Allow me to demonstrate

F! Byleth closed RP Blog Affiliated with The Officer's Academy Black Eagles House Professor

[peerlessscowl]

A World So Much Wilder Than You'd Think

[peerlessscowl]

Raven’s eyes had sought out the beast by virtue of pure caution, but his gaze flickered upward and narrowed when Byleth spoke, words softened with sympathy that he hadn’t expected to hear from them. Not merely due to their demeanor - he had thought that he was beginning to understand them, just a little - but because they were both mercenary, and to leave the beasts alive wasn’t the job.

He paused a moment, allowed his gaze to drift back downward to the panting beast at their feet, mind churning with the thought that it could simply be putting on a show for them, evoking what it knew it could wring from their emotions to slink through the jaws of death and to strike back again when their backs were turned.

Then, he lifted his eyes to the dense jungle, the heavy hanging vines and ferns that closed in around them, air dense with heat and humidity. Thoughtful, he crossed his arms over his chest, tapped a finger against his arm.

“There’s no guarantee they’ll allow us to leave the jungle alive,” he pointed out, voice soft. “It wouldn’t behoove us to underestimate their intelligence, or their desire to see us gone.”

A sigh.

"I suppose we’ll have to decide what we’re going to tell the client, then.”

[ashenprofessor]

The beast was subdued, the fight gone from it's stance. Head bowed, it stood still as though waiting the decision on whether it would get to live or die. A pang of guilt cut through the professor like a knife to the gut. If they had to take its life, Byleth could not be the one to do it. The ashen demon was too weak for this task.

"I know but perhaps it's that test of trust which might be what we should do." Byleth suggested "If we kill another, the clan might choose to take revenge. But if we don't then it might end the cycle and we can leave each other in peace"

It was a long shot but they wished that to be the case. The creatures were intelligent, strategic and loyal to one another. They were a dangerous enemy to make.

"We tell the truth. Just not all of it." they said "We tell the client we found the beasts, there was conflict and they wont be a problem anymore"

The last point could be a bare face lie but the two of them would be gone before finding out. It would stop the client hiring more to hunt down the beasts.

"But we must be in agreement."

[ashenprofessor]

Sea Shanties with a mystery incorporated

[lunaestice]

Ashe follows behind the professor dutifully, keeping an eye out for any suspicious figures as they do. Finally they arrive at what looks to be the tavern, “The Gloomy Galleon” a crooked sign above the entrance reads. As they step inside, the strong scent of Alcohol and sea salt immediately assaults his senses. He tries to hide the way his nose wrinkles slightly.

“This definitely seems to be the place.” It’s a lot rougher than he expected. It’s nothing at all like the restaurants or taverns he’s seen before, not even during the nighttime hours when more alcohol was served. Perhaps this is just the fate of a tavern frequented by pirates?

It doesn’t take long for their presence to be noticed either. Perhaps it’s their clothes that make them stand out, or maybe it’s the fact they’re not regulars. Either way, people start to stare. Nervously Ashe takes a step closer to the professor.

“Well, ain’t you two new faces? What can the Galleon do fer ya?” The woman running the counter greets them with a smile, unbothered by the stares of her clientele. “The name’s Candy, I be running this joint. Though the boy’s a little young looking for my signature pint, feel free to relax! And don’t worry bout me mates here, they look tough as nails but they’re sweet as a sea dog, lemme tell ya.”

[ashenprofessor]

The inside of the tavern screamed 'shady dealings'. The pungent scent of alcohol filled the air and most of the tables were filled. It was surprisingly busy for this time of day. Was everyone having the day off or something?

"Agreed" Byleth murmured to Ashe before they were noticed by the place's patrons. "Yes hello" they said louder, addressing the woman behind the counter. "We're new to the area and looking for a drink. Don't worry about him" they indicated Ashe's form half-behind them. "He's old enough, just it's his first time out in a place like this. I'm showing him the ropes"

Byleth doesn't mention what sort of work the two of them did. Sometimes it was best to be vague and let people draw their own conclusions.

"We're looking to hire some trust worthy folk to help us with a ... job. Do you know anyone by chance?"

[ashenprofessor]

Doctor heal thyself, and serve me a drink

[verseandrhyme]

Fair enough. Mitama nods as she reaches for a nearby roll of bandages. "In practice, anything that stops bleeding or holds a limb in place on the battlefield is sufficient." Combat does not always offer perfect opportunities to tend to things properly, and sometimes enough to survive to receive that treatment later is perfectly sufficient. If that is enough for them and whatever life that they life, then that is fine.

