You say you feel a chill in the season
Like something is falling apart
You say you can't hold it together much longer
And I should look after your heart

But I feel a change coming on
Rolling out of the blue like a storm
And it's bending your will like a willow tree twisting
Trying to regain its form

Change
Poets of the Fall

xXxXxXx

Orange and purple hues shot across the sky as the sun slowly slid below the horizon. The air was fresh with the scent of apple blossoms and dandelions as Lenalee and her partner headed into town. Spring had finally taken hold, bringing with it a much needed reprieve from winter's icy grip. Even so, the air was still cold enough to make her bare fingers ache. They had been traveling all day by horseback, and her knuckles were pink from the cold.

Next to her, Lenalee's redheaded companion sighed, pushing back his headband and scratching the sweaty skin underneath it. "Leeena, can't we stop? I'm exhausted."

"We're almost to the inn, Lavi," Lenalee assured him, unperturbed by his high-pitched whining.

"We've been riding all day long. I think I lost feeling in my ass around noon." Lavi shifted in the saddle, grunting and twisting, as if that would make his posterior less sore.

"Don't be a child," Lenalee warned, not bothering to look over at him. Instead, she focused on finding the inn. They had to settle in before dark. They had a job to do, and it couldn't wait another night.

The town of Alabaster was a quaint village in the country of Thalios. Under normal circumstances, Lenalee would've loved to be there. The market square was full of wares, the houses and shops were properly maintained, and the people she passed on her way through town were polite and friendly enough. However, she and Lavi weren't there for pleasure.

They reached the inn just as dusk settled across the land. Lavi jumped off his horse the second the animal's hooves stopped moving. "Oh, Gods… I'll never be able to sit again."

Lenalee rolled her eyes, pushing her long, black hair over her shoulder. She had it tied back in a thick braid for traveling, not wanting to deal with the hassle of taking care of it while she was on the road. They grabbed their bags off the saddles, then paid the stable boy a few coppers to tend to their mounts.

Lavi pushed open the inn door, holding it for Lenalee and bowing in her direction, as if she were royalty.

Lenalee nudged him with her elbow as she passed, used to his antics by now. After three years of working together, nothing he did surprised her anymore. Taking charge, Lenalee walked to the front desk. "We need two rooms for the night."

The innkeeper looked up, surprised at first. He then noticed the black cloaks with matching insignia Lenalee and Lavi both wore. His eyes widened. "Are you two from the Black Order?"

"Indeed we are," Lavi piped up, shouldering his bag. He leaned against the counter, a smug look on his face. "And since we're here to solve your town's little problem, you wouldn't mind finding us some rooms, right?"

"Of course," the innkeeper said, his round face red with embarrassment. He searched under the counter for some keys. "I have two rooms that would be perfect. They're both up the stairs and to your left. Can't miss 'em. Rooms five and six."

Lenalee smiled and took the keys. "Thank you." As they walked towards the stairs, bags in hand, she handed her partner a key. "There's no need to be rude, you know."

"Hey, I want this stupid job done and over with as soon as humanly possible. I don't have time to talk shop with the locals." Lavi's lips curled into an exasperated frown as they trudged up the stairs. While Lavi's patience was all but used up, Lenalee managed to retain some of hers.

"We have a little time before nightfall," she said, hoping to cool the redhead's nerves. "Why don't we get something to eat at one of the taverns before we go out on patrol?"

Lavi stopped in front of room number five and dropped his bag unceremoniously on the floor. "I've got a better idea. How about we go to the tavern, and just stay there all night."

"You know we have to go out tonight."

"But we just got here!"

"Suck it up, princess. This ain't a vacation. We're here to work. And the sooner we get everything resolved, the sooner we can go home. Didn't you just say you wanted to get this job done so we can go home?" Lenalee walked past her partner and towards her room. "You get ten minutes, then we're going out."

Lavi tapped his forehead against the door and sighed loudly. "Yes, ma'am," he replied before opening it and disappearing into his room.

Lenalee grinned as she unlocked her room. Lavi wasn't normally such a pain, but their trip had been long and rough, more so than usual. She didn't blame him for wanting a break before they got to business. However, they couldn't afford to wait.

Room number six was simple. There was a narrow bed, a nightstand, and a small table with two chairs and a large basin. Even if the accommodations were modest, the sheets were clean and the room smelled fresh, not stale like some unkempt inns. She tossed her bag on the table, then flopped onto the mattress. She let out a long, deep sigh. Her muscles ached and her eyes burned with fatigue. She almost regretted being so harsh on Lavi. A good night's sleep would have been wonderful.

Oh, well.

Lenalee allowed herself a few minutes of peace before pushing off the bed and scrubbing her hands over her face. If she didn't retrieve him, he would hide in his room and sleep the night away. She rolled her shoulders, hoping to loosen the tense muscles and then headed out.

Lenalee pocketed her key after locking the door, then walked over to Lavi's room. She didn't even bother to knock — just opened the door and walked right in. As she suspected, her partner was asleep on the bed. It had only been five minutes, ten at the most. She envied Lavi's ability to fall asleep at a moment's notice, in practically any situation.

