Month of Horsebow Moon - The Ghost Of Garreg Mach
Chapter 15
I managed to get to class with plenty of time to spare. In fact I made it into the classroom as one of the first students to show up, beating even our professor.
"Say you're here super early!" Hilda dropped her books down next to me with a chipper chirp.
I attempted to force a smile onto my face as I bid her good morning. "Good morning Hilda."
The pink haired noble ignored my forced grin and sighed heavily. "Oh, this is such a bother. I have been assigned extra duties to clean the infirmary this week. That is always such a chore."
I flipped a page in my textbook, one of my eyebrows arching as she complained of extra duties. "I think that's the point right?"
"I suppose so, but it's such a pain! I injured my wrist the other day carrying all those books and I just don't know if I can…" Hilda carefully set out fresh intricate stationary and a carefully folded piece of paper to the side. Next came an ornate quill and inkwell followed by several select textbooks.
For once it looked like Hilda was going to take notes. I narrowed my eyes at the folded paper as she pulled out an empty envelope. I revised my assessment and guessed she was going to take the time to draft a letter.
I looked away, anything Hilda was up to was Hilda's business. A snippet about a man named Nemesis and the crest of Seiros caught my eye and I hastily jolted a note down in the margin of my paper. "Sounds like you should have Manuela look at it before you do your chores."
Hilda shook her head and pouted a bit. She might have looked cute if she didn't pair it with an obvious attempt to shirk her chores."Oh I couldn't do that! What if something happens while I am getting it looked after and someone gets hurt because of my little injury? I would feel terrible!"
Rubbing the side of my nose I looked over the top of my book for a second before sighing. I set my pen to the side and held out my hand to examine her injury. "Fair point, would you like me to take a look at it right now?"
Hilda started backtracking as I started to smirk. "Err, ahaha, no I wouldn't want to bother you with something so trivial."
I felt the edges of my smile widening as I leaned over my books toward her, purring. "Oh come on, if it's going to affect your work capabilities and training you should have someone look at it. Who knows, if I take care of it now you might even be able to return your library books on time!"
"Ahh, actually I am feeling just fine! No need to worry." Hilda appeared to be visibly uncomfortable as I sat back in my chair satisfied.
I was about to savor my victory when the creak of a chair, alerted me that my conversation wasn't quite done yet.
Claude leaned back on his chair towards me, his own hand extended with a playful grin. Concerned I extended my own hand as my house leader handed me a small slip of paper. "Been saving this for your return Petal. Enjoy!"
"Ohhh smooth Claude, what's it's say!" The suave deer gave us a wink and blew us a kiss as he turned back to read the book in his lap.
Claude's behavior did not bode well for me. As I unfolded the paper I was somehow filled with a growing sense of dread.
It took me a second to read the elegant, looping, script as Hilda waited on baited breath for me to read it. "It says I am assigned kitchen duty…"
I looked up at Hilda biting my bottom lip and let out a resigned sigh. "Sooo, Hilda do you want to trade?"
The pink haired noble was visibly repulsed as she leaned away from me. "Ugghh, scrubbing dirty dishes? No thanks! It will destroy my nails! And don't even get me started on cooking, just no thank you. You can enjoy that chore all on your own."
I looked down at the scrap of paper skeptically. "Well, it can't hurt to try right?"
"That's the spirit!" Claude didn't even bother to look up from his book as he toyed with his side braid. "I have total faith you can do it!"
I leaned over the table and tapped his shoulder. The golden deer whipped his head around, his hand heading for the inside of his jacket as I whispered cautiously. "So, umm, Claude do you happen to have any of that mild poison on you?"
His hand paused as I caught sight of a dull glint of steel. I hastily sat back down realizing I had caught Claude off guard. My house leader let out a peal of laughter that earned me another wink and an even devious grin. "Sure. I call this one "Sylvain"."
Thanks to Claude's trick and my new chore roster assignment, I managed to stay awake and participate in class for the rest of the day.
Once the bells rang out, signaling the end of the in person lectures for the day, I was dismissed to attend flight practice. I was so excited to feel the breeze in my hair and be up in the air again that I ran down to the stable yard.
The other reason I ran out of the classroom was because I wanted to escape my classmates questions as to why I had decided to return to class. About three hours into our lectures Hilda and Lorenz's impossible natures had already begun grating on my nerves, by the end of the day I was ready to disappear once again.
I kept telling myself to take it a little bit at a time, but by the time the bell released us for the afternoon the feeling of freedom and the need to escape was too much to resist.
Seteth was waiting for me just outside of Zu's stall. He was preoccupied with marking tally's in what I knew to be the monastery account book, and as I approached it became apparent there was a new saddle and other riding tack at slung over the saddle rack.
My footsteps slowed as I grew closer, the saddle amazing one had several more straps and buckles on it, along with a heavy green mesh. I immediately realized it was the combat saddle I had been missing. The sheer size of the tack size betrayed the fact that it could only be meant for my over sized wyvern.