"But learning how to do it proper for once the fighting is done is not a bad thing." Once the roll finally comes free, she places the end against the man's elbow and holds it there with her thumb until she has wrapped the bandage around it a few times. Once it is secure, she begins to quickly wrap up the rest of the arm. "What inspired you to join us in the backlines, hmm?"

[ashenprofessor]

Byleth nodded listening carefully to the more experience healer explain. Past experience had provided the knowledge to judge when a wound could be treated with a quick bandage slapped on it and what required a rushed trip to the medic. The worse were the ones which appeared hopeless, the cases where the chances of pulling through were slim to none.

"I usually just wind a strip of cloth around the area to staunch the blood flow" Byleth explains. Their hands mimic the movements Mitama is making, trying to commit them to memory. So focused, the professor almost missed the question.

"It wasn't so much a decision as an order" Byleth admits. "The church wanted all hands available to help tend the wounded. Also, this mission is more an investigation than a battle and I've been told my 'human interaction' skills need some work"

If they needed some intimidation then the 'Ashen demon' was the person to go to. Getting townsfolk to open up about shady going ons, not so much.

"What about you?" they ask in return "What led to you being healer in chief here?"

[ashenprofessor]

Where have all the "step"-ladders gone?

[peerlessscowl]

"Didn’t think that you were,” was his only reply before Beathe beat her great wings and veered them in the direction of those remaining.

If Byleth was going to take care of those in the trees, then he would pick off the stragglers, those that thought they could escape by virtue of feeling the swifter of the mounts through the dense folaige of the forest until they reached the openness of the road.

They would be wrong. Like a wyvern, he was a persistence predator.

“Let’s not let them down,” he said to Beathe with a pat to her neck, drawing his own sword and easily cleaning up the rabble that remained. Beathe, still voracious with energy and battle-hunger, screeched, spread her wings wide and brought them up into the air and down to dive bomb, again, then again, then-

“All right, all right.” It was hard not to acknowledge her excitement with his own, a fond sound leaving his throat, not quite a laugh.

"The knights should be able to collect this lot easily enough. They’re not going anywhere anytime soon,” he said when he met back up with Byleth. The sun had begun to rise in earnest, her face shimmering over the tops of the trees and bathing what had once been the inky dark of night in a gentle pink glow, a stark line between treetops and open sky.

Raven patted the ladders they’d collected, and glanced down at the foes defeated and being absconded by the knights on the ground, and he nodded.

“Job well done, I think. Don’t you?”

[ashenprofessor]

The sun was starting to rise in the east as Byleth urged their steed to go faster. "Come on midnight" The pair shot forwards startling the escapees which had taken off towards the forest. As they neared there was a half-hearted volley of arrows from the tree line. It took little effort to dodge them which Midnight did without Byleth's direction.

Perhaps realising that further resistance was futile, a few figures shimmied down from the trees and began running away. Banking sideways, the professor looped through the air swinging their sword with one hand to persuade those below to cooperate. Soon they were corralled into a huddle. It was just like herding sheep.

"Everyone down on the ground!" They shouted waiting for the few to gather in a small huddle. Satisfied that the miscreants were suitably subdued, Byleth landed midnight on the edge of the forest and stood watch over them until one of the knights arrived having climbed down the returned ladders.

"I believe these are some of the ones responsible for your earlier predicament" They told the knight who nodded in thanks before looking grimly at the bandits. "I'll let you take it from here"

Mounting Midnight, Byleth reconvened with Raven. "Thank you for your help" they said upon landing. "I think we earnt a good breakfast!" An indignant whiney behind them interrupted this statement. "You two too of course. Let go eat"

[FIN]

[sanakialtina]

circadian rhythm

Sanaki + Byleth, heavy armor +1 (herald)

[sanakialtina]

The banquet hall is different, in the quiet morning after. Lit with the grey light of dawn, the chandeliers do not glimmer so brightly, and the tablecloths are not so creamy pale. Even the floor, polished as it once was, is now stained with countless petals trampled underfoot.

The people are different, too. Sanaki brushes past glum-faced classmates and strangers alike. Gone are the finely pressed suits and satin ballgowns, for who would risk a garment so delicate for such an unglamorous task as this? Their eyes, their hunched shoulders, echo the same exhaustion Sanaki knows is clear on her own face.

Still, today's agenda waits for no one. She makes her way over to the deserted refreshments table, in search of anything to tide her over. It's there, surrounded by cups of tea long gone cold, that she sees a figure she had not expected to see.

"Professor Byleth?" Sanaki greets, surprised. "What are you doing here, cleaning? I thought only the students who got in trouble are required to help."

A curious tilt of her head. Not that Sanaki can remember spotting the professor at the ball at all, actually...

@ashenprofessor !

