Chapter 19: A Father's Love
Dawn was upon them as they moved as quickly as they could away from the castle under the cover of the fading dark. The snowstorm that they were promised was also well underway; arriving earlier than they first predicted as the air was soon thick with fluffy flakes with the wind slowly building up. Alphinaud couldn't help but feel nervous at their current state, concerned that the ship would be forced to leave without them at this rate.
Thancred seemed concerned too though he didn't say a word about it; he just kept looking around, as if hoping to find something that they could use to speed up their progress. Alphinaud knew that they were moving slowly, but this time he couldn't help it. Claire was still barely conscious and seemed to be trying to fight it even as she insisted on walking. Alphinaud had her arm around his neck while he gripped her waist to keep her steady as they moved as quickly as they could even as she seemed to be dragging her feet.
"Try not to push yourself," he reassured her as they slid down a hill as Thancred moved on ahead to scout the area. "You have been through a bad experience and it's going to take some time for you to recover."
"Sorry," she whispered, her voice hardly above a whisper, which caused Alphinaud's concern to rise again at how much effort it seemed to take for her to say anything.
"It'll be alright," he promised her as he slid, almost losing his footing in the process before pulling her up a little more securely in his arms. "We'll be out of here soon. There's a ship waiting for us at the docks and we'll use it to get as far away from here as we can. Once we're on board, I promise that we'll have your injuries looked at. Just… keep with us a little longer."
"Ryne?" she whispered again.
"Is safe, she's waiting for us on the ship with the others," he reassured her and he could see how her face melted into relief at the thought.
"G-Good," she whispered back with the crack in her voice, "I was… worried about her."
He really didn't like how she seemed to struggle with speech and gently shushed her as he kept looking around every few seconds out of fear that they were being followed. He knew that there must be chaos back at the palace, if not now then soon, once word reached Vauthry that his greatest solider had fallen.
He silently hoped that they were out to sea by the time that this news reached them.
"It'll be alright," he promised again, though his mind was already imagining every horrible possibility at this point. "We'll be safe once we reach Sharlayan. We can figure out a new plan once we get there."
But speaking of Ryne…?
He looked up to see the outline of Thancred through the fading dark and thought more of what Ran'jit said before.
"Tell me though. What he said… is Thancred… Ryne's father?" he asked and he heard a small cough from Claire as he glanced down at her, where he could just make out the faint glimmer of her eyes. "Did you know this? Is it true?"
Claire sighed as she leaned her head against his shoulder in defeat.
"You did know?" he asked in quiet amazement. "And you never mentioned it to me?"
"It… wasn't my… story to share," she whispered back.
"Does Ryne know about this?" he asked and to his surprise, Claire shook her head and he gasped, panting slightly from the effort of helping her through the deep snow, "Wait… why she doesn't know?!"
"Know what?" Thancred called, having heard Alphinaud's cry, "And keep it down!"
Alphinaud gritted his teeth, trying to stop himself from shivering as the adrenaline began to wear off and he was feeling the cold properly again, before catching up to Thancred where he was ducked down behind a boulder and was watching the road cautiously.
"Are you really Ryne's father?" Alphinaud asked as Claire gave Thancred an apologetic look, "And she doesn't know?"
Thancred looked put out but didn't answer as he continued to watch the road.
"Thancred…?"
"Shh…" Thancred shushed, "Someone's coming."
No sooner were those words out of his mouth did Alphinaud clamp his mouth shut and cautiously stuck his head out from behind the rocks to see what he was looking at. Sure enough, in the distance he could see a large wagon coming down the hill with a driver at the front being pulled by two large Chocobos.
"I know that cart," Thancred whispered and a glimmer of a smile appeared. "They make deliveries between Wright and Stilltide…? Guess they were trying to beat the storm. But from the looks of things, they should be heading back towards Stilltide… which is just a stone's throw away from the docks! What do you know, looks like we'll be catching a ride?"
"But what if he's loyal to Vauthry?" Alphinaud asked in a concerned whisper.
"Leave that to me," Thancred said with a confidence that Alphinaud envied. "Stay here for a moment until my signal."
"What signal?"
"You won't miss it!" Thancred reassured him before slipping out from behind the rocks and disappeared before Alphinaud could ask another question.
"It'll be… alright," Claire reassured him softly and he made sure to tuck her coat a little tighter around her—making a mental promise to have Y'shtola do a full check-up on her when they next saw her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked and she could only nod to him and he could see how her eyelids seemed to be drooping more than before. She must be so tired and knew that she needed to rest.
"Just hold on a little longer," he whispered softly as the sounds of the wagon could now be heard as it was being pulled through the snow. "We'll get you to Y'shtola. I know she'll be so relieved to see you."
Claire chuckled so inaudibly that he wasn't sure he heard it at first, at least until she sighed, resting her head against his shoulder again as she closed her eyes, "I'm going… to be getting an earful."
Oh, there was no doubt in his mind about that. Y'shtola was going to be pretty furious with her for risking herself like that. He smiled, feeling strangely happy to see her safe and back in his arms before gently wiping a few flakes of snow off her cheek. She was so pale, even now, and he couldn't shake the horrific image of her being chained in that terrible prison.
Her eyes suddenly opened though when she felt his hand and shook her head.
"What is it?" he asked in concern.
