Month of Horsebow Moon - One Good Turn Deserves Another
Chapter 19
I politely declined a carriage ride from Lorenz after dinner was finished. I feinted an excuse that I had other business in town that I needed to tend to prior to returning to the monastery. As the carriage pulled up to a stop, a malicious smile tugged at the corner of my lips as Lorenz offered Cereza his hand and assisted her into the vehicle. I caught sight of her staring out the carriage window at me with wide puppy dog eyes as Lorenz issued me a stiff bow and climbed in alongside her. I waved them off as the carriage rode away making a mental note to ask Cereza how the ride back was later.
Having seen my current problem off, I took an opportunity to rub my bruised shin and consider my next move. Looking around I decided to simply start with wandering around town. The little coin I carried in my pocket was barely enough to purchase a snack. The paltry amount was nowhere near enough for both a beer and a decent meal, so I would need to find a quick job in town in order to buy my supper.
With that in mind, I took my time exploring around town. I had yet to venture into town, despite the several months I had been exploring the monastery. There had been few reasons for me to venture into town yet given all the secrets and supplies available in Garreg Mach, so I figured I was long overdue for the adventure. As I wandered the city streets however, my gut told me I should be a little concerned that the local taverns might have open beer tabs in my name.
A light drizzle continued to mist over the capital city, though not nearly enough to impact a Saturday shopping excursion. As I wandered the shopping districts, I caught sight of a familiar flash of brilliant red hair. I paused, almost calling out to Sylvain, only to halt as I glimpsed a cute brunette at his side. The girl was hanging cheerfully onto his arm as the noble flashed her an award winning smile. I watched the pair from a distance, noting Sylvain was smiling and laughing as he carried a variety of boxes and bags for his date as she pulled him eagerly from one shop to the next.
I stopped my hand halfway up in the air and then slowly lowered it.
"He looks a bit busy…" I sighed heavily and turned to walk away in the other direction, heading away from the pair. "I won't be the one who spoils his fun today."
A short while later I caught Dorothea being escorted into the same restaurant Lorenz had just treated me to. The gentle waves of the brunette's long hair curled elegantly around her shoulders as she was led into the restaurant by a rather unappealing older knight. The songstress's face harbored a bored but polite expression while her new companion's grin clearly indicated he was having a good time. I shook my head exasperated and turned down the path to the local bazaar.
Here, I felt more at home. Class and social standing was no longer an issue in the open air markets. Merchants peddled wares of all varieties, shapes, and colors on the crowded streets. My eyes flicked over the wares carefully with an expert eye, easily spotting the fake knock offs that glittered and sparkled next to the more lackluster original works. Beautifully crafted weapons lay alongside quills and pens of every make, color, and origin, while fresh produce sat next to this morning's catch. Pretty women solicited the sale of flowers in the middle of the street, fresh blooms adoring their arms as small children offered sweet treats to gullible buyers. My experienced eye also noted several thieves at the market, the pickpockets working their own craft as others provided distractions to the unwary.
As I checked over the offerings, looking for something worth my merger coin to flip later, I spoke with the merchants. Several of them cited concerns about a dark knight with a scythe that had been spotted out after dark, while others proceeded to complain about the weather. I made light conversation, agreeing and nodding my head as I listened to their concerns with a cheerful smile.
As I spoke with vendors at random I would often hear my name ringing out in the crowd. I would pause and politely bow out of my current conversation in order to investigate, and locate whoever was calling my name. Several friendlier faces beckoned me over to their stalls for a quick conversation, the keen eyed merchants having picked me out from the crowd. With a growingly more genuine smile, I made my way over to my caravan's booths in order to chat.
During our exchanges, my friends showed me a variety of wares ranging from goods from the capital city of Enbarr to goods from the foreign country of Alymra. A small trinket decorated with glass beads from Alymra quickly caught my eye and my friend offered to trade the trinket in exchange for my time and a good story. Having traveled with these merchants, I offered a simple version of what I was doing in town and just how my lunch date had gone. The caravan leader had a good laugh at my misfortune and said the story was exactly what they had needed to hear on a rainy afternoon and gave me the trinket with no reserves.
After finishing chatting with my merchant friends, I wandered over to a different peddler a couple of rows over and managed to upsell the trinket for a pretty lady's comb. The comb I successfully pawned off at another second hand shop in exchange for a silver hairpin. The silver hair pin I flipped for a decent chunk of change at the blacksmiths guild and managed to make off with a decent profit. It was easily enough coin for a decent meal and a well earned drink, and maybe enough to restock a few of my cheaper medicines if I was careful.
