ASHEN WOLVES

Part I: White Clouds
Chapter 5: Of Lions and Wolves

It was an odd feeling to be sure. Byleth was subject to all manner of looks, ranging from disappointment, anger, awe, fear and everything else in between.

The way Seteth looked at him as though he were about to discipline a child, however, was a new one.

"Honestly! I know I told you this house was full of troublemakers, but I didn't think you'd set the forest ablaze!" Seteth pinched the bridge of his nose. "What the devil were you thinking?!"

At Byleth's side, Yuri grinned from ear to ear and looked rather pleased with himself. "We just took some creative liberties in our strategy, that's all. Besides, it's not as if we burned down the whole forest! We just burned the eastern side is all."

"That is hardly the point, Yuri!"

"Come now, Seteth." In contrast to the exasperation and growing frustration in Seteth, Rhea's voice was as calm and gentle as the last time Byleth heard her speak. "All things heal with time. The forest shall regain its splendor in the months to come. We did not bring the Ashen Wolves here simply to scold them for doing what they must to achieve victory, did we?"

"Lady Rhea…" Seteth looked at the archbishop for a moment before. "In…spite of my grievances with how you conducted yourselves, I will admit, you performed admirably."

"The students did most of the work," Byleth shook his head. "I merely followed Yuri's lead."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short, Prof. You had every part in helping us win this."

"It is as Yuri says," Rhea smiled. "In truth, I am glad to see that the Ashen Wolf House has finally found itself a most promising instructor. I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish under your tutelage."

"Is that everything, archbishop?"

"Yes. We are done for the moment," she nodded. "But before you go, might I ask you to retrieve Jeritza and Edelgard and bring them here? I have decided to impose them with a mission for the coming month."

Yuri nodded and followed his professor out of the room. As they walked, Byleth noted the intense looks he and Yuri were receiving from the passing officials. Some merely nudged their heads at them, others glared in contempt. The former glanced at the effeminate man, finding him unperturbed by such looks. Perhaps he was thick-skinned, or maybe he was simply used to the baneful scorn.

"I'd say that went pretty well, don't you think?" Yuri chuckled. "Seteth looked as though he was about to throttle one of us."

"I would hope not," Byleth shook his head. He would rather not see the man strike one of his students for doing something as menial as burning down a portion of the forest. It wasn't as though Yuri had killed someone during the mock battle, damage done to Dimitri's groin aside.

The line of thought reminded Byleth of what his colleagues told him. That Yuri had killed some of the Knights of Seiros while they were on a mission. He had yet to learn the specifics as to why Yuri decided to kill those men, but based on what little he knew of the boy and how he conducted himself out there on the battlefield, it was hard to determine exactly what sort of person Yuri Leclerc. To the Ashen Wolf House, he was a charismatic if somewhat aloof leader, and to his enemies, he was utterly ruthless and wouldn't hesitate to use a dirty trick if it meant he could win.

He was adopted into nobility, but he conducted himself in a way that no noble that Byleth knew of would do. It made him wonder what kind of life he must have led before he came under the care of Count Rowe. As much as he was curious, he knew better than to pry into his student's personal lives.

"Glad that's finally over with," Yuri said as they walked. "If I knew how chaotic the mock battle was going to be like, I'd have prepared my will in advance. It almost makes me envious that the Black Eagles got an instructor like Jeritza."

On that, Byleth had to agree. The last battle had proven to be a most difficult one, namely due to the Black Eagles being more prepared than he had expected. Whatever training Jeritza had provided them, it was extremely effective.

He remembered how Bernadetta, a bundle of nerves who would run and hide at the first sign of danger, stood her ground and shot her arrows at Constance in a vain attempt to stop her from casting her spells. He remembered how Hubert matched Hapi's dark magic measure for measure despite having only a single functioning arm. He remembered how Edelgard managed to keep pace with Yuri and evaded his attacks, no matter how underhanded they were.

And Jeritza…

Steel grinded against steel.

Slash. Slash. Parry. Thrust. Side-step. Slash. Rinse. Repeat.

Byleth gritted his teeth, finding it difficult to find a rhythm to Jeritza's strikes. They weren't wild or haphazard like a madman slashing away for dear life, but rather strikes aimed to whittle away at his guard. Each strike was almost impossible to predict, changing at the last second or turning into a feint. More than that, Jeritza wasn't fighting as though this was a mock battle. To him, this was a battle. If his sword wasn't blunted, he would have attacked with the aim to kill.

Jeritza wasn't just relying on his sword, either. He was using his whole body was a weapon. If he couldn't force Byleth back, he would go for a knee-strike. If Byleth went in for a thrust, he'd step around his sword and throw a punch to disorientate him.

Every trick Byleth used, he could do as well.

Jeritza stepped in, swinging in an arc as if to lop off his head. Byleth ducked and swung upwards. Jeritza stepped back and put some distance between them. He followed after him, embers flowing into his palm and sent forth as a ball of flame. Jeritza's eyes widened and threw himself to the ground, rolling into a crouch and evading the fireball before raising his sword in defense when Byleth swung it straight down at him.

Byleth kicked Jeritza in the face, armored boot meeting flesh. Surprisingly, Jeritza took the blow and countered by kicking his leg at his ankle, sweeping him off his feet. Byleth's back hit the ground. Jeritza brought it down as though to impale him. He rolled to the side, scrambling to his feet. By the time he adjusted his stance, Jeritza was already upon him.

He's gotten faster, Byleth frowned as he dodged another slash and parried the follow-up swing, grinding his blade against Jeritza's own. Their eyes met and they stared at one another.

