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The rising sun was turning the sky pink, the birds were chirping, the breeze was rustling the leaves and grass, and not another human being was in sight. The woods at dawn were the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the monastery and the perfect solace from the chaos of war. The relative peace and calm took Leonie back to a simpler time when she’d gone out hunting on cold mornings with her dad. It was Dad who’d showed her how to use her bow and arrow to catch a good dinner for the family. Now she was using her eagle eye to catch some prey to augment the Alliance army’s diminishing resources.
If only she could take more time to drink in nature’s beauty. Finding time to rest was hard in the middle of war. After she returned with her quarry, she’d probably have to get right back to reconstruction efforts. Being a mercenary was all about following. Following the money meant following the work and following orders. And though she wasn’t much for strategy and tactics, she was strong enough to clear rubble and lift boulders. So she contributed to the war effort as a follower, not a leader, and she didn’t mind it. After all, she’d chosen to follow Claude and Captain Jeralt’s kid, so she was going to stick with them.
She ended up bagging a big doe, and she’d carried her prize about halfway back when she heard a creek bubbling. She’d come in a different way, and she hadn’t heard or seen any water nearby. The deer must have been heading for the creek. She’d already nailed one, so she didn’t have to stop to hunt, but maybe she could listen to the creek a little and give her shoulders a break.
As she approached, the creek came into view. She heard the the water splashing, then saw Petra standing on the bank. She’d braided her purple hair and thrown it back over her shoulders, and she’d bowed her head. She held a long spear with a rope attached to it that she had positioned just above the surface.
Leonie knelt down to unload her quarry underneath a nearby tree, then stood up again. “Hey, Petra,” she called.
Petra startled, her shoulders tensing, and looked up from the creek. “Good morning, Leonie. You were outside hunting as well? I see you had some success.”
“Yeah, I got a big doe. Seems like the deer are eating well, even if we aren’t. If one thing hasn’t changed, it’s how fertile the land is around here. I’d expected rockier soil because of the mountains, but the deer are definitely eating well.”
“That is good for us that they have had plenty of food for eating.”
Leonie nodded, then squinted, holding her hand to her brow to shield her eyes. “You fishing?”
“Yes, I am fishing.” Petra smiled and lifted her spear to show Leonie. Then she gestured to the bucket behind her. “There are many fish here, and they have many different sizes. I have had very much success catching them.”
“Do you always do spear fishing?”
“That is how we are always fishing in Brigid. I am custom to fishing this way, but I am not seeing many people of Fódlan fishing like this.”
“Yeah, it’s not really that common.” Leonie lowered her hand and walked up to Petra. “How does it work? You’ve got a curved hook to snag them, just like there would be on a line, right?”
Petra lifted the spear and traced the outside of the white hook with the tip of her index finger. “The big point can catch a big fish. The small hook keeps it in place. You use the rope to catch the fish around the middle, and you can also pierce the fish with the point so it will die for good.”
“Interesting,” Leonie said. “I guess you guys would get a lot of fish in Brigid. Do you like eating fish?”
“I am enjoying fish, though I do not always like the fish in the dining hall.” She frowned. “Fódlan ways of cooking fish are strange. There are many soups, and the food often has—is bland.”
“So how do you cook your fish in Brigid?”
“With many spices and vegetables. After cleaning the fish, it is fried in a pan. The cook makes a spicy sauce to eat with the fried fish, and the fried vegetables add some bitterness. Then we are drinking a sweet fruit juice with this.”
“Spicy fish with fried veggies? Mmm, I’d love to try that someday. Hold the fruit juice though.”
“I am not sure why you would need me to hold your juice, but you are welcome to come to Brigid and try all of this yourself.”
“I’ve been thinking about it.”
Petra’s eyes widened. “Are you being truthful?”
“Of course.” She put her hands on her hips, looking past Petra at the bucket of fish. “You know how Claude’s been talking a lot about opening the borders? Once it’s safe to go beyond Fódlan’s borders, I think it’d be nice to do some traveling of my own.”
“That is exciting,” Petra marveled.
She faced Petra with a grin. “Maybe you could even teach me spear fishing before I get there.”
