Author Notes: On one hand, hooray for me for finally getting this out there, and on the other hand I suck for taking so long to get this here.

Sorry; again, life, work, etc.

Still, here is another chapter, and I do hope you all enjoy it. I've already realized that those dedicated few who enjoy the story will forgive the sporadic updates, and for those who can't - too bad.

I really don't recall any negative or nitpicking reviews from the previous chapter, aside from the overwhelming cry to update more. I'll try, people, I will.

So enjoy everyone, and again a heartfelt thanks for your patience.

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Alicia idly prodded the fire, covering her mouth as she yawned, waiting for the sun to rise on their third day since leaving Lionel Castle. Feeling her eyes droop, she abruptly stood, shaking her head to force the remaining sleep from her; a few minutes ago Mustadio had roused her for the fourth shift, the tired mechanic crawling back into his tent to get a few more hours of sleep. To be honest, she was rather happy that she got the last night watch; she welcomed the uninterrupted sleep, and she had always loved sunrises. The young woman settled once again, staring at the fire, confident that no danger was lurking about; they were still within the castle's limits and this land was heavily patrolled by the Church's warriors, allowing for a rather relaxed mood for any adventures traveling Lionel's roads.

Well, not all of Lionel's roads; the western part of Lionel, between Goug and the small town they would reach by this afternoon, Latterton, was an area known as the Zigolis Swamp, a vast bog that would take days to travel through, even if they were on chocobos, and no road paved the way for them; Zigolis Swamp was a no-man's land.

That knowledge refreshed the reoccurring strange feeling she had the day they marched out of Lionel Castle; although Ramza had gotten all of the supplies they would need for their trip, the one thing he and Belle could not acquire was a set of four chocobos. They could purchase everything else easily, at an affordable price, but the chocobo herders Ramza spoke with either refused to sell him the giant birds, or priced the animals unreasonably high. The group had spent about an hour trying to find a reasonable seller, but was unsuccessful. Their seven day trip would be lengthened to twelve days, and the squire thoughtfully wrote a note to Agrias, letting her know that their return would be closer to a month than not.

Alicia was hopeful that things would get more interesting once they passed through Latterton; the past two days were dreadfully boring. The young brunette wasn't a thrill seeker, she rather disliked fighting, to be honest, but anything would be better then two days of near silence. Not that there was no talking, mind you; Mustadio and Lavian often spent time alone speaking to one another, giving Alicia the chance to walk alongside Ramza, coaxing him into some conversations, but the squire had been acting distant the past two days. He would often excuse himself and pull Mustadio aside, speaking with the man firmly about something before the engineer would loudly decline whatever Ramza was offering. Whatever they were speaking of, Ramza would always come back rather disgruntled, and any further attempts of conversation fell short.

The wizard sighed morosely as she tended the fire, adding a few more pieces of firewood to the flame, preparing for breakfast; Ramza confused the young woman. Alicia liked him, a lot, really, and the times that they did share in good conversation caused a warm fuzzy feeling in her tummy, but she didn't know much about the man. Some things were easy to see, like how he was completely oblivious to subtle flirtation or how he still hid his past from everyone, but she was determined to find out more. She had always been a knowledge seeker, so she had a firm belief that if she got to really know the man, she would better sort her own feelings for him. At first, Alicia thought the absence of Agrias, Belle, or even Olivia was the cause of Ramza's distracted mind, as the wizard herself missed all three already, but, after studying the man carefully, she realized that was not the case. It had something to do with Mustadio, Alicia was sure; but what, she didn't know.

Feeling slightly frustrated, she instantly decided she would find out, today; Ramza was usually first to rise, so she would corner the squire and demand answers. Feeling a rush of determination, she waited for the squire, thinking and rethinking her plan of attack.

The time passed quickly for the plotting woman, and before she realized it the sun started to chase away the night, an orange light shining from the treetops; Alicia idly began cooking their breakfast, a simple meal of oatmeal and bacon, her hands moving on their own, familiar with the chore. As the bacon started to sizzle, the objective of her plan exited his tent, stretching in the morning air. Alicia, watching the food so it wouldn't burn, said her good mornings, and got one in return; knowing that there was no better time than the present, she raised her gaze, steeling her face, ready to demand some answers.

"Ramza…" her words died on her lips as she faced the man and realized that there was something much different this morning then the others; the squire was smiling, his eyes twinkling in the morning light. The past few days his mornings have been lackluster, to say the least, but for some reason, today he seemed like his normal self. Fully frustrated now, her gaze fell back at the food, and she muttered, "…figures…"

"Pardon?"

Alicia blushed, facing him again, noticing that he was looking at her curiously; feeling embarrassed, but stubborn, she blurted, "It just… You've been dragging your feet the past few days and I was…" she frowned, glaring at the man as if all the world's woes were his fault, "It figures that the day I try to help you, get some answers out of you, you go and get better all by yourself."

The squire blinked at her outburst, scratching his neck lightly, hesitating a moment, "I'm sorry; I didn't realize how absentminded I've been." He gave her a small grin, "I do thank you for your concern, though. It's very thoughtful of you."

The woman eyed the bacon, prodding it with a knife, asking, "So, what has been weighing so heavily on your mind, anyways?"

Ramza accepted the bowl of oatmeal and bacon from Alicia with thanks, and took a bite before answering, "Well… a lot of things, really. I'm still trying to shrug off that odd feeling I got in Lionel Castle," he grinned when Alicia nodded in agreement, "But mostly it's Mustadio and this… mission, I guess, of his."

Alicia, having served herself, spoke around her mouthful, "What's wrong with Mustadio? He seems content enough."

Ramza chuckled at the wizard's muffled words, "Don't speak with your mouth full."

Alicia glared at him, earning her a quiet laugh from the squire, "Don't avoid the question!"

Ramza grinned, finishing another spoonful of food, "Well, the problem is Mustadio's too content. I've been pestering him to lead this expedition to his father, but he keeps on refusing. It's frustrating."

The woman shrugged, "Why bother? You're leading us."