It was as Byleth was looking into Jeritza's eyes that he saw something that gave him pause. Long enough for his enemy to score a kick to his chest and push him away before taking advantage of the situation by thrusting his sword at his throat. Byleth barely managed to dodge in time, the blunt edge of the blade breezing against his neck.

He quickly backed away and fell into a defensive stance, staring at the masked sword instructor warily.

In that brief moment, when mercenary and professor stared each other in the eyes, he caught a glimpse of something in the depths. The mask on his enemy's face was not the only mask he was wearing. It was brief, but in that small instance, he saw it. Hiding and lurking in the depths, waiting for an opportune moment to push its way into the surface and rear its ugly head.

A predator was lying inside of Jeritza.

It wanted out.

"Prof?"

Byleth closed his eyes, pushing the memory out of his mind. He did not know why the murderous gleam in Jeritza's eyes startled him so much. Maybe it was because of how startling different it contrasted to what he knew of the instructor; the masked man was calm and aloof, barely making time with anyone and focusing on his job rather than make small-talk. In that aspect, Byleth felt a kindred spirit. But during the mock battle, he had seen just how bloodthirsty he actually was. Jeritza was struggling to keep this demon away, but its influence seeped into his actions.

Brutal, fast, efficient, aiming to deal the most damage in a few swings… Were Jeritza a mercenary, Byleth would dread facing him on the battlefield.

"It's nothing," he assured Yuri. "I will fetch Edelgard and Professor Jeritza. You may return to your house."

Yuri raised a brow at his order, but complied with a shrug and left him behind, heading to the main classroom while he left in search of the Black Eagles.

Byleth had just reached the Black Eagle classroom when someone called out to him. "Professor Byleth!" The mercenary turned his attention to the side, catching the crown prince of Faerghus emerging from the main hall with Dedue and another, Ashe, at his side. "I'm glad I caught you. Do you have a moment to spare?"

"Perhaps," Byleth nodded. While Rhea did instruct him to bring Jeritza and Edelgard to her, he could spare Dimitri some time. "What is it?"

"I'd like your opinion on something. I realize you teach a different house, but I feel like you're input would be invaluable, given your experience as a mercenary. It shouldn't take long."

Byleth thought it over for a moment. "…very well. Meet me at the training grounds. I must bring Jeritza and Edelgard to the archbishop."

"Thank you, Professor!" Ashe bowed deeply, his face beaming.

Dimitri bowed his head in gratitude and took his leave. Byleth resumed his task and entered the Black Eagles classroom. Only a few students were about, some he didn't recognize and others being familiar faces. Jeritza was standing in front of the blackboard speaking with Caspar.

Some glanced his way when they heard him enter, a few even giving him dark looks. Byleth pegged those to be students who did not approve of the Ashen Wolves and promptly ignore them. The rest merely gave him a look and nothing else, returning to their business.

Upon seeing his approach, Jeritza stopped what he was doing. Caspar saw him and smiled. "Heya, Professor Byleth. What brings you here?"

"Professor," Jeritza nodded at Byleth, temperament and expression nothing like the demon he encountered only a few hours ago.

Regardless, Byleth returned the greeting in kind. "The archbishop wishes to see you and Edelgard."

"Edelgard? I think she's over at the mess hall with Lindhart. Something about making sure he ate?" Byleth stared at the blue-haired noble. Caspar shrugged. "Lindhart tends to forget to eat when he gets engrossed in something that has his interest. We're learning about Crests right now, and he hasn't shut up about it."

"Is there a reason why Lady Rhea wishes to see us?"

"She says it's about a mission for next month."

"Mission?!" Caspar's eyes lit up and turned to Jeritza. "Can I go?! Please?!"

The masked instructor rolled his eyes. "Do not be so quick to think we will head into combat, Caspar. Now, go find Edelgard. I will meet with her at the main hall." Caspar deflated at the callous response, but nonetheless followed his professor's orders and left the room. Once Caspar was out of sight, Jeritza turned his full attention to the mercenary. "Was that everything?"

"Yes," Byleth nodded.

"I see." Byleth turned to leave, thinking Jeritza had nothing more to speak to him about. He made it two steps before Jeritza spoke up. "I owe you an apology, Professor."

He turned to Jeritza, brows furrowed. "An apology?"

Jeritza sighed deeply. "I am…normally composed whenever I am holding a sword or instructing another. But, during that mock battle with you, I felt…invigorated. I felt that I had to fight you with everything at my disposal. It is a side of myself I would rather not show to someone who is not an enemy of mine."

Byleth could tell he spoke the truth. He was indeed apologetic, and his eyes revealed that to him. They bore not a hint of the bloodthirsty demon he encountered back on the open plains. Instead, all they showed the mercenary was a man and nothing more.

"…it is no trouble," Byleth said after a moment. "Some get worked up in the heat of battle."

"But not you?" Jeritza stared at him. "I noticed when we clashed. No matter how fiercely I struck or how often I drove you to the defensive, you did not flinch even an inch. You gave no reaction. You merely reacted as anyone else would when attacked."

Byleth remained silent.

"…I do not understand you, Eisner." Jeritza turned away from him. "You may leave now."

Byleth left without a word.

Yuri returned to the Ashen Wolf House classroom to find a peculiar sight. For once, a student that wasn't part of his house was in the classroom and chatting up Balthus. Ordinarily he would have been wary of such an instance. Despite being the head of the Ashen Wolves for only a few years, he knew better than to blindly trust the kindness of a stranger, especially if they were trying to be of the friendly sort. On more than a few occasions had someone approached a member of his house, playing the role of the nice guy, until the opportunity came to tear them down.