As I was searching for a tavern in which to spend my hard earned coin, I heard another voice calling out to me. I turned and scanned the crowd, spotting one of my classmates running through the bazaar after me.
"Lilianna!" Ashe was out of breath as he managed to wedge his way around a group of men bidding for a young heifer at auction, while a nearby group of women fawned over a bolt of light purple cloth the next booth over.
"Oh, hey Ashe, is something the matter?" I flicked my hair out of my eyes as the Blue Lion recruit put his hands on his knees gasping for air.
In between breaths, the cheerful silver haired youth smiled. "Oh, it's nothing! I just wanted to say hi and see if you needed any assistance."
I raised an eyebrow and counted out the gold in my hand. I might be able to squeeze in two meals if I was careful. "So, you were stalking me?"
"Ah, not exactly. I was actually running after a thief." Ashe finally got his breathing under control as he straightened up, still grinned innocently at me.
His smiling confession in combination with his warmhearted smile had me raising my eyebrow up even further. "You were...running after a thief?"
"Yup, I caught up with him a few minutes ago." The blue lion's freckles stood out on his cheeks as the glow of heavy exertion informed me he was telling the truth.
I was still processing his comment, my hand making its way unbidden to my forehead as I rubbed my temple. "Wait..wait, wait, wait, hold on, why were you chasing after a thief? Secondly, are you alright?"
"Huh? Ya, I am fine. I was just going to buy this book I saw at a shop but the thief snatched it before I could buy it and then ran off."
I looked my classmate up and down carefully, still rubbing my temple in disbelief. Ashe looked like he was alright, but the book he mentioned was nowhere to be found. "So you chased a thief who stole a book and you caught him...?"
"He was very fast, but yes, I did manage to catch up with him after a while." Ashe nodded excitedly. "Though, in the end I just let him keep the book. He said he was going to sell it for some money so he could buy medicine for his sick child."
The blue lion's face fell and he looked solemn for a moment reflecting on his decisions.
I continued rubbing my temple as I gave Ashe another look over just to make sure he was alright. "Uh, huh...so you let him go and you didn't even get your book."
Ashe nodded, still looking troubled as he continued his story. "That's right, I paid the merchant for the book so they wouldn't be at a loss, but now my pockets are rather empty. I just happened to catch sight of you selling that comb you traded from that merchant down the road. I tried calling out to you before but you seemed pretty involved in your shopping."
I shrugged and pocketed my coins. "Sounds like you have done a lot today, tell me Ashe do you happen to know your way around the city?"
The Blue Lion perked up and his light green eyes danced at the opportunity to be helpful. "I am pretty familiar with the town, is there anything I can help you with?"
I tapped the tip of my boot on the sidewalk in thought. "Actually yes, I was hoping to find an apothecary and a street vendor for some food. Do you happen to have any recommendations?"
"They are both down this way, here I can show you a really good street vendor and I know the apothecary so I can score you a deal." Ashe nodded down the way I was already heading with an elated expression that quickly overrode his concern from earlier.
"That would be amazing! Please lead the way!" I beamed at the offer, delighted to have someone escort me around the city who knew it well enough to catch a runaway thief in the act.
I walked alongside Ashe as he pointed out certain city attractions and explained he had been out shopping with professor Byleth prior to the incident, bashfully admitting that he had parted ways with her in order to chase after the thief.
Interested in why he had gone to such lengths to catch a criminal, I asked him why the book was so special. Ashe's freckles stood out as he blushed hard and admitted that the book had a special meaning to him. I listened attentively to the archer gush about all the books he enjoyed, their plots, and how he idolized valiant knight characters as we made our way to the apothecary first.
The shop was a small one on the outskirts of the city. The location allowed for cheap rent, while being able to restock the most popular medications, so the focus was more on the medications than profits or aesthetics. However, because of this the shop was busy. Ashe and I ended up sorting out and measuring our own ingredients and filling the glass vials. I set Ashe to crushing several raw herbs into a fine powder as I carefully mixed ingredients before transferring the medicine into small vials. As we finished our tasks at the apothecary, the older clerk noticed the blue lion at my elbow and proceeded to give us a substantial discount as a thank you for Ashe helping her rescue her cat out of a tree the other week.
Once we were done with making medicines, Ashe pointed me over to a nearby food stall. I managed to keep the archer talking about books as I placed an order for 2 beast skewers and 2 tankards of ale from the vendor.
