Some clean up/disclaimers:

Its a fanfiction for Fire Emblem Three Houses. I plan on following the story rather loosely, so it will be a blend of the routes.

You can expect me to kind of do my own thing, from my OC's Lilianna's point of view, but I'll include characters and events as I see fit.

You can expect an adventure, action, drama, some laughable moments with sprinklings of fluffy romance.

Oh - and word of warning - long slow burns - character development - story and plot lines - a very meaty works - so prepare are a long haul -


Month of Harpstring Moon - The Long Dusty Road

Chapter 1

The red-brown dust from the worn, well traveled, dirt road drifted slightly to the west to align with the setting sun. I pulled the end of my trailing scarf further up my face to cover my nose in a vain attempt to not breathe in the stifling unsettled dust and debris being kicked up by a long line of carts in front of us. The trade caravan I had been recruited onto had only just entered Fodlan covering the passage through the rugged mountains of the Locket. We were a little over a fortnight into the month-long journey.

The long caravan of horses, carts, and oxen were the cause of all the dirt being kicked up, but as one of the last to join the caravan, I was stationed at the very tail end of the entourage. I coughed as a pasty, gritty substance formed in my mouth despite my cloth mask making everything brackish and unpleasant. I reached for my waterskin and took a drink in order to cleanse my mouth.

The sunlight was just starting to set on the horizon, marking a visible end to the dust. I was pretty sure we were going to need to stop for the night soon. My eyes scanned the horizon once more, the towering crests and peaks of the large mountain range causing me an uncharacteristic amount of unease.

Once again I was beginning to think that maybe I should have tried to travel alone, but there was safety in numbers. The path between the two nations I was now traveling between was well known for its amount of bandits, each side blaming the other while rogues and highwaymen raided caravans wherever, and whenever, they pleased.

The warm, stale, water did nothing to ease the unpleasant dirty taste in my mouth and it caught in the back of my throat painfully causing me to start coughing. My rough and ready traveling companion next to me probably guessed what I was trying to do as a rough cough racked my body. Through his own scarf, Navan's strong accent came out in a deep brass baritone.

"Ach, wee lassy. Huv a drink o'dis."

The highlander mercenary had been traveling with me for several years now, and now he leaned over and offered me a draft from his whisky flask. I shook my head to decline his offer as I continued coughing feeling like my lungs were going to pop. The brawny man leaned over from his own horse as my own stalled in place and gave me a couple of firm wacks on my back.

The gesture was well meaning enough, but it caused me to lose my breath completely. However, it did solve one of my issues which was that I had finally stopped coughing. Through painful tears, I staggered in the saddle shuttering, regaining my breath. My horse was unimpressed with my behavior and huffed, pawing the ground as I went to nudge it forward.

The horse stayed stationary as I tried to nudge it forward once again. The beast snorted at me and finally started moving again as my traveling companion laughed.

"Ach aught not give thee wee beaste so much freedom."

I rolled my eyes and tried for a second time to take a drink of water. This time was successful as my friend scanned the horizon with me.

"Ack, thou whist be wise in camping here soon."

I finished taking my drink, speaking in a raspy voice still a bit horse from coughing. "You are only thinking about your dinner."

"So is I, well as other folks too." Navan agreed readily as I sighed in agreement.

"I'm hungry too…"

I stopped speaking as something glinted off in the direction of the setting sun. I took a second to inspect it further and cursed violently. My hands started moving to point.

"I think we have company to our west."

Navan scoffed but turned to where I indicated. "Ani't noth'n out there but bush lands and heather lassy."

He caught the same glint of steel that caught my eye, as a few more sparkles moved further down the rocky terrain.

I squinted and looked harder into the setting sun. "We are not due to encounter any other caravans, or another border patrol just yet."

My companion hauled out his heavy double-bladed axe as I tensed in the saddle. "Ach, it be bandits. No doubt."

"Ambush!" I yelled out as my riding companion galloped towards the edge of the road. I hazarded a glance behind me and noted that the rest of the caravan was already starting to respond to the incoming threat. The fighters from the front for the caravan turned towards us as the hillside came alive with bandits.


The battle was much shorter than I initially expected, due to a small battalion of Fodlan knights jumping in and lending us a hand during the last final push. I dismounted off my horse teetering on the brink of exhaustion, unable to completely feel my legs. Desperately I clung to my saddle horn, trying to regain my sense of equilibrium as my feet connected with the red-brown dirt.

Magic wasn't infinite and it taxed my body heavily with prolonged use, leaving most mages exhausted after only a couple of spells. I felt each and every spell I had cast in battle, my body screaming for a rest. Internally I felt about finished, but my job for the night wasn't done just yet. I staggered towards the crowd of people, knowing that after every battle there were wounded to tend to.

