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)

16. Chapter 9) Target

Chapter 9) Target

---

Nordion was under siege by its own countrymen. It's almost inconceivable, but disbelief did not make the words any less true. They asked us for aid, banking on Sigurd's long friendship with Eldigan, and they would have it. Before long, we had permission, supplies, and soldiers. Nothing would stop us, because there was only one choice we could live with.

They really did a good job manipulating us.

---

This was too early an hour for most in the army. Almost everyone I passed was yawning or staring groggily into space. I was glad I decided to wake up earlier than usual to make a large batch of energy-boost tea for everyone and, more importantly, find enough cups so everyone in the first wave could have some. Though it was embarrassing explaining to the kitchen staff what I was doing in their kitchens so early in the morning.

"Now, Lex, I don't know if their soldiers have archers, but if you're hit by an arrow, you are not allowed to pull them out," I told him, helping to adjust his cloak. He stared back sleepily and downed the tea I'd given him in one gulp. "That's not an answer."

"I'll make sure to remind him," Azelle reassured, smiling gently. It was not enough to hide how he swayed with his own tiredness. "I promise."

"Thank you. And I'd like it if you were careful with this amplification you all plan. Don't bleed more than you have to, please."

"I have it all calculated and Ethlyn will be nearby just in case."

"Good."

"Ugh... why are we even marching at this hour..." Lex grumbled then, coherent enough to speak. Azelle blinked a few times in surprise. "The sun isn't up yet, so why are we?"

"You're actually talking? A mere hour after waking up?" Azelle asked, still staring. He then looked to his own cup of tea. "What sort of alchemical miracle is this?"

"Whatever it is, I think we can both agree to never, ever let Tailtiu have any." Lex yawned loudly and rubbed at his eyes. "Ugh… anyway, I'll make the promise myself. No matter how annoying the arrows are, I won't pull them out without healer supervision."

"You shouldn't pull them out at all without training," I scolded, shaking my head. Lex made a face, and I muffled a laugh. "Regardless, would you like another cup, Lex? I set aside an extra one for you, since I know how hard it is for you to wake."

"Please and thank you."

I'd just given Lex his second cup when a happy and ear-piercing squeal punctured my ear, and I knew even before I turned that the source was Ethlyn. The reason why was obvious. Given that they were marching out to war, Deirdre decided this was a perfect opportunity to give Ethlyn the Light Brand she'd commissioned and, after days of shying away, she finally worked up the last bit of courage this morning. Ethlyn, of course, would've been ecstatic to receive even a pebble from Deirdre, so having a proper magic sword was the pinnacle of happiness and such unbridled joy could only be expressed in squeals, laughter, and spine-popping hugs as Ethlyn demonstrated. Poor Deirdre didn't have any idea how to react and I thought about going over to rescue her. But I didn't get a chance.

"Ow... think that would have woken the dead," Ayra complained, appearing from nowhere. She promptly seized my arm and tugged me in the opposite direction, barely waving goodbye to Lex and Azelle. Azelle looked flustered by the suddenness, but Lex laughed and laughed. "But I'm willing to bet... and wow, look at that, I am correct."

"Ayra, what in the world are you talking about?" I asked, getting my feet back under me now that she'd stopped. Her only response was to point, but that was enough to figure it out. She was pointing at Lady Edain and Sir Midir, the two sharing a quiet farewell away from the crowd. Lady Edain smiled beautifully at him, the palest hint of a blush on her face, and Sir Midir regarded her softly in return. "Ah."

"Yes, not even that squeal could pierce into their little world over there." And I thought it telling the nearby Beige Ritter knights either pointedly looked away or rolled their eyes. It was almost a shame Sir Midir would be gone for so long; this would've been the perfect opportunity to observe. "I wonder if Dew's prank will work."

"Prank?" I was very certain I heard wrong, until her grin proved I very much heard correctly. "Where is he? There should be no pranks this morning!"

"Why not? It'll be fun and break the tension in the air."

"You're as bad as Chulainn sometimes."

"Speaking of him, where is he?"

"Last I saw, he was playing with Shannan." Specifically, he was pretending Shannan's stuffed cat could 'talk' and reassure him. It had been adorable, and I'd originally planned on just stepping a short distance away before returning to watch. "You know how he is."

"You'd never guess he was so good with children. Reminds me of…" She trailed off and abruptly shook her head. "No, never mind."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, it's simply seeing the dead in the living. That's all." Oh, so Chulainn reminded her of someone, then. "Should apologize for yanking you, though. I already said my goodbyes to Azelle, and I didn't think Lex would be awake at this hour. He usually takes forever to wake up."

"I gave him some tea."

"You need to give the recipe to everyone."

"Lord Oifey and Finn have it, actually. It's not hard to make. The herbs are quite common." Father Eirik purposely made all his recipes that way, so he never ran out of stock. "Oh, speaking of Finn..." I looked around the crowd curiously, and found him near the edge. "I'm going to bid him farewell."

"Think I'll snag Shannan and make sure he has a proper goodbye with his favorite storyteller." Still, Ayra frowned. "Will you be alright?"

"Yes?" I tilted my head curiously. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, given your history..."

"Ayra, even if something did happen, which is unlikely, we're surrounded by allies." My tone was dry enough to catch flame and she laughed. "On with you, miss catastrophizing."

Ayra kept laughing even as she departed, slipping through the crowd with ease. Shaking my head, I made my own way towards the edge, and Finn. As I got closer, I noticed the pensive look on his face as he cradled an unusually shaped lance in his arms. I recognized it as the one Quan had commissioned for Finn's sixteenth birthday, but as far as I was aware, this would be his first time wielding it. Logically, I was certain it was a good weight for him, but staring at him right now, he looked so small, like the lance, or perhaps the expectations which came with it, might crush him.

"Well, there's one of my sweet pupils," I teased, keeping my voice as light as possible. Finn still jumped at the sound. "Ah, my apologies. I did not mean to startle you."

"N-no, it's fine..." Finn mumbled, smiling apologetically. I noticed, with a small bit of pride, that the cape he wore was the one I'd made him. "I was lost in thought."

"So I see." Without thinking, I reached up and adjusted his collar. "The cape looks good on you. I'm glad it fits, even if I'm surprised you're wearing it today."

"Well, you made it." Finn, I'd been working on the measurements Ethlyn snuck to me. "It gives me a bit more courage." Wait, no, he'd been replying to the second part of what I'd said. "Um… I did mean to ask. Did Lady Ethlyn tell you the tradition behind…?"

"I was told they were usually made by families." I kept the calm smile, despite feeling a little awkward now. "I hope you didn't mind they were made by me."

"N-no, I don't. I was really happy, actually." He ducked his head shyly, a faint blush on his face. "I… it's probably very forward of me, but… I do think of you as an older sister… as well as my mentor…"

"Oh?" I had… I had no words for the happiness that filled me then. None. So, all I could do was give him my best smile. "Then it seems I have another adorable little brother. Aren't I lucky?" Finn smiled back then, a bright smile of his own. "Now, as your fretting older sister, I do ask you to be careful, all right?"

"I promise to do my best."

"I'll take that." I muffled a laugh, and reached up to pat his head. "Now, will you be well? Is there something wrong with the lance?"

"Oh, no, it's fine. It is..." He looked at it again, his smile fading for the pensive frown once more. "I am merely thinking of what Lord Quan said when he gave it to me." He fell silent, and I waited for him to find his words. "I still don't know why he fought for me, you know. I was just a normal kid, becoming a soldier for the pay. I wouldn't say my life was hard in the church, but it was difficult at times for them to make ends meet. So, I left as soon as I could and went with the most steady option. The army is always recruiting. Then, one day after training, Lord Quan suddenly approached me and asked if I wanted to be a knight."

"You had never spoken before then?"

"No. I'd only seen him once or twice, maybe. Heard a lot of rumors, of course. They called him fierce, pragmatic, loyal... the darkest I ever heard was those calling him 'strange' and 'picked up bad habits from foreigners'." I recalled hearing Leonster was very closed-off from the rest of Jugdral, utterly devoted to their duty of protecting the Munster District. "But he asked, and without thinking about it, I agreed. From my perspective, it was the same job with more pay, so why wouldn't I? And now..." He adjusted his grip on the lance to hold it up and let the blade catch the dawning sun. "Now, I'm loyal for other reasons. I adore his vision of Leonster's future, admire his ideals. But even now, I do not know why he made that offer. I don't know why he calls me Leonster's most promising squire. From my perspective, I'm still very ordinary."

"I suppose asking would be awkward, wouldn't it?" Now, how best to respond? "I can't speak for him, of course. But I can speak for myself, and I know you are sincere, earnest, and you are always seeking new things to learn."

"That..." He blushed immediately, as he usually did when praised. "You tease me."

"No, I am perfectly honest." I thought of something he said in the past, about how Quan encouraged Finn to broaden his horizons. Perhaps he thought Finn the 'most promising' because he learned new perspectives. Perhaps he hoped Finn would breathe new life into their fight, and he would never bear witness to the slaughter which haunted him even now. Perhaps it was something else entirely. "Regardless, I wouldn't focus too much on it, Finn. While it may not make sense to you, I'm certain it does to him. So, keep doing what you always do, and remember your promise."

"I will try?" His eyes darted to the side, looking for a distraction. To his visible relief, he found someone quickly. "Oifey, over here."

"Ah, Finn, there you... oh, Lady Alicia, I didn't see you." Lord Oifey joined us, leading his horse so it stood next to Finn's. "Strange, Chulainn is not with you?" he asked, looking around. "Darn, I'd hoped to bid him farewell."

"Last I saw, he was reassuring Shannan," I explained, smiling faintly. Lord Oifey visibly drooped at the words. "He's very…"

"This brings back bad memories, and it'll be worse because he's the only one of us in the 'third wave'." Indeed, he was and, unfortunately, the only one he knew would be Sir Arden. Dew would be leaving with Deirdre and me. "But we'll be fine."

"That doesn't mean we will not fret, especially when you all only have one healer." Ethlyn was the only one trained in healing magic who could also ride.

"But I'll be able to help!" Lord Oifey puffed out his chest in pride. Finn ducked his head to hide his smile, and I barely bit back my laugh. "I won't be fighting, so I can remain on hand with the medical kits."

"This is true, and knowing you, you will have your notes close at hand." Movement caught my eye and I turned slightly to see Quan approaching us. There was more movement in the crowd as well. Had something happened?

"I bound them into a book and have everything labeled and marked to make it easier to find things." He caught sight of Quan as well, and nodded in greeting. "Are we ready to depart, Prince Quan?"

"Just about," Quan confirmed softly. A terribly cold feeling twisted in my stomach at the words, but I made sure to not show my unease on my face. "Heard you boasting about your kit. Which one did you grab? Ethlyn prepared two types."

"I have the one that passes even your lofty standards, Prince Quan," Lord Oifey answered, somehow both sincere and sarcastic. I didn't know how. "The one with antidotes, everything needed for stitching wounds, and other things not part of the standard. Which I expanded with some medicines Lady Alicia taught us, just in case."

"Extras?"

"Mostly antidotes for the few poisons the broad-spectrum antidote doesn't neutralize, and a couple of different types of bruise balms. Finn insisted we bring them, just in case."

"Oh? Well, sounds like you've been studious students." Quan grinned, and both Finn and Lord Oifey blushed. "But, as I said, we're about to leave, so you'd better start meandering out of the crowd and do your last checks." Both bowed and went to do just that, talking quietly among themselves. "In about three hours, they'll realize how rude it was to walk away and panic."

"Now, now, they gave me their farewells already," I chided, muffling a laugh. Quan didn't bother hiding his. "Well, Finn did. Lord Oifey gave me enough of one by my standards." Though, I didn't exactly have 'standards'. I was still so used to Arvis, who left quickly so he was not tempted to linger.

"I'll be sure to tell them when they inevitably freak out." He sounded so amused by the idea. "I've never been one for long goodbyes, so take care and travel safely. With luck, we'll have everything settled before you all arrive."

"That would be nice, since I could tend to the wounded immediately. But if I learn you all took purposely reckless tactics, I may scold you." It was simultaneously serious yet an attempt at a joke. Quan laughed anyway, and turned away to join Finn and Oifey. Their leaving reminded me of poor Shannan and... "Ah, but do you still have a moment?" He turned back, expression curious. "I... forgive me, but it seems like Shannan does better during stressful situations when he's given a task."

"I can see that. It helps him feel 'in control'." He nodded a few times, eyes sharp. "Why bring it up?"

"It was a random thought, but…" This felt awkward. No, it was awkward. "Altena will be in the third wave, yes?"

"Indeed. There's no way to see her safely to Leonster, and leaving her in Evans will only make me nervous. Why… oh." He snapped his fingers. I remembered Ethlyn did the same once before, and wondered if it was a shared habit of theirs. "Of course. I can ask if he'll keep an eye on Altena for Ethlyn and me."

"If you do not mind, I was thinking the same."

"I certainly don't. He's mature enough to know what she's allowed to do, and Altena is comfortable around him. Plus, he knows to grab an adult if he fears something is wrong." He smiled kindly. "I'll snag Ethlyn and we'll ask him together."

"Thank you." I smiled back, relieved. "Ah, but pretend it was your idea."

"Of course. I merely got the brilliant idea spontaneously while chatting with you about how mature Shannan is." He grinned, and I muffled a laugh. "Ah, before I forget, have you said goodbye to Sigurd?"

"No, I haven't yet." I looked about the crowd, seeing the energy build. The order to ride was spreading. "I'd best find him, shouldn't I?"

"Please do. I don't want to deal with his sulking, and he will. He sulked for hours once when Ethlyn couldn't see him off."

"Surely he would not sulk so long for me?" It seemed absurd, but Quan's very tired, even exasperated, face hinted it was not. "However, I shall take your warning to heart and go. Safe travels, Quan. Please do not do anything which would make Ethlyn cry."

"Me? I would never!"

"So, if I told her-"

"Never, ever." He playfully sulked and I muffled a laugh. "Until we meet in Nordion, Alicia."

"Yes, I will see you then."

He walked away, laughing under his breath, and I had to work on quieting my own as I meandered through the bustling crowd. Thankfully, I ran into Sir Naoise fairly quickly and, after exchanging our own goodbyes, he pointed me to where Sigurd was still in the middle of everything, saying goodbye to Deirdre. Though, if I had to be specific, I would say he was in the middle of an attempted murder by embarrassment with his goodbye kiss. If she went any redder, I was certain she'd faint.

"Sigurd, can you please not almost kill your wife before you ride off?" I jested as soon as I got close. Deirdre immediately ducked behind me to hide and regain her composure, while Sigurd grinned, completely unrepentant. "Quan said you all will be leaving soon."

"Yes, we'll need every shred of daylight, and probably all of the moonlight," Sigurd confirmed, his grin fading. He looked down the road, towards Nordion. There had been no second message; we could only hope that was a good thing. "It'll be a rough ride."

"Please don't be overly reckless. I'd rather not learn how poor of a patient you are."

"Hey, I listen to healers! Mostly." He grinned once more, and, surprisingly, reached over to hug me. I stiffened in response, but did awkwardly return it. At least, I assumed it was awkward. I was still unused to hugs. The only ones I usually got nowadays were from Shannan. "Also, remember to take breaks."

"Sigurd, we're about to-"

"Alicia." He pulled away slightly to rest his forehead against mine, and his hand on my head. "It's fine if you're just a workaholic, but you don't have to earn a place here, you know. You never have." …Oh. Oh, he remembered… "Yes, you're working as a healer, but you're also a friend. You always have a home here. So, please, remember to take breaks." He remembered what I had said, remembered how incredulous I'd been about being able to 'stay' when he 'did not need a healer'. He remembered what had seemed so obvious to him had not been obvious to me, back then. So now, he was making sure to say it.

"I don't know how to not give everything my all. But it's all right." I gave him the brightest smile I could manage. "I want to do my best for you all, not so you'll let me stay, but because you all are so very dear to me. Still, I'll keep your words in mind and try not protest when everyone suggests a break. I've gotten better about it."

"You have. But the revelation of just how hard you were working during the last campaign makes me worried." He stepped back and patted my head; I made a face at him. "Well, I fear no matter what we do, you'll have a lot of work when we reunite. But let me take you and Deirdre on a walk once things calm. Nordion is beautiful. Almost as beautiful as Chalphy."

"We'll look forward to it." I turned to smile at Deirdre, who looked terribly worried. "Right?"

"Ah, yes!" she blurted, agreeing less because she knew what we were talking about and more because we startled her. It took a few blinks for her mind to catch up. "Yes, we'll take a long walk. The four of us."

"Speaking of four, where's Chulainn?" Sigurd asked, looking around. He then smiled and waved. "Ah, hanging back to give space?" I turned and saw Chulainn was still with Shannan, resting a hand on his head as Shannan clutched his stuffed cat and had one last chat with Lex. Ayra lingered near, saying farewell to Ethlyn. "He knows he doesn't have to do that, right?"

