The shouting grew louder. Olivier removed her sword once more and crept through the trees. With any luck, maybe they had split up to search for her and she could take them out one by one. She moved quickly, trying to recall as much of her stealth training as she could. Part of her wanted to run back to Little Bear immediately, but she forced herself to focus. He was safest in that tree with her coat, where he would be at least a little bit warmer and the Drachmans wouldn't think to look for him.

Up ahead she heard someone shout in Drachman. She held out her sword, gripping it tight and ready to turn and strike at the first sign of danger. The snowy wind was clearing up just a little, and she could see a few of the soldiers heading away from her direction. That was good, but there were still too many for a sneak attack. She crouched down and lay low.

Olivier had just gotten settled in a good hiding place when she heard an all-too familiar roar. The Drachmans screamed and Olivier knew without having to look that they had just run into a Briggs mountain grizzly bear. There was more shouting, a few sounds of desperate gunshots, and then screams and the nauseating sound of bone being crunched as they were eaten alive.

Olivier felt a wave of relief that was quickly overcome by a rush of adrenaline. It was lucky the grizzly had taken out the soldiers, but it would come for her and Little Bear next. Their noses were sharp even in this weather. Well, no matter. She had killed bears before.

Slowly, when the sounds of chewing stopped, Olivier crept back out. To her surprise, the bear didn't come prowling into the woods. Maybe it was already full and going back to its cave, in which case she might have a chance to get her son to North City safely. The thought made her move faster, until she reached the edge of the wood.

There was no bear in sight. She checked all around, but apparently it had gone away quickly. Strange, she thought. They usually moved much slower when they'd just had a big meal. But at least she was spared the trouble of battling it. She sheathed her sword and began to turn around.

Before she could take another step, a burning pain landed in her shoulder and she was knocked to the ground, followed by gunshots. Next thing she knew, her arm and leg had the same burning pain, and she screamed as more shots rang out until someone called, "Enough!" in Drachman.

What is this, she thought, trying to look around and seeing nothing but white sky and snow. What's happened? The pool of blood forming around her, the struggle to stay awake, and the burning all over her body told her she'd been shot in multiple places. But how? Had some of the Drachmans escaped the bear?

"What do you think, Northern Wall?" the commander from earlier asked. He was suddenly standing in front of her with a huge grin. He was holding a large portable cassette player. "We decided to have a few of our prisoners executed by feeding them to bears, and recorded the sound. Quite convincing, wouldn't you say? Personally I think our improvised gunshots were what made it."

"You…bastard," Olivier spat. Her vision was blurring. She wanted to apply pressure to her wounds, but her arms were too heavy to move.

"Such a shame the great general of Briggs can't even tell the difference between a fake bear and a recorded one," he said, shaking his head mockingly. "Or when there's a sniper positioned just above her."

Damn, Olivier thought weakly. She'd been careless, and it was going to get her killed. Her eagerness to get back to Little Bear and her self-assurance that the Drachmans were dead had kept her from checking the trees.

"Stay away from my son," she gasped. "Or you'll see a war the likes of which you've never fought."

The commander slipped the cassette player back into his bag and clucked his tongue. "I beg to differ. I think Amestris will fall to its knees once they know the slightest move will result in a beloved child's untimely death. Now save us a little time and tell us where he is."

"Never," Olivier said with conviction.

"Fine." He shot her one more time in the other leg. "I'm sure we can do it without your help. In the mean time, feel free to die slowly. Move out!" he called to the distance, and he left with footsteps trailing behind him.

Olivier lay there, gasping for breath and fighting a losing battle to stay awake. She wasn't going to fool herself into thinking she could or would survive this. Even her body had its limits. She would die a soldier, like Buccaneer had so long ago.

And yet, Olivier shook when she thought of how even though they were both soldiers, Olivier had the added burden of dying a mother. Buccaneer hadn't known that he was a parent, so he wouldn't have been able to think of all he was going to miss. As Olivier lay dying in the snow, she thought of Little Bear's first day of school, his first loose tooth, his first job. He had shown interest in being a soldier like her and his dad; whether he would still feel that way when he was older she would never know.

And of course, that was if he even survived. If the unforgiving mountain or the Drachmans didn't kill him first. If they didn't take him far away from his home, to a place where he didn't know anybody and didn't speak the language, and did horrible things to him. She had left him there with no food; why hadn't it occurred to her to grab some provisions before leaving the fort? He didn't even have any water. He would probably die of starvation or dehydration because of her thoughtless mistakes.

She had always known the fort was a dangerous place for a child. Her family had fought with her to leave him at the mansion for years. Why hadn't she listened? Why did Olivier have to let her feelings get in the way? Now Little Bear was paying the price for it. She had killed him.

I failed you, she thought as her eyes closed and a drop of warmth slid down her cheek. I led you to your death just like I led your father. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry…