactly as stories might describe, and it opened up to an endless, cloudless blue sky. A quick look around proved we were on the roof of one of the castle's towers, having a beautiful view of the vast forests dotting the landscape. A second, more thorough, look proved there was nothing flammable near. It was just us two on the tower, though when Sandima twisted to look around and sheathe his dagger, I saw there were three people on the opposite tower, just barely in my sight. From the hair colors, I guessed Deirdre and Prince Quan were on the tower's roof, while Prince Jamke climbed onto the roof of the castle for some reason. It didn't matter. Like this, I was relatively certain it was safe. I did worry flames might scream down the staircase, but as it was, there was nothing extraneous near. With Sandima more focused outward, hunting for targets, I doubted he would notice the temperature spike until it was too late.

That was my plan. I came very close to pulling it off. I could feel the fire crackling and bubbling under my skin. But I had forgotten something. There were only three people on the opposite tower, but there had been four people searching.

"Alicia!" And Sigurd burst onto the same roof as Sandima and me just seconds before I released my Final Strike.

"Ah, so here's the conquering knight, filled with righteous fury!" Sandima mocked, turning to face him. I quickly aborted the Final Strike, and bit back a hiss as blisters erupted up my not-cut arm. It was much worse than last time, but then again, this attempt had been much further along. If Sigurd had been two seconds later, my blood would have ignited and he... he would have been caught in the blaze. The thought chilled me to my bones. "Such an honor to meet so glorious a hero."

"I fear my lack of skill in lying keeps me from reciprocating," Sigurd returned cooly, his eyes blazing with the 'righteous fury' Sandima mocked. He had his sword unsheathed, but kept his distance. "Sandima, I presume."

"The very same. And you must be Sigurd, the shining paragon come to save the savage Verdanites from their own barbaric ways."

"What savages? What barbaric ways? I have seen neither. Verdane is a very beautiful land, filled with wonderful people, and remains as such even after you tried to poison them from within." Sigurd's eyes narrowed. "The only savage is the walking stereotype for dark mages I see in front of me." I felt Sandima stiffen briefly, and when I glanced up, I saw a half-second of pure, unbridled rage before it all smoothed out into the mocking mask. "Let Alicia go, Sandima."

"And lose my best shield?" Sandima scoffed, his grip tightening on me as he took a step back. "I might consider it if you drop the sword. I shouldn't need a shield if you're unarmed, yes?" So he said, but he hid his free hand in the folds on his cloak and a dark light wrapped around his fingers. It was a spell, prepped and waiting for the final, verbal, component of the casting. "What do you say? You wouldn't want her to fall, would you?" Yet I knew, the second Sigurd let go of the blade, Sandima would strike and kill Sigurd. Perhaps it would even be the same spell which killed King Batu.

I would not be used. I would not be used against anyone, much less someone I cared about, and Sandima had made a mistake. When he had stepped back, he had put us right by the edge. So, I reached up to grip Sandima's arm with my bloody hand and threw myself, and him, backwards, right off the tower.

Sandima shrieked in my ear, a loud and piercing noise one could only make when they realized they were about to die. I made no noise at all, despite being uneasy by how 'weightless' I felt when my feet left the ground. Sandima's prepared spell went flying as we toppled, striking some distant wall. I didn't know which; I only knew it missed Sigurd. He lunged forward, free hand outstretched as his sword tumbled out of his other hand, no doubt to try and catch me before we both fully fell. I brought my hand up to bat it away, not wanting to risk Sandima using me as a rope or anchor. As I did, though, something 'whished' past my ear. Something wet hit the back and side of my neck. Sandima stopped screaming, and his grip on me loosened.

In that state of surprise, Sigurd successfully seized my hand and yanked me back onto solid ground, falling in the process. I fell with him, and he immediately enveloped me in a tight hug, his cape wrapped around us both. Still trying to process everything, I twisted just enough to look back at Sandima, wondering why he had stopped screaming, and caught sight of the arrow in his face before he dropped out of view entirely. Then, there was nothing. There was no sound or anything. There was just Sigurd and me on the top of the tower, both seated on the ground while he held me.

"I do not think I have been so terrified in my life," Sigurd eventually breathed above me, tightening his hug. My head was cushioned against his shoulder, and being so close, I could feel him trembling. "Blessed Neit, is this what Eldigan and Quan go through each time I do something reckless? I need to apologize properly."

"Sigurd, what are you doing here?" I asked, still not quite processing everything. In fact, the only thing I could process was how much my arms hurt. "The others are on the opposite tower."

"Finn hobbled and limped his way towards us to report what happened. Based on it, Jamke identified your kidnapper as Sandima. Deirdre then deduced he would head somewhere high, so he could cast Fenrir or Poison as soon as possible once Silence wore off."

"This does not explain why they are there and you are here."

"I split off when I saw the blood on the floor." He loosened his hold on me just enough to look at my arms. Belatedly, I tried to sit back, to keep my blood from staining his clothes further, but he wouldn't let me. "I suppose I could've shouted to the others to let them know, but I wanted to save my breath for running. I feared you'd pull a Final Strike as soon as you deemed it safe, so I wanted to find you as quickly as possible."

"...You did?" That was... a surprise. How had he...?

"When you explained why you hid your Mark, you said you will not be used. You said it with conviction, with the same fire in your eyes as when you are healing. So, it was not hard to guess what you would do if you were in a situation where you could neither hide nor run." One of his hands fell on my blistered arm, his expression so pained one might think he was the one burnt. "I was right. I felt the temperature build as I raced up the stairs."

"That was dangerous. You could've been caught."

