Month of Garland Moon - Of Nobles and Tea

Chapter 5

The rest of the week took on some semblance of normality as preparations were made by the professors and knights for the extermination and research of the beasts that were attacking the supply routes to Garreg Mach.

The week saw a rise in temperatures up, an indication that summer was rapidly approaching. The days grew longer as the nights grew shorter. Rain or shine, I would wake up to meet Navan at the training courts and would soon trade off to spar with Leonie and Dimitri with lances. Claude would wander in and collect me, making sure I ate breakfast with the rest of the Golden Deer, and then him and Hilda would shepherd us all off to class. Sometimes they even joined us for class, but there were plenty of times the pair skipped class altogether.

After lunch I was assigned to pair up for practical application of our lessons. I would normally train with Lysithea, as she worked to master the teleport spell I had created. I, in return, earned a very competent partner to practice magic with. I experimented with the fundamentals of my newly learned wind spell. A few explosions and one destroyed classroom later, Lysithea and I managed to finally perfect a mixture of holy magic with the wind. The experiment resulted in a hybrid I took to calling zephyr. We learned pretty quickly that it could remove the heads off the wooden training dummies very efficiently, to the point Byleth was forbidding us to use it in our magic sparing.

Towards the end of the week Hanneman mentioned that to the rest of the class that we were due to depart for patrol duty Sunday. There was a collective groan mixed with cheers from my diverse housemates. Several of them were upset about the effort or luxuries they would be losing by being on the road, while others, myself included, were happy to get out and explore.

"It is of great importance that we secure the trade routes and protect the nearby villages from these beasts, but pray keep in mind that we are also looking to study them." Hanneman reminded us as we all started pushing desks up against the wall. Raphael grabbed the simulation table and heaved, moving the entire heavy hardwood table with a grunt.

"I heard a rumor in the dining hall yesterday!" The hulking blond grinned as he set his burden down in the middle of the classroom. "Rumor is that Edelgard can take out one of the beasts all by herself!"

We all huddled around the table as Lorenz brought over a detailed geographical map and set it down. Several of us donated objects to weigh the ends down so we could study it. Raphael pulled out a heavy grey rock from his bag as Ignatz set down a rounded cool blue stone. I set down my book, Comprehensive Magic vol 2 while Leonie shrugged and set down a whetstone she had been carrying around in her pocket. With the edges no longer rolling up, we all leaned over the board. Some students squished in while the taller students looked overhead on the shorter ones.

"Don't say things like that." Ignatz rubbed his arms as Marianne shrunk away from the group. I moved over, elbowing Hilda to make more room and motioned for our timid healer to step forward and join the group. Marianne just shook her head and looked at the ground, the dark circles under her eyes looking like she hadn't got any sleep in the past few days.

Hilda went to squeak a protest but after seeing what I was doing, the maiden prodded Lorenz into giving her more room. The space between us secured for Marianne the pink haired second leaned over the table looking utterly bored.

As Claude traced the path from the monastery to the village she complained. "I don't see why we have to do this, this is knights' work."

"But the knights are busy with other villages on this route right now Hilda." Ignatz explained as Lorenz flicked his hair back with pristine perfection. My eyes didn't miss the fresh rose he had stuck in the lapel of his uniform.

"But of course, it is our duty as nobles to help the civilians in these towns by removing the threats that are plaguing them."

I rolled my eyes as my classmates ignored the key factors in play here. I moved into the open space as Marianne held back and pointed out the roads that were under attack. "Actually, you both are missing the bigger picture here. Look, all these villages. They are key trading locations for the monastery. This mission is a lot less about helping the civilians and a lot more about keeping the trade routes open."

Raphael took a giant bite out of a meat skewer he had somehow procured as he roared. "Well that's not fair! Why would we be looking to secure the trade routes instead of helping the villagers out?"

I stared up at Raphael, completely bewildered by where he had just secured an entire meat skewer from. I caught Claude's hands moving behind his cape. The slight movement was abnormal for the bright material and it easily captured my attention. On closer inspection he was wiping something on a dainty violet handkerchief that looked suspiciously like it belonged to Lorenz.

The Golden Deer spotted me watching him and he winked at me as I casually averted my gaze back down to the board to point. "Well, if the caravans stop reaching Garreg Mach, that will mean a supply shortage here at the monastery. It will also force the traders to seek alternative routes, draining resources away from us and raising prices up on the supplies that do manage to make it through the forests."

"What she means Raphael, is that there will be less food here for you to eat." Hilda explained gently and the giant looked down at me with the terror of recollection on his face.

"I am surprised you didn't know that given your from a merchant family." I cocked my head to the side in confusion. "I would have thought supply and demand would be second nature to you?"

Raphael just rubbed the back of his head sheepishly while holding the half eaten meat skewer over Lorenz who was leaning over the map intently."Well, it makes sense when you put it that way, but I don't normally think of things that deeply!"

A drip of sauce splattered onto the map near the noble's head and Lorenz let out a deep gasp of disgust. The stylish noble scowled up at the blond whilst putting his hand into his pocket. Lorenz's pointed scowl deepened as he checked a second pocket and procured a clean violet handkerchief that he used to clean up the map.

"I do beg your pardon, but would you consume your-your snack- someplace else?! You are dripping unmentionables all over this very valuable map!"

My eyebrows came together as I studied the map.

Raphael moved and stood back a ways as his voice boomed. "Alright! No problem Lorenz!" His soft brown eyes turned to me and Raphael threw me a thumbs up from the other side of the table. "I'm just not good at thinking! That's why I use my muscles instead!"

I jerked my head up in concern as Leonie stepped in and pointed out a line of trees next to a sheer cliff side. "Check this out, this looks dangerous."

Claude nodded in agreement and traced the cliffside drawing the entire class's attention to the danger zone. "That's because it is. It's a perfect spot for an ambush."

He started to describe the beast's more recent attacks as we continued planning out our movements. Several arguments and disagreements later the entire class pitched in to put the classroom back together. Lorenz's used handkerchief mysteriously turned up on his desk under a pile of books while Claude spoke with Hilda at length about the House's Finances and current supplies.

I only knew the missing handkerchief had appeared because Lorenz let out a disgusted cry and promptly attempted to throw the handkerchief out. He might have even been successful had Leonie not intercepted him. The thrifty huntress roughly negotiated with the haunty noble for the possession of the used handkerchief. I mildly paid attention as Leonie walked away with a meat scented handkerchief looking extremely pleased with herself as Lorenz shook his head.