I bartered with the vendor for a second until Ashe stepped in and managed to negotiate an even lower price for me. The shopkeeper ended up giving us a fair discount, thanks to both Ashe and my bartering skills, so I ended up keeping my last two gold coins in my pocket as a bonus. "Thank you for all your help today Ashe, so to go back to the thief you caught. What was the book called that you would go through so much trouble for?"
"Oh didn't I mention it? It was Loog and the Maiden of Wind, it's a classic fairy tale."
I shook my head slowly, the title not ringing any bells. "I don't think I have heard of it."
"Wow, really? You really should read it sometime if you like fairy tales. It's about King Loog and how he rescues the Maiden of Wind from her enchantment." Ashe suggested, and with a little prompting he proceeded to go on about the book, providing me with a short summary of the story as I requested.
It was fun listening to the blue lion's archer talk about something he was so passionate about that by the time our food was handed to me he was looking at me funny.
I held out the second set of skewers and beer with a smile. "What? Did you really think I could eat all this alone? You have been very helpful, so it's my treat."
"I can't accept this." Ashe tried to hand me the skewer back but I grabbed my ale and took a large bite off the current skewer in my hand.
My mouth was a little full as I smirked. "You better accept it or all my gold will go to waste."
Finishing chewing I took a large swig of beer. I looked over my beer mug at the archer, surprised to taste that it was actually a good quality dark beer, with a raised eyebrow that dared the archer to reject me.
Ashe faltered for a second. His mouth hanging open in surprise as I raised my eyebrow a bit higher.
With a rough laugh the blue lion relented and shook his head. "Alright! Ah, thank you very much!"
I laughed as he took a bite of the food and picked up the conversation where we had left off before our food had arrived. I enjoyed listening to Ashe gush about his favorite books, the many adventures of King Loog and his friends had while they split the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus off from the Adrestian Empire.
The pleasant meal was starting to come to a close, a much more friendly dining experience than my meal with Lorenz had been in every aspect. Ashe finished his ale with a gulp and set the empty tankard back on the table. "By the way, if you are interested you can find Loog's stories in the library, if you have time that is. Ingrid and I know where they are located so if you have any problems locating them just let us know!"
I chuckled at my partner's enthusiasm and eagerness to help and finished eating my meat skewer. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind. I enjoy reading stories. Each culture has such interesting fables you know?"
"If that's the case I would definitely recommend Loog's adventures! I also know of a few other books if you're interested in other knightly tales as well!"
I finished my ale shaking my head and a genuine smile as we left the covered table we had taken shelter under from the rain. "Sounds like fun Ashe, thank you for the recommendations and for keeping me company. This was way more entertaining than lunch with Lorenz."
"Oh, so that's what you were doing in town? You went to lunch with Lorenz?" Ashe appeared to be interested, so I shrugged and explained.
"He invited me out to a fancy restaurant, as a thank you of sorts."
Ashe's light green eyes blinked in confusion as he offered to carry my supplies. " I can take those if you want. That's confusing, what was he thanking you for?"
I shrugged again and handed Ashe the medicines I was carrying as we continued walking through town. "Errr, he thanked me for lending him a hand...and he wanted to talk some things over."
"Did he now." Ashe pointed us down another street, the glassblowing district. "What kind of things did he want to discuss, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Marriage and other boring stuff like that." I scowled at the remembrance while pulling my cloak closer to my body. I shivered violently as the dampness of the constant rain crept into my bones. "We should get moving, it's getting a bit late and I am on kitchen duty still."
"Oh, alright, no problem."
We walked in silence for a few moments, while my walking companion fidgeted nervously. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other, starting to feel uncustomary lethargic and cold after my meal.
"So did Lorenz, umm, propose to you?"
Ashes's innocent question caught me off guard. The nervous question caused me to dig my heels into the pavement in shock. Unable to hide my disgusted surprise, I found myself almost shouting. "What?! NO! I would never take a man like that as a husband!"
Ashe looked even more confused as he tried to puzzle out my reaction. "You said he wanted to talk to you about marriage, did you not?"
I shook my head to rid myself of the haunting image.
"Yes, we did! We talked about how I am a commoner and not well bred enough to make a suitable wife for someone as privileged as him!" I ground my teeth and snorted in disgust and a nightmare image of me standing at an altar with Lorenz continued to occupy my thoughts. I desperately attempted to think of anything, anything, else to distract me.
"Oh! Well, sorry I asked." Ashe seemed troubled by my revelation.
He took a few steps forward as I dug around my brain for the medicinal properties of every herb and tree I knew of, slowly reciting them and remembering what each leaf, bark, root, and berry looked like. Slowly I was able to recall the different plants and the image of Lorenz faded.
