Chapter 1) Warriors of Fiana

The Thracian Peninsula is the land where strife and war made their home after the fall of the Loptyrian Empire. It wasn't always this way, of course, but ever since the Founders died, it has been at war. I'm not sure how it started, or even how the kingdoms ended up splitting. After all, I never pay attention to the political things since things always end up the same for a commoner like me. Knights fighting and dying for glorious causes and commoners dying because we're in the way. Oh, but that's not to say that I hate them or anything. I might as well hate the sky for being blue, or Orsin for being a hotheaded idiot with a good heart.

Besides, things aren't so bad where I live. Fiana is a quiet village not far from the coast, close enough to the border that no one knows, or cares, if we're part of the Manster District or Thracia. Such a difference normally matters, because it dictated how you thought about things like the war between Thracia and the Manster District or the Yied Massacre, but here? Such things are pleasantly far away, or were. Once.

In Gran 761, the Battle of Belhalla slaughtered the 'traitors' led by the Lord Sigurd, a man so knightly and kind that we had heard of him even out here and knew the charges were false, and the Yied Massacre killed Prince Quan, Princess Ethlyn, their sweet little girl, and a large portion of Leonster's finest knights, weakening the famous 'Wall of Leonster' that had protected the Manster District. In Gran 762, Thracia struck and Leonster fell. Then the Empire swept through and took control of everything. All of that had been distant at the time, and to most of the village, it still was. Or so they think.

See, Leif, the sole surviving member of Leonster's royal line, survived that night. He survived thanks to Finn, greatest of Leonster's knights, and has been on the run ever since. And Leif lives with us, in Fiana, along with Nanna and Finn. Mother helps Finn raise Leif and Nanna alongside Mareeta and me, and over the past couple of years, we have become quite the cozy family. Meaning that the trials and political things aren't so far away anymore. One day, those things would be right on our doorstep. But that would be a long time from now… or so I had thought.

It's Gran 776, fifteen years after the Battle of Belhalla and the Yied Massacre, fourteen years since Leonster's fall. That was the start of the Thracian Peninsula's liberation not only from the Empire, but also the tragic curse that had settled over the lands and brought about its long and bloody history.

"Finn, the whole point of me getting up so early was so that you could sleep in!" I complained, scowling up at him. Finn, of course, simply smiled and continued cooking breakfast while I handled making and packing lunch. "You are such a workaholic."

"So says the girl who woke before the farmers to try and beat me to this," Finn quietly countered. A lot about him was quiet, really. A quiet monument of dignity and sorrow, brought to life by the powerful magics of 'duty' and 'loyalty'. "Ah, that sounded like I was scolding you."

"Finn, reminder that you've been putting up with me and, worse, Mareeta for years. I think you've earned the right to scold." I still stuck my tongue out at him and he smiled faintly, laughing a bit. "You're in a good mood. No dreams last night?"

"No, none." And that was a good thing. Because Finn didn't 'dream' so much as suffered through nightmares. "Ah, I'm using too much."

"Of…?" I glanced over and noticed he had the barest amount of butter in the pan, and was frowning at it. "No, use it. Please. We have way too much." I grinned at him. "Remember, Fiana is very self-sufficient! And if we had any more butter, we'd be drowning in it."

Finn continued to frown, skeptical, but did put a sliver more into the pan before resuming his cooking. I giggled and went back to finishing up lunch, while also studying Finn to make sure he was okay. Thankfully, he seemed to be, so I just focused on his clothes, wondering if they needed to be mended. The answer was, as usual, 'no' because Finn often mended his own clothes no matter what we said. I wasn't sure why, since it wouldn't have been hard. He always dressed simply and I didn't think it was just because he was technically on the run from the Empire. The only bit of ornamentation he wore was his wedding ring, lovingly tended to even after so long. I'd never met his wife, Lachesis, but I hoped to one day, and not just because I liked people. It would mean she was safe, and back with her family. And they'd be happy. Meaning we'd all be happy.

"I see our morning larks have been dancing about even earlier than usual." Mother walked into the kitchen, laughing as she reached over my head to grab the dishes and set the table for breakfast. "Shame that I haven't heard a song yet," she teased, kissing my cheek. She then pretended to try and steal some food from Finn, but he blocked her easily. "Dancing deserves music."

"What song would you like, Mother?" I asked, grinning at her. I loved singing. "I bet I can guess!"

"Go ahead and try."

"Let's see…" I began singing one of Mother's favorite songs, a song that was actually foreign in origin. Traveled about thanks to merchants. Where exactly the song was from, no one ever could say. Some said Miletos, others said Isaach… the most popular origin-theories were Jungby in Grannvale or Verdane. Regardless, Mother loved it and it always made her laugh and smile.

