'Ugh, are the Blue Lions just going to wait there the entire time? Not that I'm complaining I suppose!' Hilda said, leaning off a tree. Marianne stood beside her with a hunch in her back. She hadn't moved the entire battle.
'Hanneman was always one for the boring strategies,' Manuela said.
'It's a shame about Lorenz, Raphael and Ignatz,' Hilda said. 'They'd all trained so hard this week!'
'Their sacrifice wasn't in vain, dear,' Manuela said. 'Edelgard is such a treasure but she's also someone who could have been a real thorn in our efforts.'
'Agreed,' Claude said. His tone changed. 'I'd have preferred it if Professor Byleth was up in the stands with her though. I don't like that he managed to survive yet someone as good as Edelgard didn't.'
His tone irked Manuela. It wasn't the carefree one that'd made her want to tear her hair out the entire week. It was a lower one that only seemed to emerge when talking about the new professor.
'Bernadetta is still around as far as we can tell, and I wouldn't say that she's better than Edelgard,' she said.
Claude shrugged. 'I still wish you would've allowed me to lead the ambush, teach, I think we could have eliminated Byleth if we had. It was my idea after all'.
Maneula rolled her eyes. 'You have by far the furthest range Claude, I need you to stay here to keep the Blue Lions and keep that old fart at bay. I shall move to the southern point and support the others. Once we've dealt with Byleth and his team we shall continue with our original plan.'
'Good luck, Professor!' Hilda said.
Manuela turned southward and smiled to herself.
'Against Byleth? I don't need luck to take him down,' she muttered.
The sky was still as blue as it'd been an hour before. However, menacing grey clouds formed in the distance and the gentle breeze slowly tugged them in the direction of the battlefield.
The trembling girl ran, and the others followed. Bernadetta was fast, but Petra was quicker. The Brigid princess stopped her right before the land declined sharply into the valley.
'I can't do it! I want to leave. I want to leave!' Bernadetta blubbered.
Ferdinand put a hand on her shoulder. 'Please Bernadetta, it's o-. No, don't take sash off'-
Byleth reached her and grabbed her hands. She squealed.
'Breathe,' he said. 'One, two, three'-
Bernadetta dropped her head and began to cry again. Petra and Ferdinand looked up at him, helpless, and then Ferdinand pointed behind him.
Byleth turned. Dedue had walked past the final row of trees and was now out in the open, striding towards them with his axe.
The former mercenary turned and looked down the rocky decline into the valley below. It consisted of more grassland, interjected with small clumps of trees and boulders. A river rushed southward on a bendy trail, separating the land from the ridge on the other side. If there was anyone there he didn't see them.
'The Golden Deer must have come through this valley to ambush us,' Ferdinand said.
'They might be there now,' Petra said. 'Lysithea included.'
Byleth nodded. 'Head down and get into a safe position and keep checking your rear. I shall join you shortly.'
'What are you going to do?' Petra asked.
Byleth didn't immediately respond. He put his mouth up close to Bernadetta's ear and whispered.