Seteth glanced up as my boots ground to a halt. "Ah yes, Lilianna. Right on schedule.I must admit I am rather short on time, but I have brought you a gift."
I froze, toying with the hem of my skirt, suddenly nervous and uneasy. I shifted my weight as I noted a blush start to creep up on Seteth's face.
"I know it's a little soon, but wyvern saddles of his size do take time to procure and to become accustomed to." The advisor struggled to give me a faint smile. "I would rather that you go for your wyvern rider exam sooner rather than later, and when you do so, that you go with the proper equipment."
Flayn's minty-green french braids appeared on the other side of Zu's stall. My friend was quick to follow her brother up and offer more of an explanation. "Yes, yes! We look forward to celebrating you're birthday with you!"
I cocked my head to the side and folded my arms, not entirely convinced that these two were not up to something. "I never told you when my birthday was?"
"I checked your paperwork, once you told us you were promoted to the heir of the Von Atlantia house, it was easy enough to look up from there." Seteth frowned as Flayn scratched under Zu's chin.
The wyvern preened under Flayn's touch. A low thrumming vibrated from deep within the beasts scarred chest cavity, signaling that he enjoyed the attention.
Seteth watched his sister with apprehension as she dipped under Zu's neck to scratch the other side. My wyvern responded by adjusting his head and tilting it so she could reach a particularly soft spot. "He has become most docile now that you have been working with him. It is the most impressive display."
"Um, Seteth my birthday isn't for another month." I stared at the tack in awe, utterly confused by what was going on. Words just dripped out of my mouth as I continued talking. "I - I also had no plans to take a wyvern rider exam just yet..."
I looked longingly at the new tack while Seteth turned back to me. The advisor closed the account book and tucked it away on his person and then gestured to the new gear. "Regardless, it is yours. Think of it as a belated birthday gift from Flayn and myself, for all those that we have missed."
"That's kind of you but...why?" I looked frantically between Seteth and Flayn feeling more and more lost as the pair continued smiling at me.
"I do not believe I have ever witnessed you appearing so flustered. It is most amusing." Flayn laughed at my shock as she opened the stall door.
Zu finally realized I was standing just outside his stall door with a fresh meal. The wyvern let out a high pitched shriek as he screed for joy. His thrilled shrieking was matched by him thrusting his scarred maw out the stall doors and about knocked me over in his excitement.
I caught my balance as I ducked the sweeping horns only to be butted by Zu's muzzle.
"Ahh! Really must you be so noisy?" Flyan covered her ears as Zu passed next to her screaming in delight.
I grabbed one of my wyvern's horns as it passed by and hung on for dear life, trying to suppress a giggle. "He hasn't seen me for close to two weeks. It's nice to have someone who's happy to see me for once."
I dangled on my wyvern's horns as Zu snorted and lifted me off the ground.
Flyan uncovered her ears as I dangled loosely on my wyverns horns. Zu's green eyes flashed as I reached out with my free hand to rub his nose. She watched me as my wyvern's murderous eyes closed to a slit in contentment."Well in any case is it an excellent moment and I very much enjoy observing the two of you getting along."
My wyvern snorted and set me back on the ground in order to stare at Seteth. I let go of Zu's horns and slid down his muzzle.
Seteth glared right back at my wyvern, not giving him any sight of weakness. The advisor's deadpan expression turned to me. "As for the gift, well if it displeases you to think of it as a gift from family, then perhaps you might view it as part of your continued sponsorship here at the academy."
I bit my bottom lip as my wyvern growled."It feels...very strange to be accepting anything without having to pay for it."
"Ah, but that is the point of a gift is it not? Come, let us see how it fits while he eats."
After Seteth finished helping me break in the new saddle by ordering me around the flight paddocks, I reported to the kitchen, per my roster duties for the month.
The head chef had no time to teach me what was going on, and wasted no time on getting me acquainted with my new duties. The tiny veil of poison Claude had gifted me weighed heavily on my mind as the head chef shoved me into an apron and ordered me to tie my hair back before stationing me on the front lines.
I glanced around my battle station trying to keep calm as my classmates began filtering into the dinning hall for dinner. Another conscripted student passed me a freshly prepared plate of pasta with an encouraging smile that I struggled to return.
The bell tolled the supper hour and I had no more time to think. My hands operated on their own accord as I stood petrified at the front of the line. My hands knew their task while my brain short circuited, one hand out to accept the plate from my approaching classmates, while the other scooped out pasta from the large serving tray in front of me. A forced smile would have me passing it back and the process would repeat.
My autopilot skills worked well until a silver tongued redhead leaned over the counter and sent my heart racing.
"Hey there Lilianna, you're looking pretty good there in that apron. Care to serve me up something special, cutie?"
I looked up from piling the pasta onto the plate and really started to see. The line of patrons waiting to eat was mortifying. It seemed like almost all of my classmates were lined up for dinner. I felt myself starting to blush heavily as I passed him his plate back.
"S-Sylvain don't say things like that in front of everyone!" I hissed as he leaned on the counter.