"Let's go, Lavi. We'll get something to eat, then we'll head out on patrol."

He swatted at the air, his single green eye still closed. "Five more minutes."

Lenalee raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. In no mood to deal with his antics, she grabbed Lavi's arm and yanked him off the bed.

Lavi crumpled onto the ground, arms and legs tangled in the bed sheet. When he finally found his bearings, he glared up at the dark haired woman. "Not nice, Lena."

"No. I'm not. Now let's go eat. I'm starving." She turned her heels and walked out the door, leaving Lavi to catch up with her.

xXxXxXx

Night had fallen, and the townspeople had completely deserted the streets. Lenalee felt as if she'd entered a ghost town. The friendly faces from earlier that day hid in their homes, scared of what lurked in the darkness. The venison stew she and Lavi had procured for dinner wasn't sitting well in her gut. Her stomach churned angrily and she felt as if she would lose her dinner at any moment. Even so, Lenalee held her head high. The only giveaway to her condition was the light sheen of cold sweat on her forehead.

Now was not the time for weakness.

"The report said that the chimera was attacking just after dark," Lavi said, his voice low as he scanned the streets, not letting a single corner go unobserved. "But there's nothing out here but us. We've circled the town four times already. Can't we call it quits?"

Lenalee looked down a darkened alley, hearing a noise. All she saw was a stray cat hunting rats. She sighed, her arm resting against her stomach, and continued on. "One more round. I can't believe they'd call us all the way down here for nothing, especially with the townspeople so scared."

Lavi laughed and rested his weapon — a long metal hammer, against his shoulder. "Maybe we scared them away?"

Lenalee shook her head and managed a grin. "As if we'd ever be so lucky."

They turned a corner and headed to the main square of the town. Everything was still desolate. Lenalee sighed, closing her eyes for a brief moment. If they were here under false information, she was going to personally strangle the informant who led them on a fruitless mission. She hadn't wanted to go on this assignment in the first place, but she and Lavi were the only ones left at the Order. They had no choice — everyone else was either busy, injured, or out on a mission.

Lavi turned his attention back to Lenalee as they paused in the town square. He clapped his hand on her shoulder and grinned. "Hey, let's look on the bright side. If there aren't any monsters to fight, that means we can go back to the inn and drink."

Lenalee chuckled. "I thought you wanted to sleep?"

"Sleep. Drink. Same difference," Lavi replied with a shrug. "Either way, I want to be unconscious before long."

"You're hopeless," Lenalee teased, waving her hand as if to brush off his comment.

Lavi was about to reply with a witty comment, but a loud crash and the sound of someone cursing interrupted his response. Their attention went to the source of the sound, backs stiff and ready for a fight. Lavi gripped his hammer with both hands while Lenalee took a fighting stance.

Instead of a deadly chimera emerging from the shadows, they found a skinny young man tripping over a box of rotten produce. His forward momentum left him stumbling to catch his footing, and before he could manage it, he slammed right into the redhead, knocking them both over.

Lenalee's eyes widened. "Lavi! Are you all right?"

"Fucking hell," was all the response Lenalee got from her partner.

The stumbling stranger mumbled apologies as he scrambled off of Lavi. "Ah, crap! Sorry! Sorry!" They were tangled in each other's limbs, but after a moment, the stranger got up and helped Lavi back to his feet.

"Watch where you're going, shortstack," Lavi grumbled dusting off his cloak and grabbing his dropped hammer from the ground.

"Are you all right, sir?" Lenalee asked the stranger, finally getting a decent look at him. He looked no older than she was, maybe younger, and he was shorter than both herself and Lavi. It was hard to see his face in the dark, with nothing but the faint light of a waning moon, but she couldn't help but notice his hair. Perhaps her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she was certain it was whiter than snow.

"Yes," the stranger said adjusting his shirt. He looked nervous, and fidgeted, turning around to look back down the alley. "Yes, I'm fine," he repeated, not looking at either Lenalee nor Lavi as he spoke. "Don't mind me. Sorry to cause you trouble. Please, be on your merry way. I won't hold you up."

Lenalee and Lavi exchanged glances behind the stranger's back.

"Um, sir?"

"Allen."

"Allen," Lenalee clarified, feeling uneasy about the confrontation. "Is something the matter?"

The stranger, or rather Allen, froze for a moment, then turned to face the two. A cheerfully fake smile on his face. "Absolutely not. I would just prefer it if you both left right this moment. Trust me when I say you won't want to be here when it catches up with me."

This caught Lavi's attention. "It?"

As if in response, an unearthly wail echoed through the still night air, leaving the hairs on the back of Lavi's neck standing at attention.

"Well, there goes that amazing plan. Sorry for you two getting involved. Here's hoping we all make it out alive," Allen replied with a whimsical air to his voice that was so out of place in their situation, it was nearly comical.

Before Lavi or Lenalee could ask any more questions, a shadow swooped over them, blocking out the moon for a split second. They both seized up, realizing their mistake just before the beast attacked. Their patrol had been so uneventful that when the stranger showed up, they completely forgot they had a job to accomplish.