"Be ready…" she whispered through cracked lips and he blinked in confusion before she explained, "Thancred… will distract the driver."
Alphinaud still didn't understand at first but before he could ask her what she meant, he suddenly heard the cry of a wolf from close by. He jumped before remembering that there shouldn't be any wolves here on Kholusia, but that reassurance didn't calm the Chocobos, whom had drew up just past the boulders where they were hiding. They let out loud shrikes and were thrashing about at the sound and the driver was cursing up a storm as he grabbed hold of their reins.
"Go," Claire whispered into his ear and she was back up in his arms before he knew it, finally understanding. Thancred must have howled back there to spook the Chocobos and now they were jumping on board for a free ride to Stilltide. He grunted slightly with the added weight before running directly behind the wagon, where the driver was still distracted. As soon as they reached the back, he could see that the wagon was full of both hay and what seemed to be sacks of some unknown product—most likely some kind of Chocobo feed—and he helped Claire to pull herself up and into the back behind the mountain of hay.
He had also slid onboard, keeping his head down by the time that the driver had managed to calm the birds.
"What the bloody 'ells was that all 'bout?!" he cursed out and the driver seemed to be standing up and looking around for the sign of a wolf or predator. "Gods damn it… the miss's was right. Never should've come out on a day like today. Never again."
Alphinaud carefully moved Claire closer to him, pulling her right up against his body, their heads lying right at the back of the wagon where he could still see the road. Claire seemed to be surprisingly calm and he wondered how often that they pulled a trick like this? Soon enough though he felt a tremor go through the entire cart and then they were moving again. Alphinaud was so surprised that he almost cried out when he realized that Thancred wasn't here yet; for a wild second he feared that the wolf had been real and had gotten him.
But then he heard a loud OWWW from the driver behind them and the cart stopped again.
Claire sighed again, but this time sounding more exasperated before the driver was cursing up a storm as he was looking wildly about—judging from the constant creaking of the wagon at the front. While that was happening, Thancred's face appeared out of the snowy dark and he slid right in besides them, still using the mound of hay to stay out of the driver's sight should he look back.
"Sorry about that," he hissed in barely above a whisper. "Thought I had more time after you two got on. Had to improvise."
"What did you do?" Alphinaud mouthed back.
"Hit him with a snowball, believe it or not," Thancred smirked before pressing a finger to his lips and laying very still. Alphinaud mirrored this, making sure to keep Claire tucked between him and Thancred as they remained frozen, not daring to move a muscle. Once the driver seemed to calm down he heard him grumble something about, "Rotten kids these days…" before the sounds of the reins being shook echoed and they were off again.
They remained hidden beneath the hay as they felt the cart rolling down the road before his body relaxed enough for him to check on Claire again. She was turned away from him, but he could see how her chest was rising and falling in a familiar way and realized, to his amazement, that she was sleeping. Gods, she must have been more tired than he realized for her to actually be resting right now!
Thancred, who also realized this, was now smiling fondly at the sight Alphinaud was surprised to see how tender his expression had become.
"Let her sleep for now," he whispered softly, seemingly trusting that their words wouldn't be picked up over the noise the startled Chocobos were making, "She needs it. We'll wake her when we get off."
"How will we do that without being spotted?" Alphinaud whispered back.
"I doubt that anyone else will be out right now," Thancred answered, "But we'll jump off before we reach Stilltide just to be sure. If we're spotted by the driver… what will he do? I doubt that any soldiers would do much about it for now."
"You seem convinced," Alphinaud muttered, wondering how he could be so calm about it.
"Just years of experience. But for now, keep your wits about you," he warned, still on high alert. "The guards that Y'shtola and Alisaie lured away from the castle must have returned by now. They'll be searching for us right away."
"I thought that we still had some allies among them?" Alphinaud pointed out.
"Aye, I'm sure that they'll do what they can to buy us some time, but I rather we be out of here before they mobilize," Thancred muttered back, anxiety write plain in his face. "The snow will hinder them slightly for now… thankfully, we don't have to troop through the snow on foot anymore… oh, that reminds me."
He moved his hand up to his ear and whispered as he called up someone on his linkpearl, "This is Thancred. Yes… I know… but… hey, listen I have no choice but to whisper now, don't ask me to speak up."
Alphinaud smirked at that before Thancred quietly explained what was going on and that they would be there shortly.
"Just make sure that we are ready to leave, we don't have a second to waste. Is everyone there?" he asked. After listening to the answer he seemed satisfied before finishing up, "Yes, I understand. See you soon."
He lowered his hand and looked at Alphinaud before saying, "The others made it there with no problems. They said that they have a bed and medicine for Claire when we get there. So let's hope Lady Luck stays with us for a little longer."
Alphinaud sighed in relief, resting his head against the wooden boards of the wagon. But not even the itching hay on his skin as he couldn't stop himself from smiling as hope rose in his heart. He couldn't believe it… after all this time, they were free! Not only free, he would soon be on a ship bound for home. He couldn't have asked for more and couldn't wait to see the shocked expressions on his parents' faces when they got back.
Speaking of parents though…?
Alphinaud looked at Thancred, thinking back to how he had never guessed that he and Ryne were family like that. The two didn't really look anything alike but he could think back to his kind but stern relationship between the two and slowly the pieces were beginning to line up… but there were still many missing parts to this. Thancred was now decidedly not looking at Alphinaud, as if afraid of what he would see if he did. But he could sense the curious gaze of the younger man, eyes full of curiosity but also a fear of asking him anything.