As Leonie headed out the door I packed up my textbooks, which had somehow become scattered around the classroom. Ignatz returned one of them as he finished rolling the map we had all been using to plan our assignment. I tucked my book away into my bag as he dropped the map into the bin with a shy smile.

"Miss Lilianna, a word with you if you please?" Our house professor stood up from his desk as the class disbursed out into the hallway.

I finished cleaning up my desk and made my way to the front of the class wondering why I was being singled out. A pit of dread grew with every step, but I tried to hide it behind a cheerful smile as I waved the rest of my classmates off. I waited on pins and needles at the front of the classroom while my fellow students filed out into the courtyard and on to their next assignments.

I knew by now that some of my classmates were headed for the dinning hall, while others made for a variety of learning opportunities. Some were off to break a sweat at the training grounds, a couple split off from the group to disappear into other classrooms for individual lessons, while the remainder of the group had chores to complete for a variety of reasons. By now I knew that each student set their own study hours and had rotating schedules based on duties and chores that were required of them.

Prior to being called to the front of the class, I was thinking about what I was going to do after lunch, exploring the monastery had seemed like a great idea at the time but I was quickly starting to think that wasn't going to happen.

Professor Hanneman tapped the desk in front of him to get my attention. "Miss Lilianna, a moment of your time please?"

I pushed my hair out of my face as I stopped thinking about what I wanted to do, in order to focus on the professor in front of me. "Huh? Oh sorry professor, I was just thinking."

"That is quite alright, however I wanted to talk to you before you disappeared on me again."

I waited for the professor to tell me what he wanted as I put a hand on the desk in front of me.

Hanneman continued talking as he rustled for papers in his desk drawers. "I do not recall you taking any certifications during your short time with us. Nor have you produced any proper paperwork indicating that you are capable of operating any of the beginner or intermediate classes. I would like you to attempt a certification before we leave on Sunday."

Utterly confused by the professor's statement I shifted restlessly. "Errr, I am not sure I am following?"

"Oh, are you saying you are unaware of the certification tests?" The professor stroked his beard as a knock on the doorway drew both of our attention.

"Can I take this one professor?" Claude smiled slyly at us from the doorway. The sly smile didn't quite reach his green eyes and the gesture forced me to wonder what he was doing.

Professor Hanneman nodded that he could proceed. "By all means Claude, please continue."

Claude started to explain as he leaned up comfortably against the door frame. The house leader's shoulder length yellow cape fluttered lightly in the breeze as he shrugged."Sorry, I should have explained how classes work earlier. As you're probably already well aware, we all have different class schedules and a variety of different courses to pick from. The specialty courses allow us students to customize our training so that we are learning skills we are either interested in or excel compliment that learning, the monastery uses exams to test our knowledge on certain subjects. These exams are used to place students into different combat classes. This system ensures that the student has the skills necessary to excel in a class, and that they are cleared to learn more advanced techniques. There are four levels of combat classes: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. For those who study hard enough in their classes, there is also the opportunity for master level class, if you are good enough that is."

"I see." I answered as I looked over a list of certifications that Hanneman set down in front of me while Claude finished his explanation.

"Wait…" I looked up from the paper in front of me in amazement. "You offer flying lessons?"

"Why of course we do." Hanneman stroked his beard in deep thought. "Claude, did you not mention this to her when you spoke with her originally?"

"Seteth was the one who set up my class schedule." I quickly backed Claude up as the house leader appeared over my shoulder to look down at the course offerings.

I scanned the listing with renewed interest. The monastery offered classes in just about everything. Faith & reason magic, lances, axes, swords, and bows were all staples I expected to see on the list. Horsemanship was also something I considered to be essential for nobles and knights, but I did not expect to see more unique offerings such as flying, authority, heavy armor, and even a class in brawling.

"I was pretty sure I went over certification exams the first day you were in the Deers. Maybe I didn't, it's been a really busy week professor." Claude apologized as he ruffled his unruly brown locks with a wry grin.

My brain did some random calculations. The reason I had come to the monastery was to learn, so it might be a good idea to test the waters with classes I was unfamiliar with. On the other hand, it would be nice to master some of my current skills. I continued reading the class descriptions as Hanneman sighed.

"Yes, I can see you have had a rather busy week. You have been in and out of the infirmary almost daily and it is creating an excessive amount of paperwork for me."

I looked over at Claude who chuckled sheepishly. I slowly shook my head in disbelief, at least now I had a decent idea as to why my house leader had been in and out of class all week.

I set the paper down on the desk and tapped it to draw attention back to my schedule. "Well, right now I am already training in spears, axes, and reason right now, but I think I would also like to pick up flying if that's possible?"

Hanneman started rustling through a stack of papers next to him. "That should not be a problem. Leonie and Claude are already signed up for flying lessons so you can join them. I will make the necessary adjustments to your schedule starting next month."

I nodded excited at the prospect of taking flying classes. "I look forward to it!"

I took a second to calm down and then pointed to the exam tables on the side. "Regarding your exam criteria here though, I am comfortable signing up to take my priest certification right now."

I scratched a note and my signature on the certification paper to make it official and handed it to my professor. "I can take them whenever you like."

The professor scanned the paperwork diligently and nodded."If you insist you are ready, report back to me later this evening after your duties have been completed. I should have the priest certification exam ready for you by then."


"So are you nervous?" Leonie looked up at me with a cheerful grin as I sat down at the table next to her. Byleth and Dimitiri sat down across from me a second later.

"What are you nervous about?" Byleth's blue eyes scanned me over with the barest hint of concern registering in the blue depths.

"Word gets around fast I see." I shrugged unconcerned as I folded my legs up and began picking away at my meal.

"Ya, Claude just mentioned you're going to be joining us for flying lessons next month. Figured I would ask because I know your horseback skills could use some work, so I thought would ask about your flying skills."

I picked away the vegetables on my plate. "I am pretty confident my flying skills are better then my riding ones…"

"In northern Faerghus, we learn swordsmanship from a young age. Horseback riding is also required. It is pretty hard to get cavalry through all the snow and mountain passes however, so we sometimes turn to pegusi for scouting." Dimitri offered as I devoured some pickled radishes off my plate.