The monster was immense; nearly the size of a draft horse. That was where the similarities ended. The beast had four legs, each with hooved feet, and flew with the power of two enormous wings. It screeched again as it circled the square, sharpened teeth glistening in the moonlight. It looked like a flying lizard, but the wings were feathered like an eagle's, and the tail was merely a stub.

Ignoring Allen and his odd ramblings for the moment, Lenalee and Lavi jumped into gear. Each warrior activated their weapons. Lenalee kicked her boots to the stone walkway, the heels glowing bright with magical energy. As she ran a circle around the flying monster's path, Lavi gripped his metal hammer with both hands, feet planted firmly on the ground.

"Just one? And I thought this was going to be a challenge," the redhead taunted, his hammer growing five times the size in an instant. As the monster changed direction to attack him, Lavi shifted his feet to strengthen his stance. When the beast drew near, Lavi swung his hammer, whacking it with a sickening crack to the side of its head.

The chimera screamed in pain, fumbling mid-air. It flapped its wings, avoiding the reach of Lavi's hammer and attempting to regain its bearings.

They refused to give the monster a reprieve. Lenalee used her boots to jump into the air, defying gravity as she soared above the town square. She shot high, surpassing the monster's altitude, then shifted her weight to launch back down towards the beast. Aiming her right heel, she flew through the air and landed on the monster's back. It howled, then twisted its muscled neck behind in an attempt to bite her. Lenalee propelled herself off the beast before its teeth could find purchase, landing once more on the cobblestone square.

"This is a strong one, Lavi. No more holding back," she called to her partner, her hands squeezed into tight fists as a determined look crossed her face.

Lavi adjusted his grip on his hammer, staring up at the circling monster. "You got it, Lena," he replied. Lavi took a step, readying for an attack, but felt a hand on his shoulder. When he looked back, Allen was there.

"I didn't realize you were Dragon Hunters," Allen said, his voice calm, as if there weren't a giant chimera currently attacking them. "But this one's mine. I'll take care of it."

"You?" Lavi asked, his voice a mix of confusion and anger. "Hey, this is our assignment. You don't even know what you're dealing with, beansprout. Let the professionals take care of it."

Allen smiled, unaffected by Lavi's rough words. He said nothing, and walked into the middle of the square, making himself an easy target for the chimera above. The monster spotted him, swooping down to attack.

Lavi noticed the change in the chimera's flight path. He reached out to grab Allen but he was too far away by then. "You're gonna get yourself killed!" he shouted.

Allen ignored the redhead, his gaze focusing upwards towards the monster. His left arm stretched out, fingers twitching.

"Shit," Lavi growled. He tightened his grip on his hammer and ran towards Allen, hoping to grab him or block the monster's attack. However, before he could even take two steps, a bright light emitted from Allen's left side. Lavi stopped in his tracks, raising a hand to block the light from his eyes.

When the brightness faded and he could finally see again, Lavi looked back at Allen and gasped. The younger boy's arm had transformed into a giant, black claw, and a white cape unfurled from behind him. There was no breeze, yet it moved as if it had a mind of its own. Lavi stood back in shock.

Allen's focus was solely on the chimera. He stretched out his transformed arm and flexed the long, knife-like fingers. With narrowed eyes, he watched the monster as its deformed body twisted against the inky black of the sky. The chimera closed in, launching itself at Allen, ready to devour him with its gaping maw.

Jumping into the air, Allen dodged, and the beast's own momentum sent it crashing into the hard cobblestones. He landed gracefully on the monster's back. While the beast was stunned after hitting the hard stone ground, Allen's clawed hand stretched around the chimera's neck. In one swipe, the young boy ripped the monster's head clean off its body. The head fell to the ground with a squishy thump. Just before the slain chimera corpse turned to ash, Allen jumped back to the cobblestone street. He dusted off his jacket and adjusted it, as if nothing had happened.

Lenalee joined Lavi in staring at the stranger, dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed. Lenalee was the first to break the silence, deactivating her boots as she walked up to Allen.

"You're a Dragon Hunter?" she asked, her dark eyes wide as she stopped just in front of him.

"Ah, in a way," Allen replied, scratching his cheek as he looked at his two confused companions. His arm reverted back to its original form and the cape disappeared.

Lavi holstered his hammer, eyeing the other teen. He walked up behind Lenalee, arms crossed over his chest. "What does that mean?" he asked. "You clearly have an anti-dragon weapon. How are you not a Dragon Hunter?"

"And you have a parasitic-type weapon!" Lenalee added in, her mood more excited than Lavi's. "Those are rare! We only have two others in the Order who fight with such weapons."

Allen chuckled nervously, overwhelmed by the attention. "It's a bit of long story. Perhaps we should take this conversation indoors? I'm actually pretty hungry…"

Lenalee and Lavi exchanged glances, before Lenalee spoke up. "Follow us, then."

xXxXxXx

Back at the inn, Lavi watched as Allen plowed through another bowl of steaming hot stew. In the lit room, he and Lenalee could better see the strange teen who had assisted them in dispatching their chimera assignment. As Lenalee had noticed in the town square, Allen's hair was stark white, as if the color had been drained right from the roots. His eyes were the same silver color as his hair, and across his left eye was an odd red scar. They made their introductions over a late dinner in Lavi's room, and Allen was the last to finish.