Of course, Yuri made it a point to enact retribution whenever he discovered such treachery.

You mess with one wolf, you mess with them all.

The only reason Yuri was not suspicious of someone from another house with one of his housemates was because it was someone who shared a history with one of his friends.

Hilda Valentine Goneril.

"Yo, Yuri!" Balthus greeted his House Leader upon seeing him enter. "What's up?"

"Nothing much. Am I interrupting something?"

Hilda shook her head, pigtails swaying with her. "No, I was just finishing up my talk with Baltie, actually."

"Oh?" Yuri smiled deviously. "Decided to jump ship and join our band of misfits?"

"As much fun as being a delinquent sounds, I think I'll pass. A delicate flower, surrounded by a bunch of rowdy wolves? I couldn't possibly hang with you all."

"You? Delicate?" Balthus sniggered. "That beauty Dorothea would describe as anything but delicate."

"What? Wait, what's she saying about me?"

"Not telling~"

"C'mon! Tell meeee!"

Yuri wasn't entirely sure about the full nature of their relationship, but he did know that Balthus thought of Hilda to be like the younger sister he never had. Balthus and Hilda's elder brother Holst had been friends since they were kids and were considered to be some of the toughest kids at the Academy when they were students. Hilda recounted some of those tales to anybody who was willing to listen, though Yuri imagined some of them were probably embellished. Balthus himself seemed a little exasperated at Hilda playing them up.

Must be nice to have loved ones like that, Yuri thought to himself. Part of him felt a little envious Balthus had such good friends from when he was so young, but he couldn't hate Balthus.

Not when even he had his own fare share of problems thanks to his Crest and stepmother.

"Well, if you ever decide to join the cool kids, our door is always open," Yuri told her. "Mind if I borrow dear old 'Baltie' for a minute? I kinda need to discuss something important with him."

Hilda nodded. "That's fine. I was about to leave anyway. I'll see you later, Balthus."

"You too, Hilda!" Balthus waved and watched her back slowly disappear from view. Once she was gone, he looked to Yuri. "So, what'cha need, Yuri? Need some help from this Undefeatable King of Grappling?"

"Tempting, but no. It concerns our newest friend."

Balthus stared at him for a moment before he glanced around the room. Their fellow students and housemates were either deep in their own little world or out and about somewhere in the academy. Even so, this conversation required a little more privacy. The two nodded to each other and retreated to a quieter place; namely, the dorm rooms.

Prior to the creation of the Ashen Wolf House, when only the Black Eagles, Blue Lions and Golden Deer were present in its halls, Garreg Mach Monastery only had a single dormitory available. All the students shared a single building that split into two floors; one floor would be for commoners and merchants while the other floor would be for the blue bloods like nobility and royals.

At Aelfric's suggestion after he proposed the creation of the Ashen Wolf House, the dormitory would undergo renovations and some of the nearby buildings repurposed. Ten years later, the dormitory was expanded into four separate buildings; one for each house. While the layout of the dorms were the same, one floor for blue bloods and one floor for those of lesser birth, each dorm was repurposed for a single house.

The change was well received by both church officials and the students themselves. While the dorms being separated and focused on each house was seen as slightly detrimental to the idea of the three countries coming to an understanding and forging lasting relationships, it lessened the number of inter-house incidents or bawls.

The two convened in Yuri's room on the second floor of the Ashen Dormitory. Yuri locked the door behind them while Balthus plopped himself down on his bed.

"So, what's the word?" the burly man asked. "Is our professor legit?"

Yuri sighed. "Oh, he's legit alright."

"But?"

"But…the problem is that we know next to nothing. Pretty much all we have on him is that he's the son of the Sword Bearers captain. No word on who his mother was or where he was even born for that matter. He became a mercenary when he was thirteen, and ever since, he's garnered a reputation for killing his enemies with efficiency, skill and utter indifference. And like the rest of the Sword Bearers, he's loyal to whoever hires them so long as they aren't a total scumbag. Doesn't matter what the job is; if somebody's paying for their services and it's within reason, they'll handle it."

"…that's it?" Balthus stared incredulously. "Come on, there's gotta be more to it than that. I mean, I know the professor's not the chatty type, but come on!"

"Sadly, that's all the info I've got. Byleth Eisner's a mystery," Yuri remarked, a wry smile forming on his face. "Makes him all the more worth looking into, don't you think?"

The so-called King of Grappling rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, man. Still, you gotta admit he's damn good. Hey, who knows? Maybe we'll get to see more what makes him tick if we're patient. Anyway, was that all you wanted to talk about?"

"No, there's more. It's about that bandit me and the royal highnesses ran into a few days ago."

Balthus' eyes narrowed sharply, leaning forward with his elbows propped on his knees.

When Yuri and the other House Leaders returned from their excursion, he informed those in the Ashen Wolves he was close to of everything that happened as well as his suspicions. Naturally among his confidants were Balthus, Hapi and Constance. In fact, he would imagine they were among his closest companions and friends in the whole house. If he had to categorize whom he saw as "acquaintances," "colleagues," "allies" and "friends," the three of them would fall into the category of "friend."

"Together, the wolves are a pack. And a pack will always look out for each other." That was how Aelfric described the Ashen Wolf House when he arranged for him to become its house leader. Given how many downtrodden souls and outcasts made up the house, it was imperative that they all shared trust with one another. If Yuri was to become their 'alpha,' he needed to prove to them he was capable of leading them and he could trust them.

