"I can't seem to find any injuries," Lindhardt sat on the bed next to the professor. He lifted his teacher's arm as he slept on his side. The green-haired mage felt across his entire body, "I'm… I'm unsure as to what is wrong with him."
Edelgard stood with her arms crossed in their teacher's quarters, "I would say he was speaking nonsense, but as you all know, nothing seems to be nonsense nowadays."
It was a tight squeeze, but her peers all stood in various positions, practically filling his entire quarters.
"It appeared it was a build up," Ingrid sighed heavily as she approached the bed. "He seemed uncomfortable when Lord Rodrigue and Prince Dimitri came to our homeroom, but Claude and Judith didn't seem to say anything out of the ordinary. His breathing… he just started to panic."
"What exactly did he say?" Shamir stood over Byleth's bed as she peered down at him with a curious gaze.
"He…" Edelgard tried to recall his manic conversations. "He said both sides of time were revealed to him. That there would be years of darkness… and something bad was coming."
"Anything more specific?" Shamir huffed as she placed her hand on his sleeping face, she gently moved his head looking for any injuries.
Edelgard felt a lump catch in her throat, the words stung as they left her tongue, "he… insinuated that he could be… gone."
"Gone?" Annette's voice rose as she lowered her brows. "You mean like… dead?"
Edelgard shrugged as she tightened her arms, "I am unsure, he only used the word 'gone.'"
"Surely, he didn't mean he'd abandon us," Ferdinand clenched his jaw tightly. "He'd never do such a thing."
"Maybe…" Leonie sat at the foot of the bed with her legs crossed, her back hunched, "maybe this 'bad' thing can be prevented. Maybe that's what leads him to leave us and it could be why he told us, so that we can stop it."
She was not her usual chipper self.
"We don't even know what 'it' is," Shamir huffed as she stepped away from the bed. She defensively crossed her arms and lifted her hand to brush her short blue hair from her face.
"There's nothing you can do?" Edelgard turned her attention to Lindhardt, who was still inspecting their professor.
Lindhardt opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. Finally he offered her a solemn shrug, "white magic won't heal a fracture of the mind, and I see no other cause or injury."
"I can try," a small voice called from behind Edelgard. Lysithea stood from the professor's desk and weaved in between her classmates as she neared the bed. "Perhaps there will be some benefit to having two crests, after all."
"A-are you sure?" Bernadetta stood near the door, as close to the wall as possible. "It won't hurt him, will it?"
"It won't hurt him…" Lysithea's words seemed uncertain. "But we must find a way to wake him, it won't be long before the gaggle of nobles or even the Archbishop herself wonders where he's retreated to."
The thought hadn't occurred to Edelgard. She had been so consumed with Byleth's wellbeing that she had forgotten there were hundreds wandering Garreg Mach at this very moment looking for the Enlightened One.
"If they were to find him in this state…" Flayn's words trailed off. "He'll surely be considered cursed."
"Then they won't find him in this state," Shamir's nostrils flared, her frustration seemed to boil over though her words were calm. "Caspar, Leonie, guard the door and ensure we don't have any unexpected visitors."
"We can play bodyguard!" Caspar gave her a firm nod.
"And if someone tries to get in?" Leonie was less enthusiastic. "Are we meant to put them down?"
"Don't hurt anyone," Edelgard felt a little silly having to clarify. "Just… find a way to give us ample warning. Knock on the door or yell loudly."
"That seems less fun," Leonie muttered as she lifted herself from the foot of Byleth's bed. She followed Caspar toward the door.
He opened it slowly as he took extra precaution to ensure no one could peer inside, and they both quickly slipped out before closing the door behind them.
"That's not going to hold everyone off for long," Shamir reminded Edelgard as she lifted her eyes to meet hers. "Eventually, someone's going to find out."
Edelgard's eyes darted across the room. She watched as Lysithea sat next to the professor's head and placed a single hand across the side of his face, a bright white light emanated from under her palm, "if we can't wake him… we'll have to leave Garreg Mach until he's fit to return."