My faith and healing magic was part of the reason I had been invited to join this caravan in the first place. Skilled magic uses were rare, and it was even rarer that one was traveling around with no money to purchase fair passage. So, after some bartering, the caravan leader had paid both Navan and my way in exchange for our aid and magic skills.

Once down by the fire it was time for me to start working again. Thankfully there were not too many wounded from what I could tell in the typical post battle confusion. Some of the knights that had come to our aid had others who practiced the faith magics, and their healers were already at work. With militarized efficiency they had already begun tending to anyone who had been hurt. Much to my relief I only had to cast a few minor healing spells before the camp settled down for the night.

Exhausted and tired I left the medical tents and forced myself to walk back to the last caravan to get my sleeping bag. It wasn't worth pitching a private tent tonight, with the hastily made camp now over crowded with both the knight's and caravan's traders, there was no room for everyone to pitch tents.

I successfully crawled into the caravan and retrieved my sleeping bag and pack. Wistfully I opened the sack only to confirm what my tired eyes did not want to see. I had no rations left, not even crumbs. It was dark enough I couldn't even fathom attempting to hunt for a meal either.

With a sign I jumped out of the back of the caravan and wobbled as I landed. I was coming off the battlefield high much later than most of my companions and my body's adaline was wearing out leaving me utterly exhausted. As I landed a sharp pain went thru my body and I looked down at my torso and arm wondering why it hurt so much. Under the edges of my leather armor I noticed a deep blue and purple bruise. I wanted to care, but my exhaustion was too great to really consider the issue fully. My mind kept blanking out as I staggered along towards an empty spot out under a nearby tree. Painfully I started going through the motions, laying out my bedroll.

"Hey, you're not going to sleep there are you?" A random drawling feminine voice inquired in a questioning tone.

I was still going through the motions, just giving an incoherent answer. "Hmm…"

"Oh I know! Why not come over here? You don't want to be sleeping over there under those trees! Why not come over here where it's nicer?"

I sighed heavily and turned to see a long, pink haired, female that I had never seen before. I blinked a few times and proceeded to sit down on my mat. "Cause I'm part of the rear guard."

"Are you really? Gosh you seem so thin! I thought you were one of the civilians the caravan is guarding."

I ignored her offhanded comment as I started unlacing a bloody boot. "If you don't know who I am or what I am doing, that means you're one of the knights then. Well Lady...?" I realized I didn't know her name as I fought to hold back a yawn.

"Oh how silly of me! I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Hilda." She smiled as she clasped her hands behind her back, apparently waiting for me to introduce myself in turn.

I wasn't in the mood for pleasantries, and tried to keep as civil a tongue as possible as I answered flatly. "Lady Hilda then, I bid you goodnight."

I poked my head into my bedroll and removed the herbs I kept in there in order to keep bugs and other critters out of my belongings and started to pull off my well worn traveling cape. I went to fold it and dismissively noticed it had picked up another few rips. I made a mental note to mend them later as I set it to the side.

"Really! I must insist! You should sleep over here!" Hilda's air of concern bordered on urgency as I pulled off my over shirt and began unlacing my bracers. The cause for her concern became more evident a few seconds later.

"Hey there cutie! Do you mind if I sleep here for the night?" A lanky redhead slung a bed roll down next to mine without waiting for an answer.

"Sylvain! Really?" Hilda's concerned voice grated on my ears. "You can't sleep next to her! Think about what the professor would say if she found out!"

I stood back up and started to unlace my greaves without a comment to the two outsiders arguing next to me.

"Why not? You kicked me out of the girls area! The professor said we are supposed to be rear guard and that there is safety in numbers!"

Now Hilda's request to have me move seemed to make a bit more sense. The boy next to me, Sylvain, had started to unpack his own bedroll as another fellow wandered over with a plate of food and his own gear.

"Hey, Umm…" Hilda was caught in the same trap I was earlier and I roughly tossed out my name as my leather armor hit the ground.

"Lilianna."

"Oh so your name's Lilianna. That certain is unique." She brought her hands closer to her face in a very feminine posture. "Are you just going to stay here while these men sleep all around you?"

"Wouldn't be the first time, probably won't be the last." I grunted as I moved my armor down to the side of my bedroll and proceeded to slide down inside my sleeping bag. As a traveler this definitely was not the first time I had slept out in a camp with a bunch of men. I was more than capable of taking care of myself in a pinch and more than one person had learned that the hard way.