There was a strong bond between Yuri and his closest friends. In a way, the four of them led this wild pack of wolves and trusted one another explicitly. It was also why Yuri could pull Balthus away and inform him of some of his more private ventures.

"You caught the asshole?"

Yuri scoffed. "Oh, don't I wish. But no, Kostas is still running around, but I do know where he is. He's at the Red Canyon."

"Zanado?!" Balthus choked. "The hell's he doing there?!"

The Red Canyon, Zanado, was considered holy ground in the eyes of the archbishop. Supposedly, it was once a safe haven for the children of the goddess back during the days when the world was consumed by chaos and war. The only people Rhea ever allowed to set foot inside Zanado were herself and those she trusted implicitly, such as Seteth and the illusive four Cardinals. Anyone who was caught trespassing were given extremely harsh punishments, regardless of who they were.

Admittedly, Yuri did try to sneak into Zanado once when he was still a student of the Blue Lions, but he never made it into the canyon on account of the ridiculous amount of security. Every soldier posted there was said to have been trained by the Thunderbrand herself. While he wasn't sure if there was truth to those rumors, he didn't want to test his luck to find out. He valued where his head was, thank you very much!

"Who can say? What we do know though is that the Knights of Seiros have him running scared. I'd love to know how he managed to slip past the security surrounding the canyon, but I don't think it matters much anymore. The archbishop's already given the order to exterminate Kostas and his crew. And that lovely honor goes to our favorite imperial princess."

Balthus hummed. "The Black Eagles, huh? I did overhear that the professor was at the Black Eagles classroom a little while ago. Guess that explains it. If the rest of Edelgard's class is as good as they were back in that mock battle, I don't think we'll have to worry about them." A pause. "…but it's not the Black Eagles you're worried about, is it?"

"Come on, Balthus. You and I aren't idiots. We both know Kostas had inside help," Yuri growled. "Someone in the monastery, either a teacher or someone from the church, gave him information. There's no way a common bandit like him could have learned where we were, not unless somebody blabbed."

"Got any ideas who?"

"Too many to count. I'm trying to narrow the list."

Balthus frowned. "Y'know, if you ever need any help, my door's always open man. Same with Constance and Hapi."

At this, Yuri could only smile. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I know better than to bite off more than I can chew. But thanks, I appreciate it."

"If you're sure…" Balthus shook his head. "Well, if we're all wrapped up with this, I think I'll hit the training grounds. The professor's training regimen really got me thinking about this weight training of his. If I can tank hits and start punching things faster, imagine all the broken bones the bounty hunters will have!"

At this, the effeminate man could only roll his eyes in exasperation. "Fine, fine. I'll leave you to it."

He undid the lock to his door. Just as he was about to push it open, Balthus called out to him. "Hey, Yuri. If the professor is trustworthy…are you going to show him?"

"Maybe. Who can say, really?" Yuri shrugged. "For now, let's just watch him a little while longer before we make any decisions."

Byleth arrived at the training grounds. Waiting for him was Dimitri, though unlike their prior meeting, Dedue was nowhere to be found. The prince was watching Ashe spar with another student from their house, one wielding a spar and the other holding a sword. He took a moment to watch and analyze their movements as they fought, finding Ashe inexperienced with a blade while his opponent had a decent grasp on how to use a spear. The former was too clumsy; his grip on his sword was too tight, his stance was full of holes, his feet were too far apart from each other and he was holding his sword in one hand.

Against an opponent with a spear, using both hands was necessary if your arm strength wasn't up to par. He learned that lesson painfully hard when he sparred with his father.

Dimitri appeared to notice his presence, but didn't greet him. His eyes were locked on to the spar between Ashe and the unnamed Blue Lions student. He still said nothing when Byleth stood at his side and watched with him.

Oddly, it was Byleth who broke the silence. "Ashe will lose."

"I'm afraid so," Dimitri agreed with a grimace.

Ashe let out a battle cry as he stepped inward, thrusting his sword forward. His enemy had been waiting for this moment, as with a single upward stroke with his spear Ashe's sword was flung out of his hand. Before Ashe could recover, his enemy rammed the bottom end into his chest and knocked him flat. The boy couldn't get up in time. The blunt edge of the spear's blade was aimed between his eyes.

The two stared at one another for a moment, one in defiance and the other in expectance. Seconds later, Ashe caved in and sighed deeply, hanging his head in defeat. The student smiled and set his spear down, holding out his hand. Ashe gracefully accepted it and was pulled back up to his feet.

"What did you think, Professor?" Dimitri asked. "How would rate Ashe's performance? Please, speak honestly."

Byleth's response made Dimitri regret he asked that. "If that had been a real battle, Ashe would be dead."

"I-I see… Could you clarify?"

"Ashe has never used a sword before, has he?"

"He has not. In truth, he's better skilled with bows since he's light on his feet. In fact, his aim is second to none if I may boast about his skills. But how did you know?"

"His stance was off. His posture was too lax and soft, and his feet were too far apart. Typically, someone who fights with a sword would do so by keeping their feet as close together as they can without liming their movement. He was also using one hand. While some fight using only one hand, you have to take into account your opponent's weapon and your own strength. If you try to fight someone with a spear or ax, and you don't have the arm strength, your weapon will be torn out of your hands in seconds or you won't be able to defend properly. If his opponent came at him with an ax and he tried to parry it, he would have lost his weapon at best and lost his hand at worst."