Ramza sighed, "I shouldn't be. Mustadio should; he'd make a fine commander, if he just got over his confidence issues."

Alicia, confused, remained silent for a moment, watching Ramza chew, before asking, "Is it really that important?" She ignored his raised eyebrow, "I mean, you're really stuck on this 'leader' thing; you didn't make a fuss about it when we were traveling to Lionel."

"I didn't have to; Agrias was our commander. She was the driving force behind our goal." Ramza nodded to his tent, where Mustadio still slept, "Just like Mustadio is the driving force behind our new goal."

"But is it really that important?" she was growing frustrated again, not understanding. "It's a given that we're going to defer to you. Lavian and I have already acted upon your commands, and it seems natural following them."

Ramza remained silent, finishing his meal; once done, he set aside the bowl, speaking quietly, "Be that as it may, but I don't hold any loyalty to this mission." Alicia was about to object when he silenced her, "Hush, let me finish." He gave a small grin when she pouted, "I don't mean that I have no loyalty to you." He didn't notice Alicia's blush as he paused, pondering for a moment, "It just doesn't feel right that Mustadio isn't the one rousing us in the morning, planning the path we will take to his own father." He scratched his chin, his face faintly shadowed by stubble, "This isn't my story; it's his."

The squire fell silent, staring into the fire; Alicia continued to stare at him, however, feeling that Ramza's troubles did not end there. She was sure that he told her the truth, but he was still holding something back; perhaps it was all the time they had been spending together, but she could just tell more weighed on his mind by the way he sat, a small smile on his face. She gave a quiet cough to catch his attention, and asked once his gaze turned back to her, "Is that all?"

Ramza, not wanting to burden the wizard with his troubles and fears, opened his mouth to tell her that he was fine, but the words died on his lips as he caught her staring at him pointedly, her eyes knowing, a small frown on her face; he gave a small chuckle, shaking his head in wonder, and muttered, "You see right through me, don't you Alicia?" he gave her a grin when she blushed, but her gaze remained firm and he quickly amended, "No, I guess that's not all; I have other matters that had muddled my head." He shifted, shrugging slightly, "The other reason I've been pestering Mustadio into a leadership role is selfish; I didn't want the responsibility." He frowned, realizing that was a lie, "No…. that's not completely true…"

Alicia let him remain silent for a few moments before she spoke, her eyes determined, but her voice gentle, "What's the real reason, Ramza?"

Ramza hesitated for only a moment before he spoke, "I'm afraid." Alicia's eyes widened in surprise, both at his admittance and at the bluntness of which he spoke; Ramza continued without pause, "I'm afraid of the responsibility; I'm terrified that I will make a mistake, causing you to be hurt or killed." As he spoke, Alicia slid closer to the squire, laying her hand gently on his arm, "I know I've learned from my past mistakes, and I vow I will not abandon those who need me ever again, but sometimes I doubt myself, my convictions." He eyed the delicate hand that lay on his forearm wistfully before bringing his gaze to her face, "I'm frightened of the trust everyone has in me, and the trust I have in everyone; it's been years since I've had that honor, and I so desperately don't want it to break." He pause, glancing at the tents where his other two companions still dozed, "With all these fears and doubts, I didn't think myself ready, or worthy, to lead you."

"You're ready." The young woman spoke with such confidence that Ramza's throat got tight and his eyes turned to her again, "You've been ready for weeks, looking after all of us, caring for us." Alicia held his gaze, her hazel eyes preventing him from avoiding her words, "Even though you say Agrias was leading us, you were the one driving us forward; you inspire everyone to be greater than what they are. You inspire me with courage and confidence; I trust you with my life, Ramza, and would follow you to the gates of Hades, against the Lucavi themselves." Alicia stopped, caught up in her words, not intending the last bit to be said aloud, and blushed in embarrassment.

Ramza spoke softly, his voice thick from his tightened throat, "Thank you, Alicia; your words and friendship mean more to me then I could possibly express." He swallowed a few times, steadying his voice, "I won't fail you, any of you."

Alicia shivered at his vow, feeling a sudden, massive, powerful presence emanate from the squire, and knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Ramza would keep his word. A few minutes of silence passed, the two enjoying a comfortable silence; the overwhelming aura lingering for only a few heartbeats, Alicia still watching the squire with a mixture of curiosity and wonder; only once before had she felt Ramza's presence like that, when he had remained loyal to the Princess and vanquished the dark knight Gafgarion. She couldn't describe the feeling in words, but she knew Ramza could inspire his friends and cower his foes; he was born to be a leader, yet so reluctant to accept his role.

The silence was broken by some muttering as Mustadio exited the men's tent, giving a stretch and yawn before joining the other two by the fire; he gave a mumbled thanks for the food before eating. Moments after the mechanic graced the two fully awake travelers, Lavian joined the trio, her hair un-brushed but her eyes clear. She gave everyone a smile and good-morning before joining Mustadio, sitting next to the half awake man and taking a plate of food from Ramza. They finished the meal in relative silence, light talk hovering over the fire; once everyone had their fill, and the dishes scraped and cleaned, the group started to move about, cleaning up their small campsite for the day's hike.

For the past few days, the schedule was the same: travel until noon, rest to eat, travel until dusk, sleep; Ramza, surprising everyone, changed the schedule. The squire, silent during the morning, prodded the other three onward, not letting them rest once the sun reached its peak, insisting on covering some more ground; Mustadio was the only one to complain, but it was light hearted, the group eating while they walked. They passed through the small town of Latterton without any fanfare, stopping only to refresh their water supply before exiting the woodworking settlement; passing through the western gate of the walled town, they were no longer in peaceful lands. The group had entered Zigolis Swamp, a bog filled with many types of monsters, as well as, if the rumors were true, the cursed undead. It wasn't until three or four more hours passed, and all signs of human settlements gone, that Ramza halted the tired and sore group; when he started to unpack and set up a tent, the others quickly got the hint, and with few words but many confused looks, they set up camp for the night.

