Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The wind was blowing the wrong way. That's why I didn't hear the sound of Mother calling my name at first.

…All right. Even I don't believe that! Truthfully, I was lost in daydreams.

"—Jani? Jani!"

I look up. "Coming, Mother!" I call back.

I find Mother standing at the back door, holding out a basket of eggs fresh from the hens. She waves the basket at me. "Take these to the big brothers, will you? Let them know it's for their help the other day."

I'm an only child, but I know exactly who she means. Everyone knows, because they're big brothers to everyone growing up in the village. But I'm much older now, and I don't call them that anymore.

I reach out and take the basket from her. "Got it!"

Mother gives me a look.

"…Got it, Mother…?" I venture.

Mother laughs and shakes her head. She reaches out, cups my chin and caresses my cheek. "My little princess is a retired mercenary now, is she."

I pretend to look remorseful. "No, Mother."

She chuckles again and pinches me on the cheek. "I was just checking. Go on, deliver our thanks. Don't be late for dinner."

I laugh and nod.

I skip off towards the other end of the village, to the corner of the fields that face the path to the forest. When I reach the double-roofed house there, I can see someone's sitting on the porch. The hair colour seems light—it must be Claude. He's slightly bent over, hugging something white that's lying horizontally in his lap. I squint my eyes. Is he… tending to a lamb…? I didn't know he and Dias had started keeping animals.

When I get closer, I see that Claude's not hugging a lamb but a large, fat pillowcase. He's stitching the edge of it, and hasn't bothered to remove the pillow from the case itself, so at a distance it resembles a plump animal. Next to him on the bench is an open tin, filled with fabric scraps and spools of thread.

He has the same expression of deep concentration as when he works at the forge in his workshop. It greatly amused us children as we grew up, that this mundane activity—something everyone's mother does—seems to be as involved and intense for him as hammering out the blade of a sword.

I try not to giggle. I know if I did, and if he heard me, he wouldn't be angry. If anything, he might blush. But he looks serious enough that it feels like calling his name might cause a terrible mending accident. He might poke himself with the needle and draw blood, or sew himself to the sheet. So I stand silently next to the porch post, waiting for him to notice me. As he continues obliviously working away on the hidden stitch, my lips curl up into a smile. It's not a chore at all to stand there and watch him work. He's very pleasant to look at.

When I was little, whenever my family visited Cross Castle, I dreamed of catching a sight of His Royal Highness Prince Clother T. Cross. On exactly one occasion while Mother and I were there, the prince happened to be taking audiences. When I saw him, I exclaimed loudly in surprise, "But that's just Big Brother Claude! Mommy, why is Big Brother Claude pretending to be a prince?"

Mother was understandably mortified. But everyone else—including the prince and princess—broke out into merry laughter. Apparently everyone at the castle knows Claude. Which, I suppose, is hardly a surprise. He's one of the heroes of the Sorcery Globe, after all. And from that day on, I privately thought of him as Arlia's own secret prince. A silly and childish idea, so I would never tell anyone.

Claude finishes tying off the stitch, snips the thread, and then glances up. His lovely blue eyes widen, and then they crinkle slightly at the corners as he smiles at me. "Jani! When did you get here?"

"Just now!" I chirp. I step onto the porch and hand him the basket. "For you and Dias. Mother says thank you for fixing our wagon the other day."

"What? It was nothing!" He quickly pins the needle to a piece of fabric, places it in the sewing tin, then closes it. He gets up, tucking the pillow under one arm, and accepts the basket. "Thank you. That's really generous of you and your mom."

"It was nothing for the two of you, maybe! It would've taken us so much longer otherwise." I poke at the plush pillow under his arm. "What's this? Wouldn't it be easier to mend the case without the pillow inside?"

He chuckles. "I was lazy. Don't tell on me."

I scoff. "Who would I tell? Dias?"

"He's a much better seamster than I am, you know."

"Then shouldn't he be here mending the pillow?"

"He's catching dinner."

I tsk and shake my head in mock disgust. "The lazy man!"

Claude laughs heartily. "That makes us a good match, doesn't it?"

I laugh as well. "Oooh, true, true!"

He pushes the door open. "Want to come in for a bit?"