Dimitri stared at him with large eyes. It had been the first time he heard the mercenary that saved him speak so much.

"I-I see," he sweatdropped at the incredibly harsh criticism before regaining his composure. "Regardless, your points do have merit."

Byleth looked at the prince. "Is my being here in regards to Ashe?"

"Yes. You see, I'd appreciate it if you might be willing to offer your expertise."

"Your Highness, how was… P-Professor Byleth?!" Ashe stammered, cheeks flushed in embarrassment when he soon realized the professor of the Ashen Wolves was present. "Um, y-you didn't happen to see that, did you?"

Byleth saw no reason to lie. "Only near the end."

"I was afraid you were going to say that…" Ashe hanged his head low. "I know I'm not very good with a sword, but I figured I could try and expand my horizons. Have a back-up weapon in case I run out of arrows." Byleth nodded at the logic. It was a good plan to have. In the heat of battle, an archer wouldn't keep count of the number of arrows he had while mowing down enemies. "And, as you could probably tell, I really don't know how to fight well with a sword."

That made some sense, though there was one thing that gave him pause. "Did you ask Felix if he would be willing to tutor you?" Based on what he saw back at the mock battle, Felix had a good understanding of swordplay. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that he was born to hold a sword, really. Give him a few more years, and he could easily become a world-class swordsman or even a hardy mercenary.

Dimitri smiled wryly at the mention of his classmate. "I'm afraid Felix isn't what you might call a 'good' teacher. We did try asking him for advice, but he is more of a hands-on type of person."

"He gave me quite a few wallops to the head when tried teaching me how to fight with a sword," Ashe added bashfully. "At the very least, he taught me never to ask him to teach me swordplay."

"I initially intended on asking Professor Jeritza if he would be willing, but I overheard that he and the Black Eagles will be setting off on a mission starting next month. I didn't wish to inconvenience him."

"So you asked for me instead," Byleth surmised. The two nodded.

He stared at Ashe for a moment, gauging him critically. His physique was rather slim, and he did look light on his feet, but whether or not he could actually handle a blade wasn't something he was sure of. A lance or spear would have been a more fitting choice, but he was in no place to judge. It was best to learn from trial and error.

Byleth gave the matter some more thought before he reached a decision. "…to my knowledge, the archbishop has nothing else planned for the Ashen Wolves. Have the Blue Lions been given any instructions this month?"

"Aside from Professor Hanneman arranging a training session with the Knights of Seiros near the end of the month, not to my knowledge."

"In that case, please come to my classroom tomorrow."

Ashe's eyes widened. His smile was so wide Byleth pondered whether or not his face would split in half. "Thank you so much Professor Byleth! You have no idea how much this means to me! I-I promise, I won't let you down!"

"Calm down, Ashe!" Dimitri laughed heartily. "You have my thanks, Professor. In truth, Ashe has been looking forward to learning from you when I told him of what you did for me, Claude and Edelgard back at Remire Village. I truly cannot thank you enough for your assistance back then. If there is any way I can repay my debt to you, please let me know."

"I will keep that in mind."

When daybreak arrived and a new day began, the Black Eagles had set off on their journey. Byleth had not seen them off, though he arrived at the gate in time to see the last horse carrying the students away before the gates slammed shut. No one knew when Jeritza's class would return given the nature of their mission, but many including himself felt they would be fine. It was simply routing a few bandits and nothing more, even if they were the ones to ambush them.

I suppose this would be karmic retribution, Byleth thought to himself, seeing as how Edelgard had nearly been killed by the bandit leader. She did not strike him as the vindictive type, but he imagined she would take great pleasure in killing him.

Regardless, he had other matters to attend to. Namely, his latest task in teaching Ashe how to hold a sword properly. He still had time before classes would start so he decided to visit the blacksmith and see their wares.

"Welcome, how may I help you?" the blacksmith greeted warmly. "Looking for a sword or shield? Or perhaps you need a fixer-upper?"

Fixer-upper?

"No need. I need a sword. Light-weight and easy to use for novices."

The blacksmith nodded and turned his back to Byleth, checking his wares to see if he had anything that matched the requirements. He seemed to found one item and pulled it from the shelf, presenting it to him.

"This be what you're looking for?" the blacksmith inquired.

Byleth took the blade and held it in his hands. The blade was unusually thin, half the size of his arm and the hilt wrapping around his fingers. The handle's pommel was coated in silver, smoothly shaven and without any knicks. It looked to be newly forged.

"What is this?" Byleth inquired.

"That be a nobleman's sword, a rapier," the blacksmith explained. "I say a nobleman's sword, but just about anyone can use it really. Admittedly it ain't the best when trying to block, but the sword's weight makes it pretty light and you can use it with one hand. If you're planning on teaching some kid how to use a sword, this is probably where you should start."

Byleth stared at the man, then back to the blade. He gave it a few swings, noting how easily it swished through the air. It was very light, far too much for his tastes. Still, it would work for what he needed. He pulled out his bag of coins and set several gold pieces on the counter.

"Pleasure doing business!"

"Hey, Chatterbox."

Byleth blinked and stared at Hapi, the first to address him when he arrived at the Ashen Wolves' classroom. "…Chatterbox?"

"Yep. Chatterbox. Your nickname." Hapi nodded. "Seems pretty fitting, don't you think?"

"How is it fitting?" Constance inquired with a furrowed brow. "Our professor isn't one for words. And he most certainly isn't as chatty as some of our fellows. Your naming sense is most strange, Hapi."