I was shaken out of my recitation as Ashe stomped his foot irately. "That's no way for a knight to treat a lady! It shouldn't matter who one marries as long as they genuinely love each other!"
Ashe's genuine anger pulled a reluctant dry laugh from the back of my throat. "Haha, I feel the same way."
I shivered again as a gust of cold wind pulled at my heavy water proof cloak. "The weight of one's worth isn't in their bloodline or status, but rather in their accomplishments and deeds."
"I couldn't agree more!" Ashe nodded as we left the city's merchant districts started the long walk up the mountain towards the monastery.
The next morning Navan woke me up with his usual tirade of yelling and banging on my door. I rolled over in bed, trying to answer, only to be assaulted with lung wracking coughs. When the wet, horrid, spasms finally relented, I gasped and the pounding on my door paused.
"G-go away Navan, not today." I gasped, trying to breathe as I curled up into a ball on my bed.
"Oi Lass! You have ten minutes! Don't keep ma waiting!" Navan continued to yell at me through the door just like he would any other day.
I listened to my mentor's heavy footsteps reduced into the morning as I lay shivering in bed. Another wet cough racked my body and I reached down to pull another blanket up to my chin, my hands shaking. I sniffed as I cuddled down further into my bed.
"Great, looks like I caught the crap Claude had. This feels absolutely awful." I sneezed violently and promptly drifted back off to sleep.
I wasn't sure how much longer I slept. It could have been ten minutes, it could have been an hour, but someone must have eventually come back to check on me.
I vaguely recalled someone forcing my door open and being held close as they carried outside. Large arms carried me forcibly out into the wet, cold, weather. The sudden shock from the change in climate caused me to shiver even harder as I was carried some place, forcibly removed from my warm, protective, bed by a much stronger person.
Sometime later I came to properly and looked around at the white stone walls of the infirmary. I lay in an unfamiliar bed, still shivering and coughing.
"Oh, you're finally awake."
I cracked open my eyes and saw Marianne sitting next to my bed draining a washcloth before she applied it on my forehead. "H-how do you feel?"
I groaned miserably and sniffed before answering her. "I feel awful."
"I-I am sorry." She moved away from me as I coughed wetly. I closed my eyes as I drew a ragged breath."I-l'll go get professor Manuela. Hold on."
My housemate moved away from my bedside in order to go fetch professor Manuela. I lay exhausted in bed, not daring to move. The fact I regained consciousness was a curse, and I was quickly starting to wish I could just die. Another fit of coughing forced me to roll onto my side.
Shuttering, I adjusted my blankets and peered out into the rest of the infirmary. Unsurprised, I noted, I was not the only one in the room. The bed next to me was occupied by the crown prince of Faerghus, and just beyond him I spotted Caspar and Raphael. From a quick analysis, it appeared almost everyone in the rescue crew had taken ill.
"Ah, you're finally awake." Dimitri gave me an encouraging wave from the bed next to me. "I was worried. Your cough sounds terrible."
"It feels terrible." I answered roughly as the door opened behind me.
Marianne's soft voice stammered from the doorway. "P-professor Manuela is busy right now. I can give you some medicine...if you want."
I groaned and curled up into a ball as Dimitri answered for me. "If you could give her the same thing you gave me, I think that would help her a lot."
"A-alright. I'll see what I can do."
There was a twinkling of glass and the opening and closing of cupboards for a while as I attempted to doze fitfully. I was brought back to consciousness when Marianne brought me over some tea and several medicines. The healer looked forlorn and distraught as the tray trembled in her hands. "I-it seems like everyone is getting sick. It must be because of me..."
Casper sneezed, the loud sound jarring my senses as I attempted to drink the bitter medicinal concoctions as my hands shook violently.
The young Black Eagle sniffed and blew his nose, before voicing his opinion. "Na, can't be you! Linhardt says it affected everyone who was down at the training grounds the other day."
I scowled bitterly as I swallowed my last pill and proceeded to finish my tea before nestling back down in my blankets.
"That's true. It seems like most people here were part of the rescue crew." Dimitri commented as he looked around. "Wait, Lilianna, are you going back to sleep already?"
I narrowed my eyes at my classmates as I pulled the blankets up under my chin. "Yes, I refuse to stay conscious while I feel like the abyss is freezing over."
"True this is day three we have been here, I think Manuela will be releasing us soon." Dimitri commented as he looked down at a book in his lap.
"Lucky you." I muttered thickly and attempted to sniff. Marianne picked up on my distress and timidly held out a tissue. I accepted the offering gratefully, feeling awful. I proceeded to blow my nose, then exhausted by even the small movements, I shut my eyes.