The intense sour taste caused my eyes to water and I hurried to finish eating the offending vegetables, not caring for the tartness of the preserved vegetable in the least. Leonie laughed as she caught sight of my watering eyes. I ducked under my arm, frantically chewing and swallowing before I could take a long drink of water. Much to my disgust, the taste lingered on my pallet as I moved to eating my meat skewers.

"Hanneman informed me before lunch that you signed up to take both the monk and the priest certification this afternoon. Are you prepared?" Byleth's flat voice commented in an almost bored monotone. At the same time the professor's blue eyes pierced through me and I felt my stomach intensely knotting itself. The entire conversation was focused totally on me and it was making me feel very uncomfortable. The professor's concern was just the tip of the iceberg and I tried to continue eating as a student who I did not recognize bumped into me on my blind side.

My meat skewer dropped onto my plate, into the pickle sauce and I noticed my hands were shaking. Perhaps it was my nerves, and I decided to make a strategic retreat. I stood up abruptly and apologized to my table mates. "I'm not really hungry right now. I am sorry for bothering you."

I grabbed my tray feeling sick to my stomach. As I was walking away I could hear Dimitri's low voice radiating out over the other nearby students. "She only just sat down and her plate barely touched."

"I bet it is the jitters of taking the certification exams." Leonie responded as I turned in my barely touched tray of food and retreated out to the gardens.


Outside away from the mess hall I was able to calm down a bit and assess my feelings.

"Well it isn't like I am just going to get used to being the center of attention and being around so many people over night. I just need to take it one day at a time." I mumbled as I walked through the gardens towards the gazebo.

The area was strangely silent due to the high noon lunch hour. The unusual silence made the place both tranquil and beautiful. The large white and red roses were in full bloom. Elegant and refined they twirled their way around the ornate white shelter in praise to the sun. I paused to admire the fragrant blooms while for a moment, simply taking in their beauty on the clear blue day.

"I see you are admiring the roses, beautiful are they not?" My good eye drifted along the foliage to see Lorenz watching me from afar. "I bet a commoner like yourself has never had such an opportunity to lay eyes on such exquisite roses as these."

I paused to admire a healthy pink bud on the tip of a fresh green shoot. "Hmm, for being as well breed as you are Lorenz, you really do say some of the strangest things." I commented dryly as I reached out for the fresh bloom.

"Why is that? Am I wrong on my assumptions that you are not of noble birth?"

I turned the bud carefully upwards using the very tips of my fingers, careful not to touch any of the sharp thorns protecting the new bloom. "As if birth and social hierarchy define what I have and have not seen in this world. I have seen roses in many places, some much grander than these, and some less. Regardless, I feel they are all beautiful."

I narrowed my eyes and let the bud return to its natural position on the bush, my heart twisting as Lorenz's sharp tongue cut deep.

"Then my assumption is correct then, you are but an average commoner. But that begs the question, one can wonder how you can be so well traveled? You look no older than the rest of us."

I folded my arms and pointedly met the noble's lofty gaze, unwilling to back down from the one-on-one confrontation. Pointedly, I addressed him and a sharp voice. "You know a traveling mercenary of great skill that is now one of our professors. What makes you think I can't be well traveled and educated as a commoner?"

"Why? It is very simple, because you have been admitted here as a student. That implies that you still have much to learn, regardless of your education. Why, I myself, attended the Royal School of Sorcery in Fhirdiad prior to attending the Officers Academy here at Garreg Mach. Be that as it may, I have still more things I need to learn here if I am to be successful at governing my territory."

My voice clipped as I coldly bowed to the noble and went to exit out the gardens. I picked the path that would take me back towards the mess hall so I could cut back over into the dormitories. "Then I wish you luck on your education then Lorenz, good day."

"Wait, please wait." I heard a flustered voice behind me calling.

I paused, exasperated an intense feeling of just wanting to be left to alone for a while started to claw at my subconscious. "What do you want Lorenz? I believe I made myself quite clear when I excused myself."

The tall noble brushed his violet locks out of his face with a coy smile. "Be that as it may, I did come here with a purpose."

I raised my eyebrow in surprise and waited to hear what he had to say, wishing internally that I could just disappear into the greenery.

"I wanted to inquire if you would like to dine with me this evening? I wish to converse with you further in order to gauge if you would be a successful candidate for me to consider as a future table mate. I know many lesser nobles who would be interested in securing a…"

I could scarcely believe what I was hearing. I did not want to believe what I was hearing. Sure I knew some nobles to be pretentious and conceded, but this was at a whole new level of entitlement. I loathed to even hear the end of his dinner invitation, let alone even consider dining with him. In a single breath Lorenz had betrayed the depths of his arrogance, calling me both a lowly commoner, too beneath his station to be considered a proper tablemate, but a perfect match for some of the lesser nobles in his territory. I was equally insulted and justly appalled.

I calmly collected my nerves and held up my hand, abruptly forcing the noble to cut off his invitation midsetence. "We are done with this conversation Lorenz, and to be clear I am declining your dinner invitation for now and for the indefinite future."

With my cold and firm, but attemptedly polite rejection, I turned around calmly and walked back off towards my room without looking back. I resisted the urge to run and hide as I struggled with the keys to my room. My hands shook as I attempted to turn the key to my room, and eventually I managed to open the door.

The heavy wooden door creaked open to reveal the basic interior of my room. Everything had been switched over to yellows to denote I had joined the Golden Deer house but my room was still plain and uninviting as ever. I had yet to even unpack my travel bags and I had even less money in which to purchase anything that would have made the room feel a little bit more welcoming.

The current state of the room reflected just how much I felt like an outsider at the monastery. Given how the morning had gone, with me lacking my paper work and not even knowing about class selections made me feel like an idiot. Now I was getting nervous about the exams I was scheduled to take, how I had run out from talking with Dimitri and Byleth, and now with how badly the last conversation had gone I sat down on the floor and pulled my knees up to my face.

"What am I doing here?" I muttered as footsteps sounded outside my door. I pulled my knees in closer, the self doubt creeping into my conscious and finally making an appearance. "I want to find out what that bright white light was. What that red canon that haunts my dreams has to do with me..."

I closed my eyes, clearly able to recall a canyon painted the color of a brilliant crimson and a blinding white light before my memories went dark.