"Oh but it's true! Tell me is your cooking anywhere near as good as you look?" The redhead accepted his plate back with a wink that made me seriously consider the vial in my pocket.
My mortification only grew as he inquired about my cooking skills.
Luckily, the next dinner in line picked up on my flustered state and came to my rescue. "Come on Sylvain leave her alone, can't you see she's uncomfortable?" Ashe spoke up as he looked up at the taller youth.
Sylvain grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "I just can't keep quiet when I see a cute girl. It's just rude to not compliment them."
My embarrassment turned to frustration as I accepted Ashe's plate and filled it.
"Could you kindly take this conversation elsewhere gentlemen? I am trying to work and you're holding up the line." I passed Ashe's now filled plate back to him and gripped the handle on my spoon firmly in irritation as Sylvain laughed.
Sylvain's warm brown eyes danced with pleasure as he pushed off the counter top. "Opps, I guess you're right! Catch you later Lil!"
My ears picked up on were several low snickers as I served a few more plates trying to get back into the swing of things. My face continued to burn as I passed plates back and forth.
"Don't mind him, that's just how Sylvain acts." Ingrid attempted to encourage me as I handed her plate back.
"I know, it's just...embarrassing in front of everyone. I don't really...care for kitchens." I found myself blushing even harder as Ingrid's sharp eyes glared unwittingly at me.
Ingrid accepted her plate as the figure next to her boomed out."Ach scarcy believe ma eyes lass! Ta think sum poor fool assigned yer to kitchen duty!" Navan shook his head an mock despair as he winked at Ingrid. "Tit is a crying shame. Whicha make?"
The pit in my stomach dropped even further as Navan appeared. I glared up at my mentor crossing my arms, refusing to take his plate. "I am just here to serve food."
Navan grabbed his chest in a huge, overly dramatic, sigh of relief. "Then ich might live another day. Thank the goddess!"
I immediately began protesting as Navan reached over and grabbed my spoon in order to serve himself. "Ack! Navan! It was one time!"
Navan leaned over to mockingly whisper into Ingrid's ear. "Ach, the lass's cooking got us near thrown out of a mighty fine tavern. Poisoned the entire staff she did!"
The vial in my pocket grew heavier. Just one small sip and I could be free of this mockery, and probably classes for the next few days if Claude had been truthful about the concoctions effects. My hand strayed towards my pocket as I yanked the spoon back from Navan who was in the middle of loading up his plate with another helping.
"Lilianna, you would really resort to poisoning an entire tavern?" Ingrid's sharp eyes snapped to me and I halted, my hand half in my pocket. Ingrid's judgmental eyes waited for me to explain expectantly as I looked away flushing crimson up to my ear tips.
"Umm, not intentionally?"
"Oh is that why you were asking me for some?" Claude appeared on Navan's other side with a mischievous grin that made me want to die.
I started praying I could simply be reduced to scrub dishes for the rest of the month rather than ever repeat this experience ever again.
Navan let out a deep, hearty, laugh that I swore could have been heard across the entire dining hall. I stared at the plate of pasta in front of me as Claude passed me his plate. "Hahaha! While I wouldn't put it past the lass to slip yer som sleeping juice, but yer should be more concerned with the lass's cooking skills then the lass intentionally poisoning yer food!"
"IT WAS ONE TIME!" I snapped as the entire dining hall went quiet. The pressure grew as I snapped. "First it was some redhead Casanova hitting on me and now I am being tormented because I accidentally added a strange mushroom to the soup pot! Goddess forbid that I make a mistake! ONE TIME!"
Claude watched as I filled his plate up and passed it back to him. The golden deer's eye twinkled with amusement as his mouth turned up in a sarcastic grin. "Well hey, he's right Petal you are looking pretty cute in that apron."
My house leader threw me a casual wink as he accepted his plate from me. I flushed bright red as Navan reached over and clapped Claude firmly on the back.
"Yer a brave lad, it was good knowing ye."
Claude moved down the line as Ingrid and Navan moved off. "So, are your cooking skills that bad? Or do I need to worry about being poisoned during my evening meal today?"
I keep my eyes on the food in front of me, my hands shaking as I gritted my teeth. "It depends on who you ask."
Claude rolled his fork between his fingers, holding up the line like it didn't concern him in the least. "I'm asking you of course."
I relented and looked up into my house leader's questing gaze. "Let's just say there was a reason I asked Hilda to switch with me."
After my first day on kitchen duty I pleaded and schemed to get out of serving or preparing food, the vial of poison never leaving my pocket. The next day saw me checking the roster and actively seeking out the dishwashers who were more than happy to switch tasks with me. I spent most of my duty collecting dirty dishes and taking them back for washing, my arms drenched up to my elbows in suds which suited me almost perfectly.
Still, I couldn't escape speaking with everyone who came through the line, which often meant Sylvain would hit on me, Seteth would inquire how I was doing, and Navan would put on a dramatic act fearing for his soul.
The rest of the week passed without too many incidents, however due to my careful pre-planning. I thought I was going to be able to escape, but when I reported to help with dinner Friday I was handed a recipe and told to start cooking.