I listened in a feverish daze as my classmates talked among themselves. Marianne whispered about a horse named Dorte and how she wanted to bring him an apple after her shift in the clinic ended, while Dimitri and Casper discussed training routines and the positives of using a spear over axes. In my feverish haze I listened to Dimitri speak highly about training with professor Byleth in one-on-one sessions, the awe and reverie about her use of the Sword of the Creator, and about how he looked forward to going riding after the rains stopped. The louder voices of both Raphael and Caspar passionately discussed the new menu in the dining hall and the best training routines for building muscle.
I drifted off sometime after listening to their mindless chatter.
My dreams were feverish and riddled with shadows. Icy blue hands drenched in blood reached for me from the darkened corners as I ran through the monastery looking for something or someone in vain. A strong sense of panic washed over me as the hands attempted to pull me down into the darkness, the shadows swallowing up each passageway I raced down.
All around me the walls crumbled as the beat of the drums drowned out screams. Just beyond the border walls, a red glow emitted an ominous light. Still I ran through the never ending maze of walls, each one leading to yet another dead end. I ran down pathway after pathway, one after another, until I finally stopped running.
The frigid blue hands seized the opportunity and latched onto my ankles, slowly pulling me down into the abyss. I shuttered as the hands amassed on me. Faces caught in silent screams started to appear as the shadows encroached, and I finally decided to embrace the darkness. The pulling grew heavier, harder, as their touch burned with a cold flame until I was up to my chest in the shadows.
On the edge of my vision a gold light flickered, the shadows dragged me down engulfing me as the light flickered anxiously. A feeling of renewed hope filled me as I reached out for the warm glow, only to have the light scamper off. It flickered, disappearing around the corner and I found myself wanting to follow it. If only to see where it leads, I wanted to follow the light.
A silent scream tore from my lips as professor Byleth appeared from around the corner, a brilliant green light that burned away the blue shadows as she swiftly cut through the horrors that had captured me. The professor grabbed my hand, pulling me forward, until I could run after the light on my own.
My eyes cracked open to see a candle on my bedside table flickering with a pale yellow glow. The light fended off the encroaching darkness and I shuttered, not quite sure if I was still dreaming or if I was actually awake.
The familiar sound of a page in a book being turned greeted my ears as I attempted to get my bearings, trying to remember where I was at and what I was doing.
Groggily, I closed my eyes as a weight down by my feet shifted and I came to realize someone was sitting near me. I did a quick inventory and was relieved to note that my feet and hands were not bound.
My movement and the change in my breathing patterns must have alerted whoever was watching over me, and I came to remember why I was in the infirmary. A violent shutter shook me as I tucked myself up into a tight ball trying to retain some kind of warmth.
A light voice called out to me, a slightly teasing tone coloring their questions. "Hey there sleepy head, are you awake finally or you just going to ramble on about chasing more golden deer again?"
I picked my head up warily and found the speaker illuminated by a warm golden glow. Beyond the speaker was a yawning expanse of deep blue that was swallowed up into the night. The rest of the beds in the infirmary appeared to be empty, save for Claude, who was lounging in the chair next to me.
My house leader closed his book and leaned forward, a lazy grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "Oh, look! I finally get to gaze into those beautiful emerald eyes of yours. Tell me, are you actually coherent this time?"
The golden deer leaned in closer and I let my head fall back down onto the pillow with a low groan of protest. "Go away Claude."
"Ah, lucks finally turned my way. Seems like you're actually awake this round, I was really starting to worry you wouldn't wake up there Petal." Claude's voice was clear and light, a sign he had apparently already recovered from his own ordeal.
The golden deer clicked his tongue and continued. "And sorry, no can do. Looks like you're stuck with me for the night."
I pulled the covers over my head in retaliation, and in hopes this was just another part of my dreams.
"Just leave me alone." My voice grew thick and I sniffed miserably, not remotely in the mood to deal with whatever my house leader's scheme was.
The weight down by my feet moved as I heard the golden deer chuckle at my weak protest. "Haha, let me get you some tea. I am pretty certain it'll help you feel better. Oh, by any chance have you eaten anything today?"
The thought of eating something made me feel ill, like a stone had dropped into my stomach and I just about puked at the idea.
"Urk, can't I just die in peace for once?" I moaned miserably before pulling my pillow over my head. My reward for protesting was another fit of coughing. The sudden spasm caused me to groan in defeat.