Thancred grunted as he glanced out to watch the distant palace grow ever smaller in the distance. They didn't speak another word for a time before Thancred finally found his voice.
"I suppose that you earned a level of trust by now," he admitted begrudgingly. "I'll tell you… but you need to promise that you won't tell Ryne about this. She… she needs to hear it from me."
Alphinaud nodded as he gently tucked a lock of Claire's hair behind her ear as she slept and Thancred ran a hand over his grizzled face before asking, "How much do you know about Minfilia and her parents?"
"Not much," he admitted, "Ryne told me that she and her sister Minfilia lived in Ul'dah with their mother and father. Her mother grew ill when she was pregnant with Ryne and Minfilia tended to her care during that time. Hardly anyone saw them and until Ryne was born… they almost never left the house."
He remembered how he and Claire would find all manner of things to talk about during their long hours in the library, with Ryne often joining in. He remember how he asked her about her childhood and she explained what she did remember of the city in the desert and how close she had been to her older sister even after she had become affected with Light.
"Well, that's partly true," Thancred confirmed grimly. "Ryne's mother was ill with her… but it was the opposite way around."
Alphinaud blinked in confusion as Thancred lowered his hand and gazed off miserably.
"I was born as a lowly street urchin in Limsa Lominsa and I survived by picking pockets and other… unsavory tasks," he admitted. "I don't want to talk about it too much, but let's just say that it was a hard life. But at one point, I ended up biting off more than I could chew but was too stubborn to let go."
"Pardon?" Alphinaud questioned and Thancred grunted with a quiet chuckle.
"I picked a poor target," he reiterated. "Tourists and visitors to Limsa are often the easiest to rob. They're so busy admiring the city that they don't notice when their purses go missing. But I had the misfortune of pinching someone of pretty high standing in Ul'dah. A Lord Lolorito if you will… stuck-up prick he was…" He added that last part in with a sour look before continuing, "Anyway, it turns out that he had a couple bodyguards with him, who noticed me with my hand in his pocket… the moment that he realized that he was a bag of coins lighter, he demanded his goons to grab me. Don't know why he was so upset over one little purse though…? He probably would have sneezed at the amount normally, but I guess it was more to do with his pride than anything else. Anyway, the point was that I was hauled off to Ul'dah… to work off what I stole with interest—though the smug bastard did get his bag back anyway. Not that they were able to hold me for long."
He smirked at that last part and Alphinaud could imagine a young Thancred giving some armed thugs the slip down an alleyway or some such.
"As I was running away, I ended up barreling over some girl in the street," he went on, this time a faint smile on his face. "She was steaming bad that I knocked her over… I remember how she yelled at me after she tried to pick up the pile of flowers from her little basket…?"
He paused there, his gaze distant but still happy… as if remembering something with a fondness that Alphinaud wasn't sure he could understand. Soon enough though the happiness faded slightly as he confessed, "She was telling me off to watch where I was going… but when she heard the shouts of the guards, I think she took pity on me and told me to hide. I was able to just jump behind some old barrels before the guards appeared, demanding to know where I was. I thought that she was going to sell me out immediately…? But to my astonishment, she did something I can never forget."
"What?" Alphinaud asked, completely engrossed in the story.
"She stood up to them and told them that a 'wharf rat' knocked her over and ran down the street," he answered back. "She then went on to grumble and complain about picking up her flowers as the guards left us. I couldn't believe it… back in Limsa, thieves won't think twice about ratting out their partners if it covers their own arses. So that a girl, who didn't even know me, was willing to protect me…? I couldn't help but be captivated. I remember how she stuck her head behind the barrels and told me that they were gone and we sat and talked for a few minutes after that."
"What happened after?" Alphinaud asked, "Did you go back to Limsa?"
"What would be the point? I had nothing and no one waiting there for me," Thancred shrugged the cart bustling slightly on the uneven road. "But I think that she could sense that somehow and offered for me to come to her house for the night. Which is what happened. Her family wasn't rich… but they had more than enough food on the table for a wharf rat like me. And well… that's how our friendship began and I started a new life in Ul'dah."
That sounded like a sweet story, but he was still trying to figure out how this all connected but Thancred went on, "Turns out I have a rare gift for overhearing things I shouldn't. As I got older, I was able to make a decent living by using my skills to sneak around and overhear conversations… you know… like business plans and where to make good investments and all that. At least until I got older and could walk right into the tavern and offer to buy someone some drinks…? Turns out you can get just about anyone to talk if they're drunk enough."
He shrugged as Alphinaud thought it all over. While he couldn't agree with some rather sly business that it was, he could appreciate how hard it must have been for him and he found himself admiring Thancred for being able to turn such a poor situation into one that could be worked with. It wasn't like he, himself, could ever hope to say such things himself…? He had always grown up in a grand manor while surrounded by servants. He had everything handed over to him on a silver platter but what did he really have since then? None of that was his… he just happened to be fortunate enough to have been born into such a well-off family.
Perhaps Thancred misinterpreted the frown and muttered, "I admit that I'm not proud of it, but I was able to make a living for myself without resorting to stealing again."
