The Light You Gave Me

-2-

"And that should do it." Elodie commented as she finished tightening the bandage on the villager's arm. An arrow had grazed him as he was running to Durand territory. "Now be sure to keep it clean while it heals."

The young girl stood up and walked to her table scanning for the ointment she had made the day before. Her grey blue eyes caught notice of the small container of beige paste on the right hand corner of her work bench.

"This ointment here will help keep it from getting infected. Use it when you have to redress your bandages."

"Thank you Lady Durand." The villager, a male in his mid twenties though the bags under his eyes aged him. He was on the stockier side and based on Elodie's brief observation he likely was a blacksmith due to ash spots on his clothes. Though with villages being pillaged and burned left and right, ash spots became more commonplace. Elodie placed the ointment gingerly in his calloused hands,"When should I redress the bandage?"

"I'd say in about 3 to 4 days. And wait about 2 weeks before you take out the stitches, though I'd advise to not do it alone."

the villager nodded before standing up from the cot and leaving the barn. Durand Territory, albeit small compared to some of the others, had become a safe haven for evacuating villagers. Elodie, with the help of her oldest sibling and soon to be head of the House of Durand Petronelle Marva Durand-Janvier, had fixed a storage house into an infirmary of sorts. By the first year of the war Elodie had opted to move her own bead and belongings into the storehouse as she found most of her time was dedicated to caring for villager refugees. There where times during the five years where she herself would look for villagers who needed sanctuary. Lately her twin sisters, Farrah Camille Durand and Faline Audra Durand, had taken responsibility of searching for injured villagers.

Once Elodie was by herself she let out a soft sigh she took a moment to clean herself up. She had grown up quite a bit since the academy. The now 21 year old was a few inches taller and her hair now reached past her elbow. She still kept it down but used a small crown braid to keep her hair from out of her face. She still had a numerous amount of freckles splashed along her face primarily on her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Her stormy grey blue-eyes had always been one of her more striking traits especially now. However, not for a reason one would care for.

She was tired and the ongoing duties war demanded did nothing but drain her.

Placing her apron on the workbench, Elodie began to look for her stationary. She had intended to write to her sister Adalyn as soon as possible. She had always loved to write letters. Ever since she and her sister stayed with her uncle before the academy their father would send them letters. Then when Adalyn went to the officers academy in Garrett Mach six years ago the two wrote to one another constantly. Even when Elodie was a student the following year she continued to write letters to her family. It help them feel close.

Her family felt very far apart as of late. Rhiannon Esme Tremblay, the second eldest, and her husband Tullius had left for the Lester alliance a couple years ago, Adalyn was with their uncle, the twins where looking for surviving villagers, and her father had not returned from his last mission a month prior. No one knew where he was. Elodie knew her uncle was searching but that did not ease her concerns. The only residents of Castle Durand where Petronelle, her Husband Warner Durand-Janvier, their children: Briar, Rhonan II, and Aiden, and their Aunt Johanna.

"Auntie Lodie? Are you in here?" A young bright voice called. Briar was only eight but she was a very clever girl who loved to ask questions. She had her mother's flaming red hair and her father's hazel-green eyes and her own fair share of freckles on her cheeks. Briar opened the door scanning the room for Elodie.

"I'm in here Briar." Elodie turned her parchment paper still in hand. The little ginger beamed as she rushed in for a quick hug, "what's the matter?"

"momma says that you have visitors." Briar let go of Elodie's side still looking up at her, "she also said that you need to eat."

Elodie despite the confusion of receiving guests this late in the evening, smiled before putting her parchment back down on her desk and taking her little niece's hand.

"I suppose we'd better not make them wait."

"Annie this castle is absolutely lovely," Mercedes von Martritz soft blue eyes scanned the dinning hall. It was very modestly decorated with a large banquet table in the center of the room and a roaring fireplace and the end of the wall. "Have you been to Castle Durand before?"

Annette Fantine Dominic shook her head as she fidget her thumbs in anticipation. "This is my first time! I'm excited to see Elodie again!"

"My daughter went to fetch her from the store house," Petronelle entered placing a basket of fresh rolls on the table, "Please feel free to eat while you wait. Elodie will probably need to eat something as well."

"Has Elodie not been eating properly?" Mercedes brows furrowed at Petronelle's statement.

Petronelle sighed before taking a seat herself. "Elodie has been focusing a lot of her time in the store house, taking care of sick and injured villagers." 

The two quests shared a concerned look with one another. They knew Elodie to be a caring person but they feared it might cause her to care very little of her own well being. Annette remembered times where Mercedes would softly scored her and Elodie for their lack of self care.

"We're here mama!" A young voice exclaimed as Briar gently lead the anticipated guest to the table. 

"I hoped I haven't kept you-." Elodie stopped as she turned her eyes from her nice to her two classmates, her dear friends. "Mercedes! Annette!"

"Elodie!" Annette was the first out of her chair to greet her friend. Elodie noticed the two had also changed a good deal. Mercedes' hair was much shorter and Annette had grown a few inches. But they were still very much the two friends she had instantly bonded with while at Greg Mach monastery. 

the three had sat down for dinner and Mercedes explained her and Annette's appearance. Five years ago their class, the blue lions, had promised to have a reunion on during the millennium festival at Greg Mach. The festival would've been in three days. 

"Since Annie's father is planning on visiting us down there with Ashe we figured we would come visit you so we could travel together."

"How does that sound?" 

"I honestly forgot that the Millennium festival was so soon." Elodie admitted sheepishly. Had it really been five years. Some days it feels longer. Five years since Greg Mach. Since Elodie was a blue lion. Five years since the disappearance of Prince Dimitri and their Professor Byleth.  The world seemed much darker now. Even Elodie felt her own spirit feel a bit dimmer.

She felt like a mere candle the better part of her burned out.

"It'll be best if you three wait to travel in the morning. You can make it to Gareg Mach in time if you set out early tomorrow." Petronelle interrupted as she began to collect the empty dishes from the table. "Elodie can show you to the guest room?"

The brunette nodded as she ushered the other two upstairs while her mind began to fill with many questions. What if the others didn't show up? What where they like now? It had been five years certainly that's quite a lot of time. Will Petronelle be able to manage without me? It is really ok for me to go see my friends?

"Elodie." Annette spoke which made Elodie snap back to reality. She turned to the ginger girl quizzically. "I'm so glad we're all traveling together. I've missed you."

Elodie smiled softly as her friend's endearing statement put her mind at ease. At the end of the day she was going to see her class and even though she had her worries that fact alone was able to give her a little flicker of hope.