The recipe didn't seem that difficult, in fact it did not even require cooking. It was just assembling and cutting up ingredients for a salad. A little skeptical, but wanting to believe in myself I went to the stock room in order to pull down the requested ingredients. The lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, olives and cheese were safely assembled next to my cutting board and the bowl they belonged in. Satisfied I had everything on my list, I set to chopping them up and transferring them in a giant bowl for serving before lightly tossing them together.
Nothing too hard, I thought looking over the contents of the giant bowl. Admiring the fact my knife work was rather precise. I checked over the next set of instructions and bit my lip.
Next I had to make the dressing, which was a bit more difficult. I did end up getting some of it on my apron, but it wasn't anything worth bothering with. I drizzled it into the bowl and set it to the side to await the line chef's approval before taking it out to serving.
The line cook sampled my dish as I waited on pins and needles. He approved it and the servers promptly grabbed it and whisk it away to the front of the kitchens. Pleased and thinking I was done for the day I began to creep out the back.
My careful moment was not overlooked however and the line chef forced another recipe into my retreating hands a few moments later. I prayed to the goddess and looked at the next hell I was about to endure, this time I was supposed to attempt to make bread. Doubt filtered to the back of my brain as the kitchen started to heat up. The line cook I was stationed under started yelling at me to get moving.
I threw a quick prayer to the goddess and sprinted to the supply closet. I hunted and searched for the ingredients on my list, but for the life of me, I could not locate any sack or bin that was remotely labeled bread flour.
I double checked my work. Several more bins and barrels later I managed to spot a sack of flour at the top of the supply rack, a good twelve feet above me. Looking around to see if there was anything widely available to help me grab my supplies and found nothing at a glance.
Growing nervous that I was going to get in trouble, I poked my head out of the supply closet and found the kitchen hopping. There was no chance for me to ask for assistance, I was on my own. I bit my lip and poked my head back inside the room trying to come up with a plan. I looked around the room again, and managed to form a rough plan. My idea consisted of creating a step stool with an unused barrel and then seeing if I could grab the corner of the flour sack pull. If everything worked out it would drop onto an empty barrel and I could just empty the sack into the barrel and be done with it.
Of course nothing ever went as planned.
I rolled the heavy barrel I was going to stand on in place and judged the alignment. Satisfied, I picked up the empty barrel and lined that up as well. Another quick peek at the kitchen had me climbing up on top of the sturdy barrel full of ale with no problems. I carefully stood up, and grabbed the railing in order to keep my balance as I reached for the bag of baking flour.
It was only after I started pulling that I realized someone had thrown other bags of flour haphazardly on top of the one I was trying to pull down. I watched with a growing feeling of dread as the object of my desires dropped toward the empty barrel. A second later several more heavy bags of flour dropped down on top of me unexpectedly, one slamming into my shoulder causing me to tilt off balance as it smacked into the barrel under me on its way down before it exploded in a white shower all over the stockroom.
The barrel I was on rocked and I let out a short shriek as the barrel shot out from under me. Years of instinct kicked into crisis mode and I grappled the nearest support ledge - the railing for the entire supply beam.
The sudden weight shift caused another bag to fall, catching on the edge as it ripped itself open to pour itself on top of me. The difference of the improperly shifted weight caused the shelf to shift with an ominous creek.
I was relieved of my kitchen duty when the door slammed open to yell at me. The lead line cook barreled into the supply room to see what was taking me so long only to see me dangling on the support beam covered in flour about seven feet off the ground, as the entire supply rack shuttered and then collapsed on top of me.
"This be happening when you does not asking for assistance." Cereza tutted, clicking her tongue in admonishment as she attempted to scrub grime and flour off my arm in order to see where I was injured.
"Ahh, that stings." I hissed as she hit a tender spot.
My friend narrowed her eyes at an off color spot, poking it experimentally. I hissed again in response, attempting to tug my arm away from her. The short healer held my arm fast and scolded me. "You must not be moving so."
"Here, try this." Marianne suggested timidly as she handed Cereza a damp cloth that smelled nauseatingly like rubbing alcohol. Cereza accepted the cloth and ran it over my abused skin. The flour and dirt coming off revealing an impressive black, blue, and purple bruise.
"I thought I could handle it." I muttered darkly as Cereza sighed and applied bruise balm to the injury and moved further up my arm. "It wasn't my fault I didn't see the extra bags of flour until they fell on top of me."
I scowled darkly as both Marianne and Cereza attempted to remove the flour from my body to see what was injured, if anything was broken, and to locate the madrid bruises.
"Maybe you should have tried a different location?" Marianne suggested timidly as she wound a bandage around my hand.
I stared at her wide eyed in confusion. "Wait, what do you mean?"
She ducked her head, hiding her gaze as she finished binding my hand in a temporary splint. Her voice was really quiet as she answered my confusion. "There is another location for flour in the third storeroom, maybe you would have had more luck there?"
I stared at her with wide eyes, mouth slightly agape as I began feeling like a complete idiot. "We have a third store room?!"