"He's more awkward than you'd think. Besides, he's had his hands full with Shannan and trying to keep an eye on Alicia as everyone pulled her this way and that." She giggled and made herself smile. "We'll... we'll see you soon, Sigurd."

"Yes, see you soon."

Sigurd leaned down to kiss Deirdre's cheek and whisper something which made her blush return. Then, without another word or glance back, he led his horse away, mounted up, and called for the soldiers to ride. They cheered, like this was something to look forward to, and soon, all of them were riding off with their gazes fixed ever forward. Those who remained headed inside, to go about their days, but neither Deirdre or I followed them. No, she lingered and I stayed by her side. When I saw her trembling, I took her hand and squeezed it gently to reassure her. She squeezed back harder, like she was afraid I'd disappear if she let go. I didn't mind. I simply stayed with her in silence until even the dust had faded from the horizon. Only then did I turn and tug her with me back into the castle. Now was the time for distractions; we could resume our packing in the morning.

---

A few days after the cavalry left, the second wave followed. While there was a slight emphasis in speed, for the most part, the going is slow and steady. Every once in a while, we would see signs of the others' passage, but while their journey was hectic, ours was peaceful and quiet. I could only hope it was a good thing. I feared it was the calm before the storm. But those were worries for when we arrived, not now, here in camp. People wandered about here and there to do chores, but I was seated on a stump near the edge, forbidden from any chores. Chulainn, as per usual, was setting up my tent, though today, Dew helped him. He wouldn't even let me attempt, correctly reasoning that if I couldn't get it set up within five minutes, I'd forgo a tent entirely. So, while they worked, I did my usual reading, but I did not read a book today. Instead, I re-read a letter from Prince Kurth, which arrived the day before we marched. As per usual, it came with a gift: a pair of daggers.

'Father wrote me as soon as he gave permission. Of course, I already expected such. As soon as we heard Eldigan had been imprisoned, Byron pleaded to the gods that Sigurd would at least wait for my father. I am glad to hear he showed restraint, for once. Did the Beige Ritter make it to you all safely? I hope so, since I know you all have few soldiers at your command, with the bulk still here in Isaach.

I wanted to gift you something which could help with the days ahead, and Palmer recommended a dagger. 'A healer can always use a good dagger', he said. This confused me, since I knew you chose to never cause harm, and I made the mistake of asking Palmer how it would be useful when you did not fight. He proceeded to give me a three hour lecture on just how essential daggers were for healers.'

I had to bite back a smile at the words, finding them just as amusing now as I did when I first read through. Hearing a sudden noise, I looked up curiously, and saw the noise had just been Dew losing his balance and falling onto his rear. Chulainn kept the support poles from falling on him, and waved off my worried look, so I adjusted my seat on the stump I'd claimed as a 'chair' and returned to my re-reading.

'It might have gone on far longer if I hadn't distracted him by asking just what sort of dagger you would need. He recommended one of two: a smaller one for simple incisions and a larger one for surgeries. Since I did not know which one you needed more, I bought both. I'm sure you have your own, of course, but I figured new ones would be helpful.

Try to be careful in the coming days. This is the third allied country which has suddenly turned hostile, and I fear the reasons why. Was there some way I could have prevented this, some choice made to turn their hearts, or is there something more insidious hiding in the shadows? I will have much to investigate once the war with Isaach has ended.'

Those last sentences were the reason why I wanted to re-read the letter. He was right; the timing was suspicious. While it was true Jugdral was not as united as it had been during the Crusaders' lifetimes, relations had remained more or less amicable. The Munster District's ongoing war with Thracia was a notable exception, but the only other international fighting had been centered on Verdane and even that had been solved with King Batu's ascension. I could be wrong, knowing as little as I did about history and politics, but my understanding was even when things were tense, issues had been neatly resolved through diplomacy. After all, the Crusaders had been intelligent enough to draw up formal treaties between their nations, instead of relying solely on their close bonds. Internal threats were far more common, and deadly, than external.

But within the space of a year, maybe a little more, no less than three countries had challenged Grannvale. I knew from overhearing Ayra's story that Isaach had been subtly provoked. Though none knew why Ribaut's lord massacred Dahna, it was the subsequent and brutal death of their king that enraged Isaach's people to the point Mariccle believed war was the only way to force their wrath to cool. Meanwhile, in Verdane, Sandima had goaded King Batu into believing Grannvale would attack first and, thus, he sought to preemptively strike. Now, we had Chagall, who turned his greedy gaze towards Verdane and Grannvale so soon after his father's unexpected death. Was it his own arrogance, or had someone led him astray?

But, honestly, that wasn't what made me worry. It was how each of these acts were perceived by Jugdral's people. Only Ayra, Mariccle, and Quan were 'officially' privy to the truth behind Mariccle's declaration; to everyone else, it looked as if Isaach had callously butchered a peaceful town before arrogantly declaring war. While we'd managed to twist the narrative in Verdane's favor, Jugdral still believed its eldest princes had struck Yngvi viciously and unprovoked. And I could already see the stories drawn from Chagall's actions. Imprisoning Eldigan, a lord with a good reputation even outside his country, would not help his cause, or the stories. From how Chulainn talked of gossip, those perceptions could be as deadly as any blade, tearing their reputations to shreds while Grannvale's remained untouched.

Then there was what little tidbits I knew, thanks to knowing Deirdre's secret and being present for King Batu's last words. Was it all a coincidence? Was this simply the fraying relations between our nations snapping due to Grannvale's arrogance? It could be; they say trouble prefers company. But I couldn't help but wonder if Prince Kurth was right and there was a larger conspiracy. We already knew Sandima's plots, but what of his allies? Had they been involved? Was I jumping at shadows, terrified for my best friend, or was there actually something here? I didn't know, and no amount of brooding could untangle the knots in my head.

"Alicia?" Ayra's very unexpected voice made me jump and I nearly fell right off my stump-chair. "Whoa, sorry!" she yelped, steadying me. Chulainn glanced over from the tent, but I waved his concern away. "I don't think I've seen you startle so badly."

"I was very deep in thought," I explained, folding the letter again. I would... I would figure out how to reply later. The worst part was I couldn't speak of this to anyone but Sigurd and Deirdre. I refused to tell her secret to anyone, after all. Now, I could go find her and share my worries now, but last I saw, she had been talking with King Jamke and Lady Edain, and I didn't want to be around King Jamke anymore than I had to. Childish, I knew, but I didn't. "Did you need something?"

"No, I just finished pitching my tent and came over to see how things were here." She looked down at the two daggers in my lap. I'd kept them with the letter, after all. "Those are new."

"They're gifts from Prince Kurth."

"Oh?" She tilted her head. "Did you send the coin back before we left?"

"The coin?" I frowned at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Is that not a thing in Grannvale? In Isaach, it's considered bad luck to be gifted a dagger. It'll 'cut' the bond. So, when you give one to someone, you include a coin with it to receive back. It makes the exchange 'transactional' and, thus, mitigates the bad luck."

"I've never heard of that story." I tried to think if I had heard anything similar, but came up with nothing. I should ask Lex when we reunite. "I'll give something in return for them, though. We should avoid any chance of bad luck."

"I'll help you." She smiled as she gave the offer, so I bit back the 'are you sure?' on my tongue. "Where did you get your first dagger from? I've seen you use it in the infirmaries."

"Father Eirik gave it to me." It had been for my sixteenth birthday, the only gift I ever got from him. "I wouldn't mind if that bond was cut."

"Fair." Laughing softly, she turned her attention to our surroundings, focusing on the mountains. "So, we're in Agustria now. That's what Jamke said, at least." It was a fair guess. It was difficult to say just where each country's 'official' borders were, but the generally held consensus was Agustria lied beyond the mountains. This was our first camp since passing them. "I never thought I'd visit Artemisia's home."

"Artemisia?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, she was Setanta's mother." She smiled softly, and sadly. "I do not know how she ended up in Isaach. No one ever said. But she made no secret of being from Agustria, and frankly, it was obvious she wasn't. Most Isaachians have dark hair and eyes, and there she was with blonde hair and blue eyes."

"Were you fond of her?"

"I adored her. My mother died from complications with childbirth, so she was the only mother I knew." And, then she'd lost her suddenly and brutally. "She told me once that she'd take me to her home when I was older. Me, Mariccle, Setanta, Eigyr, Fiachra... it would've been a fun little trip. Then she died. She, Setanta, Eigyr, and Fiachra."

"Who are the last two?"

"Oh, Setanta's siblings. Eigyr was six when she died. Fiachra was three. They both saw me off with a smile that last day. Sualtam, their father, teased me and Artemisia gave me the biggest hug..." She trailed off, looking back to the mountains. "And now I am here. What a strange turn of events."

"You should tell her."

"At her grave?" A sardonic smile flashed across her face. "You think I'd ever be allowed in Isaach again?"

"Yes." My answer was instant, and she turned back to me in surprise. "Yes, you'll see Isaach again." It was hard to say why I was so certain, but I think it was because I… I believed and trusted Prince Kurth's words. No matter how the war ended, he would fight for Isaach to remain independent. He would fight for Ayra and Shannan to return home. And even if he didn't, I would. "And when that happens, I'll come visit. You can show me your home, and Sophara."

"Isaach Castle is one of the oldest in Jugdral, and Sophara is a work of art thanks to the quarries in the mountains. We'd have to pass through Ribaut to get there, but it… well, I don't know its condition now, but it was pretty while my sister lived. Oh, but you'd need to see Gaineishire to the far north. Isaach may be surrounded by water, but most of it is situated on cliffs. Only in Ganeishire can you walk to the beach, and it's so beautiful. Setanta and I once stayed out all night collecting seashells. Scared our parents silly." As she talked, a beautiful light filled her face and eyes. The love she had for her homeland was plain to see. "Yes, I'll show you all of it, one day. I think you'll like it."

"I'll look forward to it." A happy little shout caught my ear and I turned my attention back to Chulainn, Dew, and the tent now standing proudly with the others. "Oh my, have you finished?"

"Yes, we did!" Dew declared, rushing over now that they were done. For some reason, though, he stopped in front of me and fidgeted with his hands and sleeves. I wondered why for a moment, but when I caught him glancing at my hand, I took a guess and reached out to pat him on the head. He immediately grinned. "Chulainn's doing one last check of the support poles. Don't want it coming down on you while you sleep."

"She sleeps?" Ayra joked, rolling her eyes. I could only shake my head; she wouldn't let the all-nighters go. "I could've sworn she was still up when most of us went to bed last night."

"Oh, that's my fault. I wanted more lessons." Indeed, he did, though truthfully, he didn't need them for reading and writing anymore. But I was still glad to teach and help him, so I rarely pointed it out. "I grabbed one of her medical books by accident and I think she had to define half of the words for me."

"The one he grabbed used many, many technical terms," I explained, standing up and brushing the dirt off my skirt. My daggers almost fell because I'd forgotten they were on my lap, but Dew caught them. "Thank you."

"You should wear them on a belt or something," Dew noted, handing them back. I had to fight to keep from grimacing at the thought. "I know you don't hurt people unless it's needed to heal them, but given how randomly we're always attacked, who knows when you'll need to cut something out of someone?" Now that... that was a fair point, and I could not argue with it. "At least wear the one you'll use for arrows. That's what we'll most likely be hit with, right?"

"It pains me how correct you are." I sighed, but nodded. "Very well, I'll wear the one. The other will go into my medicine bag."

"Though, it would be good for you to learn how to use the dagger in non-medical settings," Ayra suggested, just as I knew she would. I could almost sigh at it, but held back. To my surprise, though, Dew actually reached over and pinched Ayra's arm. "Ow…! What was that for?"

"It's not nice to force someone to do something they don't want to do," Dew replied, calmly and sincerely. It took me too long to realize the pinch had been in retaliation for her comment. "That's why Chulainn tailors his lessons for us."

"I'm not forcing. I just said it would be a good idea." Yes, but I couldn't… "She should still get running lessons." That wasn't going to happen. I hated running.

"If she did, then won't we have people panicking because she only runs when there's danger?" Dew turned as Chulainn finally joined us, grinning. "What do you think? I know you've been listening."

"I think if she adds lessons, she'll lose what little free time she has," Chulainn answered, shrugging. Trust him to give a practical reason for it. "The only other option would be to cut into the time she spends studying medicines, and we all know she would never."

"True, it's been enough of a fight to get her to take what breaks she does," Ayra sighed, conceding. I had the strangest urge to sulk at them, and I didn't know why. "Anyway, speaking of breaks, Chulainn, why don't you take one for once? I can watch Alicia." Maybe it was because I suddenly felt like I was being treated like a toddler. "Go have some fun."

"You're stealing my fun, though." Chulainn's reply was quick and easy. "It's fun, watching her."

"Other fun, then. Before she gets tired of you."

"I could never tire of him?" I protested, frowning in confusion. Ayra blinked a few times at the answer, and Dew started snickering. "With that said, Chulainn, if you need to rest, just tell me. I'll be fine for a few hours." He opened his mouth to respond, but his eyes flicked to the side, so I turned and saw Deirdre approaching us. "Oh, hello, Deirdre."

"Hello! I overheard something about Chulainn and rest, so I'm assuming we're trying to get him to take a break?" Deirdre asked with a laugh. I glanced around curiously and saw Lady Edain and King Jamke weren't with her. Were they still talking? "I'll add my voice to the choir. We don't know when you'll be able to take a break once we arrive, so it's better to do so now."

"You all are very persistent," Chulainn sighed, shaking his head. There was something amusing... yet not... at how quickly he folded at Deirdre's insistence. It was an odd feeling. "Fine, I suppose. There was a pretty wolf watching us earlier." There was a what? "I could go find her."

"Oh, with the brown and gray coat?" Ayra gasped, her entire face lighting up with a smile. Deirdre and I exchanged a confused look, not certain if we heard correctly. "I caught sight of her as we passed. Such a beauty, and her fur looked so soft..." Why were we talking about fur? "Do you think she's still near? It's been a while since I petted a wolf."

"Possibly." He shrugged like this was a normal conversation. "Wouldn't hurt to look."

"I'm sorry, but are you two plotting on tracking down a wild animal to pet?" I asked, a little incredulous. Ayra smiled sheepishly in answer; Chulainn smiled boyishly. "I swear; if the two of you end up with your fingers bitten off..."

"So, off to pet an animal, then?" Dew mused, tilting his head curiously and cutting me off before I had to think of a credible threat. He swayed his weight from foot to foot before turning to Chulainn. "Hey, what do you like?"

"That's an odd question," Chulainn responded, his smile sadly fading. I liked those few times he smiled. "Why?"

"Well, it's just... I know you like animals and I know you like Alicia." ...Why did that phrase make my stomach twist? "But that's all I know. So, what else? Maybe something that doesn't make Alicia mad about potential injury?"

Chulainn was silent for a very long moment before giving an answer. "Heights, I suppose?"

"Oh, did you used to climb into trees to read without anyone disturbing you?" Deirdre asked, laughing at the thought. "I used to do that. Though, in my case, it was because I didn't want to hear more lectures."

"No, I think I used it to win hide and seek," Chulainn answered slowly. It was like he was trying to remember as he talked. "Might have done it for the quiet."

"You think?"

"It's been a while. I've been fighting since I was Shannan's age." The admission was simple, and blunt as always. But it made Ayra stiffen, and me, sad. Dew seemed surprised, but in a 'oh, so is he like me?' way, which made me sadder.

"Then you have to rediscover your likes." Deirdre, however, accepted it with a smile, and clasped her hands behind her back. "So… um… do you know how to read?"

"Yes. It's a useful ability for a mercenary, so you can find the loopholes in contracts."

"Do you remember what sort of stories you liked reading?"

"..." Chulainn frowned, knowing he was being led, but not knowing where. "I think adventure stories? Grand tales… the normal sort of story which captures a child's attention long enough to sit still and read."

"Then I'll lend you my favorite!" Somehow, I was unsurprised by the suggestion. "I brought it with me, and I think it's similar to those sorts of stories." She giggled; Chulainn blinked slowly. "One of the protagonists shares Alicia's name, just a warning, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. Oh, but don't read it improperly like Alicia did."

"Improperly?"

"She's still mad I skipped to the end to see who lived and who died," I sighed, shaking my head. Deirdre playfully sulked at the reminder, while Chulainn looked both exasperated and incredulous. "I don't see the problem. It's no different from reading it a second time."

"That's not the point!" Deirdre protested, still sulking. Ayra and Dew were watching us like we were insane, but in different ways. Ayra looked worried; Dew looked like he wanted to find snacks while enjoying the 'show'. "You're supposed to read it a second time for the foreshadowing you missed!"

