Chapter 4) Despair and Hope

Greil is dead. Who? How? Why? Well, the 'why' might be answered with 'war', except it feels strange. Like there's something bigger going on, even when compared to war. The wind refuses to settle, practically trembling in a quiet fear that holds it silent.

And he's dead. Greil is dead. I hate the person who killed him. I hate the person who inflicted this deep and bitter pain on these crazy (but kind) beorc. I hope they burn.

It was difficult to really describe the hours after Greil's death. There were screams. There was wailing. Then you had worry. After all, Greil hadn't just slipped and fallen or had been mauled by a beast. He'd been killed with a weapon. His murderer had been a beorc, no doubt a soldier from Daein. With both of us feeling out of place, Mia and I took turns keeping watch throughout the night. She tended to stay near the ground. Me? I climbed the roof and watched from above. And I was grateful for that because if I'd been on the ground, I might not have seen Ike stumble out of the building in the earliest hours of the morning. I definitely wouldn't have see him stumble towards the woods.

I stayed where I was until he actually entered the woods, and then I moved to follow, keeping my distance. I didn't want to intervene (unless he was about to kill himself, but I had my bow just in case I needed to shoot a limb). I just wanted to keep an eye. Of course, the branches and darkness beneath said branches meant I had to get closer than I ordinarily would've wanted, but I doubted Ike noticed me behind and up in the trees. He didn't seem to even notice the branches even when he walked into them, after all. He just kept on walking. On and on and on.

Eventually, he stumbled to a stop and I jumped a few branches closer before looking around, scouting the area. Nothing much, at least on the surface. It was just a clearing among the trees, no doubt a place normally filled with bright flowers and the like. However, the rust color on the grass and the distinct red tinge to the mud told me this was no 'simple' clearing. This was where Greil received his fatal wound. Greil's bloodstained axe, lying discarded in the mud, confirmed it.

Ike stared at the weapon for a long while before he slowly picked it up. He nearly fell over from the weight, but steadied himself in time, though he had to leave the 'blade' part dragging through the mud. After a moment, he stumbled off to the side and picked up something else. A strangely clean sword, still in its scabbard. Ike was able to carry it a little more easily than the axe, but the weight of both (and the weight of what they meant to him) made him teeter and totter as he tried to make his way back. He tripped over every branch and rock in his path, and at one point, nearly fell. That was when I jumped down and steadied him. If he fell, I wasn't sure he'd have the strength to get up on his own right now.

"Thalia?" he croaked, staring at me in complete incomprehension. I was honestly surprised he'd recognized me in his dazed state. "When did you…? How…?"

"I saw you leave," I answered softly, making sure he was standing as firm as possible. Then I hooked my bow over my shoulder and rested one hand on his back before bracing his shoulder with the other. "Come on. I'll help."

"...Thanks…"

We walked back silently. Ike carried the two weapons, not explaining anything. And I didn't ask, because not only did I not think it was my place, but I knew how painful it could be to talk of things like this. Instead, I just focused on keeping him steady and he focused on not dropping anything. It was slow going, but between the hard night and the early hour, no one had really noticed our absence. Only Soren, who waited for us patiently by the door, reading through a book as the first of the sun's rays signaled the dawn.

"Welcome back," Soren greeted, spying us almost immediately. He marked his place before shutting his book and standing up. "You could have woken me, you know."

"I… wasn't really thinking, truthfully…" Ike mumbled, trying to react. Emote. But all he came off as was tired. "I just… I had to get his axe."

"Of course." Soren's eyes fell on the sword, and he raised a brow at it. When Ike remained silent, though, he simply shrugged off his cloak and took the sword to wrap it in it. "No one is going to notice an extra sword with our supplies, particularly since I handle inventory. You can talk about it when you're ready."

"...Thanks, Soren…" He tried to walk forward, but I had to steady him again to keep him from falling. "Ah…"

"We'll leave the axe by the door." Soren took it too, and he almost fell over from the weight. I could've laughed, except Soren grit his teeth and forced himself to drag it. Carrying this weight so that Ike could have an easier burden. "We need to get you out of those muddy clothes. Come on."

I continued supporting Ike until Soren left the axe by the door and dropped the sword off with the other bits of random items they had. Then Soren took over caring for Ike, and I headed to Mia's room to knock on the door and wake her for next watch. I waited just long enough for her to open the door with a yawn before heading towards my own room to rest my eyes. However, I decided to take a detour and check on Mist instead and I was glad I did. I found her half-collapsed by her bed, covering her mouth as she tried to muffle her sobbing.

"...Oh, Mist…" I whispered, hesitating by the door. Then, after a moment, I walked in and sat down beside her and rubbed her back. "Mist, I'm afraid I don't know much about comforting people, but I do know of the pain you're going through." She looked up at me, her face a mess of tears. "If there's something I can do for you, you need only ask."

"C-c-can I…?" she began shakily. She coughed and choked on the words (and snot), but I simply waited until she could say what she wanted. "Hug?"

"Of course."

I was sure it was an awkward hug. I wasn't used to this. But Mist didn't seem to mind. She clung and sobbed, and I held her as best as I could until she cried herself to sleep, which took quite a while. When I was certain she wouldn't wake, I picked her up and… attempted to tuck her in? It was a bad attempt, truthfully. I could tell that instantly, though I couldn't see just what. Thankfully, I didn't have to awkwardly fuss for long.

"Close, but you shouldn't bunch it." Boyd reached around me and fixed the blankets, showing me what he meant. "Was going to ask if she was up for food, but clearly, she needs more sleep, huh?" he murmured, smiling wanly at me. He had dark circles under his puffy eyes, and his complexion was more than a little gray. "Not sure any of us slept well. Well…" He studied my face with a frown before laughing hollowly. "You did?"

"I can make do with less sleep," I explained, shrugging. I had to, living alone as I did. "But truthfully, Mia and I have been taking turns between keeping watch and sleeping. A little bit of sleep can boost you enough."

"Watch? Wh… oh, wait, duh." He sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "Should've thought of that."

"You should probably rest a bit more, actually." I hesitated before patting his back. "Let Mia and I do this for you. You lost a good man. A good father."

"...Yeah…" Boyd smiled brokenly. "We did."

I stayed with him for a bit longer, mostly to see if Mist would wake, and then I headed outside to switch out with Mia again, since it had been a while. When she headed inside, I made sure to climb to the roof so that I could see everything more clearly. Of course, by now, the rest had woken up and my focus was mostly on them. Rolf was just outside the walls, picking flowers and braiding them together into some sort of circle. Meanwhile, Rhys had Greil's body laid out on the ground and he was, for some reason, 'neatening' Greil's appearance. Not far away, Titania, Oscar, Shinon, and Gatrie took turns digging a large and deep hole. Soren appeared briefly to drag the axe over to them before heading back inside, no doubt watching over Ike as Boyd watched over Mist.

And me? I watched over all of them, and kept an eye on the horizon. This was all I could do, after all. So, I might as well do it.

Mia and I traded off all day, which led to an interesting thing of me napping even while the sun was setting. At least, I napped for a bit. Arguing, however, woke me up before long and I rolled out of bed in an instance, thinking there might be a fight or something. But when I noticed it was just arguing, I relaxed and headed to the window, since that's where the noise was. Almost immediately, the source became obvious; Boyd and Oscar were talking-arguing with Shinon and Gatrie. I briefly wondered why, but when I noticed Shinon and Gatrie had their things (while Boyd and Oscar didn't), I had a guess. But that was definitely not my business, so I stepped away and, after some stretching, left my room to go down the hall, deciding I'd just take over for Mia a little early. However, I didn't get very far. After all, Ike was there, carrying a sleeping Mist on his back, and I made sure to get out of the way as he carried her to her room, where Rhys and Rolf waited. They got her settled into her bed, all tucked in, and Ike left, heading down the hall… towards one of the exits, which seemed strange to me, given how the sun was setting.

"Ike, are you heading back outside?" I asked softly. He froze mid-step and then stiffly glanced back at me. "That way heads outside."

"...Oh." That was the only reply he had and he stepped back, looking around and trying to get his bearings. "I… uh…" he began, frowning. He couldn't remember the way. I didn't blame him one bit. "Soren? Titania?"

