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[RedMageCole]

Milos gave a little smile, but he kept his expression serious afterward.

"I'm fine! I can get back to talking with people later, I'll accompany you to Grae. Here, he's just down this way..."

Milos did indeed lead Claire to Grae.

[Gaterhyme]

Although Milos was in front and couldn't see it, Claire smiled too. He was always helpful, always trying, even on what seemed to be such a small errand. As they arrived, Claire tried to get a reading on Grae's expression.

"Grae? Is everything all right?"

[Blade Master Model 42]

"No problems right now. I was just hoping to have a word." If anything, Grae seemed a little more tired than he normally did. "Thank you Milos. You can get back to it."

[Gaterhyme]

Claire nodded.

"I thought I saw you going to talk to Joachim," she said quietly, and trailed off. Part of her, nursing a small flickering anger, wanted to bring up what had happened at dinner. But no. If Grae had talked to Joachim, then it was likely settled. She didn't need to be a part of it, no matter how she felt about it.

"Anyway, we can always have a word. You're the commander, after all..." She sobered a little, checking over her shoulder to see Milos' retreating figure. "... Besides, I can also ask if you made any progress from last time."

[Blade Master Model 42]

"You thought right. He stands by what he did, but he's willing to keep it under his hat going forward. If it's all I'm going to get, I'll take it. But I'd rather discuss my studies, yes." Grae withdrew the anima primer that he'd borrowed from that shopkeeper, back before the group had set out for the abandoned mine. The loose sheet of paper he'd been keeping in it as a bookmark had migrated to the rear cover over the last week. "I... think I have the basics down. Enough to get started with application, at least."

[Gaterhyme]

"That was really quick. Um, so, you want to just try it out here? We can clear some space..."

She was oddly excited, in a way. She wasn't sure if it had been a big secret or anything. Just small discussions with Grae, now and then, as he went through the book. She'd made her best guesses on the theory, something she had never really had the chance to learn or study, instead trying to help Grae from knowing how she used her magic herself. The feeling of it, the way she drew it forth, the way it was a part of her.

For better or worse. Right now, she didn't have to think of the days where it had been the latter.

[Blade Master Model 42]

"Maybe when we stop for the night. Though I will need a proper tome to practice with, and I don't know that I could get one off of the Prince's men."

[Gaterhyme]

"So you just wanted to talk to me to borrow a tome?" Claire asked, her tone softly amused.

Whether that was his intention or not, it seemed like the natural offer to make. She retrieved her tomes, one in each hand, for Grae to inspect.

"Have you thought about which kind of anima you want to focus on?" Her own preference was clear enough to see, the green tome in her left hand well-worn, well-loved.

[Blade Master Model 42]

"Not just that, no. I'd like you to evaluate my technique when I try it out. Let me know what I should be doing differently." Grae tapped the cover of the fire tome. "Fire is definitely where I'm going to be going. But is that tome you're using going to have enough power if you pass off the other to me?"

[Gaterhyme]

"... You do seem like a fire person."

Claire blinked at Grae's observation and regathered her thoughts.

"No, it won't... but I don't need a tome to draw the enemy's attention. Even if I can't fight back, if it's enough to keep the others from getting hurt as much, that's what's really important. I'm used to it - um, I mean, I'd rather... get hurt instead of any of you. Anytime. More, if I could." A pause. She was pretty sure Grae already knew that. "Besides," she said, speaking a bit quicker, "I can always ask Iris if I can borrow her tome for a while, so really, there won't be any difference."

[Blade Master Model 42]

"Well, I'd rather you be equipped to give as well as you can take." Grae didn't grab the fire tome. "We can figure out something for me to hold on to later."

[Gaterhyme]

"Oh- oh, okay." Something like worry and hurt flashed behind her eyes, but in the next moment she recovered, tucking both her tomes away again.

"That makes sense - we need to get the job done so it doesn't make sense to limit myself like that. You can still borrow it whenever we have downtime, I think..."

"When we do figure it out... I'm looking forward to it."

[Blade Master Model 42]

Several long days of travel slowly dragged by. The prince's horsemen would regularly ride ahead, returning with reports of not only guards, but also regularly with game animals. As the road drew longer, the Laguz grew ever more restless. However, eventually, the long road reached, if not the end, perhaps the half way point. The great southern wall of Morcia.

The guard on duty was not particularly deferential to the Prince. "Your highness, I understand your authority, but I have strict orders from General Whart to block all traffic into Morcia by anyone for any reason."

"Your dedication to your station is admiral, corporal, but you are entirely out of your depth. The General may make his case to myself, at my discretion, should he so choose. My soldiers and I are crossing the border, and I have the authority to have you stripped of your service record. Perhaps you'd sooner do that than you would open the gates for myself and my men?"

"No, your highness, I wouldn't, but-"

"That being the case, I will be crossing the border. Open. The gate."

"But your highness, the General will want to know why-"

"We all want for things we cannot have, corporal. We will return soon, and General Whart needs to know nothing about this."

The corporal continued to sputter his protestations but, behind him, the guards in attendance opened the way for the Prince's wagon which was stuffed to bursting with Laguz unbeknownst to them. The guards eyed the Steelharts, but said nothing to any of them.

Once the gates were safely shut behind the wagon and the caravan was safely on Sampian soil, Grae spoke. "You talk over people a lot. You know that, right?"

"My station grants me certain privileges, Steelhart, I'm quite aware. In the interest of time, I am forced to bring discussion to a halt on occasion. What of it?"

"Take it from someone who doesn't have the option of throwing his weight around. Listen to people when you can. And think twice when you think you can't."

As the wall fell away from the sight of the group through the thick forests of Sampia, the cart already beginning to struggle in the trackless wilds, Wolfgang called it to a halt. The Laguz poured out and, with nary a word of gratitude, ran whooping and hollering to the south, taking on their beast forms and celebrating their freedom. As they went, Grae sent Kawri ahead, to meet with the King and inform him that they had the princess.

"...I wish they had said something to the Prince before they'd left."

[Sirus]

: "In fairness to them, the ordeal they endured likely constitutes the only experience most of them have ever had with humans. I imagine they are soured on the race as a whole, and see the Prince as little different from their former captors."

[SeriousConcentrate]

"I know I do."