While I was singing, the rest of the household stumbled out of the bedrooms and into living room, showing various degrees of alertness and yawning. And, of course, how 'put together' they looked. Nanna was as prim and proper as one could expect, save for how much she yawned. Leif was mostly neat and tidy, though he still had a spectacular case of bedhead that he was too sleepy to notice. And Mareeta was wide awake, with her earrings caught in her hair, her necklace slipping off, and still tying her scarf-belt on.

"Mother, why does Leif get to go kill pirates with you and not me?" Mareeta complained. Leif smiled sheepishly and ducked into the kitchen to help bring food out. "I'm just as good of a fighter!"

"You are very skilled for your age, yes," Mother demurred, more focused on setting the table. Nanna peeked over my shoulder to see what I was doing before giving her father a hug. Finn smiled softly at her (because Nanna and Leif always got his best smiles) and passed her a little bit of fruit. Which Nanna eagerly took because she always gobbled up treats, no matter how prim and proper she tried to be. "However, you are fourteen and he is fifteen."

"Ugh! It's just a year! Not even!" Mareeta pointed dramatically to Leif. "He only turned fifteen a month or so ago! And I turn fifteen in a couple of months!"

"Rules are rules, Mareeta. Now go fetch some water and milk for breakfast."

"Fiiiiiiiiiiine…" She huffed and stomped outside to get the buckets and bottles. Mother and I shared a smile, because that was something that never changed. "Ow! Who put that step there?!"

"The carpenters, I would expect."

"Uuuuugh…!"

Things like this were normal for us. Meals had always been a lively time, but they became even livelier when Leif, Nanna, and Finn appeared at our little village two years ago. Finn had been terribly wounded from a crossbow bolt, barely able to sit in his saddle, and Nanna had been in tears. Leif hadn't been, though. He'd simply glared and bargained a keepsake from his mother in exchange for medicinal help. Mother, of course, didn't take any sort of payment and helped the gladly and freely. That's how she was. Because the people of Fiana had cared for her with such kindness after they found her washed up on the river shore with countless injuries and a case of amnesia, she made sure to treat others the same. So she said, at least. I just thought she was a naturally kind person, but wanted an excuse to fall back on.

Regardless, meals were lively, loud things where we all barely remembered our manners and gossiped about this and that, and afterwards came the chaos of cleaning up, with Leif and Mareeta arguing over who washed and who dried the dishes this time, while Nanna and I scolded them for using too much soap and making bubbles fly everywhere. Mother and Finn would clean the table and take out the trash, typically returning just in time to stop a splash fight from erupting in the kitchen. And after that… well, since it was mission day, there was the additional chaos of helping Mother, Finn, and Leif get everything together for the journey. Or, to be accurate, help Leif get everything together. Mother and Finn were old hands at this sort of thing. Mother had led the Freeblades on missions many times, and Finn had fought actual wars. However, there were still some things I always did, and that was make them lunch.

"I made and packed a little bit extra, since I know Orsin is going to want to steal some," I explained to Mother, passing her the basket full of food. There were also some treats hidden within, but I didn't tell her that. She knew there were some anyway. "There's also some empty waterskins in case someone rips theirs again."

"Like Orsin?" Mother joked, laughing. She peeked inside, smiling warmly at the food. "Well, with a meal like this, I'll have the strength to fight the pirates all on my own."

"Let it serve as encouragement to come back and get more!" I giggled, pleased, and then looked to the hunting bow resting against the wall nearby instead of being tucked with the rest of her things. "You're not taking your bow?"

"Mmm…" Mother set the basket down with her things and picked up the bow, studying it closely. Like always, with a bow in hand, she seemed to… well, 'transform' was the only word I could think of. She held her head higher, her posture straightened, and she held the bow as if it were an extension of her arm, in a way that was different from how she held a sword. And it all went away when she set it down again. "Not this time. It's just pirates."

"If you're certain…" Honestly, no matter how skilled at swords Mother was, to the point of being dubbed a 'swordmaster', I sincerely believed bows were her best weapon. "Oh! The jerky! I knew I was forgetting something."

"I'll go get it. I need a better talk with Mareeta anyway." Mother kissed my head and rested her forehead against mine. "Ah, I am going to miss you."

"You say that every time, Mother."

"It's true, every time." She kissed my head again and then patted my back. "And always will be."

She left to go talk to Mareeta, and I checked the basket to make sure there was nothing else I missed. But I was soon distracted by Leif leaning on my back to peer inside the basket. I quickly shut it, just to mess with him, and then jumped up to hug him.

"Aw… little Leif is leaving on his first mission~!" I teased, pinching his cheek. He batted my hand away and made a face. "Seems like only yesterday you were hiding in my skirts!"

"Stop making things sound weird!" Leif complained, rolling his eyes. I snickered, since while the statement was true, I hadn't been wearing the skirts. He'd been hiding in the girls' closet during a game of hide and seek with the children, and happened to be behind my section of it. Which made for hilarious teasing. "Grr… I shouldn't find you a seashell or something, then."