“It would be making me very happy to show you.” Petra looked at her spear. “I am knowing that you create your own arrowheads. Would you be interested in creating the point of your harpoon?”
“Oh, wow, I’d love to do that! If I can learn how to make one, that’ll save me some money later if this one breaks. That’s a great idea.” She looked over her shoulder. “Right now, though, I gotta take this doe back. Maybe later.”
“Yes, we can be creating your—I can help you create your harpoon later. Craft,” she blurted, her cheeks reddening slightly. “Crafting, that is the word I was not remembering.”
“No worries!” Leonie nodded in affirmation. “I got your drift. We’ll make our official plans later.”
Petra stuttered slightly, then nodded back. “Yes. And then we can fish together after you are finished.”
—
A busy week and a half passed before Petra and Leonie were finally able to make their plans. They’d spotted each other hunting and fishing almost every day. Petra’s presence now seemed just as natural and expected as the grass, trees, leaves, and the arriving dawn. Leonie felt comforted knowing there would always be someone else on the hunt in the woods around Garreg Mach.
Leonie waited by the creek, listening to it bubble. The venison jerky she’d brought was burning a hole in her pocket, but she’d already sneaked two pieces. If she kept indulging herself, there wouldn’t be any left. Instead, she pulled her tools out of her bag to get ready for Petra’s arrival. She was idly inspecting one of her knives when footsteps rustled in the grass behind her.
“Have my apologies for my lateness,” Petra said breathlessly, sitting down beside Leonie. “The Professor and Claude were needing my help with a mission.”
“A mission?” Leonie frowned and raised her eyebrows. “I hope you’re not too tired after all the fighting.”
“No, not fighting, writing. A missive, like a long letter.” She opened her mouth slightly, then closed it for a moment, frowning. “But if I am having honesty, fighting would have been much easier than writing.”
“I’m right there with you. I don’t really have a way with words.”
Petra sighed, rifling around in the bag at her side. “If I was forgetting—have forgotten anything, I am sorry if I need to go back.”
Leonie furrowed her brow. “You sound pretty stressed. Are you sure you don’t want to talk about the letter before we get started?”
Petra withdrew her hands from the bag, revealing a hunk of animal bone that she set at Leonie’s feet. Then she leaned back, propping herself on her hands. Sweat still shone on her brow, and her bangs, normally neatly tucked behind her ears, frizzed with flyaways.
“A letter was coming from Edelgard addressed to me. It was not the first one she sent. She is making a second try to get me to come back to the Empire.”
“You turned her down, right?”
“I am giving my loyalty to the Alliance, to Claude and the Professor, but the situation is having—is becoming complex. Edelgard is making an offer. She says if I join the Empire, and the Empire is winning the war, she will grant Brigid its independence.”
“And if you don’t join?”
“That is where the problem comes from. She did not say what happens if I am not joining. Only that she promises to free Brigid if I am joining.”
“Claude already said he’d open the borders and free Brigid if we won the war. And we are talking about the woman who declared war on all of Fódlan. It sounds like she’s just trying to bribe you and get you to follow her because that’s what you did before you joined the Golden Deer.”
“That is what Claude is thinking. He said, ‘Edelgard is playing on your loyalty.’ Both my loyalty to Brigid and my loyalty to the Empire. And my loyalty to the Alliance. She is giving me a test.”
“And what do you think?”
“I think…” Petra sighed. “It is hurting me. I was put in my situation—I was made a prisoner—because of the Empire. But Edelgard was the first person to have shown kindness to me. So I am thinking I should follow her. And I am fearing if I refuse to follow her, that she will do something to Brigid.”
Leonie hummed. “I think you’ve already made your choice, though.”
“Yes. I have made my choice. I believe that following Claude is the best decision for the future of Brigid and for the future of Fódlan. So even if I am doubting, I will not stray, because this is now my path.”
“I really admire your determination.”
“You are thinking so?” Petra blushed, smiling shyly. “I am only thinking of what is best for Brigid. I know this sometimes means I must make a very hard decision. I can only be hoping that Edelgard does not attack Brigid.”