"You're sounding a little rough there Petal. I didn't quite catch that so I'll assume that's a no." The squeak from the chair next to my bed informed me that Claude had just got up. A much softer weight settled down next to my knees as the muffled sound of boots clicked against the smooth stonework.
I debated with myself if it was worth risking the headache and backlash in my current condition in order to warp myself back to the safety of my room. A large part of me urged me to go into hiding and recover. To find someplace safe and warm, secluded from others.
More than anything I felt a growing need to be away from my house leader's sharp reflexes and inquisitive intellect. The fact that I was dressed in just my night clothes wasn't helping my confidence any. The absurdly short dark green shorts and short gold tank top barely covered anything, and, on reflection, was probably part of the reason I was so damn cold.
I sniffed again and decided that almost anything was more preferable than letting my scheming house leader see me this helpless.
Hazily, I decided the risk was worth the pain. I wanted the comfort of my own chambers and to be alone while suffering.
Painstakingly, I started to cast my warp spell under the blankets.
The light in my hands started to flicker and die before the spell even completed. The signal pointedly informed me I couldn't cast advanced magic even if I wanted to. At the same time the white-green light flickered, my covers were unceremoniously ripped off my head along with the top half of my body. Exposed to the cold night air and thoroughly distracted, my spell faltered and then faded.
The sudden gust of wind also successfully extinguished the candle on my bedside table and launched the book down by my knees out into the darkness. I held back, waiting for my eyes to adjust as Claude's disapproving voice began to lecture me.
"Sooo tip, if you're going to try to escape without someone noticing you, you should at least make sure the spell you're using doesn't make the blankets glow. It's kind of a dead give away you're trying to escape."
I attempted a weak smile and laughed nervously after being caught red handed trying to flee. "Ah haha…I guess I didn't realize I was being held captive…?"
"Tsk, and here I was just trying to help." Claude walked over and picked up the book we had just sent flying while I struggled to snap my fingers in order to light the candle next to me.
The soft yellow glow caught a few flicks later and the dark blue of night receded back as the light illuminating the little sanctuary around my bedside.
Claude's gaze twisted, half caught in the darkness, half in the budding yellow glow and I held back an involuntary shutter. A second later my house leader put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "So my captive fawn, how are you feeling?"
"You can cut the act." An abrupt sneeze interrupted my scorn. "I don't have the energy to play right now."
"Who says I'm putting on an act? This is a great opportunity to cash in, though, I won't lie and say seeing you like this brings me any joy. By the way you're still avoiding my question." Claude seemed to remember he had the kettle on and wandered back over to the counter.
I felt my gut clench and debated on trying to make my getaway again.
"Don't even think about it." The golden deer glared at me as if he was reading my thoughts, and I thought better of trying to escape.
With a discontent sigh I resigned myself to my fate and pulled my blankets backup to cover me with a sarcastic drawl. "I wouldn't dream of it oh great leader."
"Hey now, you can stop it with the sass."
I rolled my eyes as I shivered. "Ya ok, right, whatever you say Master. von Riegan."
The tea kettle started to steam and Claude quickly removed the kettle from the heat with low hiss of surprise. "Ouch, that's hot."
I shook my head as I watched as the golden deer waved his hand in the air as he measured out tea leaves in the other.
"Are you using my title against me now, huh?" Claude shot a guarded look over the counter at me before turning to look up at the cabinet. His burnt hand wandered up towards his mouth and the golden deer sucked on it tenderly while gazing up at the glass jars and bottles. I presumed he was reading labels.
Finding what he was searching for, Claude pulled the medications down off the rack and began measuring them out.
"I told you before I didn't have a typical nobles upbringing. In fact I have only recently been named the heir to the Riegan house." Claude put the medications back up in the cabinet and closed the glass panels.
I closed my eyes and sniffed thickly before reaching for a tissue on the nightstand. "What's your point?"
I turned and blew my nose as the soft clink of china sounded from over by Claude. "So, time to cash in one of those questions!"
I turned and looked up at him apprehensively, dreading what he was going to ask. "Alright...trivial questions only."
The golden deer waved his hand at me and I caught sight of the angry burn mark on the palm of his hand. "Ya, ya, this one's hypothetical so it shouldn't pose any problems. Would you treat me any differently if I wasn't heir to Riegan house?"
The tea cups chimed softly as Claude brought the tea over and set it on the nightstand next to me. He passed me a steaming cup which I accepted without any hesitation while I gave his question some considerable thought.
"Depends, I suppose. I doubt we would have met if it wasn't for you being here at the Monastery. Even if we did meet, which I doubt it would ever happen, it would be little more than a pleasant exchange of goods at market. I don't tend to stay in one place for very long."
