Chapter Text
There’s been something bothering Ashe as of late. He should be thrilled the war is over and peace has been (mostly) restored to Fodlan. He is relieved, but something trivial has been on his mind lately.
After leaving the monastery, Caspar offered to travel with him across the continent. He obliged, knowing that they had formed a special bond over the years. Really, he was ecstatic to have company rather than being alone.
All of that was fine and good, but he had noticed that Caspar had been making him increasingly uncomfortable as of late. Not with his actions or his words, Ashe knew very well to take some of the dumber things he says with a grain of salt. No, it was discomfort for simple things like staring at him too long or any kind of physical contact that didn’t involve them on the battle field.
This was especially frustrating, considering how handsy of a person Caspar was. Ashe had somewhat of a knowledge about noble borns, but Caspar defies all of the rules he has learned. He was loud, messy, unapologetic, the list goes on. Ashe didn’t hate him for this, if anything it made him more comfortable. But he can’t help but feel like his stomach is doing backflips when Caspar suddenly slips an arm around his shoulder, pulling him into a hug.
He used to be so comfortable with him. They would go to the sauna together, nap next to each other, eat food from each others plates, even get into playful wresting matches together, in their academy days. Was it just okay because they were kids back then? That was probably it. It's a bit odd to grow up away from someone. He didn't even recognize Caspar when they reunited during the millennium festival. He knew his bright blue hair marked him as a Bergliez, but he was much too tall, much too well built to be the one he knew. He had suspected it was his brother, or something. It wasn't until he heard his shrill voice that he realized it was the boy he once knew.
Besides that small issue, things were good. His siblings were under care of the staff at Castle Gaspard. Though he still worried, he knew they would provide good care to them. Still, he did visit them at least once every couple of months, with no objections from Caspar. He could always return to the castle, become a diplomat and take the kingdoms matters into his own hands, but he had decided that someone as young as himself should have time to adventure for awhile. Especially considering how straining the war had been on him.
Caspar, on the other hand, didn't seem to have any intention of returning to his home territory. He had gone back home once, all alone. Ashe was careful not to pry to much into his personal affairs, but Caspar had stated that home felt "empty" and brought his mood down. Ashe could sympathize, he was aware that Count Bergliez had given up his life when in battle. Ashe had lost both his biological and his adopted father, and he knows it's hard to go back to seeing everything normally after that. While he wanted to give support, Caspar brushed him off, saying that "it doesn't matter, I'm the second son anyway, there's nothing left for me to do there."
So, they became travelling mercenaries. It was pretty exhilarating, leaving your family, your life, your money behind to travel and fight for coin. He had his anxieties at first, but he was getting used to this lifestyle.
While most people would prefer to sleep at an inn, the two much preferred camping outside. It was nice. Brought him back to his youth. The good parts of his youth, at least.
There was a loud banging, Ashe looked behind him. Caspar was hammering the stake into the ground with a somewhat large rock.
"Remember not to push it down to far like last time! We could barely get those things out of the ground when you did that." Ashe directs him.
"Hey, that wasn't my fault! We just couldn't get them out cause the soil was really clay-y." He argues.
Ashe sighs. "Whatever, just make sure they'll come out later. I still have dirt under my fingernails from digging last time."
Caspar nods, returning to his task.
The tent looks nice once it's all assembled. It was a gift from Mercedes, she'd sewn the whole thing for them using the strongest cloth she could find. It was awfully heavy, but it protected them from the wind and the rain.
They were currently in Rowe territory, Caspar had a surprising passion for mountain climbing, and wanted to see the peaks of Teutates. It was getting colder, with the Red Wolf Moon quickly approaching. Ashe had purchased extra blankets at the previous town, he was sure he would be able to keep warm, but worried for Caspar who, no matter what, refused to sleep with a shirt on.
The first few nights go without a hitch. There's plenty of wildlife to hunt in the vast forests, and a river near by with clean water. While looking for materials, they spot a small village in the distance.
"Maybe we should set up camp here? We could stay for a few weeks with a village so close." Ashe offers.
Caspar's eyebrows shift in scrutiny. It doesn't take long before he nods. "Yeah, at least we might be able to get a few decent meals."
While Ashe tries his best to do what he can with the meat and berries they find, it's hard to have a good diet with no vegetables. Even harder to make it taste good without any spices. Oddly enough, what he's craving most is a nice loaf of bread. It's a quotidian thing to crave, he feels like he took it for granted when he did have it. It was simple to make, and probably the easiest food to steal. He had made a meal on bread alone on many occasions, usually not by choice. But it didn't keep well, meaning they couldn't pack it with them. There has to be a bakery in town to buy some from.
"So, do we go back and fetch our tent?" Ashe asks.
"Yeah! Let's run back." Caspar begins to sprint the opposite direction. "Bet I'll get there first!" He yells.
Ashe groans. He has to make everything a competition, doesn't he? Still, he doesn't want to lose, so he chases after him.
Ashe collapses, hands on his knees.
“Haha! Told you I would beat you!” Caspar jeers.
”It’s-“ he tries to catch his breath, “That’s not fair, you got a head start.” He takes in a deep breath and forces it out.
”Mm, that sounds like something a loser would say.” Caspar puts his hands on his hips, smirking at him.
Ashe rolls his eyes. “Since you got here first, that means you can start taking down the tent first, too.” Ashe takes a seat on the grass, exhaling sharply. The air feels cold in his lungs.
Sure enough, Caspar begins to dismantle the tent, throwing the cloth in a pile and chucking the wooden stakes over his shoulder. Ashe stands up and begins to fold the material, stacking everything together neatly. After stuffing the materials back into their satchels, they began the walk back to the town.
The sun slowly set more and more as they got closer to the village. Caspar kept his brain occupied, telling Ashe various stories about random men he had fought for little to no reason. Apparently he had a record of wins and losses scrawled into his bedroom wall back at the monastery.
There comes a point when the both of them stop.
"It's getting really dark..." Ashe says.
"It's only about a mile away! We can get there!." Caspar insists.
Ashe frowns. "We might be able to get there, but we can't set up if we cant see our things."
"Ohh, good point." He says, quick to agree.
"I say we stop here, besides, if we're gonna be doing mercenary work, it's good to have our base set up were others won't find us."
"Mm hmm, mm hmm." Caspar nods his head more, causing his hair to fall slightly out of place.
And so, they set their things out once more, assembling them for (hopefully) the final time in awhile.