[ashenprofessor]

The annual ball had been and gone. Although the professor hadn't attended this year, they had heard the raucous music and shouts of the students as they partied the night away. Thus Byleth was feeling sleep deprived as even with all possible measures to block out the noise, it had been a disturbed night.

Blearily, they had stumbled from their room and made their way towards the hall to see the damage. The hallways were fairly empty (unsurprisingly) and those there were all in a similar state of dishevelment. Entering through the great doors, they surveyed the room. Table were strewn with leftover food and glasses, decorations were falling from their placement and there was a large amount of petals everywhere. It was as though a floristry had exploded in the room.

As they turned to leave, a figure blocked the path. Church robes freshly pressed, the official looked the professor up and down before haughtily saying "You look like you had quite the night. Seeing as you're here I think taking some responsibility and clearing up your own mess is in order"

Byleth opened their mouth to protest but was met with a hand "No I don't want to hear it. The cleaning supplies are over there. Hurry up, get to it!"

Trudging over to where the official indicated, Byleth picked up an empty bag and went over to the table to start clearing the debris. They paused and turned around when a surprised voice interrupted their misery.

"I didn't do anything" they informed the purple haired lady "It's a case of wrong place, wrong time. What about you? Why are you here?"

[ashenprofessor]

Do the rescuers need rescuing?

[landsbluod]

The roar of the sea was something she could not have predicted in her wildest dreams. Even at rest, at calm, there was such a din that washed over her and hampered every vibration of sound and filled the air with naught but the rush of its currents attempting to swallow her whole.

Like hell she would allow that, and beat furiously against the waves, focusing her eyes on the blurry shape of land in the distance. It was absurd, nearly, that this was her only recourse, until the saw the flutter of ebon wings in the sky and spluttered to glance upward, sighting Byleth’s pegasus circling overhead.

It did not necessarily mean that the professor was nearby, but it was a surer bet than not.

If she strained her ears, she though, if only for a moment, that she could hear the sound of another voice being drowned out.

“Byleth!!” Lachesis knew that her voice carried under ideal circumstances, across flat plains and deep mountain valleys, but the crest and dip of ocean waves was another matter. Still, when she saw the dark head of hair, nearly camouflaged against the water, a laugh bubbled up from her throat, and she paddled in that direction. “Byleth!! What a relief that neither of us perished - that fall was atrocious. Do you see that shore, just there? If we continue on, we can make it in due time.”

[ashenprofessor]

The swell was a challenge but thankfully the professor was a strong swimmer. Their muscles burned as they swam as quickly as possible towards the sound they'd heard. Luckily Lachesis had a voice which carried.

As they neared, Byleth heard splashing and as they crested the next wave Lachesis appeared.

"Lachesis. I'm glad you're ok" they said greeting her. "You say there's a shore nearby?"

Looking up at the sky, they saw Midnight overhead. "Do you see land girl?" they called up. There was a soft whinny in response before she took off towards what Byleth assumed was land.

"Let's follow" they said and begun to swim in the same direction. As Lachesis had said, it wasn't long before a landmass appeared above the waves and the water became shallower. As soon as they were able, the professor stood and waded the last couple of meters to the shore.

Lying on the sand, Byleth slowed their breathing to recover from the unplanned swim. Sitting up they saw Midnight come to land on the beach, folding her wings and trotting over to nuzzle the professor's teal locks.

"So, what now?" they asked Lachesis "Do we continue or go back?"

[peerlessscowl]

restless omiyage

[peerlessscowl]

“Would that it were,” he replied, tapping the edge of the basin with the side of another container, this time of water, which he flicked a few fingerfuls of into the basin. “Bread would be an easier make than this, I think.”

Not that he’d ever made it, though the concept wasn’t alien to him. Time did most of the work during baking, but here it was nothing but pure human effort.

“It’s rice,” he explained as Byleth swung down, reaching in to adjust the lump of clay-like paste before the mallet came down again. “Or, I suppose, it was. And this is just another middle stage before the final product. I don’t know what that’s meant to look like, but…”

Another swing, another swipe. He couldn’t help but huff a little chuckle - Byleth hadn’t been kidding when they said they were strong; the indentations in the paste didn’t regain their shape until he pushed it.

“I suppose the beating is meant to soften it, to the point that it can be formed more easily. They’ve mentioned that there’s more to it afterward. Fillings, coatings. Apparently;” a grunt, a reach, a push, “This is a whole day event, for the cultures that prepare this sort of thing.”

[ashenprofessor]

The fact that whatever Raven was making was more difficult than bread intrigued the professor. Though they hadn't made any in a while, they knew the process of kneading the dough and the force required to develop the yeast without over working. Not to boast but they'd even made some sweet bread before. For special occasions only.