Claude picked up his own tea cup and sat down on the chair next to my bedside. "Fair point, but all things considered your enrollment here was a very near miss wasn't it?"
"Lady Rhea…." I started coughing again and my house leader hurried to grab my teacup before I spilt tea everywhere. It took me a minute of trying to cough up my lungs before I managed to stop, and it took a few more for me to recover before I could continue. "Was very kind to take me in, though I am still not entirely sure why..."
Claude nodded as he waited for me to finish catching my breath before passing me my tea cup back. "That is certainly a mystery that's been bothering me for a while. Hmmm, I wonder why that would be. Teach was recommended by Alois as a replacement combat instructor after our last one ran off, but for the life of me I can't see why you were offered a position as a student."
The golden deer's eyes shimmered with curiosity as my tea cup shook in my hand. "Between you and Teach things are certainly interesting. It feels like I am on the brink for some big secret and I couldn't feel more teased."
I attempted to take a drink of my tea and found my hand was shaking too badly to hold my teacup steady long enough to take a drink. I scowled and sighed before setting my tea cup back down on the saucer. Wistfully I looked away, down into the darkness of the night. "Join the party, it seems like that's all my life is anymore..."
"I might just take you up on that offer." Claude grinned, his voice dropping and I turned back wary. The golden deer reached out and steadied my hand, his grin looking much like a cat who had just caught a mouse.
"Let me give you a hand there."
I pulled my hand away from his with a firm scowl. His hand was chilly on my feverish skin. I resented the uncomfortable sensation. "No, I got it. Give me a second."
Taking a deep breath I concentrated on the teacup in front of me. Was it nerves, or was it because I was so cold, I couldn't tell. Either way I slowly released my breath and picked the tea cup back up. It still shook, but it was more manageable this time around.
Claude watched with calculating eyes as I took a sip of my tea.
I couldn't taste whatever he had made.
The golden deer quickly picked up on my growing disappointment and tilted his head to the side, his braid dangling freely as the small bead at the tip sparkled in the candle light.
"Something the matter?"
I pulled a face as I took another sip.
Still no flavor, strong or slight, tantalized my tongue. Concerned, I looked down into the pale yellowish orange tea and wondered what I was drinking. "I was wondering what kind of tea it is."
"Haha, Petal you really are sick arn't you? It's ginger tea." Claude's laugh was dry, as if he took no pleasure from my suffering.
I swirled the tea, watching the translucent liquid swirl in my cup thankful he wasn't trying to get me to eat just yet. "Huh, ginger, you don't say."
I wanted to be impressed that he either remembered that ginger had strong medicinal properties and that he had about a day to procure it on top of still being sick himself, but my only logical explanation was that the golden deer had some on hand before all of this started. I took another risk and sipped my tea, as Claude waited somewhat expectantly for me to say something.
I set the tea down in its saucer, my hand growing steadily more heavy as I sipped the tastless liquid. "Impressive, you have an eye for tea then."
Whatever Claude was waiting for it wasn't that. He sat back in his chair and crossed one leg while sipping his own. "Hey, I don't get all the credit. Where I come from ginger tea is also the thing we drink when we are sick, so I keep trying to keep on hand."
"So, it reminds you of home a bit then?" I finished the last of my tea and handed him the saucer back.
"Hmmm…" The golden deer hummed as he accepted the saucer and placed it on the nightstand before turning back to look at me.
Under my house leader's green eyes I found myself growing more detached. I found myself wondering if Claude was reading my thoughts, or that I was just that easy to read. Either way it should have concerned me, but I couldn't find the energy to care. Calude offered me another tissue as I sniffed.
I was beginning to think Cereza might have a valid concern that the golden deer could read minds.
I pursed my lips for a moment before accepting the tissue, and blurted out the first thing on my mind. "How do you do that?"
Claude set the box of tissues back on the nightstand and raised his eyebrow. "How do I do what?"
I pulled my pillow into my lap and began pressing the folds out of the casing. "That right there. That - that look, like you're attempting to see through to my soul. It's like you can guess everything I am thinking."
He snorted and waved his hand. The pink burn exposed itself a second time, the puckered skin starting to blister and I reached out and grabbed Claude's hand.
The golden deer's voice colored a bit as I scowled at the burn and attempted to cast a small healing spell. The tips of my fingers glowed with a faint healing light as I gently ran them over Claude's hand, the burn slowly faded as I felt a wave of exhaustion break over me.