"That you were considering it is enough for me." I pulled him into a hug, giggling when he squirmed. "But you should find something for Nanna, not me."

"The hell?!"

"Language."

"Heck!?" He wriggled out of my hug and bolted into the back. "I'm checking my pack again!"

"Sounds like a good idea!" I kept on giggling, because he could just be so easy to tease. But I didn't linger for long, because I noticed how bright the sky was getting, which meant it was almost time for everyone to leave. So, I began moving Mother's things outside, for her to pick up on the way out.

"I think that's everything." Nanna, of course, had already been helping her father with his things, as she always did, and so, the two were off to the side outside, waiting for everyone else. "Ah, but here…" she began, taking off her necklace and holding it out to Finn. It was a pretty necklace, with a gem I didn't really recognize. Not that surprising really, since such pretty jewelry tended to be way outside what a commoner could afford. "You should take this."

"No, it'll keep you safe while I'm away," Finn refused, shaking his head. He then took the necklace to hook it back around her neck. "Besides, necklaces suit you far better than me, little dove."

"If you're sure, Father…" She fiddled with the pendant, the dawning light making it sparkle. I'd heard the necklace was a good luck charm from Finn's deceased sister, a woman named Alicia. A means of protection. Every time Finn left, Nanna would try to give it to him, and every time, Finn would refuse. It was practically their goodbye, at this point, almost always the same. So, the next bit would be… "But you must remember to be safe, Father. We have to meet Diarmuid together. You promised."

"That I did." Finn kissed her head and hugged her. "And I can't have Lachesis dragging me back from death to scold me."

"Mother very much would. Not to mention Selfina and Glade." Nanna hugged him back tightly, leaning into him. "Please try to come back soon?"

"As soon as I can."

I turned away, pretending I had only just stepped outside and thinking of the names I'd over heard. Selfina and Glade, I knew, were two friends of Finn who they hadn't seen in almost ten years. As for Diarmuid, Nanna told me that was her older brother, and he lived in Isaach. I hadn't really heard why he was there or anything, only that it had something to do with Lord Sigurd's army and the battles surrounding them. Meaning sad and complicated and all around not fun to talk about. So, we didn't ask. Diarmuid's separation supposedly played at least some part in why Lachesis disappeared, though. Or something. Finn never talked about it; I knew Nanna prayed that her mother was with her brother, and that they would all be together again, one day.

But that day wasn't today. Today, it was mission day, so when Leif, Mother, and Mareeta finally stepped outside, we all did one last check to make sure everyone had everything they needed. Then we met everyone else at the village gates, since everyone always saw the Freeblades off on mission day. I held Patricia's hand as she said goodbye to her big brother, Halvan, and teased Orsin about making sure he didn't forget anything again. And, like the others in the village who stayed, I made sure to keep waving farewell until they were out of sight.

As soon as they were out of sight, though, Nanna, Mareeta, and I dashed back to the house and pulled out the sweets we had hidden under my bed, a special treat we had bought from Ith a few days ago. After all, if they were going to leave us alone, then we were going to make sure we had fun and spoiled ourselves. Simple, yes?

"Eleri!" Mareeta's voice echoed from the bathroom. Nanna and I, cooking lunch in the kitchen, exchanged a knowing look. "I forgot to bring clean underwear again!"

"We need to make a checklist for you whenever you take a bath!" I called back, already taking off my apron. Nanna giggled and focused on stirring the stew, with some fresh shrimp from the coast. The Freeblades were due to come back today, so we were being a little fancy for food. "Hang on, hang on. You didn't forget a period-rag again, did you?"

"I'm not even on my period!"

Giggling, I ducked into the shared room and snagged Mareeta some underwear before knocking on the bathroom door and opening it. "Now, who's the best big sister?"

"The one who actually gives me my underwear!" Mareeta snatched them from me and quickly began getting dressed so that she could get a start on her chores. I made to leave, but my eyes fell on the very faint mark on her lower-middle back, on the left side. Swirls of black 'ink' that resembled a crescent moon. "Something wrong?"

"No, not really." Sighing, I half-smiled and shrugged when she glanced at me over her shoulder. "Just, again, I swear that's a Holy Mark." And that it was darker, but that just sounded crazy.

"Why would some random mercenary's daughter have a Holy Mark?" Mareeta rolled her eyes, as she usually did when the topic came up, and pulled on her shirt to hide it. "Holy Blood is for fancy noble people, like Nanna and Leif. Nobles don't become mercenaries."

"We live in odd times." After all, we had the missing prince of Leonster hiding in our quiet little village, alongside a Leonster knight and the knight's daughter, who was also one the few scions remaining of Agustria's royal family. It wouldn't have surprised me if we had another 'secret noble' in the house. "Besides, it could've been inherited from your mother. Nanna inherited her Holy Blood from her mother." Leif had it from both sides of his family.