My thoughts lulled to drone out the conversation that was more than likely being directed at me. Almost immediately after I snuggled down into my blankets, I felt the most intense stinging sensation in my side and it quickly grew to be unbearable as I shifted to try to get more comfortable. With an angry hiss, I crawled back out of my bedroll and stood back up in irritation.

A blue haired man that had just joined us was watching me intensely while the other two bickered about where I should be allowed to sleep. The redhead picked up on my hiss of discomfort quickly enough.

"Hey there Felix. Oh hello! Something the matter there, beautiful? Don't want to sleep alone?"

I ignored his offer and yanked my shirt up to my bust line without a second thought for modesty. At the same time I held my hand out and summoned a small white light. The bright magic sparkled around the area as it revealed the source of my intense discomfort. There was a low whistle from the redhead as my magic revealed a large black and blue bruise. I grumbled and let my shirt fall back down as I tried to recall when I had picked the injury up. Through my foggy, exhausted, brain I started to recall the incident where I had been shieldbashed off my horse while I picked off the archers on the ridgetop and groaned.

"Figures...This is such a pain." I muttered as I let the light fade, gingerly touching the tender spot on my side. Even the light movement caused me a lot of discomfort.

"Oh, you poor thing! That looks pretty painful! Maybe you should come with me and see the healers. They can fix you right up!" Hilda tried to convince me to move yet again as another male walked up.

A tall lanky blond entered my field of vision hauling his sleeping gear. "Oh, it's you Hilda. Why are you in the mens...oh my!"

I ignored the newcomer, my mind still trying to figure out if it was worth putting my boots back on to go back over to the campfire, only to return after a minor healing spell or if I could risk waiting until morning.

My teetering stance caught the blond's attention. "Ah, Miss! Whatever are you doing here at the rear of the caravan?"

He caught me touching my side with a wince and barked an order at the redhead putting down his bedroll next to me. "Sylvain! What are you doing there? Oh! You are injured! Sylvain could you go fetch Mercedes from the medical unit?"

The redhead stopped staring at me and blinked. "Ah, sure thing your highness."

At the mere mention of royalty I blanched and I started to protest. "It's fine really, please do not worry about it. I'll have it looked after in the morning."

Sylvain finished pulling off his breastplate and set it to the side. "It's no trouble cutie, I'll make sure you're well looked after." The way Sylvian delivered that line, immediately had me questioning his motives.

The redhead winked at me before departing and I couldn't quite fathom what was going on as the blond started to rant."Really Sylvain! Must I have this chat with you daily?"

The blond shook his head and dropped his gear a respectable distance from mine while Felix took the hint and moved Sylvain's unoccupied sleeping bag away from mine.

"Look, I appreciate all your assistance...your highness, but I am very capable of taking care of myself." I tried to reason with my unexpected guests, waiting nothing more than to finally rest after a long battle.

"Nonsense, it is a knight's duty. It is not your fault."

The blond turned away from me as Hilda stood there watching us. She seemed to be studying the situation before she spoke again. When she did it was to the blond who was fretting over me.

"Say, Dimitri, wouldn't it be better if she came over to our camp to sleep with us women? We can keep her safe from any tricks Sylvain might try to pull. I mean couldn't it be a bit dangerous to leave her here injured like that?"

I rolled my eyes and settled back down into my sleeping gear not caring much about whatever was going to come next. I was already starting to doze when I heard the annoyed voice of Felix.

"Would you give it a rest already? She's exhausted and doesn't want to move. Leave well enough alone."

I was awoken shortly thereafter by a blue haired female with stunningly deep blue eyes and an almost expressionless face. Kneeling next to me and the expressionless woman, was the grinning redhead Sylvain.

"Hey, I couldn't find Mercedes, but I found our professor instead. She agreed to help check you out!"

The redhead grinned as I groaned, not wanting to wake up. "I just want to sleep..."

My stomach rumbled in accompaniment to my complaint as I went to sit up gingerly. Sylvain readily offered me a helping hand as I attempted to hold back a hiss of pain.

"Well now, that sounds like an excellent plan. Surely you don't need my assistance then." I shifted my gaze to identify the soft spoken speaker. The green haired man yawned and curled up in his sleeping bag. "I'll leave her to you then professor, good night."

The smallest hint of a frown creased the professor's face the soft speaker shuffled in his sleeping bag.

"Linhardt, you need the practice and there isn't any blood." The professor commented in a dry, seemingly, unimpressed voice.

The green haired man just sighed and rolled over to face away from us. "Why would you think that bit of information would entice me to get out of my precious bed?"

Another man, with silver hair and a darker complexion carrying two plates full of food entered my field of vision as he walked behind Sylvain. "Your highness, I have bought you your dinner."