"If it meant saving you, I didn't care. Losing a friend would be much more painful." He managed a smile for me, but I could see the fear in it still. I had... truly terrified him. "Thank you, by the way, for the heart attack when you threw yourself off. Really, I do love my heart stopping."

"If you like such things, we should have Deirdre smile more at you." The teasing was out before I could bite my tongue, and it startled a laugh out of him. "However, I am cross you put yourself in such danger."

"More or less cross than I am with you for being so willing to burn your life?" He scowled, and I had no idea how to reply. "So, how about a bargain? I won't risk being immolated by a Final Strike if you don't attempt to use it again."

"Sigurd..." I had no idea what to say or even how to argue. "...Fine, I suppose it can be a bargain. It can even be a promise."

"Perfect." He smiled in relief. "Of course, it would be better you didn't end up as a hostage. Again. How many times is this now? Two? Three? No, wait, I'm thinking of the fire. Though wasn't there another... right the damn church." It took a long second to remember he was referring to when Lord Oifeye, Sir Midir, Sir Arden, and I had been ambushed in the abandoned church before they took Evans. "I should hire a guard for you, clearly." While that could be amusing, the campaign... was over. So, there was no need for a guard. I would no doubt be left behind while they...

"Alicia!" Deirdre's call startled me, and Sigurd lifted one arm so Deirdre could slide underneath and throw her arms around me. "Oh, thank goodness, Jamke took the shot!" she half-sobbed in my ear. Without thinking, I returned the hug to pat her back, but I quickly dropped one arm when I remembered the blood. I didn't want to stain her hair. "Ugh... listen to me! Are you hurt? You are, aren't you? Were you scared? Are you all right?"

"Deirdre, I do need time to answer," I pointed out, shifting so I sat a little more comfortably. Sigurd dropped his arm so he hugged both Deirdre and me, and Deirdre pulled away just enough for her to press her hands against my bleeding arm. "I will be fine. I am much more worried about you, at the moment. How quickly did you run?" The other tower was quite some distance! How long had Sigurd and I sat here in silence?

"Not quick enough!" She made some whimper-sympathy noise I could not fully describe when she saw the blisters on my arm. "Oh, you were burned too? When did that happen? Did he drag you too close to a torch?" ...Right, so, how was I supposed to explain to Deirdre the blisters were from an aborted Final Strike? There was no way I could. Yet she peered at me so worriedly...

"How in all the hells did you run up those stairs so quickly?" Thankfully, salvation came in the form of Prince Quan, joining us at last. He seemed... surprisingly out of breath. "You took the stairs down the other tower ten at a time, but did you jump up the ones here in the same manner?" he asked dryly, shaking his head. Deirdre simply shrugged and went back to hugging me. "Well, however it was, we should head down. Jamke is doing a patrol of the castle to see who all lives." He stepped around our group hug on the ground and held a hand out to me. "Let's get you bandaged, Lady Alicia."

"Yes, that is probably a good idea," I murmured, though I did not take his hand immediately. I had to first determine which arm hurt less to move, deciding eventually it was the bleeding one. The cut was almost fully scabbed by now anyway. "I am worried about..." That was when I realized something terribly awkward and even more embarrassing. "Ah."

"What's wrong?"

"I... can't move my legs?" I could feel them, of course, and I doubted I suffered nerve damage. In fact, I could wiggle my toes just fine. I just... couldn't move them. "If you give me a moment..."

"Denied." With that, Lord Quan actually picked me up! He just scooped me up with no trouble whatsoever! "You're not spending a second longer up here." He adjusted his grip and headed for the stairs. "Sigurd? Deirdre? At least one of you needs to come with me to get the doors."

Sigurd handled the doors; Deirdre was much too busy fussing over me. I had never been more embarrassed in my life, and vowed to never be carried again. Ever.

---

Prince Quan carried me out into the courtyard where I had first planned on setting up an infirmary, and to everyone's surprise, it was actually lively. Numerous people, most with some sort of bandaging, milled about to chat and weep and laugh. Lady Ethlyn hopped from person to person, group to group, hinting she, Lex, Azelle, and Ayra had returned and these were the civilians they saved. Perhaps if we had gone to her directly, as Prince Quan clearly planned when he started striding towards her, I could have confirmed it. However, I managed to catch sight of Finn in the crowd, sitting on a bench, and he immediately had all my attention.

"Finn!" Taking advantage of Prince Quan's surprise at my yell, and Sigurd and Deirdre's distraction by all the people, I managed to squirm my way out of his arms and fell-limped over to Finn's bench. "Oh, thank goodness, you're all right..." I whispered as soon as I reached him. He was terribly pale and stared at me with wide eyes. When I cupped his face between both my hands, I noticed he felt clammy. "How is your injury? Are you in pain?" What was I saying? Of course he had to be, with all the blood spilt. I should find a staff quickly and-

"I... I'm fine, Lady Alicia..." Finn mumbled, breaking eye contact. He didn't move away, though. Then again, this could have been because he was still sitting and I was standing over him. My legs worked now, mostly. "You... you healed me well. It was more than enough to keep me alive. Lady Ethlyn barely had to do a thing." That was a relief. Still, I should- "I'm sorry."

"You're... huh?" That was an eloquent response. "What for?"

"I... I couldn't protect you." I had a feeling his head would've dropped if I weren't still holding it. "I was to escort you and I failed. I'm..." HIs voice cracked suddenly and only now I realized why he had looked away, why he had stared with such wide eyes. He had... been holding back tears. Now, they ran free, over my hands and between my fingers. "I'm so glad... you're all right..." He reached up shakily and clutched one of my hands in his. My heart ached at how tightly he held it. "B-but I should be asking you those questions. Are you in pain? Lord Quan was carrying you and I see the blood and blisters."