"Bleh, I think it's just something the slavers did to mark me. A lot of my time with them is blurred in my head." She pulled on her pants before her fingers lingered on her wrist. Remembering the weight of the shackles, even after all this time. "That's all."

"Yeah…" And there was no way I could continue the conversation at that point. I knew the story. When she had wandered away from her father, Mareeta had been captured by slavers and dragged all the way to Conote. That's where Mother found her, killing all the slavers and saving her. They had looked for her father, but he had likely been in another city entirely, so Mother had brought her home. The first of the children she saved and took care of. Not the last, of course. But the first. "Mareeta?"

"Yeah?"

"You're the best little sister."

"And you're the best big sister." She grinned at me, no hard feelings, and I smiled in relief, since I worried I had hurt her. "And on the remote chance you're right, then I'm officially claiming you as my sister and dragging you to whatever fancy estate I get from it!"

"Sounds like fun, but I know we'd be bored very quickly."

"True!" She laughed and tied off her scarf before slipping on her jewelry. "But still."

"Of course." I giggled and left the bathroom finally, making my way back to the kitchen.

However, my good mood faded as I remembered something I had seen a few weeks ago, while I was tending to some injuries on Mother's back. I'd sworn I had seen some sort of mark on her back, a pale gold one that covered the entire left side of her back. But then I had blinked and it was gone, so I wasn't sure if I had actually seen it. Then again, I wasn't sure why I'd imagine such a thing. Except maybe as a subconscious want for people to see how special my loved ones were, and to love and respect them in turn? I supposed it was possible, yet...

Screams made me jump, and I nearly cracked my head against the wall. After a moment, I ran to the door to see what was going on. Ideally, it would've been children being extra loud while playing tag, but this was not a world of ideals and never would be. So, it was soldiers, with the Empire's coat of arms proudly displayed on their armor.

"Nanna…?" I called, trying to not shake. I'd known this could happen. Leif's pursuers wouldn't just stop looking just because he made it to a quiet village in the middle of nowhere. But to actually see it… and to not have Mother near… "Get away from the village. Now. Run towards Ith." I turned to look at her, and saw Mareeta in the room as well. Nanna was still in the kitchen, staring in horror. She'd never dealt with the Empire without her father near and now… now, we were… "Now."

She tried to run. She did. She threw off her apron and ran, dodging Imperial soldiers. Just as Mareeta tried to fight back and buy her some time, grabbing one of the swords we had lying about. I tried to be a distraction or something, because that was all I could think of. However, the village was surrounded, so there was nowhere to run, and no matter how skilled Mareeta was, a single swordsman couldn't stand up against an entire squadron. So, sadly, we were all captured and, worse, whoever was in charge knew who Nanna was. Knew that Mareeta and I were the daughters of Eyvel, and knew who Mother was. I wondered how. Did someone betray us? Had someone seen us in Ith while shopping and reported us? I'd likely never learn.

"Lord Raydrik, here are the girls." And so we were presented to Raydrik, a man I knew well from rumors. The Lord of Manster, who had once been a noble of Conote and who had betrayed King Calf, Leif's grandfather, and thus playing a role in Leonster's downfall. And here he was, smug as can be. "Apologies for taking so long."

"Yet here we are, so I suppose I will let it slide," Raydrik chuckled. He looked over us like Finn did in the market when trying to determine what piece of meat to buy, and focused on Mareeta first. "What is your name, girl?" Raydrik waited, but Mareeta only snarled at him and spat at his feet. "Heh… stoutness is cute as well. And this one..." He focused on me, and used his finger to tilt my head up. "Quite the beauty. One would think you had noble blood with those looks." He laughed at my glare and then turned his attention to Nanna, who met his gaze calmly and cooly. "So this is the daughter of the legendary lance knight, Finn. I've heard your mother was the princess of Nordion as well. Seems you haven't lost your dignity living in squalor like this." He laughed again, and I began subtly trying to escape, to see if there was anything I could do. "Well, I've got quite the gift to present to the Empire! This will secure my power for sure." He beckoned the soldiers and turned away, his focus already on something else. "Things should be quite fun while we wait."

"Nanna and Mareeta are fourteen," I spat at him, thinking quickly. He grimaced at the note, and I was glad he had some standards. Because I knew the fate of those 'of age' at the hands of powerful men. All women did. Their age would be one of their best protections. "And if there is one hair on their head harmed, Mother and Finn will tear you apart!"