"Rice!" Byleth says in surprise. "But that doesn't look like grains. And even if cooked wouldn't crushing it just turn the rice to a wet mush?"

Grabbing the hammer, they ashen demon raises it above their head before bringing it down with a satisfying THUD. It reminded them of the work they'd undertaken at the blacksmith, learning to repair weapons.

"It's a bit like hammering on the anvil right?" That too was to soften and shape the metal. They wondered if the paste would likewise be heated between beatings. Then Raven mentioned something about fillings, coatings and presentations.

"A whole day out of doing this!" Byleth says in surprise. "Will it take that long, how will we know when it's done?"

Their muscles didn't ache yet but in an hour or two...

[ashenprofessor]

Doctor heal thyself, and serve me a drink

[verseandrhyme]

If mercenaries are good for anything, it is evidentially the pure muscle they wield at their disposal as though it is nothing. Ordinarily, it might take several sets of hands to settle a patient before replacing a limb. The patient's own safety during the procedure is just as important, after all, and many hands to restrain when they reel in pain is quite useful.

The downside is that none of that seems to be a concern to the mercenary professor, who simply goes ahead with it before Mitama can react. Soon enough, she has not only a broken arm to deal with, but a whole unconscious patient as well. Mitama sighs heavily and takes a moment to pinch the bridge of her nose.

Ugh. And what's worse is her role here is as a teacher. That means this is her behavior to correct. "Ideally we do not want our patients passing out." More problems than necessary, but what is done is done. No sense crying over a fallen patient. She sighs again as her hands move for her staff and she steps up. Now that everything is ready it is no trouble at all to cast the actual healing spell. It comes as natural to her as breathing, a soft glow concentrated by the staff that briefly covers the patient's arm before fading.

"There. It would be best to bandage it so the patient does not strain themselves by moving too quickly when they awake. Are you capable of doing such, or would you require a demonstration of how to do it properly?"

[ashenprofessor]

Patiently they held the arm together so Mitama could bind it. Despite it clear that their actions would hurt the man, Byleth hadn't expected the man to pass out. Perhaps they should have weighted till more orderlies were available to help.

Keeping their hands on the arm to hold it steady, they shifted their weight to use their knee to prop the man up against the chair back. Mitama's sigh clued the professor into the healer's disappointment. "Sorry" they muttered "I should have waited for your instruction"

In future they would have to remember that most mortals didn't possess their uncanny ability to block out pain.

"Could I have a demonstration please" Byleth requested "I've bandaged injuries before but can't gaurentee that it was the 'proper' way"

[peerlessscowl]

A World So Much Wilder Than You'd Think

[peerlessscowl]

The battle was on now, stealth entirely foregone as both beasts leapt forward to engage with them, baring horrible gnashing maws. Byleth had kept their distance, and taken care of the one looking to trap him - as he knew they would - and he kept the feint of ignorance up until the beast coming for him had crept just close enough to have its throat sliced entirely by a clean strike from his sword. 

The momentum of the spin nearly did it in, but it was hardier than he might have expected, and hacked and spluttered even as it continued to bear down on him. Another stoke of his blade, less precise but with no less power to it, cleaved a chunk of its skull away and left it tumbling backward to stumble into the brush. Raven suspected it was going to find a quiet place to die, but couldn't afford it the privacy it longed for - they were hired for a job, and they needed to complete it. 

At the very least, he could give it the dignity of ending its pain before death. 

His footsteps cleared through the brush, no longer as concerned with being quiet as they were before, since they had their quarry in sight, and he simply followed the trail of blood on the dense jungle green to where it lay panting and whimpering. 

"Sorry about this." It was flat, but soft, and the strike was sure and true. 

A few moments later, he shrugged through the dense greenery to find where Byleth was. "All right over there?" It was hard to see exactly what remained of the beast. "I'm coming!" 

[ashenprofessor]

Byleth was beginning to regret their recent life choices. Their father's words floated to the forefront of their mind. "Take time to assess your foe and don't engage in a battle you're likely to lose" The professor had a feeing that this might be one of those situations where they'd miscalculated. Badly

Out of the corner of their eye they saw Raven putting up a strong fight. Indeed he dealt a damaging blow and the creature ran off into the brush. Spurred on this, Byleth tightened the grip on the hilt of their sword and faced down their own beast.

"You wont get the better of me. And I'm sorry for what's about to occur"

Leaping forward they took the initiative and attacked first. Stabbing at the creature's hind as they turned to attack Byleth again, the blade cut open the flesh, blood beginning to soak into the fur. A howl of pain sounded before dying down to a whimper. The violence previously shown was gone in an instant and it lowered it's head looking up at the professor.