"You've got quite the appetite, Allen," Lenalee commented as she sat on the bed.

They were waiting for their new companion to finish his meal so they could discuss what exactly had happened not an hour ago.

"Yes, it can be a problem at times." Allen finished up his third bowl of stew and sighed contently, setting his empty bowl down on the small table. "That really hit the spot. Thank you, Lenalee."

"My pleasure," Lenalee replied. "Buying you dinner is the least we can do to repay you for helping us."

Lavi stood near the edge of the bed, his eyebrows furrowed. "Are you ready to tell us what you're doing here?" he interrupted, tired of the small talk. He caught a stern look from Lenalee, probably in response to his blunt comment, but chose to ignore it.

Allen seemed unperturbed. "Yes. I'm sorry for making you both wait so long." He cleared his throat and leaned back in the chair.

"My name is Allen Walker. As you've noticed I have a parasitic-type weapon in my left arm. I'm on my way to the Black Order to register as a Dragon Hunter."

"All by yourself?" Lenalee asked. "It's not safe to travel alone — especially so far. Bandits have been reported on the outskirts of towns and in the forests, not to mention the possibility of running into chimera or even dragons. The Black Order is at least a week's journey by horse, and traveling alone is guaranteed to get you hurt, robbed, or killed."

Allen sighed. "Yes, I'm aware. But I didn't have much of a choice. My Master ditched me nearly two weeks ago. I've already been through a few towns since then. He gave me a letter of introduction to give to the head of the Black Order."

"Letter?" Lavi asked. "Do you mind if we look at it?"

Shrugging, Allen pulled the carefully folded paper from a pocket in the breast of his jacket and handed the paper to Lavi.

Lavi scanned the paper and his green eye went wide. He looked back at Allen, shock clear on his face. "Your Master is General Cross?" The redhead checked the letter over and over, but could find no signs of a forgery. The letter was signed by Cross Marian, and it even had his seal next to the signature. If it was a forgery, it was a damn good one.

Lenalee's gaze shot right to the redhead. "What?" she asked, jumping to her feet. She peered at the letter as well, then gasped. "But… It's been assumed that General Cross is dead. No one's heard from him for nearly four years."

"He's very much alive," Allen replied, his expression turning sour. "He found me five years ago and decided to train me as a Hunter. Not exactly a fun time. He's… a bit of pain to deal with."

Lavi laughed, for what seemed like the first time that night. "Yeah, that's what I heard. He's our worst general."

"My brother will be surprised," Lenalee said, sitting back down on the mattress. "And probably mad that the General hasn't contacted him in all this time."

"Anyway, if you both don't mind, I would like to accompany you on your return trip." Allen looked at them, expectantly.

"Of course," Lenalee replied, smiling. "We'll be heading back tomorrow, now that our assignment is complete."

Lavi sized up their new traveling companion, and soon to be comrade. If everything Allen told them was true, then he'd been suspicious for no reason. Still, it was better to be on the safe side. Allen looked to be innocent enough, and Lavi was rarely wrong about such things. Even though Allen had been mentored by General Cross, he didn't seem to have any of Cross' bad traits.

Shaking his head free of worries for the moment, Lavi whined to Lenalee as he handed Allen back Cross' letter. "Aw, Lena. We have to get back on the road tomorrow? But we haven't even been here for one night!"

"I want to get back home as soon as possible. And now that we have Allen with us, it's even more important to get on the road. We can leave a bit later in the morning, but we're not waiting an entire day." Lenalee brushed her dark hair back, standing up and walking towards the door. "I'm going to get some sleep. I'll see you both in the morning."

Lavi sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. "Are you not even going to pretend to consider staying an extra day?"

"Nope. Goodnight, boys," Lenalee called back as she exited the room, closing the door behind her.

Once Lenalee left the room, Lavi looked back at Allen. "She's tough, but you'll get used to her."

Allen laughed, shaking his head. "She seems fun, actually." He stood up then, stifling a yawn. "Well, I should get to my room. If we're leaving in the morning, I'll need as much sleep as I can get."

"Same here," Lavi agreed, remembering how late it was.

Allen crossed the short distance between the table and Lavi's bed. He smiled politely up at the redhead. "I look forward to getting to know you and Miss Lenalee. I hope I won't cause too much of an inconvenience traveling with you."

Lavi smirked. "If your fighting skills from tonight's battle were any indication, I'm sure you'll be able to hold your own."

Allen nodded and walked towards the door. "I'll see you in the morning, then?"

"Bright and early, if Lenalee has anything to say about it."

Allen chuckled and waved his hand as he left, closing the door behind him.

Finally alone, Lavi flopped back on the mattress with a loud, exaggerated sigh. He kicked off his boots and pulled at the blankets on his bed, not even bothering to change out of his clothes.