"I would love to see them try when I wield this." He brandished a sword that seemed to devour the very light around it. "A gift from Lord Veld, in thanks for my part in Manster's fall. It protects me from everything." He smirked and leered at me. "Besides, you made no mention of yourself." Er… no, I hadn't. Which was a very, very bad thing. But nothing I could do about it now. "Now then, the best way to Manster from this hovel is…"

The soldiers jerked us forward, kicking our legs to make them move. However, the ones holding me didn't keep a good grip. They were distracted by Nanna, who had nearly broken free of the soldiers who held her, due to being much stronger than she looked, and she kept on breaking free, despite more and more holding onto her. So, I used that as a distraction and managed to escape, quickly ducking into the house for anything I could use as a weapon. My eyes fell on the overboiling pot of stew and I seized it, burning my hands in the process. It was heavy, and I almost dropped it, but I did manage to throw it at the soldiers who followed me. Which actually included Raydrik, and he had caught a faceful of the stew as well as the pot, and while he screeched, Mareeta and Nanna managed to free themselves and we all ran. Or tried to. They weren't the only soldiers, of course, and one of them was an archer. Who shot me in the leg and sent me to the ground. Nanna and Mareeta automatically turned back, and that second of hesitation was enough for them to recaptured and dragged away. Screaming.

"Wench…!" Raydrik, however, kicked me in the stomach before gesturing to the soldiers around him. "Been a while since you all had such a pretty lass, so have your fun with her!" he ordered. I tried to not cry, both from pain and fear. "But don't kill her. I want her in Manster."

I heard Mareeta scream. I heard Nanna call my name. But when I tried to stand, I ended up kicked again, so I curled into a ball instead, whimpering. Pain lanced through my leg each time the arrow was jarred, because no one bothered removing it. Why would they? So long as it was in my leg, I'd have difficulties running away. And that made me a much easier… whatever.

Finished with whatever fighting, and killing, they had been doing, the soldiers began crowding around me. One dragged me up by my hair. Another pulled my arms behind me. I thought a third reached for my legs. But before they could grab them, they were engulfed in flames. One, two, three, four… all of the soldiers around me went up in flames. Some died instantly. Others screamed and writhed, whimpering from pain.

"Keep your hands off my daughter!" And Mother protectively wrapped me up in her arms, one hand clinging to me and the other wielding the Fire Sword Dagdar gave her. "You're not worth the ash I'll turn you into…!" she hissed, pulling me even closer. Fire sparked off the sword and more soldiers were on fire. They weren't moving anymore. "Tch…" Mother pulled me away from the soldiers, and distantly, I noticed there was more fighting. I didn't know… well, no, I did know. It was the Freeblades. Halvan and Orsin… Finn and Leif… they were fighting. But I was out of it, so… "Eleri? Eleri, can you hear me?" Mother helped me sit on the ground, leaning against an outside wall. "Eleri?"

"They took Mareeta and Nanna…" I whispered. Their screams… all because I got shot, they were… "I'm sorry. I tried, but I couldn't do anything."

"They have value as hostages. I'm sure they'll be fine until we get to them." She looked to the arrow still in my leg, and the bruises mottling the skin around it. She gently rested a hand on my neck, and then on my wrists. I wasn't sure if my neck was bruised, but my hands and arms definitely were. "That has to be painful."

"No, not really." It didn't compare to the pain I felt in my heart. I failed Mareeta and Nanna, and I failed them terribly. "Needs to be removed. Cleaned."

"That it does." She cupped my face, made me look at her. "Eleri, did they…?"

"No, they were about to. They hadn't yet."

"Good…" She hugged me gently, kissing my hair. Only now did I notice how muddy and dirty I was, but she didn't care. "Good…"

"Eyvel, you around here?" Took a moment to recognize the voice. Dagdar was here. "Ah, there you are, and there's Eleri," he commented, walking over. He was splattered with blood, but he didn't care one bit. Then again, Dagdar used to be a bandit, a bandit-leader at that. Mother trounced him when he tried to raid Fiana, though, and ever since, he'd been trying to reform. "Do I need to keep back?"

"Dagdar, you came to help?" Mother asked, smiling warmly at him. She didn't answer his question, mostly because she sensed I had no answer, and Dagdar kept his distance just to be safe. "How did you know we were in trouble?"

"Bit of luck, truthfully. We were coming in to visit." Dagdar looked around curiously, noting something I was too out of it to process. "So many soldiers, though… why would…?" He frowned, his eyes sharpening, and then he turned his attention back to Mother. "Leif. Him, Nanna, and Finn."

"...Yes, he's the prince of Leonster. Yes, I've known." Mother sighed. "Finn said that they needed to leave to protect the village, but I had argued against it. Leif and Nanna needed stability."

"Well, you're not wrong. I saw how scared and sad they were when they arrived." He shrugged, unbothered. "And hey, free reason to smash Imperial skulls in. What's not to like?"

"Thank you, Dagdar." Mother smiled. "Thank you."