"I'm fine" they called out in response to hearing Raven's voice. "What about the one you were fighting? This one is hurt but could recover"

Taking in the expression and limp, Byleth felt a wave of sympathy. Was it really right to end it's life when they had come in a disturbed it's home.

"I don't suppose we could just let it go. Maybe now we've shown them what we're capable of, they might leave people alone. We could just day we killed them, maybe take back something from the one you finished?"

[ashenprofessor]

Doctor heal thyself, and serve me a drink

[verseandrhyme]

It is likely odd to say that this feels comforting to her, but there is a familiarity in the work that lets her relax more so than the usual deeds the monastery asks of her do. She is by no means delighted by the pain that others find themselves in, nor does she want for there to be more patients, but as she works through mending wounds and fixing breaks, it is almost easy to pretend that life is far less complicated than it currently is.

Almost. Mitama frowns at the call of her name and glances back over her shoulder. The new one, with someone clearly suffering from a break. She lets out a sigh before quickly tying off the bandage she had been wrapping and ordering the patient not to move too much before heading over.

She should not be surprised that they find themselves out of their depth when presented with something like this, but being called away mid-task is still an unpleasant experience. When she arrives, she takes a quiet moment to examine what she has to deal with before sighing again.

"It will need to be reset before I can heal it, or else it will heal incorrectly." The explanation is for the patient and Byleth both, as she soons turns to the professor and nods towards the patient. "Would you please help me with resetting it? This part is difficult for me." She is not the strongest, after all.

[ashenprofessor]

Byleth wasn't squeamish by nature, that wouldn't do for a mercenary to be put off by a bit of blood and gore. The man with the fractured limb clearly was for the professor could see the colour slowly draining from his face as his body trembled. Mitama better get over quick.

"I think he's going into shock" they said by way of greeting to the more experienced healer. There was a bit of guilt at calling her away from her other patient but it was clear this guy needed treatment urgently. Keeping quiet while Mitama examined the injury, Byleth looked around for a blanket or something. They recalled from the basic first aid classes they took at the monastery that for some reason a blanket was good for shock.

They listened carefully to the explanation of what was needed, remembering watching a field medic do that before. It was a painful thing to do and required a strong grip to manoeuvre the bone back into place. Quickly they grabbed a blanket off a nearby chair and draped it over the man's shoulders. He barely registered it but his hand came up to loosely grip its edge.

"This will hurt but it'll be quick" Byleth warned. "Deep breath now.." Knowing there was nothing more to be done, they grabbed the arm and swiftly pushed the bone back down into the flesh till it was aligned with the other part of the joint. An ungodly scream came from the man as they did this before he went limp in the chair. "Ready to bind" they told Mitama, shifting their hands to allow her access to the area. "Think he's passed out. I can get him settled out the way once you're done so you can back to your previous patient."

[ashenprofessor]

Blue and Yellow is making me see Red

[sublimeflowoftime]

“My my, how considerate you’ve come to be.” Sothis allows herself to send one final teasing smile the professor’s way before fully focusing her attention on the pile, rising herself to the top to begin dismantling it from above. 

“I would say it will be appreciated, but I have seen those children’s posture. It’ll be a miracle if their spines ever come near the backing, much less into contact.” Honestly it’s a problem, really, but that is neither here nor there. Poor postures aside, she cannot say it’s a bad idea — far from it! Sothis, for one, does love herself a good chair back to lean upon as she sleeps… though that is perhaps rather counterproductive to the purpose of chairs in a classroom.

Yet still! To be a chair comfortable enough for which students to nap despite their scholarly lives hanging in the balance would be the highest honor one could bestow upon a craftsman, and so she will achieve as such! Even as one chair turns to two, then those two to another ten, her determination never wavers! Even if some of the latter chairs… may or may not have ended up with less legs than the first few iterations once she noticed how deep a dent her attempt of adding armrests had made in her far-more-limited-than-she-realized supply. Nor do they all have exactly consistent backing placement for similar reasons…

…It is fine! It shall simply encourage the students to come to class sooner so that they may get the best seats! As was her plan from the start, of course. 

“And… there! I must say, this ‘glue’ is an invention most useful! Why ever do people not simply use this for everything?” With the final pieces in place, Sothis steps back with a hum to give the final creation space to dry, gazing creations in well-deserved pride. Which is admittedly very boring, so naturally, she has to take to bothering supervising Byleth’s progress by poking her head over their shoulder.

“How goes things on your end? Ready to reunite our tables and table-likes once more?”