"The first thing I remember is waking up in that temple, but why? For what purpose was I put there? Why did I wake up on that day? Uggg this is all so hopeless." I gripped the edges of my hair trying to keep my sanity together as the futility of it all ate at the edges of my consciousness. "There is only so much father could tell me, we just don't know enough. I need to know more..."

I sighed as I rubbed my face across my arms. "That's a good question...what am I doing here? Why am I staying here at this place?"

The faintest noise by the door, along with a swish of paper had me lifting my head out of my arms to look towards the door.

A sheet of paper was shoved under the doorway as footsteps hurried away. Dreading it was an eviction notice of some sort, I got up from the floor and crawled over to pick up the sheet of paper. The top side was completely blank. Dread changed to defeated reluctance as I flipped the sheet of paper over, expecting the red line of bills, or a harsh notice that I was being expelled. So sure was I of some kind of negative reaction, it took me a second to realize what I was holding. The sheet of paper was a beautifully rough charcoal drawing of a woman admiring the roses. It took me a few more seconds of gawking to realize that the woman in the drawing was me. Taken back by the gift I hurried to open the door.

"Oh, hello there Lilianna. Is something the matter?" I pulled open the door to reveal Ashe who was climbing up the steps towards his room.

I looked around looking for signs of anyone who might have been near my door. "Ashe? Did you see anyone around here just now?"

Ashe shook his head, his gentle but nasally voice answering my inquiry with genuine good will. "No, can't say I have. Are you looking for someone in particular? I can help you look if you are."

I shuddered to think what kind of mess I looked like as I glanced down at the drawing and then looked around the courtyard once more. "You...you don't draw do you Ashe?"

"Not particularly well, why do you ask?" The soft faced archer leaned over the stairs as I held the art up for him to inspect.

"Someone just left this under my door."

Ashe shook his head in wonder. "Wow that's amazing! It looks so life-like!"

The blue lion's student reached down and took the picture from me. He admired the picture in his for a few seconds, marveling at the detail and beauty of the picture and then shook his head. "But no, sorry, I don't know anyone who might have drawn that. It certainly wasn't me."

"I would like to thank them if I knew who drew this." I thought about the argument I had just had out in the garden, concerned about who might have overheard that heated exchange. I racked my memories but I couldn't think of anyone besides Lorenz who had been out among the roses.

"I'll keep an eye out and let you know if I find out who drew that." Ashe handed me the picture back with an encouraging smile.

I thanked the kind archer for his time and went back into my room. A little bit more motivated after my surprise gift, I decided that my poorly decorated room could use some attention. I promptly decided to spend the rest of my afternoon unpacking. I didn't have all that much to unpack, but it made the place feel a little more welcoming. A little more like home.

The golden curtains and rug were shortly accompanied by a small ornate jar of tea leaves, a handful of dried flowers, several containers of medications and medicinal herbs, and a well worn travel blanket. Once my meager worldly possessions were set out, I unpacked the rest of my clothes.

All my heavy winter gear went directly into the bottom of my drawers while some of the standard issue summer wear sat out on top. Skeptical on the white and tan summer uniform I shook my head and packed it away. Maybe if it was hotter out, but right now, I would rather stay with my standard uniform.

Once my entire existence was laid out before me, reality came back. I struggled to come to terms with the depressing reality. In truth what was difficult to stomach, was there really wasn't that much here that was mine.

Still struggling with the intense feeling like I was an outsider, I fought the intense feeling that told me that I should just move on and continue my studies elsewhere. To combat the intense feelings I hug the portrait up on the small bulletin board above my dresser. As I pinned the poster onto my small bulletin board, my feelings caught in my throat.

Apparently I was not not even worth holding a proper conversation with over dinner. Lorenz's final comments that I was only worth being a lesser noble's wife was enough for me. Infuriated, conflicted, and feeling hopeless I flopped down on my yellow comforter. Fumbling I pulled my pillow to me, waiting for the hours to pass until I could take my exams. The hours past slowly as I grew lost in my thoughts.


The last bell of the day had long since rang as I flipped through the answers on my tests. The first test had gone smoothly, earning me a passing grade with ease and I gained the monk certification without breaking much of a sweat.

The questions on the monk class certification had been easy, but this time I took the time to read through my answers on the second test with more care. This time I wanted to make sure I filled out all of the answers to the best of my abilities, as the strong desire to prove myself crept into my consciousness. I found myself strongly desiring the ability to pass into the priest class. In an effort to curb that growing desire, I meticulously checked my test over and collected all my papers. I was feeling pretty confident in my abilities and my answers for this exam, but it never hurt to back it up and have a second look.

A short while later I signaled to professor Hanneman that I was done with my exam. He quietly came and collected my test from me then gestured for me to stand out in the classroom courtyard while he finished grading. Caught between apprehension and confidence in my abilities, I walked outside and leaned against the cool stones. My thoughts from earlier kept creeping in as I slid to the ground.

"I heard you were taking your certifications, are you done?" I tilted my head up to see Byleth approaching with a tea tray in hand.

"I just finished my last exam. Professor Hanneman is grading it presently." I muttered as I realized now hungry and exhausted I was.

She crouched down next to me, skillfully balancing the full tea set on her knees as she gazed at me with expressionless eyes. "Care to join me for some tea then?"

The tiny snacks on the tray made my mouth water, while the aroma of fresh tea tantalized my nose. Hesitantly, I nodded my acceptance and looked around. Clearly there wasn't any place suitable for tea in the nearby vicinity. "I would be delighted to join you but where?"

Byleth wasn't concerned, it seemed she had already planned this out. Based on my prior experience with her and her classes, it wasn't surprising that the professor who specialized in tactics and strategy had already prepared her battleground. "You can come join me in the Blue Lion's classroom. No one should be there so we can have our tea in peace."

More interested then I cared to admit as to why Byleth was seeking me out, I followed her into the classroom. True to her word, the Blue Lion's classroom was indeed deserted. "Everyone else is at dinner, but I noticed you don't really like the mess hall."

I nodded as she motioned for me to have a seat. "I thought you looked uncomfortable at lunch today so I figured we could just have a chat by ourselves." She said this all with a straight face and not an iota of emotion, but somehow I felt a little better for it.

"I appreciate your concern, I am sorry for worrying you." I sat down across from her as she proceeded to pour our tea.

I took a minute to savor the smell. "This is an interesting flavor, what is it?"