I was seriously regretting my decision to not move to the girls side of camp as another three men showed up on this side of camp. I looked up as the professor offered to help me stand up.

"Ah that is where you have been Dedue, thank you." Dimitri accepted a plate of food as Sylvain took my other hand.

"It's on her right side, professor." The redhead moved my arm a bit and I couldn't resist inhaling sharply in pain as the Sylvain lifted my shirt up. "Huh? Did I hurt you? Oh, that looks brutal. Professor what do you think?"

Cool calculating blue eyes admired my side but thankfully she didn't reach out to touch it. "Looks like you took a heavy blunt force hit. Was it a hammer or something else?"

I felt myself flushing under the attention and wished I could just disappear into the aether. "A shield." I admitted reluctantly wishing they would stop staring.

"You were walking around the healers area like it was nothing! How could you do that with a wound like this?" Sylvain let my arm drop and raked his fingers through his hair. "I thought you were just ignoring me earlier, but you're really out of it aren't you? Are you sure you didn't hit your head in battle as well?"

The professor shook her head. "You shouldn't stay here. Come with me to the medical unit. We can tend to your wounds."

I looked down at my boots with a huge sigh. "I don't know why you're bothering with me really, I am fine. I just want to sleep."

"It's our duty as nobles to look after our civilians." A violet haired male appeared out of the dim light with a timid looking green haired male with glasses. "Our job here is to help support the merchant caravan and stop the bandits. So, you getting hurt is technically our duty."

Just how many of them are there? I had to question myself as I held my head.

"Well that and you're sleeping here as a rear guard. We kind of took over that duty." Sylvain clasped his hands behind his head as my feet were swept out from under me.

"E-excuse me?!" I gasp feeling my side start burning.

"You weren't moving so I am carrying you." The professor stopped for a second to stare at Hilda. "Can you make sure her gear is moved to the other side of camp?"

"Aww, do I have to?" The professor gave her a pointed glare and she mumbled. "Sure thing professor, you can count on me."


The next thing I knew I was back over by the bonfire and mage lights, having my wounds tended to despite my protests of just wanting to sleep. Well I thought they were bruises, but the professor pointedly informed me that they were more than just bruises. I had apparently cracked a couple of ribs when I had been smashed off my horse.

"Figures…" I muttered, my breath hitching as the professor's cool hands drifted over my ribs.

"I am not able to fix these and I don't see Manuela anywhere." The professor removed her hand and leaned her head on it in thought. I took a shallow breath without any pain and proceeded to shrug.

"Does this mean I can go back to sleep then?"

"No, it means you're going to sit here and wait until I can locate a more proficient healer for you."

I pursed my lips and retorted. "Really, all this for a commoner like me?"

"Of course?" The professor looked kind of confused by my question as a hulking blond lumbered past accompanied by a shorter male with a side braid who was laughing jovially.

"Hold still a second." The professor instructed as she called out to one of the passersby. "Claude! Do you have a second?"

The pair walking past the medical tent stopped and looked around. Pale green eyes locked onto the professor in an instant and I caught sight of an easy grin tugging on his lips as he realized who was calling to him. "Hey Teach, what's up? Kind of late isn't it?"

The towering blond hulk took a giant bite out of, what I could only guess was half a chicken, and replied. "Do you need me too professor?"

The massive blond followed behind the green eyed Claude by a few strides, preoccupied with his dinner.

"Actually, yes Raphael. If you two have a minute, I was hoping to ask you if you have seen Professor Manuela anywhere?"

The pair turned to one another and shrugged in unison.

"She wasn't down by where they were handing out dinner. That's for sure!" Raphael laughed as his companion's eyes narrowed in thought. He studied the professor for a second, then the narrow eyes flicked to the inside of the tent to land on me. The youth appeared to be thinking intently as his eyes locked on me.

I realized I was staring and I promptly yawned to hide my embarrassment. The stretch felt good until my ribs protested and I hunched back over with a groan. "Uhhh…"

The professor waited for an answer as I stared at the ground my eyes starting to water in pain. I heard Claude answer her after a short beat. "Hmm, na sorry Tech I don't think I have. I'll keep an eye out for her though and let her know you were looking for her."

Utterly done with how much of a fuss was being made over me I stood up with a huff."I said I'm fine! I can deal with it."

I gave up on hoping to save my stockings from dirt and holes as I made for the opposite exit at the other side of the tent. I made it a few lengths out of the tent when I ran into someone short, wearing full plate armor. The impact knocked the breath out of me and my world started to spin pretty quickly.

The world spun and ended with my vision rapidly being consumed with an inky blackness. White hair and purple eyes leaned over me in earnest, their mouth talking silently as I vaguely recalled hearing someone yelling. The inky blackness turned the purple eyes to darkness, as a blissful nothingness overtook my consciousness.