"Huh. You think so?"

Byleth stared at the two's antics for a moment and shrugged. If that was how Hapi wished to address him that was fine. At the very least, she wasn't referring to him by something insulting.

He searched the classroom to see if Ashe had arrived yet. He spotted the Blue Lions student speaking with Yuri, the latter seemingly intrigued by whatever it was they were discussing. Yuri caught him staring and gave him a small wave, followed by Ashe doing the same.

"Shame on you, Prof," Yuri teased. "You should have told us you brought a lion along with you. We would have prepared a party."

"I hope I'm not imposing," Ashe said meekly. "And thank you again for agreeing to tutor me, Professor Byleth."

Byleth nodded in appreciation before he took his place at his desk. "Is everyone present and accounted for?" The classroom quieted down. "As you are aware, Ashe has decided to join us for the time being. Be sure to treat him kindly."

"No need to worry about that, Professor!" Balthus grinned and slung an arm over Ashe's shoulder, nearly knocking the poor boy to the ground due to the sudden shift in weight. "We'll make him feel nice and comfy! Hey, before you know it, he'll be begging to ditch the Blue Lions and hang with us."

Yuri snickered. "Wouldn't that be something? So, Prof, what's the agenda for today? Another round of training?"

"Must we?" Constance groaned. "I've discovered I have more bruises than Balthus does after he gets into a fight!"

"Have you learned how to wield your lance properly?" Constance looked away with a pout. "If so, we'll continue with your current training regiment. Ashe, you will be partnered with me for now." The aforementioned student nodded. "Lastly, there will be an exam at the end of the month. I want to see how far you've come to understand how things go on the battlefield."

Without wasting any time, Byleth grabbed his training sword and turned to the Ashen Wolves. "Meet me at the training grounds. We begin immediately."

Training had been an uneventful affair. Out of the four, Constance was showing the steadiest level of improvement. She did not fumble nearly as bad as she used to, though she still had trouble defending herself against relentless assaults. A few seconds of slashing away at her guard continuously and she crumbled easily. He would give her credit for being stubborn, though. She refused to give up and pressed forward in spite of the difference in ability. Perhaps was almost ready to graduate from a spear and move on to things that would give her an advantage when casting magic.

Hapi showed excellent progress of her own. In fact, Byleth wondered if he even really needed to teach her how to use a lance in the first place and decided to have her move on to horseback riding. Given her proficiency in magic, riding a horse would allow for her to move about much more easily and give her plenty of breathing room in case things became hairy. Of course, one problem was dealing with opponents who could knock her off her horse or kill it. Byleth faced many enemies who seemed to favor a horseslayer sword, impractical as it was.

The only one making slow progress was Balthus, but that was to be expected. They had only begun this training regimen a few days ago, and unlike Constance or Hapi who were learning how to fight with a weapon to a certain level of comfort and confidence, Balthus was training his body to handle extra weight in armor. That wasn't something that was going to improve in a few days. Learning how to fight with a weapon was one thing, but learning to have your body adapt to something was something else entirely. That said, the training did have some benefits. Balthus' body was slowly becoming accustomed to the extra weight, and whenever the weights were off, he was slightly faster than before. Byleth had trouble keeping up with his fists when they decided to discard the armor and test his mobility with it off.

Yuri's training was going about as Byleth had expected. Like he thought, the house leader was a natural when it came to swordsmanship and leadership, even if he played dirty. No matter who his foe was, he held nothing back and used every kind of trick he could to gain the upper hand. Step on someone's unprotected foot with the stiletto of his heeled boots? Kick someone in the groin? Throw sand or dirt in their eyes? All was fair game as far as he was concerned. Violently efficient and brutal in combat, and a cunning strategist to boot if his performance in the mock battle was of any indication. To test his leadership abilities, Byleth pitted him in a hypothetical scenario where he was given a company of soldiers with a tendency to not follow orders and the enemy had them cornered in a mountain region. The only escape route was behind the enemy soldiers.

Desperation could make a person do things they wouldn't otherwise think of doing, such as throwing somebody else in the line of fire and make their escape. Of course, if they did that in a situation like the one Byleth proposed to Yuri, they would be cut down by either their own comrades or by the enemy before they even had a chance to flee.

"I'm used to handling rambunctious kinds," Yuri told him as he began to offer his strategy and battle plan. "Though you're really making me work here, Prof. You didn't give me much info aside from the fact that I have to work with a troublesome group and the enemy's cut off our only escape route, not to mention we're fighting in the mountains. I could think of at least six different strategies, but it'd depend on whether or not that troublesome group would listen to my orders. If you ask me, what soldiers depend on isn't a leader who can lead them to victory. Just because they'll be able to lead them to victory doesn't mean they'll make it out of there in one piece. They will lose some of their comrades, and while they will have made it out alive, it doesn't change the facts."

"Then what do you think a group like this needs?" Byleth questioned.

Yuri gave him a strange smile in response. "Someone they can trust. Even if that person can't lead them to victory, being able to trust them means they're one of them. To a leader who thinks of victory, they'd just be parts of a machine and toss any parts that don't work anymore. To a leader who trusts in his men and they trust him in turn, they're all part of a machine and work together. To put it another way, they're a family I guess you could say. And if a leader they trust can help them win, hey. Bonus."

He continued by offering Byleth the means in which he could escape the enemy's clutches. Though Yuri admitted the plan would involve casualties, the plan he proposed would at offer the least amount of deaths on his side. The other plans he proposed would have much greater chances of success, but they would have involved a lot of deaths on both sides, not just his.