"They're probably in the main room place." I caught up with him and nudged him down a different hall. Mia could get me if this ran over, but making sure he didn't get lost was a good idea. "Here, I'll show you."

I ended up actually having to hold onto Ike's arm to make sure he made it there. He tried his best, but he hadn't been sleeping and it showed. Plus, he was still in shock and that just made everything seem like blood, sticking to everything and making it hard to move. So, whenever he mumbled an apology, I waved it off and continued helping him, all the way to the main room, where Titania and Soren were. Just as I'd guessed.

"Ike…" Unsurprisingly, Soren was the first one to notice us. I purposely made sure to hang back, even as Ike joined Titania and Soren by the table. "Did you just come back in?" Soren asked, picking up a blanket from the chair and slinging it around Ike. "You're freezing."

"Yeah, it's surprising how cold spring nights can get," Ike tried to joke. He clung to the blanket and Soren adjusted it to make sure that it didn't fall. "But yes, just now. Probably should've come in sooner, huh?"

"No, but I am glad Soren had the foresight to warm these blankets," Titania murmured, fussing over the blanket too. Soren stepped back to give her more room. "Any colder and I swear your ears would freeze off." She gently pulled Ike into a one-armed hug, providing both warmth and comfort. "Where's Mist?"

"She's asleep in her room," Ike answered, leaning against her shoulder. He closed his eyes briefly, just for a breath. A breath to relax and soak in the warmth. "Rhys and Rolf are with her."

"That's good. She needs the rest. She's been through too much. We all have…" Titania pulled Ike a little closer. "You should rest too."

"I'll be alright. Grief won't bring my father back to life. If it did, then Mother would be with us and…" Ike bowed his head. "I know I've been quite the burden. Thank you, both of you, for-"

"Ah. Not another word. Family helps each other, silly." Titania smiled. It was dimmer and sadder than her normal smiles. "Don't trouble yourself. You've been no burden."

"...Wow, I think this is the first time we've agreed on something," Soren… he probably meant for it to be a simple observation, but his natural dryness made it sarcastic. Still, it got a smile out of Ike, and a quiet laugh out of Titania. "But she's right. You've been no burden. You never could be."

"Thank you…" Ike whispered. He didn't smile, but there was something warm in his gaze anyway. Before he looked around curiously. "Hey, where's the rest?"

"Well…"

"I can't believe those assholes!" There came Boyd, unintentionally bringing the answer to with him as he stormed into the room from one of the outside doors. His eyes blazed with burning fury, like he'd spit fire in a moment. "They didn't even look back!" he snapped, practically snarling. "Heartless scum! I'll never forgive them!"

"As you can probably guess, it went poorly," Oscar 'explained', striding in after his brother. Though he appeared visibly calmer, his rigid posture hinted that he felt similarly. I peeked outside the nearest window that faced their direction, and just barely saw Shinon and Gatrie leaving. "Waste of breath and time, really."

"Those utter bastards! If I see them again, I'm-!"

"What's going on?" Ike asked, frowning. An awkward silence fell, and I raised a brow, wondering if they were really going to keep this secret. "Boyd doesn't lose his temper like this often. So…"

"It's simple, really," Soren began, ignoring the pointed looks sent his way. "Shinon and Gatrie have left us." He rolled his eyes as the others protested the bluntness. "You don't think we could hide it, right? Within two hours, the lack of assault on words Gatrie calls poetry will have clued him in. No, wait, it would be less because the air is noticeably less blue from Shinon's curses and insults."

"...And they left because of me, right?" Ike spoke quietly, with a smile of bitter resignation on his face. It was painful to see, really. "Because I'm… I'm going to lead."

"Yes, of course. We all knew this would happen, though it is sooner than any of us would like. Greil never hid his decision from anyone. So, if they don't like it, they're free to leave." Soren shrugged and crossed his arms, unbothered. Unlike the rest. "The lessened strength is troubling, but can be made up by recruiting new members. We already have that Mia girl, for instance, assuming she wishes to stay. We'll survive."

"How can you say that?!" Boyd snapped again. This time, though, it was less snarling and more pained. "After all the years… how can you…?!"

"Well, I think they made their own thoughts about our supposed bonds all too clear," Soren retorted harshly, eyes sparking with quiet anger. He calmed when Ike poked his arm in warning. "And out of everyone here, I've been here the least. Only Rhys has spent less time with us. So, someone needs to be logical if we're to make it through this. It makes the most sense for me to do it. Not even going into how softhearted the lot of you are."

"Well, yes, but…"

Soft footsteps caught my ear and I glanced down the hallway to see Rhys coming, so I nodded to him and ducked out the door. I felt like whatever was discussed from then on was meant for them and them alone. So, I headed outside to check on Mia. She hadn't gotten me yet, despite how long it had been. I wanted to make sure she was okay.

"Hey, Thalia!" And she was perfectly fine, if hanging upside down in front of me again. This time it was because she was hanging off the wall. "I saw Shinon and Gatrie leaving," she said, like hanging upside while conversing was normal. Perhaps it was? "What's up?"

"They're don't want to be led by Ike, and he's taking over the mercenaries," I explained, glancing to the side. From here, it was easy to see Greil's grave. His axe served as the marker, along with the flowers Rolf had woven together. I had watched them bury him, and knew it was special to them. So special that you couldn't call it a 'waste of energy' or anything of the sort. "So, they left."

"Huh. Well, luck to them, I guess?" She frowned for a moment before shrugging. It looked strange upside down as she was. "What are you doing up? Pretty sure it's still my watch."

"Boyd and Oscar attempted to stop them, and the resulting 'conversation' woke me."

"Aaahhh…" She pulled herself up into a proper seating position before jumping down. Her face was very red. I didn't know beorc faces could go that red without being smashed in. "I think they're just grieving in their own way. Willing to bet that they'll be back once they're not as unsettled." That was very optimistic. "But if you don't mind…"

"Yeah, I'll go ahead and take over." I took a running leap to jump off the wall and used that to hop and climb my way to the roof. I needed the exercise. "Get some sleep."

She yawned and headed in, rubbing her eyes sleepily. I took a deep breath and let myself relax to listen to the wind. It was heavy, saddened by the recent loss… no, recent losses. It carried the weight of many dead from the north, from Crimea. It reminded me of Elincia, and I wondered how she was doing. Was she okay? Was she getting the help she needed? I hoped so. I mean; the whole reason I was in this mess was because I had wanted to help her. And now… well, now I was…

"Hey, Boyd?" Ike's voice startled me, and I swung around to lay on my stomach and peek over the edge of the roof. Ike and Boyd were below me, with Ike still wearing the blanket around his shoulders. Guess the group discussion was over. "Are you sure you're all right with this?" he asked, expression somewhere between 'stoic' and 'blank'. "Me being commander? You taking orders from me?"

"Well, if things get super dangerous, I admit to being hesitant," Boyd answered honestly. He also made sure to meet Ike's gaze calmly, hiding nothing. "I know what you can and can't do, but more importantly, Ike, so do you. And I have faith in Commander Greil. He had faith in you. Stands to reason that I hold faith in you as well, right?"

"That's…" Ike half-smiled. "You really did look up to him, huh?"

"More than that. I mean, Commander Greil…" Boyd closed his eyes, forcing back tears so that he could talk. "After Dad died, I had to take care of Rolf. And it was hard. It was hard even after Oscar received a discharge. But Commander Greil found us and gave us our lives back. Food to eat, a place to sleep, jobs… he gave us all of that."

"Boyd, you all have worked off any and all debt you may have owed." Ike shook his head roughly. "You have no obligation-"

"It's not about obligation. It's about how we're family." Boyd's voice was stern, clipped, and a little hurt. Like he couldn't believe Ike would think 'obligation' had anything to do with this. "I'll do anything to protect my family. Besides, it's not just Commander Greil who gave us our lives back. It was you, too." He fell silent, gathering his words, and Ike remained quiet to let him. "I don't think you remember, since it's kind of just how you are, but when we first met... when my brothers and I first arrived at the stronghold, you rushed up to us and said 'welcome home'."

"...I do actually remember that. Vaguely."