“If she does, then we’ll drive those Empire forces out of there.”
“That is what Claude was saying. His goal is to free Brigid, so he is not letting the Empire capture it. But I am knowing the priority is the Fódlan war. If the Empire attacks Brigid, it will only be distracting from the more important war.”
Leonie hummed in thought. “This is getting complex. I’m not the most politically savvy person, but I don’t think any of us would just leave Brigid hanging.”
“Are you really thinking so?”
“Yeah, I think Brigid is also a priority. Claude said it himself. Not just because Edelgard might threaten to invade it, but because you’re one of us. Your battles are ours to fight, too. If there’s one thing I learned as a merc, it’s that sometimes, taking care of your own personal business is the most important work of all.”
“Personal business?” Petra said, raising her eyebrows.
“Of course. If something happens to Brigid, it’s personal to all of us, not only for you. And… it’s very personal to me. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to Brigid just like I wouldn’t want anything to happen to Fódlan. After all, you’re my friend.” She patted Petra’s shoulder, offering her a small smile. “You’re my hunting buddy. We still have to go fishing in the waters of Brigid one day. I can’t do that until we both feel safe going there.”
“Leonie…” Petra’s fingers curled against the grass. The corners of her lips turned up again, and Leonie felt her own smile growing a little wider. “I am very grateful for the help you are offering. I am also wanting to see that day.” Her eyes lit up. “I almost had forgetting! I almost forgot!” She reached in her bag and pulled out a hunk of dried fish. “Smoked fish, from what I had caught here in the creek. Would you like to eat some?”
“I saved some venison jerky for you, too!” Leonie dug the jerky out of her pocket. “I cured it myself. Here. I’ll trade you.”
As she accepted the smoked trout from Petra, their fingers brushed briefly. Petra looked away, her cheeks reddening. Leonie wasn’t sure why, but Petra’s bashful expression made her heart flutter.
“This is full of flavor,” Petra said. “Delicious.”
“I second that. Yum.” The smokiness wasn’t too strong, and the fishiness of the trout was just right. “After I finish my harpoon, I want to try it out. Then maybe we can cook some fish together.”
“Together?” Petra smiled. “I think I would enjoy that.”
Leonie smiled back at her. She really did love seeing Petra’s shy smile.
—
“Remember, you need to aim lower,” Petra said. “The water makes the fish look closer than it is. You are having trouble catching fish because you are aiming too high.”
Leonie grimaced, staring at the creek bed. It wasn’t supposed to be a competition, but she couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated that Petra had caught so many more fish than she had. How come she’d only snagged two so far, and Petra had landed eight? If Leonie were using a rod, she’d have filled the bucket by now!
“Just have calmness,” Petra said gently. “Listen to the river and be watching for the fish.”
Leonie breathed out, relaxing her shoulders. She glanced up from the creek at Petra, who stood diagonally across from her. The contours of Petra’s muscles seemed to glow a lovely bronze in the mid-morning light. Leonie didn’t realize she’d been staring until Petra jabbed at an incoming fish. The trout thrashed up and down as she looped her rope around it. Its scales shimmered, reflecting the bright sun and forcing Leonie to look at the sparkling, clear water.
By aiming below the fish, Leonie caught a couple more, though she found it suddenly hard to concentrate entirely on her hunting. Hunting had always made her feel at peace, but now she found herself sneaking glances at Petra’s muscular arms and her long purple ponytail cascading over her bare shoulders. She’d never felt so distracted by Petra. Before, she’d always been comforted by her presence, but now, she was feeling bothered.
By the time she landed her fifth fish, the bucket was full, and they headed back to the storehouse with their catch.
“I can cook us a lunch as a celebration of your first time fishing with your harpoon,” Petra suggested when Leonie jokingly complained about her poor performance.
“I’m just kidding,” Leonie said. “I’ll do better next time. You don’t have to cook me a consolation prize.”
“It is not a prize. It is a gift to thank you for always hunting with me. We are partners in hunting. ‘Hunting buddies,’ yes?”
“Yep,” Leonie said as her heart skipped. “Hunting buddies.”