"He's being fussy." I thought I heard some squawk of protest behind me, but I ignored it. "I should be checked for poison, of course, but my wounds only need bandaging." I smiled gently at him, wondering how best to soothe his heart and stop the tears. "Would you help me? I fear both my arms need it."

"Gladly!" He hopped to his feet and helped me sit down in his place. "I'll be right back."

"Thank you." ...Of course, only now I realized something awkward. "Ah, I should apologize."

"For?"

"Earlier and just now, I only called you by name."

"N-no, that's fine!" He smiled shyly. "I don't mind."

"If you are certain..." Still, it was rude to do so without asking. Therefore, there was only one solution. "In that case, I insist you reciprocate."

"B-But Lady Alicia!"

"Ah."

"...Alicia."

"There we go." I smiled up at him again, and his own became sheepish. "Bandages? I'll need some medicines too."

"R-right!"

There must have been a 'base area' for the courtyard where all medical supplies were stored as Finn had left and returned in what felt like a blink. From there, he carefully bandaged my arms, following my instructions carefully and doing his best to apply neither too much nor too little medicine. Though I remained in minor pain, I couldn't help but smile at how seriously he took it, and at how skilled he was. It seemed my lessons had benefited him after all. For one thing, he hadn't even needed to ask which medicines I needed; he'd known from those lessons. I would need to make sure to tell him how proud I was, before we said our farewells.

"Lady Alicia!" Around the time Finn finished bandaging my arms, Lady Ethlyn bustled over and immediately started fussing. "Quan told me everything!" she explained, carefully checking me over herself. I held still for her examination, and hoped no one had mentioned the Final Strike part. I didn't think I could bear it if Finn and Lady Ethlyn knew, after seeing how shaken Sigurd had been. "Not seeing any bruising, nor am I sensing any poison, but there's blood splatter on your neck..."

"I think it is Sandima's." He had been shot in the face, after all. Given my proximity, it would've been strange if blood hadn't splattered me. "As far as I am aware, only my arms are injured." They hurt, but it was not unbearable, particularly after Finn tended to them. "I am assuming these are the civilians you and the others saved, so what are-"

"Nope!" Lady Ethlyn swung around to frown at me. "Nope, no working! You are one of the injured today!" She wagged her finger in my face, nearly touching my nose. "I promise if there's something weird, I will come get you, but for now, you simply must rest!" I know I stared blankly at her, not certain on how to respond. What use was a healer who didn't heal? I wanted to be useful at least for a little while longer. "Finn?" She turned to face Finn, who stood at attention next to the bench. "Orders from your lady. Keep Alicia here, please." That was not fair in the slightest. I couldn't fight Finn, especially given what happened earlier. "I'll be back to check and chat, Alicia. Right now, I need to find Lex so we can report to Sigurd." She smiled sweetly and skipped off, her ponytail bouncing with each step.

I waited for her to leave before I turned to Finn with a slightly wry smile. "I do not suppose I could convince you to at least bring patients to me?" I asked, already knowing the answer. His immediate frown proved it. "I knew it, but felt it worth asking."

"Do you not frequently remind me, and most of the soldiers, about the dangers of overworking and over-training?" Finn asked with deceptive innocence. There was mischief dancing in his eyes, and I had to admit I was glad to see it. I still saw the remnants of his earlier tears, after all. "Like that patient with... what was it called again? Dew called it 'rhabdo'."

"Rhabdomyolysis."

"Yes, that."

"I suppose this means Sir Alec did not have to lecture you for training too much when I cleared you after Marpha's fire?" I, of course, already knew the answer. Sir Alec had told me directly, without me needing to inquire, in case Finn had worsened something.

"Er..." He blushed and looked away, seizing the first distraction he could find. "Oh, Lady Ayra! Over here!" He waved, and I bit back a laugh at how unsubtle he was being. "Alicia is sitting over here."

"And here I thought she'd be in the middle of working, despite the harrowing experience," Ayra replied dryly, stepping out from the milling crowd to join us. She looked me over with a sigh and frown. "We really need to get you a dedicated guard or something." She poked Finn's cheek when he drooped. "No, your only mistake, from what I heard, was not trusting your instincts." So, did Prince Quan tell everyone in the returning group, or had Finn told them himself earlier? "That comes from experience. But I can't fault you because if the victim were anyone else, I'd wonder at the odds."

"If the victim were anyone else?" I repeated, slightly incredulous. She made it sound as if I always found trouble.

"You've a record, Alicia. This is how many times you've been hostage?" Twice. It had only happened twice. "And it's worse when it's you because you don't know how to fight back and you're too duty-minded to even think about running."

"...I am not?" Even as I said the words, I knew them to be a lie. The exasperated looks on both Ayra and Finn's faces told me they knew it too. "I..."

"Weren't you only caught by Munnir because you rushed to check on Shannan yourself? I know your first thought after being rescued was to find and check on him." I liked tending to him? "Then you got caught behind a wall of flames because you went back into a burning building to check on your patients." No, the whole 'caught by fire' incident was because I recklessly went after Mister Dew. "Then, here, instead of trying to escape, you healed Finn."

"...I cannot run fast?"

"Really? You kept up with me well enough." Ayra reached over and poked my forehead for some reason. "Besides, you didn't even think of escaping." There hadn't exactly been a lot of time. "Actually, didn't you get hurt protecting Oifeye at some point? Swear I heard that."

"Where would you have even heard it?"