I follow him inside. He places the basket of eggs on the table, says, "Make yourself at home. I'll be right back," and heads up the stairs.

I sit down at the familiar trestle table and look around. I've been in their house many times and know the place by heart. Two caned-seat chairs at the trestle table; one little stool in the corner for ease in tending the hearth. The clay stove and smokestack; the bundles of firewood near them. The herbs hanging along the walls; the fringed dyed rug on the floor. It's a deep blue with a pattern of white flowers and stars. I remember Dias telling me, when I was little, that it was a gift from Mayor Regis when they decided to stay in Arlia. Overall, not unlike any other home in Arlia.

That said, there are also interesting, unusual things. Like... the art on the walls. Sketches and paintings by Claude, hung in frames made by the village carpenter, Emile and Amicia's father. Most are landscapes; a few are still lifes, with several portraits here and there. Similar works do exist in other homes in Arlia... but this is where they all came from. Gifts from Claude to the rest of the villagers. I have a small one in my own room. It's a watercolour of birds flying over a turret at Cross Castle, the one housing the princess' private chambers.

And, of course, most fascinating of all is the rack near the back wall.

My gaze easily falls on the swords that hang from it. I would recognize them anywhere on sight. And I know their names, as all the village children do, since we so often badgered our dear big brothers endlessly to recite them. The names that win tournaments, slay monsters and save worlds. Sharpness. Veil Piercer. Silvance. In the quiet, humble room, they seem to gleam with a noble and mystical grace. As befitting a display in the home of a secret prince and his knight, I imagine fancifully.

I hear Claude coming back down the stairs. Instead of a pillow under his arm, he's now carrying a large box. He places it on the table and flips the lid up. "See anything you like? You can have it."

I gasp loudly. The box is filled with jewelry! Necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, small charms. Obviously Claude's handiwork. Everyone knows he's always making things in his workshop, even when no one has asked him for anything.

I stare up at him. "Really?"

"Of course."

"But don't you need these?" They must be accessories with special protective qualities. For travellers and warriors. Obviously more than Claude and Dias could ever wear at one time, but they could still sell them.

He shakes his head. "A lot of these are for practice. Just making sure I don't get rusty. Go ahead."

I peer into the box, dazzled.

"You can pick them up for a closer look."

I shake my head. "If I touch it, I have to take it."

"Says who?"

"That's how it works! It's better for luck."

"Okay then." He sounds amused.

After a few minutes, I carefully reach into the box and lift out a faceted bangle. I slide it onto my wrist and admire it in the light. The second the angle changes, it shimmers, casting the colours of the rainbow around it. It reminds me of how sunlight streams through the coloured glass of the church's windows.

Claude smiles. "That's a nice one."

"Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. Want to pick one for your mom, too?"

I hem and haw and finally decide on a necklace with a deep purple pendant, Mother's favourite colour. Claude rummages around in a cabinet and finds a bit of paper to wrap it in. He ties it up with some twine, then tugs a sprig from the dried herbs hanging on the wall, tucking it into the twine bow to make it look fancy.

As I get up from my seat with the package in my hands, I hear boots clomping up the porch outside. Then the door swings open.

It's Dias, lugging a bucket full of sloshing water. Claude greets him. "Hey, you. Welcome back." He gives Dias a quick peck on the cheek. Dias smiles and instantly looks even more handsome. 

As he sets the bucket down, I greet him as well. "Hi Dias!" I stand on my tiptoes and reach out to him to show off my wrist. "Look what Claude gave me!"

"Ah. A dream bracelet. It suits you."

I beam. Dias is sparse with compliments, so it's flattering whenever he gives one because you know it must be true. "Is that what it's called?" I hold my wrist up close to my eyes, admiring the bracelet some more. "What a pretty name!"

"And a purple mist for her mom," Claude adds. He gestures at the basket on the table. "They gave us a whole basket of eggs!"

Dias nods at me. "Thank you."

Claude looks down at the bucket. "Wow. What happened here."

I look over at him, and then down at the bucket. It's filled with shrimp. I hear Dias reply, "Don't complain."

"I'm not complaining. I'm just wondering." Claude's voice sounds teasing.

I look up just in time to see the corner of Dias' mouth curling up. "I'm a master swordsman. Not a master fisherman."

