Winter's Knight
Chapter 1
Arrival
Together they trudged on. A thick blanket of snow covered every surface. Ice encrusted pine needles rattled in the wind. Sheer walls of stone dripping with icicles towered over them, arching to impossible heights. Miles and miles of unforgiving cold stretching out into a sky filled with dark heavy clouds.
Seifer tugged on the reins drawing Princess to a slow halt. She turned her head to look at him. If Chocobos had eyebrows she would for sure be lifting them right now. Her feathers ruffled in impatience.
"I know, I know it's too damn cold," He muttered reaching into the saddle bag with a gloved hand to pull out a data pad.
"Kweh," She agreed with a toss of her head. Her elegant top plume was tucked away into a winter hat making the imperious motion look almost comical.
"Just checking we're still on the right path, lost sight of the trail makers a few miles back. Wouldn't want us to get lost, would you?" He muttered to her flicking through maps and coordinates on the screen. Her incredulous stomp was answer enough.
"We're less than a mile away. You'll finally get your wish and get to be rid of the sled," He tucked the data pad back away and shoved a glove back on. Princess looked past him at the sled with murder in her eyes.
"Yes, I know you're far too delicate for such things," He said smirking.
Her return glare was withering. He chuckled and took up the reins again easing her onward into a trot to cover some ground.
The frosty crevice parted, at last, to reveal a long valley filled with towering evergreens and decorated with fresh snowfall. At the centre was the twisted hulk of wreckage that had once been Trabia Garden.
Seifer grew still at the sight of it. The reins dropped from his fingers as every muscle in his arms locked. Princess took a few more bounding steps and then stopped.
He had seen still images in the papers. But nothing had prepared him for the stillness and the smell of death lingering against the sweet, clean smell of snowfall. Some small, petty part of him said to turn and run.
He remembered standing in D-District prison caught up in an endless whirl of poisonous thoughts. The buttons of the control console had been sleek beneath his gloved hands. For a moment he had paused. Then the voice beside him, velvet with temptation. A Knight mustn't falter in the duty to his sorceress.
No, he wouldn't allow himself to look away. This destruction was a result of his own choices. Instead, he stared down at the ruins as if he were looking into the maw of a ruby dragon.
The once optimistic orange metal had buckled and collapsed upon impact. Long scorch marks scored dented metal. An opulent walk once decorated with banners, benches, and planters had led to the Garden entrance. But now it lay shattered, ripped from the very earth by force. Thick chunks of its remains rose from the snow like silent tombstones commemorating all those who had died here.
Princess shifted beneath him, moving from foot to foot. She ruffled her wings and her head swung.
"I know. Its fucking eerie," He said slipping from her back.
His gaze never left the carnage. Bile rose in the back of his throat. It had seemed impossible but the stain on his conscience left by this deed twisted its way even deeper into his soul. Barbed with thorns of guilt that burned. A whisper as smooth as silk danced amongst the pines. The skin at the nape of his neck crawled. He drew in a sharp breath and reached for a gunblade that wasn't there.
"Kweh," Princess bumped his shoulder with her beak impatiently. He looked away from the palpable reminder of so many transgressions to where her dark eyes were focused.
"Who're you?" A tiny voice crashed into the strange, still, quiet. On the edge of the forest, peaking around a fallen tree, was a gaggle of young kids. Most of them were hardly in their teens. Some of their coats were too large and one of them had mismatched gloves. Hardly any of them had scarves.
A small girl faltered a step back at his glare.
"A better question is, who are you?" Seifer countered with a lift of his brows and a smirk. He schooled his body into a relaxed posture, hands loose on Princess' reins. She stretched her wings to shake the snow free. The young girl he had scared with his look gasped.
"We're underclassmen, we're training to be SeeD," An older boy stepped out, seemingly to protect the others. A teenager, hardly more than a child himself. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Which means you should tell us why you are here."
"I'm here to help," Seifer responded catching the dark hulk in his peripheral again. Another shadow to haunt him in this post-war world.
"You? Really?" The teen said incredulous. His words were a dagger of recognition. Seifer nodded, accepting the wound. He carried many scars from similar remarks.
"Are you in charge then?" He asked the boy. The very idea of it was ludicrous. Princess nodded her head in agreement. But then Garden had always made men out of boys far too soon.
"No," the young girl piped up with a scoff. "Irvine and Selphie are. Jenny already ran to get them."
The names instantly filled his mind with memories. A brunette in a yellow dress on the beach in Dollet. Flashes of battles and frightened faces. A tall man with a rifle cradled to his chest. Riona screaming his name. And always, always, the sorceress, her knight, and their demands. He closed his eyes to the assault. Now was not the time or place.
He caught himself mid-sway. His hand came to rest on Princess' saddle. She was a solid steady comfort amongst the patter of gentle snowfall. When his eyes came open again the teenager was watching him, wary. The chocobo was looking at him like he was mad. Maybe he was.
"You could be right yet, kid. They might send me packing. Let's see what the war heroes have to say," Seifer cocked his head, the words edged with annoyance at the scrutiny. His lips spread in a languid grin dripping with arrogance. The teen huffed and crossed his arms.
The young girl padded forward in a set of boots that were far too large. He felt his form softened as she gazed up at Princess with wonder in her eyes.
"Does my lady want a ride?" Seifer offered the girl a sweeping bow which made her burst into giggles.
"You shouldn't," The teen boy spat out. The girl rolled her eyes.
"I'm Mille," She smiled and gave a hopeful look towards the Chocobo who was watching them both. Seifer could sense the bird's amusement.
"Princess lives up to her name, she doesn't let just anyone in her saddle," Seifer said helping her to climb on.
That was how he found himself when the couple in question arrived. Leading Princess across the snowy ground with a giggling girl on her back, the other kids lining up for their turn.
Selphie came up first, marching with fury in every step. They were both dressed for the cold in heavy coats and hats. She was wearing a pair of yellow mittens. Irvine carried his rifle.
"Well, never thought I'd see you again," Irvine drawled while drawing the hammer back on his gun. His movements were slow but laced with intentional laziness. Seifer wasn't fooled, it was a clear and intended threat.
"What are you doing here?" Selphie came to stand directly in front of him, her hands on her hips. She was shorter than he remembered but he knew better than to judge her by size. He had seen her fight in the war. She had been serene then, almost calm, as she downed monsters by the score.
Now she was a blaze of anger. Her brown eyes flashed, and her mouth turned down. Seifer nodded and accepted that anger, it was deserved. He was an enemy to her and while they were not wielding weapons this was still a battle.
"I came to help," He met and held her gaze. Princess shifted and without looking he placed a reassuring hand on a feathered wing.
"You? Help?" Her brows shot up. She exchanged a look with Irvine.
"I saw the rebuilding effort in the papers," Seifer shrugged and glanced at the young girl, Mille, who was still perched in the saddle like a Queen. "Should these kids even be here?
"They were underclassmen," Selphie explained, her voice tart. "They have nowhere else to go."
"Not even Balamb?"
"This is their home," Irvine said, low and slow.
An apology burned at the back of Seifer's throat but he knew there was no point. What would his words be worth to this bunch of orphans? They had found a new home in Trabia Garden and he was the one who had taken that from them. He shook his head. No. Action was what was needed right now. No more words.
"Do you think you can just march in here and demand to help?" Selphie accused. She propped her hands on her hips, leaning forward to glare into his eyes. His brows lifted and he bit back a retort.
"No." He shook his head. "I think we all know I am in no position to make demands. I'm asking to help if you will allow it."
"I don't think we should be turning away any help right now. Especially someone who can fight," Irvine's voice was mellow. He clicked the safety on his gun and let it rest on his shoulder. A few long languid strides brought him to stand beside Eden where he handed down the little girl who went dashing off to the others.
"I haven't held a blade since the war," Seifer stated his voice as taught as the muscles in his shoulders.
"You came all this way on a Chocobo with no way to defend yourself?" The teenage boy blurt out, his words filled with distain.
"Nah," Seifer said lifting the saddle blanket to reveal a long, polished machine gun strapped underneath. "I'm not a complete moron, kid."
"Believe it when I see it," The teenager retaliated with a roll of his eyes.
"Just because you can't fight the monsters doesn't mean you should be mean. He could help fight them," Mille shouted from the back of Princess, fights on her hips. Seifer smirked at the very idea of having a kid in his corner.
"Yup, that's a pretty good job for this one. Selph, we can't afford to turn him away you know that," Irvine nodded towards Seifer.
"Are you being serious right now?" Selphie turned her firaga gaze on Irvine. His response was a slow nod.
"Yes ma'am, I am. You know we got two SeeD down with injuries and the monsters are not likely to stop ranging any time soon."