Once the camp was organized, Ramza allowed the tired group a few minutes' rest, although the squire himself kept busy, moving around the area, muttering to himself and moving odd rocks or branches around; all three watched him wearily, unsure what to make of his sudden energy. The squire ignored them and continued his odd work around the area; the campsite Ramza had chosen was elevated, leaving the ground hard and dry, but there was very little cover, only a few sparse trees and bushes spread around the bog. The squire deemed cover of little value in the humid, damp bog, knowing he and his friends would rather prefer not sinking into the muck during the night.

Once Ramza finished his chore, he joined the other three; they were still eying him with curious looks, but they all seemed to have recovered their breath. The squire flashed a grin, digging around in his sack, before tossing a surprised Mustadio a sheathed sword, telling the juggling man, "It's time you learned how to use one of these, Mustadio." Ramza abruptly tossed the stuttering man a shield, cutting off the mechanic's attempt to object, who was glancing between the squire and the east. "I know we are in haste, but I will not have us arrive in Goug unprepared. You father will remain alive and in good health for as long as the Bart Company does not have what they seek."

Mustadio, appeased by the squire's words, gave a slow nod, before pointing to his sheathed firearm, asking, "But I have-"

He was interrupted by the squire, "Yes, I know your gun is a powerful weapon, but it's useless in close quarters; you'd be cut down by a skilled knight before you could shoot twice, so you'll be spending some time every night learning how to wield a sword, or axe, or spear, whatever weapon that feels right in your hands." Turning to Lavian, he tossed the woman a set of heavily padded and armored gloves, telling her, "And you'll be training him. Use these armored gloves; they'll protect your hands as you spar with Mustadio."

Lavian caught the gloves deftly, watching the squire, her face neutral; Ramza could see the questions dancing in her eyes, so he elaborated, "Don't worry, little monk, you'll get your training too."

"Call me 'little monk' again, and we'll you won't live long enough to train me!" growled Lavian, although there was little actual heat to her words; the nickname irked the woman, but Ramza's bright smile soothed her temper.

"Duly noted, Lavian," the squire smoothly replied, "But don't change the subject. I'll spend some time with you today as well, teaching you some of the more advanced martial arts. Until then, teach our engineer how to wield a blade and hold a shield."

Lavian returned his smile and nodded, feeling suddenly excited for her training; she turned to Mustadio, purring, "Don't worry dear, I'll go easy on you."

"Now, now, we'll have none of that," Ramza cut short the monk's banter, his eyes mischievous, "Mustadio needs to learn fast, and the best way to do that is to keep him on his toes, so no holding back Lavian. Run the man through the ropes."

Lavian, initially meaning her words, intending to go easy on the mechanic, was startled at Ramza's interruption; no, Lavian realized, watching the squire, they were orders. Light hearted, and laid-back, but orders the same. Something clicked in the woman's head as she watched the squire, his face kind but eyes determined; she asked the question that would confirm her epiphany, her voice curious but also, surprisingly, hopeful, "Is that an order?"

The squire's lips curled slightly and his eyes were bright, "It is."

"Yes sir," Lavian grinned; with his words it seemed the entire trip just fell into place. Like everyone else, she felt in her bones that Ramza had always denied his calling, shying away from the responsibility that was put in front of him, leadership that he loathed and desired. She turned to her new cadet, pulling him up with her, telling the mechanic, "You heard the man. First rule – the pointy end goes into the other man."

Ramza grinned as he watched the two enter the area he had cleared for them, the monk teaching the hesitant man the basics of swordsmanship; he turned his attention to Alicia, who looked excited, and offered his hand, which she grabbed immediately, allowing her to be helped up as he continued his speech, "Come, young wizard, let us further your education."

This surprised the young woman, "You know black magic?"

The squire nodded in response, leading Alicia to the small grove of trees, before taking a seat onto the dry ground, "I know a lot of things, Alicia, but this isn't about my education, it's about yours. Do you know any of the advanced spells yet?"

The wizard's head turned slightly at Ramza's deflection, but she replied after she joined him, "I know all of the basic and intermediate elemental spells."

"Good, good; how about non elemental?" Ramza asked.

Alicia shook her head, "No, I though it more useful to master the damaging spells first. Besides, the non elemental spells are useless in a fight."

The squire grinned, "That's a common misconception; granted, wizards don't have access to a lot of non elemental spells, but the few they have can be useful. Also, the most powerful spell combines all three elements,"

"Flare…" Alicia interrupted, her voice curious, not sure where he was leading the conversation.

"Correct," Ramza continued as if he Alicia had not spoken, "Because of the complex merging of the three elements they, for all purposes, cancel the others, making Flare non elemental. Once you master the expert level spells I'll teach you the incantations for Flare."

"You… you know Flare?" Alicia asked, her eyes wide, completely surprised by his offer; she knew that he had learned many types of techniques, but he never listed any magical knowledge in the conversation he had with Agrias weeks ago. It wasn't that he was unintelligent, but she always assumed he didn't care for magic by the techniques he had used in the past.

"Perhaps," he answered vaguely again, "Or maybe I was shown the incantations by someone who can cast the spell; sadly, she is not here, so I will be the one to teach you." Giving the surprised, and confused, woman a nod, he stood, and again Alicia accepted his help up. Facing one of the trees, he told her, "There isn't much more I can teach you in regards to the three elements; once you master the basic spells, the more powerful ones mimic the weaker. It's up to you to discover where you change the incantations and movements for the more advanced spells. Aside from the theory behind Flare, which you will get to eventually, there are two other spells in the wizard's arsenal I will teach you. The first one is simple; watch closely."

Alicia nodded, and watched the squire closely as he made quick, short movements with his hands and uttered a few brief words; his spell completed quicker than even the most basic of elemental spells, the offending tree was suddenly covered in a foul, green colored substance. Ramza turned to the woman, telling her, "This is your first lesson – Poison. Much quicker than any other black magic spell, it doesn't do much initial damage, but it has the ability to weaken an enemy." He grinned, turning her so that she was facing the remaining targets, "Your turn."