She looked down at the orange-yellow tea, not a hint of like or dislike showing as she swirled the tea in the most unladylike way. "Lorenz offered some of his special blend of Bergamot. I had no other flavors in stock." She took a sip of her tea and then sighed. "I have been meaning to run into town but it's always one thing after the next."

I had to hide my dislike as soon as she dropped Lorenz's name, but I slowly took a sip of the freshly prepared tea. The taste lingered on my tongue as I set my teacup back on it's saucer remarkably unimpressed with the flavor. "That is...a unique flavor."

Byleth was quick to pick up on my comment. "You don't care for it then?"

I looked down at the steaming teacup and back up at the crystalline blue eyes of my professor. With a snort I informed her what I thought. "It tastes just like nobility."

She seemed to consider my comment for a second, but it was almost impossible to tell what she was thinking. "Lorenz did mention it is a blend flavored in the noble houses, do you have a type of tea that you prefer? I can make sure to pick some up next time I am in town."

I was taken back by her comment. Despite being limited in her emotions, her comment was encouraging. Interested, it seemed like she wanted to spend more time with me. I thought about her question and found myself answering honestly. "I have a small stash of Almyran Pine Needles and Ginger teas back in my room. Those are probably my favorites."

I attempted another sip of my tea and decided that it was going to require a lot more than just will power to stomach the flavor with a straight face. I reached out and helped myself to a small sandwich.

"Speaking of that, you were escorting a caravan from Almyra to Fodlan here. Why was that?" Byleth was apparently getting to the core reason she wanted to talk with me.

I frowned as I chewed on my sandwich, regretting that I had skipped both lunch and dinner. Sometimes it was easier when rumors did spread. I sighed and gave roughly the same answer I had given Claude and Seteth earlier in the week. "I am from Fodlan actually. I was just sent abroad to study some ruins on the edges of Almyra territory. I had been there for about five years now? Maybe a little longer, I am not sure? It is kind of hazy."

Byleth pressed me for more answers and it was feeling really redundant justifying myself and my actions. "What were you studying?"

I answered flatly, trying to drink my tea and eat as I scowled. "Several ruinous temples in the mountains. The lord that contracted with me wanted me to retrieve a few things that were rumored to be in the ruins."

"Like what?"

I was dissatisfied and on guard with the conversation at this point. "That is classified. Did Seteth put you up to this?"

'No, I was just curious." Byleth sipped her tea for a moment, the tea time clearly not going in her favor any more then it was mine. I attempted to think of a topic that would keep the tea time going, perhaps changing its direction and salvaging it. "Professor, you recently started teaching here right?"

The new professor held her tea with both hands, like she would a cup of coffee and answered flatly. "That is correct."

I couldn't tell if she was interested in where I was leading the conversation, or if I had offended her. Byleth was really hard to read. "Priorly you mentioned that you were a mercenary, can I ask how long it took you to adjust to life here at the monastery?"

Byleth's eyebrows creased a little bit as she set her tea cup down. "I think it took me a month or two? I have been here for about 3 months now."

I swirled my tea cup, loathing the liquid in it. Absently I found myself wishing for a beer or something stronger, anything rather than tea at the moment. Navan clearly had been a bad influence."Was it hard for you to settle into your position here?"

My tea party member selected a snack from the tray in front of us. "It was a bit difficult at times. My father never mentioned the Church of Seiros to me, so all of that was a shock."

Relieved I probably wasn't the only one having issues, I leaned forward with interest. "So you had a hard time adjusting too? It's not just me?"

She nodded solemnly. "I think that everyone is just starting to grow accustomed to their roles here when you dropped in. We are due to get another exchange student next month as well. I heard from the other faculty that it is really rare to accept students into the term so late, and it's even rarer still for them to be sponsored by the church like you and I are."

I ate another sandwich thinking. My tea sat abandoned due to my interest in the topic of conversation. "So wait, Lady Rhea also invited you to stay here?"

The new professor nodded and leaned forward on the table too. "Yes, I was just appointed a professor after I rescued Claude, Dimitri, and Edelgard from bandits. The archbishop then thanked me for my help and offered me a teaching position here."

My mouth went slack from sheer amazement. "Is that really what happened? You have to tell me more!"

Byleth nodded, something instinctively told me she was relieved that I was showing interest in the conversation. She proceeded to tell me about how she had come to meet Claude, Dimitri, and Edelgard who begged for her Father's mercenary troop to help fight off some bandits that had attacked them late in the night after a training exercise had gone wrong. The professor elaborated on how she had rescued Edelgard from being cut in two by the bandit leader, how she had been forced to pick which house she wanted to lead, and how she had no prior teaching experience prior to accepting the position.

When Byleth finished her story I leaned back in amazement thinking. "That is very interesting. Very interesting indeed. I wonder what Rhea is planning..." I muttered the last part under my breath from behind my hand as Hanneman knocked on the door frame

. "Excuse me, Miss Lilianna? I would like to congratulate you with your second certification into the intermediate level Priest class." He held out a pin with the healers symbol of Seiros and some fresh robes.

I felt a giant wave of tension release itself as I stood up and accepted my newest certification. Amazed at the softness of the white and green robes, and the fact I had managed to pass two certification exams before we departed made me feel better. I smiled deeply at both of my professors and took a slow breath before I bowed low.

"Thank you both professors! I look forward to learning more in the future!"


The next morning the Golden Deer house was dispatched, and we began our week-long journey to a northern lumber town where the beasts had most recently been sighted. Our current objective was to protect the town and remove any threats we might encounter.

The entire trip was scheduled to be a week-long assignment for the Golden Deer, but much to my surprise, we were also accompanied by one lone member of the Blue Lions. The cheerful redheaded lion greeted us all at the last minute as we got ready to ride out the gates. My surprise at Sylvain joining us for our trip was short lived however as I leaned over the rails of the wagon to chat with him. I was curious as to how he had ended up tagging along with our class on a mission.

In which Sylvain cheerfully explained that professor Byleth thought he was slacking in his studies again and as punishment assigned him to assist us with this mission as an adjunct student.

I shook my head in disbelief as the redhead easily confessed he had been slacking in his training. "So what you're telling me is that you were too busy chasing skirts around to attend class, so you got saddled with an extra assignment."

"Look at you, both beautiful and intelligent! Tell me does my assistance here bother you?" He flirted casually as I snorted unimpressed by both his antics and his confession. Uninterested in his flirting I ducked back down into the wagon I was riding in.