"They'll be fine, be up in a few days I'm sure," Selphie's optimism felt forced. A shard of sunlight instead of a ray.
"Not to mention the central quad looks like its goin' to collapse any day now, we need to get the area safe before it does," Irvine countered.
Seifer gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to throw something. An argument was already coalescing in his brain but he shoved it down. He should have expected this result. It had taken days to get here. He wanted to rest a little before they kicked him out. Princess needed a few hours before they made the long trip back the way they came.
"No funny business," He flinched at the sudden yellow mitten in his face. Selphie's features had turned stern again, her stature made taller as she raised herself on her toes. "We can't afford anyone messing us around. There's too much at stake."
"Let me prove myself," Seifer's voice dropped to a rumble. Wasn't that all he had ever wanted? To prove himself?
Their gazes locked and for a long moment, the only sound was falling snow and Princess' rustling feathers.
"Fine Almasy, you helped make this mess so you can help fix it but at the first sign of trouble you're out," She broke away dropping back down and bouncing on her heels. "Come on, we'll get you a tent and you can start immediately."
He turned and helped the young girl out of the saddle and onto the snow. She gave him a bright smile before bouncing off to walk with her friends, the teen boy in the lead.
Holding Princess' reins he fell in step behind the two of them. They walked close together, hands brushing on occasion. The words they had for each other were soft and intimate, impossible to hear. The kids followed behind them, full of noise and chatter. If any of them didn't know who he was before, they certainly did now.
"Chocobo yours?" Irvine asked glancing over his shoulder.
"More like I am hers," Seifer rolled his eyes but nodded in reply.
"You'll need to sort feed for her on your own, not sure we have the infrastructure to support her. We've got a lot of hungry mouths here."
"Kweh," Princess responded clearly offended at the idea that she needed anyone to take care of her.
"Don't worry, I got her covered," Seifer responded jerking his thumb towards the sled. Princess pecked his shoulder. He sighed. "She also does a lot of foraging."
The bird seemed mollified and continued her stride.
"As you can see, we're working on clearing some of the rubble into these skips here," Selphie pointed out a few of the work sites. She declared several times with exuberance that they were making good progress. Seifer wasn't so sure.
"Looks like more than the quad could fall at any moment," He uttered under his breath as Selphie bounded ahead to talk to a SeeD in a dark outfit.
"Probably could," Irvine responded. "We're doing our best out here but the ranging monsters are causing the most trouble. I wasn't lying when I said you could help with that."
"Listen Kinneas, I meant it. I'm not doing all that anymore," Seifer swept a hand through the air.
"I get it, the war left scars on all of us. But you should reconsider. You were one of the best and I should know. I still remember the sting of your blade."
Seifer flinched at the words and stared away.
"There's plenty else for you to do anyway," Irvine broke the silence only a moment before Selphie came back to them with the SeeD in tow. Seifer almost groaned when he recognised her.
"Almasy," She clipped tucking some of her hair behind an ear.
"Xu," He nodded. Her cool demeanour was unchanged. Even in the rugged outdoors, her black coat was immaculate. Not a hair out of place.
"This is the last place I expected you to turn up. Last I heard you were in Balamb working the fish markets," A perfectly manicured brow rose.
"I was."
"And now you're here."
"Everyone has to be somewhere," He nodded fusing his jaw shut.
"Well, we are very tight on space. I've got a single-man tent for you, it's not much. There's some space clear next to Todd's tent for you to pitch it," She nodded towards the young teen who confronted him earlier.
"What? No way," Todd protested coming up beside Selphie.
"Sorry," She patted his shoulder with a gentle smile. "But at least he isn't in the same tent as you."
"Might as well be," Todd threw his hands up and stomped off across the snow. Selphie called out to him but he only waved over a shoulder before shoving his hands deep in his pockets.
"Don't worry. He's a tough kid, he'll be alright," Irvine wrapped an arm around her shoulders. But her sad gaze lingered on where the young man had vanished into the forest.
"Reminds me of you," Xu murmured from her position next to Seifer.
"Nah, I would have punched a tree," Seifer couldn't resist shooting a smirk in her direction. She rolled her eyes but her lips did turn up in a slight smile.
"Come along then," Xu rolled her eyes. "I'll get you set up with some gear."
Author Notes:
Written for the Seiftis Forever Festival 2024 and submitted just before the deadline. Join us in the Discord, it's full of Seiftis fans and lovely people.
Cross posted to AO3. Beta read by Sharpedge.