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The rest of the week past smoothly for the travelers, although a little slower than the mechanic liked; he wasn't complaining, not seriously anyway, for the four days had been fulfilling, if not draining. Ramza kept his new schedule of walking into late afternoon without rest before settling for the night to further his friends' training; for the past four nights, the three hours before nightfall were devoted to practice. Ramza's schedule was very simple: each of the three had an hour of self-study, an hour with the squire, and an hour sparring with one of the others. It worked well, keeping all four busy and active, helping to drive away the boredom of the day, as the travel through the bog was, unexpectedly, quiet.

Only Mustadio found the hour of self-study uninteresting, as his newly learned techniques involved lots of hacking and stabbing, something that required a target to be hacked and slashed; all of them found it surprisingly easy to learn under the squire. The two women felt slightly guilty that it seemed so simple with Ramza as their tutor; Agrias was their instructor as cadets, and she was a fine one, but the squire's lessons seemed smoother then the holy knight's. It usually took several days to master a technique that Agrias was teaching, some of the more complex ones took a week or more, while within the four nights of training with Ramza, all three had mastered quite a few techniques; Mustadio more than any.

The time spent sparring was incredibly valuable for the three, as they were pitted against the student who was not training with Ramza, and the squire kept the schedule fluctuating, so all three had faced the other at one point; this allowed different fighting styles to act with others, teaching Alicia how to counter a monk and cripple a knight, Lavian how to disable a knight and devastate a wizard, and Mustadio how to halt a wizard and sap a monk. While sparring, they used padded weapons, fists, or weakened spells, but this didn't mean that injuries were uncommon; quite the opposite, actually. No one ever suffered a critical wound, but each got used to going to bed with a new bruise or sprain. Anything that could not be healed by a good night's sleep was taken care of by Ramza, who used white magic to cure their aches.

The three also learned much about Ramza during this time; aside from his superb teaching skills and frighteningly devious tactical knowledge, when he told Agrias many weeks ago that he 'knew a bit of everything', he meant it. None knew that he spent time as a priest until he healed a moderate wound Lavian suffered at the hands of Alicia; after seeing the strength of the wizard's spells, the squire took time to cast a defensive spell commonly known as Shell, used to strengthen magical defenses, on whomever Alicia's opponent was. Aside from the white magic, they quickly realized that while he could do a bit of everything, it didn't mean he was great at it; while he certainly could inspire heroics from people, he himself seemed less unstoppable the more time spent training under him.

The first time it happened the campsite got still; it was Lavian's time training under the squire, and not all the time was spent on lecture and demonstration. Ramza would often spar with his student, so the two were throwing punches and kicks at the other, their gloves and legs padded, when, early in the match, Lavian found a weakness in the squire's defense. She threw a quick and powerful right hook, flooring the squire, who had to take a few moments to regain his orientation. He congratulated the monk, not seeing the surprised look she was giving him, until he raised his hand for help up; he didn't understand that this was the first time they had seen him beaten in a fight. After some stuttering, Lavian was able to express her surprise, with Ramza calmly stating, "No one is invulnerable; everyone gets defeated sometimes."

This changed the image that some had concerning the squire, and they all took more time to watch him, realizing that he was not the strongest, smartest, quickest; he wasn't the most accurate or nimble, he was not superhuman, just human. This was not to say that he was a pushover, either; Ramza was a master tactician, and the longer the duel lasted with him, the less of a chance his opponent had of winning. His ability to calculate everything and compile all options to him at lightning speed granted him an edge during long or complicated fights; this is what his true mastery was. Combined with his years of experience, he would still come out the victor more often than the yielder; the others were pretty evenly matched, none besting the others more, although none actually kept record of such a thing.

Aside from their growth of fighting capabilities, not much, outwardly, changed in the group; Lavian and Mustadio still flirted and sauntered for the other, their eyes bright when they huddled close to talk and share warmth. Their displays of affection didn't bother the other two, not really, although the two love birds enjoyed poking fun at one or both of the others; Ramza was happy that they were happy, and Alicia enjoyed the excuse to spend her time with the squire. It was no secret that she fancied the squire from the day they met, but as the days passed sitting or walking next to him, sometimes talking and sometimes just enjoying a comfortable silence, she found that her head no longer got foggy and muddled. When she realized this, she felt a brief moment of disappointment; she rather enjoyed the euphoric feeling she got around him. The regret was gone as quickly as it came, however. During these times she did get to know the squire better, although his past was still hidden from her, but she knew Ramza hid that part of him from everyone.

With her heart no longer racing as fast as it used to in his presence, Alicia was able to carry conversations with him, and the others, more confidently, and Ramza admired the young woman's newfound determination, going as far as to change his lesson plans with her, dividing the time between magic and strategy, realizing that Alicia had a sharp mind with good intuition. Alicia grasped concepts of battle quickly, thinking the change of material Ramza had introduced was to give her a greater challenge; while this was true, the squire saw the potential in the wizard to become a respectable officer, and he did not waste the chance to help cultivate her mind.

Alicia was not the only one he tried to teach leadership to; Mustadio was not a lost cause for the squire, and he tried to develop the mechanic's logical and analytical mind, but Mustadio was less enthusiastic then Alicia was. Still, Ramza was sure that if he had a big enough confidence boost, Mustadio could lead an army to victory in the field. The special attention from Ramza was not lost on Lavian; she had a clever mouth, and was no fool, but she couldn't grasp the complex theories of large scale battle. Lavian was quite content to be a soldier and not a commander, and she stated this casually to the squire; Ramza figured this was the case, so he didn't insult her decision by including her in lessons she would rather not have. Instead he told her of what to expect if she wished to be a samurai. They had long talks of the Bushido Code; after all, monkhood was just a stepping stone for her true goal.