The next couple of hours were a blur to me. Mother kept me right by her. Finn treated my arrow wound and the worst of my bruises. Leif hugged me tightly. Orsin ruffled my hair, and Halvan patted my shoulder. I thought I saw Tanya and Marty, which made sense since they were rarely far from Dagdar, but I wasn't even sure on that. Everything was hazy, like they were when Mother first brought me to Fiana.

In fact, nothing really solidified until Orsin asked, "why didn't they take Eleri with them?"

"Raydrik gave me to the soldiers because I threw a pot of stew in his face," I mumbled, not looking up. I wasn't even sure which house we were in. "Sorry. There's no lunch for you. I'll have to make more."

"That is so not the issue." Orsin scowled, no doubt irritated I had even brought it up. "You can't seriously think-"

"Orsin." However, Halvan interrupted him and shook his head before kneeling in front of me. It took a moment to realize I was in a chair. I couldn't focus. Nothing felt real, and all I could think of were Mareeta and Nanna… "We look forward to the food, Eleri," he told me. I managed a little smile. Maybe. "But we are glad you, at least, are well." He patted my knee and stood up again, facing Orsin. "What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be teasing Tanya to the point of tears again, Orsin?"

"I didn't make her cry!" Orsin protested immediately, flustered. I wondered what had happened this time. Orsin had a habit of putting his foot in his mouth even on his best days, but around Tanya, he always managed to shove his whole leg in there. "She was fine!"

"She was scowling." Halvan shook his head. "This is why she doesn't catch your feelings, you know."

"What feelings?! I don't have no feelings!" Orsin flailed a bit, and I couldn't help but giggle, amused. "Er… okay, on the one hand, glad you're laughing. On the other hand, you're laughing at me!"

"We're always laughing at you." Halvan, of course, kept perfectly stoic and deadpan. Because that would make Orsin fluster even further, and it was practically everyone's favorite habit. Even though it was so easy. "Come on. Let's go patrol, and save Eleri's ears from your loudness."

The two left, Orsin trying to defend himself, with Halvan 'conveniently' misinterpreting. Feeling a little lighter, and a bit more focused, I looked around the room, wondering just where I was. Unfortunately, all I got was 'room in a place', so I made myself stand up to explore and help myself be even more grounded. Of course, I nearly fell because my legs protested the arrow and the bruises, but I used a wall to limp along. I kept away from windows, though. I didn't want to know how many were dead outside. I really didn't want to know how many were people I knew and grew up with.

"I'm not a child anymore!" In fact, I made my way further inside, mostly because I could hear Leif yelling and he rarely yelled. "They were captured in my place!" he shouted, sounding close to tears. When I made it to the room, I saw he was yelling at Mother, with Finn silently standing nearby. "I have to go help them! I'm tired of sacrificing people for my own safety!"

"Leif…" Mother began. She looked tired, and I wondered how long they had been arguing. I wondered why Finn wasn't… "Finn, you convince him."

"I know this look, Eyvel, because Lady Ethlyn would get the same look in her eyes when she decided something and nothing would stop her," Finn replied neutrally, posture ramrod straight. His eyes were dark, though, and I wondered… I wondered if Lady Ethlyn had this same sort of look when she took her daughter to the desert, and died in the sands. "I am sworn to protect him and he will leave no matter what."

"I see." Mother sighed and reached back to fix her ponytail. "Very well, we will leave in the morning. Together." She was expressionless, even as Leif smiled, elated. "It will be a harsh journey, far worse than leaving to fight pirates. We must prepare."

'Leave in the morning.' The words felt like knives. They would be leaving. I would be waiting, alone, in that house. And I couldn't stand that. I couldn't stand just waiting, being helpless, being alone, when… when…

"Um…" My mouth moved before I could think twice, and Mother whirled to face me. Leif seemed surprised, but not Finn. He must've noticed me instantly. "L-let me come too?" I begged. Mareeta and Nanna were captured because of me. I had to help them. "Please?"

"Absolutely not!" Mother refused instantly, shaking her head. Her ponytail fell out again because she hadn't finished fixing it. "It's going to be dangerous and you don't know how to fight, Eleri."

"Well, clearly being left behind isn't safe, so I might as well be in danger with everyone else!" I winced as the words echoed back, far louder and harsher than I had wanted. "So… um…"

"I'd like it if Eleri came along," Leif said quietly, throwing his weight in. He even smiled, catching my eye. I smiled back slightly. "I'm sure Mareeta and Nanna would feel better too."

"..." Mother looked at both of us and then at Finn. Finn was completely expressionless, though, so Mother sighed. "Very well," she murmured. "You may come too, Eleri. But for now, let's help clean things up in the village. The soldiers left quite the mess, and I want to see what weapons and the like they have left for us to use. We don't have a lot, and we're equipped for bandits and pirates."

Today was the second worst day I had ever experienced. I just wanted it to end. But I nodded, because I had to do something, anything, to help.