"Errr easy, I have had a lot of practice and you're just that easy to read in your current condition." Claude pulled his hand away and threw me a quick wink before getting back onto his feet. The golden deer turned to collect the rest of the tea set.
"That's not all that comforting." I muttered as he walked away with another dry laugh.
Claude's smile didn't quite reach his eyes as he set the tray on the counter. "If you're interested, Teach on the other hand, I have a much harder time getting a read on. She's so stoic that even as practiced as I am, I have problems reading her."
I looked around in a growing daze into the darkness surrounding me, feeling lightheaded and exceedingly tired, but at least the coughing had stopped. My voice was light, as it faded in and out. "Huh uh, so you're hot for teacher then?"
The sound of china clinking together had me languidly turning to see Claude completely flustered as he washed the tea set.
"Oh, so that's one of your secrets." I commented airily, the floating, detached feeling loosened my tongue as Claude flushed red up to his ears.
The water stopped running and Claude shook his head as he dried the cups off. "Out of all of my secrets, that's the one your going to tease me about?"
I tucked my pillow behind me and started to draw random circles in the air, connecting and linking them as it began to be harder to keep my eyes open. I fought the feeling, struggling to stay awake and talk to my house leader. "Well...you said you're just an average youth...and if you're taking that much time to study Professor Byleth….well that must mean you're interested in her right?"
I felt my eyebrows rise as the idea clicked into place and my finger hovered over a section of air questioningly as I awaited a response from him.
"Touche, I have got to give it to you Petal, as exhausted and delirious as you are, you are bringing up a fair point."
I shrugged, and continued linking circles and patterns in the air. It was a struggle to stay awake. My voice stumbled as I yawned. "That's...because you're a good leader Claude…. You ...watch out for…. your herd."
My mind went completely fuzzy as I settled back down into my bed. My faint rambling continued as Claude put the tea set away in the cupboards. "I'm... actually really... glad lady Edelgard... rejected my application….. and you... took...me in."
My eyelids fluttered as the room went hazy and out of focus. Claude's footsteps grew closer as a weight on the bed caused it to dip. I forced my eyes open, desperately wanting to continue the conversation, as Claude's face drifted in and out of focus as he looked down at me.
The realization was disjointed from reality as my voice cracked. "Did you...drug me?"
The golden deer grinned apologetically and reached out to change out the washcloth on my forehead. "Sleep well Lilianna."
Claude watched as Lilianna's eyes closed as he switched the cooling cloth out of a fresh one, carefully swiping the sweat from the mage's feverish form. A stray lock of green hair curled in the opposite direction bothered him. With a hesitant touch the golden deer slowly moved it back into place.
"Ya, I did drug you..." The golden deer looked away from his fawn's sleeping face, content that she was now slumbering peacefully. "but only because you were having such a hard time sleeping peacefully before."
Claude shook his head and reached for the book he had been reading earlier. The golden deer flicked it open to the last page he had been reading, a sizable poem about a sailor who had been lost at sea and discovered the morning star to guide his way home.
"I really hope you don't remember this in the morning." The house leader mused as he began slowly reading the poem out loud to his slumbering fawn.
Author's Corner:
Hello! Happy Halloween! And welcome to the end of chapter 19!
I do hope you enjoyed the chapter - Lili's luck has such a strange way of working, mostly unlucky, but maybe you might consider it a blessing? Either way our heroine has been laid low, out sick in the infirmary just like most of the rest of the rescue crew. Rain days, with cold weather, of course there is less then pleasant things going around in the air - so it seems Claude isn't totally to blame for her present condition. Though it doesn't really matter to her right now. Lili would very much like to be left alone, but it seems the Golden Deer has some other schemes in play, and is looking to returning the favor - and they both got a little more then they bargain for.
But that's not the only time favors are returned this chapter! - A nice little shopping trip with Ashe seemed to be doing wonders for Lili's restless moodiness, and she thanks the Blue Lion by treating him to an actual dinner while they talked books and how Lorenz has some interesting views that neither of them seem to share - probably not the best idea considering she's getting sick but Lili doesn't seem to realize that until the next morning.
What did you think about that plot twist at the end though? Claude being crafty and not telling her about the drugged tea? I firmly believe he's banking on the fact she's delirious and drugged so she won't remember anything in the morning, but we will have to wait and see what happens in chapter 20!
Let me know what you thought about the chapter! (I enjoy the positive feedback and knowing you look forward to the future chapters!) I try to update about once a week - so make sure to stop in soon! Also if you don't want to miss a chapter release hit that follow button - and - if you like the story thus far it would be great if you hit that favorite/kudo button!
See you soon!