[ashenprofessor]

Byleth did sometimes despair over the posture of some their students, hoping they knew a good physio. "As long as students aren't slumped over their desks asleep, I must be doing something right"

As Sothis set about creating chairs, the professor went over to the pile of lumber to find suitable pieces to make more desks. Now they'd created one, making more was a doddle. Soon they had made enough to match the chairs crafted by the goddess. Some of them had mismatched legs but the professor had tried to ensure that the two diagonals were the same length. Beside, a wobble here or there didn't prevent people writing and arguably more similar to field conditions than a safe, warm classroom.

Finishing the final item, Byleth turned to see Sothis watching them. "I'm almost done, no need to start tapping your feet" they joked, referencing things they'd seen others do to make the point that someone is being slow. Casting their eye over the array of chairs, they noticed a few... variations on what a chair was but they all stood up.

"Glue is superior to nails and screws. They should use it more often. Should we wait for it to dry? Or just set the classroom up and call it a day?"

[ashenprofessor]

From me to you to me again

[dancersnewme]

Chocolate huh? She was semi-interested by the idea.

She had plans to give Some To Someone! Yes, Thats how she started this plan. But as she grew closer to the stall she seemed hesitant, pacing around for a while trying to grab any courage she could.

In the end she finally made her way over there, forged courage pushed through the line.

Lene was left alone to her to her thoughts, and that courage dwindled slowly as each second passed. She was about ready to suddenly high-tail out of there but thats when someone spoke to her. Lene stares at the stranger "Me?" Oh- wait, she thinks this is one of the professors and quickly changes the way she speaks "I am, I have some... people I wish to give some too" Her head tilts to the side "Ive never really done this before either! Maybe we can stick together and learn together! Im sure they'll allow it"

[ashenprofessor]

They were worried they'd startled the you lady in front of them and there was that awkward moment where the pair of them just stared at each other. Then the silence was broken by her response.

"Yes, there so many things I'd never done before coming to the monastery" Byleth admitted "But there have been plenty of opportunities to learn"

Despite their years of experience with combat and mercenary jobs, the professor had received a plethora of instruction in some of the gentler arts. The kind one would learn from their mother...

"I was thinking of making some for my father. I've always bought them in the past, usually a last minute rush to the nearest town store. But as we have a permanent residence at the moment, I'd like to put a bit more effort in"

As they'd been talking, Byleth had headed towards the door of the shop advertising the workshop. A smiling woman came out to greet them wearing a white apron.

"Hello. Welcome, welcome. Are you here for the chocolate making class?"

[ashenprofessor]

Do the rescuers need rescuing?

[landsbluod]

If Byleth had not been so infamously competent and well regarded within the monastery, Lachesis would certainly not have gone along with this mission. The sea was not her dominion anymore than the sky was, but it was almost comforting to know that the popular professor was as skilled a rider of pegasus as Lachesis herself had once been of regular horses. 

It did not keep her from keeping a tight hold around the professor's waist with every dip and turn, though, fingers digging into her own forearm as though that might give her the reassurance that nothing could go wrong. 

Until, of course, things went wrong. 

She had seen the terrible composure of Erinys, of the other Heavenly Knights of Silesse as they had been shot at by enemy arrows, and Lachesis attempted to emulate that calm even as the surface of the open ocean came up to greet them. 

The waters had been still that day, so there was no strong current or storm to toss them about in the waves, nothing to keep them underwater for too long except for the shock. Lachesis swirled around beneath the water before she kicked, furiously, against the water and found that the impact had given her a deeply rooted and terribly ache at all corners, biting the edge of her anger off wholecloth. 

"Byleth!!" she called, whipping her head around, forcing the weight of her hair from her face as she sought out her companion, but more importantly, shore, a ship, that beautiful mount they had been on. 

"Byleth!" She should not have let them get separated... 

[ashenprofessor]

As they fell, Byleth thought that this was it. Competent swimmer they might be but many a person had drowned regardless. There was a sting as they broke the water's surface, salty water filling there mouth. Fighting down the initial panic, Byleth tried to relax recalling their father's words about what to do in such a situation.

'just lean back and relax'

Physics kicked in and soon the professor was the correct way up and felt their head reappear above the surf. Looking round to see where they were, nothing stood out against the swell. Immediate crisis over, Byleth recalled that they hadn't been alone on Midnight. Where was Lachesis?!?

'Lachesis" they called out, praying to Sothis that the fair lady would hear them. Looking up, they could see Midnight circling ahead, a soft neigh drifting down. "Can you see Lachesis girl" Byleth shouted at their pegasus. "We need to find her quickly"

It was hard to hear anything over the waves, but Byleth thought they could hear something to the east. "Follow me" they told their mount as they begun swimming in that direction "and watch out for more arrows"

[ashenprofessor]

Where have all the "step"-ladders gone?