"Be staying still please, you is making this difficult most." Cereza struggled with her lecture whilst poking yet another black and blue spot. This time her small hands danced over my collar bone, causing me to wince in pain.
"It is not broken, you are being lucky." She assessed as she liberally applied some salve on my bruises and stuck yet another bandage over them.
"Ya ok, bringing down the entire stock room on my head is not what I call lucky. Who decided it was a good idea to put flour sacks up that high anyway?!" I raged as Manuela walked in.
"I thought I heard someone in here. Oh dear back again Lilianna?...And look! You have tracked flour all over the infirmary, who is going to clean up this mess?"
Cereza quickly offered to cover for me as we all looked at ghostly tracks and small piles of flour I had managed to track into the infirmary. "Sweeping the floors I will soon."
My ripped, soggy, and floured coated uniform lay at the foot on the bed I was sitting on. Clad in only my undergarments I sat there miserably encrusted in flour and smelling strongly of ale.
Manuela tutted but overlooked the flour on her floors as she looked me back over with a bemused expression on her face. "Well don't you look like an absolute fright."
Cereza found another bruise on my side and I arched my back as she applied the cool salve and pressed another bandage to the injury.
"I feel like an absolute fright." Marianne handed me my flour dusted skirt. I promptly leaned over with a protest in order to pull the tight pencil skirt up over my legs. "God I feel like I have been kicked by a horse..."
"I am sorry." My house's primary healer looked at the ground and apologized to me in earnest.
I pulled the abused material up over my hips and zipped it shut. "You didn't do anything Marianne, well that's a lie, you helped me out by helping patch me up so...thank you." I smiled at her as I attempted to smooth out the crunchy spots on my now white skirt. "You've been a big help."
Marianne didn't say anything, she just silently began putting supplies away. I wanted to say something more but Cereza thrust my yellow tank top into my hand as I opened my mouth. I groaned realizing I had to try to get it over my head with my hand in a splint.
I struggled for a minute, the light weight material catching on the fresh bandages as Cereza leaned over behind me. She pulled the shirt loose when it got stuck and I had just managed to pull the light weight material down over my chest as a knock on the door interrupted me.
"Hey, I just heard there was an incident in the dining hall…" Claude left off as I froze like a deer in the headlights. I felt the heat rush to my cheeks as I yanked the other half of my shirt down over my bruised torso.
Cereza promptly ignored the situation as she yanked the back of my tank top up and proceeded to touch the small of my back with her cold hands. "How have you occurred such a scar? It is most mystifying a pattern..."
I felt her tracing over the edges of the marking with a cold dreaded shiver. I tried to reach back and pull down the back half of my shirt while keeping my front covered. "...I got it when I was young. My village was raided by bandits. It's nothing special, now would you please let go?"
She continued tracing the star shaped pattern and, failing to get my shirt back I stood up and ripped my shirt away from her, not wanting to remember whatever memories were trying to resurface when I thought of it.
I rubbed my arms trying not to remember the blood soaked canyon and managed to clip one of the many bruises that now dotted my arm. I shot a nervous look at the man standing in the doorway.
Claude who was supporting a healthy pink hue as he tried to apologize. "S-sorry I didn't mean to intrude..."
Manuela must have sensed an opportunity as she gave me my flour encrusted jacket along with a small shove toward him. "No, it's fine she was just leaving anyway."
The infirmary healer gave me a pointed stare with pursed lips as she turned around and opened a filing cabinet behind her. "It's a good thing your house leader is looking out for you."
"Uhhh…" I answered as I tried to tug the flour encoated mess over my battered frame with my injured hand.
There was a subtle click and then a second later, a curtain of yellow surrounded me. I stopped trying to undo the crusted buttons on my academy jacket as Claude fiddled with the ornate clasp. "Don't worry about putting that back on, here you can borrow this."
I waited for the golden material to settle as I looked up at some a pair of glittering emeralds. "Are you sure? I am just going to get it covered in flour."
"Na, it's fine. No big deal." Claude adjusted the cape on my shoulders and then turned to Manuela. "Are you sure she is alright to leave?"
The professor swayed a bit as she answered, still looking for something in the filing cabinet behind her. "Oh, nothing's broken, well nothing besides her dignity anyway, so she is free and clear to head back to her dorm room. Just make sure not to track flour everywhere on your way out."
Claude shot her a thumbs up. "Well alright then, I guess I didn't need to worry about her after all."
"Oh I wouldn't say just that." Manuela pulled a rather decent sized folder out of the drawer and flipped it open. She started scribbling in it as Cereza located a broom and began sweeping. "If I was to compare I would say she is in here almost as frequently as you Mr. Riegan. Goodness, as much as you both are in here I am going to need to start reserving beds."
I buried my face into the palm of my good hand as Claude laughed alongside me. "Is that so? Can I request the one nearest the window?"
Manuela rolled her eyes as she waved us out. "Do try to take care."