Morning would come soon enough — no point in wasting precious sleeping time. As soon as his head hit the pillow, Lavi's breathing evened out and he quietly fell into a deep sleep.

xXxXxXx

The morning sun's rays beamed in through the windows of the inn as Lenalee ate her breakfast in the main dining area. A few other travelers were grabbing a quick bite to eat before heading on the road, much like the Dragon Hunter herself, but unlike them, she was taking her time. She knew Lavi would be hard to rouse at the early hour and she didn't want to be too mean to her friend. He had been right last night. They should stay an extra night to get rest, but Lenalee was too on edge to hang around town any longer than necessary.

She wanted to go home. Something felt off and she didn't want to be on the road any longer.

Lenalee had felt it during their journey to Alabaster. A queasy feeling in her stomach made her nervous. Perhaps it was woman's intuition, or maybe just the food they had managed to scrounge up on the trip that was irritating her stomach. Either way, she didn't feel right and all she wanted was to get home and see her loved ones.

Sipping a mug of piping hot coffee, her dark eyes scanned the dining room again. When she caught sight of a familiar face, she pulled the cup away from her lips. "I didn't expect to see you up so early."

Allen looked tired, his hair not quite tamed from sleep. Still, he offered her a smile nevertheless. "I couldn't help myself. I think I'm excited to get on the road."

"You and me both," Lenalee admitted, waving over the barmaid to their table. As the woman stopped at their table, Lenalee turned to Allen. "You should try the sausage and egg bake. It's pretty good — and filling."

Allen turned to the barmaid. "I'll have that, and a cup of tea if you have it."

The barmaid nodded and hurried off to the kitchen to retrieve the order.

"Sleep well?" she asked her new comrade before drinking down another satisfying mouthful of coffee. Lenalee knew she would need the boost in energy if she was going to make it through the day's journey.

"As well as can be expected," Allen answered. "Between the fight with the chimera and today's trip, my mind took a while to quiet down enough to sleep." Breakfast was placed in front of him, quicker than he expected. Allen thanked the barmaid before she hurried off to the next table.

"We were lucky it was only a chimera and not an actual dragon," Lenalee commented, finishing off the last bite of food off her stoneware plate. "They are not so easy to defeat."

Allen nodded solemnly. "Trust me, I know all too well how dangerous the dragons are."

Lenalee's pulled the cup of coffee to her lips again, watching Allen through the rising steam. "They are hard to kill, yes. But even if their chimera constructs are not as powerful, they still cause a lot of trouble. The dragons haven't been attacking outright as much as they used to in years past. Lately, the Black Order has mostly been cleaning up after chimera."

"Which is why you and Lavi are here, I take it?" Allen asked, digging into his breakfast with gusto.

"Right. We were asked to come here because the chimera was taking people off the street at night. At least ten disappearances happened before we got here."

Allen's food intake slowed with Lenalee's sobering account. "Ten too many. Why didn't you get here sooner?"

"We're stretched thin," she admitted, setting her mug down. "There aren't enough Hunters to take care of every dragon-related disturbance in the three kingdoms. There might not be dragon attacks anymore, but their lackeys do enough damage to make up for it."

Allen's lips drew into a thin line as he mulled over the information given to him. "If that's the case, then we should probably get back as soon as possible."

"Mm, yes." She looked out the window, where the sun rose higher into the sky. They needed to get on the road soon. "I guess I should go wake sleeping beauty, then. I'll be back in a minute. You finish your breakfast." Lenalee stood, heading back upstairs to retrieve Lavi.

Allen watched as Lenalee disappeared up the stairs, then grabbed his cup of tea. He took a long sip, letting it warm him from the inside out. He wanted to keep this heat with him, knowing he'd need it once they started their journey back to the Black Order.

Traveling was never fun. Allen felt as if his entire life had been nothing but an endless journey, never in one place long enough to call it home. When Cross had talked about the Order, he made it seem like a burden, overwhelming. Suffocating. Allen suspected that was the reason his Master had abandoned him and left him with vague instructions on how to get there on his own.

But when Lenalee talked about the Order, she referred to it as home. From what Allen could tell, she genuinely wanted to go back. He figured that no one would want to go back to a place they hated, so it couldn't be as bad as Cross had made it seem.

It would be nice, Allen thought, to have a place I could call home, too.

With hope in his heart, Allen rushed to finish his meal. As he ate the last few bites, Lenalee returned. She had Lavi in tow, pulling him by the cuff of his sleeve. They both had their packs — Lenalee carrying hers over her shoulder and Lavi dragging his behind him like a petulant child.

As the two Dragon Hunters reached the table, Allen stood up to greet them. "Ready to hit the road?"

Lenalee grinned. "I am, but I don't know about this one," she said, hooking her thumb and pointing at the redhead behind her.

"Gods, can we get this over with?" Lavi grumbled, his green eye only open wide enough to see that he didn't run into anything as he walked. Dark circles lined his good eye. "Just strap me to my horse so I don't fall off."

Lenalee laughed and turned to slap him on the back. "Not a bad idea. We might have to try that this time." She grinned and winked at Allen. "Well, let's get going." She steered Lavi in the direction of the door, pushing him outside.