"Oh no, I didn't mean…?!" Alphinaud began a little too loudly until Thancred forced his head down when the carriage slowed slightly. They remained stilled before they continued on with a normal pace when the driver seemed to think that it was the wind or something he heard.
"Sorry," Alphinaud mouthed when he was finally able to raise his head again, spitting out a stray piece of hay as Thancred gave him a stern look.
"Anyway, as I was saying," he grumbled on, "I was able to make do. But whenever I had the chance, I'd check up on Minfilia just to make sure she didn't get caught up in anything unsavory. More than once she ended up attracting some common lout on her way home. I mean, she was very beautiful and I can imagine that more than a few men would have had their eyes set on her."
His tone sounded more annoyed at this point but he then went on to explain, "Well, it was after we were adults that it… happened. See, she had started up an organization called the Path of the Twelve, which was a kind of a mix of scholars and adventurers who could help serve the common folk and all that. Though small, and still young for an organization, they did do a lot of good for the city and for the lands of Eorzea at large. We still are in contact with some of the members to this day, in fact. Anyway, the Path of the Twelve ended up receiving a lot of notice during this time and they had even asked for a couple representatives for a banquet that was being held in the Sultana's honor. It was a huge deal for us and Minfilia, as the leader, was going but she also invited me to go with her. I guess I was there as more of a bodyguard for her or something. Anyway, it was a grand event and we really had gotten word out about the Path of the Twelve before we decided to head out. As luck would have it though, by the time that we left the city and were heading back to our headquarters in Vesper Bay… the weather turned bad. Really bad… I swear that there was some minor flooding from that rainstorm and we knew we would never make it back in that state. So we managed to book a room at a small inn for the night and…?"
He seemed so uncomfortable with talking about it, Alphinaud reassured him, "It's alright. If you rather not talk about it…?"
"No, it's ok. I think that you're old enough. Well, to sum it up in a short and nice way, I was showing off a couple bottles of wine that I managed to smuggle out of the banquet hall and we thought that a nightcap before bed would be alright," he whispered as his face grew red, though Alphinaud suspected that it wasn't from the cold. "We were so excited about such expensive wine that I didn't even bother to read the labels properly and just assumed that they were La Noseca wines. But it turned out that they were actually Ishgardian."
"What's the problem with that?" Alphinaud questioned.
"Well, a good lesson for you to always remember is that Ishgardian wines tend to have more alcohol in them than usual wines," Thancred explained bitterly. "Looking back, it was my own fault for not checking. But anyway, I'm used to being able to hold my liquor with the usual stuff and knew how much I could drink before getting wasted and…?"
"You ended up drinking a little more than you were used to," Alphinaud guessed as Thancred rubbed his face in embarrassment.
"Needless to say that we had more than we ever planned from that night," he moaned out.
"So you two…?" Alphinaud asked slowly as realization hit him over what must have happened.
"I regretted it," Thancred confessed softly and his face grew sad as he rested his chin on his folded hands as he gazed out at the falling snow again. "She was like a sister to me… a dear friend… and even though neither of us were in our right minds…? I woke up and I couldn't believe that we were so stupid. We tried to move on… to just blame the wine and forget that it happened…? But…?"
"You found out she was with child?" he guessed and Thancred nodded.
"We weren't sure what to do," he confessed miserably. "But it wasn't like we could hide it for long. So… in the end… we had no choice but to tell her parents about it."
"I guess they didn't take the news well," Alphinaud suggested and Thancred had to clamp his hands over his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud.
"That's an understatement," he snorted once he mastered his own laughter. "I thought that her father, Warburton, was going to kill me when we confessed the truth. But his wife was able to calm them down and came up with another plan. We had to be careful because Ul'dah wasn't kind enough to bastard children as it is… but Minfilia was the leader of the Path of the Twelve and we feared that if word got out that she was an unwed mother…? Well, we decided to… spread the rumor that Minfilia's mother was unexpectedly pregnant again but had fallen ill. We kept up the façade until the baby was born."
"And… everyone just believed it?" Alphinaud asked, finding it strangely hard to swallow.
"Well, it wasn't like anyone could prove otherwise," Thancred shrugged back. "Minfilia did her best to stay active and in the public's eye for as long as possible but once she started showing, she retreated home to care for her 'ill mother'. She did make sure to take on as many linkpearl calls and paperwork as possible until the baby was born though so no one thought to question it overmuch."
"And that baby was Ryne," Alphinaud said matter-of-factly.
"Who else could it have been?" Thancred muttered sadly as he rested his head against his arms again. "Let me tell you that it was the scariest time in my life. I knew that I was messed up but the idea that I could end up messing up her life too…? I didn't know what to do. I was content to take a step back and let others who knew what they were doing take the leading role. Minfilia's parents were so happy and loved Ryne with all their hearts. I knew that she would be better off with them… but I was allowed to spend time with her when I could."
"They allowed you?" Alphinaud asked slowly.
"Raising children isn't easy, Alphinaud," Thancred said sagely. "It's a full time job. But I and Minfilia were just barely past the stage of being children ourselves at that point and we had so much work to do with the Path of the Twelve and other parts of our lives that we weren't sure that we could do right by Ryne. Minfilia was a public figure and if word got out over this… especially since we didn't wish to be wed—then many may have been reluctant to place their faith in us. Not to say that we didn't love Ryne the moment she was born and wanted to do what we could to make things right. Were circumstances different we would have done whatever we could for her… but Minfilia's parents had always wanted another child anyway and they knew exactly what to do. We all talked it over and agreed it was for the best for her."
Alphinaud wasn't sure how he felt about that. It almost sounded like Thancred was leaving the responsibility of raising his child with others while also running away. Though he could understand their concerns about the public eye it didn't seem fair either to Ryne or Minfilia's parents.
"I know, we were both irresponsible and stupid for getting ourselves into that mess," Thancred hissed out. "I told you that I'm not proud of it. But trust me, we did what we could for her. Minfilia was always so busy and did her best to spend time with her, as did I, but I made sure to pay for as much as I could for her upbringing. I would take her out shopping and look after her whenever her parents were away… it wasn't easy but I did try my best… at least…? Well, their mother died when Ryne was only five summers old. That was a hard time for all of us. And then there was that incident six years ago…?"
"She was only seven summers old at the time, correct?" Alphinaud asked as the easy math played in his head and Thancred nodded.
"See, there was a parade being held in Ul'dah that day and I was with Ryne as we watched the carriages going down the street," he whispered. "But then a Goobue, who had been on display, broke free from its restraints and went on a rampage. Luckily, it was stopped quickly but…? Someone did end up losing their life when he tried to protect Minfilia."
Alphinaud felt himself grow pale at the thought before guessing, "He was killed? Her father died from that?"
"Yeah… it was… pretty rough for all of us," Thancred sighed. "And then… a lot of things happened after that… and…?"
He paused again and Alphinaud could tell that Thancred was really struggling with what had to be painful memories. What would that have been liked? He could only have imagined how difficult it would have been for them all when both of Minfilia's parents were gone.
"Did you and Minfilia take over caring for Ryne?" he asked and Thancred nodded before Alphinaud remembered what he learned about Minfilia and pointed out, "Ran'jit stated that Minfilia was close to death by the time that they came for her and Ryne. This had to have happened pretty soon after her father died?"
"Yeah, it was ten years ago did Minfilia end up trapped in the Lifestream," Thancred confirmed. "Ryne was only three summers old during that incident and doesn't remember much of the Minfilia before she was infused with Light. I… rather not talk about that time."
"As you wish, but then when Vauthry's men came in…?" Alphinaud pointed out, trying to get the timeline together in his mind.
"Roughly after Warburton died, Minfilia's grief and guilt over his death had affected her already failing health," Thancred answered darkly. "The Light was like a parasite, slowly sucking her dry. I think that may have been the reason why she wasn't able to escape the Goobue's rampage that day, her body just wasn't in any fit state to protect herself… leaving her father with no choice but to protect her instead. It wasn't even half a year after that did Vauthry's men, including that old swine, showed up and demanded that the girls leave with him. Upon seeing how weak Minfilia had become, and how close she was to… to death, he agreed to let us remain in Ul'dah for a little longer. But otherwise let's say he made us an offer we couldn't refuse when Ryne was forced to go with them."
"So you lied and kept the truth hidden from her all these years?" Alphinaud asked, wondering just what on Etheriys it would have been like for Thancred to have known the entire truth for years but had been forced to keep quiet about it. "And you still went with her after Vauthry came?"
"Like hells I could let her go alone," Thancred growled back, "I was all she had left. I stayed with Minfilia long enough to make sure that she was comfortable before… before she passed. Vauthry was able to give us that much, I guess… in exchange, Ryne was to come along with her cousin to Eulmore… a few days after arriving here in Kholusia, we met with Claire. And the rest… you already know. That's the basic idea, anyway."
His tone had become undeniably bitter now as he was still looking about, squinting through the dark for any possible threats, while Alphinaud was left to digest all this news.
"Why haven't you told Ryne the truth? Don't you think that she deserves to know?" he asked and he was surprised to see that Thancred was smiling again faintly through the thickening veil of snow around them.
"You sound like Claire," he said, "She's been trying to convince me to tell Ryne the truth for a long time but come on… Ryne remembers the wonderful man that she thought was her father so well… I'm an orphaned street rat with not a gil to my name… I've lied, I've stolen, I've done a lot of questionable things in my life that I can't help but look back on with shame. Do you think she'd be happy to know that her real father, after all this time, is hardly more than a felon?"
"But you've been by her side all this time," Alphinaud pointed out, "And I've seen how close you both are…?"
"She thinks I'm just her big sister's oldest friend, and I wanted to keep it that way," Thancred grumbled before looking away as a strong wind blew over them, causing Alphinaud to shiver. He instinctively pulled Claire closer so that they could share body heat but Thancred seemed to have become frozen himself as he looked away from him, as if ashamed to even look another in the eye.
"But you said that this news needed to come from you?" he pointed out and Thancred seemed to groan out at the idea.
"I know… I know that she needs to know… at least about the part of Minfilia being her mother," he admitted. "I confess that I've known that there would come a time that she would need to know the full truth… and with Vauthry after her now… I do think that she needs to be told. I will do it… just… not today. Please, promise me that you won't say a word about this to her until I've worked out how to say it."