I wasn't sure how long I was out for but when I cracked my eyes open next, it was light out. I could not recall anything past the abrupt yelling from last night, so I wasn't totally sure where I was at anymore.

"Uhhh..." I let the unrestricted groan fall from my lips as I reached up to ruffle my hair.

"Oh, you're awake..." A disheveled light blue haired lady gasped softly in surprise next to me and then moved slightly before going silent.

I waited a few more minutes, trying to get my bearings and realized I was staring up at a off-white canvas. The rocking motion came next. The sensation slowly told me that we were moving, and from there I concluded that I was in one of the caravan wagons. I went to push myself up only to feel my stomach cramp dramatically in its own pain.

A fiery sensation overtook me, feeling like it was ripping itself through my entire stomach with extreme pain. The bitter pain could only mean one thing to me. I had gone too many hours without eating.

Given what had happened yesterday, and the day prior, on top of surviving a battle with bandits, using an uncustomary large amount of magic...of course I was going to feel like absolute hell afterwards. The only issue that wasn't normal for me was that now I had to deal with these strange knights on top of it. Which I had yet to receive a satisfactory answer as to why they were bothering this much. It wasn't like my injury was life threatening or anything for them to concern themselves with. So why was I being taken care of so diligently?

"I-I'm sorry!" The disheveled lady in front of me panicked and apologized.

The sudden fierceness of her apology caught me off guard and I stopped trying to unravel the mystery. "Huh? Did you do something?"

I checked around, but saw nothing of interest in the wagon other than the ceiling was riding a bit lower than normal.

"Oh, no. I didn't..but…"

I attempted to sit up again, and succeeded on the second try. Once I was in sitting position I wrapped my arms around my stomach with a groan. It was a relief to notice that my side and arm no longer hurt.

"A-are you hungry?"

"No, I am fine…" I tried to brush off her offer with some grace, but my stomach told us both I was lying.

"It's ok...if you...don't want food from me, I understand."

I felt some level of concern for the girl who had been taking care of me. "It's nothing you did, trust me. I just don't have any food...or currency for food, and I don't want to be any more indebted to you knights then I already am."

"Oh…"

The lady looked away from me and I sighed. She didn't make any moves to stop me as I struggled out of the makeshift cot and crawled towards the exit.

At the mention of food, the hulking blond from last night poked his head under the canvas with a huge grin."Did someone say food? I'll take any spares you have Marianne."

"I-I am sorry Raphael. I..don't…"

His face fell as I peaked out the canvas flap. The dusty road had changed to reveal a much greener landscape. The countryside was ripe with trees, bushes, and dense forest. In the distance I could just make out Fodlan's Throat, the mountain peaks reaching for the sky in their rugged glory a fair distance from where we had been yesterday.

I sat down at the edge of the wagon, grabbing the side for support as I looked out on the scenery.

"Hey, shouldn't you still be resting?" Raphael inquired jovially as he leaned over towards me.

"No, I am alright now." I answered reluctantly, internally wishing that all these knights would just leave me alone. My eyes looked over the caravan wagons and the riders nearest us, noticing the side looks and whispers from the riders on the flanks. I pushed my hair out of my eyes and sighed realizing I had a problem. "Wait, where is the rest of my gear?"

Raphael seemed to take a minute to think and then he smiled."Oh, you want to know where your gear is? Your buddy Navan told us to leave it with him. He also said to leave your horse with him too!."

My mind swirled at the new information.

What position were we due to ride in today?

It took me a bit longer then normal to come up with the answer, Mid-flank.

Raphael leaned away from me, finally giving me some space, or so I thought. A second later the pale green eyed male he had been with yesterday, Claude, dropped down from the top of the caravan.

Internally I mused that his sudden appearance explained the sinking ceiling I had woke up to. I swung my legs over to the side to make room for him as he dangled upside down with a grin.

"C-Claude?" Marianne stuttered behind me and shifted towards the front of the wagon with dead, haunted looking eyes.

Claude ignored her and gave me all his attention with a quick wink. "A little birdy told me you were hungry?"

Claude's pale emerald eyes shone as his hand reached into the front of his jacket pocket. He began by pulling out an apple, then a small wedge of cheese, and finally stopped a few small sticks of jerky treats. My mouth started watering immediately as Claude held the food out in front of me. I gulped and tried to control myself, waiting for him to name his price.