"Our resident storyteller, of course." Now who, pray tell, was that? "Speaking of him, Lex, get over here to reassure Alicia you kept your promise about the arrows." Why was she...? Oh, no, Lex was approaching us. This made more sense now. "Finally cleared to move? I already know you finished reporting."

"Yeah, and then Ethlyn insisted on giving me one last check to make sure I wasn't poisoned," Lex confirmed, flopping down on the bench beside me. He set his ax down across his lap and I found myself frowning at it. He didn't have it when he left us earlier. Had he stolen it from one of the soldiers? "But yes, I was a good little boy and did not yank out the arrows despite how annoying they were. Azelle, by the way, is still off on his patrol."

"Should I go look for him?" Finn offered, bowing slightly. Despite the formal tone, he grinned. "My lady did order me to ensure Alicia did not move from the bench, but I believe you two can handle such an arduous task."

"Hmm? Ah, I was wondering why Alicia wasn't running around healing people." Lex grinned back. I tried to decide if I should be offended or not. "Yeah, we can keep her still if you don't mind fetching him. Azelle was fretting terribly. Why he went on the patrol in the first place."

"Then I shall return anon." Finn bowed more formally and slipped away to do just that. I could only frown, more than a little disgruntled about the situation.

"I suppose the best way to ensure she listens to healer's orders is to keep her distracted," Ayra noted, doing her utmost to appear as serious as always. The shaking tone and dancing eyes belied her laughter, and I found myself sighing. Did I truly seem so much of a troublemaker? "So, how about that ax, Lex? Never did hear how you obtained it."

"Hmm? This?" Lex asked, gesturing to the ax in question. I studied it again and thought I sensed something... different about it. It was almost as if it was magic? "So, funny story. I caught up with the soldiers well enough, managed to fend off the first wave, but wouldn't you know it? I dropped my ax in the water while checking on the civilians. Before I could curse and figure out how to steal one from the rest of the soldiers, this lady appeared from the lake and asked if I'd dropped a silver or gold ax. I won't lie; I was tempted by the silver ax. But I hate lying, so I told her the truth. I did drop an ax, but it was just a simple iron. When I reached over to help her out of the water, though, she laughed, called me an honest child, handed me this ax alongside my old iron ax, then wished me well. While calling me by name, which is very weird because I had definitely never seen her before nor did I introduce myself during the strange conversation. Oh, and she dove back into the water and disappeared before I could ask any questions."

"...Huh?" Ayra stared, and I did not blame her in the slightest. If anyone else had told the story, I would have examined them for a head injury. In truth, I was still sorely tempted. But despite the flippant way he told the tale, Lex's eyes remained as serious as ever. "So... you got an ax... from a lady who appeared in the lake?"

"Yep."

"...Does Verdane have spirits living in their lakes?" Ayra became quite curious suddenly. "It sounds like something the fairies would do in Isaach." Lex, for his part, stared at her. "What?"

"Surprised you believed me that quickly."

"You don't lie. You just tell fun stories." Ayra stilled suddenly. "Wait, are you about to tell me it truly was a story you made up on the spot?"

"No, it happened. Just kind of expected something like 'did you hit your head?' first." Lex smiled sweetly at her, and Ayra glanced away. "Will also fully admit I didn't consider the possibility of the lady being a spirit. Mostly because I don't understand why a spirit living in Verdane would be interested in a random noble from Grannvale. Also, why would she live in a lake? Wouldn't it be cold and dark?"

"Why not live in a lake? If it was a spirit, judging them through human values would be ridiculous."

"Still..."

"Oh, did one of you meet the Lady of the Lake?" All of a sudden, Deirdre appeared with a bright smile and sparkling eyes. All three of us jumped at her sudden appearance, and I remembered how quietly she moved even in the forest. "Ah, sorry, I was coming to check on Alicia and overheard you talking of spirits and lakes," she explained, stepping back shyly. Ayra immediately waved her over to sit next to me on the bench, and she took it gladly. "Our Lifespring Lake is home to many spirits, but only one is known to interact with humans."

"This being the Lady of the Lake you mentioned?" Lex asked, leaning forward so he could speak to her face to face despite me being in the middle. This was... the second time I was in the middle of a conversation. It was a rather odd feeling. "Does she usually ask random people if they lost something?"

"She can. The stories say she delights in watching mortals, and those who particularly catch her eye are subjected to a simple test to prove whether or not she judged them correctly." Deirdre smiled warmly, and clapped her hands together. "No one knows why she does so. But those who prove her right always get a priceless gift, usually an item she has kept safe for years in her abode deep within the lake." So, they were items which were lost to the waters?

"Years, huh?" Lex picked up his ax to study it in the light. "Wonder how long she kept this one, then."

"Could be anywhere between a handful of years to thousands."

"Thousands?"

"Yes!" Deirdre giggled. "She is one of the oldest spirits, said to be as old as Jugdral itself. So, some treasures are just as old."

"...This is only making me question more why she bothered with me?"

"Why not?" Deirdre tilted her head, eyes filled with innocent curiosity. "You're kind, honest, and clever. From what Shannan told me, you also tell lovely stories. Why would anyone not like you?" There were... many ways to try and respond to such, and Lex's blank look hinted he had absolutely no idea where to start. Thankfully for his dignity, he didn't have to.

A few seconds after Deirdre's sincere declaration of Lex's virtues, a sudden hush fell over the courtyard, and all of us immediately stood to try and find the source. Lex, being the tallest, pointed to the entrance, and helped Ayra, Deirdre, and me stand on the bench so we could see the cause. Prince Jamke had returned at last from his patrol within the castle. Though he nodded and waved to those near, he didn't look at anyone. He only had eyes for Sigurd and everyone parted to give him a clear path. Then, of course, everyone clustered around with bated breath, all knowing the importance of this conversation.