"It was literally the first thing you said to us. I'm not sure Commander Greil had even explained that we'd be working for him. You just accepted us, and you noticed immediately how tired Rolf was and carried him on your back inside. You introduced us to Titania, Mist, and Shinon, showed us our rooms…" Boyd shrugged, looking away in embarrassment. "So, I mean… you really showed us that this was more than just a job. It was family. So, even if I'm a bit unsure, you can count on me."

"...Careful now." Ike slowly smiled. It wavered and it was sad, but it was a smile. "I'm going to work you to the bone."

"You can try!" Boyd clapped Ike on the shoulder. "And seriously, don't hold us at arm's length, okay? I get wanting to be alone, but I also know what it's like to lose a parent."

"I know. I'm not alone." Ike chuckled and then nodded to the door. "Let's bug Oscar for some food. I'm not hungry, but I know I need to eat."

"Sounds good to me!" Boyd slung his arm over Ike's shoulders to lead him in. "He's probably already there!"

Boyd kept on chattering, focusing on lighter things, and I sat back up to listen to the noise as it faded. Much as I liked silence, I had to admit there was something nice about hearing him work so hard to make sure Ike didn't wallow in misery. That must be what it was like to have people help you through grief. It was a wonderful thing to witness, and truly reminded me of how beorc were just like a pack.

"Greil, I think they'll be okay," I found myself whispering, glancing over at the grave. The fading light shone on the axe, almost making the blade sparkle. Sparkle like a laugh. "I'll… I'll stay until I'm sure, though. So you rest."

I must be going mad, talking to the dead. But it felt right to say.

The next couple of days were… well, Mia and I at least fell into a pattern. And that pattern was 'taking watch in turns', since the others were still picking themselves off the ground. But there was no sign of… anyone, really. And that made me frown, because… why just kill Greil? Sure, he was a good fighter, but he'd just been a mercenary, right? Why go out of your way to kill a single mercenary and then leave? There had to be more to it. Beorc were never content with a single kill. They were too bloodthirsty for that.

"I feel like I'm missing something," I murmured, crouched on the roof as usual. Though for this watch, I had a snack Oscar made for me. He was finally feeling steady enough to make regular meals for everyone, though it was all things that kept well since everyone's appetites were still all over the place. "Most of the time, beorc and laguz kill each other over simple idiocies, but this doesn't feel like that." Or, rather, Greil's death didn't feel like that. The soldiers we'd fought before? Sure. But not his. "Does it feel that way because I knew him personally? Or is there really something more to this?"

Sighing, I made myself sit down properly and finished off the last of the… whatever Oscar had made me. Some breaded thing with vegetables baked into it. I thought he'd called it a pat-zee or pasty or something. But pasty sounded like glue, and this wasn't glue. Or it wasn't yet, at least. But hey, it was food and it was good, and it let me focus on something besides my circling thoughts. Not even the good circling, like a hawk watching prey. More like the circling of a wounded bird about to crash into a tree. Overthinking never led to good things. You just had to try and go with the flow, and if you overthought, you'd miss your chance to strike.

I'd just chomped down the last bite of the snack when I noticed something odd on the horizon. A small dust cloud, slowly building. I narrowed my eyes to continue watching, noting that the 'cloud' was focused on the road. Eventually, I was able to pick out shapes and decided it was a wagon. A wagon with a handful of people, heading towards us. At that point, I climbed down to inform Titania. This seemed important enough, and it was the first sign of life on the road since we arrived.

"A wagon?" Titania repeated after I finished reporting. She frowned thoughtfully, eyes slightly distant. Her eyes were also red-rimmed, hinting she'd been crying earlier. I didn't point it out. I had a suspicion that she wanted to keep that quiet. "Did you happen to see how many people?"

"Only about four or five, and they weren't wearing that weird armor," I answered, shrugging. I hadn't paid much attention besides that. I just knew they were definitely not laguz. "I can go back and take another look?"

"No, that's fine. That just adds more weight to my suspicion that these are merchants, not soldiers." She smiled thinly and patted my shoulder. Immediately, the memory of Greil patting my head appeared in my mind, followed quickly by the fainter memories of Father doing the same. "Can you get Ike for me?"

"Sure." I hesitated before smiling at her. I really had no idea what to do. "Be right back."

Of course, finding him was easier said than done. The castle was a large place, or at least it was large by my standards, and there were many places to hide. Assuming that Ike hadn't gone into the woods or something. So, I first checked his room and then Mist's room before deciding to just find Soren and have him find him for me. However, I got lucky. A frustrated groan led me right to Ike, mostly because the groan came from Mia and she and Ike were talking in the middle of the hall.

"I never know what to say in situations like this!" she complained, flailing a bit. Ike just watched, and took a half-step back when she almost hit him. "But ah… this isn't just trying to repay your dad or anything. Me staying, I mean. Nor is it about safety in numbers and the like. I was really impressed!"

"...By?"

"When you all were in the fortress, taking on all those soldiers just to reunite with your fellows! All that opposition, and you never gave up! That's not just impressive; it's inspiring!" She grinned at Ike and, slowly, Ike smiled back. "So, now I have to follow you! It's just how things are. You're a strong swordsman, and I want to get better. You all treat your group as family… hell, you all treated me like family, and we've barely met! So, ah…" Though she still grinned, she became a little more hesitant and sheepish, posture slumping a little to make herself smaller. "Don't tell me to get lost or anything. I'm helpful to have around, and I'm here of my own choosing."

"If that's how you feel, then I won't bring it up again." Ike's smile grew. It was tired and worn, but it was probably the closest to a smile he'd had since I found him in the woods. "I'm counting on you."

"You know it!" She winked and skipped away, laughing. Wondered if she was going to take over the watch shift. "See ya!"

"Yes, until later." Ike watched her leave and then sighed, slumping so much I half-thought he was going to fall. "Surprised she can keep so chipper." She shook his head and turned to walk the other way. Which was exactly where I was. "Oh, Thalia…" Ike waved at me, and I came over. "Funny. You were the next one I wanted to check in on."

"That so?" I asked, studying him with a frown. He didn't sleep last night again. I could tell by the bags under his eyes and how grey his complexion was. "What is it?"

"What do you plan on doing?" ...Ah, that was… "I mean… you've already gone above and beyond for us and…"

"Well…" That was a good question. And a good point. I still wanted to get away from all this trouble, yet I had promised Greil, and... "I think I'm going to make sure you make it to the castle safely. We'll see what happens from there." I shrugged and held up my arm to show the bandages. Rhys changed them every day; I had a feeling the routine helped ground him. "I mean… I am still technically injured."

"That's true." Ike smiled in noticeable relief. "Thank you. I mean it. You've been keeping an eye on all of us ever since…" He trailed off, and I waited to see if he'd say more. "I think something's wrong with me."

"Hmm?"

"I was saying this to Rhys earlier, but I… I can't cry. For Father. I'm just… I'm completely numb. It's like none of this is real, or that I'm not real. Like a ghost or a ghostly world." He didn't quite look me in the eye, and I struggled to figure out how to react. The only hint I possibly had was… was a brief memory of something Father did with particularly morose patients. And since I was at a loss, I went with it and pinched Ike's cheek. Hard. "Ow…!"

"See? You're not as numb as you think you are. And you're very real." I held onto his cheek for a little longer before letting go. "You're alive and you're right here. And your father isn't. That's a painful wound, and all living creatures react to pain differently. They mourn differently. Whether they be beast or beorc or laguz, each person's grief and grieving process is completely individual. That's what I've seen, at least." Hesitantly, I ruffled his hair. My fingers tangled a bit in the strands, but I hoped the feeling came across. "Some cry. Others scream. Some kill themselves. Some kill other people. Grief is messy. Pain is messy. I mean… just think of how much you bleed and stuff when you hurt your body. Just because it's your spirit doesn't mean you're bleeding any less, right?"

"I… no, I suppose not."

"And when your body gets a particularly bad injury, or you're in a fight and you're hurt… it goes numb, because it's fighting to survive. So, that's all it could be as well. Your spirit has suffered such a serious wound that it's made you numb so that you can continue thinking and moving. Until it's safe to bleed and hurt." I really hoped I was making sense here. I was just rambling, piecing together some vague, old memories. "You might cry a few days, months, or even years from now. You might never. None of that is wrong, Ike. It doesn't mean you didn't love him, nor does it mean you don't hurt."