He still wouldn't look at him, but Alphinaud nodded anyway, falling silent for a time as he laid down and made sure to keep Claire safely in his arms as he thought it all over. He never gave it any thought before, but the idea of having children… must be a terrifying thought. He had gotten close with Ryne over these last months and he found himself counting her as one of his closest friends, but to think that there was all this about her own past kept secret under her nose…? He didn't know how she was going to react to it all. But he did have a suspicion that once they explained to her the full truth… she would understand. He had seen the way that Ryne stayed close to Thancred; how she loved the attention that he would give her… it was sweet, he supposed was the right word.
He didn't ask another thing as they continued along the road, with him wincing with every bump that they took as he kept checking the sky for dawn until the snow was now so thick that it was difficult to make out even what direction the sky was.
"Oh, I think that it's slowing down again," Thancred said suddenly after what felt like over an hour of continued silence between them and Alphinaud looked around, realizing that he was right. His body had gotten used to the bustle the wagon had made until now, and it was certainly different than how it had been mere moments before. Thancred slowly sat up so that he could get a better view of the front.
"Ah, that's why," he whispered back. "I can just make out Stilltide over the horizon. Right, we best be going now. Gatetown should be directly south of here, and I'm guessing that we're just about to reach daybreak any moment now."
Alphinaud nodded before he shook Claire's shoulder. She was awake at once with a slight groan, slowly turning her bleary eyes to him as he whispered, "We're almost to Stilltide, Thancred says we need to get off now."
She didn't answer, only nodded once in understanding, and began to sit up as they prepared to jump. But Alphinaud, afraid that she would hurt herself even further, quickly wrapped his arms around her and rolled so that they ended up rolling off the cart and onto the ground. Luckily for Claire, Alphinaud had covered her head before rolling onto his back into the snow that cushioned their fall, so she barely touched the ground. Still, he could hear her try to bite back a hiss of pain and he was up immediately as Thancred had also rolled off the cart and hit the ground with a grunt before rolling back to his feet.
"Let's go," he said and Alphinaud helped Claire back upright before they were moving once again.
The rest of the way to the docks was a bit of a slog, but with the wind blowing harder with every second and the snow growing thicker and thicker, they came to realize that didn't need to fear running into anyone else—as Thancred said—'Only someone mad would be out in weather like this'.
Light was slowly flickering through the storm as dawn grew ever closer, not that this was much help to them since the snow was now so thick that he could barely make out the buildings around them as they finally reached the gate towards Gatetown. Alphinaud hadn't seen this rundown gate since the night that he first arrived and he found it strange to be seeing it again after all that's happened. If anything, it looked even more rundown than ever and he privately wondered if it was even strong enough to hold up past this storm since it looked like one good gust would blow it over.
He hugged Claire a little closer to him as he helped her to walk closer while Thancred made a mad dash to the gate. Alphinaud's eyes stung from the cold as he felt his eyes water and freeze on his face, but he didn't look away as he watched Thancred pull a few loose boards down for them to slip through, all the while talking to Y'shtola on the other end of his linkpearl as he informed their allies where they were.
Though the gate was able to offer them a little protection from the wind, they were still having a hard time trying to see through the storm of snow as Alphinaud looked around, hoping to find their ship.
"This way!" Thancred had to shout over the wind and he pushed Alphinaud and Claire in front of him as they moved forward—having to fight for every step as they tried to find their bearings. Alphinaud was shivering badly now, his teeth chattering so hard that he feared that if he tried to speak he would bite his own tongue off. His back ached as Claire's feet dragged even more as he could hear her rasping breathing even over the gust that was threating to blow them over. Eventually, Alphinaud's feet were off the snow and he could hear the dull clunking of wood where he looked down in surprise to see that they had stepped down on the docks and could just make out the ice beneath through a small gap in between.
"Did they leave?" he asked in panic, still not able to see anything.
"I don't think that Y'shtola or Alisaie would allow them to," Thancred said before the older man squinted his eyes and stared ahead. "Wait… aha! There!"
Alphinaud looked to see where he was pointing and suddenly could just make out a large, dark shape through the haze, and the light from a glowing lantern being swung back and forth. They quickly moved forward to find the familiar face of his sister, Alisaie, standing at the foot of the steps leading up into the ship, and she had been waving the lantern in the hopes of getting their attention. At the sight of them, he could see her grinning before she called up to deck and the ship slowly began to inch forward.
"Come on!" Thancred called and they all were able to leap up onto the steps before the ship had managed to pull completely away and Alphinaud let out a relieved gasp that he didn't realize he had been holding back.
"You were cutting it pretty close there," Alisaie informed them as she gripped her brother by his collar and pulled him up after her and into the shelter of the ship. "A few more minutes and I feared that I'd have to plot to kill you for making us worry."
*Several Hours Later*
There was a small party held on the ship at the joy of having escaped Eulmore at long last. At least for the crew, who were glad that they were able to leave the worst of the storm by the skin of their teeth, and soon drinks were being passed about. Alphinaud and Thancred handed Claire over to the anxious-looking Y'shtola and Ryne after they had gotten into the warm cabin. Ryne, at the sight of her cousin, let out a cry of joy and rushed at her, hugging Claire as best as she could as Claire tiredly ran her hand through Ryne's golden locks.
Remembering Thancred's story, Alphinaud couldn't help but look at Ryne in a new light, finding it strange to believe how much he had learned about her—that she wasn't even aware of herself. He felt a nudge in his side and he looked up at Thancred's stern look and nodded once in understanding. He knew that Thancred had trusted him enough to tell him some very private information and he didn't wish to say or do anything that could ruin that. He knew that it wasn't his place to judge or to talk to Ryne about it. Though he did hope that father and daughter would have a chance to talk properly about the truth later when they were safe.