Twilight was just starting to overtake the sky as the purples and blues of the night chased the warm hues of the setting sun across the horizon. I walked stiffly alongside my house leader, who thankfully was observant enough to match his pace to my own. A light breeze tugged across the lake with the chilly bite of evening, a reminder that Fodlan's winter season was not that far off.
Claude decided to accompany me back down to my dorm room, our conversation not much more than idle chatter. The Golden deer wandered nonchalantly across the pathways, never staying in the straight line as he led the way. I was a few paces behind him admiring the night sky and the raising moon.
I was staring at scenery, watching the moonlit creep slowly over the ramparts, drenching them in a gentle blue white light when Claude stopped in his tracks. "Say Lilianna, I have an idea."
Slightly disturbed by the way he said it, I looked down around my feet concerned."Huh? What, am I leaving tracks?"
My house leader chuckled as I turned around clutching his cape against the cooler night wind. "Na, nothing like that. I just had an idea. Say Petal, what do you think about being my partner in crime for the night?"
His comment caught me off guard and I turned toward him tilting my head in question. "I am listening."
My response must not have been what he had hoped for, or maybe my house leader had caught himself off guard as well. I couldn't tell as Claude ruffled his hair and refused to make eye contact. His voice was a bit strained, almost sheepish as he explained his incoming scheme.
"Ok, that sounded a bit weird. Ok, hear me out. You're encrusted in flour right?"
"Unfortunately." I commented dryly as I held up my flour encrusted hand. I was pale at the best of times, but the flour made me look deathly pale in the encroaching moonlight.
His narrow green eyes held a twinkle of mischief as he explained. "So, you're overly pale due to your unfortunate dusting. I propose that we take a little gander around the grounds, you know, to show off your ghostly white visage."
He shot me a grin as his plan clicked with something in me. My house leader was proposing we play a trick on our classmates, knowing full well several of our classmates were terrified of ghosts.
The more I thought about it, the more it sound like fun. No one was really at risk for getting hurt, and the idea of trying to explain my ghostly apparition status to Seteth if I was caught sounded hilarious. I snorted trying to hold back my laughter as I thought of how that conversation would go and soon found I couldn't hold back.
I burst out laughing as Claude took a step back in surprise. "Hahaha! Goddess help me, I can't believe you want to pass me off as a ghost! That sounds hilarious!" I nodded and started undoing his cape.
"W-wait...you actually want to go along with it?"
"Yup, I want in on this." I snickered as I struggled with his clasp in the moonlight. The possibilities rolled as I contemplated how this could turn out."I mean, why not? It's harmless and I could use a good laugh."
Claude watched me struggle for a second as a sly smirk started to creep onto his face."Huh, a kindred spirit I see."
I finally was able to get the clasp to click open, my fingers slipping on the pin clasp as I unlocked it. "Well, I'm not going to lie. It kind of sounds like fun and I totally look forward to seeing what rumors crop up."
Claude shifted to watch me out of the corner of his eyes as he stared up at the indigo drenched sky about me. "Haha, fair point."
I let the soft gold material drop off my shoulders. I held the cape loosely in my arms as I stared up at the night sky alongside the Golden Deer leader. Out of the corner of my own eyes I watched Claude carefully, watching for any signs. "Don't tell me that wasn't your goal along, right?"
He flashed me a quick smile as we both watched the last wink of the sun's rays dip below the horizon. "Maybe...maybe I might just not want to let a good opportunity go to waste!"
I handed the mostly yellow, slight flour encrusted cape back to my house leader and struggled back into my jacket. "Haha, that's just like you! But umm hey Claude?"
He leaned down towards me as he played with the clasp on his cape.
"Thanks for lending me your cape again...and uhh I'm sorry I got flour on it." I blushed as I clipped up the buttons on my white jacket.
"Eh, no big deal. It washes." My house leader shrugged off my thanks as he clipped his cape back into place.
"Bit chilly out here tonight…" I muttered as I pulled my gloves off my belt and tugged the left one up into place, noticing with a hint of amusement that the Golden Deer next to me was a bit pink.
I tugged the second glove and did a quick twirl for approval. "Alright, how do I look?"
"Absolutely Ghastly." Claude watched as I twirled a second time and he threw me a quick thumbs up. "Now where should we plant you…"
I contemplated his question, and analyzed where this trick could have the biggest potential. I rubbed the bottom of my chin in thought."Well...Student dorms...Ah! I got it! How about down by the classrooms? There shouldn't be a lot of people who are down that way, just people coming from the library to head to bed."
Claude nodded. "Hmm ya, the student dorms would normally be the best place this little scheme, but the dorms are full of people coming and going right now. They would catch onto this trick all too quickly." The Golden Deer rubbed his chin as if he was thinking of some other place and then shrugged. "I like the way you think, the classrooms it is!"
I grabbed his hand and pulled in excitement. "Well what are you waiting for! Come on let's go!"
"Woaah! Hey! Slow down!"
The next morning, during lecture a tap on the side of my table woke me up. "Miss. Lilianna, if you find class to be that boring perhaps you can tell us about the magical properties of the common heal spell?"