Byleth gave him a passing grade; both because of how he handled hypothetical situation he gave him and the fact that he didn't see the men under his command as just soldiers. They were brothers-in-arms, and he would damn well make sure they would live to see another day if he could help it.

Part of him felt envious that Yuri could express such sentiments so easily. It also made Byleth think deeply about how he saw the soldiers under his command whenever Jeralt passed him the reigns during a job.

His fellow mercenaries and colleagues trusted him to a degree; he was the captain's son and they fought alongside him before. And Byleth trusted them to watch his back just as he would theirs.

But, what are they to me?

Jeralt mentioned to him briefly that some mercenary bands saw themselves as family. In some cases, that was true. In fact, Byleth encountered one such band of mercenaries during his early days shortly after he joined his father's band. He saw how they all laughed and cheered with each other so jovially; a group made up of runaways and orphans and the like. They had met when the companies were hired at the same time by a lord in Adrestia, requesting their assistance in routing some bandits.

The scene in which he saw them dancing and partying with each other was as foreign to him as it was odd and mystifying.

If they saw each other as family, how did Byleth see the Sword Bearers?

The answer was simple, if a little odd and depressing. They were allies and comrades. To Byleth, they were people he would trust to fight alongside him, but that was it. They expected him to be more than that, he realized. To his allies, he was a precious part of their group. True, some were off-put by his demeanor, but he was still part of their band. Maybe they even considered him to be a close friend?

Byleth wasn't sure, honestly. He saw the Sword Bearers the same way he saw his students.

The thought was perplexing as it was irritating, as it was something Byleth couldn't really understand. What was the difference? What was-

"Professor Byleth?"

The mercenary paused, thoughts broken by Ashe's look of concern. The boy had fallen out of his stance and was staring at him. "It's nothing," he assured Ashe and pushed his own thoughts away for now. "How does it feel?"

"It's great!" Ashe beamed, giving the rapier a few swings. "It's very light, though I'm not sure about the weights." He tugged at the metal collars around his wrists. "You said these would help build up arm strength?"

"Correct."

If Ashe was going to handle a sword properly, he would have to make his arms stronger first. Granted, using weights with a light sword such as the rapier would make it a bit difficult for Ashe to wield properly, especially when the weights would come off, but it would pay off in the long haul.

So far, the Blue Lions was absorbing his lessons very well. His posture was fixed and more narrow, his knees were closer together and his stance didn't have nearly as many holes as it did before. While he wouldn't be able to defend against broader weapons properly anytime soon, this would make for a good starting point for him.

The two continued their lessons for a while, Byleth watching and offering criticisms and help whenever Ashe needed it while the latter went about the exercises the professor gave him. After the half-hour mark passed, he took a short break and doused his head in cold water from a nearby bucket.

"This…really is something," Ashe murmured, feeling slightly winded. "If this is the kind of training you put your house through, it's no wonder you won the mock battle."

Byleth shook his head. "I didn't do much. The credit should go to Yuri."

"Maybe, but he still won thanks to you. At least, that's how I see it, anyway." Ashe's smile grew wry. "Did you know Felix hasn't stopped scowling ever since you beat him? I don't know if you've lit a fire under him or wounded his pride. Or maybe you did both. Either way, it's rare to see him so fired up."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not really. At the very least, seeing him working so hard makes me motivated." Ashe looked up at Byleth curiously. "Say, Professor? Do you mind if I ask you something? Why did you accept a teaching position here? I mean, you could have argued your case and became a Knight of Seiros. So, why…?"

"I accepted the position because it was offered to me. Nothing more."

"That's the only reason?"

Byleth tilted his head. "Do I need another reason?"

Though he would admit, it was less that he accepted the position and more as if he did not have much of a choice. He still didn't understand why the archbishop entrusted him with a task like this when there was surely someone else better suited. Not helping was Jeralt's distrust towards Rhea, which led to even more questions.

"I suppose not," Ashe accepted his answer. "Isn't it difficult, though? I mean, teaching us when you're a mercenary?"

The mercenary sighed. "I admit, it is difficult. Still, I intend to perform my tasks to the best of my ability."

"…you're really something else, aren't you, Professor Byleth?" Ashe smiled for some reason. A gleam entered his eyes. "You know, at first I wasn't sure what to think when His Highness mentioned you. But, talking with you like this… It's like you're a knight from those story books."

"A knight?" Where on earth had he reached that conclusion?

"Yeah, a knight! Dedicated to his task, performing to the best of his ability… That sort of thing." Ashe paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Though I don't recall any knights ever being as stoic as you are."

The bell began to chime.

"Looks like our time is up," Byleth noted as he helped unfasten the weights from Ashe's wrists. "We can resume our lesson tomorrow if you're still interested."

"Yes! Thank you, professor." Ashe bowed his head. "I'll see you again tomorrow."

It was after classes had ended that Byleth decided to visit his father in the hopes of asking him for a favor. As the Ashen Wolves made significant progress, he figured it was time for them to move on to practical battles and test how effective they were against numerous enemies. Taking Hapi's apparent distaste for the Knights of Seiros into account, he thought it was best to arrange a battle with the Sword Bearers instead.

He stood in front of his father's office and wrapped his gauntlet against the door. "Father? Are you in?"

"Come on in, kid!" Jeralt's rough voice carried through the door.

Byleth opened the door and stepped inside, only to pause when he saw Aelfric and Seteth present.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"You are fine, Byleth," Aelfric assured him. "In truth, Seteth and I just finished our business with your father when you arrived."