Claude laughs at the joke. "You're retired. Up your skills." He looks down at the bucket again, and scratches his cheek thoughtfully. "How does teabowl-steamed savoury egg custard with shrimp sound?"

"Sounds wonderful."

I look from one handsome smiling face to the other. "I better head home before it gets dark," I declare loudly. "I'll leave you two lovebirds to your lovey-dovey dinner!" I trot out the door, giggling, Mother's necklace in hand, before either of them can say anything.

They're hardly anywhere as bad about it as Mael's parents, but it's fun to point out their moments. It's no overstatement to say that every village girl has had their eyes on Dias or Claude or both of them at some point, and that we all know it's a lost cause. They're obviously meant for each other, and none of us would ever want to see them separated. 

I'm walking down the steps of Mr. Hearn's general store with a tin of mother's favourite tea when I see a stranger. He looks as if he just passed the village gates and is trying to confirm he's in the right place.

I greet him. "Welcome to Arlia Village! Can I help you?"

The stranger politely doffs his hat. "Good day, miss. Would you be so kind as to direct me to the house of the Arlian swordsmen?"

He must be another traveller from Lacour. "Of course," I say, gesturing. "It's that way. Keep following the river, past the church and the green house with the water wheel. Continue until you can see the fields leading towards the forest. Double-roofed house to the right."

The stranger bows. "Many thanks."

As he walks off, I chuckle to myself. It's funny to think of our humble, tiny village as a place that attracts visitors from all over Expel. But we do get them every so often. Thanks to our illustrious retired knight and secret prince.

I'm on my late afternoon stroll when I spy Lucien standing at Dias and Claude's porch. He's staring at their door, as if he's trying to decide whether or not to knock.

Lucien takes swordfighting lessons from both of them, so it's not that unusual to see him there. When we were much younger, during the boys' playfighting, he would usually take on the role of Claude, with Emile pretending to be Dias. I've lost count of all the times all of us children ran about the village, yelling and cheering. We had so much fun watching them hit each other with sticks, imagining we were seated at the famed colosseum of Lacour as spectators to the grand Tournament of Arms.

Emile eventually grew out of it, becoming more focused on woodworking and following in his father's footsteps. But Lucien kept up his sword practice, taking lessons from Dias and Claude. Claude even forged him a blade of his own, which immediately became his pride and joy. He always has it strapped to his waist. Dias and Claude are the only real swordsmen in the village, and they don't wear their weapons all the time. Lucien's habit could easily come across as showing off, if it weren't for the fact that he's so honest and unpretentious that it's more charming than anything. Sometimes I think to myself that he even looks quite dashing.

But right now he looks distressed.

I step up onto the porch next to him. "Lucien? What's wrong?"

He turns to me. "They're taking Claude away!" His voice is hushed, his face full of anxiousness.

I'm shocked at his unexpected statement. "What?! Who? Why?"

"I don't know! I've never seen that man before in my life. He's gone now. But I overheard them talking, and Claude has to go. They negotiated it from right away down to tonight."

In a tiny village like ours, 'that man' can only be the stranger I gave directions to earlier in the day. "Go? Where?"

"Home."

For a second, I'm completely baffled. "Home? But—but this is his home!"

"No, his… his real home. You know."

Then I remember.

I do know.

Most of the children don't know. Emile's little sister Amicia was too young to remember; Mael wasn't even born yet. Ketil's family came to Arlia much later. It's much the same for the others. But Emile knows, and of course Lucien and I both know.

Claude isn't from Arlia. He appeared one day, saving our dear big sister Rena from a beast in the Shingo Forest. No one knows where he came from, but he rendered great aid to us—to all of Expel—and eventually settled in our village with Dias. Mayor Regis adopted him, and Arlia treats him as its own son. We don't discuss his origins. As far as we're concerned, he's an Arlian. And that's that.

Until now.

"But why? He's happy here, isn't he? With Dias? With us?"

"I think he's being forced to go."

"But—but Dias and Claude are the strongest swordsmen on Expel! No one can best them!" Nothing makes sense to me. "—Dias is going along with it?"

"It seems like it. It's some kind of law from something called the Federation." Lucien balls his hands into fists. "We can't just let them take Claude away. Someone has to stop them!"