Allen couldn't keep from snickering as he followed after them, leaving a few coins on the table to pay for the food before they left. It was certainly going to be an interesting journey, and he couldn't wait to start it.

xXxXxXx

The weather held for three days as they traversed the land of Thalios, sunshine and cloudless skies making for easy travel for the three of them. Thalios was an expansive country, though most of the cities and towns were concentrated on the coast. Farming land was sparse, and the country thick with forests. Thieves and Bandits were known to attack people on the road, and towns were small and spread far apart.

Traveling south bound, Lenalee, Lavi, and Allen had managed to cross the midway point in their journey back to the Black Order by the end of the third day. Each with their own horse, they had traveled rough, only stopping to rest the horses during midday and when they made camp for the night.

Lenalee had expressed her gratitude that the weather had been cooperating with them so far.

"You're going to curse us now, Lena," Lavi had said that night, right before they went to sleep.

Allen had laughed and stood up for Lenalee. "You're being superstitious, Lavi."

Now, nearing late morning on the fourth day, Allen was eating his words.

A wicked spring storm blew in early that morning, waking the three from their slumber before dawn. They had packed their gear in a rush and hurried back on the road, hoping to find an inn where they could wait out the storm. It was half an hour shy of noon when they finally stumbled upon a town.

Bedraggled and exhausted, they paid a stable boy to tend to the horses and hurried indoors.

"What did I say?" Lavi said, as soon as they passed the threshold and found a reprieve from the thundering downpour. Even surrounded by solid walls, the sound was deafening. The redhead shook his head, rain droplets spraying everywhere. When he finished, he looked back at his drenched companions, irritation plain on his face.

Lenalee's dark eyes narrowed as she glared at him. "We know, Lavi. I cursed us. Let's just get some rooms and get out of these wet clothes." Her tone was dry, which was the only thing between the three of them that made it through the deluge without getting wet.

"We're probably going to lose at least a day's travel now," the redhead grumbled, dropping his travel sack next to him. He worked on ringing out the edges of his cloak, hoping to squeeze the water from the fabric.

Lenalee's frown deepened. "Are you saying I actually control the weather? I'm not a witch."

Lavi sighed, scratching at the damp skin and wet hair under his green headband. "I didn't say that."

"But you're insinuating that it's my fault we're stuck in this storm."

"Well, you did jinx us."

"Oh my gods, Lavi. Are you serious?"

Allen sighed, pushing back the hood of his cloak and looked between the two Dragon Hunters. They continued to bicker, snapping back and forth at each other without pause. He turned away, not wanting to get sucked into the argument, and looked around the inn.

The walls and floors were made of a dark wood, rough and unpolished. A fireplace burned brightly at the far end of the room. Tables scattered the open area, unoccupied. The only other person in eyesight was a lazy beanpole of a man behind the front counter. His legs were up, feet propped on the desk as he leaned back in his chair with closed eyes. Lavi and Lenalee's argument wasn't enough to wake him from his nap.

Needing a break from the bickering, Allen walked to the front desk and rested his damp hands against it. "Excuse me," he called to the sleeping man.

His words were unheard, as the man let loose a loud snore.

Pursing his lips, Allen tried again, louder this time. "Excuse me, sir?"

Again, his words remained unheard.

The usual composure Allen exuded time and again was sorely tested. With his entire being soaked to the bone, Lavi and Lenalee still fighting in the background, and the now unresponsive clerk, Allen had had just about enough of everything. His left eyelid twitched and his fingers tensed against the wood.

Allen slammed his hands on the desk, the sound echoing throughout the inn. He raised his voice to a shout. "Excuse me!"

The sudden outburst shook the man from his sleep; he nearly fell out of his chair as he scrambled to his feet. Lavi and Lenalee were silenced, their eyes on Allen as he focused on the task at hand.

"Yes, hello!" the man said, face flushed with embarrassment. "Welcome to the Starlight Inn. How may I help you?"

Allen's demeanor changed in an instant. With a smile plastered on his face and his hands now relaxed against the dark wood of the desk, he replied to the desk clerk with ease. "Hello. We'd like three rooms for the night."

The desk clerk checked under the desk, looking ill as he did so. "Ah, I'm sorry. We've only got one unclaimed room tonight. The storm has us full up."

At this point, Lenalee and Lavi had joined Allen at the desk. The three looked like drowned rats, and their uncomfortable states mixed with their frustration over the current situation gave a hostile air about them that left the desk clerk nervous.

Lavi leaned against the desk on Allen's right, elbow propping him up as he glared at the man. "This inn is practically empty and you expect us to believe that you don't have more than one room available?"

The man behind the desk stuttered. "S-Sorry, sir. But it's the truth."

With a sigh of exasperation, Lenalee stepped up to the desk on Allen's left side. "Just give us the room."

"Are you sure, Lenalee?" Allen asked, looking over at her. "We could look for a different inn…"

Lenalee shook her head. "The rain is too heavy to go traipsing about looking elsewhere. We'll manage. At least it's dry." She turned her attention to the man behind the desk. "Whatever room you have available is fine."