As with all things in life, once Ramza had gotten comfortable and settled in the way things were, something happened to up heave the newly forged peace. It was the evening of their second week of travel; early in the day lady luck had blessed them, Mustadio's sharp eyes catching a small goat path through the swamp. It ran west, towards their destination, the mechanic speculating that it led to Melekure, a small port town that ran ferries to the Island of Goug, the city named after the land. The path wasn't wide and curved around the land, but it made travel much easier, the group not having to wade through the marsh; when they got ready to retire for the night, Mustadio's hypothesis held credibility, as they found an old campsite already cleared by travelers long ago, the fire pit in disrepair but usable, the ground flat and dry. Ramza, enchanted by the ancient campsite, let the three off easy, asking them just to set up the tents, the squire volunteering to gather wood for the night's fire.

Mustadio gave a sigh of relief, pleased that he didn't have to wade through mud and muck to find dry or mostly dry wood, and sat down to relax after he had helped set up the tents, a task taking only ten minutes or so. Ramza would likely be scavenging for a half hour or more to gather enough dry wood for the night's meal, so the two women followed Mustadio's lead, settling down onto one of the large rocks set there many years ago, after dusting the improvised seats off. There was little talk as they took advantage of the rest given; even at rest, they kept a good watch on the land, not wanting to be caught by surprise by any of the native monsters lurking in the bog. While the path was probably not used often, it was still in use, so with little surprise did Mustadio spot approaching figures down the path, heading east, on their way to Lionel.

There were four of them, all obscured by long cloaks clinging to their bodies, the hoods covering their faces; at first the engineer thought it might be a father with three older children, but as the figures got closer he realized that the three shorter people were not children, but adults. The massive size difference of the leading figure, over a foot taller than, and almost twice as wide as, the three accompanying him, forced the mechanic to regard them wearily. Hopefully they meant no harm, but if they did bring trouble, the giant was the most worrisome; Mustadio stood as they continued closer, the four pausing for a moment when they saw the campsite, the occupied campsite. There was a quick discussion among the travelers before the continued forward, heading right to the standing mechanic; Mustadio saw no threatening moves, nor felt any kind of malice, but he remained cautious, motioning for Lavian and Alicia to join him. The two women made no objection, the wizard squeaking softly at the sheer size of the giant as they got closer.

The air was tense as the four strangers stopped perhaps a few dozen paces away from the group, the giant moving a few steps closer, distinguishing himself as the leader, or diplomat, depending. With the cloak obscuring their faces, and the falling sun partially blinding him, Mustadio had difficulty distinguishing detailed features of the leader and his three followers; the giant was obviously male, hopefully human and not some half-breed, and one of the other three was probably female, her figure curved in the places a woman curved and her height was the shortest of them. The other two were too ambiguous, their hooded cloaks affectively hiding their faces and bodies. All three campers could hear the rattle and squeak of armor, the faint clashing of weapons, so they were armed, but none had drawn a weapon, or even reached for one, their gloved hands in easy sight for all.

As Mustadio studied the four, he was sure that the giant was apprising him and his friends; apparently the leader liked what he saw, or deemed them nonthreatening, for he, slowly, withdrew his hood, speaking softly, his voice very deep and rumbling, "May easy trail and good health find you this evening, friend." The mechanic recognized the greeting, one spoken as truce, used to form companionship between two men, or groups; Mustadio had expected the friendly words, but who spoke them caught the man off guard. With the hood removed, a grinning face was seen, but the man it belonged to was no Ivalician; a dark, cheerful, ebony face peered back at the group. This man hailed from Ordalia, Ivalice's eastern neighbor and, until a decade ago, fierce rival. The people of Ordalia looked different from those born in Ivalice, and some historians say the difference between the two peoples had kindled the wars between them; Ordalian's skin were of a darker tone, ranging from light to dark brown, sometimes almost black. Aside from the obvious color difference, Ordalian's had stronger jaws and fuller lips, standing taller than the average Ivalician man. The Ordalian standing before them was bigger than that, towering above the rest at six and a half feet; he was grinning widely, his face kind, the white of his teeth more pronounced against his dark face. His head was bald, a finely groomed, thick goatee highlighting his mouth.

So caught up in surprise, Mustadio almost forgot to reply, only doing so after Lavian had nudged the mechanic, "And may warm nights and hot food grace your path." Mustadio completed the ceremony, then, surprising himself, spoke again, "You're welcome to share our fire and food tonight, friends, if you'd so like." As he spoke, he gestured to the pit; following his own hand, and remembering that the fire was not yet lit, he gave an embarrassed smile, "Er, although we're still waiting for the fire part."

The giant chuckled, answering the smaller man, "I thank you for your kind offer, friend, but I'm afraid we're pushing forward; we would be grateful for a few moments of your time, though."

Mustadio blinked, hesitating, wondering when Ramza would return to the campsite, feeling uncomfortable at being the spokesperson, but neither Lavian nor Alicia made any attempt to answer, so Mustadio, shifted slightly, glancing quickly to the woods then back to the Ordalian, "Um, sure, how can we help you?"

There was a rumbling from the giant as he drew breath to speak, "Thank you; first, how are the traveling conditions eastward? Were there lots of monster activity?"

"No, it was strangely quiet since Lionel; we haven't been ambushed once by any creatures." Mustadio scratched his chin as he replied.

"Did you encounter any difficulty from Goug?" asked Alicia, jumping into the conversation.

The giant turned his gaze down to the young woman, who had to force herself not to take a step back, and smiled, "I wouldn't know, lass; we didn't come from Goug. We've been traveling south for the past few days until we came upon this trail."

Alicia was puzzled, "Then where did you come from?"

He was surprised by the question, "Originally? Gallione, I suppose, although we haven't been there in years." He paused once one of the figures behind him gave him a nudge, "But that's not important; we just have one more question, then we'll let you enjoy the rest of your evening." The Ordalian shifted, running his hand over his head, and asked, "We're looking for a lost… friend… of ours. We were hoping you've seen or heard of him."

Mustadio arched an eyebrow, "We've seen lots of people, um…" he paused, and gave a small grin, "I'm sorry, we never introduced ourselves." He held out a hand, "I'm Mustadio."