Jeralt scoffed. "To be continued more like, what with what you're asking me to do."

"I understand it's a tall order, but it is what the archbishop asks," Seteth told him sternly. "Though admittedly, I wouldn't have come to you had our more reliable clergymen be so difficult."

Byleth frowned. What were they discussing?

"Let's save that for another time, gentlemen," Aelfric diffused the situation. "Let's continue this conversation another time."

Seteth obviously didn't seem very happy with the conclusion, but he didn't raise any complaints and brusquely left the room. Aelfric offered him a small smile as he left, patting him on the shoulder and exiting the room, closing the door shut behind him.

As soon as they were gone, Jeralt grumbled something unintelligible beneath his breath while dragging his hand down his face. "Good grief. Haven't even been back for a month and this happens."

"What was that about?" Byleth asked out of curiosity.

"It's nothing you need to worry about for now. Just some trouble with the place Aelfric is in charge of." Jeralt's answer was utterly vague. It was obvious there was something he wasn't telling Byleth, but what it could have been he was not entirely sure. Regardless, he kept his mouth shut. "So, what brings you here, kid? I doubt it's a social call."

"I'd like to borrow some of your men," Byleth requested as politely as he could. "I think it's time for the Ashen Wolves to receive some hands-on approach regarding battle tactics."

"Is that all?" Jeralt smiled wryly. "You don't need to ask my permission for that, Byleth. They'll follow your orders just as well as they would mine. You are their vice-commander. To them, your word is just as good as mine."

Is it really, though? Byleth wasn't sure.

"Thank you."

"How's life as a professor treating you?" Jeralt asked him suddenly. "Getting used to it?" Byleth frowned and shook his head. How could he be used to it? He had been hired on barely even a month ago and he still knew very little about his students. "I figured as much. To be honest, I felt a little worried you wouldn't get along very well with these kids. I mean, sure, not all of them are bad, but some of the nobles here grate on your nerves pretty quickly."

"I haven't had any trouble with them so far."

"Well, that's good at least." Jeralt smiled again. "Say, when's your off-day? We haven't gone fishing in a while."

An unfamiliar sensation rushes through Byleth. When was the last time they had gone fishing?

"…I believe I will have Sunday off."

"Ah, so tomorrow then. Perfect. I'll tell Alois he gets to be captain for a day, then."

Night descended. The moon had changed its color, signifying that the Great Tree Moon had retreated and the Harpstring Moon had taken its place. By now, the students had returned to their dormitories and were well asleep while the guards patrolled the grounds, eyes peeled for intruders and the like.

Byleth returned to his own room, the door closing shut behind him. He felt exhausted, but couldn't place the reason why. He had not battled or engaged in warfare as he normally would to elicit such fatigue, yet ever since he arrived at Garreg Mach, it felt as though the lessons alone were taxing.

He plopped on his bed, face buried in his pillow. He had yet to become accustomed to sleeping on a bed that was a thousand times more comfortable than any bed in an inn.

"What a day…"

"How sad, you've only been at this for a month and yet you struggle."

Byleth snorted. "You try dealing with…"

—hm? Wait a moment.

Byleth raised his head. There, in the corner of his room, a familiar little green with long green hair floated five feet in the air and stared at him with a bemused expression.

He blinked. She stared back.

"…Sothis?"

Sothis smiled. "Glad to see your wits have not been lost to you. And here I feared you would have dismissed me as a mere dream or hallucination. For the record, I would have been very cross with you if you had!"

The mercenary had no response to that. Instead, he merely let his face fall back into his pillow and ignored the girl's spluttering cries.

He was too tired to deal with this…

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oh wow, this chapter is very early. And slightly longer than the previous one.

Then again, it does help me give the Blue Lions, specifically Ashe, some screen time. I figured I might as well take the opportunity to give the future wolves some screen time, and give a decent explanation as to how they would transfer.

I don't think I've ever really said this, but my god is it hard writing Byleth pre-timeskip. I have no idea why, but writing someone who rarely ever emotes and would act in a machine or logical way is really difficult for me. I think I'm getting better at writing By, but I'm not sure.

Sadly, this will probably be my last update for a while. I will be offline for the next few days. It recently came to my attention that the apartment I'm staying in had a recent visit from the health department. Apparently, two of my neighbors had covid-19! I don't normally scare easily, but just to be on the safe side, I reached out to a friend of mine and he said he would help me move my stuff over to his place. Until things calm down or covid passes, whichever comes first, I'll be staying with him.

Thought I would let you guys know ahead of time.

On another note, I recently decided to add Warframe to my gaming repertoire.

Why did I not get this game sooner?

As usual, special thanks go to Starlight's Poet for his amazing contributions to this work. Also, friendly reminder that this story also has a TV Tropes page, so maybe you guys could check it out and possibly add to it? Additionally, Ashen Wolves has now been published on Spacebattles. It is currently up to Chapter 4, but I will add later chapters when I have the time.

Stay safe, everyone.

REVIEWS

Maxamumdes: Honestly, I think that's pretty much everyone's headcanon about how Jeritza would have become the Black Eagles' Professor, given what Caspar says if you elect to become the Black Eagles' Professor.

Starlight's Poet: Again, thank you for your help. You have been invaluable to me since I first started writing on this site alongside Donjusticia.

romeoraiden: Congratulations, you make me want to replay Awakening. To be honest, thinking up of how the fight would go in my head was easy enough. It was putting it into words that proved to be a challenge.