"Ha… that makes sense." He smiled ruefully, painfully. Though he didn't cry, I could almost see the tears anyway. "Hey, this is going to sound tactless, but you lost your parents too, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. They were both murdered. My father directly, and my mother… through inaction." I didn't really want to bring up the whole Branded thing. Not while we were in Gallia, at least. "I don't think I cried, actually. I certainly don't remember it." I couldn't remember the last time I cried at all, actually. Eventually, it just turned into 'wasting water' to me. "And I survived. I lived. I don't remember my parents much at all, but I still love them with all my heart. And I miss them every day."

"I see." Ike nodded slowly and thankfully let that painful smile drop. "I just need to keep going, huh?"

"I think so. You'll find your own way of mourning and processing the pain." I hesitated a bit before smiling. "Greil told me that as long as you and Mist were alive and happy, he could want for nothing else. So, grieve and push forward. Find things to laugh about, or even just… deal with or something." And I was definitely at the end of my fraying vine here. "By the way, Titania wanted to talk to you."

"She did?" Ike looked confused, but nodded again, already walking down the hall. "Thanks." He gripped my shoulder, and I got the feeling he was thanking me more for the words than the message. Glad my rambling had helped. "And, again, thank you for staying."

"...I'll be here for as long as you need a weird girl from the forest." I smiled like it was a joke, but in my heart, I knew… I knew it really wasn't.

I couldn't leave people who needed help and I… I really couldn't just leave people to grieve. Especially when they grieved someone like Greil, who so reminded me of my own father. So, I'd stay with them at least until they were at the castle. By then, I was sure they'd be okay. It would be dangerous, since I was a Branded, but I couldn't leave them. And I wouldn't.

The group had, in fact, been a group of traveling merchants. Four or five of them. And they offered to stay and work for the mercenaries in exchange for shelter and protection. Or so I was told. I kept my distance after the woman merchant (Aimee or something like that) had tried to ambush me and strip me of my clothes. Something about how they didn't 'suit me' and how she had things that would 'look better'. I just escaped and did my best to keep escaping because I didn't know what the hell she meant. The clothes covered me and kept me warm. What else did clothes have to do?

"She is as persistent as a starving predator," I grumbled, slipping out of my room as quietly as possible. I had to, in order to avoid being ambushed. Mist and Mia had already had entire days stolen due to her catching them, as had Boyd and Ike. "Maybe that's what she is. She eats everyone's time to keep herself youthful or something." I vaguely remembered some ghost stories involving that, actually. Or maybe that had been bathing in blood, though that one was definitely ridiculous. You didn't see beorc and laguz get any younger after their battles. "Looks clear…" So, I quickly escaped my room and the hall to head outside. My plan had been to hide on the roof. But it seemed that someone else was also hiding there: Soren.

"I swear that they're taking their time to make themselves feel superior, wretched beasts." In his case, though, it was to grumble where no one could hear him. "If they had just been faster, then Greil might be…" Soren continued, speaking quietly to try and hide the words. He even ducked his head, using his hair to hide his face, but his clenched fists showed his anger anyway. "He deserved a better end. Ike doesn't deserve this sort of pain. None of them do. Well, maybe Shinon. But…" He growled under his breath; I noticed it didn't quite sound like a 'beorc' growl. "This is why I wanted to stay out of all of this, damn it. Well, that and people just..."

"You want me to pretend I didn't hear any of that and leave?" I asked, interrupting him. He glanced over at me with a scowl, eyes quietly burning. "Sorry, I'm trying to escape the grabby merchant lady, and I like the roof. People don't think to look up."

"Grabby… ah, the lady who is interested in Ike." He sighed, still scowling. "I would appreciate if you kept what I said quiet."

"Sure. Want me to leave? I was just planning on keeping watch."

"No, I want eyes on the road. The wind has me unsettled." Did it now? I didn't sense anything in particular, but he was a mage. He'd be way more attuned to the wind than me. "Well, since you did eavesdrop, what do you think? About the laguz."

"In general or these circumstances?" I sat down next to him, since that gave me the best view of the road. "I just hope they are coming and that they're not just leaving everyone to slowly 'bleed out', so to speak." While most of the time, laguz killed beorc more quickly, I couldn't help but remember my mother's death. "Titania seems to have faith, though."

"For reasons I doubt I will ever be able to understand, Titania has faith in everyone." He scoffed and slowly relaxed, even sitting as well. "I don't have any idea how she got to be her age and still hold onto such idealism."

"You say that like she's super old." That did make me wonder, though. How old was he? And how old was I? I had never really cared, save for the odd thought now and again, but it was still a curiosity. I supposed it was eight plus however long it had been since Serenes burned. It had been either shortly before or shortly after rumors of that spread when my parents died. After some lady got assassinated. I vaguely remembered Father's sadness over it. "If they do show up though, it's going to be a pain."

"All of this is a pain anyway." He had a point there. "It really was stupid of you to not seize the chance to escape when you could." He also had a point there. Even if it did make me quite curious why he was so loyal to Ike that he stuck around anyway. "Why did you even help her?"

"Because I refused to be like the laguz." I made a face before shrugging. "The others go about me being kind and all, but if anything, it's out of spite. I won't refuse help to someone just because I think their existence is a blight on the world. It's a false moral high ground, but the child in me laughs in satisfaction at it."

"Still think it's stupid, but at the same time, I can't quite fault it. Aggravating, really." He sighed, closing his eyes, and I could only smile bitterly. I'd figured he'd understand. I had no doubts he'd experienced something similar to me, when it came to the laguz. "You're the one who shot her, didn't you? The princess."

"Yep." No point hiding it, and my bluntness got a small smirk out of him, so I didn't think he minded. "Just because I decide to help doesn't mean I have to be nice about it. I mean… I might now…" But honestly, that was more because of Greil. And Elincia being sweet. "But at the time, it was just all about efficiency. Not like I had arrows to spare."

"And now, you're our only archer. Ike told me that you'll be staying at least until we reach the castle." He glanced at me. "Your range is farther than expected."

"By beorc standards." I smiled bitterly again. "Good sight and strength from my heritage, as well as an ability to read the wind to some degree. If I can see it, I can shoot at it. Used to be 'kill', but beorc have this stupid thing called armor that I'm still adapting to."

"Given how far your sight is, though, even a glancing blow can be enough." He closed his eyes, and I knew he was already thinking of just how to utilize that. "...The wind…"

"Hmm?" Now that he mentioned it, I noticed there was something off about the wind as well and I focused on the road, eyes narrows. It didn't take long at all for me to pick out shadows, and this time… "Oh, hell." This time, I could tell they were soldiers. They marched too uniformly to be anything else. And there were a lot. There were a lot. Maybe… maybe this was why they made sure to take out Greil? To lessen the chances of us…? "They're barely in my sight, but I don't even want to try counting right now."

Soren didn't even bother replying. He was already climbing down. After a moment longer of observing, just to see if there was anything particularly unusual that I could see, I followed, half falling in my haste. I landed well enough, though, so I continued inside, getting to the main room just as the others were arriving. Someone must've yelled for them, or seen Soren running and known something was wrong.

"Thalia, this isn't what I think it is, is it?" Boyd asked as soon as he noticed me. He stood rigidly by the window, peering out. "I can't see much yet, but…" I wasn't sure what to say, but he apparently found answer in my silence. "Oh, goddess damn it all… What gives? We're inside Gallia's borders, right?"

"If they've come this far into the territory, then getting out alive wasn't one of their priorities," Oscar murmured, pulling Rolf into his side. Rolf clung to his shirt, looking at everyone worriedly. I tried to get a handle on the others, but all I really saw was Mist doing her best to help Rhys gather medical supplies, while everyone else stood, waiting and tense. "This is about pride, and ensuring Princess Elincia loses allies. Possibly also to make a statement against Gallia that they're next." Was it all that? Beorc were so stupid sometimes. A lot of the time.

"Shit."

"That's a fairly apt description of the situation," Soren murmured, stepping a bit away from Ike and Titania to address the group. I, however, caught sight of something through the window and went over to look. "...Is there more, Thalia?"

"In the woods, yes," I confirmed softly, narrowing my eyes. I couldn't get numbers, thanks to the branches, but these soldiers didn't know the first thing about stealth and camouflage. I could easily see them. "This is the farther side from the road, so if they're here…"

"Then we are surrounded." That was definitely it. I didn't like that. Last time we were 'surrounded', I ended up on fire. "We certainly can't escape. Our numbers are few…" Soren closed his eyes, thinking. "But we have some advantages that I believe we can still utilize. If we're lucky, we can force them into a temporary retreat and, with a little less luck, break open a path to escape."

"We already know they're not going to accept a surrender, so whatever you come up with, Soren, is what we're going with," Ike declared firmly, standing taller than I'd seen since Greil died. I wouldn't say he was back to how he was before, but there was a definite resolution in his eyes, a determination to not falter. "Everyone else, gather everything you even think you might need. Once we're on the field, I highly doubt we're going to be able to duck back for extra weapons unless we're very lucky on timing. Move out, everyone!"

And everyone began scrambling. Mist and Rolf were shoved into the back rooms that were somewhat defensible and, more importantly, away from the fighting. Everyone else gathered what armor and weapons they had. Or what the merchants handed out. Because they were quite enthusiastic at making sure we had things. One of them even gave me a brand new bow and arrows, while another gave me a medicinal pack. It surprised me and I realized as I headed out and climbed up to the roof that I… might need to learn the rest of their names soon. Which was annoying, because I didn't want to. I was going to leave! ...Eventually… certainly not now.

"Thalia!" Soren's voice echoed up from below, right around the time I started hearing the soldiers. I already had the bow in hand and an arrow on the string. "Snipe whoever you can, and cover where you're able," he ordered, having no doubts that I heard. I still looked down to nod. "Just conserve shots."

The 'proper' answer to that probably wasn't shooting. I only thought of that later, though, because… well, if I could see it, I could hit it. And the soldiers had long been within my sight. It took a few tries to get used to the bow itself, as it required more strength to draw back than what I was used to. But between it and the metal capped arrows I'd been given, I discovered that armor wasn't as big of an issue as it had been the previous couple of fights. I couldn't get through heavy armor or anything, but the lighter ones weren't troublesome. Thankfully. It meant that I could contribute more to the fight.

Though even with that, I didn't feel like we were making progress. It seemed like every time one fell, two more sprang up from the blood. It reminded me of that monster story I'd heard once or twice, something about a hydra? He-dra? Whichever. Point was that they were endless. And we were few. Though that did mean they were crowded around, desperately trying to kill those 'few'. Soren had quite an easy time, guarded as he was by Titania. He used his wind blades to cut through tens with one 'blade'. Titania and Oscar did similarly, as did their horses. In fact, I guessed their horses had the highest 'kill counts' by far, since they were viciously lashing out with their hooves and trampling soldiers without a single bit of hesitation. Rhys rushed through the courtyard we were holding, healing where he could. Boyd, Mia, and Ike fought where they could, steering clear of the two riders while holding the other chokepoints with everything they had. 'Everything they had'... that more or less described all of us.

At some point during the battle, I noticed something interesting on the… well, from my perspective, it was the 'right'. It was a 'hole' in their formation, and at first, I thought they were just… avoiding a large patch of flowers for some reason. But then I blinked a few times and realized that there were no flowers there. Instead, there was a young girl, who looked incredibly pale and was strangely hard to see, despite being in plain sight. I half-thought she was a ghost or something. But ghosts were fictitious nonsense and she looked noticeably different from the soldiers, so…

"Ike?" I called down, stopping my shooting for a moment. While I waited for him to extract himself from the fighting, I rubbed my aching hand and wrist. I wasn't used to shooting so continuously. Prior to all this, I hunted only to eat. Anything else was gluttony. Now, I hunted what felt like hundreds, and it was all going to waste. "I wonder if there's any carrion eaters around here?" There were crows, of course. Vultures. I remembered a few coyotes, but I hadn't seen any of them in a while…

"Sorry, I'm here!" Ike finally appeared under me, waving to make sure he had my attention. He had a few cuts bleeding sluggishly, but otherwise, seemed fine. If sweaty and bloody. "What is it?" he asked. "See something?"

"Yeah." I stopped rubbing my hand and pointed to where I saw the girl. "There's a strange one over there. Not wearing one of these uniforms. She's a bit hard to see despite that, but…"

"But there's just enough off that it needs to be investigated." Ike nodded, understanding. "I'm going to Soren. Can you focus on covering Mia and Boyd until I return?"

"Of course." I had just been shooting as I saw fit, but it was easy to shift my attention to where they were. "Don't die."

Ike nodded again, and took off, running for Soren immediately. I thought I saw the two have a whispered argument, but I didn't pay attention after that point. Instead, I did my job and worked on shooting as many around Mia and Boyd as I could. A good thing, since Mia had taken a particularly bad hit to the side from a lance at some point. I assumed it was a lance, since it looked like no one else even got close to hitting her. Boyd did his best to watch her back and even held the area alone while Mia fell back to get healed. I narrowed my eyes and grit my teeth each time I saw him take an injury. I had arrows, but I could only shoot one arrow at a time. Could only hurt or kill one soldier at a time. Meaning that even though I managed my usual accuracy, Boyd still faced a lot of danger. Danger that was barely abated by Mia rejoining him. At least, until a giant lightning bolt came from nowhere to bounce through the metal armor of the soldiers and make them screech. That did a lot in giving us room to breathe.

"Wow, she wasn't kidding…" Barely heard Ike murmur that as he returned to the courtyard. To my surprise, though, he smiled up at me. "The girl you saw is going to help us," he explained. I just thought about how that was somewhat similar to how Mia got caught up in this. "She's a thunder mage, and actually with the merchants here. Or was before getting lost in the chaos."

"That so?" I asked, choosing not to really react. I wasn't sure why all that needed to be relayed to me… wait, no, I had one idea. "I need to add her to who I'm covering, then?"

"Yeah, though she'll keep back like Soren."

That was all he said before jumping back into the fight, drawing strength from somewhere in order to cleave straight through a few of them. I watched for a moment, to make sure they were okay, and then turned my attention to the other parts of the battlefield. Right in time to feather some soldiers that had gotten too close to Oscar for his horse to deal with directly. In the middle of shooting them, pain burst down my fingertips and I looked down to see they were bleeding. The slight pause also alerted me to the stinging on my left arm, from the bowstring hitting it so constantly. I hadn't had either happen to me in a very long time, and it was startling to see. But I shook my head and went back to shooting, thinning the front out as much as I could before taking out soldiers farther away. Which meant I was probably the first to notice when Ike got cut off from the courtyard, a missed blow sending him beyond the enemy lines. At that point, I focused on him and him alone, shooting to get him somewhat of a path. Mia and Boyd jumped in on it too, as soon as they realized what happened.

"What are you doing, boy?" At that point, though, someone began speaking. "This is no place for an officer!" Or, rather, they were shouting, at Ike. For some reason. "Soldiers fight and officers lead!" they boomed, glaring at Ike for some reason. Ike sighed, like he was annoyed by the whole thing. "That is the foundation of war!" I had no idea what he was trying to differentiate. They all died when someone shot them in the face.

"Hate to break it to you, but I'm a mercenary," Ike replied dryly with the most droll look on his face. He was definitely unimpressed with the impromptu lesson. "No officer or military. I fight and bleed alongside my fellows. I don't have the right to lead otherwise."

"Tch.. this is no child's game, boy!" The soldier swung at Ike, but Ike dodged. I pulled my arrow back to aim. "This is war! There's only one thing that matters in war!" Another swing. Another dodge. But since the soldier was still in the same place, I loosed the arrow. "Who fights and who dies!" And that was when my arrow hit him through the eye.

"Well, I guess he matters now?" I whispered to myself, watching him die with a barely a gasp. Ike, amusingly, looked this way and that, trying to figure out where I was. "Ike, get back here before you give Titania and Soren heart attacks!" I didn't really need to say that. Boyd and Mia had reached him and hauled him back themselves, all the way to the courtyard and standing under where I was. Boyd returned to the fighting; Mia went to get Rhys. I made myself smile at him in amusement. "Ike, I don't think I've moved once this entire battle. Did it really take you that long?"