The giant gave a short, rumbling chuckle, "I should be the one apologizing, Mustadio; you can call me-"

There was a loud clattering sound behind them, "Ironhide?"

As one, everyone turned to the gasping, pale Ramza, who had returned from his chore, although the bounty of his hunt now laid strewn about, the squire dropping the armload of firewood in surprise. The squire looked as if he was staring at a ghost, a mixture of fear and surprise written on his face; the giant, Ironhide apparently, looked stunned, his eyes wide and unbelieving. There was a moment of silence, the campsite frozen in time, until one of the cloaked figures, the shortest, took a few, wavering steps forward, meekly calling out, her voice filled with disbelief, "R-Ramza?"

The squire responded to his name, turning his gaze to the woman who spoke; the moment she felt his eyes on her, the woman gave a cry, "Ramza!" rushing forward, her hood falling off her to reveal a head full of long, straw colored hair with large, tear filled green eyes. In less time than a champion sprinter, the woman had closed the distance between herself and the squire, launching her body onto the startled squire's chest, immediately bursting into tears once she had wrapped her arms around his neck. Ramza froze, hesitating for a moment, a the look of fear, surprise, and shame clear on his face; slowly, as if fearing the woman sobbing on him was an illusion, he reached his hands up to lightly grasp her face, turning her tear-streaked eyes to his, whispering, "Katie?"

Katie hiccupped and nodded, her face torn between joy, sorrow, and anger, as she removed one hand from Ramza's neck, the other grasping tighter, and using the free arm to lightly punch the squire, her voice broken, "Idiot! You… idiot! Do you know… long… years… searching…" her voice eventually died down as she began to sob once again, her tiny fist still hitting Ramza's arm, her face sinking once again to his shoulder.

"…Katie…" Ramza whispered, one of his arms moving to hug the weeping woman, the other lying limp as it took the frustration inflicted upon it; he swallowed a few times, trying to think of something to say, but his mind was blank. Catching movement from ahead, Ramza moved his gaze to one of the quickly approaching cloaked figures; a feeling of dread filled Ramza as he recognized the strut, the figure not stopping until less than a pace away from the squire. With a harsh tug, the figure removed the hood, revealing a familiar, angry face; Ramza's breath caught as he stared at the exotic, captivating, and furious woman standing before him. If Ramza's brain was working correctly, he would have noticed that he was not the only one enchanted by the beauty in front of him; all of his friends were spellbound.

Ramza was not a shallow man; he saw beauty in everything and everyone. Each of his friends, Agrias, Belle, Lavian, Alicia, Olivia were each beautiful in their own ways, but the woman standing in front of him was different; her beauty was exotic, otherworldly, divine. She was no native of Ivalice, or of Ordalia; she was from across the southern sea, from Valendia, where the sun burned bright, deepening the native's skin a golden, reddish color. With long, smooth, shining raven black hair and almond shaped eyes, an enchanting violet in hue, her beauty was beyond primal urges of exoticness and lust; her beauty was absolute, catching the gaze and admiration of all. Her face was a perfect oval, an elegant nose rested above her refined lips, which were currently pressed thin with anger, mimicking the fury within her violet eyes; for a few moments her gaze bore into the squire's rusty red orbs before it happened. Quicker than a viper's strike, her hand shot up, connecting with the stunned squire's cheek, a loud and painful clap echoing in the evening air. Ramza staggered from the blow, taking a step back to keep his balance, his cheek an angry red from the slap, his eyes wide with surprise; before he could utter a word, the woman spoke, her voice angelic, "You have shamed me, estimada! Do not dishonor yourself again, or suffer my wrath tenfold!"

Just as sudden as her strike was, her anger dissolved, her face relaxing, her eyes cooling; Ramza, still unable to get a word in edgewise, could only blink as she leaned forward, pressing her body to his, one of her hands latching onto his free arm, the other curling around his neck, grasping his hair, holding him still. Lips blossoming, she placed kisses on his burning cheek, soothing away the ache she inflicted, muttering, "How I have missed you, amant…" She either did not notice or did not care about the surprised, amazed, and slightly hostile looks she got from his friends.

Ramza, able to shake of his stupor, was now quickly becoming overwhelmed; as much as he wanted to comfort Katie, and as much as he couldn't deny the warmth of the Valendian, he couldn't bare the confused, and hurt, looks he was getting from his friends. He gently pried off the Valendian first, telling her softly, "Not now Tatiana, we have much to speak about," before moving the mournful Katie into the Valendian's arms, taking a few steps back from the two women. A few moments of silence filled the air as Ramza gazed at the two, his face betraying his fear and guilt. The Valendian, Tatiana, kept her cool eyes trained on the squire, a hurt expression obvious on her face; Ramza, unable to hold the gaze, turned to Ironhide, who had remained where he stood, his face stoic, and his dark eyes watching Ramza wearily.

"You're not going to hit me too, are you?" the squire asked, his voice miserable.

"No… not yet, at least," the giant replied, a small smile slowly curling his lips, "and don't expect me to kiss it better if I do, lad."

The squire gave a light grin, releaved at the man's casual banter; if Ironhide cracked a joke, he wasn't angry. He knew these four, knew them for a long time, and had known that Katie and Tatiana would forgive him, even if the squire did not deserve the forgiveness, but Ironhide was an unknown; the fact that Ironhide would grant the squire a chance for explanation and redemption meant a lot. This still left one person, and Ramza had a good feeling of how the remaining cloaked figure felt; he hesitated for a moment, casting a quick glace to Tatiana and Katie, the former nodding her head slowly, a small frown on her face, before taking a few steps forward, calling softly, "Fletch?"

The figure stiffened at the call, not acknowledging the squire for a few moments before turning to him, pulling down her hood slowly; Fletch's gaze also stole Ramza's breath, but not because of her beauty, although the woman was certainly pleasant to gaze at. No, it was the burning hatred in Fletch's eyes that halted Ramza, digging a wound deeper than any he had received before; her face was cold and grim, her posture stiff and hostile. She didn't reply to his call, breaking her gaze after only a few moments, turning her head to look elsewhere, anywhere but the squire, an object more foul then the swamp she was in. Self loathing rose like bile in the squire's throat; he expected Fletch's anger, but it still hurt, and he never thought it would be so potent.