"Lady Rhea won't be happy," Flayn groaned under her voice. "Especially with the ceremony at the Holy Tomb rapidly approaching."
"Edelgard's right," Shamir stated coolly. "It's better we receive punishment than to let anyone see the Enlightened One in this condition."
"We're truly talking about this, aren't we?" Annette's concerned voice nearly cracked. "Where are we meant to go?"
"Anywhere would be better than here," Ingrid interjected. "Away from the prying eyes of Fodlan's most powerful houses."
"I want to be clear," Edelgard tried to conceal her nervousness with a firm tone. "None of you are required to go with us, in fact, if there's a price to pay it would be safer to stay here."
"I won't let you go alone, Edie," Dorothea placed her hand on Edelgard's shoulder. "I'll go with you."
"As will I," Petra tightened her lips as she placed a hand on her hip. "We are being in this together, are we not?"
"Lady Edelgard," Hubert showed a rare moment of being at a loss for words. "I feel we've reached a turning point in our path, and I would be amiss if you did not allow me to see it through until the end."
"It's all heartwarming," Shamir interrupted. "But perhaps it would be faster if we took count of anyone that didn't want to go?"
None spoke a word. None raised their hands or nodded their heads. For several moments, a silence fell in the room.
"Hey, what are you looking at?" Edelgard could hear Leonie's voice from the other side of the door.
"Yeah, get a move on," Caspar's deepened voice shortly followed. "Nothing to see here."
Shamir put her fingers to the bridge of her nose as she shook her head, "I should've known better than to send both of them."
"You truly should have," Edelgard held back a smile. "But back to the matter at hand, the dead of night is rapidly approaching. Most will have retired to their camps or quarters by then."
"'Most' being the keyword here," Shamir threw her hand into the air. "I suppose it's better than broad daylight… if I'm not mistaken, there's a mercenary company moving through what used to be Remire…"
"What would we be doing with a mercenary company?" Petra lowered her brows as she gazed curiously at the knight.
"Ask Byleth," Shamir sighed. "He's the one who decided to be vague with whatever horrible thing is supposed to come to pass."
Edelgard had come to learn over time, however, that her hostility was her way of showing concern and distress. No matter how hard the knight tried to appear angry at her teacher, she knew it was simply her way of keeping her composure in her friend's absence.
"If he awakes," Annette swallowed hard as she peered down at her professor on the bed. "Would it not be suspicious if we returned with an army?"
"Of course it is," Shamir huffed. "Everything we're talking about doing is suspicious, and it's going to look even more so if we end up missing the ceremony because he's in no condition."
"Th-they'll probably think we kidnapped the professor," Bernie's face scrunched in worry.
"Then we'll simply hope we will be able to return before the ceremony begins," Ingrid nodded at no one in particular. "There's no cause to worry about the what-ifs now. We need to do what's in his best interest, as he's always done for us."
"Agreed," Ferdinand rubbed the back of his neck as if it ached. "It certainly is a mighty risk, but what else would I expect from this imperial year?"
A low moan. Edelgard snapped her head to see Byleth stir on the bed. Lysithea still sat beside him, but kept both of her hands on his face and the top of his head, "is he waking?"
Lysithea didn't answer, her hands glowed with a bright white light as she shrugged her shoulders.
"What if…" Edelgard let her words trail as she turned her gaze to the blue-haired knight. "What if we could amass an army in secret?"
"Mercenaries will be quiet, if we pay them enough," Shamir kept her eyes on Byleth, who showed signs of restlessness on the bed as she casually bit at her thumbnail.
"But we would not be able to bring them back here," Edelgard shook her head. "Not without upping the stakes with the Church of Seiros. In the woods, when you and Byleth gave us colored stones, your patience was ultimately what caused us to turn on each other."
"I'm not sure we have the luxury of picking our army," Shamir still bit at her nail as her gaze raised to meet Edelgard's. "What are you proposing?"
"Would we have enough time to travel to Enbarr and back before the ceremony?" Edelgard took a deep breath. She knew the gravity of what she was asking and the thought made her perspire.