"I thought you moved closer!" Ike protested, words heavy from exhaustion. Even his smile was tired as he squinted up at me. "I can't believe you got him in the eye from here."

"He stayed still, like an idiot. And was too focused on talking." Ambushing was easy, once you knew how.

"For however long you stay with us, we should make that a strategy. Bait the leader into talking forever and then assassination!" He did his best to be excited about it, but it was easy to see how much he was forcing it. But his eyes quickly widened. "Thalia!"

That's all I heard before pain exploded somewhere around my shoulderblade. My vision went white and I gasped before whirling to try and figure out what the hell hit me. It took a moment to realize there was an arrow stuck in my back. Even then, I more figured it out by seeing the archer in the trees, aiming for me again. Gritting my teeth, I contorted to use the bow to rip the arrow out of my back. Another burst of pain, followed by a sticky warmth that I didn't like on my sweaty back. But a quick check showed the arrow was still viable, so I aimed and shot, catching the archer in the face. But looking behind showed me just how badly off we were. They swarmed around us, all pressing towards the front like a great oak tree's slow fall, ready to obliterate everything in its path.

"Brother!" To make matters worse? Mist was suddenly out here in the courtyard. Same with Rolf, who bolted for Boyd to hold onto him. "Ike, this is it, isn't it?" she asked softly, dully, barely loud enough to be heard. There was no trace of any sort of emotion on her face, and it looked completely unnatural. "We're going to die."

"No, we're not," Ike snapped, gripping her by the shoulder. His hands shook; he was exhausted. "We're still fighting. So, head back in and-"

"I'm not afraid to die. We'll see Father and Mother again, right?" Ow… that… that hurt. That hurt all the more because I could so easily remember Greil's words and his smile as he talked about his children… "But I want to stay with you."

"Mist, that isn't…!" Ike struggled for words, and I glanced over to see Rolf and Boyd having a similar argument. Though, Rolf was at least more emotional, thankfully. "You…"

"So few soldiers, yet you managed to defeat our general?" And the first of the soldiers broke through the meager defenses we had to reach the courtyard. There was nothing special about them, save that they managed to dodge the axe Titania desperately threw at them. "Quite impressive," they murmured, bowing their head slightly. I felt like the words were sincere. "But this is where it ends." They flipped around their lance and looked straight at Ike. Ike tucked Mist behind him. I reached for an arrow to shoot, but discovered to my horror that… that I was out of arrows. "I'll make it quick."

"Yes, please, quickly die and get out of my way." Dry, sarcastic words were the only warning anyone got before a gust of wind blasted the soldier into the far wall, over by where Boyd and Rolf were, with enough force that their armor crumpled, the wall itself cracked, and blood went everywhere. "Ugh… annoying," Soren grumbled, casually walking over to where Ike was. His ponytail had fallen out at some point, so his hair was messily strewn all over the place, sticking to his face and neck thanks to sweat and blood. "Ilyana." On cue, more lightning streaked through the sky, electrocuting the soldiers and making the survivors fall back. I squinted and saw the ghost-girl in the shadows of the wall, holding a crackling tome. "Well, I think that's some breathing room."

"Soren, you doing okay?" Ike asked, frowning heavily. Slowly, everyone pulled back to converge and talk. Mist and Rolf were firmly tucked in the middle of the group, and Rhys went around healing everyone he could, despite looking paler than the clouds above our heads. Titania and Oscar dismounted to make it easier; Mia supported his back. "I mean… that seemed like a lot."

"I'm not the one being stupid." He reached around Ike and actually hit Mist (gently… ish…) on the head with his tome. Mist yelped and rubbed her head. "That knock your sense out from wherever you abandoned it? Melodrama isn't going to help anyone."

"Maybe it'll at least get her to believe me when I say we're going to make it." Ike managed a smile, and… well, while everyone seemed a bit dubious, they also smiled. Save Mist, who just frowned. "No seeing my parents yet."

"No, we still have options. And, if nothing else, them converging here means we might be able to force a path open behind us." Soren frowned in thought, and I saw Ilyana join them quietly and, surprisingly, so did the merchants. Aimee reached out and took Mist and Rolf by the shoulders, squeezing them gently. "My priority is getting as many of us out alive as I can."

"You're a genius, Soren. I'm sure you'll get all of us."

"...Well, if I don't, I'm going to hear Titania complain about it."

"I will not," Titania scolded, rolling her eyes. She pulled something from her pocket and pulled Soren's hair back into its normal ponytail. "I'm brushing your hair later for that comment." Soren immediately made a face, and that sparked some laughter. "Oscar and I can play bait. Or, at least, I can."

"No, I can as well," Oscar reassured, leaning a bit on Boyd. Though he looked calm, his posture implied he was as tired as everyone else. "Not for as long, but I can. So, we've got options."

Titania replied. I knew she did. But movement in the distance caught my attention, and I jerked my head up to focus on it. It wasn't long at all before I recognized it as the fast movement from a large beast, too fast for any of the animals that lived around here. "Well, well, well… looks like we've gotten reinforcements," I muttered, unable to help the bitter dryness in my voice. Now they arrived? Really? "Hey, guys?" I looked down and saw all of them had turned their attention to me. "We've got two beast laguz, transformed, heading straight for us."

"Good timing," Ike laughed, smiling in relief. Most of the others smiled with him. Soren rolled his eyes. I was with Soren on this one. "Just the two, or…?"

"Mmm…" I narrowed my eyes to look at the horizon and nodded when I noticed more shadows. More of that fast movement. "There's more. Best guess is that the two in front are the leaders."

"We should get a path for them, then, at the least."

"I'll handle that," Soren sighed, stepping away from the others. He walked right to the entrance of the courtyard, where a few brave soldiers had gathered again, and the wind immediately roared into life around him. I had to cling to the roof to keep from slipping, and I couldn't help but marvel a bit at the power there. This had to be what he'd gotten from his laguz parent. Magical might and speed. Like my eyes and strength. Branded always inherited something from the laguz lineage; not a one was completely 'normal' when compared to beorc. And Soren proved that, by blasting a path clear through the soldiers, opening the way just as those first two laguz reached the edge of the soldiers' formation.

The two beast laguz, cat and tiger, pounced on the soldiers, ripping them to shreds with fang and claw. Those who followed did the same, the beast laguz devouring the enemy army. Those of us in the courtyard sagged, though Soren nearly fell over. Ike caught him, though, and helped him limp over to rest. The others leaned on each other, taking strength from the comforting support. I remained on the roof, watching the battle end in blood.

Well, this was going to be interesting.

"I can't believe you ripped an arrow out!" Mist scolded, treating my back. Since Rhys had worked himself into a not-quite-faint-but-really-should-be-one state, Mist was helping with everyone's injuries. She's already bandaged my hand and arm, and now was focused on the arrow wound. "And you shot with it! Ugh… and your burns are still healing too!"

"I'm tougher than I look," I replied, doing my best to sit still as she prodded the injury. She was having some trouble cleaning it, since it was a puncture, but I wouldn't complain. "But I'm sorry to worry you."

"Well, that's a better answer than I'm used to getting." She sighed gustily, scowling. I was just glad she was showing emotions again. "Hey, Thalia?"

"Hmm?"

"What's that mark on your stomach?" She pointed to my Brand, and I tried to not stiffen. Since she was treating my back, my shirt was off, meaning it was easy to see. "Titania was wondering too. She thought it was a slavers' brand or something, though, so she didn't want to ask." Right, Titania had helped me bathe. I'd forgotten that she'd seen it. "Is it?"

"It's… certainly a brand." I had no idea how to answer. I never had to. "Let's leave it at that, for now." Probably better to let them come to their own conclusions. If Titania's first thought was slavers and not… well… Branded abomination, that meant I was safer. "Is that okay?"

"Of course! Sorry to be nosy!" Done with cleaning, Mist wrapped some bandages around my torso and then helped me get my shirt back on. "And there!" She smiled triumphantly. "Try to take it easy, and we'll check it in the morning, okay?"

"Okay." I smiled at her, again just… glad to see her smiling. It reminded me of what she'd said outside, and I just… "Hey…"

"Hmm?"