[ashenprofessor]

There was a brief moment where Byleth wondered if they'd made a mistake taking off without checking whether Raven was onboard with their plan. What if he had a different idea or missed what they had been pointing out. It was too late to worry about that now, they were coming into the position, hovering above the ladder's location, out of range of the archers.

There was no need to fear for looking back, Byleth saw Raven and his mount loop through the air and dive bomb the thief. It was graceful to watch and it took a moment and snort from their own companion to shake the professor into action. "Ok Midnight. Let's go"

Midnight folded her wings in, taking the pair into a tight corkscrew. In a whirlwind of feathers they approached the ladder's location. Byleth reached out an arm and easily grabbed the steps. Not stopping even with the new awkward load, Midnight pulled out of the dive and began beating her wings to return them to a safe height.

Mission accomplished, Byleth was soon joined by Raven. His mount snorted in greeting. "Oh" they said surprised then looked downwards. "Well done girl, that was very impressive flying. We couldn't have done this without you" Praise given, they looked back to Raven, the unspoken question of whether that was sufficient hanging in the air.

"That's one ladder. We should get it to the others." That would free some of the soldiers trapped on the battlements. "I think we should do something about these bandits. Ever done aerial combat?"

[peerlessscowl]

The smile he gave was a little perplexed, uncertain if it was a joke, but he smiled nonetheless, and hope that it was reassuring. What did they consider aerial combat, if not what they had been doing the entire time? "I think we'll manage." 

He wasn't sure how many more needed to be taken care of, after the gang that he had just taken out, and the thief he had recovered his ladder from, but if there was a persistent problem then he agreed that it would need to be taken care of. Reaching over, he took the second ladder from Byleth's grip, and hooked it to his saddle alongside the other one, nodding at them. 

"We can take the extra weight," he explained, then rested his hand on the pommel of his sword. "If you want to flush out whoever's hiding, whatever's left - " a disdainful snort; "We'll follow your lead." 

The night had stretched on long enough, and the gentle pinks and yellows were starting to appear on the horizon heralding the dawn. Raven knew if they stopped moving forward, the time would start to take its toll – but then, it would affect those thieves, as well. 

Whatever was left of them. 

"Let's go then." 

[ashenprofessor]

The professor saw the brief look of confusion flash across Raven's face. Perhaps they should have been a bit less general in their wording, but they brushed these thoughts aside. There were more pressing matters to attend too.

The intention was for them to take out the ladder thieves from the air rather than landing and hunting them down. It was one thing to dodge projectiles and another to get in close enough to return fire.

"I don't doubt your flying skills" Byleth assured him "I just wished to confirm that you'd be comfortable with the idea of flying and fighting at the same time"

The proposed plan worked for them so they nodded in agreement and spurred Midnight into a sharp dive towards the tree line. The reasoning being that it was a good hiding place while giving a good view of the people trapped on the walls. It's where the professor would hide out if they were in charge of the thieve's plan.

No sooner they'd pierced the trees were the first of the arrows shot towards them. It was child's play for the pair to outmanoeuvre the volley. Narrowing their eyes, Byleth spotted where the shots had come from and aimed towards the foliage sword flashing. Panicked figures burst out and begun making their way towards the open field where Raven was waiting.

Trusting their companion to take care of the escapees, they turned attention to finding the stragglers. The approaching dawn would hinder both sides and the professor was keen to capture the perpetrators before the night came to a close.

[ashenprofessor]

Sea Shanties with a mystery incorporated

[lunaestice]

“I overheard one of them mentioning a tavern being their next meetup spot. Maybe we can talk with them there.” It was worth a shot at least, the boy believed. If there’s any way this conflict could be settled without any more aggression they should try to take that route.

They might’ve committed a crime. But going out of your way to not hurt anyone suggested that they weren’t cruel brigands. At that point they deserved to be heard out at the very least. Plus there was also the matter of the reports they received seeming incredibly biased. That was always suspicious.

“There’s a local tavern nearby that didn’t seem to be affected by the recent thefts. I think that’s where we can find them.”

[ashenprofessor]

"To the tavern we go" Byleth said, leading the way as they headed in the direction Ashe indicated. It wasn't a bad suggestion from the student, Byleth knew many seedy dealing took place in the back room of bars over a drink or three. Besides, it might ease any tension should they find a thief to confront.

They hear the tavern before they see it, loud singing drifting up the street from the open windows. "I think we may have found the place" the professor comments wryly. They push open the door to witness the chaos inside. Most tables were already taken despite the early hour. An upright piano stood in a corner, the keys being hammered by the pianist accompanied by a crowd of drinkers.