"Not without horses, and we'd have to move fast," Shamir shook her head. A few loose strands from her short hair shook along with her head. "Besides, it sounds like the Agarthans have their hooks deep in the Adrestian throne. Am I wrong?"
"You're not wrong," Edelgard tried to clear the lump that formed in her throat as she straightened her stance. "But as we've said before, it is a year of change, no?"
"What are we talking about doing?" Annette's scrunched face emanated with confusion as her eyes darted between herself and Shamir.
"It's risky," Shamir pushed her stray strands from her face as she crossed her arms tightly. She ignored the young orange-haired girl's question, "I imagine there would be quite a division within the empire's army."
"Lady Edelgard…" Hubert's eyes widened as he stepped closer toward her. "Are you speaking of what I think you are?"
"I have no doubt there will be a division," Edelgard nodded in agreement. She and Shamir had an internal understanding and outside questions and protests were not welcome, lest she waver in her courage. "But we'll still come out with a more than capable army. One that we can control and move at our own discretion, quietly."
Shamir sighed deeply as she spun her body and began pacing. She seemed more restless than Edelgard thought possible. Her brows lowered as if she were lost in thought, "normally… I would think this was a very bad idea."
"Normally?" Edelgard focused in on the keyword, the one that gave away Shamir's support.
The knight nodded her head, "yes, normally. But the Agarthans continue to draw blood… and Byleth won't give us a straight answer as to what is coming."
"I'm not entirely convinced he knows himself," Edelgard lowered her voice as she watched Lysithea continue to radiate his head in white magic. "I can't imagine what it would be like to have… any of those abilities. His thoughts were scattered as if he were standing in the past and future at the same time."
"You realize I'm probably going to get fired, right?" Shamir let a coy smile form from her lips.
"Only if we're found out, in which case we'll have no other option but to flee Garreg Mach," Edelgard couldn't help but to release a small chuckle. "Besides, I assumed you had already penned your resignation some time ago and were only waiting to send it."
"Why Enbarr?" Ingrid interjected.
"Her Highness plans to succeed her father," Hubert didn't ask anymore questions. He no longer needed affirmation of Edelgard's intentions. "He's no doubt heard about her defection from Those Who Slither in the Dark by now."
"More than likely," Edelgard nodded. She lifted her chin to appear more solid in her resolve, "however, my father would not hurt me. The sooner we can free the throne from their grip, the more of a chance we have in gaining the advantage. I don't know about any of you, but I'm quite tired of being a step behind."
"I know I am," Shamir muttered.
"Emperor Edie," Dorothea chortled softly. "That is going to take some getting used to."
"I'm in," Annette's face softened as she lifted her head. She took a deep breath and held it for several seconds. "I can feel the change out there. The nobles are all trying to get the… Enlightened One on their side. The Kingdom, the Alliance, the Empire… I agree with the professor, something is coming and it's not going to be good. It would be nice if we could at least have a foothold in the coming war."
"You believe there will be an all-out war?" Ferdinand bit his lower lip as he gazed at his peer.
"I do," Annette nodded her head. "It's what Those Who Slither in the Dark have been doing to all of us."
"Just as it was with the colored stones," Ferdinand's shoulders deflated as he closed his eyes tightly. "Give someone something they believe to be valuable and they'll fight amongst themselves. Right now, the professor is their colored pebble."
"You were actually listening?" Shamir grinned, but just barely.
"Of course," he dutifully nodded. "Annette is right. There will certainly be blood and a class of thirteen students, a professor and a Knight of Seiros will be no match for a Fodlan civil war."
"This early…" Hubert breathed heavily as his eyes scanned the ground. "There is a great chance Her Highness's succession will cause some of the Empire to rebel. There will certainly be unrest."
"Just as there is with every new ruler," Edelgard nodded. "We'll create our own empire if need be, and we will not play the game of chairs with the other territories. We know who the true enemy is and must keep our focus."