"My apologies for my late arrival," Prince Jamke murmured, inclining his head slightly. Otherwise, he held himself tall and dignified, with only the barest traces of his earlier tears remaining on his face. "I had wished to confirm Sandima's death myself." He shrugged, smiling bitterly. "Yes, I shot him and yes, he fell from a great height, but I wanted to confirm not only the death, but that it was truly him." I wondered if there was a dark magic which let one cheat death? I couldn't imagine Neit of the Dead being happy about it. "Thankfully, the corpse rotting at the tower's base is him. He is dead, and he will no longer poison Verdane. Sadly, this came after my father's death, so uncrowned though I may be, I... am now the ruler of Verdane." He rested a hand over his heart and bowed low. "So, as Verdane's king, please, allow me to officially surrender, Lord Sigurd. Let us end this farce of a war."

"Gladly," Sigurd answered without hesitation. He held out his hand to Prince... to King Jamke, and King Jamke straightened to grasp it tightly. "I accept the surrender, King Jamke. Let us move forward to a new future, together."

Sigurd had barely said the words before everyone in the courtyard started cheering and crying. Some even collapsed to their knees, profusely thanking the gods and spirits that everything was over at last. I did not cheer with the others, too improper, but I could not help but smile at their relieved joy. Now, they would all be able to rest and heal. I couldn't be happier.

---

The war might have ended on that sunny afternoon, but the work didn't. Areas of the castle had to be scoured clean, while others could only be roped off due to damages. There was no chance of repairing anything; casualty reports had to be written first. As such, it was not until the rest of the army arrived, four days later, when the celebrations first began. When they did, though, they lasted far too long. We were on the third day and still, no one showed any signs of stopping.

"How can it be so hard to find the infirmary?" I muttered to myself as I walked through the blessedly quiet halls. They were a proper quiet, where I could hear the din of the ballroom but no longer be overwhelmed. "Is it not set up the same as Evans, Genoa, or Marpha?" All three castles had their main infirmaries in relatively the same areas, but when I checked, all I found were more soldiers drinking and playing cards. While I was delighted to see them having fun, it made things difficult for me. "Where even am I anyway?" Things were all the more difficult because I had managed to get myself lost. "Please do not let me find trouble. Ayra will never let me hear the end of it if I do." It had taken very careful planning to escape everyone's overprotective gaze. I barely had any privacy and I had never gotten so little work done in my life. If I were still bandaged, I doubted I would've been able to slip out at all, but thankfully, Lady Ethlyn had healed me fully yesterday.

Shaking my head, I continued walking, looking for some sort of marker to tell me where I was. The answer was, of course, 'lost in a foreign castle', but I could hope at least for a little while. Around the time I gave up, though, I happened to overhear some murmuring and headed towards it to ask for directions. There was no point in wasting time I could be using to make up for all the lost work and studying, after all. There was, however, a point to very quickly ducking back behind the doorframe when I realized the murmuring was Sigurd and King Jamke discussing something in a very pretty, surprisingly lacy room. The point was 'I was very awkward', but it was still a point.

"So, this was your mother's solar?" Sigurd was noting, glancing around the room. King Jamke smiled a little bitterly from his place by the window. "The layout is quite different from my own mother's. Then again, Mother rarely actually relaxed in her solar. She much preferred bustling about, when she wasn't running to someone's aid."

"Wow, sounds like a certain someone," King Jamke noted dryly. I carefully peeked inside, wondering if I could manage to sneak across the open doorway, but decided it would be near impossible. There was another door to the room, though, so I could only hope they left by it and did not see me. ...I suppose I could also simply go back the way I came, but I would still be very lost. "I wonder who."

"Father bemoans how much like Mother I am." Sigurd grinned, completely unrepentant, and King Jamke chuckled. "I point out each time he chose her as his wife, even breaking an arranged marriage to do so, and he goes back to his quiet grumbling. I know she gave him heart attacks, just like I do now. Of course, his grumblings only got worse when she died saving our people, but that is neither here nor there."

"So, that is how you lost your mother?"

"Yes, there was a landslide and she insisted on helping directly. Unfortunately, more rocks fell and she died shielding a child." Sigurd shrugged. "She knew the risks. It was her way to give everything and more to help those around her."

"I see." King Jamke closed his eyes and leaned against the window more. "Mine died of an illness when I was young. A true illness, not like what happened in Evans. Of course, she only caught it because she was volunteering at the healing houses, but that was my mother for you." He smiled sadly and looked around. "This place became my refuge afterwards. No one would bother me here."

"And... er... then I came to bother you." Sigurd colored and coughed awkwardly. King Jamke snickered. "I... do apologize for that. I saw you leave with a dark expression and wanted to check on you."

"Was my expression truly so dark?" King Jamke seemed surprised. "I... it's truly nothing, Sigurd. I simply needed to step away from the parties."

"Do they upset you? I'm sure I can find some reason to make them stop." Could he? It had been three days.

"Why would... oh." All at once, King Jamke smiled, a bright yet somehow terribly sad smile. "No, they do not upset me. They're not celebrating my father's death. They only celebrate the end of the foolish war he started. I know this and it doesn't bother me. If anything, I am as glad as they are it is over." He glanced out the window, his gaze unfocused. "No, I simply stepped away in fear of dampening the mood. This is a joyous occasion."

"...Perhaps, but..." Sigurd paused, thinking his words carefully. "You lost a lot. Your father..."