"Maybe Felix was right, you should train more." I muttered as I sat down on the floor of the wooden wagon.

"Sylvain is constantly chasing skirts around. You should know that by now." Lysithea commented without missing a beat in the conversation.

I looked over at the young white haired mage next to me as she flipped a page in her book.

"So, now that you're stuck with me being here for the entire week, what do you say to finally having dinner with me sometime? We could enjoy a nice meal, get to know each other better, go for a long romantic walk among the trees..."

The dinner invitation came as a painful reminder of my recent conversation with Lorenz. Disgusted and more than slightly concerned that the philanderer was hitting on me with such diligence, I dug around in my bag to procure my own book. "Pass, I wouldn't want to make any of your other girlfriends jealous or anything."

"Aww, man." I rejected his offer soundly as I flipped open the book. The hefty textbook was on the subject of faith and reason magic, a testament that I didn't slack on my studies even on the road if the subject interested me enough. I had begged and pleaded for Professor Hanneman to lend me just before we left.

The next time I looked up from my book, it was late afternoon. I took note that we were well on our journey by this point. The young forest we had been in earlier had changed into large mature trees and densely packed greenery. Judging by the dark foliage all around us, I hazarded a guess this was the dense pine forest Claude had pointed out on the map during our strategy meetings.

The sentinel pine trees were eerily quiet as I rode in the back of a transportation wagon, taking a moment from studying my book to analyze the world around me. Several of my classmates had managed to secure mounts, Sylvain, Lorenz, and Hilda were riding full blown war horses while Leonie rode a magnificent winged Pegasus. Ignatz had also managed to secure a horse, but his ability to manage the large animal left about as much to be desired as my own riding ability.

On the other hand Marianne kept to the back of the supply wagon chain out of anyone's way, where she walked quietly next to her pack horse, Dorty. Which left me sitting next to Lysithea, Claude, and on occasion, Raphael.

"The forest is really quiet." I commented softly as I looked around us feeling the creep of worry in my gut.

My cautious comment forced Claude to look up from his own book. "Is it?"

"I can't see what you're talking about, a forest is always quiet!" Raphael boomed as he marched alongside our wagon while chewing on some kind of rocky looking apple.

"Why would it be noisy? It is not normal for a forest to make a lot of sounds." Lysithea's annoyed voice came out harshly on the otherwise silent landscape.

I shook my head pushing my hair out of my face as it drifted in front of my bad eye. My injury was starting to return to normal, my vision had returned a few days prior and now all that was left was the fading markings. "Shhh…listen."

I cautioned as Claude closed his book and started looking around. "What's up?"

The archer seemed to sense something was off as well as grabbed an arrow from his quiver. My house leader knocked it into his bow with ease as my other two companions tensed.

Everyone went quiet for a second. The only thing that could be heard was the creek of the wagon wheels, along with the muted clop of horse hooves. It was an oppressive silence of a still forest. The lack of noise alerted me something was not as it seemed. My eyes hunted through a variant sea of green, but in the densely packed foliage, my eyes could not pick up anything out of place.

The unease, and forbidding feeling something was not right, forced me to my knees whispering. "Do you hear that?"

Claude returned my whisper as he cast a sharp gaze at his surroundings as well. "No, what am I supposed to be listening for?"

Lysithea finally looked up from her book. "I can't hear anything either."

I stood up in the cart and looked around as Claude crouched against the railing next to me. My voice was barely audible as I answered. "That's the thing. You can't hear anything."

My eyes darted around frantically searching the sea of green, wishing to be on alert for anything that might be moving. "There aren't any birds singing. No small animals either. This isn't normal, something is going on."

"We are stomping through the forest, it's not like we are being quiet about it." Lysithea snapped as she packed her book away.

A second later Claude gave a shout that sent the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. "Get into the trees! We are under attack!"

A mist of purple gas bubbled out from the forest on our right and crept over the ferns at an alarming rate. Upon seeing the ferns withering in contact with the forbidding mist, I jumped out of the wagon and made a dash for the other side of the road.

Absolutely chaos broke out right in front of me as a giant maw appeared directly in front of my face. I dove into a patch of ferns as a horrific beast crashed through the ancient pines as if they were mere toothpicks. I rolled to a stop and watched the beast for a second, identifying them as some type of demonic beasts. I let my heart beat slow now that the ambush was turning into a full out attack on our caravan, and turned to face the foe before me. I felt an evil grin tugging at the corners of my face as I took note of the heavy scales, poisonous breath, claws, tail, and giant maw.

"Be careful of the beast's armor!" Hanneman yelled instructions to us as the sun reflected off something metallic in the sky. My mind went from defensive, fight or flight responses and smoothly transitioned into an offensive maneuver as I planted myself firmly in the beast's way.

With a calm and collected consciousness I let my magic go, firing a volley of magical darts directly into the creature's mouth. The beast recoiled from my attack only to scream as a fireball hit its flank. The creature's head swiveled from side to side in confusion as another fireball followed up with the first.

As the second fireball exploded on its flank let out an angry, enraged hiss. The huge beast dug its massive claws across the ground in irritation, sending dirt and sand flying up into the sky limiting visibility. A heartbeat later I heard more angry screaming from the second creature behind us as purple poison mixed with the sandy debris in the air.

"Everyone spread out!" Claude's voice carried over the screams as a hulking humanoid form swept by me roaring in challenge.

It took me a second to realize it was Raphael who had just blown by me in a fury. The brawler laid into the beast's already injured side with a huge double bladed axe. The beast's protective plated armor was already damaged from Lysithea's fireball and my Saraph darts, and Raphael's attack was the final push we needed to drop the beast's armor. As Raphael slammed into the beast's side it's armor crumpled and then shattered on impact.

I tensed and started to move, running towards the beasts uninjured flank, finally able to get to the treeline. As I re-positioned I noted the rest of the battlefield and how the battle was was busy firing off arrows in rapid succession with extreme precision from a precarious position inside the transport wagon. A quick glance over my shoulder revealed that the cavalry units were struggling to fend off two more demonic beasts had somehow appeared behind us.

Once into the treeline I managed to attract the beast's attention, pulling it away from the middle of the caravan. The enraged beast raked its sword like claws in my direction, kicking up yet more dirt and sand, sending ferns and forest undergrowth high into the air. The beast's intense red eyes centered directly on me as I had attacked it first.