"You know… Greil told me that all he wanted in life was for you and Ike to be happy and safe." I wasn't sure I should be saying this. It should probably be someone closer to her, one of her family. But I reached up to cup her face, and a vague memory of Mother doing the same to me flitted through my head. Something she did when she was impressing on me something important. "So, I'm not sure you should be so willing to die, even if you see your parents again."

"Oh…" Mist squirmed a bit, and I hoped it was regret that she'd said the words. "He said that?"

"Are you really surprised? It didn't look like he was the type to hide how much he loved you both." I smiled sadly and closed my eyes, thinking of Greil. Thinking of my parents. "From what I have experienced and seen, parents… good and true parents, that is… they give everything for their children. Their children are their lights, their joys, and their prides."

"Your parents died, didn't they?"

"Yes, they died to save my life." Father, by holding off the beorc who had attacked us. Mother, by giving me everything she salvaged and keeping none for herself. "That's why I wanted to stay alive, in those awful days after they died. It was hard, but I kept at it." I opened my eyes to look at her. "I don't know how Greil died. But because he reminds me so much of my own parents, I'm certain he'd be devastated if he heard the words you said then."

"...Yeah, he would…" She leaned forward and rested her head on my shoulder. I let my hands fall to her back, now feeling awkward. Really shouldn't be doing this, but if the rambling helped, then hopefully… "Do you miss your parents?"

"Every day." I shook my head, just to feel my feather brush against my cheek. Should I change how I wore it, until I left? So far, I'd been lucky and it had stayed in my hair, but would that last? "Even if I don't remember that much anymore, I miss them. I don't think you ever stop missing those you love. You just… carry them with you, and take strength from it." Or something. I really was just bullshitting at this point.

"I see." Still, Mist smiled. So, maybe the words were comforting. "Makes sense…"

Mist leaned against me for a while longer before straightening and standing up with a hop and a stretch. She insisted on helping me up before leaving to check on Rhys. I decided to see if I could find Ike and ask if he needed me to patrol or something, and thus, went wandering through the castle before finding him in the main room. Mostly because someone yowled 'get him!' really loudly and I ran into there to find an awkward situation. Or, well, I guessed it was tense and awkward and all. There was no fighting or anything, but all I really knew was that Soren was angry enough to make the wind scream, Ike was bleeding, the cat laguz was hissing, and the tiger laguz looked ashamed. However, I could take a few wild guesses and… well, my own agitation definitely colored things. I couldn't deny that at all.

"Well, if this is what the Beast King's emissaries act like, then I'm definitely heading to the castle," I drawled, unable to help it. If I were a bird, I knew my feathers would be puffed up. As it was, I stood rigidly tall, and spoke with a bit of a growl. Seeing laguz… especially seeing two beast laguz… I was just reminded of the cold fear and pain from Mother's last days. The despair and heartbreak that had shattered my spirit as they glared at me as if I was less than a piece of refuse before turning away. "I'm seriously terrified for Elincia's safety."

"Are you insulting our king?" the cat laguz snarled, yowling a bit at the end of the 'question'. She stood just as rigidly, but she was a bit hunched over, as if she was preparing to transform. Ike facepalmed, still bleeding. The tiger laguz tried to get the cat's attention. "I won't-"

"Look, all I know is that I heard someone scream for someone to 'get him' so loudly that I think they heard you in Crimea." I was being unkind. Distantly, I knew I was. And I was sure they only were mad because Soren provoked them. That said, I was also fairly certain that their presence (or words) had grinded his already frayed nerves to dust. And I really couldn't blame Soren for that, even if it was irrational. I hated the laguz. I'd always hate them, for how they looked upon Branded… and for how they had let my mother die. And I hated these two in particular right now, because they reminded me of how helpless I'd been as a child. "Which really reflects well on what your king values. But hey, it's not like I understand your culture. I know as much about Gallia's ways as I do about beorc." I shrugged and pointedly ignored her to smile at Ike. Who was definitely exasperated. "Anyway, wanted to ask if you wanted me to patrol or something."

"I had things calm before you riled her up," Ike groaned. I made myself relax so that I could smile apologetically. "But yes, thank you, Thalia. A patrol would be nice."

"Hopefully, there won't be signs of anything save the numerous bodies that are fouling up the air. Could also be why our two friends here are so nervy. Beast laguz have very keen noses." That seemed… tactful enough and hopefully it was enough to settle whatever feathers I'd ruffled. I still made sure to ignore them, though. I do it as much as I could get away with, just as laguz did to Branded. ...Speaking of which, Soren and I… "Can I borrow Soren for a moment?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah." He poked Soren, who simply bowed his head and nodded. "Stay safe."

"Of course." I waited for Soren to walk over to me before choosing a random door to leave from. Only when I was sure we were out of earshot did I sigh. "Traveling with a bunch of laguz… this is going to be more of a pain than I imagined." Soren muttered something dark and probably violent under his breath, but made sure to keep pace with me. "Who knows if they'll ignore or honor-kill."

"If they attack, I'm retaliating," Soren growled. Just as before, it didn't sound like a beorc growl. Definitely something from his laguz side, whatever it was. "Spouting off-"

"Ah. Let's just forget them, if only so that we can calm down and not make trouble for the mercenaries. Especially Ike, since he has to talk regularly to them."

"Bah." He muttered a few more things before sighing. "I hate that you're right, but this is the most efficient way of getting help now. Damn it."

"I understand." I really, truly did. "Just being in the same room made me lose some of my temper, and my nerves are holding up better than yours." Really did hate how much like a child I felt. I wouldn't call myself 'grown' or 'strong' or anything, but… "Anyway, I really just wanted you out of there. Me being a busybody."

"No, it's probably a good thing." Soren sighed, scowing now. "That said, there is something I'd like you to look for, if you don't mind going through the bodies."

"Guts are guts, be they beorc or animal." I shrugged. Really, corpses were just aggravating, not anything special. "What is it?"

Soren actually found a piece of paper and wrote down a list of things to keep an eye out for while patrolling. I made sure to check it frequently as I walked through, searching the bodies for any scrap of information and lugging equipment back towards the courtyard for us to use. It was long and tiring work, and not work I probably should've been doing with my injuries, but it kept me busy and I actually found quite a bit, particularly on the one I sniped through the eye. When the sun began setting, though, I decided that I was done for now and gathered everything to bring inside. Boyd caught me as I was doing that and chased me off 'to rest' while he handled that part for me. I wasn't sure why, but I decided to go with it, so that I could drop off the papers and books I'd found. Of course, that meant finding Soren, but that wasn't hard. He was in a study off to the side, talking with Ike. Or attempting to talk, rather.

"Ike, we'll go over this in the morning," Soren sighed, distinctly exasperated as he set some papers on the desk he was at. He leaned back in the chair he was sitting in, and watched as Ike tried to shake himself awake after the fifth time of almost falling asleep. And that was just in the time I'd been by the door. "You're tired."

"You can tell?" Ike asked, smiling wryly. He did still attempt to wake himself up, even pinching his cheeks. Didn't look like it worked. The way he was sagging… I wondered if he was even going to make it out of the room. "Really?"

"Aside from you not paying attention? Your left eye always twitches when you're desperately fighting off exhaustion." That was very, very specific. Ike's slow blink hinted he hadn't even noticed. "So, go get some sleep. Maybe spend some time with Mist."

"You really are a softie at heart." Ike grinned and Soren frowned at him skeptically. "All right, I'll go ahead and get to bed."

"Sleep tight. And Ike?" Soren hesitated for a moment before lowering his head. "I'm sorry about earlier. I… do not like laguz. But I promise that I'll do what I can to bite my tongue."

"It's fine, Soren." Ike stood up and walked around the desk to clasp Soren's shoulder and squeeze it. "I knew you were out of sorts. You normally wait until a person's alliance is secured before flaying them alive." For some reason, though, Ike sighed. "But let's just say I'm glad Shinon wasn't here for that. We really shouldn't provoke potential allies."

"I don't know." Soren smirked, almost but not quite laughing. "Seeing Shinon eviscerated might've been fun."

"Soren!" Ike rolled his eyes and Soren hid a snicker. "Don't even joke…" He sighed and turned towards the door, and I waved when he saw me. "Oh, Thalia!"

