My Little Girl

Unfamiliar Emotions

Harpstring Moon: Month of The Zanado Mission

Byleth felt emotions she had never in her life felt as she eagerly raced down the hall on the second floor after having some lessons from Rhea. Excitement and pride swelling in her at what had just been discovered and learned. The young professor of the Blue Lions, the former mercenary known throughout Fodlan as the Ashen Demon could use white magic!! Not only that she had discovered again from Rhea she had a talent to be a healer. 

Professor Hannemon whom had been looking into her unknown crest suspected with this new information that it may be due partly to her crest. But from the stories she recalled about her late mother from her father, she suspected her talents in mana was thanks to her. Sitri, her late mother had been frail and sickly but from what her father told her she had been a gremory mage. Skilled one at that!

"Father! Father!"

Jeralt looked up from his desk at seeing his daughter race in with yet another emotion she had discovered clear as day on her face. There was excitement in her expression as she eagerly tackled hugged him after he got up from his chair and went over. "Oof! Byleth, what's got you so excited?"

"I just came from seeing Lady Rhea and get this I can use healing mana!"she said proudly.

"Well, I'll be."laughed Jeralt as he smiled. "Looks like Lady Rhea's intuition was right on the mark for you then."

"Uh huh~! Now I can help Mercedes and Annette with patching everyone up! I'll be able to protect and help them better."Byleth stated excitedly as her father lead her over to the couch so they could both sit down. 

"I'm very proud of you kid. How are you settling into life here at the monastery?"Jeralt quickly asked. Honestly Jeralt was a bit worried about how his daughter would take to such a sudden change of lifestyle. To not be constantly on the move an actually have a solid place to call her home. Byleth though had grown up on the road his his band of mercenaries with very little belongings to call their own with only the clothes on their backs and their weapons in hand. It had left Byleth with a rather unusual childhood but it was one that made her strong and a survivor. With people though...it left things awkward at best.

"Hm...I think so. Everyone's been really kind and help me, especially Dimitri. Felix and Demtri both make sparing partners. Ashe and Dedue showed me the greenhouse yesterday and Sylvain and Ingrid showed me where they're keeping Trotter."Byleth informed smoothly. 

Now it was Jeralt's turn to be surprised. He had not expected his daughter to settle in so easily. Was it because of those lion cubs of her's again? Probably. His daughter and Dimitri out of the entire class seemed to be growing quite close. "Huh. I was not expecting that answer from you. OUtside of battle and clients you didn't really have much contact with people did you?"

"No. I...um, they always looked at me funny. It made things awkward so I just stayed with you or played  with Trotter."Byleth said calmly. 

"I see. Well I thought suddenly getting tossed into a swarm of noble brats to teach would prove overwhelming for you. But I guess I had nothing to worry about."Byleth calmly shook her head, look of amusement shined in her eyes at her father.

"Seteth still makes me nervous. As does that boy, Hubert from the Black Eagles. Otherwise though I'm settling in fine. I know you said I should be careful around Lady Rhea but...I want to learn some more from here."Byleth stated admantly.

"Hm, well, as long as you don't drop your guard around her I see no harm in it. I'm assuming your class was given their mission for this month?"Jeralt honestly had heard already what the Blue Lions had been tasked with. But he wanted to hear the details from his daughter.

"We're to route and dispose of some bandits that are making camp in some canyon called Zanado."she informed. Yet again there was that look of confusion. Goddess dammit he should have taught her more about key landmarks!

"The Red Canyon huh? Well bandits are fairly routine at this point for you. But don't forget this will be your brats first taste of real battle. It'll be tougher for you to sleep at night if one your little lion cubs die, so stay viligant and lead them well. Got it?"Jeralt calmly advised. 

Byleth calmly got to her feet and with determination clear on her face she nodded in understanding. "Got it."

"I wish I could go with you and offer my support, Byleth but I'm afraid Lady Rhea won't allow it."Jeralt looked away in frustration. Only to have his daughter hug him in a comforting gesture.

"You taught me well, Father. I promise we'll be fine and none of my class are going to get killed. This I assure you."Byleth said as she made her for the door but stopped at hearing Jeralt call for her.

"Just be careful and watch your back. For now I'll keep trying to figure out just what Lady Rhea is up to and wants from you."Byleth simply said nothing, only nodding with that stoic look on her face. The few emotions she had just shown him all but faded away once more as she left the office. 

..................................................................

Byleth sat under a tree just outside the knights' hall after she and her class had just returned from Zanado. She looked deep in thought as she was looking up at the sky, unaware her father today was going to be training with the more lower ranked knights in the hall. At least to on lookers that's what it looked like as she was softly mumbling to herself. Though to Byleth she knew she was actually speaking with Sothis about Zanado. The place had felt familiar and nostalgic to them both, yet, Byleth had never set foot in such a place. "Since when is it called the Red Canyon of all things...?"

This what Jeralt saw and overheard as he walked over to his daughter and stood over her. "It's Called the Red Canyon due to an old legend."he quickly said. That had caused something he had not expected: Byleth being startled. 

"Father! Don't scare me like that!"she hissed.

Ok this year was apparently the year of one surprising change after another. His daughter looked like a startled hare that had just dodged an arrow! Byleth never had shown fear, not once. She had never shown excitement, pride, confusion, or curiosity. And yet...in the span of a month and a half his little girl was changing. Discovering emotions and revealing them in all their spendor one by one. Despite his misgiving maybe fate had chosen this path. Maybe, just maybe it was a good thing for Byleth to be here in this scenery that she probably would have grown up in if Sitri hadn't died that rainy day in Horsebow Moon. "Sitri...did I really do the right thing taking her away from here?"he thought as for the first time in twenty years doubt was taking hold.

To Be Continued...