"My father's death hurts. It hurts terribly, and I will carry that pain for a long while." King Jamke's smile became a little rueful. "What surprises me, though, is how much I miss my brothers."

"Is it truly so surprising?"

"I told you. The one thing the three of us agreed on was how much we respected Father." King Jamke closed his eyes. "We argued constantly, even as children. They'd call me a coward for fighting afar with a bow; I'd call them idiots who only knew how to charge ahead. I'd pull pranks just to show off how smart I was, and they'd chase me around and hit me in retaliation. To say nothing of the insults we'd shout at each other. One time, Mother had to actually confine us to three separate areas of the castle for Father to get enough peace to actually work. We were awful to each other, never said two civil words to each other. And yet..." King Jamke sighed. "Yet, right now, I miss them. I miss them terribly. Isn't it strange?"

"I don't think so." Sigurd smiled awkwardly. "I think... I can't speak for them, obviously, but I'd like to think all of you cared about each other in your own way."

"Maybe we did." King Jamke was silent for a moment before snorting. "Or maybe I'm just wishing I had help fixing their last mess. Who can say? Then again, I think having their 'help' would be a detriment."

"I... really can't answer that." Sigurd shrugged and King Jamke simply laughed bitterly. "I... there must be a way to lessen the repercussions."

"I'd appreciate it, but we both know the punishment will be great. We broke the very treaty we wrote. It will take many years, maybe even decades, to win back that trust. If we ever." King Jamke sighed, shaking his head. "My only hope is that we keep our sovereignty."

"I will do everything in my power to ensure it, Jamke. You all don't need to deal with Grannvale's problems on top of your own." Sigurd shrugged. "Will go ahead and admit they might try to arrange a marriage for you, but we'll see if we can get around that too."

"I wouldn't mind." His tone implied he simply thought it another price to pay for failing.

"Yeah, but the most likely candidate who wouldn't immediately balk and faint at the thought is Edain, and I have spent far too long watching her sigh over Midir to let anything get in their way." Sigurd grinned and this time, King Jamke's answering laugh was bright. "Well, such things will be discussed later. I imagine there will be a lot of back and forth. Diplomatic matters always take forever."

"That they do. But we deal with it so our people don't have to worry about such tedious things." King Jamke suddenly looked at the other door and, for some reason, waved. "Prince Quan." Oh, thank goodness, he was at the other door. Maybe the three would leave and I could... er... wait, I would still be lost. But I didn't want to interrupt...

"Ah, there's two of the missing!" Prince Quan dramatically proclaimed, sweeping into the room. I almost thought he might be drunk, but decided he was just in a good mood. "You've been missed."

"My apologies, I needed to step away and Sigurd worried," King Jamke explained, pushing himself off the window. He then paused. "The phrasing implies there's more absent from the party? Who else left?"

"Lady Alicia." So, someone noticed. Oops.

"And you haven't checked the infirmary... why?" King Jamke looked almost exasperated. "Shouldn't that be the first place?"

"It was! And not only did I look there, but some of the soldiers gathered there specifically to shoo her off if she did decide to try and work." They did? Then maybe my original guess had been correct after all, and I... made things worse for myself by shying away from the crowd. "Nice idea, but unfortunately, it means she's wandering somewhere."

"After being taken hostage? And nearly dying?" There was no need to make it sound like the stupidest thing in the world. "Your healer has a remarkable lack of self-preservation."

"She has just as much as Sigurd."

"They both have a lack of self-preservation."

"I'm right here," Sigurd pointed out dryly then. Prince Quan's grin and King Jamke's shrug showed neither cared in the slightest. "Regardless, Quan, I'm going to stay out a little longer to enjoy a bit of quiet, but Jamke, you should probably head back."

"I... technically, I know you're correct," King Jamke mumbled, looking away. Thankfully, it was not at me, still hiding awkwardly by the other entrance. "I need to keep up appearances, if nothing else, but I still worry..."

"This isn't official, so no one will think much of you keeping to yourself."

"But..."

"If we're just keeping up appearances, you can watch the drinking contests with me," Prince Quan offered, smiling softly. Though my thoughts tripped over the 'drinking contest' part. Did... did we have enough hangover remedies? I'd left most of our stock back in Marpha! "There's three going on right now, and the winners will compete against each other. You'll look like you're participating in the festivities with minimal effort on your part." King Jamke hesitated before nodding slowly. At the least, he was willing to try. "Perfect. Sigurd, are you certain you'll remain out a while longer?"

"Yes, just for a bit," Sigurd confirmed, giving a warm smile. Prince Quan studied him for a moment before smiling back and nodding. "Give me some time to brace my ears for the inevitable drunken singing."

"Aw, but part of the fun is seeing you wince at how badly everyone sounds." Still, Prince Quan gestured for King Jamke to follow him, and King Jamke did so without another word. "If you're not back in an hour, I'm sending someone after you."

"Of course. I'll be somewhere near." Sigurd waved them goodbye, but surprisingly, he didn't move from the solar. Instead, he seemed to wait for something... before looking right at the doorway I was hiding by. "It's safe to come out now, Alicia." He grinned, and I could only step out sheepishly, trying not to drown in mortification. "Caught sight of your hair as you ducked back."

"Maybe that's a sign I should cut it," I muttered under my breath. His chuckle hinted he heard it anyway. "I... should apologize. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I just..."

"You went looking for the infirmary, got lost, followed the sound of voices to ask for directions, and then hid because you couldn't bear to bother us." Sigurd's grin grew wider and I could only frown at him. "I keep telling you; you can stand to 'bother' people more."

"I didn't say you were right."