"Spoken like a true leader," Hubert let a small smile form on his face.
"We are truly be doing this, aren't we?" Petra took a deep breath.
Edelgard nodded firmly. In truth, her heart pounded and her palms perspired with uncertainty. If there was one thing she knew for sure was she could no longer let Byleth carry this burden alone, no matter how hard he tried.
"Then I guess we need to get ourselves some horses," Shamir rubbed her temple with two of her fingers.
"Lysithea," Edelgard swallowed hard. "Please find a way to wake him. This journey will be a lot easier with him at least able to mount his own horse."
"Where are you guys going?"
Edelgard peeked out of the slit of the door and saw none but Leonie and Caspar standing on either side of the professor's door. They both had their arms crossed menacingly in front of their chests. Edelgard couldn't help but to admire their commitment to character and loyalty to let none pass, though she didn't find either of them particularly intimidating.
"We're heading to the stables," Edelgard took several strides onto the wooden porch to make room for Shamir, Dorothea and Petra to follow behind.
"Are we making a run for it?" Caspar lowered his voice, though even his quietest whisper sounded loud and hoarse.
"Maybe," Shamir's body spun as he assessed their surroundings. "If things go south, more than likely."
"Alright," Leonie vigorously nodded. "I'm in, bandits on the run."
"She said only if things go south," Dorothea seemed less confident in her words.
"Do not let anyone pass while we're gone," Shamir dug her pointer finger into Caspar's chest.
"Ow," he cringed slightly and covered the spot she had poked him with his palm.
"You gotta be tough," the knight stared at him coolly. "I'm telling both of you, if anyone… and I mean anyone tries to pass, you drop them."
"You can count on me," Leonie tightened her jaw as she bobbed her head. "I don't care who it is."
Edelgard bit her lip as the brief image of Leonie attempting to subdue the Archbishop herself made her nervous. She knew Rhea possessed more power than most and Leonie held no discrimination in foes that were more powerful than she, it was one of the most endearing qualities she admired in her younger peer.
"As soon as Lysithea gives you the word," Dorothea interjected, her brows twisted in worry. "Help them move the professor to the front gates. We'll meet you there."
The brunette mage followed Edelgard down the few steps that led to the dirt path. Petra followed close in tow as Shamir brought up the rear.
"You realize they hang horse thieves, right?" Dorothea muttered under her breath as her head darted from side to side. The dark of the night had fallen over Garreg Mach and it was a sharp contrast to the bustling crowd of the day.
"They wouldn't dare be hanging us," Petra kept her knees bent as she walked almost as if she were preparing to be spotted.
"Well, not you," Dorothea was far less agile than her fellow classmate. "You're the princess of Brigid, and Edie of the empire. But Shamir and I…"
"They'd absolutely hang the both of us," Shamir coldly replied. "A defect of the Knights of Seiros and a commoner horse thief."
"Shamir," Edelgard hissed. While she appreciated that the both of them did not have the same privileges that came with being a noble, she didn't want to upset Dorothea any further. "We wouldn't allow it, Dorothea."
"Well, it's true," Shamir shrugged as she walked. She was at much more ease than any of the three students she escorted across the walkway of the hedge garden. "Actually, they'd probably behead me."
"Must you be so morbid?" Dorothea's nostrils flared as she adjusted her hat, pulling it closer to the front of her face.
"It's not being morbid," the knight denied. "It's being truthful. I don't know about you, but I don't particularly care to be beheaded. That's why no matter what happens, we need to have an exit plan."
"You've learned much from the professor," Petra pointed out. "There is a lesson in your words of facing reality and possessing much strength to stop it from happening."
"I'm not your teacher," Shamir shook her head as she peered over the green blocks that separated them from the many chairs and tables the students and teachers used to enjoy a meal or pot of tea.
"Regardless, you are bursting with the lessons," Petra added.
"All I'm saying is if I give the signal, you run like you're being chased," Shamir's work never ended as she came to a stop in front of the dining hall doors. She pressed the side of her head against the hardwood. "The others still have plausible deniability. Besides, we won't be able to help them if we're detained."
Edelgard came to a stop as the knight's eyes rested on a pair of guards that stood in front of them at the entrance of the stables. They casually stood as they made small talk with one another.
"If we're lucky, this will be all there is," Shamir ran her fingers through her hair. "Dorothea, I hate to ask this-"
"I know," Dorothea pulled on the edges of her skirt and then ran her palms down the fabric to smoothen any wrinkles. "I got this."
"Meet us by the front gate in ten," Shamir turned her head to meet the mage's gaze. "No matter what you have to do, be there."
"Understood," Dorothea gave Edelgard one last strained smile before she began a very different walk.
Edelgard clenched her jaw as she watched her friend strut forward, her hips swung side to side. It was only when she felt a hand wrap around her arm that Edelgard was able to break her gaze, she turned her head to find Shamir gently coaxing her into the small alleyway beside the dining hall.
Edelgard complied, but she couldn't loosen the grip of her fists as she walked, "she shouldn't have to use her body-"
"I know," Shamir interrupted as she continued to grip her upper arm. "But we must use the tools we have to survive."
It was a short walk before Edelgard could see the south end of the stables and the tops of the canopies of the marketplace below. She could hear Dorothea's forced laugh behind her.
The blue-haired knight finally released Edelgard's arm as she leaned forward and darted her head in both directions just outside of the small alley, "come on."
Edelgard followed her and Petra, but her mind was still on Dorothea. She didn't like the idea of splitting up, but they had already done so when they left most of their friends in the professor's quarters.
"Without Dorothea," Petra kept her body low to the ground as they rounded the corner, "I fear we will be able to be leading enough horses."
"We'll have to make do," Shamir whispered as she took another sharp turn and came to a sudden stop.
Edelgard immediately stopped as she watched Shamir's demeanor as her eyes widened and she straightened her stance. She quickly identitified the terror within her gaze as she opened her mouth to speak.
Petra put her arm in front of Edelgard's chest as she began to back away, forcing Edelgard to move backwards as well.
Shamir struggled to straighten her face as she let a grin form across her lips, "Alois, what are you doing out at this hour?"
Edelgard couldn't see Shamir's fellow knight, he must have been just on the other side of the stable wall. Petra continued stepping backward as they both edged back into the alleyway.
"Lady Shamir!" Alois's voice boomed over the silent monastery. The echo made Edelgard's heart skip a beat. "I could ask the same of you. I haven't seen you most of the day only to find you lurking at night?"
"I was never one for company," Shamir brushed a few loose strands of hair from her face as she placed a hand on her hip. "I find the days have become much too crowded for my liking."
Petra leaned her back against the wall as she craned her neck to gain a better view. Edelgard could see her friend's arm reach across her body as she rested her hand on the hilt of her sword. Edelgard placed her hand on the girl's arm and shook her head. She wanted to give Shamir a chance to talk her way out of this. By now, they were more than accustomed to the sound of steel unsheathing, if it came to that, then they would strike.
"Ha!" Alois let out a hearty laugh. "It has become quite a bustling little city, hasn't it?. Is that why you find yourself at the stables?"
"I suppose you could say that," Shamir returned a feigned chuckle. "You know Byleth isn't one for politics, so we find ourselves needing to get away for a few days. We thought we'd take the class out for an exercise."
"An exercise?" Alois's curiosity grew in his tone. "At a time like this?"
"What better time?" Shamir replied. "Leave the politics to the nobles. Leave the teaching to the professor."
"He certainly has taken much from the late Captain," his voice grew solemn. "That boy is a spitting image of Captain Jeralt, himself. A strange one, indeed."
"Somehow, 'strange' doesn't do him justice," Shamir grinned. "So if we might sign out some mounts, I'll be on my way."
"Where is the professor?" Edelgard's heart dropped at his question. "There's been quite a bit of chatter about his quick exit earlier in the day. Lady Rhea has been… concerned."