"But… if what you say is true—if it's a law from where Claude's from, he can't break it. And maybe he told Dias not to either. So they can't fight it."

Lucien's eyes flash fiercely, full of determination. "If they can't," he declares passionately, raising his voice and drawing his sword, "then I will!"

"No you won't."

We both turn, Lucien still holding his blade aloft in the air. The door is open, Claude is in the doorway, Dias visible just behind him. They stare at the two of us standing on their porch, and we stare back in silence. Dias' face looks very neutral. But Claude's expression is disapproving.

After a moment, Claude says sternly, "Put that away. Don't be stupid."

Lucien obediently sheathes his sword, then hangs his head at the admonishment.

Claude's expression softens to a gentle, fond smile. He walks over and places a hand on Lucien's shoulder, squeezing it. "Do you remember, my first day in Arlia, how you told me to be careful? Your little voice, calling after me: 'Big brother, stay on the road when you travel. The forests are dangerous.'" He chuckles. "You barely knew me, Lucien. But you were looking out for my well-being even then. Thank you. But you don't need to fight for me right now."

Lucien lifts his head. He's biting his lower lip. "…You're really leaving?"

"We knew this day would come," says Dias.

Claude nods. "Yeah. I've already been here much longer than I should have. If the two of you want to help me, don't tell anyone. It'll create more problems if people find out. Mayor Regis will let everyone know once I'm gone."

Lucien and I nod slowly, unhappily.

Claude looks from one of us to the other. "Look how tall you both are now," he says softly. "You used to barely reach my waist… no, you were probably even shorter than that." He spreads his arms open, inviting us in for a hug.

We close the distance and embrace him. I rest my head against Claude's chest, and Lucien lays his head on Claude's shoulder. He hugs us both tight, as if we'd disappear if he lets go. I can feel him rubbing our backs, stroking our hair. "Be good, okay?"

"We will," I whisper. If I try to speak any louder, I'll definitely cry.

"I won't forget you, Big Brother," Lucien says. His voice is choked up.

"I won't forget you either." And then Claude whispers, so that Dias can't hear him: "Look after Dias for me."

I nod tearfully.

After a while, I hear Dias say, in a very tender voice, "All right. It's time to go home."

He must be talking to Lucien and me. But it sounds to me like he's talking to Claude.

I fiddle, twisting my hair in between my fingers. "I don't know if this is a good idea."

"You don't have to stay. You can go back if you want."

"Absolutely not!"

Lucien and I are huddled together in the forest, hiding in the foliage just inside the main path entering it. We've been out here so long that our eyes have long adjusted to the darkness with peeks of moon and starlight. I would never be out here this late normally. It's only because Lucien is with me, that he has his sword at his side, and that he agreed we wouldn't go deep into the forest.

He'd heard Claude and the stranger discussing the Shingo Forest as their meeting place, and he was adamant about seeing Claude off in some way. Maybe he imagined that there might still be something he could do to change Claude's mind, or the mind of whoever it is taking Claude away. And if he was going to be here, I wanted to be as well.

Sure enough, after what feels like forever, we see the silhouette of someone crossing the bridge, coming our way. It's Claude. He's alone.

My heart sinks. Dias truly isn't stopping him.

Claude halts in the small clearing across from us. The very second he does so, there's a sudden burst of light before him. Out of nowhere, rings of light—no, triangles—spiral in a column, with a strange noise I can barely describe. Like the strangest singing crickets I have ever heard. Then a blurry shape appears at the centre of that light, and quickly darkens into the form of a man.

It's the stranger who had asked me for directions to the Arlian swordsmen's house. I almost don't recognize him because his clothing is completely different. It's actually… startlingly familiar. After a few seconds, I realize why. It looks very much like the clothing Claude had been wearing all those years ago, when he first came to Arlia. I have a faint memory of him dressed like that, watching me in amusement as I circled the well over and over, my childish habit whenever I was daydreaming.

Claude and the man both place their feet together, standing very straight, then raise their arms with the side of the hands by their heads in a kind of salute.

"Right on the dot," says the man. He sounds friendly but business-like. "You used every last second you had."

"Didn't want to waste any," Claude replies. He also sounds very business-like.