"Don't worry it's not poisoned or anything." He reassured me as he held the food out with an easy smile. I struggled to tell if he was lying or not. Tentatively, I decided to risk if what he said was true. I held out my hands. My nervousness was not lost on him, but something in his smile seemed to brighten as he dropped the apple into it. I gazed at the fruit in wonder for a second, and then looked back up at him questioningly.

"What is this going to cost me?"

Claude's upside-down smile grew a bit brighter as I took a tentative bite from the apple. It took me a moment to realize I was staring at him again, and I promptly averted my gaze.

He replied cheekily to my hesitant question. "Nothing much, I just figured I would be nice and grab your attention early. Beat out the competition a bit this time around since I lost out last time.."

Claude's response did not make me any less hesitant about accepting free food. There had to be some kind of catch and I wanted to know what it would be. I took another bite of the apple trying to determine if he had actually poisoned the apple or not.

"Claude, that's not the most reassuring thing to say to her, You didn't actually poison it did you?"

Claude laughed as he dropped down next to me. His sudden presence next to me caused me to choke. I thumped on my chest trying to swallow. Raphael gave me a strange look but gave me a solid whack to the back.

"Hey now, ya don't need to scarf the whole thing in one go! Well, unless you're that hungry!" Raphael laughed as Claude hailed the person who was lecturing him.

"Aww Teach, you wound me! I wouldn't poison the civilians."

The professor gave Claude a firm look and then sighed as if she clearly did not believe him. "If that's so, why are all the bandits we captured vomiting?"

Claude's green eyes glittered as he smirked back at her. "No idea, but that serves them right for attacking the caravan, huh?"

I finished my apple and Claude turned to offer me the cheese and jerky next. I shook my head as the professor approached, preparing to jump off the wagon.

"No, Thank you. I appreciate the food but I really need to get back to guard duty." I pushed the proffered handkerchief containing the cheese and jerky back towards him. I was already beginning to deeply regret accepting the apple from him, and I couldn't bear the thought of playing any other game he might have been scheming by gifting me food.

"Hey wait! Take it!" Claude's face widened in surprise at my rejected offer and he pushed it back to me. "Really! I didn't poison it!"

I hopped off the wagon and landed on the ground with a casual wave. "I feel a lot better now thanks to everyone's help. I really appreciate it. I am really sorry for all the trouble I have caused you all."

I moved to the side of the road and bowed. I watched nervously as Claude's face fell as he hopped down a few paces behind to me in order to follow me. I suspected by the glint in his eye that he was going to try to force the food back on me or come to collect some type of payment. I licked my lips nervously and took a deep breath. Slowly I exhaled and began casting. I let the magic swirl around me and in the next instant I vanished.

A second later I re-materialized directly in front of Navan as he pulled up on his horse. "Ach ya wee lass, ya did ma a bloody fright!"

I grinned at my long time traveling companion. "Sorry for leaving you alone for so long Navan."

"T'was narry a problem." He retorted gruffly and frowned for a second before adding. "Save for the brony lad whist a mane like fire and his compatriot with blue. Always bickering, never letting a man hold a moment's peace."

I frowned as Navan reported that Sylvain and Felix had been following him. "Navan, do you have any idea what is going on? Who are these people and what do they want with us?"

"Ach, ye don't know yet lassy? This caravan is leading straight to Garreg Mach Monastery, t'is these knight's home."

"That still doesn't explain why they are taking care of me or you for that matter. One of them even tried to give me his breakfast rations." I scowled fiercely, still upset with myself for rejecting the extra food.

"Mayhap he has simpla taken a liking to a fine bony lass like yourself."

I wrinkled my nose at the older man next to me. "It's cruel to tease me like that Navan, they are nobles and knights."

"Oh ho!? That's the argument I expected outa ye, so ya do have sum interest then in the young lad?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes at my companion's teasing. It was too early and I was much too hungry to deal with this. "You're impossible! How could I have interest in a noble? I just didn't want to feel like I owe them anything."

Navan stroked the fine braids that adorned his full beard in thought. "Ech, ya always see everything as a give or take. Ya might hap lighten a touch up lass, and lookn in a mirror once in a while. Ach know yon doesn't care a wit for nobles but it does yon no good to look an gift horse in the mouth."

I stopped to catch my breath as he pulled off the side of the caravan and finally allowed me the chance to get up into the saddle.

As I gripped the saddle horn muttered. "Ok fine, I'll admit a couple of them might be rather easy on the eyes..."

He chuckled and tossed me my horse's reins. "T'is about time ya started noticing the living insteada yon books."

I sputtered for a response and was promptly thrown from my horse. I proceeded to spend the next ten minutes collecting bruises and lumps trying to pull myself up onto the horse, much to Navan's amusement.