I ducked several falling branches as the creature proceeded to chase after me in its enraged state. The demonic beast lobbed trees and rocks in my direction as I continued running to create some distance between me and the caravan. The tree line in front of me broke suddenly and I skidded to a stop in a small clearing, realizing I had probably run far enough. I turned around to face the injured beast once more.

The sparkling light I had noticed earlier bounced again off the beast's other side in a flurry of wings. Leonie's lance came back up as the Pegasus flapped its wings, disengaging as it pulled back up into the sky. I took another deep breath and readied another cast as I felt a healing wave come over me.

I didn't have time to think about the wave of healing magic that was washing over me, my adrenaline was pumping as I prepared my next attack. Distinctly aware that the longer this fight dragged on the more dangerous the fight became for me. Currently I was separated from my group, fighting a raging beast that was as large as a house, and the monster was barreling down on me with the glow of demonic power in its eyes.

I yelled my spell as light spikes jutted out from all around me and flew toward the creatures face. My spell effectively distracted the monster, the attack and pain caused the creature to tumble into the clearing with a terrible screech. My spell blinded the creature, the potent spell faded, but the damage remained. The beast thrashed madly, digging its claws at its bleeding face as it rolled around on the ground. I prepared to cast another spell as a wave of nausea and dizziness overtook me causing me to stagger in place.

Another two fireballs came in from the forest, attacking the beast in front of me with an explosive force. The flames burnt and spread as loud roaring erupted from directly behind me. The grating noise made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I had just enough time to turn around and react to the incoming threat.

With a feeling of dread and unease, I turned around to see a tree being thrown at me. Promptly I ducked, wincing as I felt a thick branch slam into my torso as I failed to completely dodged the attack. The force of the thrown foliage knocked me backwards back into the treeline, the heavy branch pinning me under it as another beast pushed its way into the clearing behind me.

I struggled to move the tree branch that had landed on top of me as a flash of pink hair exploded out of the treeline by me and slammed into the beast that had just attacked me chanting. "Hilda, Hilda, Hilda!"

I noted where the branch connected to the trunk of the tree and gave up on attempting to push the tree branch off me. Bracing myself for my next spell, my world went dark for a second and then I teleported onto the other side of the clearing. As soon as my opponent came into focus I roared and unleashed another volley of light spikes. My nausea grew even worse as a splitting pain from my injured eye caused my vision to lose focus.

Growling through the pain, I watched in satisfaction as my spell ate through the beast's armor. At the same time Hilda attacked the beast from the other side, swinging an impressive looking axe. She cheered madly as her axe hit the other side, causing the armor to crumple and drop to the ground. I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth with a grin of satisfaction and followed up with an enchanted gust of wind and light, the zephyr winds slamming into the stunned beast and it let out a scream of defeat as Hilda finished it off with another swing.

Overall the conclusion was that the ambush was a quick one, with a total of 6 of the beasts approaching out of the quiet forest. As I finished inspecting the two beasts that had fallen in the clearing, I made a point check myself over next. Surprisingly I was mostly in tack, but I was more than a little bruised and my uniform had seen better days. I also had a decent sized gash on my arm that required me to open a vularity. I poured the healing potion over the cut and watched the wound disappear, satisfied I was still in one piece.

Once back on the road, I was vaguely aware that my teammates were clustering in a tight knit circle and were checking over each other's wounds. Marianne was doing her best as the group's main healer but everyone was a bit more rough for wear after the surprise battle.

The crowd was thickest around Lorenz and Leonie who were laying in the back of the transport wagon.

I took a deep breath and examined everyone who was crowding around the wagon waiting in turn for healing. My still alert gaze flitted around, taking inventory of who was present and how was missing. My concern grew as I could not locate Claude or our professor. Worried I wondered where they had got to.

Unsettled that no one was in charge I took the lack of command in stride. My teammates were all clustered around the injured, leaving us wide open to a follow up attack. My concern that there could be still more threats lurking in the words had me issuing orders to those who were mostly uninjured. "Ignatz you have sharp eyes, could you go and keep a lookout for us?"

Ignatz was working on patching up a minor wound on Raphael and he jumped at the sound of my voice. "A-Ah sure thing!"

The spectacled archer grabbed his bow as I wasted no time. Turning on my heels I addressed our white haired mage next. "Lysithea, can you help Ignatz out by keeping lookout at the rear?"

"If I must." She sighed as I took over taking care of Raphael. My minor healing spell took effect causing the glaring wound to shrink as the holy magic flickered and shone in my hands.

"You are one of the least injured here, and the most capable of fighting off any threat with your magic skills you will be fine." I explained as I finished up tying off the bandage on Raphael's bicep.

She rolled her eyes but didn't argue with me as the short mage started walking towards the back of the caravan.

I checked Raphael over once more, satisfied both Ignatz's and my handiwork.

"Alright big guy, you should be all set now. How are you feeling?" I asked the tall blond as I checked over our situation again. Feeling slightly better now that we had guards standing on duty, I realized with a pit of worry that the professor and Claude were still missing. Sylvain's bright red hair was also not visible among the few people that were moving through the line of wagons, calming horses and putting things back in general order. The lack of leadership and the fact several people were missing was making me deeply uneasy.

"Well I am pretty hungry! But other then that I feel great!" Raphael's voice boomed next to me as he set his hand on my shoulder. "Do you have any food?"

I scanned the wagons again biting my bottom lip. "Err, not really. I am a little busy right now to be handing out snacks."

I looked up at the cheerfully blood soaked face of my housemate and lectured him soundly. "Keep in mind you lost some blood, so take it easy for a bit."

Raphael pushed himself up and stretched not upset that I didn't have food. "Sure thing! I'll just go stand with Lysithea and keep watch!"

I was about to protest that standing watch wasn't taking it easy as the corner of my eye caught a guttering flash of light. My past experience told me it was a failed spell cast. Frantically I turned my full attention to see where the source of light came from to see Lorenz still bleeding out in the wagon next to Marianne.

"Oh no! I am sorry! I don't think I can…"

I took another breath and rushed over speaking quickly as Lorenz's uniform grew redder with his blood. "Marianne!" I took one look at the dark shadows under the shy, soft spoken healer's eyes and got to work. "Don't worry, you have done enough! Look at you, you look completely exhausted. I can take it from here. "

I sealed myself for the exhaustion that I knew was coming and started casting myself. My healing spell slowly took effect on the bite mark on Lorenz's leg and torso, feeling the exhaustion of spell casting taking hold.