"You remember how this goes." The man hands Claude something, and Claude reaches out to take it, stepping closer to him. Then that column of light and the cricket sounds manifest again.

Lucien stands up, and I reflexively stand up at the same time, grabbing his hand. The grass rustles loudly with our movement. Claude lifts his head and looks perfectly in our direction. Standing in that strange light, I can see his eyes widen ever so slightly.

Lucien gives a start—a step, or maybe a small lunge—in Claude's direction. But Claude is shaking his head. He looks so sad. He mouths at us, Goodbye. Be good.

And then he and the other man are gone.

Early the next morning, Mayor Regis comes calling.

Living near the mayor's house is convenient, because we're usually one of the first households he visits whenever there's significant, difficult news. The Arlian way is to do it in private. The head of the household can ask questions and discuss with the mayor, and decide the most appropriate way to dispense the information to the rest of the family to ensure harmony.

I'm sure I already know what the news is.

Mother invites the mayor into the kitchen. I'm about to step outside when Mayor Regis says, "Jani, you can stay. I know you remember Claude arriving in our village."

I come back to the table, sitting next to Mother, trying to look as if I have no idea what the mayor is going to tell us.

The mayor sighs deeply. "It is with great regret that I am here to tell you some very sad news. Claude has left Arlia."

"He what!" Mother exclaims shrilly. Then she covers her mouth with both hands, embarrassed. I cry out at the same time. It's no surprise to me, of course. But somehow Mayor Regis saying it makes it suddenly more real. Until that moment, I think part of me had still been hoping I just had a bad dream.

"As I speak, he is already long gone. He was very sorry he could not personally say farewell to everyone in the village. It all had to happen very quickly."

Mother lowers her hands and her voice. "Whyever did he feel he had to leave? Where is he going?"

"It was not his choice. He has been summoned back to his original home."

Mother is silent. I can tell she wants to ask 'Where is that?', but she doesn't. The village had agreed long ago that Claude's origins would never be a question.

"I can surmise what you are wondering, for I wonder it myself. All I can say—all that I know—is that it is a place further away than any of us can imagine."

"…How is Dias faring?"

"He is… not happy about it, of course. But the two of them have known this would be a likely outcome since they first began travelling together."

"So, all this time…"

"Yes. Claude wanted me to tell everyone that living in Arlia with us was nothing but a joy. It was more than he could have dreamed of, and he's grateful to all of us. I told him it is the same for us."

"Is someone going to tell Rena? She's still busy running the Academy in Cross, isn't she?"

"Claude wrote several letters. I've dispatched the messenger pigeons already, and Rena's should arrive in a day or two. But she, like Dias, was already aware this could happen one day."

Mother nods. All that could be done had be done. "Our dear boys," she says softly.

I look down at my lap. I can feel my lips quivering, and I blink faster, trying not to cry.

"We must not pity them. That is what neither of them would wish for. But we shall give them our support. And our faith."

"Our faith?" Mother's question makes me glance up as well.

"Claude told me he will try as hard as he can to return." Mayor Regis' gaze is solid, unwavering. Comforting. "He does not know how long it will take, but he will do his best. As will we."

Dias is sitting on his front porch. Not doing anything. Just sitting there. Looking straight ahead, towards the forest.

I quietly walk over and sit down next to him. I straighten out the folds of my skirt in my lap, not quite sure what to say. 'Are you okay?' seems a very stupid thing to ask. Of course he's not okay. His beloved is gone, and he was powerless to do anything about it. As a master swordsman who saved all of Expel, he couldn't even draw his blade to attempt to stop it.

After a few minutes, I tilt my head to look over tentatively—and immediately wish I hadn't. I've never seen Dias with such a stricken expression on his face.

I remember when we were little, when we were worried or afraid, how comforting it was to have Big Brother Dias and Big Brother Claude with us. With their solid, warm, protective presence, it was easy to believe everything would be fine. I wish I could do the same now. Tell Dias everything will be okay, and have him believe it. Claude's just going away for a bit, and they—whoever they are—will quickly realize the best place for Claude to be is in Arlia, and he'll be back. I can even hear Claude's voice in my mind, telling us that things will work out.

But I don't know that. No one knows that. I'm not a child anymore, and Dias hasn't been a child for a long time.