All of his old companions were watching the two, Katie having composed herself, her eyes red but her emotions calm; his new companions were also watching them, all but Mustadio that is, whose gaze still lingered on Tatiana. Finally, the silence and tension got to be too much, and Lavian took a step forward, voicing the question on all her friends' lips, "Could someone please explain what the hell's going on here?"

Ramza started, turning to the three, and tried to calm his face, although the three could tell he wasn't as calm as he tried to look; after a few breaths to control his voice, he answered them, "Yes… yes, I apologize Lavian, Alicia, Musadio," he nodded to all of them, his eyes still haunted, "These are old… friends of mine, comrades from my cadet days." He fell silent for a moment, hesitating, "They're the ones who I-"

"Abandoned!" snarled Fletch, startling everyone, even Ironhide, who had been keeping an eye on the woman, "Abandoned and left for dead! Fucking tossed aside like trash," she continued, taking a few aggressive steps forward, causing even more surprise to her friends, as she was normally docile. Ironhide even took a few steps sideways, preparing to grab the girl if she lunged at the squire. "Common piles of shit we were, after all your talk of friendship and respect," her voice rose, as years of pent up emotions rushed out, "They loved you, Ramza! They loved their captain; we all loved our captain, and you sent them to their deaths! Traitor!" Fletch was screaming now, tears of rage pouring down her face, Ironhide holding her, partially to restrain her and partially to comfort the distressed woman, "You killed him! You killed my Selig! Murderer! It should have been you! It should have been you!"

Her voice gave out as she silently wept, her eyes open, glaring at the squire, her hands clutching Ironhide's bare arm, digging into his flesh, drawing blood; long moments passed in silence, most overcome by Fletch's words. Ramza's eyes burned as he stared back at her, her words tearing into his soul; he swallowed heavily, clearing his voice, before he spoke, softly and clearly, "Yes, Fletch, I did abandon you."

There were mixed reactions from his admittance; Ironhide only arched an eyebrow to show his surprise, where Fletch dug into the giant's arm deeper, gritting her teeth. Tatiana and Katie gave small gasps at his words, surprised by his show of guilt. Ramza wet his lips, asking, "Can we… talk? I have more words for you, and am sure you have your fair share to tell me." Ironhide nodded, speaking for the four, and escorted Fletch to the fire pit, taking a seat beside the woman. Ramza watched the two, and suddenly felt another stab of guilt; he could see it, it wasn't there before, but he could see the look in Ironhide's eyes as he tended to Fletch. The giant's caring gaze was not reflected in the eyes of Fletch, however; the loss of her lover, by fault of Ramza, damaged that part of her, the part that could care and love. It was just another of the long list of sins Ramza had caused, possibly ruining his large friend's chance for happiness.

He gave a small sigh, and turned to his friends, who were casting their gazes between the squire and his old companions, asking, "Could we have some privacy? I don't…" He didn't want them to hear their words, learn his secrets, know his shames, "…I just… This is something I need to do alone."

The three remained silent for a moment longer, Lavian and Mustadio exchanging glances, both picking up on the word 'captain' during Fletch's outburst, realizing that this bit of information did not fit into the squire's story he told long ago; unsure if it was more of a request or order, the both started to nod, but a single word halted their agreement.

"No," Alicia stated firmly, staring resolutely at the squire, her face flush from the sudden burst of emotion from Ramza's old friends; she, too, had caught the discrepancy in Ramza's story, and wondered what else the squire was hiding, but realized it didn't matter to her. "I'm staying with you, Ramza. Not because I don't respect your privacy, or because I mean to pry into your past, but because you're my friend; we're your friends." She took a few steps closer to him, lowering her voice slightly, "Whatever happened in your past is just that: the past. I don't care about it; I don't care about who you were then, because I know who you are now. That's all that matters to me, and I know facing these people will be hard for you," the wizard reached out and grasped his hand, "and, no matter how stubborn you are, you need us to be with you, to know that we're there for you."

Ramza remained silent for a moment, hesitating; Alicia was right, there was part of him, a significant part, that wanted them by his side as reassurance. Their friendship meant a lot to him, just as much as his friendship with his old companions; but they would find out the truth about him. Not about his actions on that day, they already knew that, but of who and what he was two years ago. After only a few breaths of internal debate, Ramza realized that, for better or worse, they should know his secret. He nodded to the wizard, a sad smile on his lips, and softly asked Mustadio to start the fire, the squire taking a seat on one of the old rocks across from his old friends. The campsite was still as the mechanic moved around, gathering the dropped firewood and stacking it in the pit; in short time, a pleasant fire warded off the nights chill. Done with his work, Mustadio took as seat next to Lavian, all waiting for Ramza to speak; he remained silent for a few seconds, watching the fire, the light dancing on his face, before he spoke. His words were simple, his voice heavy, "I'm sorry."

Silence hung over the group as Ramza turned his gaze to his friends across from him; Fletch, bristling at his brief words, snorted at the squire, her gaze angry, and Ramza could not hold it. Turning to Ironhide, he spoke again, "I have many things to be sorry for… so many things…" another pause, then, "and there are no words I can speak to express my regret. I wronged you, terribly, and I could spend a hundred lifetimes trying to apologize for my mistakes, and those lifetimes would be unable to carry the weight of my words."