I yawned and stretched unperturbed by the question. It was an entry level question, one I was able to answer with ease. I scrubbed the back of my head as I recited a textbook answer much to the amazement of my professor.
Hanneman's mustache bristled as he stood over the side of my table, apparently unimpressed that I was able to recite the textbook almost word for word despite never doing my homework and sleeping during almost every lecture. "That is correct. Then perhaps a more challenging question is needed, how about also informing our class about the difference between the heal spell and a recovery potion?"
Again the question posed no problems for me to answer and it amused me that my textbook answers frustrated my magic instructor to no end.
The bell rang before he could ask me a more pressing question, one that might have actually challenged me. Hanneman seemed to struggle for words as he looked over his clipboard and then flipped a few pages in. He let out a hard sigh as we all started to pack up.
I stretched again as the rest of the class started to pack up. There was another annoying tap on my desk as I looked up into the graying face of my magic instructor. "Miss. Lilianna, can you please meet me after class? I wish to discuss your work ethic."
I groaned as I stuffed my unopened textbook into my bag. As recently ranked C class priest, rank E and D questions did not phase me. I wasn't sure why he was upset.
The rest of the class snickered at my misfortune as a torrent of rain continued to pour out in the courtyard. It was raining hard enough to make the windows in the classroom shutter and the sound of rolling thunder had punctuated most of the morning lectures.
I ran my hand through my hair, a vain attempt to tame the unruly green strands as I listened to my classmates squeaking cries of dismay at the rain. My other hand found its normal perch on the side of my face as my elbow leaned on my desk while I waited for the room to empty.
Lysithea's flustered whisper as she stuttered impatiently, looking uneasy at the classroom while Ingrid digging around for his umbrella. The innocent green haired artist made light conversation. I smiled, amused by his choice in topic.
"So, did you guys hear about the ghost? I heard someone saw a ghost around the classrooms here last night."
Lysithea grabbed onto her bag, clutching it for dear life. "Did you say g-ghosts?
That got the rest of the magic class going. Mercedes gasped and jumped into the conversation with a kind of glee that was not shared by a majority of the class around her. "I saw one by our dormitories last night!"
Edelgard flipped her hair off her shoulders and snapped in a no-nonsense tone. The Black Eagle's leader accepted her umbrella from Hubert who was grinning maliciously. "You can't believe such silly stories."
"Oh, but I saw it with my own two eyes, so it must be true." Mercedes doubled down on her ghost sighting as Annette turned pale next to her. Ashe looked up from his book in a panic as I grinned, Claude scheme was generating some pretty interesting rumors.
Dorothea popped open her own umbrella and stood there a second in thought."I don't know if this has anything to do with a ghost, but the citizens in town say three people have gone missing this week. There's also healthy rumors about a reaper riding through town on a black horse."
The songstress looked around at her audience as we all leaned toward her, some of us with interest while others were listening with a shocked horror. "Well, its just a silly little rumor right?"
She winked at us and in a flourish of elegance I envied, put up her umbrella and stepped out into the rain.
The chaos ensured soon after.
"Miss. Lilianna, really, must we continue to have these conversations? You appear to be an excellent student, given if you bother to put any effort into your coursework, but even that is a rarity! I understand that you are a student here at the request of the archbishop, but if you continue to sleep through my lectures I will have to question if you really intend to graduate."
I drummed my hand on the professor's desk listening to the lecture bored. It was all things I had heard before. I was tempted to write the entire thing off but a small nagging part of my conscience weighted on my mind.
My promise to Claude. The day in the tree, not all that long ago, but it felt like a lifetime ago after the fight at the Black Tower. My promise to try harder as a team and to put forth more effort. Internally I sighed, my hand making lazy circles on the worn wood in front of me.
"Professor I'll be honest, I would pay more attention if I was learning anything new. Right now, all the course work your assigning and covering is, to be frank, a bore. I am both uninterested and unmotivated to do anything more than sleep. I have already covered this information some time ago with my father, who was a very strict academic in his own right, and I have no motivation in which to re familiarize myself with basics. I believe I have already demonstrated that I am no beginner in magic and spells."
I pointed to my priest and newly acquired mage certification, and proceeded to stare my professor dead in the eyes. My voice was as flat as Byleth's as I glared. "Besides, I am no noble who will look after her estate, and I do not aspire to be a knight. I am here to learn." I narrowed my eyes as I continued. "By the grace of her ladyship I have been accepted here at the academy, but outside of the practical training I feel like I am not learning."
I trailed my finger across the desk as I drew a deep breath. "So, given my grievances, and your frustration, is there any chance that I could perhaps be given more challenging content?"
Hanneman brushed his mustache in thought, not outwardly upset by my less than eloquent delivery. "Your concern is that I am not challenging you correctly? If that is your concern, I can certainly move you up into new levels of difficulty if it can motivate you to engage in your learning. I have been wondering if that was part of your trouble. I have received reports that you are in the library studying with a diligence that betrays your lackluster schoolwork. Imagine my surprise when I received reports confirming that diligence alongside coexisting reports from the librarians that you also assist your fellow classmates in their own research and study."