"I'm certain I still missed a lot despite skipping ahead, Deirdre."

"Again, not the point!"

"I suppose I can read the book later," Chulainn finally answered, looking a little disgruntled. The fact that he was already moving away hinted he was agreeing less because he wanted to, and more because he didn't want to refuse her. "For now, I'm finding that wolf. Ayra, you coming?" Ayra opened her mouth to agree, but then she glanced at me.

"I can watch Alicia!" Deirdre chirped, giggling. I rapidly debated whether to feel offended or not. Did they think I was two? "Go on!" And Ayra needed no more encouragement. With a look of gleeful excitement that so resembled Shannan's own, she chased after Chulainn as they went wolf-hunting. "Aw, I love it when she smiles like that. It looks like Shannan's!"

"That it does, though I do still worry about them losing their fingers," I sighed, watching them leave. When they were out of sight, I glanced at the nearby woods, remembering what my books said. "You know… since we're in Agustria at last, I should do some foraging."

"Always with the work…" Deirdre immediately sulked, well aware her frowning face could make me yield to just about any demand. I needed to think of a counter quickly. "Why not simply pick some flowers?"

"You can do that. I'm sure we can find some silver and blue ones somewhere around here."

"Alicia!" Deirdre turned bright red, as she usually did. Dew, still near, made a curious noise. "N-nothing! It's nothing, Dew!"

"Yes, I'm just going foraging and she's picking flowers." I offered him my hand with a soft smile. "Would you like to join us?" Dew hesitated before shyly taking it. "Then, let's go."

It didn't take long for us to find baskets, and took even less time to post word of our departure. From there, we meandered into the woods, with Dew leading us to a small meadow he'd seen while helping the scouts earlier. It proved to be the perfect spot, with enough flowers to make Deirdre giddy and enough medicinal herbs to make me smile. In fact, there were so many of both I half-wished we'd grabbed extra baskets! However, as could be expected for this group, we were not left to peacefully forage for long. We'd been there for maybe five minutes before Lady Edain and King Jamke found us.

"What are you all doing?" Lady Edain asked, as soon as she stepped into the clearing. I marveled at how much she sounded like the mothers I'd heard scolding their children in the markets. "You should be resting! It's been a long day!"

"It's just foraging, Lady Edain," I quietly protested, holding up my basket for emphasis. Then I pointed to where Deirdre and Dew were sitting among the flowers. "They're picking flowers." Well, they had been, but now, Deirdre was teaching Dew how to make flower crowns. "It's no more effort than my studying, truly." However, I knew such arguments would never work, so I immediately turned my attention to King Jamke. "I can guess why she followed us out here. Are you her escort?"

"No, truthfully, I was looking for the one bit of sense in our group," King Jamke replied, sounding strangely exasperated. It was almost as strange as him thinking there was 'one bit of sense' anywhere near here. Perhaps he was referring to Dew? "Because for some reason, Chulainn and Ayra are petting a wolf like it's a dog and, more bizarrely, it's letting them."

"That's normal." I kept my voice as light and even as I could. King Jamke raised a brow. "For Chulainn, it's normal. I don't understand it either."

"And it's the one without Holy Blood causing the weirdness, not Ayra." He sighed. "If it was her, it could make some sense. I know enough stories to know Od was blessed by Tiamat of Beasts. But..."

"He likes animals."

"That doesn't mean they like people back. Particularly when they're wild."

"Wait, I thought you were joking when you originally told me that," Lady Edain cut in, her eyes wide. "Is that even safe? What about diseases? Bites?"

"I think the most danger the two were in was the fur flying everywhere," King Jamke deadpanned, looking very unamused. I subtly stepped back and went back to my foraging. "Seriously, I think there was more fur than wolf."

"Just because it's playing nice now doesn't mean it will in the future!"

"It's fine. Surely, some of your ridiculous luck will wear off on the rest of us."

"I'm not sure it works that way. Mostly because that seems a little too predictable for my luck." Lady Edain paused and whirled to face me. "And you're back to work!"

"Oh, so she is. What a surprise."

"Jamke, you're not helping." She scowled, and I bit back a sigh. "Alicia, you really should-"

"Edain, here!" Dew suddenly chirped, rushing over with a completed flower crown in hand. He proudly held it out to her, smiling shyly. Deirdre, meanwhile, slipped to my side with a grin, barely muffling her giggles. "Um... for you? It's not as helpful as the Warp staff, but..."

"Oh, Dew, it's wonderful!" Lady Edain gasped, thoroughly distracted. She immediately knelt down so Dew could place it on her head. "I love it! Thank you so much!"

"It's not itchy or sticking you, is it? Deirdre said it was fine, but I've never made one before, so..."

"It's perfect. Absolutely perfect."

Deirdre and I glanced at each other then and walked away to continue foraging and picking flowers. King Jamke caught our departure, but only waved as he watched Lady Edain praise Dew and Dew preen under her attention. He'd let us go for now, and follow if we remained out too late. That was just how he was.

"He was saying he'd feel weird wearing one he made himself, so I suggested Edain," she explained, not bothering to hide her giggling now. I had to hold her up to keep her from collapsing. "I thought it would make a good distraction. We'll need to thank Dew later."

"Ah, so that's why it was such good timing," I murmured, muffling my own laugh. The best and worst part was how Dew likely didn't know the reason why Deirdre suggested it. "I'm sure he would've thought of it anyway."

"Probably. But we'll still thank him."

"Indeed, we will." I thought about discussing my earlier worries, now that we were alone, but I decided against it. I didn't want to dampen her smile. "Let's see what is in this patch."

Deirdre and I spent an hour or so foraging and picking flowers before returning to camp. Later, I'd take a break to help Deirdre press the flowers she wanted to keep. For now, I wanted fresh herbs, just in case. The herbs around Nordion were particularly useful for bruises and cuts, and I knew I'd need every leaf and root I could find.

---

A few days later, we made camp early. Why? We found the first signs of battle. It wasn't much, simply churned mud and two corpses rotting in the bushes. According to Lady Edain, they wore Heirhein's colors. So, right now, the others were discussing our next course of action, since it was clear we were now in 'hostile territory'. Some might think I should be with them, as the chief healer, but I knew nothing of battle, so Lady Edain was a much better representative for a healer's perspective. She had trained as a knight before suddenly switching vocations after coming of age. She knew more than me.

What I should have been doing was making medicines. I should have been checking inventory. I should have been studying. I should have been doing a large number of things, but I wasn't. No, instead, I was at the edge of the dense woods, staring at the rotting bodies. They were bloated and twisted, with maggots wriggling through. Their skin was torn and mangled in places, where the carrion had dug inside for meat and marrow. They likely would've been even worse if not for the armor holding them together. The smell made that all too clear.

"Your tent is set up," Chulainn whispered behind me. He'd seen me staring and left me to it, sensing I did not want to talk. "Surprised they took the time to hide them. Since they weren't planning on an ambush, most would've left them where they fell."

"Is that so?" I murmured, studying the two. They seemed so... young. I couldn't be certain, of course, thanks to the rot. But one's face was mostly intact, thanks to the helmet they wore, and they looked barely older than Dew. "Why would they be out here?"

"Scouts, stationed here to keep an eye out for reinforcements. You'd have to kill them quickly and prevent the message, since it's best for reinforcements to take enemies by surprise. A disorderly force falls more quickly."

"I see." Then, after killing them, they would've been on an even stricter time limit. Even I could figure it out. So, there would have been no time, not unless they wanted to risk their own. I could understand this. I... I could. Yet, at the same time, I found I couldn't accept it.

So, I walked over and started digging. It had to be the most ridiculous thing in the world, to try and bury them. But at the same time, I could not turn away and leave them to rot.

"What are you...?" Chulainn asked, sounding startled. I didn't answer, since I thought it obvious. "That... why?"

"Because I want to," I answered, since there was no other response. I had no illusions about this. This was purely selfish, a thing I could not accept. They were too dead to care, and I doubted their spirits would ever know. I highly doubted the gods would somehow 'reward' me for the action. But simply turning away felt too terrible. "Everyone deserves a little dignity in death." Even someone as wretched and monstrous as my father had been given a burial. Even someone as manipulating and vindictive as Sandima had been buried, or so King Jamke claimed. So, these two young boys, who had simply followed orders and been in the wrong place, deserved it too.

Chulainn was silent for a very long moment before replying. "You're hurting your hands." He knelt down and caught mine, and I could see what he mean. I'd managed to cut myself on a hidden rock already, to say nothing of the dirt now embedded under my nails. "There's a shovel in the supplies. I'll get it."

"I can-"

"Stay here. I know where it is, so I'll be right back."

"Very well."

Chulainn was back in a blink, shovel in hand. I tried to take it from him, but he shook his head and started digging in my place. Knowing it was pointless to try and argue, I looked for things to help cover the bodies, since I knew this would be shallow. It would have to be. We didn't have the time to dig 'proper' graves. But they were deep enough for the bodies to rest comfortably, and it did not take much effort on my part to drag the corpses into them. Chulainn tried to do it for me, but I waved him away. This was my selfishness, so I should at least do this much. Though, I did manage to gouge my palm on the second one's broken armor; I didn't realize it was sharp. But it wasn't bad enough to stop, so I continued my task. Before long, both were buried in shallow graves, marked only with larger rocks I found nearby. It wasn't as if I knew their names. There hadn't been any personal effects on either corpse.

Once they were buried, there was nothing else to do. Chulainn did one last check of everything, to make sure the dirt and debris were packed tight, and then we left, returning to the camp proper so Chulainn could return the shovel. I kept my bleeding hand close to my chest to keep from leaving a trail, and we kept on the edges to try and avoid people. I didn't want to deal with anyone; I needed a moment to myself to regain my usual calm. So, of course, we ran into someone. Why wouldn't we?

"Ah, Lady Alicia, there you are!" Lady Edain, in fact, was the one who found us. "We finished the meeting, so I wanted to…" she began, trailing off as she studied me. I must have been quite the sight, with dirt still on my skirt and hands, blood seeping through my fingers. I couldn't look her in the eye, and ducked my head when she turned to Chulainn, her focus on the dirty shovel in his hands. "Well, that takes care of one objective. Deirdre wanted to bury the two." That… that did make me feel a little better. "Though it seems you injured yourself while doing so." She came over and gently took my dirty, bloody hand. "Let's get that treated, shall we? Chulainn, I'm stealing her for a bit."

She held my hand as she led me to her tent. I tried to tell her she needn't bother, it would be no trouble tending to it myself, but each time I tried, she smiled sweetly and the words died on my tongue. They lingered, though, and when I tried to swallow them, they stuck in my throat and made it tight. By the time we made it to her tent, it was strangely difficult to breathe and it took every lesson I had to feign calm as she cleaned both my hands, tended to the cuts, and even rubbed some sort of lotion into them. I didn't know why. This wasn't the first time she'd treated my injuries. She and Ethlyn had done so in the past, for burns and bruises. It made no sense for me to be on the edge of tears over something so simple.

"There we are," she murmured when she finished, putting the stopper back in the jar of lotion. She then took my hands again to look them over. "I went ahead and healed them up since you use your hands so much, but let me know if something is wrong, all right?" I nodded, still finding it hard to speak. "Also, Sigurd is right. You're much too inclined to do things on your own."

"I didn't want to drag anyone into my selfishness," I mumbled, looking for anything that could distract me. But while Lady Edain's tent was cozy, there was very little which caught my eye. "It... it's bad enough Chulainn helped."

"Why? He clearly wanted to. And I'd love to help you more as well. I mean..." She leaned forward and tapped my nose. I instinctually made a face and she giggled. "I am older than you, after all." What did that have anything to do with anything? "It rarely comes up, since you have more experience with healing than I do, but I'm two years older. You should really let me spoil you."

"I feel like I had this conversation with Deirdre and Sigurd before."

"Probably. You deserve some spoiling. You got too little as a child." Her smile faded. "I heard about you, you know. When I got my lessons. I didn't realize it was you, since I never got a name, but Father Eirik would talk about you." I stiffened, not sure I liked this conversation. "I won't repeat what he said, unless you want me to."

"I doubt it was anything flattering." I also doubt it was anything I hadn't heard before. He'd never exactly censored himself.

"Mmm..." She got a thoughtful look on her face. "He said once you were too much like your mother." Oh, was it just her? I was certain he'd complain about me being too much like my father. "Made me think he was taking care of you as a personal favor. Which was strange, because I didn't think that blunt curmudgeon had friends." The words were so unexpected that I choked on a laugh. "The only good thing I could say about him is that he's dutiful. I could tell he thought me an idiot for switching vocations so late in life, but he still taught me to the best of his abilities because he was asked to."

"Yes, that's how he's always been. He has also always had the social graces of a grouchy, feral cat."

"Oh, goodness, he is rather catty, isn't he? If I thought of him like that, I would've been far less tempted to strangle him. I'm surprised no one has tried." I had to muffle another laugh. "Anyway, all that was just to say I don't think he spoiled you in the slightest and, if you haven't noticed, both Sigurd and I like teasing and spoiling those we love. And, since you've never had a good spoiling, I want to dote on you a little more." Wasn't 'spoiling' supposed to be bad, though? "Even disregarding that, it's not abnormal to want to support and help a friend. Even if it's for a selfish thing. Sometimes, you want to support them because it's selfish."

"I..." How to reply? I didn't know. That lump in my throat returned and I could only duck my head.

"So, next time, ask us, even if it is selfish. I'm sure we could've gotten the job done without you hurting yourself if we'd worked together." I suppose she had a point. "Honestly, why didn't Chulainn snag one of us? Then again, he's just as bad about taking breaks as you."

"I've gotten better."

"You have! I so enjoyed the walk we had through the gardens. We should do more of them. You've spent so much of your time studying and working that you need to see new things and discover just what you like." She beamed suddenly. "Then I can learn and spoil you with them~!" I had to muffle yet another laugh at that. "There we go. You look much better now."

"Hmm?"

"You were as calm as always, but far too pale, earlier. Now, there's some color to your face once more, and a smile with it." She clapped her hands together and started rummaging through her things for some reason. "Right, I just remembered. I'd actually brought this for you, and something Dew said reminded me... now where did... ah, there we go." She produced a black, leather belt of all things, one with a leather pouch attached to it. "Here, stand up, will you?" Confused, I did as she asked and held still as she buckled it on me. "Good, you and I have about the same waist size. I thought so."

"Why are you carrying a belt around?"

"Like I said, I brought it for you." She fussed over the buckle a little more, smiling softly. "I used to wear this when I was training as a knight. I'd keep my weapon maintenance kits in the pouch. But I stopped wearing it when I set down my sword and took up the staff. I found it while I was reorganizing things in my room recently, and I thought the pouch would be perfect for an emergency medicine kit. And the belt is made to hold weapons, so your dagger should fit nicely. Dew told me you would wear the one for emergencies."

"Ah, yes, he suggested it." This was... odd. I think that was the word I wanted. It was odd, but not in a bad way. "Um... thank you."

"Of course." She stepped back to smile warmly at me; I ducked my head, but smiled back. "Now that we have that settled, let's have some tea with Deirdre and Ayra. We probably won't have time after tomorrow, after all."

"I..." I hesitated, but nodded. "Very well."

"Wonderful!" She took my hand again and led me out of her tent. "Let's find them and... ah, Chulainn, perfect!" Of course he had been waiting outside for us. "Do you know where Ayra and Deirdre are? We're having a tea party!"

Later, after everyone had settled in for the night, I opened the pouch to fix up an emergency medicine kit in that pouch, one with vials of antidote, needles and thread, and a few other miscellaneous items. And inside, I found a little note Lady Edain left, a simple 'hey, remember to rest, all right? I'm here if you need to talk about anything.' It reinforced the words she said, and I tucked it into one of my books to keep always. It was hard to explain why it meant so much, but it did. Maybe one day, I'd figure out why.

---

We heard the battle before we saw it. We heard the screams, the sobs, the screech of metal on metal. We smelled the battle before we saw it. We smelled the blood, the death, the cloying rot. None of it prepared me for what we saw when we crested the hill closest to Nordion. The chaos of battle was marked with patches of blood and wisps of smoke. It had long passed the outer gates and spilled into the streets themselves. Even from up here, I could see the bodies piled in the alleys.

"Looks rather organized, so I think they let them in," King Jamke mused as we clustered to observe and discuss. It was a small grouping: King Jamke, Deirdre, and me with Chulainn lingering near. I kept silent, horrified by what we saw, but Deirdre could keep up with his words and made a noise in confusion. "Look at the gates." He helpfully pointed to them. "If they had forced their way in, there would be more damage and bodies near them. But there's not, and the fighting is not in the residential areas. Makes me think they let them in to use the streets as a means of funneling them into traps." As if to prove his point, a wave of fire erupted in one of the intersections, the charring bodies within writhing in pain. "See?"