"What part did I get wrong?"

"That..." There was no answer which did not involve lying or incriminating myself, so I could only keep silent.

"Thought so." He sounded so smug about it. I should look into a cure for smugness. "Here, let's take a walk. I'd rather not linger in a place so important to Jamke when he's not here."

He offered me his hand to lead me, and I took it without thinking. From there, we walked the halls, looking for somewhere quiet to talk. I had a feeling we wandered farther than the 'somewhere near' Sigurd had implied, but I didn't comment. I felt embarrassed enough about being caught eavesdropping. There was no reason to bring it up further.

"Ah, here's a good spot," Sigurd commented at some point, pushing open the doors of a balcony. The wind blasted us both, but he didn't seem to mind. "Here, take a look." He went immediately to the railing to look out. "The view here is beautiful." He was right. This balcony must be situated near the tower where Sandima died, since the view was almost the exact same. The only difference was, of course, it was night now. Yet the moonlight and sparkling stars only made Verdane look ethereal, not shadowed.

"It's hard to believe there were battles not long ago," I whispered, joining him by the railing. It was so very peaceful, looking from up here. But I knew the struggles many still had. Even the castle town here had suffered deaths. "It can heal now, right? The campaign is over, after all."

"Yes, though there's still far too much work to be done." He sighed and rested his arms on the railing. "You overheard part. The most vicious exchanges will be how Verdane will make up for the broken trusts and damages." Considering what happened in Yngvi, the reparations would be steep. "The most likely scenario will involve me being stationed in Evans as Verdane's watcher. I was the one who brought all this to light, so it will be my responsibility to see them through whatever probationary period His Majesty deems necessary." He made a face. "Ugh... it could be years before I'm allowed to return to Chalphy. I already miss my peaceful days there."

"So, they will not meet your bride yet?"

"Oh, Deirdre and everyone else will be allowed to come and go as they please. I'll be the only one ordered to stay." Given everyone's loyalty, I knew they would remain with him. "What about you?"

"Hmm?"

"What will you do? After all, you only agreed to stay with us until the campaign was over." He turned to look at me, and I pretended to be enraptured with the horizon to avoid his gaze. "Now, I know Edain wants to bring you back to Yngvi Castle with her."

"Pardon?" My... my thoughts stopped. Did I even hear him correctly?

"Oh, whoops, she told me to keep that secret until she asked you over a proper tea. Pretend to be surprised, will you?" He grinned, mischief incarnate, but my thoughts were still frozen. "Ah, but you could also go to Chalphy. I know Bishop Palmark would be delighted to have your help." My thoughts started again, only to whirl into nonsense. "Though, it wouldn't surprise me if you wanted to head to Velthomer to be with your family. This has been a hectic campaign, after all."

"Sigurd?" I... wanted to ask something. I knew that much. But what did I want to ask? I couldn't think of anything, much less that.

"Ah, but that sounds like I'm chasing you away!" He looked at me apologetically, oblivious to my mental dilemma. "You're always welcome to stay with me and everyone in Evans. Assuming I'm right about staying there, that is. Otherwise, you can join us in Chalphy, like I said." Did... did he just say...? "Just, you have options, many options, so I was curious what-"

"But you don't need a healer!" I blurted the words before I could bite them back. I was honestly surprised I made a coherent sentence with how much my head was spinning. What was he saying? I knew how this went. It was always the same. Once the ill were well, and the wounded were healed, they would leave and the healer would remain. So, why was he...?

"Er... huh?" Sigurd, for his part, finally looked as confused as I felt. "So, ignoring how castles tend to have their own healers for daily matters..." Oh. Right. I forgot that was a thing. "Is it weird to want to know where a friend is going? Or, well, if a friend is staying, but I don't want you to feel obligated to-"

"I can stay?" There. That was what my thoughts finally fixated on. The words were so incredible I had to have misheard.

"Hmm? Yes, of course?" Sigurd frowned, trying to figure out my reaction. "Truthfully, I know many would love it if you stayed. Shannan, for instance, was chattering earlier about how he wants to find flowers for your workshop."

"I can stay?"

"Yeees?" He must think I'm going mad. To be fair, I wondered if I was. "Where was I? Oh, yes, Oifeye and Finn would be delighted since they adore learning from you. Plus Dew mumbled something about reading lessons. So, if you stayed, you'd likely be their teacher again. Just as a warning. And..."

"I can stay?" By this point, I think Sigurd finally realized I was not repeating the words to prompt responses. I was repeating them because they were so... so... it never occurred to me I could stay. I was certain our paths would part here. I was certain they would say their farewells, I would say mine, and we would never meet again. Who would stay with a healer when they did not need her skills? "I... can stay...?" But Sigurd was saying otherwise. No, he was doing more than that. He was offering... no, even that wasn't correct. He was asking. He was asking if I would stay, and not because I was a healer. He just... wanted me to stay. Because we... were friends. Because we were friends.

"Do you want to?" Sigurd waited for my response, and of all times, my tongue was tied. So, I could only nod, hesitantly meeting his eyes at last. His answering smile was soft and happy. "Then we shall all live together, wherever we end up. It'll be fun!" Yes, it would. It would be strange, because everyone in this army was so very strange, but it... it would be very fun. "Hmm? Ah, Dei-"

"There you two are!" As if life decided I needed to be thrown more off-balance, Deirdre poofed out of nowhere, from my point of view, to link her arm around mine. "Everyone was looking for you," she explained, looking particularly pleased with herself. Though, her slight flush and the faint smell of alcohol hinted she may have been a little tipsy. "Is everything well?"