The two women ended up taking Claire with them deeper into the ship to properly treat her. Apparently, there was a special room that was hidden on board the ship, the Misery, and the pirates used it to hide some of their more… problematic merchandise from any unexpected inspections. They would give Claire that room for the time being just to be on the safe side, at least until they reached Sharlayan, which they all agreed to since they were sure that Vauthry would soon be hunting all over for them.
"You'd best lay low for the time being," the captain warned him and the others. "Sounds to me that overgrown man-child will tear this world apart to find these two. You'd do best to avoid that in the future."
"Yes, we understand, thank you for your concern," Alphinaud said politely before he and Thancred returned to waiting in one of the cabins with Alisaie as they awaited Y'shtola and Ryne to return with news about their patient.
It was like a weight had been lifted off his very soul at the revelation that they had made it. They were free and he was going home. He couldn't stop smiling with his sister as they sat below deck and she laughed as she tried to mimic how she thought Vauthry would be reacting when he learned that his greatest thorn in his side managed to escape her own execution.
But as time passed and the sky cleared outside as they left Kholusia behind, he found his cheer quickly fading the longer that Y'shtola remained away from them. He found himself checking the chronometer on the wall more and more often as news continued to stay quiet. Soon enough, even Thancred and Alisaie found themselves growing fretful as they waited well past the morning and into the afternoon.
It was around noon when Y'shtola and Ryne finally resurfaced, both looking tired and Y'shtola was wiping her hands upon a cloth with several blotches of blood stained upon it that caused Alphinaud's worry to rise once again.
"How bad is she?" Alphinaud asked in worry as Y'shtola seemed unusually grim and rubbed tired eyes.
"Her overall health is poor, though that is to be expected after being imprisoned and likely tortured during these last several days. Though thank the gods that most of what she is suffering with is something that we can take care of and she should recover quickly," she reassured him. "She'll need to have her bandages changed soon anyway so that I can apply a salve for the wounds on her back. Her aether levels are also low and she is anemic, so she will be needing plenty of food and rest for a time. I've taken care of the worst of her injuries, there will be some scarring, but overall, I think that she's fairly lucky to have escaped as she did."
Alphinaud was almost sagging with relief upon having it confirmed that she will be alright… but there was just one thing that he was suddenly focused upon.
"You said that most of what she has we can take care of…?" he repeated slowly and her ears drooped slightly at the question. He had gotten to know Y'shtola well enough by now to know that it only happened when she was about to deliver bad news and he felt as if the bottom of his stomach gave out.
"It would seem that the collar did far more damage than we first anticipated," she sighed. "She told me that Vauthry was so angry with her that he kept using the collar over and over again as punishment. He used it in such a way that she couldn't even pass out. He would use it until she was on the verge of losing consciousness before releasing her. Once she would catch her breath he would then do it again and again. This has left some irreversible damage to her throat and vocal cords."
Alphinaud felt the blood drain from his face and gulped down before asking with a tremble in his voice, "And what will that mean for her?"
"Her throat had been heavily damaged," Y'shtola answered as she set the bloody cloth down on a nearby table and sat down on the step, looking as if the weight of the world was upon her shoulders before finishing, "It would not surprise me if speaking was painful for her from now on."
"Wait, you mean we can't help heal this?" Thancred asked as he stood up and Ryne sniffled, which seemed to be all the proof that he needed before he turned around, pacing up and down the room as he seemed to be seething with rage.
"We can help to ease the pain and she may improve with time, but I fear that speaking may be difficult for her from this point on," Y'shtola sighed. "It's impossible to say for sure."
The others all began to ask questions, concern in their faces, as Y'shtola tried to answer them all one at a time. But all Alphinaud could think of was the idea that she may never fully recover from this. That they had left such a permanent scar upon his friend was…? Alphinaud felt his hands curl into fists before asking, "May I see her?"
His question was quiet and normally wouldn't have even been heard over the barrage of questions from the others. But, surprisingly, the others did hear him and were silent as Y'shtola looked sadly at him.
"She's downstairs," Y'shtola said in a surprisingly gentle voice. "Go down the steps until you reached the back wall. There should be a loose panel there. Just feel around and you'll find it."
He nodded, muttered a quiet 'thank you' and left them as he tried to ignore the piteous looks that they were giving him. Alphinaud hurried down the steps and followed a corridor past a couple doors until he came to a dead end like Y'shtola said. It certainly looked like a normal wall to him; but he did as he was told and began to feel along the wood for something to give way. Soon enough one of the panels was loose and he pressed it hard enough for an opening to appear. He had to duck through to fit, but he stepped inside while letting the door shut behind him.
He was in a very tiny room, hardly bigger than a broom cupboard, but there was a table set aside with bandages and all manner of potions and herbs along with a few towels and a large bowl of water next to a gently flickering lantern as Claire slept in a low, makeshift bed. He approached to see that she had been changed into a grey shirt that looked to be too large for her and he could see several bandages poking out from under the cloth. She was still very pale but there was a hint of color to her cheeks that shone through despite the cuts that littered her face that lightened his heart slightly.