"And since there's no damage in the residential areas, they must have evacuated the people prior," Deirdre murmured, surveying the city. I wondered if her eyes were good enough to discern if the corpses were 'soldiers' or 'civilians'. I could barely see their colors. "Where, though?"

"Probably the castle. It's the easiest to defend, and there's more defenders at the castle's gates." I could only hope their precious and irreplaceable items made it with them. Their lives were more important, but… "And… oh, hang on." In one smooth motion, King Jamke brought up his bow, sighted some target, and loosed an arrow. It arced gracefully, taking advantage of the hill's height, and slammed into the neck of someone who had been barking orders. The soldiers around them panicked and screamed as their body flopped to the ground like a broken doll. "Apologies, it was too easy a target, and I need to take those when I can get them. My eyes are not as good as other archers."

"I'm not complaining, so long as it helped." Deirdre glanced back at the others, the soldiers making their last preparations under Ayra and Lady Edain's supervision with Dew helping them find missing but crucial items. "But how are we to join the battle? If it was outside the gates, I could see us skirting the edges? It showed up in a lot of stories I've read."

"Most of what you see in stories wouldn't hold up in reality, but we are dealing with a force stupid enough to attack the castle directly. A smart commander would've already retreated to wait them out. There's only so much food you can store." King Jamke pointed to the walls. "So, what I'm thinking is we actually get up onto the outer walls and…"

They continued talking. But this sort of thing wasn't something I could help with, so I tuned them out to look over the city again. This... was a battle. This was a true battle. It was... this was a first for me. Yes, there had been fighting within Genoa Castle and yes, there had been fighting in the woods after returning for the Verdanite soldiers. But in the former, I had been a hostage and, once rescued, I'd been shoved into a nearby room for safety. During the latter, I had been tending patients in a clearing and the fighting had not drawn near until Prince Munnir tried one last desperate charge. Neither had been like this. Nothing I'd ever seen had been like this. I had never seen the wounded stumble and stagger as they tried to find safety. I had never seen the dead left to rot where they dropped. I had always tended to the aftermath, and never seen it unfold before my eyes. There were so many hurt. There were so many who needed treatment. I had... I had to get to their infirmary. I had to help. I had to help as soon as possible.

A quiet part of me, a part which sounded too much like Father Eirik, whispered I should wait. I didn't know anything about battles, much less navigating them. To rush in was reckless. But then I saw someone wearing Nordion's colors collapse in a bloodied mess just inside the outer gates, and there was no stopping me. Someone was hurt; they needed healing. I was a healer; I went to help. It was as stupid and simple as that.

It took an eternity to run down the hill, much less make it to the gates, but thankfully, the wounded soldier had not yet bled out when I reached them. "Hold still," I whispered, falling to my knees by them. They stared at me like I was a ghost. "These wounds aren't deep. I can give you a quick fix."

"I... yes?" they blurted, trying to make sense of everything. I made sure to smile before working on their injuries. "You're... you're a healer?"

"I am." Yes, these wounds weren't terrible. They would be fine. I wouldn't usually rely solely on magic, but attempting to stitch in these circumstances would just be begging for infections and abscesses. "I'll get you back on your feet."

"I-it's dangerous, my lady!" Well, I already knew that much. This was a battle, after all. "I... I was being pursued and..." Their eyes widened as a shadow fell over us. I kept working. "My lady, watch-!"

The words had barely left their mouth when the would-be-attacker choked on a pained scream. I smelled the fresh blood before it splattered across my back, smelled the death before their shadow fell and their body thwumped to the ground. There was the sickening sound of flesh tearing, a hint someone struck a second time to be sure the would-be-attacker was dead. I knew before I looked up that I would see Chulainn behind the corpse. After all, if I rushed ahead, then of course he would've followed as soon as he realized what I did.

"Think we made it to the bottom before they noticed," he informed me calmly, nodding to the top of the hill. From here, they seemed very agitated. Certainly, there was a lot more movement than there had been before. "Where are you heading?"

"That is a good question," I replied, finishing with the soldier's injuries. Once done, I stood and brushed the worst of the dirt off my skirt. More blood smeared into it, but that was fine. Blood wasn't hard to wash out. "Good soldier, might you tell me where Sigurd or Quan are?"

"Th-they're both at the gates, my lady," the soldier answered, wobbling to their feet. They pressed a hand against their closed over wound, pulling away to see the lack of blood. "Duchess Grahnye ceded command of the field to them when they arrived."

"I see." I glanced at the corpse at my feet, wondering if I should check if they were alive. But the amount of blood showed they weren't. "Then we are heading to the gates, Chulainn." Chulainn nodded and reached down to move the body out of the way. "Soldier, be careful. While I closed your wounds, they are not fully healed. Please see me after the battle for better treatment."

"I... yes, my lady." They bowed slightly, glancing between Chulainn and me. "Ah, of course. I'd heard the Red Rose of Lord Sigurd's Army was shadowed by Death's Hound."

"My, I think that's the most accurate rumor I've heard involving me." Still, I couldn't help but frown. "But saying 'shadowed' makes it seem like I don't enjoy his company."

"I... I will keep that in mind, my lady?"

"Oh, I'm not scolding you. I'm merely thinking aloud." I shook my head and smiled gently. "Now, on with you and remember my warning." The soldier actually saluted me before rushing off. "I hope he listens..."

"If he doesn't now, he will when the battle fever fades," Chulainn reassured, smiling slightly. Now what did he find so amusing.? "You dislike being 'shadowed' by death?"

"I dislike that phrasing, yes," I replied with a frown. His smile grew a little. "I'm a healer. I push back against death every day. However, I don't want to push you away, so I would say you 'accompany' me." He ducked his head then, his equivalent of laughter. "I can't say I'm fond of you being dubbed a 'beast' either, but I can at least accept it's your own annoying epithet. Where did it come from?"

"Not sure, truthfully. It was after I took a job fighting some Thracians, so they're my best guess. They believe Neit's realm is guarded by a pack of dogs and wolves, to keep the errant dead from harming the living." Really? That was actually rather fascinating. "I don't usually remember stories like that, but I was struck by the similarity to Isaach's."

"Morena of Death is accompanied by a hound, yes? Meanwhile, in Grannvale, wolves are said to herald the arrival of Neit's reapers." I should let Lex know. I knew it was rare he researched, but he did enjoy stories. Maybe he could look into these similarities. "Ah, but the longer we stay in one place, the easier it will be to target us, yes?"

"Yes, we should head in, and stick to the shadows."

"I'll leave the path to you, but warn I will deviate when I see wounded."

"Fair enough."

Chulainn made it seem so terribly easy to slip into the battle, but then again, it was only us two. I wished it had been harder so I had more time to brace myself. The smell was almost as bad as my infirmaries during a rush, but the clamor was enough to make my ears ring. Still, I held onto my calm and tended to each wounded we passed. 'Coincidentally', all of them wore Nordion's colors; I had a feeling Chulainn picked our path to ensure it. I pretended to not notice, and instead, focused on keeping calm despite the noise. The soldiers greeted me with shocked and grateful smiles, though strangely, even the non-wounded would cluster around as I worked. Did they need to see their fellows heal? Was there another reason? I didn't know, and couldn't think of how to ask. Instead, I let it be, and focused on following Chulainn to the gates. It didn't take long, only another eternity of blood and rot, and once there, I found Sigurd and Quan quickly. They were standing right by them, after all.

"Sigurd, there you are!" I called as soon as Chualinn led me close. Sigurd jumped and whirled to face me, eyes wide with surprise. Quan's reaction was more subdued, but he still openly gaped. "Where is the infirmary set up?"

"In the courtyard just past the gates," Sigurd answered, blinking a few times like he thought I'd disappear. He then looked around for some reason. "Um... Alicia, how did you get here?"

"I walked?" That seemed like a strange question. How else would I have gotten here? "There's too much chaos to run, and I was tending to people along the way."

"Through the battle."

"Was there another way? I don't know how to fly, and I'm certainly not attempting to climb onto the roofs and using them as a bridge." Chulainn looked intrigued by the suggestion, and I frowned at him. "No, it would not have worked. I do not have that sort of athletic ability." I had no athletic ability at all, truthfully.

"I could've carried you," Chulainn commented, his gaze flicking to the side. Something in the battle caught his attention, but he chose against reacting. "Though, the second someone thought to look up, you would've been quite the target."

"You're not carrying me up the side of a building," I retorted, before pointedly turning back to Sigurd. "But yes, I walked through. Chulainn picked the path."

"I see," Sigurd replied, slowly. Meanwhile, Quan... I could be wrong, but he... he looked rather angry for some reason. "And where are the others?"

"Well, obviously, Chulainn is here." I pointed to him for emphasis. "The others were on one of the hills overlooking the city, last I saw." Sigurd kept staring; Quan's anger became much more apparent. "I... I'm sorry if I disrupted any plans. The others hadn't worked out how to join the battle, and no one mentioned anything to me, but-"

"Are you an idiot?!" Quan suddenly roared, pushing past Sigurd so he could yell directly at me. I could only stare in confusion since no one had ever accused me of that before. Father Eirik would grumble I was 'too smart for my own good'. "Waltzing onto a battlefield like that!"

"It was reckless, I know, but people were hurt," I protested, feeling a little small. No, worse, I felt like I was back in Yngvi, back with Father Eirik and his lectures, back where I was a child who just wanted to help. "Besides, I didn't 'waltz'. I kept to the sides, as much as I could." That was where the wounded had usually crawled anyway, to get out of the way.

"Like that matters!" Oh, that just made him angrier... "Do you have any idea how much of a target you are?!"

"Pardon?" I kept my calm. I had to keep my calm. No matter how small I felt, how much like a child I felt, no matter how much hurt and fear I felt, I had to keep my calm. But there was something about how he said the words, something to the inflection and tone, which confused me, so I couldn't help but frown. Quan stared back, still livid. At least, he was until I continued staring, continued being silent. Then, that ire faded, slowly replaced with wide-eyed horror, and not even the minor commotion nearby distracted him. "Quan?" I hoped to prompt a response, but only silent terror answered me. "Quan, what do you mean?"

The answer... the answer became clear in a half-second. There was some sort of yell... no, there were two types of yells. One was triumphant; the other was terrified. I didn't know which belonged to whom. As soon as both rang out, someone wrapped their arm around me and yanked me back, twisting me around until I was safely tucked against their chest. I had just realized it was Chulainn when a javelin thudded into, and through, his lower back, well under his chestplate.

"Chulainn!" Sigurd yelled, steadying him as the javelin's thrower used some sort of rope to rip the javelin out of Chulainn and back to their hand. Blood gushed down his back, and more trickled down the front, a clear sign it had gone straight through. Despite the pain he had to be in, he still held onto me tightly, with only a grunt hinting at how much everything hurt. "Damn them! How are they always so damn quick to target the healers?!" And this... this was what Quan had meant. This was why the soldiers had clustered around.

I was the 'Red Rose Healer'. I may despise the title, think it ridiculous, but the fact remained that there were, unfortunately, many who knew me as such. It was a title born from my very recognizable coloring, my Fjalar-red hair and green eyes. Despite the fervor of the battle, I did not carry a weapon, only a staff. It was obvious just who I was, and if they focused on attacking the healers, then I... I was indeed a very easy target. I would even be a 'priority'.

"Damn, that's a lot of blood," Sigurd hissed, still steadying Chulainn. Chulainn silently shrugged him off and stepped back to look at me. "Look, the infirmary is just past the gates. We'll get them open, so rush inside as soon as they do." Chulainn didn't acknowledge him. He continued studying me closely.

I stared back, not quite able to find my calm in this situation, but then I noticed how his eyes flicked over me. This wasn't his usual 'staring through me' studying. He was... he was checking me for injuries. He was checking to see if anything had hit me, despite him using himself as a shield. He was checking... he was checking if he had 'failed'.

"I'm fine," I whispered, forcing myself to smile. I had no idea how 'good' of a smile it was, but it was the best I could manage. "I'm fine. The blood is not mine." He smiled back, relieved, and then... and then he...

"Chulainn!" And then he turned to attack the nearest soldier as if he hadn't just been run through. He fought as if he didn't have blood pouring over his hip and down his leg. He simply killed them with ruthless efficiency and turned to the next without hesitation. Did he somehow not notice the wound? Battle-fever was known to numb, but he'd been fighting long enough to be aware of that danger.

While I tried to make sense of things, someone else wrapped their arms around me. For one terrifying moment, I thought I was being targeted again, protected again, and tried to shove whoever it was off. But the person only tightened their grip on me, and I heard a gentle, soothing hum. It was only then I saw the silver hair. Deirdre was here. Deirdre was hugging me. When did she arrive? How?

"Sorry, thought you saw me," she whispered, stepping back. Now free from her hug, I could see Ayra had also joined us. "Can't believe you… well, no, I can believe you'd rush ahead. I just don't want to. Are you all right?" She and Ayra were both smeared with blood, mud, and strangely, soot. Without thinking, I brought up my staff to check them for injuries. I should've done this for Chulainn. Why had I frozen at such a crucial moment? Father Eirik would've given me so many lectures… "We're fine. Ayra and I make a very good team."

"She blasts the enemies from afar with her light magic, and I swoop in to deal with the survivors," Ayra quipped, twisting to frown at Chulainn. Quan had joined the fight, shouting at him for good measure, but Chulainn acted like he couldn't hear him. "Ugh… damn this chaos. We followed as soon as we realized you headed inside, Alicia, but immediately got turned around. Had to fight our way here and arrived just in time to see Chulainn get hit."

"Screw that, we saw it go through him!" Deirdre hugged me again, this time much more gently. I think she knew I was still in shock. "How is he fighting?! Look at all the blood!"

"Don't know, but I'll see if he can ignore both Quan and me." With those words, Ayra leapt into the fray, snapping something at Chulainn. The only hint he even heard was him rolling his eyes. He could ignore them both very well, it seemed.

"I feel like the gods decided to repay me for all the heart attacks I've given my friends over the years," Sigurd muttered, watching the battle. It didn't escape me that he shifted to stand in front of me, minimizing the chances of someone sighting and targeting me again. "Gods' blood, ignoring the 'how he's fighting', why is he? Wouldn't it be better to get treated?" Yes, why? Why would he be…?

The answer became obvious as soon as I thought about it. Of course he would fight; it was his job. His job was to protect me and, right now, I was in danger. So, he had to fight. He had to fight until the dangers were no longer close enough to threaten me. It didn't matter if he was wounded; he had a job. He would do that job. To him, it was that simple. I knew because I was the same. When I had patients, it didn't matter how tired I was, how many I had already tended. I had to treat them. When you had a job, you did it, no matter the cost to yourself. You did it because others depended on you to do it, and you could not bear to let them down. So, if I wanted him to stop fighting, if I wanted him to step away and be healed, I…

"Sigurd," I began softly, turning towards him. He made a noise to let me know he was listening, but otherwise, kept his attention on the fighting nearby. Chulainn's pant leg was soaked crimson. "Where was the infirmary again?"

"Pardon?" he asked, facing me. He and Deirdre both stared at me like I'd taken a massive head injury. "It is… it's past the gates?"

"Then, might you open them for me?"

"I… yes." He nodded, and the confusion was… no, his confusion wasn't replaced. He was still confused. But it didn't matter, because I had made a request and he would see it through. "Open the gates!" He stepped back and signaled someone on the ramparts. "Open the gates!"

Deirdre clung to me as the giant gates groaned open, but she let go as soon as they were wide enough to slip through. I lingered, though. I lingered and hunted for Chulainn in the fighting. Because he was still fighting, still ignoring Quan's angry snaps and Ayra's exasperation. On the surface, his attention remained solely on the enemies near. Yet I knew…

"Chulainn!" I called, keeping my voice as even as possible. Just as I had guessed, he stopped at my voice, glancing over his shoulder. "I'm heading inside." He smiled slightly as he waved to acknowledge the words before returning to the fight. It would take him a moment to extract himself, after all.

So, I turned away and ran past the gates. I had my own work to do.

The courtyard was filled with injured. Filled. Some had minor injuries which were treated by other soldiers. Others were worse, and it seemed so strange they were being left to try and tend to themselves. Though I wanted to jump right in and assist, doing so when I did not know how everything was set up would be detrimental to the patients, to say nothing of the rudeness. So, instead, I hunted for someone in charge and, surprisingly, it took me a long time. There was no clear center to everyone's movements, no point of order. But I did eventually find a young girl with brown hair haphazardly tied back and tired green eyes tending to one of the badly wounded, and she was the only one here who did not wear armor. So, I took a guess and drifted over to her, waiting until she finished and stood before speaking.

"My pardon..." I used as my greeting. Despite my soft tone, the poor girl still jumped and nearly fell. "Ah, I'm sorry for startling you," I continued, steadying her. She blinked owlishly at me. "Who is in charge here?"