Ramza sighed, running his hand through his hair, watching the giant man, "I understand your feelings of betrayal," his gaze flicked to Fletch before resting on Ironhide again, "your feelings of hate. These I understand, because they are what I deserve. I did betray you; I turned my back on you when you needed me the most and I will never be able to atone for that sin. I failed you as a leader and a friend, and have carried that weight with me every day. I made a grave, terrible mistake." There were a few moments of silence as Ramza wiped his face before facing Fletch once again, this time withstanding her fierce gaze, "A mistake that cost the lives of two of my close friends; God, Fletch, don't you think I wish it was me? I'd give anything to have Selig back by my side; he was my friend, Fletch, and I miss him terribly. I know he was more to you," the squire's eyes moved to the woman's clenched hands, resting on a thin, golden band wrapped around her finger, "and I know I robbed you of someone special."

As the squire spoke, Ironhide's face softened, seeing genuine regret etched in his old leader's face; Fletch was not so moved, at least by outward appearances, as her face remained cold. Tatiana, always looking elegant and regal, even if her eyes were itching and puffy, accepted his words, having already forgiven Ramza. Katie, who had always been the most emotional of the group, had started to weep again, but they were soft tears, the woman overcome by the past few hours; so it was rather surprising that her breath caught when the squire, after a moment of silence, turned his gaze to her, his eyes boring into hers. The powerful feeling of sorrow and regret staggered the woman as he spoke to her, his voice broken, "I understand the hatred, but, by God, I don't understand you."

Katie's eyes blurred as Ramza slipped of his seat, kneeling in front of the small woman, "Why? Why don't you hate me, Katie? How can you look at me with sorrow and joy? I killed your brother! I killed your family! How can you forgive me?"

Katie choked back a sob before grasping the squire with wavering hands, pulling him up and embracing him; Bernard, the brave knight who had perished that day, was her brother, her twin, and with him gone, she was the last of her bloodline. Most of her family had been killed by the plague that struck when she was eight; she, her mother, and her brother were the only survivors from their town. With the death of her mother five years ago, Katie and Bernard were the only surviving members of their family tree. When they had joined the Gariland Military Academy, they were outsiders in the prestigious school. It was Ramza who had befriended them and took them under his wing, using all his influence to keep the two siblings together during their training and beyond. The three shared a close bond, as close, or even closer, then the one Ramza had forged with Delita; the squire was the brother that they had never had. Ramza was family, and with the squire's words, Katie's heart ached, for she had never told him.

Clutching the squire tight, Katie whispered to the broken man, "You're wrong Ramza, you did not kill my family; you're my family! The second brother I lost that day, lost until I found you today." She had to stop for a moment, burying her head into his shoulder and neck, trying to control her voice, "I miss Bernard so much… part of me went missing… but part of me returned, Ramza. I found my family again, and I thank God that we found you." For a few minutes no one spoke, Katie comforting Ramza as he silently wept in her arms, overwhelmed by her words; with his regret drained, and his emotions calmed, Ramza withdrew from her embrace, smiling warmly at the small woman, planning a light kiss on one of her cheeks, whispering his thanks.

He stood, facing his old friends, his face smooth, and addressed Ironhide, "I've spoken my peace about the past. But I am curious; what brings you so far south?"

Ironhide shifted, watching his friends around him; they had all agreed about it before, but he wanted to make sure that their minds had not changed. Tatiana and Katie nodded, the small woman smiling; Fletch, who had not moved her gaze from the squire, hesitated a moment when she felt the giant's eye on her. Finally, her face softened, if only slightly, the hate cooling within her brown orbs, and she moved her head slightly; honestly, she didn't agree with the choice, but she refused to leave her friends, and stated she would honor their choice. The large man turned back to Ramza, giving the squire a grin, his voice rumbling in the air, "We've spent many nights deciding what to do after you left, Squire. We wondered, lost, for weeks, dazed by the death of our brethren and loss of our leader." He paused, watching Ramza, who stood resolutely in front of the four, his chin high, and his eyes bright, "We disobeyed orders, and our unit was dissolved from the Hokuten army; by grace of your brother were we spared from death. But above all, each of us swore an oath to you, an oath that we hold sacred."

Ironhide stood, the three women following suit, "There is nothing left for us beside the oath; beside you. Long ago did we decide this action, to search for you, to hear your words, to grant forgiveness, if you are worthy of it." The giant took a few steps forward, resting his large hand on Ramza's shoulder, "You're my friend, Ramza, my Bladebrother, my commander, and we need you, just as you need us." Releasing the squire, Ironhide knelt, Tatiana, Katie, and, after a moment of hesitation, Fletch kneeling with the giant, "By steel and blood, magic and might, we are yours to command, Captain Ramza Beoulve."

Silence hung in the air for a few moments, then a collective gasp from the three behind the squire; all three had heard of the Beoulves, the family name as familiar as the Atkaschas. The Beoulves are one of the most influential and powerful families in the entire kingdom, their ancestors even holding the crown for a few generations long ago; and Ramza was one of them, was of high noble blood.

The squire winced at his birth name, and knew he had to speak with his friends, but first he had his old companions to deal with; with a slight smile, he spoke to the four, "I'm no Captain anymore," reaching down, he pulled Ironhide up, "but with a warm heart do I welcome you. I would be honored to have you travel with me once again."

The giant grinned, clasping Ramza's forearm while the squire grasped his, the action feeling right, as if the world was in alignment once again. He offered his hand to each of the women, and once they had all stood he spoke to them, quietly, but firmly, "I won't fail you again."

With his own oath sworn, he turned to the amazed looks of his friends, giving them a bashful smile; Lavian beat her friends to the punch, asking with an outrageous voice, "You're a Beoulve?"

Ramza nodded, his face serious, "Yes, but I renounced that name long ago."

"Why?" asked Alicia, her curiosity overcoming the hurt she felt that Ramza had not trusted them with this secret.

"The Beoulves no longer hold the ideals of our ancestors. We have played in politics for too long, corrupting our morals. I would have no part in it." He answered quietly.

"…Why didn't you tell us?" was the wizard's next question.

Ramza was silent for a few moments, "My name shames me; I did not wish to be judged by my bloodline, but by whom I am. Ramza Beoulve is an arrogant aristocrat with an inflated ego; Ramza Lugria is a cold hearted mercenary, lackey of Gafgarion. Both are dead. I am only Ramza."