"I'd come by later, but I think Soren wants this as soon as possible," I explained, setting the pile of papers on the desk. Soren immediately began looking through them, eyes practically glittering with anticipation. "And you look like you're going to pass out on the floor. I'll help you to your room."

Ike did try to protest, mostly by saying that I should rest, but he gave in quickly enough when Soren prodded him. And he ended up actually leaning against me as we headed down the hall, making me glad we were around the same height. Next time something like this happened, though… well, if I was around, I was just going to carry him for convenience's sake. This time, though, I let him walk and stayed just long enough to make sure he'd be able to make it to the bed before leaving to head to my room. On the way, though, I… well, I ran into the tiger laguz. While all alone in the hallway. Not good.

"You are… Thalia, yes?" he asked, speaking slowly. His words were a little shaky and it sounded like he was attempting to talk around something. But I did find myself slowly relaxing, mostly because he himself was perfectly relaxed. No tail lashing or bristled fur or anything. The most was that his ears were tilted down. "I am Mordecai."

"Pleased to meet you, Mordecai," I replied, barely keeping the dryness out of my voice. As I'd told Soren, I knew I had to be polite. I couldn't rile them. Even if staying near one was enough to shake my heart. All too clearly could I see Mother resting against a tree as the light left her eyes… "And yes, I'm Thalia. Did you need me for something?"

"Princess Elincia is well." It took a moment to realize why he was saying that. He'd… he'd remembered what I'd said, and had come to reassure me. "Sad. But safe. Warm." He looked frustrated for a moment before sighing. "My words… are they understandable?"

"Hmm? Yes, of course. Why…?" I belatedly figured it out. Beast laguz typically communicated with each other via subtle body language and vocalizations like growls. "Truthfully, if you're asking about how well you talk in general, I'd recommend asking someone else in the morning. Like Ike. But what you're telling me is that I don't need to worry about Elinicia."

"Yes. I'm glad." His ears tilted up and he made a strange noise that was a short, loud burst. I recalled hearing it among tiger laguz that were playing by the forest's edge a few times. "Glad that I am understandable. Words are important. Words can solve problems before they become fighting."

"I see." I just barely bit back my sarcastic retort at that. But I let myself be distracted by how he was talking to me, and he wasn't trying to bury his claws in my entrails. "Mordecai, are you not uneasy around me?"

"Mmm… I can't say that I am not." Mordecai hung his head, like it was shameful, and his ears dropped again. "I have limited experience with beorc. But I will endeavor, so that my words mean something."

"I see…" Ah, of course. With my Brand hidden, I did look like a beorc. He was confusing that instinctive hatred for something more mundane. The ones Mother and I had run into all those years ago… they had too much experience with beorc to confuse it with anything. And no doubt I would deal with more laguz like that at the castle. But for now, Soren and I were safe. Ish. "Well, these people are very weird beorc. Which means they're nice. Especially Ike." I bent down to catch his eye and smiled, making sure to not show teeth. That one came from an old memory, a warning from Father to not smile with teeth at laguz. They viewed it as a threat. "You're fine. And thank you for taking the time to reassure me about Elincia." Good, it seemed like she was, at least, getting that help. I'd be able to leave with a clear conscience, once we reached the castle.

And, thankfully, Mordecai didn't try to draw out the conversation, but left after making that noise again and nodding. Still, I was feeling unsettled, so instead of heading to my room, I went outside to feel the wind on my skin. And came upon a very surprising sight. The cat girl… she was sitting on her knees by Greil's grave, perfect posture, save for her bowed head. There was no sound, save for the wind itself, and I leaned against the outside wall to watch. I was curious. ...And I could admit that I didn't quite trust her to not mess with the grave. But she didn't. She just remained there, perfectly still, for what seemed like a long time.

At last, she stood up, brushing the dirt off her knees, and turned to look right at me. "Yes?" she prompted, voice drawling. Her ears were turned back and her tail lashed about her legs, but she didn't attack me outright. "What is it?"

"I'd be surprised you noticed, but you probably heard me," I replied, deciding how to answer. One look at her, though, made me decide honesty was the best way to go. "Because of earlier, I wanted to make sure you didn't disturb anything." I didn't get the point of graves and whatnot, but I knew it was important to the others. "That's all."

"I wouldn't…!" She growled, hissing a little and bristling. But, surprisingly, she calmed down fairly quickly. "This grave… is for a beorc named Greil, yes?"

"Yes."

"Our king said he was a good friend. A very, very good friend." Oh? Well, that explained why Greil and Titania had been certain they'd be allowed to the castle. "A strong warrior, but better person. A beorc who gave him hope. Our king had been very excited, hearing that his old friend was back in Gallia. I had hoped to actually meet him, but…" She looked back to the grave, her ears pressed down against her head. "I hate beorc. But this one… this one was one my king loved. I had to at least pay my respects."

"That's very kind of you." Well, maybe there was something to her being sent here after all. "I am sorry if I disturbed you. I just wanted to feel the wind a bit before heading for bed."

"When it stinks of the dead?"

"Beorc don't smell worse than dead animals, and they're all over the place in the woods." I shrugged. "Besides, my nose isn't as sensitive as yours."

"Lucky you." She grumbled, back to being annoyed. "Bah, whatever. But we march early tomorrow."

"With as much stuff as these folk have, we'll see how early we actually leave." I shrugged and headed inside. "Night."

"...It's Lethe." She sounded like the words were dragging themselves out. That's how reluctant her tone was. "My name."

"I'm called Thalia." Lovely, we had kind Mordecai and prickly Lethe. And their subordinates, wherever they were.

Ugh… this was going to be nerve-wracking. I was definitely leaving once we got to the castle. My nerves couldn't take this much stress.

Oscar, 24

The eldest of the trio of brothers, known both for his calm nature and near perfect manners. Once part of the 12th regiment of the Crimean Knights, he resigned in order to better take care of his brothers after his stepmother's abandonment and his father's death and, later, was recruited by Greil to join the mercenaries. Despite the hardships, he considers his brothers to be his pride and joys and never regrets giving up his dream to make sure they were taken care of.

Trained as a Crimean Knight, he's considered a very 'balanced' fighter. While he will likely never be 'the best' at any one trait, the versatility means he will find less situations where he's in grave danger.

Enjoys the quieter work among the mercenaries, and is quick to take up any chore that needs to be done both to help out and because he finds such work soothing. He never passes up a chance to cook, and enjoys trying new recipes, particularly those his brothers might like. Good thing too, since he's easily the best cook among the mercenaries

Author's notes: (I know it's the title of the chapter, but wow, did it ever get the Circle of Life stuck in my head)

Oscar's age is directly mentioned in one of his supports, iirc (and now you have a reference for Thalia's 'true' age). Ike retrieving the axe and sword is… I guess sorta implied in the opening scene here (since Urvan is used as a tombstone), but is kinda stated much later in the game. There's nothing on just who handled the grave making and all, but I figured it would fit. Rolf makes flowers because the in-game CG shows a ring of flowers around Urvan.

Ike's talk with Boyd are based on the in-game base convos they have, with a bit more added. Ike mentioning he just can't cry comes from his convo with Rhys. Ike's convo with Mia… I think is technically next chapter, actually. Whoops. (In-game, there's also a talk with Rolf.) The dialogue between Ike and the boss is more or less from the game.

This chapter is also where the merchants appear, who remain with the mercenaries for the rest of the game (and show up time and again in base convos) and they're also in FE10. Aimee's called Larabel or something in FE10, but it seems that 'Aimee' might be the intended name? No clue, but I had to pick one and I'm sticking to it. Ilyana (that is probably spelled wrong…) having 'no presence' or anything is based on the skill she comes with: shade. Makes the AI less likely to target her… though not even the righteous wrath of the RNGoddess will deter the AI from a potential one-round kill, much less that. And thunder spells are heavy.

Gave a tad more context to why Soren snaps on Lethe and Mordecai after the battle. Mordecai's talk with Thalia at the end is based on his talk with Ike in the next chapter (I find it interesting). There's… not really anything about Lethe visiting Greil's grave or anything, but I thought it would be a good way to show her kinder, more respectful side. (As a side-note, I am going to try [emphasis: try] to add some animal communication among the laguz, even in their human forms. Some will be easier than others.

Next Chapter - Gallia