"Er... that would be..." she tried to answer. But she trailed off just as quickly, her eyes haunted. "Oh, blessed gods, it's me. I'm... I'm the one in charge now. I… I shouldn't be, of course. I'm just an apprentice!" She did look rather young; I'd guess she was Lord Oifey's age. "I..."

"Take a breath." I reached up and cupped her face, forcing her to look at me. "Breathe in deep, hold it for a count, and breathe out slowly." She struggled to do as I asked, but managed it on the third attempt. "I apologize for my lack of manners. My name is Alicia."

"Oh, you're... you're the Red Rose healer?" She nearly collapsed from relief. I decided I truly did hate that epithet. "Oh, thank you, Jarl of War, for shifting the tides back to our favor..." I wouldn't go that far. I doubted the gods had anything to do with me, Holy Blood or not. "I... my name is Dimitra. I'm the... I was the apprentice to the town's doctor. When Lady Grahnye ordered everyone to take refuge inside the palace, Master Rafail offered to assist with the wounded. Master Thanasis, the castle's healer, took him up on it, and we've been organizing the wounded until... until... " Her voice cracked, tears filling her eyes. "They're dead. They killed them."

"What happened?"

"Those damned Heirhein bastards... they baited them out. One of ours was so wounded it was difficult for him to get through the gates. So, Master Thanasis went out to help him inside. It wasn't… it wasn't advised, but Master Thanasis was a skilled swordsman in his own right, so they let him. He'd done it many times before, and we were stupid. We were complacent. They waited until we let our guard down, waited until Lord Sigurd and Lord Quan were too busy afar to help. That's… that's when the sniper struck. The arrow hit him; it was straight through the throat." That was… that would've been a slow, even agonizing, death. "There was a big commotion, screams and everything. It freaked out our patients, so Master Rafail stepped out to investigate. We didn't know what had happened; we thought the enemy had gotten near. But he stepped out and… and the sniper had a second arrow." So, they lost two healers back to back. No wonder Quan had been so angry at me. "That was a few days ago. I've… I've been following the framework they left for triage, but some of these injuries, I…"

"Tell me the framework, and I will take over the worst wounded." Now, more than ever, I had to be calm. "We'll save them. That's our job."

"...Yes!" Oh, she had a pretty smile. "All right, so triage is arranged like this..."

She rapidly explained everything, showing a very clear understanding despite feeling overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. I couldn't help but marvel at the set up because it was simply brilliant, and it made far more sense than what I had used and read in the past. Oh, how I wished I could've conferred with Thanasis and Rafail myself to learn more. Maybe Dimitra would let me read through their notes when things were settled.

---

There were a great many wounded. I'd already known that, but working on them made the number even more obvious. Dimitra was skilled, incredibly so given her age and how long she'd been learning, but there were things she simply did not know and could only do her best. And, unfortunately, sometimes 'your best' wasn't the best thing for a patient. Thankfully, nothing was detrimental. A few of the soldiers would have longer recoveries than anticipated, but it was fine. We'd make it work. Those who could heal, would. Those who could not heal would die without pain. I quietly counted each one, and held the number in my heart as we treated each and every one.

Eventually, though, I hit a lull and could finally tend to Chulainn's injury. I'd given him a quick treatment when he finally followed me in, of course, but since he wasn't as close to death as other patients, further care had to wait. Though, Deirdre seemed rather intent on 'fixing' the 'not close to death' part, given the blistering lecture she was trying to give him.

"I cannot believe you!" she snapped, glaring down at him. He was seated on a bench in the courtyard while I treated his injuries. The javelin hit was the worst, but he had picked up others while fighting. "Who goes fighting with a hole through their chest?!"

"It was my lower back," Chulainn corrected calmly, his posture perfect so I could tend to him easily. He was wearing different pants from before; Deirdre had brought him a change of clothes before tearing into him. "So, it was through my abdomen, not my chest."

"Not. The. Point." With the way she was glaring, I thought it a mercy she was not flinging spells at Chulainn. "You were run through! You have a hole through you!" Yes, and it was certainly interesting to treat. I was packing it for now.

"Not the worst injury I've fought with."

"Then you should've been yelled at back then too!" Though the words were by no means amusing, Chulainn ducked his head to hide his slight smile. "You're an idiot! I was right there! I had him sighted before you charged in!"

"But I could get him, and it's my job-"

"Your job isn't to make Alicia's harder!" She reached out and squished his face between her palms. If I weren't working, I might have laughed. "Look, I'm grateful you're so devoted to protecting my very best friend, but I swear to all that is holy and not, if you make her cry, I will never, ever forgive you." Chulainn, meanwhile, stared back with the most befuddled look I'd ever seen on his face. "The rest of us could've gotten him. You are not alone. Please do not fight like you are. You scared the hell out of me."

"...Duly noted."

"Good." She let go of his face and turned to me. "Now, is there anything I can do to help, Alicia?"

"No, the injury isn't difficult to treat," I reassured, finishing up. I would need to keep a close eye on it, but for now, I was done. "Oh, but can you forgive me for rushing ahead?"

"Hmm..." Deirdre scowled at the reminder and made a show of thinking. When I stood up to fetch bandages, she slid over to hug me from behind. "Maybe," she finally answered. "Why did you?"

"I saw someone wounded?"

"I figured." She sighed gustily and rested her chin on my shoulder. "Well, then I must forgive you. You wouldn't be 'Alicia' if you didn't do something like that, and I adore you." She tightened her hug for a second before stepping back. "Anything I can fetch?"

"I was going to get more bandages, since his other injuries used more than I originally grabbed, but if you're willing…"

"On it!" With that, she rushed off, a spring to her step.

Chulainn watched her leave before looking up at me. "Haven't you used enough already?" he asked me, serious as always. "You really don't need to waste-"

"I believe I have told you this before, but if it is used for you, then it is not a waste," I interrupted, shaking my head. I then crouched down to double-check my work. "I can replace medicines and bandages. I can't replace you. That's why she's so mad, you know."

"You could get another guard."

"But I don't want another one. I want you." Why would I want anyone else? "But goodness, I don't think I've ever heard her yell so much at a person."

"It's less than what Quan and Ayra were screaming."

"So, you did hear them."

"Of course. I think even the dead could've heard them. I just ignored them."

"We might avoid telling them that." I almost laughed, but the reminder of just how he was injured made my cheer falter. "I... I should apologize."

"Why? It's my job to guard you." Yes, but... "And I wanted to protect you. Besides..." He smiled very faintly. "I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. You have less self-preservation than a kitten."

"I have just as much as Sigurd."

"And he has none." He didn't even pause before retorting and I couldn't help but chuckle. "There we are. That's better."

"Hmm?"

"I like it when you smile." He hesitated a moment before reaching out and brushing my hair out of my face. "It's disconcerting when I can't see it."

"Oh?" I had… no idea how to reply. But even if I didn't, there was one thing I still needed to say, so I gave him my best smile and he stared in response. "I almost forgot. Thank you for saving me, Chulainn."

"...Always." He looked away, a quiet show of embarrassment, and let his hand fall to his lap. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"How about resting and not making me give you a second check-up?"

"That…" He frowned slightly at me. "Is there anything else?"

"No, that would be most helpful right now." I continued smiling; he eventually sighed. "You can ask the guards if you can help keep watch, but you're not allowed to do anything but observe." I glanced up and saw Deirdre returning with an armful of bandages. "Arms up, mister. I need to bandage this, and then I'll help you with your shirt."

"I can-"

"No, please, let me help. I'd rather you not reopen something."

"...Fine."

For all his reluctance, Chulainn didn't actually fight me as I tied off his bandages and helped him get his shirt on. Deirdre watched with a giggle, for some reason. She refused to say why, but smiled sweetly. She kept the sweet smile even after I finished and the three of us headed for the gates. Of course, there was a small argument with the guards on the ramparts when they saw I was there. They didn't want to open it for a healer; they had lost two already and could not suffer a third. Only when I agreed to remain behind the gates did they open them just enough for Deirdre to slip out. Even then, they were in a hurry to close them; they nearly shut them right on Ayra and Quan when they tried to come in!

"Wow, they're a panicky bunch," Ayra mused, stopping near Chulainn and me. Quan climbed the stairs to chat with the guards about something. "Anyway..." She focused her attention on Chulainn, expression hard and exasperated. "You better not be trying to fight. You're wounded."

"It's really not that bad of an injury," Chulainn tried to dismiss. I tapped his arm and frowned at him, though, and he looked away. "But no, I'm just here to offer my eyes. I can still keep watch, even if a certain someone has forbidden me from fighting."

"And here I thought I'd have to invoke Shannan." It was strangely hilarious how effective of a threat that was against most of us. "Good to know Alicia's frown is just as effective of a threat."

"Who in their right mind wants a healer mad at them?"

"Since when are you in your 'right mind'?"

"I am perfectly sane."

"I beg to differ, since a sane person wouldn't fight with a hole through them."

"Deirdre's already yelled at me about this."

"Well, you're getting another lecture!"

I watched with some fascination as the two started squabbling. Well, perhaps that wasn't the right word, since Chulainn remained perfectly calm and logical while Ayra snapped, and this certainly wasn't about something 'trivial'. But it was the only word I had to convey how… I could almost see them doing this as children, even though I highly doubted they ever met before Chulainn joined us. It was just something about the air around them both, similar to when Sigurd and Lady Edain bantered. Part of me wanted to study them more and see if I could better parse my thoughts, but I noticed Quan descend down the staircase, his conversation with the guards done, and there was something I absolutely needed to say to him. So, that took priority and I headed for the stairs to meet him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as soon as I was close. Perhaps 'blurted' might have been a better descriptor, since he still had one foot on the step. "I... what happened earlier, I'm sorry. I knew it was reckless, but I underestimated just how reckless it was." Now, would I have done the same thing if I knew? I could admit I probably would've. But at least I would've better understood why he was angry.

"Why are you always so much quicker to say the things I need to say?" Quan 'complained', shaking his head. I could only tilt my head, confused. "I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have snapped as quickly as I did."

"From what I've heard, I'm surprised you didn't yell at me immediately."

"Well, it did take me a few seconds to realize what you did." That was fair. In retrospect, everything about what I did was the height of stupidity. Ignorance was not bliss in the slightest. "But I should've known you didn't fully know the dangers. Why would you? You're rarely near battle, and we take steps to ensure that. After all, you're our strongest healer, so you focus on the worst of the wounded, those who must leave the field to have a chance of surviving. If a battle reaches you, then a lot has to go wrong first." Yes, the sudden attack in Genoa proved that all too clearly. "The bards can sing of the glories and honors of war all they want, but at the end of the day, neither exists. They're lies made for peace. War is nothing but trying to kill as many people on the other side as possible. Healers interfere with that. It's their job to interfere."

"And those who use magic, like me, are high-priority targets, aren't they?"

"Yes, because unlike those who only use medicines, you can heal wounds quickly enough for soldiers to return to battle. Rare is the soldier who will not change their tactics to immediately kill a healer." He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "But, in your case, that's only part of the problem. The other part is you're very recognizable."

"Because I am, unfortunately, the 'Red Rose'."

"And thanks to the Verdanite Campaign, everyone knows you're skilled. So, if our enemy has even a modicum of intelligence, they'll ignore even other healers to ensure you're dead or incapacitated." He grimaced and looked away. "All of this… I should've made sure you knew before we left. It might not have changed anything, since you're as reckless as Sigurd, but you would've had a better idea of the danger you were in." I could've at least made sure I had more than Chulainn protecting me. If I did, would he have been hurt? "I suppose I was too arrogant, thinking we could solve this before you all arrived."

"Perhaps we should split the guilt, then?" It felt like the best way to 'resolve' this, that and move things along. "Ah, but while I have you, where are the others? I've neither seen nor heard them."

"Hmm? Well, Lachesis is in the tower up there." He pointed to the tallest spire of the castle, and waved to someone in the window. I thought I saw blue hair. "She's watching the whole battle from above, alongside Oifey and Finn. They're additional eyes, and messengers." Then I supposed it was Finn currently in the window, then. "This left Grahnye free to coordinate the soldiers until we arrived. Did a damn good job too, despite what she claims."

"Did she?" I tried to think of what King Jamke had said earlier. "King Jamke said the gate didn't look forced."

"Yes, she used a combination of a few different Leonster tactics, already a brilliant move since Heirhein's soldiers would've expected and prepared for Agustrian. She had them hold the gates just long enough to finish evacuations and then allowed Heirhein to 'breach' them, so they charged into the traps set with unbridled confidence. By the time they realized what had happened, they had already lost a good portion of their men, and then she had them run themselves ragged through the streets."

"Then I am guessing everyone else is assisting in these endeavors?"

"More or less. Some are luring soldiers into open spaces for Azelle to bombard with his spells." This would explain the fires we saw when we arrived. "Lex is doing something similar, but he's acting as the 'wall' while others snipe. Meanwhile, Naoise, Alec, and Midir slip along the edges to herd any escapees back into the traps. It's a good set-up for our minimal numbers."

"I shall take your word for it."

"You're probably thinking of all the injured and dead on both sides." He smiled ruefully and patted my shoulder. I refused to actually answer. "Ethlyn, meanwhile, is riding through the city to heal and lend assistance where she is able. You'll see her before long; she prioritizes areas Lachesis recommends and returns frequently to check in."

"I see." It would be nice to see her. I could use her cheer right now. "I was working for a while. Have Lady Edain, Dew, or King Jamke made it here yet?"

"Dew did, a short while ago." I did not much like hearing he came on his own, but I recognized he had no doubt been smarter about it than me. "He'll serve as our primary contact with Jamke while we get them set up along the walls. Once there, we'll shift our strategy."

"Shift?"

"Yes, I was just informing the guards of it." He sighed, glancing at the gates. "The set up is brilliant for the limited number of forces Grahnye had, but it has a few critical weaknesses. Namely, it focuses everything in front, and if your enemy slips around, they will find little resistance." Was this why they had soldiers patrolling and herding? "Once Jamke and his soldiers are in place, they can cover the sides and we can shift our strategy to something with fewer holes to exploit. That's one of the advantages of numbers."

"I take it Lady Edain remains with them, then?"

"For now. She'll treat the injured on her end until we've fully switched. That'll free up Midir long enough to escort her here." He hesitated and looked at the courtyard, and all the wounded scattered about. "...Doesn't look as bad as I feared, but…"

"Their triage is excellent, but the wounded are numerous. These soldiers also appear to be the stubborn sort who fight even when wounded, so they worsen things further."

"So, like Chulainn except without his surprisingly high durability." He became thoughtful then. "No wonder they call him Death's Hound. If someone with Holy Blood did that, it would simply be 'expected'. But, when someone without does it, they're dubbed a prodigy. Jamke's similar, truthfully. He's long had whispers of being 'blessed by spirits'." I would take his word for it as I honestly could not care less. "Causes you problems too."

"What do you mean?" I frowned then. "I imagine any gossip of my 'miraculous skill' went away after my Mark was revealed."

"Are you kidding? They amplified." Ah. Well, let it never be said I understood gossip. "Plus, Fjalar's blood is usually associated with fire, flames, and destruction. Using it for healing, and healing alone, has them chittering."

"Gossip is a headache." I let myself sigh, and he smiled sympathetically. "Speaking of healing, however, I'd best return and help Dimitra. She's quite skilled, but still learning, and her task was made all the harder by recent losses."

"Terribly hard. She was close to Master Rafail. From what I heard, he was like a father to her, in addition to being her mentor. Yet if she faltered, the wounded would've had no one. I'm rather impressed with her, truthfully."

"I am as well. But now that I'm here, I will see she takes care of herself as well."

"We sure you're the one to teach someone that?"

"Quan, I could always inform Ethlyn about-"

"Never mind. I rescind the comment." I thought so. "Ah, what a mess. I want to tear Ellidiot to shreds for doing this to Eldigan's home. But I've my duties, and you have yours, and we'd best get back to both. But before I forget…" He pointed to the dagger on my belt. "Dare I hope you learned self-defense?"

"No." I probably could've been a little less blunt, but… "Prince Kurth sent me some daggers, and Dew suggested wearing one in case we're ambushed with arrows while I didn't have my medicine bag." I hesitated before adding. "The belt and pouch are gifts from Lady Edain. She apparently wore it while training as a knight."

"I see." He frowned, and I had no doubts he wanted to bring up the self-defense again. But then he glanced at the wounded and shook his head. Now was not the time. "Is Chulainn up for a battle or…?"

"No. While I tended to his injuries, I will not be able to fully heal him until after the battle. As such, I would prefer he does not fight."

"So, observation and helping guard the gates. Understood." He smiled. "We'll speak later, Alicia."

"Please stay safe."