Hanneman fingered the fine pointed ends of his mustache deep in thought. "Yet rarely do you ever bother to turn in your own course work. I had been wondering why that is."
I paused in drawing circles, not entirely surprised that my professors had found out about my study group, but more of a raw realization. My research on Crests had been rather fruitless on my own, the information on them seemingly scarce. I licked my lips, concerned but intrigued by the possibility of answers in front of me.
"I have been studying crests as of late, as well as faith and reason magic. Though, I will admit I have found myself studying quite a bit on wyvern husbandry just due to my recent acquisition of a wyvern."
"Yes, yes I have heard, and signed off on many slips of paper excusing you from your classwork while you cared for the beast. You say you are interested in crests, but did you know you are in possession of a rare, narry unknown crest yourself? I would love to study it, and if you are looking for answers to crests I am not called the father of crestology for nothing."
The way professor Hanneman was staring at me and speaking made it clear to me he wanted nothing more than a chance to study me. I wasn't going to let a good opportunity go to waste, not with Sothis's warning ringing in my ears and the merchant training in me knew a good sales opportunity when I saw it. "So professor, may I propose a trade then? Regarding my audacious amount of missing classwork, perhaps I can persuade you to overlook it in exchange for allowing you to study my crest?"
"As a professor I cannot allow you to skip out on your studies, you are already quite far behind given your late entry into the term and lack of participation." He was looking very tempted, but apparently I needed to bargain a little harder.
"I'll start participating in class, and make an attempt to complete some of the revised homework, provided I get a say in what I am forced to learn."
"You drive a very hard bargain, but I suppose I should not be surprised given we found you traveling with merchants." He shook his head very dejected. "I should not agree to this on principle, but your crest does intrigue me. Very well, if you do not mind I would like to get started with my research right away. Perhaps you can accompany me to my study and I can start performing my tests?"
Author's Corner:
Hellooooo! I am sorry for the delay on this chapter - I thought it was going to be a shorter chapter but turns out I needed to add quite a bit to it - lots of editing. I underestimated the amount of work I was getting into on this one on top of getting kind of sick this past weekend - anyway on to the chapter review!
This chapter saw a lot of just normal slice of life centered around Lili and her academy days - along with minor set up for my next chapter. Lili's actively trying to live up to her promise she made last month...but she is having varying levels of success. Her efforts are not being helped when Claude put her back on the chore roster! (To be fair she would have already been on it but its mostly been stable duty or weeding - things I wish I could stuff in but might make their appearance in other shorts) Speaking of which - that sly DEER! Dropping that note like that! Rude! Not only that - but we see Lili have some kitchen adventures - of the unfortunate kind - no wonder she has some skeptical apprehension when she reads the note. Lili's so tempted to use that poison too - but with a concoction named "Sylvian" she's probably more than a bit skeptical.
Which her cause for concern only comes back to haunt her when she ends up back in the infirmary! One has to wonder where Hilda was since she should have been on duty, but instead it was Marianne and Cereza. Cereza needs to learn something about some personal space as she yanks Lili's shirt up to admire her scar. We find that Mercedes was able to heal her back from the fight in the tower, but Lili retains her mystifying star shaped pattern on her back. She confesses it was because of bandits attacking her town when she was much younger but is reluctant to say anything more on the subject...and she is now supporting a healthy amount of new bruises from her kitchen adventures. Of course - picking great timing - or terrible timing depending on how you look at it - Claude's got a report that one of his fawns is injured and he's playing leader-man again and checking in - just as Cereza is admiring her scar.
Absolutely covered, head to toe in flour the golden deer hatches a fun little scheme and Lili goes along with it - and we see that Seteth is opening up a bit - granting her - or is it Rhea - either way Zu finally has a proper combat saddle!
How I imagine saddles working - Wyvern saddles types anyway -
Training saddles are lightweight and great for training, breaking wyverns in, and for scouting. While I imagine there can be scouting saddles, probably meant for short trips such as message carriers, scouting, and spying a large wyvern probably isnt ideal for that type of work.
A combat saddle works differently - having heavy protective canvas/and/or fine chain mail to protect the chest cavity from attack. It's much heavier than a normal saddle, and is unique to wyvern riders giving them a better defense. Pegasus can't handle the weight of flying with armor which leaves them more susceptible to projectiles. A wyvern combat saddle has also got straps and carabiner clips to ensure riders stay in the saddle on impact. It has a higher backing as well again to help with, well if a spear decides to ram you you're not also flying off into the sky.
That being said - wyverns are slower, higher defensive tanks types compared to Pegasus - only we know how four-footed horse type creatures feel about Lili...and how she feels about them in return.
Anyway -I'm off to work on chapter 16! - I think you guys will enjoy 'A Captive Deer!'(Oh its one of my more favorite chapters!) See what the raining weather brings and why the Golden Deer himself is being held 'captive'!
I'll try to have it out in about a week! But! If you don't want to miss the release I suggest you follow! And if you're enjoying the story I'd really appreciate that favorite/kudo!