The nervous man nodded, relieved that he wasn't the focus of frustration any longer. Leaning down, he grabbed a key from under the desk and handed it to Lenalee. "Room 3, down the hall to the left. There's only two beds, so you'll have to share. We've got no kitchen at the inn, but there's a tavern next door when you want a meal.

Lenalee grabbed the key and picked her bag up off the floor. "C'mon boys. Let's go."

Allen and Lavi followed obediently, all three trailing water behind them on the wooden floors.

xXxXxXx

The room was smaller than they expected. The meager space looked even more cramped with two beds unceremoniously shoved against the opposite walls. There was only room for a small table, pressed uncomfortably against the far wall next to the window, and one chair. Floor space was nonexistent.

Lenalee and Allen were the first inside, stopping short when their shins hit the edges of the beds. Lavi almost pushed the three of them over, not paying attention to where he was going. When he finally caught sight of the room, the redhead sighed loudly.

"We can't catch a break, can we?" he asked, waiting as Lenalee and Allen wiggled their way into the room.

"At least it's dry," Allen commented as he made his way to the far end, placing his bags on the table. The window rattled as the wind and rain battered against it. The storm did not show any signs of letting up. He started to worry that they'd be stuck there for days.

Lenalee shook her head, wiping her damp hair out of her face. She collapsed onto one of the beds, heedless of her drenched clothes. "That's all I care about right now." She let out a long sigh, then kicked off her boots lazily.

Lavi closed the door, dumping his bag on the ground. He knelt down to rifle through it. "Well, we'd better change before we all catch colds."

"Ugh, I suppose…" Lenalee agreed, grumbling.

The three of them changed clothes, quickly stripping out of the soaking wet items and hurrying into dry garments. Allen felt nervous, changing in front of near strangers — and a young woman for that matter — but neither Lavi nor Lenalee seemed bothered by their circumstances. So, Allen focused on himself instead of his new friends. Once he was in a fresh set of clothes, his mood improved twice over. He hadn't realized how uncomfortable the wet clothing was until he was rid of it.

Lavi hung his green and black headband over one of the bedposts, then ran his fingers through his hair to tame the wild locks. "The desk clerk said there was a tavern next door. I'm going to go scrounge up some food. Anything you want?" he asked, looking at Lenalee.

The young woman shook her head. She had returned to her relaxed position on the bed after changing clothes and looked too comfortable to move. "Whatever you bring back will be fine, Lavi. I'm just going to take a nap." She turned over, facing the wall and pulling the clean blankets over herself.

Lavi regarded her quietly for a moment, then shrugged. "Suit yourself, Lena." The redhead then turned his attention to Allen. "C'mon, beansprout! You and I are gonna grab some food."

Allen blanched at the nickname. "Beansprout?" It was all he could say before Lavi crossed the short distance between them and started to drag the shorter boy with him.

"Let's go. Hurry up," Lavi urged him, pulling him by the arm as they made their way out of the room.

Before Allen knew it, they were across the room and out the door, heading down the stairs and out of the inn. When he finally got his footing, he pulled himself free of Lavi's grasp.

"No need to pull my arm off," Allen replied brusquely, rubbing his wrist once he was free.

"Ah, sorry," Lavi said. They stopped just at the threshold of the front doors. Lavi fixed his still wet cloak, pulling the hood over his head. "It just seemed like Lenalee needed some time to herself. I figured I'd drag you with me."

Allen's irritation softened then. "You only had to say so." He fixed his own cloak, the fabric already heavy with rain.

Lavi grinned over at Allen. "She doesn't like it when anyone worries about her. Had to be subtle, y'know?" Lavi pushed the door open, and the sound of rain pounding against the ground and roofs of the nearby buildings was all they could hear.

Allen resisted the urge to groan about going back into the nasty weather. At least they wouldn't be outside for very long, considering they were just headed next door. He looked over to Lavi before they headed back out into the deluge. "How do you know Lenalee is feeling unwell?"

"She wanted to take a nap. She never takes naps."

xXxXxXx

The Haunted Mermaid was a dull tavern, and Allen had seen his share of dull establishments. He followed Lavi through the muddy streets, dodging puddles and darting under the overhang as they hurried to the tavern. Upon entering, they found the place half empty, quiet, and nearly lifeless. To Allen's eyes, it looked as if everyone in the tavern was exhausted from traveling in the poor weather conditions, and were only in the tavern to escape the rain.

Lavi made his way to the bar, weaving through the tables and chairs that seemed to be placed at random. The bartender looked to be as downtrodden as the rest of the sorry saps that occupied the tavern.

"Hey, we need some food — for the road," Lavi said to the man, leaning against the bartop as he did so.

Allen stopped just behind the redhead, distracted with shaking the new dusting of rain droplets from his hair.

The bartender looked lazy and unexcited to make a sale. "We just ran out of hot food not long ago. Won't be more until tomorrow." He went back to cleaning a large stein, slowly wiping the mead from it.

Lavi chewed on the inside of his lip, green eye narrowing at the man behind the counter. "Well, what do you got, then?"

"Best I can do is some hard tack. Cheese, too. Might have a loaf of fresh bread."