He turned away, going to talk to Ayra and Chulainn about something. I watched them for a breath, just enough to center myself, and returned to the wounded. As soon as I got close, Dimitra rushed over to ask me about a patient's wound, knowing there was something wrong but unable to put her finger on it. We managed to figure it out quickly, an arrowhead had been lodged deep, and from there, our work continued. The battle still raged, after all, and whatever lull we had disappeared in a blink.

Did anyone count the dead before I arrived? I would have to find out later.

---

I had to say; these soldiers may be stubborn, but they were very polite. None of them tried to fight me, and they thanked me profusely at every step. They asked questions about what they were or were not allowed, listened when I told them to stop something, and the lesser wounded were ever eager to assist me however they could. They were also surprisingly cheerful, freely sharing stories and songs to ease the minds of their fellows. I wondered if it was how they pushed back their dread and grief, since I noticed many look at the dead neatly lined up along the sides. I counted them all already, and knew many were terribly, terribly young. Most of those I treated were terribly, terribly young. It was almost a relief when I treated Sigurd's forces; they were at least of age.

"While I am very grateful you did not pull the arrows out, I fear I must ask why you ended up with ten lodged in your person," I murmured, cutting the last arrow out of Lex as he sat on one of the benches for me. King Jamke had dragged him past the gates a few minutes ago, with Lex complaining about how King Jamke was worrying too much. "Could you not have dodged?"

"Ignoring how I'm not dodgy anyway, my job was to stay still and let them break their weapons against me," Lex pointed out, doing his best to not flinch every time I leaned close. I doubted it helped I had my dagger in hand, but there was no way to remove these without cutting them. We were lucky Nal's blessing meant the arrows did not lodge as deep as they would in others; none were anywhere near bone. "Dodging is detrimental to that. And, you know, limited room." I supposed this made some sense, but still…

"And how long exactly were you fighting with ten arrows in you?"

"The promise was to not pull them out, not avoid fighting with them in me."

"That does not answer my question."

"After the tenth, I dragged him here," King Jamke sighed, giving somewhat of an answer himself. He seemed very unamused, for some reason. "Because he seemed intent on fighting even when he was hit with said tenth."

"What were you doing near anyway, Jamke," Lex asked, holding his arms out so I could bandage him more easily. I was glad to see he did not flinch when I did this. "Weren't you getting yours on the walls?"

"And I was confirming everyone was in position before heading here to meet and confer with Quan and Sigurd directly, since Dew is serving as Edain's personal messenger now." Lady Edain remained on the walls with King Jamke's soldiers for now. "We need to ensure we've no blind spots and free the herders for other duties. Then it should be safe for Edain to make her way here." His tone became very dry suddenly and he focused on me. "Unlike a certain someone. I still cannot believe you rushed into the battle, Lady Alicia." Yes, yes, I was aware of the stupidity, thank you. I did not need to hear it from him of all people.

"I can." Lex's easy answer was both surprising and disconcerting. "She's of House Velthomer. Every single one of them is incapable of half-assing anything. Just as fire either burns or doesn't, they either give everything they have or nothing, and they're prone to obsessions, like how fire consumes all within. Arvis has a fixation with burning out corruption, Azelle devours research and magical theory like a starving man gobbles food, and Alicia is utterly devoted to her healing."

"But to run onto a battlefield?"

"Of course. That's where the wounded were. Common sense does not stop fire."

"Lex, there are many stories I've heard over the years of how Nal's stubbornness caused you all sorts of trouble," I began very sweetly, wanting to switch the conversation from this. Lex's eyes widened at my words. "Shall I share them?"

"Alicia, have I mentioned lately you are my favorite sister?" Lex replied, his smile not hiding his nervousness in the slightest. I muffled a laugh and returned to treating his injuries. While it was probably just him trying to wriggle out of trouble, I certainly didn't mind him calling me 'sister'. "Just what has Azelle told anyway?"

"There was the story about the river-"

"Oh, please, not that one. Ever. In fact, forget it entirely."

"I shall consider your request."

"I'm doomed."

"Perhaps I may distract?" King Jamke asked dryly, raising a brow. Lex grinned, unrepentant, and I finished bandaging him up. "Nal's stubbornness?"

"Those of Nal's blood are as enduring and stubborn as stone," Lex explained, laughing softly now that the immediate threat had passed. I shook my head and smoothed my hand over his bandages to ensure nothing was twisted underneath. "It's a nice way of saying we're a bunch of hardheaded fools. There's generalizations for all the Holy Bloods and some are more accurate than others. I can share some with you later, if you'd like."

"Is this stubbornness why you kept fighting with ten arrows in you?"

"Hey, I promised Alicia I wouldn't pull them out. Annoying things, arrows. Either they stick in awkwardly or they bounce off." Lex rolled his eyes, and King Jamke was back to staring. "Oh, wait, you're more thinking… Nal blood means physical weapons are less effective in general, Jamke, and I've a high pain tolerance besides. Not really stubbornness, but it's a good demonstration of why those of Nal blood are compared to stones. Either you have to chip away at us piece by piece, or land one massive blow and hope it kills us."

"You're insane. All of you."

"Yep, insane monsters. That's us." A commotion caught all of our attention, and we looked to see a sudden rush of activity and noise at the gates. "Well, something happened." Without thinking, my gaze went up to the ramparts to find Chulainn. He waved to catch my attention and pointed to a free bench nearby; someone must be badly wounded. "Alicia, you need me to help you move things?" I nodded and he pushed himself up. "Then let's go."

It was a good thing we moved when we did. We'd barely gotten everything situated on the empty bench before Azelle came running in, carrying a wounded Ethlyn on his back. No wonder everyone had been screaming; she had three arrows clustered by her shoulder blade.

"She had been leaning over her horse to pat its neck, and had just sat up when they hit," Azelle explained, setting Ethlyn down on the bench. She managed a pained smile for me, but I could see the blood on her lip. She'd bit it to keep from screaming. "Would've gotten her head or neck if she hadn't moved."

"W-well, Baldr's blessing does include luck," Ethlyn tried to joke, her voice a breathy hiss. I cut the back of her shirt to reach the arrows, and breathed a sigh of relief when I sensed none of them had lodged in bone. "I retaliated with my Light Brand, and I think Azelle followed up?"

"I used the scream to aim, and someone's charred body came tumbling down." Azelle shrugged it off. It felt so strange to hear my sweet and shy brother speak so dismissively of death, but he had fought many times already. "Regardless, the soldiers near formed a wall and I rode with Ethlyn back here to help her. They're still determining my new role now that we've switched strategies."

"So glad you're good at riding, Azelle. Not sure I would've stayed on the horse for long." She looked over her shoulder at me, doing her best to smile once more. "How bad is it?"

"The placement means I should be able to cut them out easily, but they will need to be cut," I murmured, already grabbing what I needed. Dew was right; keeping this dagger on my belt was much more convenient. "Lex? King Jamke?" I briefly turned my attention to them. "I need you two to keep Quan away. I do not need him hovering and fussing right now. And yes, before you ask, I do think it will require both of you."

"Sounds like as good of a time as any to discuss role shifts anyway," Lex commented, snagging King Jamke by the arm. King Jamke looked skeptical, but seeing how no one protested, he went along with it. "Azelle, I'll get yours while I'm at it."

"You want to put a shirt on first?" Azelle asked dryly, pointing to Lex's chest for emphasis. "I'm sure many would appreciate the view, but..."

"Aw, Azelle, I'm flattered!" He smirked and Azelle rolled his eyes. "But nah, give it to Ethlyn."

"Lex, it'll swamp her."

"But it's more cover than what she'll have in a moment." This was true, and I was not certain Ethlyn was as comfortable going shirtless as Lex. "I can take it back once she's found one her size, but it'll be one less worry for now."

"Fair." Azelle glanced at the gates. For some reason, there was even more of a commotion. "I think Quan is already trying to make his way in."

"Then we'd better get moving on the distractions, King Jamke." Lex tugged King Jamke after him. "See you in a bit. Azelle, my spare shirt is with my things. Horse was led to the side stable for a check."

"Got it." Azelle waved them off and turned to me. "Do you need me here or...?"

"Can you fetch me additional bandages while you're at it?" I requested, smiling faintly. He smiled back, nodded, and took off running. "Ethlyn, honest answer, how are you feeling?"

"It's less painful than childbirth," Ethlyn immediately joked, even managing a breathy laugh. She still winced when I rubbed the area around the arrows with numbing balm. I still had some, thankfully. Those extra preparations had been well worth it. "I think I'll stick to helping here, though."

"Yes, that will be best, if only for your own injuries." I glanced up and saw Azelle already returning, bandages and shirt in hand. Goodness, how fast had he run? Did the veterinarian set up closer than I thought? "All right, Azelle is here, so I'm going to cut these out. You'll be fine, Ethlyn."

"Oh, I know. You're here." Her smile was sweet. "Think Azelle will let me hold his hand while you work?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll definitely be fine. Let's get this over with so Lex and King Jamke don't have to distract my fussy husband too long."

Azelle gladly let Ethlyn hold his hand and squeeze it while I worked. He ended up with a bruise, given Ethlyn's Baldr strength, but he suffered it with a smile, and helped Ethlyn get Lex's shirt on as soon as I tended to his hand. It was almost comical how oversized it was on her, but she laughed it off with ease, flapping the loose sleeves about like demented wings as she went to reassure Quan of her well-being. I was just glad her wound was easily treated. The next twenty weren't.

---

We did end up having to find Ethlyn a shirt that fit sooner rather than later, if only so she didn't drag the sleeves through people's wounds. But it was easily taken care of, thanks to Dimitra being about the same size, and we fell into an easy workflow where I would handle the worst, Ethlyn would tend to the 'moderately wounded', and Dimitra handled both initial triage and quick fixes. I worried for Ethlyn since she was technically one of the wounded, but she insisted on doing her part with a bright smile and fierce gleam in her eyes. I made her promise to get periodic checkups before relenting. Unfortunately, we needed her skills more than she needed rest.

"Ah, I had heard you were here, Lady Alicia." As I finished with my latest patient, a young boy who looked barely older than Dew, Lady Grahnye joined us in the courtyard. The boy immediately stood and bowed to her. "At ease, soldier," she whispered, with a gentle smile. "Is all well?"

"Lady Alicia says I'm out of the battle, but I should regain full movement in my arm," the boy answered, sounding both put-out and relieved. Either way, it was an answer which severely downplayed his injury: a shattered arm, shoulder, collarbone, and shoulder blade, to say nothing of the bruises and internal damage. "I'm going to see what tasks I can still do."

"I don't suppose you can do me the favor of watering the flowers?" She muffled a laugh when the boy tilted his head. "I know it sounds like a silly thing, but Eldigan is fond of them." The boy immediately perked up at that. "Yet none of us have had a chance to water them since this started. I worry they'll wilt before he returns."

"Oh, I can do that, then. I think?" The boy looked at me in question. "Is that all right, Lady Alicia?"

"I would ask you to recruit a helper, in case the watering can proves too heavy," I suggested, reaching over to adjust their sling. I did not want to risk the knot untying. "Do not lift anything over your head, and return to me if you feel any sharp pains." The boy nodded, bowed to us both, and rushed off to grab one of the lesser wounded, a girl not much older with half of her face covered in bandages. As they ran off, I turned my attention to Lady Grahnye, seeing the questions in her eyes. "A horse stomped on his back. Thankfully, he was able to twist so it only hit his right side. The girl was thrown through a glass window, face first."

"I see," she whispered, watching the two. Once they gathered the necessary tools for their tasks, she turned back to me. "I know what Kyros said, but is it true? What of Tabitha?"

"I am not one to lie to my patients, Lady Grahnye. Barring unexpected complications, both should make full recoveries. Kyros's will be longer because he'll need physical therapy, but the worst Tabitha should suffer is scars. She was brought to me quickly enough for me to save her eye."

"Oh, what a relief…" She rested a hand on her chest, relaxing slightly. I still saw the stiffness if her shoulders, and the tiredness in her smile. "And hopefully, the task will trick them into feeling helpful. There's little the people of Nordion won't do for Eldigan."

"I do not think you should sell yourself short." She had, after all, been the one leading them. Many of my patients had spoken of their admiration for her. "But I am not one to debate such things. Your initial greeting implied you were looking for me. Do you need a check-up?"

"Not at the moment." She glanced around the courtyard and stepped a little closer so she could talk more quietly. "I will admit to being tired, and there has been some tightness to my chest. Unfortunately, however, I cannot afford to be anything but 'fine' right now." Her smile became a little bitter. "In my husband's absence, I rule, and our people need me to appear strong."

"We could dismiss it as me being a worrywart. I can give check-ups to others to help cover."

"I will take you up on the offer later, but there is someone else I need you to check first." She managed a soft, tired laugh. "However, right now, I must speak with Sigurd and Quan. Might you accompany me?"

"I should warn; they will not let me past the gates."

"They won't let me either, so it's fine."

"Then, of course. Let me inform Dimitra."

We found Dimitra easily enough, stationed near the gates as she was, and Lady Grahnye took the time to check on her and even give her a little hug. While she did, I informed the guards we needed to speak with Sigurd and Quan, and hung back as they relayed the message. It still took several moments until the gates cracked open enough for a sweaty and bloody Sigurd and Quan could slip inside.

"Sigurd, how is your wife more powerful than you?" Quan joked once they were past the gates. Said gates shut quickly behind them, nearly catching their capes. "And damn if the gatekeepers are not efficient."

"My wife is perfect, obviously," Sigurd boasted, smiling with all the sincerity in the world. Quan rolled his eyes while Lady Grahnye actually laughed. I kept my calm and tried to ignore the screams ringing in my ears. I had barely seen a sliver of the battle through the gates, yet that sliver sickened me and the gates did nothing to deafen the cacophony. But I could not let it show, could not be anything but serene. Others found it comforting. "And she does pay for the power. Her spells take some time to cast and put a heavy strain on her; that's why she paired up with Ayra."

"Makes some sense, but still. Even Azelle was commenting on it. Said Arvis was the only one he'd seen stronger, and not only is Arvis the Fjalar Major, but he's said to be the strongest Fjalar Major since Fjalar herself."

"Again, my wife is amazing. I need no further explanation." He might have continued, just to keep the joke going, but then he caught my eye and frowned worriedly. He only grew more worried when I smiled. "Neither here nor there. Grahnye, how are you doing?" Ah, he noticed how poorly I felt anyway. Drat.

"I am... as good as I can be," Lady Grahnye answered, hesitating only slightly. Quan immediately shifted to stand at her side. "I don't need a crutch, though I thank you for it. I am merely a little tired."

"And if you're actually admitting to it, you have to be exhausted." Sigurd softened and Lady Grahnye bit back a laugh. "How are the civilians?"

"Terrified, but calm. They fear for everyone outside the walls, but believe themselves safe. There's no fear of riots or rebellions, and we still have enough food within. It is rationed, but less out of a need and more to better keep track."

"And water is still fine?"

"Of course." She raised a brow then. "Now, since you're drawing this out, I am guessing you two do not have good news to give to me."

"Er..."

"That will depend, heavily, on what Jamke says," Quan admitted, shaking his head before focusing on Sigurd. "I thought we agreed I'd be the one to talk."

"That wouldn't work, since I know to ask him, not you," Lady Grahnye immediately retorted, rolling her eyes even. Quan pretended to be hurt at the words. Meanwhile, Sigurd drifted close to me and gently touched my hand, quietly asking how I was. I put all my effort into smiling back, and he seemed satisfied by the response. "So, how long do we have to wait?"

"Not long. Given how long it took to extract ourselves from the battle, I'd even say..." He trailed off, looking to the ramparts. As soon as he caught sight of something, he waved. "Jamke, we're on this side!"

"Yeah, Chulainn just told me," King Jamke replied, coming down the stairs. I looked up and felt myself relax when I saw Chulainn keeping an eye on us. "Hello again, Duchess Grahnye. I wish these were better circumstances."

"You and I both, King Jamke," Lady Grahnye replied, switching back to calm elegance. She even clasped her hands in front of her. "Now, I hear the potential bad news is the result of your report?"

"Could be good or bad, depending." My, everyone was certainly being vague about this. "Quan, I finished checking with all of mine, and conferred with Midir to be certain. There's no signs of... right, meant to ask when you first gave the request, but his name isn't actually Ellidiot, is it?"

"I refuse to give that man any respect, so it's the only thing I'll ever call him," Quan replied, words quick and harsh. King Jamke actually took a step back at the vehemence. "Still wish I'd killed him sooner."

"Right, duly noted," King Jamke noted very dryly. He pointedly turned his focus to Lady Grahnye and Sigurd. "Anyway, there's no sign of him."