Marianne wouldn't meet my gaze as she stayed by Lorenz's side. "Thank you for the assistance. I am sorry for being such a burden."

Her downcast eyes looked tormented as she put her hands together. I hazarded a glance at her, it looked like she was praying for the goddess to smite her where she knelt.

My healing spell finished a while later, the more dire the wound the longer it took to heal and the more exhausting casting was. I finished my spell, feeling my stomach knot as Lorenz opened his eyes.

The injured man pushed himself up into a sitting position as I twisted to turn my attention to Leonie. Hilda was already pouring healing potions on her wounds and the pink haired brigand had already treated most of the Pegasus knight's major wounds.

Lorenz's stiffly elegant voice worked to reassure the gentle healer next to him. "Nonsense, I would be in quite a bind had you not healed me earlier when the beast swiped me with his maw. It is quite a miracle I even survived."

I ignored the rest of his seemingly eloquent speech. If he had enough strength to talk like that he would probably be alright. I tried to concentrate on my healing spell, feeling like my body was made of stone. The exhaustion was accompanied by a dull pulsing headache that was spreading like spell flickered in my hand and died as soon as my attention and perseverance waned.

I looked down at my hands in disgust, it seemed I was tapped out of magic now as well. Disgusted with myself I turned to my charge. "I'm sorry Leonie, it looks like I am also out of magic for the day."

Hilda shrugged as she helped Leonie sit up. The orange haired tomboy winced as she touched her shoulder. "Na, it's no big deal. I just think of this as training. Don't always have healers around to take care of every little scrape you know."

I looked around feeling uneasy and dissatisfied with myself. My headache, exhaustion, and concern for my missing teammates did nothing to help. Angry that I couldn't do more despite my years of training. It sucked to feel helpless when people actually needed me, but it happened all too often in battle that there were far more injured than healers could possibly help with their faith and magic.

My train of thought was interrupted by Hilda who was chattering nonstop. The pink haired maiden gushed."Wow you guys did such a great job today. I saw all those spells going off and I was totally thinking there was a lot of magic being cast, so guess that explains why you're so exhausted now!" Hilda cheerfully complimented Marianne and I as all three of us worked together to finish patching Leonie up.

Unaccustomed to the praise and being told I had done a good job, I tried to compliment the pink haired noble in return. "Hilda, you were doing great too. You came in from the side and just slammed into that monster right when I needed you. You were a total life saver."

Hilda preened at the praise. "Awww, you don't have to mention it. Maybe when we are in town you can make it up to me for saving your life!"

I shook my head as I forced myself to my feet. My blood soaked hand pushed my unruly green hair out of my face as I looked around. Still not seeing the missing people I called out. "Has anyone seen the professor, Sylvain, or Claude anywhere?"

"Last I saw they were heading off into the forest over there." Ignatz pointed down to the south as he held onto the reigns of several of our horses.

I survived the wagons once more in blatant desperation. As much as I wished to go see where the missing were, and what they were doing out in the forest, I knew I couldn't abandon everyone. The sorry state of my housemates just proved to me that we had just taken on an unexpectedly brutal battle, and that most of my classmates did not have a lot of experience in battle.

Raphael was helping Lorenz to his feet as Leonie was being more comfortably situated in the transport wagon. I knew there was no way I could leave them as they were, so vulnerable and exhausted as they were.

I balanced on the edge of the wagon railing, standing vicariously on the thin wood as I looked over the pathway expectantly while everyone sat back recovering. Some of them were still on an obvious battle high, but the signs of exhaustion were definitely starting to become more evident. We needed to find a place to rest here soon before everyone started crashing. I thumbed my bottom lip thinking and decided to wander over to a nearby tree. I looked the tree up and down and started to climb.

It took me a few minutes to pull myself up to the top branches, but as I gazed around the sea of green trying to see where the missing had gone.

"Hey there cutie! What are you doing up in a tree?"

I jerked my head down to see the missing party had miraculously returned while I was busy climbing. A battered but mostly uninjured redhead stood under my tree staring up at me intently and with interest.

"Looking for you." I called down as I balanced between branches.

Sylvain chuckled as he waved me to come down. "We found a cave on the cliff side and went to go investigate. Come down, we are heading there now."

I sat down on my branch, relaxing for a second. I looked out into the intense sea of green. "Alright sure, give me a minute."

My battle high was dropping and my pain and exhaustion were starting to kick in now that everything was being taken care of and that it looked like everyone was going to be alright. I closed my eyes as I leaned up against the giant tree trunk. Everything was under control.


Author's Corner:

Yay we made it to chapter 5! I really hope your enjoying watching the story unfold!

Chapter Recap:

So a slightly shorter chapter - that maybe I should have cut off as Lilianna got her certifications - but I decided to added some action into the chapter. (I like a bit of action top help with the tempo of learning and socializing - I am hoping you enjoy the change of pace and don't mind me adding it!)

The fight is kind of important though because I wanted to show case that while Lilianna has negative experiences with a certain noble she isn't petty enough to ignore him when he really needs help. At the same time, you can kind of see why Lilianna is less then impressed with nobles who like to throw their titles around. She is pretty chill when it comes to those who don't though, tolerating Sylvain's antics, Lysithea 's shortness, and Claude's personality with a bit more grace. She also seems to get along with Hilda, though we see that she might regret that decision later. (In the next chapter actually.) (Owo)

We have a bit of a mystery admirer who can draw, who may or may not have been in the rose garden to witness Lorenz and Lilianna's exchange - and you can see Lili is having issues with fitting in already and is doubting her choice to stay already - and its only been a week.

At the same time she is on a week's assignment to clear out these beasts and she is planning on taking flying lessons starting next month. She expresses her concerns about not fitting in to Byleth, who manages to have a somewhat rocky tea time with her - but it seems that people are willing to support Lili despite the rocky start she had to her schooling - so we will see how that goes.

I hope you look forward to the next chapter and seeing what happens at the logging town!

Remember to hit the fav if you are enjoying the story - if you like the chapter please feel free to leave a comment - and don't forget to follow if you dont want to miss a chapter release! Should be releasing weekly!