The house was a lot quieter without Mareeta and Nanna. But their things were still here, so I packed some of their things in my bag. That way, when we found them, I could give them the items. Like Nanna's Earth Sword, a keepsake from her mother. I should've told her to grab it instead of just running. But, then again, against so many soldiers… it probably wouldn't have mattered. I hadn't thought of anything better, so…

Sighing, I rested my head against Finn's door, reminded of why I was out in the hall instead of in my room. I had realized while packing that I hadn't apologized, so I'd limped over to do that. But Finn was talking to ghosts, and I knew better than to interrupt. Rambling at them was probably the only way he'd stayed sane after so many years of being the sole protector of two children, one of which the Empire really wanted dead. It did make it awkward to overhear, though, mostly because… well...

"It should've been safe. It should've been… ah, but Yied was supposed to be safe as well, and you know what happened, Lord Quan." The worst part was how monotone the voice was, like he was just so drained that even emoting was too much. "Lachesis… I'm sorry. I said I'd keep Nanna safe, but I… ha… I wonder why I said that. I clearly can't do anything. And now I can't even keep Lord Leif safe… I'm sorry, Lady Ethlyn..." The second worst part was how much he hated himself.

Nanna and Leif thought the world of Finn, and Mareeta and I were convinced that Finn was one of the strongest people in all of Jugdral. Raydrik hadn't been mocking when he'd called Finn 'legendary'. At least, that's what I thought. But I supposed a lifetime of battle and stress made him see his failures all too clearly. And I knew I didn't want to listen to him hating himself, so I chose to walk away, vowing to apologize in the morning.

"Oh, Eleri, should you be walking?" And that led to me walking right into Leif. Almost literally, but thankfully, he spoke in time. "You were shot, after all," he reminded me, frowning worriedly. I glanced down at my leg, the bandage hidden by my skirt. "Oh, wait, did you need pain medication?"

"It's lonely in the room," I murmured, going for a different explanation than 'I wanted to apologize to Finn for letting his daughter get kidnapped'. Besides, it was true. "I don't think that room has ever been so quiet." Mother had one of the larger houses in Fiana, mostly because she had lived with the village elder before he passed, and she 'inherited' the house. That was why she and Finn could have their own rooms. But even with so many rooms, Mareeta and I had always shared. And when Nanna came, she had shared with us. "Still can't believe that old storage room isn't too small for you." Mother had converted one into his room, mostly because Mother really didn't have that many things, and Leif really had been too old to share with the girls.

"It's cozy!" He forced a smile, and I let him pretend he had me fooled. "I mean; might be a pain if I get any taller, but for now, I'm still good."

"I don't think you're going to get much taller." I hoped he didn't, at least. He and I were the same height, and I knew he'd be smug if he became the taller one. "Broader, though. Orsin and Halvan grew wider once they hit fifteen, sixteen." Fighting probably helped with that, though. "Before I forget, thank you for arguing for me to come along."

"Oh, it's totally selfish. You're the best cook." He grinned and I had to laugh. "More seriously, I just feel better if I can see you. I went away, and Nanna and Mareeta disappeared." He sighed, and pulled a beautiful choker out of his pocket. "I'd gotten this for Nanna too. I got gifts for you and Mareeta as well."

"Wait to give it to me until we've saved them." I made myself grin. "I'll tease you about the choker then too."

"If you did anything else, I'd have to see if you were sick." He returned the choker to his pocket, and regarded me seriously. "However, I do feel like I should apologize for asking you to come. It's going to be dangerous, especially since you don't know a weapon yet."

"I'll learn… something." Though I doubted I'd be very good at it. I had never wanted to fight before, meaning I would be an absolute beginner. "Besides, there are other ways I can help. We'll collect herbs along the way, for instance, and make medicine. Just like Finn taught us."

"And there's cooking and cleaning and mending…" He suddenly grinned. "Maybe you can stab people with needles!"

"Leif!" Still, I had to laugh. He was good at that. Leif wasn't the strongest or smartest or anything like that. He wasn't the most charming by any means. But he was warm to be around, and he gave the impression of being right there with you, no matter the circumstances. And he always seemed to know what to say to make people smile. "Well, maybe. We'll come up with ideas. For now, though, I think I'm going to make myself some tea."

"And I need to at least pretend to sleep." He skipped around me and grinned. "I'll bother you in the morning."

"Considering when we wake up, I think I'll be the one 'bothering' you." I giggled again, and he rolled his eyes. "In the morning."

I turned away and limped towards the kitchens, trying to remember what teas we had. However, I was soon distracted because Mother was sitting there at the table, in her same place as always, looking at where Mareeta and Nanna normally sat with a stony expression. The expression she had when she was really mad and I…

"Mother?" I called hesitantly. She glanced up at me, expression unchanging. "Are you mad at me?"