"I knew I hadn't heard his annoying voice for a while," Sigurd sighed, reaching up to brush the hair out of his face. I caught his hand as he raised it, noticing a gash under his sleeve. "It's fine, Alicia. Nothing to worry about." I promptly ignored him and pushed his sleeve higher so I could do my own examination. "Right, telling you not to worry is like telling a fish to not swim."

"Didn't you claim to be fine with seven arrows in your back? Could've sworn Khasar told me that."

"That was… well…"

"I should tell you the story of the damn flood so you really know to never believe him when he says that," Quan noted lightly. Sigurd could only groan. "But no sign of Ellidiot, huh? Damn. My hope is that he either ran or is among the dead. Yet I can't deny my fear that he managed to take advantage of that small window of opportunity while we switched strategies." It took me a second to remember what he was referring to, and then another to understand what he meant. That 'small window' meant there was a chance he was inside the walls. "He's always had the most uncanny luck at the worst moments."

"So, he of all people..." Lady Grahnye murmured, pressing her hand to her mouth in thought. After a moment, she turned to face me. "Lady Alicia? Might I ask you for that favor I mentioned earlier?"

"You may," I replied, pulling Sigurd's sleeve down. It was a clean cut, already scabbing. I could tend to it later. "You said there was someone you needed me to check on."

"Yes, Lachesis." She tried her best to hold onto her calm, but her worry slipped through anyway. "She needs rest. She's been working feverishly for days, ever since we heard of Eldigan's imprisonment, but she refuses to even sit down, much less take a break." That wasn't good. She may have Minor Holy Blood, but she still had her limits. Without proper planning, she'd hit them, hard, and I doubted she took the necessary precautions. "I've tried to convince her, but she pretends to obey and goes right back to work the second my back is turned. And I have too much to do to watch her."

"I see." I glanced at Sigurd and Quan to get their reactions, and I saw their own worry. Lady Grahnye may be making the request, but they had been contemplating it too. "Do you think she will listen to me? I'm not certain I will have time to watch her unless there is another lull."

"Yes, I think so. It's easy to argue against a sister-in-law, but hard to argue with a healer. Thanasis could convince her to eat when I couldn't." Ah, but he was dead, and Dimitra was too exhausted. I, however, was a healer of some experience. "You also taught her and if there's one thing Lachesis does, it's listen to her teachers."

"Hmm..." I looked about the courtyard, gauging how the wounded were. "How close is Lady Edain to us?"

"Not far, and Midir was escorting her when I left," King Jamke answered, glancing at the gates. "I imagine they'll be here within the next five minutes. Less if they don't flirt." He paused just long enough for Quan, Sigurd, and Lady Grahnye to snicker. "So, I'm supposed to pretend not to notice, right? That's what the rest of you seem to do."

"You could give reports as Shannan did, but beware Lady Edain's suspicions since she knows about them now," I replied, keeping my tone light and my expression calm. It was easier when I focused on our surroundings. "Regardless, if she will be here soon, then it should be safe for me to tend to Lady Lachesis, even if another wave arrives. She can easily take over for the worst wounded, so Ethlyn can continue focusing on the moderately hurt." At everyone's nods, I looked back to the ramparts and smiled at Chulainn. Though he no doubt had been paying attention to the entire conversation, I called out anyway. "Chulainn, I'm heading to the tower." He waved to acknowledge the words and... and instead of taking the stairs like a normal person, he just climbed down the wall itself. "What did I say about making your wound worse?"

"Don't do it, and I didn't," Chulainn answered without the slightest hint of shame. Meanwhile, Sigurd, Quan, and Lady Grahnye were looking up and down the wall like they had no idea how he managed the feat. King Jamke actually went over to knock on the stone. "Checking on the boys?"

"It is Lady Lachesis I must check on, but I will be glad to see them as well." If Lady Lachesis had not taken breaks, then I was certain neither Finn nor Lord Oifey had. "Lady Grahnye, what is the best way to the tower?"

The question startled Lady Grahnye out of her confusion long enough for her to answer my question, though I had no doubts she would ask Chulainn later how he managed to climb down the wall so easily. For now, though, the two of us left the courtyard, with me bringing a staff just in case. Thanks to the directions, it didn't take us long at all to find the tower, but there was a slight problem with it. As one could expect, it had stairs. It had a lot of stairs. It had a lot of very winding stairs. I did not like them.

"Why must it wind?" I asked at some point, feeling dizzy. Round and round we went, and it barely felt like we had made any progress despite what my eyes told me when I looked down. I hated exercise. I could work for hours on end in my infirmary, but a staircase was enough to make my body hurt. "Why?"

"This is more defensible," Chulainn 'helpfully' pointed out. Still, he took my arm and helped steady me. For the first time in my life, I was tempted to ask someone to carry me. "An attacker has to round each turn to try and attack, and the walls make it harder to draw your sword. A defender, meanwhile, just has to knock them off-balance and let gravity handle the rest."

"I suppose a straight staircase wouldn't fit either."

"Not unless it was a ladder, which is more easily broken than stone stairs." He suddenly frowned and pulled me close while he studied the wall. "There's a scratch." He ran his fingers over it, pulling them back to look at the dust clinging to them. "Fairly recent."

"Please tell me this doesn't mean there's potential attackers in front of us." I couldn't help but sigh when Chulainn did not answer. This... this would happen. Of course, this would happen to me. "Ayra is never going to let this go. Never."

"To be fair, there was the suspicion someone might have sneaked in."

"She's still never going to let it go." What to do? The smart thing might be to leave, but I couldn't. The boys and Lady Lachesis could be hurt. "Shall we continue?"

Chulainn insisted on taking the lead, and I followed close behind as we resumed our climb, wind by wind. I took to counting the number, and at 'five', Chulainn stopped and pulled me close again. There, just around the sixth turn, were two soldiers. Worse, the soldiers were not wearing Nordion's colors; they wore Heirhein's.

"They haven't noticed us, and clearly do not expect an attack from behind," Chulainn whispered, watching them closely. I frowned worriedly and gripped my staff tightly. "Could be some higher, but if so, it's probably only one or two. Larger group would've made more noise." Yes, but... "But you want to get to the boys and Lachesis as soon as possible, don't you?"

"Should I apologize?" I whispered back, trying to joke. I was sure it fell flat. "With luck, it's only these two."

"Since when are either of us lucky?" This was more than fair, at least where I was concerned. "I'll distract them."

"Follow as soon as you can. You're still injured, after all."

"I can-" He made the mistake of looking down, and I made sure to frown at him. It worked before, so perhaps… "All right, all right."

"Good." My free hand ghosted over his bandages. I could only hope they and the stitches would hold. "I'll… we'll be waiting."

Chulainn awkwardly patted my back in reassurance before letting go and sneaking a little closer. He was perfectly still for half of a heartbeat, and then he pounced, snagging one by the shirt and flipping them over his shoulder so they tumbled down the stairs. The other, he slammed into the wall, and I took advantage of the gap to push past and run up the stairs as fast as I could manage.

If I thought I'd been dizzy before, it was nothing compared to now. My chest was on fire; my lungs were filled with shattered glass. I could barely see straight, and had to rely on the wall to keep upright. My legs were so numb I barely realized they were attached, and I scraped my palm when I stumbled and nearly fell. But my other hand kept a firm grip on my staff, and my goal remained unchanged. I had to reach the top. I had to check on the others. This could all be paranoia, but I couldn't rest until I had seen them and was certain. It was just like when the assassins went after Shannan. I didn't mind being wrong; I just had to know as soon as possible.

Sadly, however, I was just as right now as I was then. I smelled the blood before I finally hit the landing, and rounding the corner into the main 'room' of the tower showed the blood was Finn's. A man wearing a black jacket and maroon cape had struck Finn through the back with a lance, not unlike Chulainn's own injury earlier, and ripped it up and out in a spray of blood. Finn crumpled from the pain, and only did not collapse because Lady Lachesis caught him.

"Finn!" she screamed, keeping him upright. While she did, Lord Oifey snuck between them and swung his sword, driving the man back before he could try a second attack. "How dare you, Elliot!?"

"How dare I?" the man scoffed. So, this was the infamous Elliot. I didn't like him before, and I truly didn't like him now. "Come now, this is your fault. If you'd just become my wife, this never would've happened."

"I would rather die than be your wife, worm!"

"But would you rather they die?" He had the most disgusting smirk on his face and it grew when Lachesis blanched. Lord Oifey immediately stiffened and shifted so he stood more firmly between the two and Elliot. "So, come over here and..."

And that was when I did what had to be the stupidest thing in Jugdral. I knocked on the doorway. It was just a simple tap, barely loud enough to be heard, but it startled and caught the attention of Elliot, and frankly, that was all that mattered. "My apologies, but none of them are dying," I informed him, keeping my calm despite how out of breath and disheveled I appeared. I hated running. Running was the worst. "Finn, are you conscious?"

"Who the hell are you?!" Elliot roared, whirling to face me. He swung his lance wildly, and blood slung onto my cheek as he pointed the tip straight at my face. I felt myself going cold when I realized the blood was Finn's. "How did you get here?!"

"I ran." Without thinking about it, I reached up and pushed the lance to the side so it was no longer in my face. "Now then, if you seek treatment, I ask you drop your weapon. If you seek a fight, I ask you go elsewhere."

"You...!"

"Ah, and if you seek a wife, I would advise you to leave, and perhaps see if someone can cure you of your personality." I nudged the lance more out of my way and strode past him. Finn was still bleeding. "I fear that is beyond my abilities." He spun, no doubt to try and attack me for insulting him. I honestly didn't care since I doubted it would kill me before I finished tending to Finn. But then Finn decided to challenge my record of 'doing the stupidest things in Jugdral'.

He attacked. He attacked Elliot. Despite bleeding profusely and being paler than snow, he actually attacked Elliot. The first strike didn't hit, but somehow, he managed to attack again before Elliot could retaliate. Then, by some miracle, Elliot's answering attack missed, and Finn managed to land two more blows and a kick, sending Elliot flying into a heap out onto the landing. Others might have found it impressive. I, on the other hand...

"Finn, get back here and stop making your wounds worse," I ordered, snagging his shirt and tugging him towards me. The tiny movement was enough to completely unbalance him, but I helped him sit down on the floor with me so I could begin treatment. "Oh, what am I to do with you?"

"Not scold me?" Finn requested, his voice breathy with pain. He somehow managed a smile, while Lady Lachesis and Lord Oifey stared incredulously. I didn't blame them for taking a second to process what just happened. "I... um... apologize for breaking my promise?"

"You're alive. I'll forgive you for anything and everything, so long as you live. I can't bring back the dead; I can only heal the living." I frowned as I noticed just how ragged the wound was. Not only had he been run through, but he had a few more minor injuries, and Elliot had twisted the lance as he ripped it out to cause more damage. I dared not think of the full extent until we were safe; it was hard enough to stabilize him. "With that said, you have gotten yourself quite the extensive injury and, as such, will have quite the extensive recovery."

"I figured."

"Oh, Finn, I'm so sorry..." Lady Lachesis breathed, hovering now that her initial shock had passed. Lord Oifey moved to the window and waved, catching someone's attention below. "I... I wasn't paying attention and..."

"But you were paying attention, to the battle," Finn countered, tipping his head back to frown at her. The movement nearly sent him teetering, but she quickly reached down to steady him. "That's what we agreed. You and Oifey would continue to watch outside and I would head down to give Lord Sigurd and Lord Quan an update. I should apologize for reacting so slowly."

"But I..."

"I chose to shield you. And I'd do it again."

"I can bleed more than you, you know. Holy Blood."

"But that doesn't mean you don't feel pain."

"Yes, but I wouldn't die!"

"But I'm not dying. Alicia won't let me."

"We didn't know she was on the way! And I don't have a staff up here!"

"Oifey has his medicine kit. I would've lasted long enough for someone to carry me down."

"Stop being logical when you're bleeding everywhere!"

"Might you two be quiet?" I requested, still tending to Finn's injuries. It wasn't as bad as Sir Midir's injury at Yngvi, but it wasn't much better and would require quite a few stitches. "He needs to stay still. Lord Oifey, may I borrow your kit? Mine is in the courtyard, and I fear this will require more than what is in my emergency pouch." Note to self: add more surgical thread the next chance I got.

Lord Oifey happily handed me his medical kit, and knelt beside me to give whatever assistance he could. Lady Lachesis focused more on helping Finn upright and talking to him to keep him distracted from the pain. But I'd barely gotten him stable when Lord Oifey gasped and I looked up to see Elliot standing. Somehow, someway, he had dragged himself to his feet and, despite his injuries, he tried to attack us once more.

It failed. It failed just as it did before, but for a very different reason.

"Don't you dare!" It failed because Lady Lachesis surged forward and she did not bother drawing the sword on her belt. Instead, she grabbed him by the face and slammed his skull against the wall with enough force to crack it. "Ah..." She let go and blood smeared down the wall as Elliot slid. Right as his body hit the ground, Chulainn appeared in the doorway, a fresh cut on his cheek but otherwise unharmed, and based on his expression, I gathered he not only realized what had happened, but was rather impressed by it. "Um..." Lady Lachesis, however, looked ill. "Is... is he dead?" she finally asked in the smallest of voices. "I think... he's still breathing?"

"Is he?" I replied softly, finding a stopping point with Finn's treatment. Then, I moved over to Elliot and checked his injuries. She was right; he was still breathing. But... "The damage to his brain is too great. Even if he survived, he'd be naught but a living doll." So, I returned to treating Finn. I could still save him, after all, and he needed stitches quickly. "It is better to let him breathe his last. He's unconscious, so he won't feel pain."

"Oh." Her voice was still so small. "I see."

"Wait, he had a brain to damage?" Lord Oifey immediately snarked, with the most 'surprised' look on his face. The words were so sudden and so immediate that Lady Lachesis actually broke down in incredulous, and perhaps a little hysterical, laughter. "Well, will wonders never cease."

"...You are the worst," Lady Lachesis managed through the laughter. She sat down hard by the corpse and covered her face. "The absolute worst!"

"What? I'm genuinely surprised." He shrugged; Lady Lachesis laughed harder. "But I suppose he did get what he wanted in the end. He always wanted you to touch him." By then, it became clear Lady Lachesis's laughter was more 'hysterics' than anything, and Lord Oifey got an awkward look on his face, not sure how to help.

But right as Lady Lachesis quieted, Chulainn awkwardly rested his hand on her head. "Just focus on your breath," he whispered. Lady Lachesis looked down and nodded. "You can count if you want, but focus on it and nothing else. I'm here to keep guard, Oifey can keep an eye outside, and Finn is in good hands with Alicia. There is nothing you need to do. Breathe."

Lady Lachesis kept her head down the entire time, shifting to lean against Chulainn's leg. Though he looked uncomfortable, he didn't shy away. He let her lean, and he kept his hand on her head in a comforting gesture. Oifey, meanwhile, did exactly as he said and sat by the window to watch the battle below, leaving only to assist me when I needed it. Finn remained a proper patient, so I could finish his initial treatment quickly.

The others were going to have heart attacks when they heard what had happened. I should prepare some medicines and teas, just in case.

---

Finally, I stitched Finn's injury well enough for him to be moved. Lady Lachesis insisted on carrying him, so we got him onto her back and I kept a steadying hand on both as we descended the too-long-and-winding staircase. Chulainn led the way down, just in case, and Lord Oifey brought up the rear with Elliot's corpse slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Finn attempted to protest, but he was much too dizzy to walk straight and before we were even halfway down, he had passed out from the pain.

"I will need to reinforce these once he is in a bed," I whispered to myself, sensing how the wound strained against the stitches. I should have brought my full medicine bag, but like an idiot, I hadn't. Somehow, I'd expected this to be much simpler. "Chulainn, is everything still all right up ahead?"

"Nothing has jumped out from the shadows yet," Chulainn answered, as calm as always. The only sign of his worry was how he kept glancing back at us. "Ah, but watch your step. I think the bodies of those other two are coming up."

"Are you sure they're dead?"

"I threw both of them down these stairs, so if they aren't, they'll wish they were. A fall from here would easily break their necks, and more." That was... "I'll handle them if they're not."

"Please don't worsen your injury. We have enough to worry about with Finn."

"Chulainn is injured?" Lady Lachesis asked, frowning. She suddenly flinched and glanced at her side; some of Finn's blood had seeped into her shirt. I definitely needed to reinforce these stitches. "When did that happen?"

"Chulainn protected me shortly after I arrived," I explained, careful to keep everything from my words to my expression steady. I still felt terrible about it. If I hadn't been so stupid... today was certainly a day for proving my idiocy. "I'll need to check it once I'm done with Finn."

"Wait, but Oifey said Chulainn was fighting shortly after you arrived."

"Yes. He was run through, and then fought." A random thought occurred to me. "I suppose it is true what they say about pupils resembling their teachers. It's the exact same thing Finn did."