It was the perfect place to hide in plain sight.

"Keep an eye out for anyone who stands out, having whispered conversations or glancing round keeping watch"

[ashenprofessor]

Doctor heal thyself, and serve me a drink

[verseandrhyme]

Mitama glances up briefly from the patience she was working on to look at the latest arrival sidelong. Was the situation so dire that they were sending anyone who could be found to assist with the wounded? Was a monastery powerful enough to remain such an important figure in this continent so devoid of actual healers they could not handle this themselves?

Who knows. Certainly not Mitama, because their newest recruit walks away before she has the chance to even respond to their introduction. She watches them walk away and begin to tend to another nearby patient without any instruction.

The sailor she'd been working on shifts and cries out sharply as his unset leg protests the action. Mitama quickly turns back with a click of her tongue and sets about settling them before they can move too much. "If you need assistance with anything, just call." She calls back to the other worker. If they are so confident, she will not coddle them. "And you, stop moving."

[ashenprofessor]

Byleth felt ill equipped to deal with the situation. They had taken an interest in healing and faith magic since joining the academy in an effort to keep their students alive on missions. It wouldn't look good to come back with fewer pupils than one started with. However, there were far more to treat and variety than they'd seen before.

Learning on the job is said to be the best education.

But Byleth would definably be filing a report to the church on the need for a healer recruitment drive. Mitama was handling herself well, dishing out clear instructions to both clerics and patients alike. Byleth paused to watch her to gain some tips.

"You there, stop prodding at your injury. It'll just bleed more" they call out sharply seeing a sailor poking a weeping cut on their arm. Marking the sailor as lower priority, they spin around at a loud moan from behind. It was someone with a clearly broken arm. The lower limb hung limp with the bone practically poking out the upper bicep.

"Mitama" Byleth shouts. "I need some help here!"

[peerlessscowl]

A World So Much Wilder Than You'd Think

[ashenprofessor]

With the plan in agreement, Byleth waited as Raven got in position. The former mercenary moved so as to get better eyes on the camp of creatures. From their new vantage point they could see the reaction to the noise Raven was making.

The creatures barely reacted to the first couple of bangs but by the third a couple had raised their heads. Light chirps escaped them to alert the others as they swivelled to locate the direction of the disturbance.

Once they’d honed in on the direction a couple set off to investigate. ‘Perfect’ Byleth thought. There was a brief moment of panic where it looked like more would follow but the decreased noise level as the sound moved further away was enough to dissuade a large party investigating.

Climbing down from their perch, the Professor began following stealthily so as not to cause the creatures to turn on them instead. They hoped Raven was ready for them.

[peerlessscowl]

It was almost chilling, the way the creatures moved, the speed at which they began to coordinate taking his back – and the fact that he had to force himself to remain staunchly facing forward, not to turn to face them as he normally would, the creeping cold of being followed with killing intent. 

He comforted himself by counting the steps he took, by listening to the crack of branches and estimating the distance behind him as the creatures closed the distance but not quite enough to get within reach. It occurred to him that they might think they were toying with him, and he responded to the thought with another aggressive smack of his scabbard against the tree, and listened to the ensuing chitter. 

Just one, though. It took all his control not to whirl around to seek out the other one - there had been two sets of footsteps behind him, where had - ? 

The shift of light in the lacework of dappled canopy to his left told him enough, and with just enough time – he spun, unsheathed his sword the few inches he needed to catch the claws that descended upon him from his offhand, grunting with the effort to throw the beast off and take a cleaner swipe at its haunches. 

The second was still following at a slower pace, and he hoped for the time being that Byleth was on its tail. 

[ashenprofessor]

Stalking quietly through the brush, Byleth kept pace with the creatures as they moved towards where they knew Raven was waiting. It different to any hunt they had been on before with other mercenaries or hunters. Almost as they were both predator and prey at the same time.

Another rattle of a scabbard striking wood sounded out. The beasts looked up and Byleth saw both heads turn in the direction the noise had come from. The plan was working great.

However, before getting too cocky, one of the beasts peeled off, circling round to where Byleth reckoned Raven was. Concerned, the professor kept following the remaining creature figuring that they were moving in a pincer formation.

Preparing, they unsheathed their sword and crept up to within touching distance of fur. It was just as well that they did, for no sooner were they in position than the beast lurched forwards. Reacting solely on instict, Byleth lunged after them with their sword. It grazed the creature's shoulder but attracted its attention.

A snarling mouth whipped around, teeth flashing towards their face. They struck with the hilt of their sword to bash the jaw away, and quickly had to pivot to block the claws with their blade. Looking for an opening, Byleth spotted Raven engaged with the other creature.

How the turns had tabled ...