Unpleased with his options, Lavi sighed. "Fine. Just wrap up some of those."

When the bartender left, ducking into the back kitchen, Lavi turned to Allen with a frown. "Guess we're roughing it tonight."

Allen sounded just as disappointed as the redhead. "Today is not our day, it seems."

Lavi leaned back against the bar, his elbows propped up on the ledge. He slouched, as if the weight of today's problems were too much to keep holding any longer. "Well, tomorrow is another day. And if luck favors us, we'll be on our way again."

Allen nodded, managing a half smile. "Are you trying to jinx us like Lenalee did last night?"

"Ah, shit." He pressed his gloved hand over his eye and let loose an exaggerated groan. "What have I done?"

Allen laughed. "Doomed us to another day spent like drowned rats, I'd wager."

Lavi smiled down at the white haired boy they'd picked up only days ago. He wasn't one to get attached to others easily, but with the little bit of time they'd spent together, Allen had grown on the redhead like moss on a tree. He was easy to be around — a calming presence. Lavi was hard pressed to find those types of people, and as such, liked to keep them around when he could.

"Oh well," Lavi said, shrugging. "We'll get back to the Order soon enough."

The white haired boy opened his mouth to say something, but just as he was about to speak, the bartender returned with a small sack.

"Found you two loaves of rye bread, a nice hunk of cheese, and a jar of hard tack."

"What do we owe you?" Lavi asked, turning around to face the man.

"Eh, five coppers sound fair?"

"Fair enough," Lavi replied, handing over the coins and taking the sack. He tucked it under his cloak and pulled his hood back up. "C'mon, let's see what else we can scrounge up before dinner. I think I saw a general store across the way. You up for it?"

With a grin, Allen flipped up his hood. "Ready when you are."

The two walked back out into the rain, on the hunt for supplies.

xXxXxXx

Nearly two hours passed before Allen and Lavi returned to the inn. They weren't nearly as drenched as they had been when they first arrived in town, but they were once again feeling the dampness sneaking back into their clothes. Once they were safely back inside the inn, Allen pulled off his cloak and squeezed at the edges. Rainwater dribbled through his fingers and onto the floor. He sighed – they would never be dry again, would they?

They headed to the room, supplies in tow. Lavi opened the door first, quietly peeking in before entering. Lenalee was still in bed, facing the wall and curled up into a ball under a mound of blankets. She looked to be still asleep, so the redhead entered with soft footfalls.

Allen followed Lavi's lead, quietly shutting the door behind him. They navigated the tiny floor space of the room to the back wall, setting their supplies on the unsteady table. He started unpacking the supplies from the bags. The general store had a few items they needed, but not much in the way of food. Allen and Lavi only found a bag of red apples for themselves and some feed for the horses.

Leaving Allen to their pitiful haul, he turned back to Lenalee. It was nearly dinner time and they hadn't eaten all day. He sat down on the edge of the bed next to the sleeping girl and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Lenalee, we got some food. You hungry?"

The dark haired girl groaned, though she didn't move from her cozy nest. "How long was I asleep?"

"At least two hours."

Lenalee let loose another groan, finally sitting up. She rubbed her eyes and let loose a long yawn. "Yeah, I guess I'll eat," she mumbled, pushing the blankets away.

Lavi helped her to her feet, carefully masking the worried thoughts racing in his mind. "Sorry we didn't get anything better. This town has to be the worst place to get stuck in."

Lenalee gave a cursory glance at the food Allen had put out on the table. "Better than nothing. We'll be home soon enough and then we'll get a proper meal." Grabbing a hunk off of one of the loaves of bread and an apple, she retreated back to her bed and sat with her back against the wall.

Allen sat at the table, making use of the single chair they were provided, while Lavi just camped out on the other mattress. The only sounds in the room were of quiet chewing and the loud, steady tapping of raindrops against the window.

Lenalee finished first and went back to curling up in her blankets without saying a word. She looked exhausted.

Lavi popped a piece of cheese in his mouth, chewing and watching Lenalee's back as she breathed softly. He paused for a moment, unsure if he should voice the question on the tip of his tongue. With a shake of his head, he just came out and asked. "Lena, do you want us to leave so you can sleep?"

Lenalee didn't even bother to turn around as she answered him. "No, that's all right, Lavi. You and Allen can stay. I'm just resting."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Lavi shrugged and took a bite of his share of bread, leaving the chunk in his mouth as he crawled across the mattress. He searched through his bag until he found what he was looking for — an old, worn journal, quill, and ink well. He sat back against the wall once he had his items, setting them next to him on the bed. He worked on his bread slowly, setting up a makeshift writing station.

Allen watched as he munched on an apple. "You can use the table if you want, Lavi. I wouldn't want you to spill your ink."

"Good idea," Lavi said, realizing that he wouldn't want to lose the last jar of ink he had with him. They switched positions, Lavi now at the table and Allen on the bed.

The room returned to quiet, though it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Allen took up Lenalee's idea and rested, while Lavi worked in his journal. The rain and the sound of quill on parchment lulled the two lazy travelers to sleep not long after they curled up in bed.