"I didn't teach him to do that," Chulainn immediately retorted, reaching down to move something out of the way. It took me a long second to realize it was the body of one of the two soldiers. "We've mainly been working on incorporating unarmed combat with his lances, such as punches and kicks. No one expects a knight to know much about hand-to-hand combat, especially one who usually rides."

"Well, that explains the kick he used to send Elliot flying onto the landing," I sighed, wishing he hadn't. It truly was a miracle he was still alive. "He's so reckless."

"Indeed, much like one of his teachers." …I set myself up for that one. "Wasn't his response similar to yours as well?"

"Maybe." I wasn't in a mood to admit it right now, and not just because I felt terrible about it. More blood had appeared on Finn's shirt. "Oifey, do you have more bandages in your kit?"

"Bleeding through?"

"Yes, but I can't reinforce the stitches here. So, we'll add more, if Oifey has-"

"I've got some!" Lord Oifey reassured, pulling a little from his bag. He dropped Elliot's body unceremoniously, only paying it enough attention to make sure it didn't slide down, and reached into his kit for more. "Lady Lachesis, let's set Finn down for a moment. Are you certain you do not want to re-stitch, Lady Alicia? There should still be thread."

"Our footing isn't stable enough for me to risk it," I refused, shaking my head. It was only then I realized something. "Oh, I should apologize. I forgot your title."

"N-no, it's fine, Lady Alicia!" He smiled brightly and helped Lady Lachesis get Finn settled on a step. "I don't mind."

"If you are certain..." I crouched down and pulled up Finn's shirt. Yes, he was bleeding through. Thankfully, it wasn't much, but... "You can reciprocate. In fact, I insist."

"Er..."

"Wonder if you'll beat Sigurd in getting him to drop titles," Lady Lachesis attempted to joke. Her smile was too strained for it. "Um... but is there... anything I can do to help?"

"Keep him steady, and hold his shirt up, will you?" I requested, back to business. This needed to be quick. "We need to lean him forward some."

Adding more bandages didn't take long. It honestly took longer to get Finn back on Lady Lachesis's back and for Oifey to pick up Elliot's corpse. Then we resumed our descent and, surprisingly, we had a welcoming party waiting for us at the bottom. Namely, Sigurd and Quan were waiting, both looking terribly worried. They sighed in relief at our appearance, but dread filled their faces once more when they saw Lady Lachesis carrying Finn on her back, and Oifey had a corpse over his shoulder.

"Oifey signaled us that something had happened," Sigurd said, neatly explaining both their presence and worry. I wondered when he'd done that before remembering he had waved to some shortly after I started tending Finn. "I... what happened?"

"Well, we'll start with the good news," Oifey began, stepping around us. He dropped Elliot's corpse once more, this time letting it sprawl on the floor like a broken puppet. "Ellidiot's dead. And we aren't."

"So, he did sneak in." Sigurd closed his eyes. "And went right to Lachesis, like we feared. Damn his obsession." He opened his eyes to look at each of us, his attention lingering on Lady Lachesis. "Why is Finn unconscious?"

"That's the bad news. He was hurt protecting Lady Lachesis." Oifey moved back and took Finn from her. Finn did not stir through all of this, and it made my heart hurt. "He apparently had two followers, but Chulainn threw them down the stairs. Their corpses are off to the side."

"We'd better grab them before they start rotting in earnest," Quan grumbled, bending slightly to scrutinize Elliot's corpse. He even nudged it with his foot. "It'll take ages for the smell to go away otherwise. Who killed Ellidiot? Finn?"

"No, Lady Lachesis did," Oifey answered, neatly and concisely. He shifted so Finn was more firmly on his back and I fussed to make sure nothing else had torn open. Chulainn lingered near, his attention on the surrounding halls, and Lady Lachesis stood awkwardly near, her gaze unfocused. "After Finn knocked him away and he stupidly stood back up."

"Of course he did the stupid thing. What amazes me is that it led to the most politically sound outcome." Quan sighed, shaking his head. "So... whoa!" Before he could continue, he was knocked off-balance by Sigurd pushing past him to get to Lachesis. "Why... ah. Never mind." He smiled faintly, for some reason. "Oifey, Chulainn, might you two give me a more detailed report? Not much, just enough so I can figure out the sequence of events?"

Oifey and Chulainn dutifully did so, Oifey noticeably more comfortable with the idea than Chulainn, and I ignored them for checking Finn once more. It wasn't as if I needed to know the sequence of events when I'd gone through it, and Finn's well-being was much more important. Once I was reassured his injuries still held, though, I found myself listening in on Sigurd and Lady Lachesis's conversation. I was worried by how wan she'd gotten.

"Hey, you're pale," Sigurd was whispering, pushing the hair out of her face. She tried to scowl, but the expression fell flat. "You're clammy too. See, this is why you're supposed to take breaks. You're lucky Grahnye asked Alicia to come find you."

"There was too much to be done," she mumbled, looking away. Neither mentioned they had been lucky for other reasons. "And Eldie..."

"Eldigan would weep if he saw how poorly you were doing." He ruffled her hair and smiled gently. "And he would be the first to say none of this is your fault." Lady Lachesis stiffened at the words. "It's not. I know it feels that way, but it's not. Eldigan chose to reason with Chagall. Chagall chose to be an idiot and imprisoned him. Chagall chose to order the assault on both Nordion and Verdane. Ellidiot chose to lead it. Heirhein's soldiers chose to fight it. Nordion's soldiers chose to defend it. And we chose to come help. Those are all other people's choices, Lachesis. Not yours."

"But I..."

"Lachesis, is there anyone who can convince Eldigan to change his mind once it's set?"

"You. Maybe."

"If that. And it's on Ellidiot for continuing to be obsessed with you despite your refusals. And you were not wrong to refuse him. You know these things. It's just hard to remember right now." His smile softened. "Unfortunately, there is no way to make this your fault. All of this was outside your control, and no amount of trying to blame yourself will change that. But I'm here now. We're here now. So, we'll take back control and make sense of everything once more. I promise."

"You are... so..." She leaned forward and rested her head against his chest. Sigurd hugged her in return, patting her back. "You got permission to be here?"

"Yes."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"...Good." She reached one shaking hand up to clutch the front of his shirt. If she cried, we all pretended otherwise. "Good…"

"So, that's what happened," Quan murmured then, drawing my attention back to him. Chulainn moved to my side, silent as ever, and Oifey readjusted his grip on the unconscious Finn. "Certainly not a sequence of events I anticipated. I can't decide if your luck is poor, Alicia, or if everyone else's is just good." He grinned at me, and I knew my expression flattened. "That's the second time others went looking for someone, and you walked right into them." It was also the second time Finn had been wounded in such a scenario.

"Quan, might you joke about my abysmal luck when your squire is not bleeding?" I requested, speaking more dryly than I had in a very long while. It was improper given everything, but I couldn't help it. "I only have him stable."

"...That could've been said a lot sooner." His cheer dropped like a rock. I could only frown because I would've thought Finn's condition was obvious. He was unconscious. Did he think he'd been swayed to sleep after being carried? "I know it'll be a bit before infirmaries are set up, so he can use my usual rooms." How often did he and Sigurd stay here that they had 'usual rooms'? "I'm guessing you'll accompany him?"

"Yes, I need to do one more check to ensure nothing reopened, and then I'll head outside to assist."

"All right. I'll warn Ethlyn and Edain. Oifey, do you know the way? Sigurd will be a minute; Lachesis needs the support."

Oifey did, in fact, know the way and somehow managed his usual quick pace despite carrying Finn on his back. It took Chulainn tapping him on the shoulder for him to slow down for me, but I still felt a little out of breath when we made it to Quan's 'usual rooms', a spacious cluster of three rooms in what I thought was the 'family wing' of the castle. I could be wrong, and frankly, it didn't matter. As soon as Oifey laid Finn on the bed, I had to steal his medicine kit once more and re-stitch the injuries. Oifey helped by holding the skin together for me, despite how ill he was over it. I thought about reminding him he didn't have to, Chulainn could do the same since he was just outside the door, but Oifey's stubborn frown told me he would do it no matter what and learn while he was at it. So, we worked in silence and, when we were done, he barely managed to drag a chair over to sit down. He was too unsteady to stay upright.

"That should hold at least until I am finished outside," I murmured, tying off the last bandage. Finn had remained unconscious throughout, a testament to the pain, blood loss, and exhaustion. "You two have been pushing yourselves with Lady Lachesis, haven't you?"

"W-well, we tried to rest since we knew you'd scold us," Oifey mumbled, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. His complexion was the most curious mix of 'green' and 'pale'. "But it was hard when she kept insisting on working. She would've collapsed a lot sooner if we didn't help. So, we staggered out the duties as best as we could." He groaned and tilted his head back further. "Thought about trying to guilt her, but she was already overwhelmed. Ellidiot's appearance tipped her over the edge, but she'd been lingering on it for the past few days."

"That was why Sigurd focused so quickly on her, wasn't it?" I checked the bandages and then pulled the blankets over Finn. "How are you?"

"I'll... be fine in a moment. I thought I was better about the blood and smells, but..." Literally holding a dear friend together while a healer stitched them was not something most would be able to shrug off or endure. "He... he needs a watcher, doesn't he?"

"He does. Would you mind?"

"No, I don't." He sighed and slowly leaned forward. He had to drop his head into his hands immediately to stave off dizziness. "Providing Heirhein's soldiers act as expected, I won't be needed. It's just wrapping up, and my strategies are no longer necessary. If I'm wrong, then it's better to stay in one place so I can be found easily."

"Thank you." I smoothed out Finn's blankets, gave him one last check, and then walked around the bed so I could pat Oifey on the head. "Do you need a headache remedy?"

"No, just a little dizzy and nauseous still. It'll pass. If it doesn't soon, I'll get some water. Promise."

I still fussed a little over him, too worried to simply leave, but eventually, his reassurances convinced me he would be well at least for the next few hours, so I left the room to meet with Chulainn. He closed the door behind me, and we headed down the hall in silence. If not for the decor, one might assume we were in Evans, leaving Sigurd's office after a morning meeting. But we weren't in Evans. We wouldn't see Evans for a very long while. The thought made my heart hurt, and when I tried to distract myself, I was reminded of other hurts I should tend to.

"I see you have a new injury," I whispered, reaching up to touch the scratch on Chulainn's face. It was already scabbed, and did not look irritated. "Here, I should check the rest."

"I'm fine, Alicia," Chulainn sighed, shrugging. "There's no pain, certainly none new. It wasn't a difficult fight. They only got my face because I misstepped while trying to throw the second."

"Mmm..." Truthfully, I knew I should leave it at that. It wasn't that I did not believe him, far from it. I simply... "Please?" I think I needed the reassurance. After messing up so badly before, after causing him to be injured, after seeing Finn grievously injured... I needed...

"It's not your fault, you know." He caught my hand and squeezed it in gentle yet awkward reassurance. "I made my choices. You're too quick to blame yourself."

"I am not."

"You were counting the dead earlier. Despite the fact that most were dead before you arrived." Now how did we get onto that habit of mine? I would ignore how he knew; I was used to him seeing what I never told anyone. "You shouldn't add them or me to your burdens." …I had no idea why, but for some reason, that sentence irritated me far more than it should've.

"The dead are no burden." That irritation made my words harder than they needed to be. "They are a weight I carry, yes, but they are not a burden. I carry and remember them because I wish to save everyone and I will not forget those I could not. I counted those in the courtyard because they are still ones I could not save, and I will hold the number in my heart. That is my choice." I twisted my hand around to grab his tightly. "And you, Chulainn, could never be a burden, not to me or anyone else." Ah, I think that was why I was more irritated than usual. Mistaking my counting was easy to do, but conflating him to something one should be rid of was… it was something I could not accept. "Worrying over you and your injuries is also my choice."

He and I stared at each other for a long moment, his eyes wide like I had surprised him. I met his gaze head on, unwilling to back down, and he looked away first. "I am fine, you know."

"I believe you." And I did. "But after seeing someone so dear unconscious in bed from a similar injury, I want the reassurance."

"...All right."

We found an empty room nearby and Chulainn remained silent throughout my examination. Just as he said, his wounds were fine, but I checked each one carefully anyway to be sure. A couple of times, I found him staring at and through me, with his eyes narrowed slightly like he was looking at something too bright. But that made no sense, as the room was no brighter than any other. Still, I had a feeling he would not explain even if I asked, so I focused on my work and pretended to not notice. Once finished, he and I resumed our walk back to the courtyard in the usual comfortable silence.

"Oh, Lady Alicia!" Dimitra spotted me as soon as I stepped out of the castle and rushed over to lead me to the meeting in the center of the courtyard. Chulainn returned to the gates with a wave, to serve as watch once more. "We heard what happened," she explained, gesturing to the others in the group. Lady Edain made sure to smile, but Ethlyn looked worried. "How is Sir Finn?"

"We'll need to give him a more extensive check later, but for now, he's fine," I reassured, smiling serenely. Ethlyn breathed a sigh of relief at that. "I see a lot of activity. Are we already moving inside?"

"Yes, and we were just discussing how to best do so! Master Rafail ordered stretchers to be kept near in case we had to evacuate the wounded, and I was... well, I was thinking we could use those for the worst wounded..."

"That would work, though we do need to find volunteers to carry them," Lady Edain replied, tapping her cheek. Her gaze turned to the wounded stumbling through the gates. "To say nothing of the newly arrived wounded. They'll still need triage. So, my suggestion would be to split the duties and..."

Discussions continued for a while, before we dispersed. Dimitra and Ethlyn oversaw moving the patients, while Lady Edain and I returned to our healing and triage. Outside the gates, the roaring battle died with a whimper, vomiting wounded with its dying gasps. Night had fallen by the time we finished and Lady Edain and I could focus our efforts on Finn.

Nordion was saved, for now. It would be nice if this was the worst of it, but I had a terribly bad feeling it wouldn't.

---

Lex

Class: Axe Knight

Skills: Elite, Vantage

Holy Blood: Minor Nal

Age when joining the army: 18

The younger son of Duke Lombard, he is well known for his boisterous personality, his staunch loyalty, and his ability to learn and master anything he puts his mind to. Due to his laidback nature, however, he rarely applies himself unless something catches his attention or one of his friends needs him.

His Holy Mark is on his upper left arm, sharp angles resembling a cluster of stars. Due to the blessings of Nal, he has an increased pain tolerance and the ability to resist physical damage, having survived more than one assassination attempt because the assassin's blade broke while attacking him. His fighting style takes advantage of these traits, almost to the point of recklessness.

He suddenly began living in Velthomer two years ago. No one knows why, especially when rumors prior to the move implied his father may defy inheritance laws to have him inherit over his older brother. One thing is clear, though. He shows no intention of returning, despite many of the Grau Ritter wishing he would so they can transfer their oaths from his brother to him.

---

Author's notes: And we've reached Nordion! In game, Lachesis is 'holding' the castle with her three escort knights, which I decided to represent as her watching the battle from a tower. Technically, Finn shouldn't get his famous brave lance until after Heirhein's fall, but I bumped it up. Ethlyn does get the Light Brand from Deirdre in-game, though, the same one Leif is associated with.

Fire Emblem's AI can be counted on to do two things. One, focus on those they can immediately kill and two, focus on units with the lowest defenses. As a result, at least in my experience, Enemy Units will always target a healer if left unprotected. Thought I'd bring that in and highlight Alicia's inexperience with proper battles.

I believe I mentioned this before, but Chulainn's HP growth is ridiculous. Despite being a minor, his growth rivals the two majors. (It's probably to compensate for his absolutely abysmal luck. His luck is a measly 1 at level 12, and his growth isn't great.) As for Deirdre… well, Loptuous's blood has its own bonuses. Specifically, it gives the exact same bonuses as Naga blood. So, Deirdre, as a Naga Major, Loptuous Minor, has a 60% boost to her magic, the same as a Fjalar Major. Though, since Arvis is Loptuous Minor as well, he has an 80% boost to his magic… or he would if he had growth rates. I have to rely on his stats to make guesses xD Similarly, Jamke also has decent to high growths for someone without Holy Blood, hence Quan's vague observation. (With that said, Jamke's skill growth is a terribly low 10%, hence his own comment about his sight.)

Elliot and Lachesis's back and forth has some basis in their in-game battle exchange. One of Finn's personal skills is the ever-famous Miracle, which functions a little differently depending on the game. In this one, when your HP drops below a certain threshold (11), your avoid boosts by 10*(11-HP). So, at 1HP, your avoid is boosted by 100. FE5 has it where you have a luck*3 chance to avoid any fatal blow regardless of HP (and Finn's brave lance boosts his luck by ten, meaning he has a 90% chance of avoiding a deathblow). Later games have it where it leaves you with 1HP after taking what would be a fatal blow, if your HP was not already at 1hp. I think.