After a while, I do the only thing I can. I wrap my arms around Dias in a hug.

Almost immediately I can feel tears overflowing my eyes, rivers—no, waterfalls running down my cheeks. Before I know it I'm bawling like a child into Big Brother Dias' shoulder, my heart breaking at the unfairness of it all. After everything the two of them had done for Arlia—no, for all of Expel—how dare they come and take Big Brother Claude away! How dare they separate them! Why couldn't they be left to live in peace together? Why couldn't they have something so simple? Why this cruel outcome?

In my haze of tears, I feel Dias' warm, calloused hand touch mine. His arm wraps around me, returning the hug. Consoling me. It occurs to me that I have never, not once in my life, ever seen either of my big brothers cry.

I find Lucien by the river. His eyes are as puffy and red as mine feel. And we're hardly alone in this; the news has dampened all the air in Arlia.

When Lucien sees me, he says, "Hey." The way he says it sounds almost exactly like the way Claude says it. That all of us learned how to say it, mimic it, as children. I break out into a sob.

He hugs me. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I reply, sniffling hard. "It's not your fault."

After a moment, Lucien lets go, wiping at his own eyes with the back of his hand. We sit together in the grass, moping depressedly together. Which makes it at least a little easier. If there's anyone I can mope depressedly with, it's Lucien.

I look down at my wrist, at the gem-like dream bracelet Claude had given me. "I can't believe this is real."

"It doesn't feel real."

"It's not fair."

"It's not."

"I don't understand why he had to go."

"I think I know why."

I look over at Lucien in surprise.

He swallows. "I want to tell you something I've never told anyone else. But you have to promise... you must promise to keep it a secret."

As we always did since we were children, I form the little cross with my index and middle finger and place it over my chest. "Cross my heart, I shall never tell, as sure as water in the well."

He nods, satisfied. "Do you remember when Alen-Tax Barnes became possessed and kidnapped Rena?"

"Of course." It happened a long time ago, when we were very little, shortly after after Claude had first arrived. Mother had forced me to stay inside when the hired thugs had entered the village. She wouldn't let me go anywhere far from the house 'till Rena and Claude returned, so I had seen none of it. Lucien was the only one of us children at the time who had witnessed the entire thing, as he'd been playing by the gates when it happened.

"Mayor Regis was worried about Claude going by himself to rescue her. But Claude said to him…" Lucien takes a deep breath, as though steeling himself to do something impossibly dangerous. Then his voice drops to a whisper so low I can barely hear him. "'Don't worry. I have the Sword of Light.'"

My mouth drops open. I stare at him.

"Missus Lanford and Father Marshall were also there. I'm not sure Missus Lanford heard because she was so stressed and worried and crying, but Father Marshall definitely heard him say it. And after he left, the mayor was very serious. He told us not to tell anyone else what Claude said."

I find my voice again. "But you just told me."

Lucien looks exasperated. "Because I like yo—because you crossed your heart! Are you going to tell anyone else?"

"No. I would never." It's the truth. Then I realize what he said. "You like me?"

He flushes. His eyebrows knit together, and he looks away. He seems mad. Probably because this isn't how he meant to confess his feelings.

I want to giggle at the silliness of the situation. I reach over and take his hand. "I like you too. I thought you were very gallant when you said you would fight the people taking Claude away."

He doesn't look at me. "Even though Claude told me I was being stupid," he mumbles.

"Well, he probably didn't want you to get hurt. And to tell the truth, we don't really understand what's going on. So you were stupid." When he turns his head back to glare at me, I add, "But gallant," and give him a quick kiss on the lips.

When I pull back, he stares at me for a few seconds. Then he says, "That makes me feel a little better."

I laugh, and we kiss again, this time longer.

After that, we sit in silence some more, holding and hugging each other tightly, feeling far less alone together. But that also makes us both ache more for Claude and Dias. And Lucien's revelation churns in my mind. As does the triangular light we saw that night.

If Big Brother Claude was actually the Hero of Light all this time…

"You think that man was a messenger of Tria, summoning him back? Because the Sorcery Globe is gone, so Expel doesn't need the Hero anymore?"