"Of course not, Eleri," Mother replied instantly. However, she was still stony. "I'm mad at the situation, Eleri. Not you."

"You sure?" My voice was horribly small. "I mean…"

"Oh, Eleri." She sighed, smiled, and held out her arms. I immediately raced over for a hug, almost tripping in the process. "I'm not angry at you. I'm angry that you were in so much danger. I'm angry you were hurt. I'm angry that I wasn't here. I'm angry that Mareeta and Nanna were taken. I am angry at the soldiers who think they can get away with such a thing. But not you. Never you."

"Are you sure?" I should've just believed her, but I knew she had to be mad about me coming along. I was sure it was a stupid thing to do. But… "I…"

"I am very sure." She pulled away, studying my face. No longer was she 'stony', but warm and kind, as usual. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way."

"No, I-"

"Eleri." Mother cupped my face and smiled. "One day, I will figure out how to help you believe you may feel what you wish, and you don't have to be perfect. You are one of my precious girls, after all."

"Okay, Mother…" Though, that wasn't quite… I didn't necessarily want to be 'perfect' or anything. I just… Mareeta wasn't the only child Mother saved. She'd saved me too.

When I was little, I had lived in a small mountain village, probably in Thracia. Bandits, however, ransacked it, and I had been among the many captured. I hadn't been old enough for them to rape, as they did some of the other women, but they had kept me around as a servant. If I did things 'perfect', then there was less chances of them paying attention to me, leering at me while they waited for me to be 'old enough'. Thankfully, though, Mother had killed them long before that happened, and taken me in because my village was gone. Mareeta had been loud and happy about having a 'sibling', and I had mostly healed. But some habits were too ingrained and I needed to repay her somehow. I needed to be helpful for her. I just…

"I was going to make some tea," I whispered, deciding that the subject needed to be changed. I didn't know how to explain all of that to her, even now. "Would you like some too?"

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," Mother replied, standing. She wrapped an arm around my shoulder and had me lean on her to take weight off my leg. "I think we still have some snacks. We all skipped dinner, but it will be good to have something in our stomachs."

"Okay." I smiled at her, relieved, and she smiled back. "That sounds good."

And, starting tomorrow, I would be as helpful as possible to her and the Freeblades. I would make up, somehow, for getting Mareeta and Nanna captured and for forcing my way on the journey. Somehow, I'd help them. Somehow. I… I had to.

Eleri, 16 years old

A resident of Fiana, and one of the many who supports the Freeblades by handling things such as food and laundry. She's quite proud of the job, personally, finding that a supporting role suits her well.

Adores her family to pieces, and does her best to let them know that. She and Mareeta are particularly close, both because they've known each other for over ten years and because they had similar experiences with being captured and held by unsavory people.

Knows that Nanna loves Leif, and that Leif loves Nanna, and delights in teasing both of them while trying to push them together. And they aren't the only ones of their age group she tries to matchmake either.

Author's Notes: Well, well, welcome to Memoirs of the Liberation Army, the promised FE5 novelization. Since Memoirs of the Holy War will be hitting Game-Chapter 7 soon(ish), I figured it might be a good idea to start this. Since there's a lot of other projects, updates will be whenever I feel like (okay, truthfully, that explains my entire update schedule, especially in recent weeks, but shush). So, meet Eleri, who was briefly mentioned in the epilogue of Memoirs of Belhalla. I'm not answering any questions about what her class is or anything. You'll find out!

Since the story starts in Gran 776 (hence the game's name), Leif is 15 (turning 16 very late in the year) and Nanna is 14. I believe Mareeta's official age is 15, but we're just going to have her turn 15 later this year. And since this connects with Memoirs of the Holy War, yes, Finn is Lachesis's husband, and the father of both Nanna and Diarmuid. Ah, and since this connects with Memoirs of the Holy War, this story's 'timeline' is going to be longer than the actual game. The actual game has it at about a year, but we're going about three years (because Gen2 in Memoirs of the Holy War starts in Gran 779, and not Gran 777 as it does in-game). Meaning there will be long timeskips.

Dagda and Eyvel's conversation is based on their in-game conversation, as is the conversation with Raydrik (though I added a bit to it, since it made sense to me that Mareeta would fight more). Technically, Nanna apparently has both her Earth Sword and a mend staff (since she starts with them), but I figured this made a bit more sense, given Raydrik. The necklace mentioned briefly here is the necklace Alicia gave Finn back in Memoirs of the Holy War. The 'engulfed' in flames thing is because Eyvel starts with a Fire Sword. Those who know the game's lore know why Eyvel has such a bond with bows.

Also, since Heroes is both a) giving us localized names and b) being inconsistent with some of these localized names (namely changing a few we had before), I'm going to do my best to keep things consistent, but apologize in advance if I change something unexpectedly.

With that all said, welcome and I hope you enjoy!

Next Chapter - Village of Ith