Finally, much more flustered and covered in dirt than when I had first awoken, I finally managed to heave myself up onto my horse. As we got back in line with the caravan I heard the snickers from the people who had been watching. Huffing, I started checking over my equipment. For the most part my gear had been packed away very tidily and appeared to have been well cared for despite my sudden abandonment of it.

There were two issues though. The lesser of the two issues was a random handkerchief with a fancy embroidered S on, the more critical issue was that my boots were still missing. I groaned, thinking I had escaped the unwarranted attention, but unless I wanted to enter Garreg Mach Monastery without my boots, I had to go find the professor and her students.


The next fortnight was a whirlwind of events. I learned rather quickly that the professor who had initially helped me was named Byleth. She proved to be interesting enough to me that I normally tagged alongside her while Navan followed behind me reluctantly. He grumbled and griping that some of her students enjoyed pestering him to no end.

Byleth mentioned to me she had only been teaching for a couple of months and this was one of her first combat assignments outside the classroom. This particular job was a rush assignment as well as an extracurricular assignment for her new students.

Byleth really did not seem like she was one for conversation, but I also managed to convince her to talk a bit about her past and how she had become a professor at the Monastery. Throughout the rest of the trip I pieced together that Byleth had spent most of her life as a mercenary with her father.

It seemed a little strange to me that someone as young as Byleth had been made a professor out of all the nobles. Still, I had little room to talk as I had spent a large amount of my life traveling from place to place around studying magic and ancient ruins, so maybe she was more a scholar then I gave her credit for. As I pieced together more information on her, I revised my thinking. Byleth certainly had more combat experience then anyone else in the group, but in regards to studys she was simply a skilled strategist. In retrospect my background was more diverse than the new professor's.

As a mage who primarily practiced faith mages, healing was just part of my everyday life. I had some practice making simple medicines, and I was more of a formal education then the blue haired professor riding next to me. While she spoke about hunting bandits and pirates and other mercenary work she had done in the past, I recounted long hours spent researching obscure events in history, exploring tombs and temples for rare relics, and developing new spells.

Given my background, Byleth seemed just as interested in me as I was in her and the mutual interest served to pass the time well. Except when I had to inquire about the whereabouts of my boots.


My initial request for my boots was met with some snickers and laughing while the grinning redhead sallied forth and presented them with a cheerful wink and a smooth pickup line. I raised my eyebrows at his outgoing pickup line, but accepted my boots from the winking Casanova with an impatient smile. Any grace I might have left with was promptly decimated as I proceeded to fall off my horse trying to put the attire back on my feet.

The redhead's grumpy cohort, Felix, had caught me just before I hit the ground with a disgusted sigh. He scowled at me and promptly threw me back onto my horse. "You have got to be joking. How the hell did you get up there in the first place?"

"Pure determination." I muttered as I attempted to steady myself as my horse pranced around uneasily as I went to pull myself up into the saddle. Sylvain rode up alongside me and reached out a supporting arm.

"Thanks." I gave him a nod and accepted his hand as I pulled myself up. I was almost into position when I noticed that Felix had taken my horses reins and given them to a stern faced blonde female. "Ingrid here, you deal with her."

"Felix! Come on!" She complained as I felt my cheeks start to heat up with embarrassment.

"Do you want me to help you with the other boot?" Sylvain offered as I leaned strongly to the side and struggled to pull my boot on.

This time Felix wasn't there to catch me as I felt myself slipping further to the side then I could save. For the second time that day I fell off my horse and into the bushes on the roadside.

I floundered in the bushes as Navan and Byleth came and helped me out of the bushes. My travel companion proceeded to laugh himself silly as I stood up with flaming red cheeks to finish lacing up my thigh high boots. Blushing furiously I dusted myself off while Ingrid waited with my horse's reins on the side with a highly concerned expression.

"Lass, ya never cease to amaze. Naut been riding with ya for an ages time, yet's yons riding skills are adapt as a newborns."

I stuck my nose up and accepted the reins from Ingrid, not quite willing to meet her gaze.

"Thank you Ingrid, I appreciate your help." I let the last word drop, accenting it to let me displeasure show to Navan that I didn't appreciate his teasing. I knew my horsemanship could use some work, but it wasn't like we hadn't had this conversation before. Navan had tried to teach me, for years actually, and yet it just always felt like the horses were out to get me. I snorted as I tried to ignore Navan's hearty laughter and promptly failed my next attempt to mount my horse.

My failure only made Navan, and several of the students standing around, laugh harder.

I sighed and dusted myself off once again. "This is harder than normal today…"

Byleth shook her head in despair. "So how do you typically get around then? You mentioned during watch last week you made a habit of visiting ruins and temples."