He pulled up a small stool so that he could sit next to her, but it seemed that his movements caught her attention and her eyes opened—only to give a faint smile when she saw who it was.
"Are you in any pain?" he asked in a hushed tone that almost didn't sound like him, "You can just shake your head and nod. Y'shtola said that she needed to change your bandages on your back…?"
She nodded slightly and he asked, "May I have a look…?"
Slowly and painfully, she seemed to be favoring her right side, she rolled over so that her back was to him as he carefully pulled up the shirt to get to the bandages underneath. He could see a couple small, dark red patches already appearing on the cloth before asking, "May I…?"
Though her head was turned away from him, he saw her nod again and he carefully began to peel away the bandages so that he could get a look at the many open sores underneath. It was worse than he remembered and he ached just looking at it.
"If it's alright, I want to change these for you and see what I can do," he said and she rolled over onto her stomach so that he would have an easier time getting to work. Once all the bandages were removed, he pulled the bowl of water and cloth over, still as silent as ever. Alphinaud then dipped the cloth into the water before gently wiping away at the many wounds on her back. They all looked sore and bloody—some were even oozing puss signaling an infection—and he had to grit his teeth as he wiped it all away. It hurt just to look at it and he couldn't imagine how unpleasant it would be to be touched in this state. Very occasionally, he would hear a tiny hiss of pain as he dutifully tended to her.
"Sorry," he whispered as he moved as gently as possible to avoid causing her as little pain as possible but his mind was still elsewhere as he worked. Once he had wiped off as much as he could, he went back to the many bottles on the desk and he found a cream that would be used to numb the pain, which he felt was something she needed now. He then took the time to very carefully rub the soothing, cool salve onto her back and he could see the effects at once as the tenseness in her shoulders loosened and she seemed to be breathing in more deeply than before. While he wished to magically heal all her wounds now, he knew why Y'shtola had waited. If these wounds were infected, if he tried to heal them over now then he may accidently seal the infection under the skin… which could be fatal in such a weakened state. So as much as he hated to wait, he knew that she would have to bear with the pain for a time until they were sure that any possibility of infection was dealt with.
Once he had finished, he grabbed a fresh roll of bandages and asked that she sit up so that he could finish. She did as she was commanded and slowly sat up, revealing her bare chest to him and he flushed.
"It's nothing… you haven't seen before…?" she whispered with a ghost of a smile on her face as he knew that she was thinking the same thing and he felt a shiver of pleasure at the memory as he carefully began to bandage her up. But he couldn't stop how his hands would stroke her skin, softly tracing over the old scars that he had memorized from before, slowly moving upwards her body.
His hands, which had become calloused over the last few months—which was a stark contrast to how flawless they had been before he left Sharlayan—came to rest upon her throat where he could see the indent from where the collar had been… could see how parts of the skin were burnt and blistered from the violent release and he felt himself shaking at the sight of it.
"Her throat had been heavily damaged," Y'shtola's voice echoed in his mind, "It would not surprise me if speaking was painful for her from now on."
He paused there as he traced the scar with a single finger, his expression empty. Having noticed this, Claire reached up to touch the side of his face and gently forced him to meet her own eyes where he could see worry looking back at him.
She tilted her head to one side in confusion and he found that he could understand her unasked questioned: 'What is it?'
"Does it hurt to speak?" he asked softly and her eyes became downcast. She shook her head but the sadness in her eyes gave her away. She knew… he realized. Y'shtola must have told her the truth before he came here. Of course she would have… she needed to know… though she probably already guessed the truth before now as well.
"You're a bad liar," he told her and she lowered her head again, not even trying to deny it.
"Only… when I… speak… does it hurt," she confessed and he could see the flicker of pain in her face and the slight wince as she seemed to force out the words.
He bit his lower lip, his hands trembling slightly as he was filled with a silent rage. A hatred he never felt before to this degree rose inside him and he was visited with a violent urge to tear Vauthry apart with his bare hands.
Perhaps Claire sensed his anger for her hands came up to hold his own, gradually running her fingers over his until he calmed down enough to take a deep breath.
"I… can still…?" she began but he was shaking his head urgently.
"No," he said, "If it hurts you then don't try to speak for now. We have some of the best healers in the world waiting in Sharlayan. I know that we'll find a way to help."
He didn't want to think that there could be permanent damage done to her by that fiend. He knew that Sharlayan held some of the world's greatest healers and the Sages at the Studium were the best of the best. If there were any out there who could find a solution… they could. He had to hold onto that hope for her sake.
But she just smiled as he felt some of his dread fade. Almost afraid to kiss her this time, he tenderly pulled her shirt back over her to give her some modesty before easing her to lay back down.
"We'll figure it out," he promised, his heart aching with guilt. "We'll find a way to help you. For now, you focus on getting well. We'll be there in a few days and until you are able to speak without pain… I'll be your voice for you. I'll speak for you when you can't."
(Awww, it was so sad but sweet. They managed to escape and now we have a good excuse to why the Warrior of Light doesn't speak much. May be a bit cruel but needed to really leave a lasting effect so that Alphinaud can vow to make Vauthry pay for this later. As for Thancred, he really is struggling with the life of a single father and I think he really wants to tell Ryne but he's afraid of her rejecting him if she learns the truth. Hopefully, all problems can be solved after getting back to Sharlayan. Can't wait to see how the parents react to them all showing up to their door.)