"Just fine," Sigurd reassured, leaning down to kiss her cheek. Her flush immediately deepened to a dark red, but she beamed up at him like she was the happiest girl in the world. "I was simply asking if Alicia is staying with us. Most likely in Evans, unless His Majesty surprises me."

"Oh, you are, right? Please say you are?" Deirdre looked at me so pleadingly that if I hadn't already decided, I would have right then and there. So, I smiled and nodded, this time with much more confidence. "Wonderful! We should plan how to decorate your room! It'll be fun!"

"Maybe she'll actually sleep somewhere besides her workshop if you decorate it, Deirdre."

"Eh?" Her eyes widened, and I could only give Sigurd an incredulous look, wondering how he knew. His only response was to grin, meaning I'd never learn. "Alicia! Surely, that's not healthy!" I was the picture of health, most days. "We are definitely decorating it now!"

"Shouldn't you plan on how to decorate the room you and Sigurd will share?" I asked 'innocently', soon rewarded by both of their faces turning bright red. It was terrible of me, but I had to admit it was fun. "Silver and blue flowers should be the motif."

"Alicia!" Deirdre immediately yelped, blush darkening. Sigurd's own blush faded slightly, replaced by confusion. Before he could ask, though, she rounded on him. "N-nothing! It's nothing!"

"Yes, it's just flowers." I smiled, and Deirdre sulked. Sigurd looked between the two of us like he wasn't certain he should believe us or not. "Deirdre, you said 'everyone' was looking for us?"

"Right, yes!" She rather blatantly started dragging me back to the grand hall. "Come on! We're supposed to be celebrating, after all!"

"Maybe I should just leave you two to head in alone," Sigurd teased, even as he fell in step. Somehow, I ended up in the middle of the trio. Again. "Continue to enjoy the quiet and all. Since you seem so eager to leave me behind."

"No, no, you must return with us!" Deirdre insisted with a laugh. She kept a tight grip on my arm, though, and used me as a shield to hide. "I... want a dance!"

"I will happily dance with you whenever and wherever, beloved." Sigurd laughed when Deirdre squeaked and hid behind me further. "Shall I demonstrate?"

"Please do so when I am not in the middle," I requested, trying to keep some sort of dignified calm. It was hard, but I managed. "I do not wish to be a prop."

"We can dance together!" Sigurd suggested easily. Deirdre immediately looked intrigued, but I shook my head. "Actually, this sounds like fun. Let's hurry to the hall!"

"Sigurd, Deirdre, I don't know how to dance."

"All the more reason to learn!"

I still had no idea how Sigurd and Deirdre managed to trick me into dancing, but by the time we made it to the hall, Sigurd had even plotted just what dance it should be. I managed to escape after the one, leaving Sigurd and Deirdre to dance off in their own little world, and I hid with Azelle and Lex for the rest of the joyous night. It was... like always, it was strange. They were strange. But I... I would stay with them, so maybe in time, they would become less 'strange'. Maybe in time, they would become my normal.

I would rather like that.

---

Ethlyn

Class: Troubadour

Skills: Critical

Holy Blood: Baldr Minor

The seventeen-year-old Princess of Leonster, formerly of Chalphy, she is noted for her kind heart, devotion to loved ones, and her stubbornness. This combination often means she refuses to back down from anything she sets her mind to, especially if the task at hand involves helping her family. She's particularly intent on helping her brother, Sigurd, as after an argument in their youth, he was always there to help her with anything and everything.

Her Mark is on her lower right leg, stretching from the outside of her ankle to halfway up her calf. It is difficult to tell if the sharp angles more resemble greaves or a wing. Due to inheriting the blessings of Neit, God of Death and the Dead, she has increased strength and skill. Those of this blood are also known for their uncanny luck, though not nearly as much as the famous Ullr luck.

She has been in love with Quan since they met when they were children, though she did her best to hide it to not make things awkward. Still, she always sought him out whenever she could and, to her delight, she found her feelings reciprocated. She had numerous serious talks with Quan, Sigurd, Eldigan, and her father about the dangers of marrying into Leonster's house, mostly the 'not-war' with Thracia, but she ultimately decided the chance to be with her love was worth the danger. It's a choice she knows she will never regret, especially after her precious Altena was born.

---

Author's note: And with that, Game-Chapter 1 is finally done~! Yay, end of the Verdane Campaign! The event Lex mentions occurs in game. There's not a single damn hint about it, of course, but if Lex goes to an out of the way peninsula with an iron ax in his inventory on this map, the event triggers and he gets the brave ax. Only way to get it in the first generation, and it's the only way Lex gets to double anything thanks to how doubling works in FE4. Here, I tried to explain it somewhat by him protecting civilians (though, I think if we're trying to go by scale, then the split off should have been much sooner, but meh). Batu's dying speech is technically to Sigurd, but I felt it better for it to be to Jamke. Other than that, just some bonding moments and whatnot. The description of the klelia blossom is based off of an artwork of Deirdre drawn by... uh... Rika Suzuki? I think that's how their name is spelled.

'Soteria' is the name of a Greek Goddess/Spirit, representing safety, salvation, deliverance, and preservation of harm. (It is also an epithet of Persephone and Hecate.) Morena is one of the names associated with a Slavic goddess of winter (and seems to be strongly associated specifically with the 'rebirth' which comes at winter's end). The Jormungandr spell in game appears more like spirits filling the screen... but it shares its name with the world serpent, so I went with the idea of it leaving only 'fang marks' as a wound.

Just as before, to show the passing time between game-chapters (each one takes place in a different year, meaning Gen1 takes place over 5 years), there will be three interludes.