"It makes sense to me…" Lucien picks up a leaf from the ground and fiddles with it. "After Mayor Regis came by, I went to church and spoke with Father Marshall. I asked him what he thought about Claude being the Hero of Light. I didn't tell him what we saw last night, but… Father Marshall told me that when Claude first arrived in Arlia... he didn't seem to know anything about Tria."

"So then, he's not…?"

"But Father Marshall also said that Tria works in mysterious ways. Maybe Claude was pretending to not know anything. Or maybe Claude knew Tria by another name and form. Who knows." He sighs and throws the leaf away, and slumps back on the ground. "I don't care if he's the Hero or not. I just want Big Brother Claude back. This is where he belongs."

I agree wholeheartedly, the image of Dias sitting alone on the porch burned into my mind.

Mother sighs as we make lunch. "I really worry about him," she says. "About Dias. About Claude too. About both of them. But especially about Dias. Because of his history." The sound of chopping—her chopping meat, me chopping scallions—is the only reply. I don't say anything, because this is Mother's way of getting things off her chest.

"He left the village a long time ago, you know. You were far too little to remember it, but it was awful. So terribly sad. After losing his family, he became so closed-off, ignoring everyone. And then one night he disappeared. Almost like how Claude suddenly left in the night… Well, no. That wasn't exactly the same. But when Mayor Regis said Claude was gone, I immediately thought of what happened all those years ago. We thought Dias would never come back. We were so worried, wondering where he was, if he was all right, if he was still alive… It was an honest miracle of Tria when we saw him again. And when he and Claude started living together here—well, you remember that. We were all so happy for them. And now… I worry what this will do to Dias. If he'll become closed-off again. Go back to wandering and chasing danger again. Risking his life heaven-knows-where doing Tria-knows-what. Because he thinks he has nothing left for him. No one wants him to leave. But you can't blame him if he feels that way…I'm just glad Rena was able to come and stay with him for a few weeks. But now she's gone back to the Cross Academy and Dias is in that house all by himself, with so many things Claude made…"

I nod silently as Mother goes on and on. I often saw Dias and Claude visiting the family graves. Dias didn't seem sad at those times; he seemed peaceful and reflective. In fact, sometimes he and Claude would be smiling and laughing, giving updates, making fun of each other, telling jokes to the departed Flac family. As Mother said—perhaps it had been Claude's presence that made it all possible.

Our lives are, for the most part, very peaceful. The knowledge that Arlia is a tiny village with nothing special aside from two retired master swordsmen living here—now one retired master swordsman—is enough to put troublemakers off. Dias' reputation scared them away. He could certainly be grumpy and grouchy. But he never frightened any of the children when we were growing up, as annoying as I'm sure we could be. I always thought of Big Brother Dias as quietly caring, watching over us.

When we finish making the dumplings, Mother wraps up a batch of them in a cloth, and ties it up into a neat little hanging bag. "Take this to Big Brother Dias for us, will you? We've made too much for ourselves. Even if he doesn't need it today, he can save it for later. So he won't need to worry about making food."

I take the bag carefully in both hands. "Of course, Mother."

Dias is sweeping the porch when I arrive. He looks up as I near, and I lift the bundle up. "We made too many meat dumplings. Mother was wondering if you might help us with them?"

He nods. I put the bundle on the bench. I don't want to leave him, so I sit down next to it. I watch him continue sweeping the porch, which seems clean of any leaf or even dust. I think of what Mother had talked about.

I miss Claude too, I think silently at Dias. I know you miss him more than anyone. It must hurt so much to be here without him.

When he stops sweeping and looks over at me, perhaps wondering why I haven't left yet, I blurt out, "I'm glad you're still here. Please don't leave."

To my surprise, he replies, "Thank you. I won't." Then he leans against his broom, looking thoughtfully into the distance, towards the forest. "I've become stronger than I was back then, thanks to him."

"Thanks to… Claude?" I whisper Claude's name, terrified it might destroy Dias to hear it out loud.

"Yes." He eyes me, and the corner of his mouth curls up in a half-smile. "In any case. I made Claude a promise."

"A promise?"

"When he left, he had one request for me: to take good care of myself." He smiles. It's a very gentle expression. "I told him I would do that, for myself, and for Arlia. And for him, when he returns."