"More than likely banging pots in front of his students' doors," Shamir shook her head gently. "You know us mercenaries like to be alert."
"Ha! He certainly loves to push those young nobles, doesn't he?" Alois asked. Edelgard could hear his armor clink as he adjusted his weight. "But you know he must sign out the mounts himself. Will he be long?"
"Can you not just put them in my name?" Shamir sighed heavily. "I told him I would be prepared by the time he gathered the class."
"I didn't see any missions in your itinerary…" Alois's tone lowered. "Besides, with the coming events, I'm sure Lady Rhea would want to approve this herself."
Shamir let out a strained chuckle, "oh, Alois. You've got me in quite the corner."
Edelgard stood and turned the corner as quickly as she could, much faster than she was able to think her actions through. She was fast enough that Petra's hand only grasped air as she reached to stop her.
"Who's that?" Edelgard heard Alois ask. But she did not stop her pace, she knew that if Shamir was backed into a corner, what would come next and she desperately did not want to leave a trail of bodies in their wake.
"Sir Alois," Edelgard's voice cracked as she stopped quickly next to Shamir. "It's Edelgard. The professor… isn't coming."
She could see him clearly now, his bright armor glistened in the moonlight as his eyes darted between Shamir and herself. "Isn't coming? But Shamir-"
"He's in trouble, Alois," Edelgard continued, "it is why we need the mounts. But we will be back before the ceremony, you have my word."
Alois hesitated as he placed his hands on his waist, his demeanor grew defensive as his eyes narrowed on the two women, "trouble? I can certainly gather the Knights-"
She heard Shamir sigh as she rested her palm on the side of her face.
"Please, Alois," Edelgard took a small step forward. "If you had learned anything from Captain Jeralt, you must know there is much more at play here at the monastery than meets the eye. Byleth… needs our help but if we have any hopes of returning, we cannot leave a paper trail."
Edelgard felt a twinge in her stomach. It felt like a cheap tactic to slip Jeralt's name in her words, but as a wise knight once said: one must use the tools we have to survive.
"The tension certainly has seemed thick as of late," Alois swallowed hard, but never removed his gaze from them. "Captain Jeralt's boy… becoming Enlightened…"
She felt the hesitation in his voice. He had not yelled for the guards, nor had he drawn his sword.
"I simply cannot spare the horses for your entire class," Alois lifted a thickly armored arm and began to rub the back of his neck, it reminded Edelgard of how Jeralt handled his nervousness.
Edelgard had listened to Alois's words very carefully. If there was one thing her teacher had taught her, it was to look for weakness, whether it be in armor or in words. He had only said they could not spare enough mounts for the entire class, "Then… how many can you spare?"
His hand grew more vigorous in its motions as he let out a heavy sigh, "I suppose if you would all be willing to double up… I might be able to sign out eight."
Edelgard couldn't restrain the relief as it formed a smile from her lips, "that will do."
"Thank you, Alois," Shamir muttered. "I will remember this, and Byleth will know what you've done for us."
He waived his hand dismissively at them, "no need to tell him anything. If he's in trouble though…"
Edelgard could sense his concern though he didn't finish his sentence.
"I promised Captain Jeralt I'd look after him," he continued as he dropped his eyes to the ground. "You'll help him, won't you?"
"You have my word," Edelgard nodded. Shamir had already moved to the stables to start gathering their mounts. "We will move mountains and carve rivers if we must."
"Good," Alois swallowed hard. "Just… take your horses and get out of here quickly. If you cannot make it back before the ceremony…"
Edelgard paid no mind as Petra casually walked behind her and followed Shamir's lead, she took a set of reigns in her hands that the knight handed to her.
"I know," Edeglard nodded zealously. "If we cannot make it back before then, we won't return at all."
Alois returned her nod slowly, "you take him and get as far away from here as you can."
She knew this to be true. Alois may have helped them with their escape, but if they were to miss the divine revelation at the Holy Tomb, then they would have made a new enemy in the Church of Seiros. Edelgard knew Rhea would stop at nothing to get her precious professor back within her reach.