She was sitting against the outside wall of the dining hall facing the courtyard when Petra came outside with two plates for each of them. A whole trout lay on each plate, covered in a thick brown sauce. Colorful onions, peppers, and carrots, and a green vegetable that Leonie had never seen, surrounded the trout.
“I had to try my best, because not everything was recognizable,” Petra said, sitting down next to her and setting the plate in her lap.
Leonie dug in, taking a bite of fish first. The fish was crispy and tender from being fried in the pan. The sauce was thick, almost like a syrup, and spicy with a bit of sweetness. It tasted like there might be a bit of brown sugar adding to the sweetness and thickness as well as the color. She hadn’t really tasted anything like the spices before. They burned her mouth a little, like the spicy fish dango they served in the cafeteria, except less peppery and more just hot. The green vegetable was quite bitter and had a similar texture to an onion. It had a bit of a sharp flavor, kind of like a red radish, but it didn’t make her wince when she dipped it in the spicy-sweet sauce. In fact, it tasted perfect mixed with the sauce.
“This is so delicious,” she said. “Mmm.” She went for another bite, swirling the green vegetable around in the sauce. “I’m loving this vegetable.”
“That is a Brigid radish. It is one of the few things in the pantry that are from Brigid.”
“And the spices?”
“I had to try my best,” Petra reiterated. “I hope I was able to hit the right balance between spicy and sweet.”
“It’s the perfect balance,” Leonie said. “Wow, I’d love to eat more of your cooking. First, I’ve gotta get better at fishing, though, if I hope to catch anything for you.”
“Yes, I am certain you will get better at fishing with the harpoon.”
They were quiet for a moment while Leonie continued stuffing her face. Once she had cleaned her plate, she became aware of just how close she was sitting to Petra. She’d been distracted enough by the food, but now Petra was distracting her again. She wanted to move just a little closer so that their shoulders could brush. She imagined the feeling of the muscle underneath her firm shoulder, the power and strength in that shoulder alone.
“Do you still plan to come to Brigid?”
Leonie startled, turning to face Petra. She stared at her, taking in her soft brown eyes and her inquisitive expression, lips slightly parted.
“That’s what I’m hoping. After Fódlan’s safe enough for me to take a break from the work. I mean, it also depends on whether things are safe for you. I don’t want you to be in danger, remember?”
“I am not asking if you are coming to help.”
“Huh?”
“Leonie—” Petra cut herself off, averting her eyes and quickly looking back again. “I am not just asking for you to come visit once, either. I am not just looking for a hunting partner. I would like a partner in life.”
“Ah. Oh.” Leonie cleared her throat. “Well, Petra, you know what?” She inched a little closer, then stopped when Petra flinched slightly. “I think you’ve been a pretty good partner so far. I wouldn’t mind spending even more time with you.”
Petra smiled, blushing. She moved closer, too, close enough for their shoulders to bump. Leonie’s breath hitched when she felt Petra’s firm, muscled shoulder against hers, and felt her own cheeks flush when Petra covered her hand with hers. She briefly thought about Petra’s strong arms enveloping her, and a shiver ran down her spine.
“I will not always have time for you,” Petra said, suddenly shy. “I will become the Queen of Brigid, and I will be very busy.”
“That’s okay. Mercenaries have to be flexible anyway, so I can change my schedule for you.” She flipped her hand over so that her palm was pressed to Petra’s. Petra’s calluses were rough against the ones on her own palm. “I’ll make sure to bring you some good gifts on my travels, too.”
“Gifts? What kinds of gifts?”
“Venison jerky, for starters. Maybe even some fancy liquors. Some are sweet like your fruit juice, some are sour, and some are smoky.”
“I would like to try the smoky.” Petra was so close. Her body and breath were warm. She lifted her hand to cup Leonie’s cheek, and Leonie’s face and chest mottled with heat.
“Sorry my breath smells fishy,” Leonie whispered.
“So does mine. And I would not change it for anything.”
It tasted just as delicious as it had the first time, though it was even more tender, and not so much spicy as it was sweet, so sweet and warm.