I sighed and started walking, not in the mood to attempt getting on my horse again and be laughed at. "I tend to travel around using any other method but horseback. As you can see, horses and I just don't see eye to eye." I stared into my mount's eye as it huffed back at me.

"It looks like you see eye to eye just fine." Byleth answered flatly as I snorted.

"It doesn't matter how much I practice, they just hate me." I grumbled as Navan recounted a story from a few years ago involving a rather epic fall I took down a ridge side when my horse bolted down a path as we were chased by wolves. I had somehow survived the epic drop by landing in a river.

I was busy recalling the incident when I realized that the group had gone silent, as if they expected me to elaborate on the experience of being nearly eaten by wolves and drown. The incident brought back memories and I suddenly didn't feel like talking about it anymore.

Navan on the other hand stopped laughing, and rode forward. "Come on Lass, up ya get." He promptly scooped me up from the ground and pulled me up into his saddle. "Ah, I am sure any of these here future knights would be ah willing ta teach you the basics of horse riding, but let old Navan ride with ye for a while."

"Let go of me you old crusty bastard!" I snapped wiggling around, only to have my horse's reins pulled out of my hand by Byleth.

"You should accept his help, he is only trying to assist you." She attempted to reason with me as I tried to push my way out the saddle.

I snorted in response as my current steeds reigns were stuffed into my hands. "Don't cha look the gift horse in the mouth. Ya need to learn to ride on your own lass."

"No I don't. I have got this far without learning, I don't think instruction is going to help me at this point." I muttered as Sylvain chuckled, riding up on my other side.

"Hey, I am more than willing to help a cute thing like you learn how to ride. When you get tired of riding with your friend Navan there."

I looked over at him and just shook my head as Navan's booming laugh erupted behind me.

Thus my daily horseback riding lessons started. It grew to where I would only accept an offer from Byleth or Navan, having learned rather quickly that accepting any offer for assistance from Sylvain was a trap. However, Byleth and Navan were not always available so I was passed along to other knight's that excelled in horsemanship. Or rather the knights-in-training, as almost everyone was under Byleth's command and part of the Garreg Mach Monasteries Officer's Academy.

However, regardless of how much instruction and experience I received on our trip, my horseback riding never really improved. It got to the point where even Navan was considering that I was just a lost cause when it came to horses, so toward the end of the journey my instructors would simply put me up in one of the wagons.

Which I learned was not a bad thing, not being on watch all the time afforded me extra luxuries I had not had in the past month. On one such occasion when even Sylvain had become exhausted by my poor riding skills, I was put in the back of a wagon with a short, white haired mage named Lysithea. She was reading a book on magic and had a small pile of books next to her. As interested in magic as I was, I inquired as to what she was reading. With an annoyed look in her eyes, she lent me a book of magic she had finished during the trip and told me to leave her alone. I shrugged and began reading my new book with growing fascination, relieved to not be hounded for my poor riding skills.

I also discovered my ability to read the native language of Fodlan was a bit rusty.


Author Corner:

Hellos everyone! - Long time no see - Time for my Chapter Recap!

So in this chapter you are already getting introduced to a good portion Byleth's class and you also get a taste of Lili's life and background for the past few years. So you get a pretty good look at Lilianna for the first chapter. (I want to point out that she isn't clumsy - She just has god awful luck.)

She's also a bit out of practice talking with actual people, ingratiating back into society is a struggle for her.

-But more on that later!-

We also find out that Lili and horses just do not mix...at all! xD (She will totally feel all those bumps and bruises. Lili's kind of rough and tumble, kind of more of a tomboy I guess. You can see she is a bit seasoned/well traveled and that Lili also is a bit battle hardened, she's not all that shy or concerned. In fact she is pretty comfortable in her own skin and capabilities even this early on. Also you notice she is a fairly skilled mage already, and that she tends to use light-based faith spells. (Faith magic is one of her specialties.)

Did you enjoy her search for her boots? =3 She has a lot of hapless moments - keeps her human.

You also meet her guardian, Navan. A muscular, well worn, highlander - his speech is something isn't it? (Kind of difficult to write, and I apologize for the any errors when attempting to write in that accent.) He has a fantastic beard with braids too - think burly Scotsmen.

Its a wonder where Lili gets her mannerisms from with Navan tagging along after her for years. (You can put the question in the hat for later as to how their relationship works and why.) Anyway I think that wraps it up for the chapter recap and housekeeping!

Hmmm...I probably should say more here but I'm gona leave it open to the floor toss your peanuts at me and I'll try my best to respond to your questions!

Oh - is anyone able to guess her house yet?

Let me know what you think with a comment, favorite, or maybe both?!